I have applied for and received a 1year extension for my O-A visa for the last 20 years, based on finances from my UK pension. This proceeded without problems until last year when Immigration demanded a cash payment.

The extension is due again in early August, so I have been searching to see if there been any changes to rules.

I cannot find an official Immigration website, but many agency sites show the same requirements that applied over the last 20 years.

However I came across the following on the Pattaya City Expats Club website......

• You must have deposited the at least 800,000 baht* in a Thai bank from a source outside of Thailand,  OR

• Have a monthly income equal to or greater than 65,000 baht per month as stipulated in a letter from your country's Embassy to Thailand.  Note:  The embassies of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States will not provide such a letter, thus holders of passports from those countries must meet the 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank requirement to qualify.

It is true that the UK embassy will not provide a Proof of Income letter, but this has been so for several years and it has never been a problem for me in the past. My Thai bank statements have been accepted as proof of my pension ( I do not hold deposits of 800k baht.)

So to my query......can anyone advise if the Pattaya Expats article is correct or erroneous?

I will be very grateful for any advice or information on this issue.

DocTom.

You haven't been able to show "UK Pension" (as in money in your UK bank account) for proof of funds since the Brit embassy here stopped issuing the income from abroad notary affidavits back at the end of 2018.. 😶 So not for a good number of years, although before that you most likely were getting the embassy letter to show you met the monthly income requirements.

Be that as it may

If you were showing proof of funds by monthly income method the last few years you would have to have been transferring in to the country from abroad, to a thai bank account in your name only a minimum of 65K baht per month, each month, every month, for the previous 12 months before you apply for an extension.

To show you have done that;

you get a year transaction detail report from your bank,

you make sure that all those incoming transfers for the previous 12 months coded as international origin,
you update your bank book the day you apply

That should meet the requirements for proof of funds via monthly income method.. They still accept proof of fund by monthly income, just that you have to transfer in the 65K baht per month for the previous 12 months (which you obviously have been doing to get any extension by that method since the Brit embassy stopped the income notary letter

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Tod Daniels

9 minutes ago, DocTom said:

My Thai bank statements have been accepted as proof of my pension ( I do not hold deposits of 800k baht.)

So to my query......can anyone advise if the Pattaya Expats article is correct or erroneous?

My pp is Oz.

Oz embassy does not supply "income letter"

I use income method using monthly transfers of 65k+.

I provide 12 month bank statement and highlight the 12 monthly international transfers on the statement.

Note: some offices (incorrectly) may want proof of the payments is from a pension so folk need to obtain clarification from their immigration office.

Seems you use Jomtien (quoting expats club)

Did they really demand a cash payment?

How much

15 minutes ago, DocTom said:

last year when Immigration demanded a cash payment

no idea why the asked for that UNLESS you didn't have 12 months of incoming international transfers of 65K baht and they 'overlooked' it for a fee

No difference in O-A and O requirements?

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

No difference in O-A and O requirements?

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

Extensions from a Non O-A require insurance.

From Non O insurance not required

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Extensions from a Non O-A require insurance.

From Non O insurance not required

that's what i thought but no insurance mentioned, makes me wonder if Immigration wants cash in lieu

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

that's what i thought but no insurance mentioned, makes me wonder if Immigration wants cash in lieu

Doubt very much that would be the case..

OP needs to clarify and relate what the io actually stated.