Renewal of 1-year retirement visa

[Art]

The first time I applied for a 1-Year Retirement Visa, I submitted an affidavit notarized by the U.S. Embassy in which I swore that my pension was a certain amount.

Next month I will apply for my first renewal of the visa for another year.  Do I need to again submit a (new) affidavit notarized again by the U.S. Embassy?  My pension amount has not changed but does Immigration want to see a current date on the affidavit?

Thanks.

[marty]

Hi Art,

I renewed yesterday and submitted the original letter from my pension fund dated January 1, 2003, notifying me of my pension increase for the current year. Fortunately also had a letter from my Embassy certifying my pension amount based on that letter. Immigration said the letter from my pension fund was unnecessary. They only wanted the Embassy certificate. So I think they will require a Consular certificate for your current year pension to substantiate that you still receive the pension.

[Roger13]

Hi Art,

Just to confirm that I did the same as Marty.

In my case, The British Embassy supplies a

Simple Letter based on a document from my

Pension Fund.

In the same letter they confirm my address

provided by me.

I fax them the info in advance & arrange by

phone when to collect the Letter.

When I go to collect - I have with me the

Original Pension Letter for them to see/copy.

So I only have to visit the Embassy once.

(They charge Bht 1,400 for the letter)

Maybe the US Embassy has a different system

that requires an affidavit from you - to be

notarized by them?

Roger

[caughtintheact]

I (American) haven't needed a new affadavit for about the past two- three years.  I was told then that I do not need them any more.  All my friends of about the same age have been told the same thing.  Could it be that over the age of 60 you on't need them any more?

[marty]

I'm 73 and South African. Maybe it's just a case of who you know at Immigration that counts?

What I did notice at Pattaya Immigration was that there has been a change in the officer handling Retirement Visas. The previous male Captain has been replaced by a lady, Captain Pattraporn.

[caughtintheact]

There was a time when i could have said that who you know counts, but the people there have all changed since then.  Maybe because I am grandfathered on the amount of mon ey I am required to bring in (I come under the 20,000/mo or 200K in the bank rule) having retired 9 years ago. Nationality is still a possibility for needing an affadavit.

[marty]

As in the case of Roger 13, all I needed to submit was a letter from the South African Embassy certifying my pension.

The Embassy charged me 120 Baht and I didn't even need to submit my pension fund letter in person. I mailed it to the Embassy in Bangkok and they mailed it back with their stamp on it.

[caughtintheact]

All the Americans I know have been told that after the first year of retirement, they no longer need the affadavit, just proof of income (from pension or retirement source) or proof of enough funds in a local bank account (letter from the bank), the photos, a copy of the passport and the application form, plus the fee.  That's all.

[Roger13]

It might be of benefit to others if you could clarify...

Is it only Americans who need an initial affidavit?

It seems that the rest of us produce only simple letters

from our Embassies?

Or maybe that is the System of the USA Embassy?

That is - they don't issue simple letters - only affidavits?

[marty]

Agree with Roger 13's suggestion.

Perhaps you should also clarify with Immigation first, by visiting them in person.  What applied in previous years may not apply in future. Captain Pattraporn has a good command of English.

[caughtintheact]

I am not sure what you mean by clarify.  The U.S. Embassy issues an affadavit witnessed by a Consul for the initial attempt to get a retirement or other visa applied for from within the country.  Thai immigration has told me and a number of friends that if we have an affadavit on record, we do not need to give them one annually. In the past we had to submit a new affadavit every year.  I agree that checking with immigration to avoid being surprised is an excellent idea.

[Roger13]

My suggestion was that you clarify for others

(who might be making their first extension)

why it is that Americans get "Affidavits"

when apparently the rest of us get Simple

Letters from our Embassies.

Immigration obviously - from the expeiriece

of many here - do not require Affidavits

not even on the first occasion - so why are

Americans doing it?

Is it because the American Embassy, maybe,

do not issue Simple Letters - only Affidavits?

[caughtintheact]

Clarification: Why Americans need affadavits vs. rest of the world simple letters.

Well, being a Connecticut Yankee (we answer questions with questions), all I can say is why does our State Department do anything? Or does our State departmen do anything besides give U.S. citizens a difficult time?  ---  another forum, another time.  

No Roger13, I do not know why we get affadavits vs. simple letters, but I had to get one every year from 1982 until 2000, the year Immigration said they didn't want them anymore if we already had one on record.

[caughtintheact]

Forgot to mention that I just renewed my retirement visa 1 month ago.  Didn't need any simple letter or affadavit, just cy of passport, photos, letter from bank and copy of bank book.