800,000 Baht In Bank For Retirement Visa

[Maigo6]

In Pattaya that's the case anyway.....

I was going to have an expensive trip this week to Brisbane to get a Non Immigrant Visa, I meet the age requirements but though I have money in a Thai Bank it was not originally wired from an overseas account, I get money on a rental in London and my Brother takes care of everything and brings cash when he visits Thailand, that way I don't lose to the banking system in charges, plus I get a better rate at a money changer.

I was told that this was no good as Immigration want to see that the money originated overseas, anyway, this morning I decided I would go to ask if I could possibly by any means get a Non Immigrant Visa in Pattaya, I was on a 60 dayTourist Visa, yes was the answer, all I needed was a Letter from the bank, I told him that the money had been paid in over a long period of time, in Cash, in Thailand, not sent from overseas, the officer said ' No Problem '.

True enough, a drive down to Bkk Bank, 100 Baht for a letter, and I pick up my 1 year visa tomorrow at 10 am, I nearly didn't bother to go to Immigration as I was told that the money had to be from an overseas account, but thought, why not?

Luckily I did go, I saved myself a lot of money and time, maybe different Immigration offices have different rules, this was my experience today in Pattaya Immigration office.

Total cost Visa 3900 Baht. Don't have to leave the country, for 15 months just 90 day reporting....

[Jingthing]

Thats great!

[Jim Abbott]

Nice

[Maestro]

Total cost Visa 3900 Baht. Don't have to leave the country, for 15 months just 90 day reporting....

That was 2,000 Baht for the change from tourist visa to non-O, and 1,900 Baht for the annual extension of stay.

Important: if you plan to travel outside Thailand during the 15 months you are now permitted to stay in Thailand, please remember to get a re-entry permit before you leave Thailand so as to keep you current extension alive.

--

Maestro

[Patriciachas]

Total cost Visa 3900 Baht. Don't have to leave the country, for 15 months just 90 day reporting....

That was 2,000 Baht for the change from tourist visa to non-O, and 1,900 Baht for the annual extension of stay.

Important: if you plan to travel outside Thailand during the 15 months you are now permitted to stay in Thailand, please remember to get a re-entry permit before you leave Thailand so as to keep you current extension alive.

--

Maestro

are we now saying that the money does not have to be wired from abroad ? this is getting confusing

[mahjongguy]

..my Brother takes care of everything and brings cash when he visits Thailand, that way I don't lose to the banking system in charges, plus I get a better rate at a money changer.

Unless your brother visits every several weeks, it's difficult for me to believe that you are saving money this way. It's true that a wire transfer to a Thai bank can cost US$30 to send and 500 baht to receive, but the exchange rate is far superior to that of any money changer. If you transfer an amount like US$10,000 several times a year, it should be a better deal.

[JimGant]

Total cost Visa 3900 Baht. Don't have to leave the country, for 15 months just 90 day reporting....

Well, of course, you won't have to leave the country 'ever' as long as you continue to meet the requirements for extension.

But, how do you figure 15 months? Normally, your one-year extension would clock out from your last entry date, which was when you entered on your tourist visa......

Nevertheless, things change -- is your extension from the expiration date of your Non Imm O?

[ProThaiExpat]

I think it is folly to rely on a posted individual "experience" as an indication of a change in immigration policy that will affect you, the reader of the post, personally.

A Chiang mai poster relied on the "change in policy" posted that reported that it was now required that a "MFA stamp be on all pension letters", a rumor coming from Pattaya and that Chiang Mai poster spent 1800 Baht to accomplish this. Result, a wasted 1800 Baht since it is not a requirement nor has it ever been one.

Six years ago, I was required to prove in great detail by an immigration officer in BKK that I prove the foreign source of my bank funds. I was transferring from a tourist visa to a non-imm O at the time. Only BKK was the place you could do this then. Now any immigration office can do this. I have never been asked for proof of foreign source funds since.

My point is that an individual experience should not be applied broadly and labeled a "policy change" or "rule change" until many Thailand wide experiences on a repeated basis are posted and lopburi3 gets on board with it.

If I were asked, I would opine that there is a likelihood you may be asked for verification of foreign funds on your first application for extension based on retirement but rarely afterward.

Individual immigration officers have bad days, get lazy, mis-read entries and all the enjoy the opportunity to make errors.

Thus, my a friend yesterday, going for his first non-imm O from an entry permit was told he was in Thailand illegally, since his entry stamp didn't have an expiration date or issuing officers initials and no non-imm-O could issue. Off to airport immigration he went, only to find out that there was another correct entry stamp in his passport and that the incomplete one was abandoned when the issuing officer felt he has stamped the wrong place and re-stamped the pasport and competed the entry permit correctly elsewhere.

Experienced expats always check they stamps upon issue to make sure their are correctly issued for their individual situation and to avoid hassles later when an individual immigration officer makes an honest mistake, which can happen with dire consequences for expats. Likewise, these experienced expats ignore posted individual experiences except to read them with interest until such time as there is substantial justification to believe that there is, in fact, a new immigration policy that affects their individual status.

I, long ago, changed LOS to LOA, the "Land of Announcements". I have never lived in a country where there are so many "announcements" without follow through and this applies to Thaivisa as well.

Edited October 9, 2007 by ProThaiExpat

[Gary A]

I think it is folly to rely on a posted individual "experience" as an indication of a change in immigration policy that will affect you, the reader of the post, personally.

A Chiang mai poster relied on the "change in policy" posted that reported that it was now required that a "MFA stamp be on all pension letters", a rumor coming from Pattaya and that Chiang Mai poster spent 1800 Baht to accomplish this. Result, a wasted 1800 Baht since it is not a requirement nor has it ever been one.

During my last ninety day address check in I took my income verification letter with me. I asked the immigration officer if this letter would be OK for my November extension. He told me that I needed a new letter and it must then be legalized in Bangkok. For that "requirement" not being necessary, I'd like someone to tell the Chiang Khan office it is not required and also that the doctor's statement is no longer required. YMMV! The only way to be sure is to go to the office you will be using and ask the officer what EXACTLY is required. When you go back you must wait for the officer who told you EXACTLY what you need. I am now back to using the 800,000 baht deposit. To be perfectly honest, I have never been turned down but using the income verification letter required me to answer a lot of questions. The only time I thought I would be turned down I had my Thai wife with me. I told the immigration officer that I was thinking about changing from the retirement extension to the support (marriage) visa. My retirement extension was then quite quickly approved.

[ProThaiExpat]

GaryA: Tough luck you have an ill-informed "sticks" immigration officer to deal with. You know your options and can make your choice based on convenience.

I have noticed that there is a difference between ports by posters of "what I was told by immigration when I was there" and actual experiences when one is actually having it done. Small comfort. In your small immigration office, perhaps there is not a choice of officers to deal with.

You might try researching the thread, that covered the issue that put the rumor regarding the need for an MFA stamp to rest. My recollection is poor as to whether it cited the source of the MFA putting the damper on the practice do to overwork.

You might try going in with a copy of the pertinent posts regarding this "rumor" and see if it has any influence on the officer, if he insists you provide the stamp from the MFA. Is he the officer in charge of your office or does he have a superior. This is such an egregious rumored requirement that it may well be worth fighting it, in a nice way of course.

[pkspeaker]

800,000฿ and what was the age requirement again?

[Jingthing]

50

[Gary A]

GaryA: Tough luck you have an ill-informed "sticks" immigration officer to deal with. You know your options and can make your choice based on convenience.

I have noticed that there is a difference between ports by posters of "what I was told by immigration when I was there" and actual experiences when one is actually having it done. Small comfort. In your small immigration office, perhaps there is not a choice of officers to deal with.

You might try researching the thread, that covered the issue that put the rumor regarding the need for an MFA stamp to rest. My recollection is poor as to whether it cited the source of the MFA putting the damper on the practice do to overwork.

You might try going in with a copy of the pertinent posts regarding this "rumor" and see if it has any influence on the officer, if he insists you provide the stamp from the MFA. Is he the officer in charge of your office or does he have a superior. This is such an egregious rumored requirement that it may well be worth fighting it, in a nice way of course.

I did try to tell the ONLY immigration officer there that the doctor's report is no longer needed. He resented that and told me that it IS needed. HE needs it. He is actually a pretty nice guy and stopping at the Loei Ram hospital to get the paper cost 120 baht, so it is not really a big deal. He told me he doesn't like the embassy income verification letter because sometimes the people don't tell the truth as to what their income really is. He told me to make it very easy and put the 800,000 baht in my bank account. That's what I have done. As far as getting the letter "legalized", two of my friends have just renewed their visas and they DIDN'T have to have that done. One from Chiang Rai was told that next year he will have to get his extension at the office nearest his home rather than Jomtien.

[Jingthing]

I love it.

He doesn't "like the embassy letter" ...

What if he doesn't like your face?

[thaireg]

Experienced expats always check they stamps upon issue to make sure their are correctly issued for their individual situation and to avoid hassles later when an individual immigration officer makes an honest mistake, which can happen with dire consequences for expats.

Even experienced expats can sometimes forget to do this. A few years ago I returned from a holiday in Malaysia and had reached Hat Yai when I checked my entry stamp to find that I had been issued with a 30 day visa despite having a re-entry permit for my 1 year visa. I contemplated continuing my journey to Chiang Mai and reporting to Immigration there as the office that had issued my re-entry permit, but decided that it was easier to return to the border from Hat Yai than maybe being ordered to return from Chiang Mai.

I drove back to the border, the error was rectified in a short time, and I could drive home without worry.

As previously said, it does not always pay to depend upon information given by Immigration officers when making an enquiry. I went with my friend to Chiang Mai immigration when he queried whether or not he could show his joint bank account as proof of funds when applying for his retirement extension. Sure, said the officer after examining the bank book, no problem. A week later and we were back applying for the visa with the same officer who then said the account had to be in the applicant's name only, resulting in a journey back to the bank to get things sorted.

You can make all the enquiries you like, but what really matters is what happens at the time you make the application. Any advice you receive beforehand is just that - advice. It doesn't matter where it comes from. It's nice to be able to access forums like this and see the experiences of others but use the information as a guide only, and make your application as early as possible in case of complications.

Edited October 9, 2007 by thaireg

[melbat]

Total cost Visa 3900 Baht. Don't have to leave the country, for 15 months just 90 day reporting....

That was 2,000 Baht for the change from tourist visa to non-O, and 1,900 Baht for the annual extension of stay.

Important: if you plan to travel outside Thailand during the 15 months you are now permitted to stay in Thailand, please remember to get a re-entry permit before you leave Thailand so as to keep you current extension alive.

--

Maestro

are we now saying that the money does not have to be wired from abroad ? this is getting confusing

I live in Phuket and the Immigration here have never asked me where my money comes from... All they want to see is my bank book and letter from Bank.