Retirement - Money

[drasties]

Hi there:

I have been working in a company in Thailand for the last two years, before that 12 years in Thailand as a correspondent (total 14 years workpermits. Now I like to have a retirement visa.

> I have 800.000 baht in the bank but this is money made in Thailand because I was working in Thailand (pay slips).

> Question:

> Does the 800.000 baht (first time) still have to come from outside of Thailand?

So do I have to get it out and in?

I need an O visa for that?

Can I get it in any Thai embassy abroad?

For example in Singapore, even though I'm not from Singapore?

[Krub]

Hi there:

I have been working in a company in Thailand for the last two years, before that 12 years in Thailand as a correspondent (total 14 years workpermits. Now I like to have a retirement visa.

> I have 800.000 baht in the bank but this is money made in Thailand because I was working in Thailand (pay slips).

> Question:

> Does the 800.000 baht (first time) still have to come from outside of Thailand?

So do I have to get it out and in?

I need an O visa for that?

Can I get it in any Thai embassy abroad?

For example in Singapore, even though I'm not from Singapore?

If you are over 50 and with a valid permit of stay with at least 21 days until expiry, you should be able to make the switch between your present status (tourist, non B, others) to a Non-Im O and then extend it for 12 months.

The requirements are at least 800k baht balance in a Thai bank for at least 3 months or an income letter from your Embassy (min 65k baht a month) or a combination of both (if using combination, the 3 months do not apply)

In the official translation of the rules there is no mention of the money having to come from abroad but some immigration offices want to see the evidence to that effect.

Lately we have not seen reports of this 'extra' requirement

Good luck

[drasties]

Hi there:

I have been working in a company in Thailand for the last two years, before that 12 years in Thailand as a correspondent (total 14 years workpermits. Now I like to have a retirement visa.

> I have 800.000 baht in the bank but this is money made in Thailand because I was working in Thailand (pay slips).

> Question:

> Does the 800.000 baht (first time) still have to come from outside of Thailand?

So do I have to get it out and in?

I need an O visa for that?

Can I get it in any Thai embassy abroad?

For example in Singapore, even though I'm not from Singapore?

If you are over 50 and with a valid permit of stay with at least 21 days until expiry, you should be able to make the switch between your present status (tourist, non B, others) to a Non-Im O and then extend it for 12 months.

The requirements are at least 800k baht balance in a Thai bank for at least 3 months or an income letter from your Embassy (min 65k baht a month) or a combination of both (if using combination, the 3 months do not apply)

In the official translation of the rules there is no mention of the money having to come from abroad but some immigration offices want to see the evidence to that effect.

Lately we have not seen reports of this 'extra' requirement

Good luck

Thanks very much for the answer.

[Jingthing]

Hold on one minute.

I am under the impression that the money does need to be transferred in from abroad. The question is one of enforcement, isn't it? Most people show their bank passbooks which show the passbooks with the transfer codes indicating they were international transfers, which has usually been enough proof for immigration. There was a "crackdown" a while back where many people were required to show more documentation of the foreign transfers, some were even asked to prove initial transfers several years in the past! This crackdown has softened I think, but it does not follow that immigration isn't still looking at the CODES in the bank books, does it?

I think the OP should seek further info on this possible issue. I think he may possibly still have an issue with the source of his funds.

[warriors]

I was doing the renewal of my retirement visa last week in Bangkok.

The officer this year was questioned by me seeing last year I got a fuzzy answer ( from last years visa officer) regarding saying YES the 800,000 has to come from over seas every year.

This year I was told no it does not. So I said I understood that some people do not spend all the 800,000 in one year or make money on the Share Market or other things so this money must come from within Thailand. The officer said yes and some retirement people work part time and we know this and allow it if we get a letter from there employers. For we know that some people can not send the 800,000 every year from over seas or do not spend that amount.

I said that is against the Visa retirement rules to work. She said she knows but we (immagration) know and allow it.

I then asked the same question to the next person I was past onto which I think was the Major officer and she confirmed it.

So this is news to me, not that I want to work part time.

Maybe some other retirement people on there next retirement renewals can ask nicely and see if there is a patten forming here>?

Hope this is of information to us oldies

[drasties]

Hold on one minute.

I am under the impression that the money does need to be transferred in from abroad. The question is one of enforcement, isn't it? Most people show their bank passbooks which show the passbooks with the transfer codes indicating they were international transfers, which has usually been enough proof for immigration. There was a "crackdown" a while back where many people were required to show more documentation of the foreign transfers, some were even asked to prove initial transfers several years in the past! This crackdown has softened I think, but it does not follow that immigration isn't still looking at the CODES in the bank books, does it?

I think the OP should seek further info on this possible issue. I think he may possibly still have an issue with the source of his funds.

The issue is that I was working in Thailand, so there is no retirement money yet.

And my work permit is just finished. I got a one month visa from Cambodia now. Next thing I plan to do is go to Singapore and get a 3 month visa there.

For example Non imm B.

and then change it to non imm. O (for a year) in Bangkok?

Based on 800.000 in the bank.

Is that a good way?

No criminal record statement from my original country necessary?

Thanks.

[Jingthing]

I have heard cases of some people getting work permits on retirement extensions.

You mentioned something that is 100 percent FALSE. There is NO REQUIREMENT to transfer in a FRESH 800K every year! Period. No such rule. Never has been. I would say probably MOST people just top off their accounts as needed.

Drasties, no crim or med report needed if going for a retirement extension in Thailand. On the issue of whether they will allow your 800K baht in the bank to not be foreign sourced, I think you need advice from someone like Lopburi and/or you can give it a try at immigration. You certainly have a good REASON for your situation, but that isn't always good enough for immigration.

I initially commented here to give more attention to your question, because I don't think it has been definitely answered YET.

[warriors]

I never said in this post of mine that I said it had to come in every year from over seas. I said that LAST YEARS office said it had to. Hence why I confirmed this year with THIS years officer if it was true that it had to come in from over seas.

That was the answer that was given to me by two officers. In my case I can not see any problems in bringing money in from over seas.

One. Seeing I do not want to work here.

Two. Do not expect to make heaps on the Thai sharemarket.

Three. I spend more on my rent than the 800,000 needed per year so will bring in every year till that situation changers.

[Jingthing]

warriors. No, you IMPLIED that immigration was ALLOWING people to get by not transferring the entire 800K, but that the real rule was a fresh 800K was needed every year. No matter what an officer told you, that is false info that needs to be corrected.

This is all off topic for the poster. His question is about the allowance of Thai sourced money as opposed to foreign sourced money, foreign sourced: which is of course OK, and may be technically REQUIRED.

(Alot of retirees own condos, so no rent.)

[warriors]

I am glad that you have put pen to paper and said that you DO NOT have to bring 800,000 in every year.

As you also said it depends on the officer reading the way he or she reads the rules on the day.

But many post still keep asking this question, so I hope you keep telling them you DO NOT have to.

I await renewal retirement people feed back when they front up with there different amounts earned from different areas.

To me this year I got the impression that it was only the 800,000 that counted. Plus the 3 months holding time.

The money could come from any where (drugs even) even work now. Who knows or cares as long as it was the magic 800,00 for 3 months.

So in the posters case he seems to be able to work over seas to show money comes in and have the balance here from other Thai earnings to make up his first time 800,000.

May be I am wrong but it seems they (immagration) are now more relaxed about this matter then the year before.

[Jingthing]

The poster explicitly asked if it was OK if the money comes from INSIDE Thailand. I do not know the answer to that definitely based on the KNOWN RULES. I would like Lopburi to comment.

I do know definitely that if using 800K in the bank method, DEFINITELY the rules do NOT require a NEW fresh 800K baht be transferred EACH YEAR. I think your comments could give people the wrong impression. Again, this is about the KNOWN WRITTEN rules; there is NOTHING about the need for a FRESH 800K baht per year. Your specific conversation with one officer is just an anecdote.

OK, I admit I am getting too over-excited about this. But alot of people on retirement extensions are older people, and this is the kind of post that could start a false rumor that could potentially really upset alot of people, for no good reason.

[lopburi3]

I have never used 800k so can not provide personal experience. When the 400k was used for support Thai wife they strictly checked the origin of the money and expect they also checked the 800k retirement. But now that the 400k is history for most people expect they may have loosened up as poster says. There are those, such as OP, who have valid reasons for using local money.

[Krub]

Hold on one minute.

I am under the impression that the money does need to be transferred in from abroad. The question is one of enforcement, isn't it? Most people show their bank passbooks which show the passbooks with the transfer codes indicating they were international transfers, which has usually been enough proof for immigration. There was a "crackdown" a while back where many people were required to show more documentation of the foreign transfers, some were even asked to prove initial transfers several years in the past! This crackdown has softened I think, but it does not follow that immigration isn't still looking at the CODES in the bank books, does it?

I think the OP should seek further info on this possible issue. I think he may possibly still have an issue with the source of his funds.

The issue is that I was working in Thailand, so there is no retirement money yet.

And my work permit is just finished. I got a one month visa from Cambodia now. Next thing I plan to do is go to Singapore and get a 3 month visa there.

For example Non imm B.

and then change it to non imm. O (for a year) in Bangkok?

Based on 800.000 in the bank.

Is that a good way?

No criminal record statement from my original country necessary?

Thanks.

If you go to Singapore they should be able to give you a 90 days Non-Im-O maybe only single entry by showing you are over 50 and have 800k in the bank (take a statement with you).

Then it is only a matter of extending it a further 12 months once back in Thailand

If you still have more than 21 days on your current period of stay (you say you have 30 days from Cambodia, it can even be a 30 day stamp not a visa) you could make the extension in Thailand without going to Singapore

[drasties]

So when I go to Singapore to get my first ever Non imm O visa.

I need only a bankstatement that I have the 800.000 baht and to show that I'm older than 50.

Thats great.

Thanks.