Retirement Visa --announcement From Pattaya Mail

[Gary A]

As I see it they want to make sure that your living expenses are indeed coming from out of the country. I used to use my Citibank ATM card for living expenses and used the embassy latter for proof of income. They didn't like that at all and came right out and told me the embassy letter may not be factual. This year I deposited the 800,000 baht in my Thai account. I did it for the required three months before my extension was due. I thought they would be happy with that and instead I got questioned as to where the money came from that I used to live on for that three months that the money laid there. They could save a lot of time by simply explaining what they are really looking for. This Thai style beating around the bush and changing rules like people change clothes SUCKS!

[dutch]

As I see it they want to make sure that your living expenses are indeed coming from out of the country. I used to use my Citibank ATM card for living expenses and used the embassy latter for proof of income. They didn't like that at all and came right out and told me the embassy letter may not be factual. This year I deposited the 800,000 baht in my Thai account. I did it for the required three months before my extension was due. I thought they would be happy with that and instead I got questioned as to where the money came from that I used to live on for that three months that the money laid there. They could save a lot of time by simply explaining what they are really looking for. This Thai style beating around the bush and changing rules like people change clothes SUCKS!

As I see it,you answered your own question

[phutoie2]

What question?? as I see it Garry A was just making a statement on his experience of retirement extension.

//edit flame//

[Lickey]

Presented this at Nong Khai imm with all the usual papers and got another 1 year visa with no 90 day reporting, This was with 800k in book 3 months prior to application, and was September this year, perhaps things have changed again?

Hi Lickey

Sorry for being stupid but what Visa extention does NOT have 90 reporting??

Dave

I think Lickey should get back to Nong Khai pretty quick before he gets a 2000 Baht fine.

I found this strange too, cos usually they staple a new reporting date card in PP, but not this time, perhaps because i applied for a re-entry visa at the same time this was forgotten? Will get the mrs to call the captain tomorrow and check this, unless somebody has had the same thing?

[lucjoker]

I was in Belgium last sept,

since my pasport was allmost full ,

i got a new pasport at the mayors office.

since i live in thailand for 5 years on a

non-imm o visum and i'm over 50 years,

i had a 1 year extension(800 000 on the bank......)

I went to the Thai consulate in Berchem ,Belgium.

To ask if they could put my stamps in the new pasport.

Well they say its "impossible !" to have a 1 year extension,

it does not exist for them ! I have to come to Belgium

every year to get a new non-imm o visum !

When i said that everybody over 50 y are doing this,

they laught at me ,they thought i was joking !!!

So i paid 250 eu and they gave me a new non-imm o visum,

after proving with bank reciepts an monthly income of 1000 eu,

a dokters paper ! and a paper of good behaviour !

So who has comment on this?

[Lite Beer]

Presented this at Nong Khai imm with all the usual papers and got another 1 year visa with no 90 day reporting, This was with 800k in book 3 months prior to application, and was September this year, perhaps things have changed again?

Hi Lickey

Sorry for being stupid but what Visa extention does NOT have 90 reporting??

Dave

I think Lickey should get back to Nong Khai pretty quick before he gets a 2000 Baht fine.

I found this strange too, cos usually they staple a new reporting date card in PP, but not this time, perhaps because i applied for a re-entry visa at the same time this was forgotten? Will get the mrs to call the captain tomorrow and check this, unless somebody has had the same thing?

That is a good idea. Not a good idea to upset the Nong Khai office.

[KKK]

But then, <deleted> would an "ATM statement" be

1) An ATM statement could just be that little receipt slip you get when using an ATM.

2) For a credit card you normally get a statement. Even my Thai Visa Electron (debit card & ATM in one) issues a monthly statement.

To have a credit card in Thailand, 99.9999% of the time you need a work permit

3) Some Thai banks will issue you a credit card as long as you give them a security deposit equal to your credit limit.

[lopburi3]

I was in Belgium last sept,

since my pasport was allmost full ,

i got a new pasport at the mayors office.

since i live in thailand for 5 years on a

non-imm o visum and i'm over 50 years,

i had a 1 year extension(800 000 on the bank......)

I went to the Thai consulate in Berchem ,Belgium.

To ask if they could put my stamps in the new pasport.

Well they say its "impossible !" to have a 1 year extension,

it does not exist for them ! I have to come to Belgium

every year to get a new non-imm o visum !

When i said that everybody over 50 y are doing this,

they laught at me ,they thought i was joking !!!

So i paid 250 eu and they gave me a new non-imm o visum,

after proving with bank reciepts an monthly income of 1000 eu,

a dokters paper ! and a paper of good behaviour !

So who has comment on this?

You obtain a one year extension of stay from Immigration inside Thailand - nothing to do with Consulates.

[Nemothepemo]

A credit card? To have a credit card in Thailand, 99.9999% of the time you need a work permit, right? And to have a work permit, you need a job? But you can't work while retired, right? Or you'll lose your pension.

I was going to say something else, but I'll keep it to myself...

They mean a credit card from your own country. Not Thailand.

[Alfonso]

Last week when I went in for my 90 day I asked the immigration officer for a list of all the changes in the immagration requirements. He said there are none. I asked him about the requirement to provide a photocopy of an ATM card. He said that is only for those people who are showing their income by providing ATM receipts...

Cheers.

[Guderian]

Last week when I went in for my 90 day I asked the immigration officer for a list of all the changes in the immagration requirements. He said there are none. I asked him about the requirement to provide a photocopy of an ATM card. He said that is only for those people who are showing their income by providing ATM receipts...

Cheers.

Alfonso,

Was this at the Jomtien office? Grateful if you could confirm.

Thanks.

[Alfonso]

No, Maptaput office

Alfonso

[JohnC]

found this strange too, cos usually they staple a new reporting date card in PP, but not this time, perhaps because i applied for a re-entry visa at the same time this was forgotten? Will get the mrs to call the captain tomorrow and check this, unless somebody has had the same thing?

This happened to me when I got my first retirement extension and I was warned by some friends that it was common (this was 2 years ago) and when you eventually reported in you were fined for not reporting after 90 days. As it happened I had an invite to the opening of the Jomtien Office and we were invited to have a walk around so I took the opportunity to question the fact I had not had a 90 day reporting slip so they did it there and then and put a slip in my passport. As it was only a month after Igot my extension there was no overstay therefore no fine!

[robint]

why cant these people stick to their own laws instead of making things up at any whim of fancy of the day.

its really quite unacceptable childish behaviour

I went through hel_l in bkk renewing my marriage/dependant visa for the fifth year running simple because the petulent self preening official

a) had a poor command of english

B ) didnt understand her own regulations

and was very discourteous.

I am actively looking for another country (after 20 years), as I dont know where this all ends. what will it be next year?

How can i plan a sensible retirement based on such trivial whims.

Whats the point of Sunbelt posting the rules (bless them) when the officials dont follow them

I fully agree that anyone who turns up to immigration badly presented and poorly funded (or of known criminal intent) should be eased out. Yet I am a respectable retiree will 100k plus easily at my disposal pm. So whats their problem?????????????????

[Robbie Dye]

I have seen this immigration boss at a few parties around Mabprachan, suggest nobody invites him any more coz clearly he is using his time to think of ideas to make everyones lives even harder.

[Miami Bob]

...but I see a loophole in the...

That’s only an English translation. If you want to talk about loopholes you must look at the original Thai text, which you can find here. Paragraph 7.21 is what you want.

--

Maestro

It does not say the debit/credit cards have to be from a Thai bank. Even if it did a Thai debit card comes automatically when you open a savings account here.

Here in Phuket you definately must have the 800K in a REGULAR Thai savings account for at least 90 days prior. They let me off this year even though I was a few days short but said I definately must meet the requirment next year. This year was my third extension.

[Jingthing]

Yes, I am certainly not saying that all immigration offices or officers see things the same way. I am saying I have strong evidence the 3 month money seasoning "rule" does not apply in Jomtien for subsequent extensions. The only way to confirm is for a number of people to ask immigration directly and report but as we can see their "official pronouncements" tells us very little definitively about what is really happening.

Edited November 26, 2007 by Jingthing

[patsfangr]

Gary suggested: "They could save a lot of time by simply explaining what they are really looking for. This Thai style beating around the bush and changing rules like people change clothes SUCKS!

YEAH! RIGHT ON, GARY! Why can't they make their rules simple and clear, like our IRS does for our income taxes in the good ol' USA! ;-)

Seriously, folks, I have seen at least 3 very long threads on the subject of the visa application and extension rules. Most of them contain a lot of unsupported claims about the Thai government being "out to get us"; a lot of unsupported speculation about the upcoming changes that are certain to make things nearly impossible for us white folk to continue living here; a lot of moaning about the requirements that the Thai government is imposing upon us that are not imposed upon Thai citizens; and a whole lot of nit picking at the vaguely worded "regulations" that are generated. As I joked with Gary in my opening of this note, the USA is notorious for its' "vaguely worded regulations" in many areas, which is what keeps our overgrown population of lawyers busy!

One example of what I consider to be unjustified wailing at the wall is the uproar we had over the change reported a few months ago that would require a validation by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the US (or other) Embassy verification of income. I didn't see that mentioned in this thread. So, is it being required by the Jomtien office? I have to guess not, based upon what I've seen here. Aslo, when I got my first 1-year extension (February), I was able to use my originaly US Embassy validation of income. Supposedly, that same recent change I just mentioned also required that your Embassy validation be no more than 60 days old. Again, I have seen no verification here that the Jomtien office is requiring such an update. Is it?

What I have not seen is any significant number of reports of actual serious problems encountered by farangs here on legal visas, seeking extensions of those visas. The handful of incidents I have seen are, in my view, an acceptable percentage of errors, or agents with "attitude", that would be found in any government organization in any country in the world. What I have not seen is a thread specifically requesting, and RESTRICTED TO, factual accounts of TV members experiences at the Jomtien office when processing applications for visa extensions. How about a "Just the facts, Ma'am" (US TV show reference) thread, with a pre-set format for reporting the experience, where we can all report the specifics of our visa extension experiences, immediately after they happen?

I am constantly frustrated by the poor management, and illogical behavior, of government (particularly police!) and private business organizations in

Thailand. The lack of efficiency, and preponderance of poorly trained employees is appalling and infuriating! But, as I have said to anyone within hearing distance whenever the subject comes up, the Jomtien Immigration Office is the only Thai run organization in all of the Pattaya area that I have found to be a total 180 from this "standard". The efficiency of the operation there is absolutely unmatched anywhere else that I've been - public or private.

Now, I will quickly add the caveat that I have only lived here since April of last year. So I have had only two experiences with the visa processing service; those being my initial application for a retirement visa from my visitors visa, and my first application for a 1-year extension. Both of those were handled efficiently, courteously, and without questions, or requests for any of the "optional" additional information. Every time I've gone in for my 90-day report, it's been in and out in less than 45 minutes. So, maybe with that limited experience, relative to some of you long time residents, I've just been lucky. But, until I see a significant number of reports about serious problems with visa extension applications, I have a hard time understanding the amount of bitching that goes on about it here.

So, let me close by repeating my suggestion for a "Visa extension experience" thread. Tell ya what, I'll start it NOW. I may miss something in the "format" that I set up; but at least it will be a start. Please make any constructive changes that you think will contribute to making it a useful tool for all of us. But please do NOT clutter it with more bitching about the process, the regulations, or the Thai government's vendetta against foreigners. Fair enough?

[scotsman]

Well I for one can tell you that when I went for my 2nd visa married to a thai at pattaya immigration I was told that I had to have my letter from the british embassy stamped at MFA in bangkok. I did not want to go to bangkok not much time to do so I was told to change to a retirement visa no stamp needed. I can also tell you that they did not give me back my letter for proof of pension so you have to get a new one every year now. I was asked for proof of where my pension goes so I gave them a copy of my overseas bank account statement where my pension can be clearly seen. I was never asked for a copy of my credit card or ATM card. That was on the 30th October.

[harpman88]

1. There is no requirement to have your income statement stamped by the MFA.

2. There is no requirement for the ATM/Credit Card from my reading - paper says it is required to grab your attention - immigration says it may be asked for as part of "additional" paperwork to determine source of funds. Believe those without these items but having other items (such as proof of funds transfer/atm receipts,passbook showing normal activity, etc.) will not have a problem in Jomtien.

Thanx much for the MFA info,Lop. Im doing by retirement extension in C Mai come mid January,and was wondering what the latest was on that MFA 'notarization" thing that was once discussed as going into effect Oct.1,if memory serves. Also agree that this ATM/credit card thing are examples of "further documentation" they MAY ask for if they feel other submitted info is either inadequate and/or suspect.

[wineman]

I don't believe anything I read in the newspapers, here or abroad.

I will wait for comments from people who have recently applied for new or renewed retirement extensions.

[jazzbo]

Just received 1-year Extension of Visa based on Retirement today at Suan Phlu based on monthly income:

- No stamp at MFA was required.

- No request to see any Credit Card, ATM, etc.

- No proof of back-up to USA Embassy affidavit was requested.

All in all, even with 11 ahead in line, I was in and out in less than 90 minutes.

[cm-happy]

Why is it ALWAYS Pattaya and particularly Pattaya mail. Maybe they invent these rules just to sell more papers.

[Jingthing]

Why is it ALWAYS Pattaya and particularly Pattaya mail. Maybe they invent these rules just to sell more papers.

All of the other farang fishwraps traffic in the same kind of thing. But yes, it does sell papers, and if i were them, I would do more of the same.

[lawling]

Why is it ALWAYS Pattaya and particularly Pattaya mail. Maybe they invent these rules just to sell more papers.

All of the other farang fishwraps traffic in the same kind of thing. But yes, it does sell papers, and if i were them, I would do more of the same.

I renewed recently at Jomtien. They required a letter from the UK Consul certifying that my pension was at least 65K.

Incidentally a couple of years ago that letter was provided free of charge. Then last year it cost 500 Baht and this year the cost has gone up to 2448 Baht. That's the UK Consul I talking about - not Thai Immigration. I can imagine the reaction if the Thai authorities were to increase their charges by that amount!

Also Jomtien Immigration wanted a photocopy of both sides of my Bank ATM card. I had already removed some of the digits when I was making the photocopy but the lady official went to great pains to delete all of the numbers in front of me.

[Lickey]

found this strange too, cos usually they staple a new reporting date card in PP, but not this time, perhaps because i applied for a re-entry visa at the same time this was forgotten? Will get the mrs to call the captain tomorrow and check this, unless somebody has had the same thing?

This happened to me when I got my first retirement extension and I was warned by some friends that it was common (this was 2 years ago) and when you eventually reported in you were fined for not reporting after 90 days. As it happened I had an invite to the opening of the Jomtien Office and we were invited to have a walk around so I took the opportunity to question the fact I had not had a 90 day reporting slip so they did it there and then and put a slip in my passport. As it was only a month after Igot my extension there was no overstay therefore no fine!

Mrs called the captain today, yes i do need 90day as usual, they forgot to do this, what with i seem to remember some very argumentive people from Laos and me wanting a re-entry visa at the same time, they were all very busy, so i have to report on or about Xmas day, i hope it will be a present worthwhile, Thanks all for makiing me look into it, much appreciated, Lickey..

Edited November 27, 2007 by Lickey

[Lite Beer]

found this strange too, cos usually they staple a new reporting date card in PP, but not this time, perhaps because i applied for a re-entry visa at the same time this was forgotten? Will get the mrs to call the captain tomorrow and check this, unless somebody has had the same thing?

This happened to me when I got my first retirement extension and I was warned by some friends that it was common (this was 2 years ago) and when you eventually reported in you were fined for not reporting after 90 days. As it happened I had an invite to the opening of the Jomtien Office and we were invited to have a walk around so I took the opportunity to question the fact I had not had a 90 day reporting slip so they did it there and then and put a slip in my passport. As it was only a month after Igot my extension there was no overstay therefore no fine!

Mrs called the captain today, yes i do need 90day as usual, they forgot to do this, what with i seem to remember some very argumentive people from Laos and me wanting a re-entry visa at the same time, they were all very busy, so i have to report on or about Xmas day, i hope it will be a present worthwhile, Thanks all for makiing me look into it, much appreciated, Lickey..

Glad you got that sorted out.

Dont forget that 23rd and 24th December are public holidays so they may be closed. Another phone call I think.

[Redsands]

Hi guys, this may be of interest, we had a joint account with a bank in Hua Hin, deposit, and with the change of law, where you now require 2 accounts each with 800k, we decided to open a second account as we would be getting to retirement in about 18 months, where by with the first account we had only an ATM withdrawal card, my wife got a VISA debit card when we completed and opened her new account. We tried it, and it worked. redsands

[lopburi3]

Are you a legally married couple? What change of law? What requirement for two accounts of 800k? If you have a legal marriage only one party has to have a retirement extension of stay - the second person uses section 7.19 to get a matching extension of stay with no requirement for funds. I do not know of any change that prevents this.

[jstumbo]

see above ^^

Edited November 28, 2007 by jstumbo