The 65.000 Thb Route For "retirement Visa"

[luckyluke]

If you go the monthly 65.000 Thb route , confirmed by an embassy (Affidavit) for your "retirement visa",how much do you need to transfer monthly from your home country to your bankaccount in Thailand?

Or do you need to transfer the full 65.000 Thb?

Or assume you transfer monthly 50.000 Thb,do you need an 200.000 Thb in your bankaccount in Thailand?

Many thanks.

[lopburi3]

There has never been any requirement for funds transfer - they like to see some means of support but it has never been any fixed amount. That said there currently seems to be an officer or office telling people to transfer 65k per month but it remains to be seen if it will be required, or if they are talking total, or each month, or what.

[hunglikea]

There has never been any requirement for funds transfer - they like to see some means of support but it has never been any fixed amount. That said there currently seems to be an officer or office telling people to transfer 65k per month but it remains to be seen if it will be required, or if they are talking total, or each month, or what.

I have a Norwegian friend (62), married to a Thai and lives in Thailand on an O visa with "Retirement' stamped in his passport but hasn't been asked to prove any income and renews his extension to his visa in BKK. I am a Brit in a similar situation but I do not have this luxury and need 800k (or equivalent in pension terms p/m) to get a 'Retirement' stamp and cannot get an extension or renewal of passport in the Kingdom? Am I misinformed?

[Maestro]

I’m quite sure you are misinformed about your Norwegian friend.

Regarding the renewal of your passport, ie getting a new passport, you have to do that at the British consulate in Bangkok, ie you can do it in the Kingdom of Thailand if this is the Kingdom you were referring to.

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Maestro

[torrenova]

The misnomer is that if you are married to a Thai you need only 40k per month whereas if you are alone you need 65k, both irrespective of whether you own your accommodation which is stupid.

I "know" about the 65k but I do not know whether there is a law with "65k" written on it just as a WP is 50k but there is no law with 50k written on it.

[hunglikea]

I’m quite sure you are misinformed about your Norwegian friend.

Regarding the renewal of your passport, ie getting a new passport, you have to do that at the British consulate in Bangkok, ie you can do it in the Kingdom of Thailand if this is the Kingdom you were referring to.

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Maestro

Sorry I meant renewal of an O visa and extension to an O visa which my friend gets gets in BKK. He hasn't had to return to his home country. His stamps have proven it for the last 4 years. This is why I am asking?

[tomallison]

I’m quite sure you are misinformed about your Norwegian friend.

Regarding the renewal of your passport, ie getting a new passport, you have to do that at the British consulate in Bangkok, ie you can do it in the Kingdom of Thailand if this is the Kingdom you were referring to.

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Maestro

I am interested to know if passport renewal could be done via the British consulate in Chiang Mai. That would be more convenient for me.

Thanks for any reply on this.

[chiang mai]

I’m quite sure you are misinformed about your Norwegian friend.

Regarding the renewal of your passport, ie getting a new passport, you have to do that at the British consulate in Bangkok, ie you can do it in the Kingdom of Thailand if this is the Kingdom you were referring to.

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Maestro

I am interested to know if passport renewal could be done via the British consulate in Chiang Mai. That would be more convenient for me.

Thanks for any reply on this.

Yes you can.

[lopburi3]

The misnomer is that if you are married to a Thai you need only 40k per month whereas if you are alone you need 65k, both irrespective of whether you own your accommodation which is stupid.

I "know" about the 65k but I do not know whether there is a law with "65k" written on it just as a WP is 50k but there is no law with 50k written on it.

To have a retirement extension of stay using income requires 65K (unless grandfathered under previous rules). If married you have the option to use a family extension of stay at 40k (but it is not a retirement extension).

[JohnC]

If you go the monthly 65.000 Thb route , confirmed by an embassy (Affidavit) for your "retirement visa",how much do you need to transfer monthly from your home country to your bankaccount in Thailand?

Or do you need to transfer the full 65.000 Thb?

Or assume you transfer monthly 50.000 Thb,do you need an 200.000 Thb in your bankaccount in Thailand?

Many thanks

I use the pension route for my retirment extension so in answer to your question, you do not need to transfer a fixed amount each month however, when renewing you will be asked for your Thai bankbook which should show regular movement as they copy the previous couple of pages that shows you have living expenses coming in. In addition I was told by a helpful immigration officer at Jomtien to make sure I had around 40,000 baht in my account at renewal time, this I have done and received my retirement extension twice with no problems. The 65000 bah monthly income was actually recorded somewhere I cant remeber for sure but it might have been on the Thai Consulate UK website, interestingly the Immigration here in Pattaya have their own exchange rate they use when calculating your income and earleir this year the lady used 80baht to the £ ! Not sure where she got that from but I was happy as it showed my pension relatively high! Also I draw my monthly expenses from my UK Nationwide Flexi Account via ATM and then occasionely deposit cash into my Bangkok Bank a/c therefore there is no trail of foreign funds transfered only cash payments however this has never been queried or questioned!

Hope this helps.

[luckyluke]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks JohnC and others.

[chiang mai]

I’m quite sure you are misinformed about your Norwegian friend.

Regarding the renewal of your passport, ie getting a new passport, you have to do that at the British consulate in Bangkok, ie you can do it in the Kingdom of Thailand if this is the Kingdom you were referring to.

--

Maestro

I am interested to know if passport renewal could be done via the British consulate in Chiang Mai. That would be more convenient for me.

Thanks for any reply on this.

Sorry, to be more complete with my reply - the Consulate in CM will bag your request and send it to BKK for processing and then return it to CM. But at least it will save you a trip to BKK.

[torrenova]

There has never been any requirement for funds transfer - they like to see some means of support but it has never been any fixed amount. That said there currently seems to be an officer or office telling people to transfer 65k per month but it remains to be seen if it will be required, or if they are talking total, or each month, or what.

The misnomer is that if you are married to a Thai you need only 40k per month whereas if you are alone you need 65k, both irrespective of whether you own your accommodation which is stupid.

I "know" about the 65k but I do not know whether there is a law with "65k" written on it just as a WP is 50k but there is no law with 50k written on it.

To have a retirement extension of stay using income requires 65K (unless grandfathered under previous rules). If married you have the option to use a family extension of stay at 40k (but it is not a retirement extension).

But don't you contradict yourself here ?

They want you to show means of support but there are no documents saying 65k or are there ? Just some number made up or not ? like the made up 50k WP number ?

Maybe I misread you but I am seeing you arguing it both ways above.

[lopburi3]

The requirement is 65k pension/income if using the income method and it is in the law (police order 606/2006). There is no requirement that you be making transfers of that money in the law. But Immigration officers do like to see some proof that you are living on external source of funds when you do not have a work permit and a bank passbook/bank letter is accepted (although not required by most officials).

[Maestro]

Torrenova, the requirements for evidence of financial means are not in the "law" (Immigration Act). They are in a Royal Thai Police Order, which is based on a Ministerial Regulation, which is based on the law. But as you can see, it is definitely a legal requirement, official and published.

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Maestro

[aznyron]

The requirement is 65k pension/income if using the income method and it is in the law (police order 606/2006). There is no requirement that you be making transfers of that money in the law. But Immigration officers do like to see some proof that you are living on external source of funds when you do not have a work permit and a bank passbook/bank letter is accepted (although not required by most officials).

In Aug I went to Nong Khai for renewal of my ret/O visa I had to have a letter from the bank showing funds in my account they calculated my income and check the funds in my account bingo I was refused renewal because the funds and the income did not come out to 65K because of the strenth in thai baht sadly I had just withdrawn funds a few days earlier now I am on married to thai visa to much B/S for old man like me

[Maestro]

...I was refused renewal because the funds and the income did not come out to 65K because of the strenth in thai baht sadly I had just withdrawn funds a few days

I have some difficulty understanding your situation. Am I correct in thinking that your application for extension for the reason of retirement was based on a combination of income (embassy letter) and money in the bank (bank book)?

Did you make your new application for extension so close to the expiration date of the previous application that there was insufficient time for you to wire in some new funds to bring the bank balance to the required minimum level?

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Maestro

[rucker4012]

The American Embassy charges $40 USD to notarize a statement from you that you make so much per month. They do not need proof, only your sworn word. That original notarized statement was taken in Phuket to issue retirement visa. I have to get a new original each year. No requirements were asked about transfer into a Thai bank account (yet).

[WilliamIV]

There has never been any requirement for funds transfer - they like to see some means of support but it has never been any fixed amount. That said there currently seems to be an officer or office telling people to transfer 65k per month but it remains to be seen if it will be required, or if they are talking total, or each month, or what.

I have a Norwegian friend (62), married to a Thai and lives in Thailand on an O visa with "Retirement' stamped in his passport but hasn't been asked to prove any income and renews his extension to his visa in BKK. I am a Brit in a similar situation but I do not have this luxury and need 800k (or equivalent in pension terms p/m) to get a 'Retirement' stamp and cannot get an extension or renewal of passport in the Kingdom? Am I misinformed?

I have NEVER been asked to show Transfer of Funds, subsequent to the initial Transfer.

I have Retirement Visa for past 8 years

I am GrandFathered and require Bht 200,000 in my Account

I have just kept the Bht200,000 without use

I show my Pension Income confirmed by my Embassy

which I draw as required from an ATM from my UK bank

but I have NEVER been asked to show any evidence or even details of these ATM withdrawals

Bill

[wpcoe]

I have NEVER been asked to show Transfer of Funds, subsequent to the initial Transfer.

I have Retirement Visa for past 8 years

I am GrandFathered and require Bht 200,000 in my Account

I have just kept the Bht200,000 without use

I show my Pension Income confirmed by my Embassy

which I draw as required from an ATM from my UK bank

but I have NEVER been asked to show any evidence or even details of these ATM withdrawals

Bill

If you qualify on the B200,000 savings and keep B200,000 in the account without use, why do you bother with the expense and hassle of having your pension income confirmed by your embassy?

[Spaniel]

The American Embassy charges $40 USD to notarize a statement from you that you make so much per month. They do not need proof, only your sworn word. That original notarized statement was taken in Phuket to issue retirement visa. I have to get a new original each year. No requirements were asked about transfer into a Thai bank account (yet).

I believe the charge at the US consulate to notorize a statement is $30.00 not $40.00.

[lordofdelusion]

The American Embassy charges $40 USD to notarize a statement from you that you make so much per month. They do not need proof, only your sworn word. That original notarized statement was taken in Phuket to issue retirement visa. I have to get a new original each year. No requirements were asked about transfer into a Thai bank account (yet).

That is exactly what they told me. What are the odds that 2 farang got the same story?

I had originally gone with all my financial data and they weren't interested. They wanted the embassy document that required absolutely no documentation to obtain. Odd but as long you know the rules you can play the game!

[wpcoe]

The American Embassy charges $40 USD to notarize a statement from you that you make so much per month. They do not need proof, only your sworn word. That original notarized statement was taken in Phuket to issue retirement visa. I have to get a new original each year. No requirements were asked about transfer into a Thai bank account (yet).

I believe the charge at the US consulate to notorize a statement is $30.00 not $40.00.

I got the letter from the US Embassy in Bangkok the first week of this month and paid US$30 cash.

[perconrad]

Today I have been at the Phuket Imm. for the 1 year extension of my "retirement visa".

It was the 2. time I had the extension, besides the letter from my danish embassy in Bangkok, which states how much I get in pension, the officer wanted copies of all pages with transactions in my Thai bank passbook.

Recently I had a new passbook since the old was filled, so it was not many transactions he could see, but he only wanted to have copies of the new book.

[Tafia]

I use the pension route...

Do they calculate the pension Gross or Net?

Edited September 27, 2007 by Maestro
Reduced quoted text. No need to quote the entire, lenghty OP.

[Maestro]

Gross.

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Maestro