Retirement Visa

[warriors]

[i have been coming to Los for 3 years but only staying 30 to 60 days at a time. some time one visa the back to the US. As i still have bussiness i need to take care of. I do have one question i do plan to retire there maybe in a year.

I am 60 and want to know if i transfere money to meet the money trsansfere what ever the amount is at the time ? Do i have to transfere every year or have that amount each year when it time to renew the retirement Visa,

HENCE WHY I STARTED THIS SUBJECT ABOVE

I have just completed my 3rd yearly retirement visa this week. In Bangkok Imm. ( 15th August)

So the info you want is. Yes you DO need to show 800,000 bhat has been transfered EVERY year from over seas at least 3 months before your retirement anniversary date. Even if you have 5,000,000 bhat allready in your Thai Bank. They want new money.

Oh and they now want a STATEMENT ( extra bit of paper work) from some Thai person to say you live in the permanant address in Thailand that you have supplied to the Imm Dept. They do not hand this form out before you get to see the officer it is handed to you when you are with the officer. So it seems that you now need to go with a Thai person either (Wife, G.F, Lover, or a Visa Consultant or get the guy off the street who is job is to clean it ) What ever your word now is not good enough. God help you after sitting there for 3 hours with your little bit of paper with your number on it to get so far and have all your other papers, such as to show your money, medical papers and now fall at the last fence.

Oh and now they want you to be able to Draw a Map of where you live, there and then, so better draw one before you arrive or you have to leave her ( the officers ) table to do it.

Good luck to you. I look forward to next years pot luck retirement application.

[Maestro]

Warriors, I am sorry to say this but your post doesn’t make any sense at all.

--

Maestro

[Jingthing]

Warriors, I am sorry to say this but your post doesn’t make any sense at all.

--

Maestro

Perhaps a Thai translator is called for in special cases such as this.

[ballbreaker]

Sounds like a load of crap. Friend just renewed retirement visa and only needed to show 800K baht in account 3 months prior to renew and it wasn't new money.

[Jingthing]

If a FRESH 800K was required to be transferred in every year (if this is a new rule change this would be BIG NEWS) I would be leaving Thailand (what, good riddance, you say?). That is a rule I could comply with but would choose not to. So far, this is all a big RUMOR. Not one really CREDIBLE report.

Edited August 21, 2007 by Jingthing

[ignis]

If a FRESH 800K was required to be transferred in every year (if this is a new rule change this would be BIG NEWS) I would be leaving Thailand (what, good riddance, you say?). That is a rule I could comply with but would choose not to. So far, this is all a big RUMOR. Not one really CREDIBLE report.

It is just if you use part of the 800,000 then you would need to top up 3 months before the end of your Visa date...... from overseas...

My 800,000 is on a 'Fixed Thai Bank deposit' last 4 renewals have been no problem.... Just [26-7-07] renewed the Fixed Term for another 3 years @ 3.7%

[Jingthing]

If a FRESH 800K was required to be transferred in every year (if this is a new rule change this would be BIG NEWS) I would be leaving Thailand (what, good riddance, you say?). That is a rule I could comply with but would choose not to. So far, this is all a big RUMOR. Not one really CREDIBLE report.

It is just if you use part of the 800,000 then you would need to top up 3 months before the end of your Visa date...... from overseas...

My 800,000 is on a 'Fixed Thai Bank deposit' last 4 renewals have been no problem.... Just [26-7-07] renewed the Fixed Term for another 3 years @ 3.7%

Thanks. Yes, I know the current rule and agree with you about what it is.

However, there are a few people here who seem to be promoting a rumor about a new change to require a FRESH 800K needs to be transferred in EVERY YEAR. I don't believe it. This rumor should be crushed unless we hear some credible coherent reports.

We have enough real stuff to deal with without these wacky rumors.

Edited August 21, 2007 by Jingthing

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If a FRESH 800K was required to be transferred in every year (if this is a new rule change this would be BIG NEWS) I would be leaving Thailand (what, good riddance, you say?). That is a rule I could comply with but would choose not to. So far, this is all a big RUMOR. Not one really CREDIBLE report.

It is just if you use part of the 800,000 then you would need to top up 3 months before the end of your Visa date...... from overseas...

My 800,000 is on a 'Fixed Thai Bank deposit' last 4 renewals have been no problem.... Just [26-7-07] renewed the Fixed Term for another 3 years @ 3.7%

Thanks. Yes, I know the current rule and agree with you about what it is.

However, there are a few people here who seem to be promoting a rumor about a new change to require a FRESH 800K needs to be transferred in EVERY YEAR. I don't believe it. This rumor should be crushed unless we hear some credible coherent reports.

We have enough real stuff to deal with without these wacky rumors.

This one would be a late beery rumor.

[mahjongguy]

there are a few people here who seem to be promoting a rumor about a new change to require a FRESH 800K needs to be transferred in EVERY YEAR. I don't believe it. This rumor should be crushed unless we hear some credible coherent reports.

We have enough real stuff to deal with without these wacky rumors.

Jing, I don't see myself as a rumormonger, nor as being particularly wacky.

Like a lot of folks here, I am just reporting the facts as I observed them. Yes, it would a big change to require 800k of new deposits each year, but it seemed to be what my agent was looking for. That's why I mentioned it.

Someone else will say "no, my agent only wanted to see a topoff to 800k". And some will report that they were allowed to have all or part of their balance in a fixed deposit, others that this was not allowed.

Until that lovely day when Immigration has clear written rules that all its agents perfectly understand, surely it is useful for us to hear about the actual experiences of those who have just been through the process.

After all, it is the Immigration officers that best deserve the term "wacky'.

[naka]

Time to dump your agent.

Why on earth do you need one anyway ?

Do you really find filling out a single form an onerous task ?

Naka.

[ballbreaker]

Time to dump your agent.

Why on earth do you need one anyway ?

Do you really find filling out a single form an onerous task ?

Naka.

Ditto

[Lite Beer]

Time to dump your agent.

Why on earth do you need one anyway ?

Do you really find filling out a single form an onerous task ?

Naka.

Ditto

Ditto 2

If you want anything done, do it your self.

[chickencurry]

If a FRESH 800K was required to be transferred in every year (if this is a new rule change this would be BIG NEWS) I would be leaving Thailand (what, good riddance, you say?). That is a rule I could comply with but would choose not to. So far, this is all a big RUMOR. Not one really CREDIBLE report.

It is just if you use part of the 800,000 then you would need to top up 3 months before the end of your Visa date...... from overseas...

My 800,000 is on a 'Fixed Thai Bank deposit' last 4 renewals have been no problem.... Just [26-7-07] renewed the Fixed Term for another 3 years @ 3.7%

Which Thai bank will allow someone on a retirement visa to have a fixed Thai bank deposit at 3.7 percent. Would love to know.

[mahjongguy]

Time to dump your agent.

Why on earth do you need one anyway ?

Do you really find filling out a single form an onerous task ?

If you are referring to my post just above, I was using the word "agent" to mean the Immigration officer.

[warriors]

This is not a rumor IT HAPPENED TO ME at Bangkok Imm. I am only reporting what was said to me by the officer while I was sitting infront of her. I do not lie also we had to draw a map of our current address even though I had been living at the same place for over 2 years. Plus my partner of 4 years had to fill out a statement as to all I have said was true eg where I live. Just in case some of you think I went there looking like a yob bo, I was dress well no jeans black pants nice shirt. So I maybe just the officers thinking about the rules.

As regards to some one saying there do not know what I am writing about, I was only answering the above question asked by another prospective retiree. If you read my first message you will see I am refering to the above message from him.

So do not be suprised if some one also reports later that what I have said happened to them also.

[jackspratt]

This is not a rumor IT HAPPENED TO ME at Bangkok Imm. I am only reporting what was said to me by the officer while I was sitting infront of her. I do not lie also we had to draw a map of our current address even though I had been living at the same place for over 2 years. Plus my partner of 4 years had to fill out a statement as to all I have said was true eg where I live. Just in case some of you think I went there looking like a yob bo, I was dress well no jeans black pants nice shirt. So I maybe just the officers thinking about the rules.

As regards to some one saying there do not know what I am writing about, I was only answering the above question asked by another prospective retiree. If you read my first message you will see I am refering to the above message from him.

So do not be suprised if some one also reports later that what I have said happened to them also.

No one would dispute that it happened to you, Warrior.

When it happens to someone else, and then a third and a fourth, maybe we can start worrying that it really is they (ie the widespread application of new policy) rather than her (ie an idiosyncratic officer, perhaps being hard to get along with, or maybe exercising the right to seek further information) taking these actions.

[thailien8]

In an attempt to comply with the new requirement about showing proof of money coming into Thailand from abroad, today I went to the Bkk. Bank head office on Silom Road. I had my bank statements from Bank of America showing the three Swift wire transfers I've made to Bkk. Bank in 2005, 2006 and 2007, to maintain the 800,000 baht balance needed for the retirement visa. At Bkk. Bank, I was directed to the Inward Funds Transfer Inquiry Service area, on 2nd floor next to the Foreign Exchange area. I showed my BofA statements to a teller, asking him to make official-looking Bkk. Bank receipts of the Swift transfers in order to satisfy Thai Immigration. He seemed to know what I was talking about, and was able to quickly produce three full-page forms with all the details of the transfers. These forms have the Bkk. Bank logo stamped at the top, and state that they are from the Bank's "Global Payment Services Department".

I was a little dubious about the bottom part of these forms, where it states that "This credit advice is computer generated and does not require an authorized signature." A hand-stamp saying "Duplicate" was stamped on the forms. This did not look all that official to me, so I asked the teller and a colleague if this would really satisfy Immigration; they seemed to think it would. I will find out next week when I go back to Immigration with these forms, and the rest of the paperwork, to see if they will turn my one-month "under consideration" extension into another year here in Paradise.

So I guess my question is if anyone else has recent experience with a bank form showing that money was wired in from abroad--was it deemed acceptable by Immigration? Also, I would like to show someone at Immigration these bank forms, just to get an opinion as to whether this is what they are looking for--before the big day when I must sit down with the Immigration officer who will decide my fate. Is there anyone at SuanPlu Immigration who might be able to reassure me that I have what they want to see?

[ignis]

In an attempt to comply with the new requirement about showing proof of money coming into Thailand from abroad, today I went to the Bkk. Bank head office on Silom Road. I had my bank statements from Bank of America showing the three Swift wire transfers I've made to Bkk. Bank in 2005, 2006 and 2007, to maintain the 800,000 baht balance needed for the retirement visa. At Bkk. Bank, I was directed to the Inward Funds Transfer Inquiry Service area, on 2nd floor next to the Foreign Exchange area. I showed my BofA statements to a teller, asking him to make official-looking Bkk. Bank receipts of the Swift transfers in order to satisfy Thai Immigration. He seemed to know what I was talking about, and was able to quickly produce three full-page forms with all the details of the transfers. These forms have the Bkk. Bank logo stamped at the top, and state that they are from the Bank's "Global Payment Services Department".

I was a little dubious about the bottom part of these forms, where it states that "This credit advice is computer generated and does not require an authorized signature." A hand-stamp saying "Duplicate" was stamped on the forms. This did not look all that official to me, so I asked the teller and a colleague if this would really satisfy Immigration; they seemed to think it would. I will find out next week when I go back to Immigration with these forms, and the rest of the paperwork, to see if they will turn my one-month "under consideration" extension into another year here in Paradise.

So I guess my question is if anyone else has recent experience with a bank form showing that money was wired in from abroad--was it deemed acceptable by Immigration? Also, I would like to show someone at Immigration these bank forms, just to get an opinion as to whether this is what they are looking for--before the big day when I must sit down with the Immigration officer who will decide my fate. Is there anyone at SuanPlu Immigration who might be able to reassure me that I have what they want to see?

One would think that the Immigration would send/fax a letter to the Head Office of all the banks to state 'requirement' The said Banks could then send out memos to all the branches...

When i renewed my Retirement Visa, there were loads of Retirees with the wrong Bank letter........ Likewise when I was picking up the 'Letter' from the Bank, another guy was saying that Immigration would not accept there letter... A friend had to return to the Bank 3 time for different letters @ 300 baht each !!!

Myself I had the wrong letter this time, but I took [+ copies] the last 12 monthly Bank statements..... It amazes me that a letter from the Bank stateing that I have 800,000 on a fixed Term 5yr account was not accepted because it did not show the money was in the account 3 months before..... Yet it clearly showed the Terms with the start/ end dates

[Krub]

If a FRESH 800K was required to be transferred in every year (if this is a new rule change this would be BIG NEWS) I would be leaving Thailand (what, good riddance, you say?). That is a rule I could comply with but would choose not to. So far, this is all a big RUMOR. Not one really CREDIBLE report.

It is just if you use part of the 800,000 then you would need to top up 3 months before the end of your Visa date...... from overseas...

My 800,000 is on a 'Fixed Thai Bank deposit' last 4 renewals have been no problem.... Just [26-7-07] renewed the Fixed Term for another 3 years @ 3.7%

Which Thai bank will allow someone on a retirement visa to have a fixed Thai bank deposit at 3.7 percent. Would love to know.

Most banks will but I knwo for sure that Siam Commercial will do

[R123]

Actually we should be getting fed up with these false if not fake stories of new "retirement" rules or laws; a few weeks ago there was a phoney report of immigration wanting to come to one's home to check the address; and then a ridiculously long thread where someone here claiming a change in the rules and which attracted hundreds of replies; we then learnt that too was all nonsence.

I was in immigration a few days back and there is no change in the current situation and if there was we would hear from immigration publicly to that effect and Sun Belt who sponsor this site and hold themselves out as legal experts in this field would make an annoucement of any new situation.

Have to wonder if this kind of scare mongering is deliberate and the work of one or two mischivious individuals.

Edited August 23, 2007 by R123

[lopburi3]

And sometimes we can jump to false conclusions too quickly. The fact is that not everyone will have the same experience and just because someone posts something that happened to him and it has not happened to you or I does not make it false or a deliberate distortion. People have different situations and officers have different ways. But most of the time it is simply a case of misunderstanding. We are a group of many nationalities trying to communicate in English of an experience dominated with Thai rules. Easy for mis-interpretations to happen. That is why we always try to caution not to take any single or isolated report as being a new policy. I know it is hard but try to relax.

[Krub]

Actually we should be getting fed up with these false if not fake stories of new "retirement" rules or laws; a few weeks ago there was a phoney report of immigration wanting to come to one's home to check the address; and then a ridiculously long thread where someone here claiming a change in the rules and which attracted hundreds of replies; we then learnt that too was all nonsence.

I was in immigration a few days back and there is no change in the current situation and if there was we would hear from immigration publicly to that effect and Sun Belt who sponsor this site and hold themselves out as legal experts in this field would make an annoucement of any new situation.

Have to wonder if this kind of scare mongering is deliberate and the work of one or two mischivious individuals.

Maybe it would help if you posted the details of your experience a few weeks ago so that all could benefit and be re-assured that most extensions are handled according to the books ?

[R123]

Krub:

By the way see the post by Longball re "Retirement Visa Renewal" thread; his experience in the last few days.

I had my 90 day reporting on Tuesday 21st August and enquired at Pattaya Immigration re any changes in the rules or laws for retirement extension based on the 800,000 in the bank, and was told categorically no change.

My renewal per se is not scheduled until next year.

Hope this helps,

Have a nice day.

[Krub]

Krub:

By the way see the post by Longball re "Retirement Visa Renewal" thread; his experience in the last few days.

I had my 90 day reporting on Tuesday 21st August and enquired at Pattaya Immigration re any changes in the rules or laws for retirement extension based on the 800,000 in the bank, and was told categorically no change.

My renewal per se is not scheduled until next year.

Hope this helps,

Have a nice day.

Thanks

I am extra nervous because my renewal is coming early September and I will do it for the first time in Isaan. I do not forsee much trouble as I have a new income letter (over 65k/month) from Embassy and a bank book with over 200k. I would hate to have to trek all the way to Bangkok and lose 2-3 days for certification by the MFA but the rest I can handle locally IF they ask for anything 'extra'.

Will report in details once done even if it went smoothly (which it did all the previous times I applied for extensions in Nan)

Edited August 23, 2007 by Krub

[simon43]

..... I was dress well no jeans black pants nice shirt ...

[\quote]

As a Brit, I can only suggest that you shouldn't have shown your pants to the immigration officer

Simon

[thaireg]

I just spoke with my friend of 15 years who writes the bank account confirmation letters for a prominent branch of Bangkok Bank in Chiang Mai. He says that he has had no request for a letter confirming that funds were brought into Thailand from overseas, and has never heard of one being needed for CM Immigration. He advised me to keep the copy of the wire transfer (which I do anyway).

[warriors]

I just spoke with my friend of 15 years who writes the bank account confirmation letters for a prominent branch of Bangkok Bank in Chiang Mai. He says that he has had no request for a letter confirming that funds were brought into Thailand from overseas, and has never heard of one being needed for CM Immigration. He advised me to keep the copy of the wire transfer (which I do anyway).

Lol this only proves my point of it has always been a case by case day by day event of which officer you get and which letter from the bank they like.

As for my officer of the day she wanted 2 letters 100 baht each from my bank for the letters. Which is not a problem.

(1) Saying the amounts in my 2 different bank accounts ( same bank) and there bank book account numbers listed on that letter. Seemed to me to be bloody stupid seeing I had my bank books in my hand that the officer looked at along with photo copies of said bank books. My letter from bank only said that I had 1.2 million bhat in there bank and that it had been there for more than six months. it had been there for well over 9 months.

The mistake I made was it didn't say it had come from over seas. Hence why she needed the 2nd letter. I asked her can one letter do all the info you need mrs officer she said NO.

That was when I ask the next question what happens if I do not spend this money and just bring say 400,000 bhat next year, she said you must show 800,000 bhat each year that is when I clarifed my question one more time to her and asked what happens if I have 5 million in my bank one year. Officers answer came back to me same 800,000 new per year. I wish you guys could have been there with me then you would understand my calm but frustrated inner thoughts.

So it is the luck of the draw they were very busy I had 59 people ahead of me and waited 4 hours to get told go and get an other letter from the bank. The rest is history I came back with said letters after another 3 hour wait and then we had to draw the map of our address, which we have lived at for 3 years and then my partner of 4 years had to fillout another form to say that I lived there even though I had brought with me the last months appartment bill. As I said before I wounder what would have happened to me if I had gone there alone the 2nd time.

All this info is not scare mongering as some think it is just my trip to the Bangkok Imm this August.

Have a happy life I have for the next year

[Jingthing]

Sounds like a language barrier issue. A fresh 800K is NOT required every year!

[warriors]

She spoke to me in English.

Oh and I am from New Zealand and over there they speak the Queens English.

I never said you had to bring 800,000 the officer did.

LOL.

[Jingthing]

She spoke to me in English.

Oh and I am from New Zealand and over there they speak the Queens English.

I never said you had to bring 800,000 the officer did.

LOL.

Yes, I understood she spoke in English. I meant she is not a native speaker. She might have meant, yes, every NEW year, you must show the 800K, and didn't have the words to really communicate about the real issue you were asking about. I am sorry (actually I am happy): I still don't believe this. I believe she said what she said if you say so, but that would be a huge policy change. So I think as it stands now, the English words that came out of the mouth of that one lady don't mean anything. We will wait and see if there is any official announcement.

BTW, sorry if I offended. If it happened to me I would be reporting the same thing you did.

Edited August 23, 2007 by Jingthing