A friend who has had annual Retirement Visas for the last 10 years wants to use the new B200,000 account balance requirement.

Anyone have actual experience using this?

Account balance must be 800k for retirement (unless combined with an Embassy letter of pension). There hasn't been any new change.

Could he be talking about a grandfathering case?

But he says "new".?. To qualify for 200k he would have had to be using it. Or is he perhaps asking about change from monthly pension to bank balance? Should be able to change between the two I would think.

Yes. To be eligible for that he would have had to have been getting continous Retirement Extensions since before October 21 1998. When the financial requirements were 200,000 Baht.

If 800 000 gets you a one year extension, maybe 200 000 gets you three months ?

If 800 000 gets you a one year extension, maybe 200 000 gets you three months ?

Good try - but doesn't work that way.

Or a v pleasant weekend at the Oriental with the Orientals

Yes. To be eligible for that he would have had to have been getting continous Retirement Extensions since before October 21 1998. When the financial requirements were 200,000 Baht.

Lite Beer

Isn't there also a higher age requirement tied in with that also, like 60+?

melmark

Yes the old retirement age was 60 - with special provisions for those over 55 at higher price.

Yes. To be eligible for that he would have had to have been getting continous Retirement Extensions since before October 21 1998. When the financial requirements were 200,000 Baht.

Lite Beer

Isn't there also a higher age requirement tied in with that also, like 60+?

melmark

Anyone under 60 would not have been old enough to be getting Reirement Extensions in 1998.

(6) For an alien who entered Thailand before October 21,

1998 and continuously allowed to stay in the Kingdom as a

retiree, the following shall apply:

(a) He/she must be 60 years of age or over and has regular

income. His/her bank account deposit shall not be less than Baht 200,000 a year and evidence of the account deposit for the

previous 3 months must be shown; or he/she has a monthly income of not less than Baht 20,000.

( If he/she is under 60 years of age but not less than 55,

the alien shall have regular income with a bank account deposit of not less than Baht 500,000 a year and evidence of the account deposit for the previous 3 months must be shown, or he/she has a monthly income of not less than 50,000 baht

Maybe he was using another method before (income) and now wants to use bank account method. If he was in under the old money levels and has continuous extensions, there is no reason he couldn't use the grandfathering levels, correct?

Maybe he was using another method before (income) and now wants to use bank account method. If he was in under the old money levels and has continuous extensions, there is no reason he couldn't use the grandfathering levels, correct?

If that is so then you should be correct.

Maybe he was using another method before (income) and now wants to use bank account method. If he was in under the old money levels and has continuous extensions, there is no reason he couldn't use the grandfathering levels, correct?

If that is so then you should be correct.

Well, yes, but "should be correct" are the operative words.

I've been going the "retirement" route since May 1998 so am grandfathered, but each time I've pulled out my bank book with just baht 200,000+ a bit in it, the gals cringe and ask if I have the embassy letter or some other means of qualifying. Even if shown the reg in Thai where the grandfathering counts, they don't really want to see that.

So, just to expedite things along and not embarrass the gal I pull out the letter and get the new stamp.

Only office that appeared willing to listen to the grandfathering argument seemed to be the former one outside Swampyboom, which is now closed. This was their final day in January and it was quiet. Only letter I had with me at that time was last years, January 2008, but they took it.

Mac