Please Advise....

[sailor59]

Hello everyone,

I am 50 y.o. and i live in Greece with my wife who is a Thai national. I have an american passport.

We decided to come and live in Thailand in a few months, so if somebody can tell me about long term visa i would appreciate it a lot.

I called the Thai embassy here and they told me that i must have at least 17,000 euros a year income. I wont get a pension from the U.S till i am 63 and in Greece i work as an eBay seller, so i dont have an official income, everything is under the table thru Pay Pal.

I do have about 200,000 euros in the bank, so they said that i should bring them a bank statement and whatever interest i earn.

When i asked them about the 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank, that i knew it was required to get an annual visa and so on every year to renew it, they said they knew nothing about it and that i dont have to deposit anything in a thai bank.

But i know people in Thaland who do that every year.

Please advise me...

1- If what they told me is correct and that the 800,000 baht is just a myth...and

2- Can i still sell stuff from Thailand on eBay, without having anything to do with the government and labor department.

3- Last time i was there i tried to open a bank account with my wife in Bank of Siam, but they said that i needed a work permit to put my name in the account.

Are all the banks the same, or they just have different policies?

Thank you,

Angelo.

[lopburi3]

1. To extend your entry for one year at a time over age 50 requires 65k per month pension or 800k in Thai bank account. To extend your entry for Thai wife only requires 400k in Thai bank account. This is an immigration rule so Consulate has no knowledge of it. Retirement is easier paperwork wise if you can deposit that amount.

2. Not legal here either.

3. Never heard of any such bank but you will be able to open an account if you visit with wife and perhaps have a letter of your current address notarized by your Embassy. Passbook savings accounts are the normal type - you will not obtain a checking account without a work permit I suspect. Each branch of bank has there own rules.

[sailor59]

Thank you, but i still dont understand.

If they dont know (at the embassy), how do i start?

Do i come to Thailand on a 30 or 90 day entry and then i apply for yearly visa and how i deposit the 800,000 baht to show the immigration officials, if i cant open an account on a tourist visa?

If you can tell me step by step how i can do it, you 'll be of great help.

By the way i think the bank was "Siam Commercial Bank" and we only asked for a regular savings account.

Also at the embassy they asked me for 63,000 baht just to give me visa, i think that is kind of high, considering that they have no idea about immigration issues.

[loong]

I'm not sure about Greece, but usually Consulates are more helpful than Embassies.

It's very easy to get a Non immigrant O visa in UK. Try a consulate in Greece.

Kasikorn (the old Thai Farmer's Bank) is known as the easiest bank for a foreigner to open an account.

If you can deposit 800,000 Baht it is easier to get the retirement 1 year extension compared to the Marriage extension.

Remember that the money has to be in the Bank 2 months before you apply for your first extension and so transfer more than 800,000 to allow for expenses before you apply.

[lopburi3]

1. Apply for a visa of any type. You obviously have an unhelpful Embassy.

2. Arrive and open bank account - if one branch says no try the next one. Be sure the funds are remitted from overseas by wire for the records - you may have to set up permission with your home country bank before you leave to allow this to be done by phone/mail/internet or otherwise without you being present.

3. Go to immigration with wife and ask for conversion to non immigrant visa/extension of stay (while you still have 21 days or more remaining on permitted to stay stamp). Have bankbook and letter from bank of account balance. You should be able to obtain visa for 2,000 baht and later, after the 60 days are up, obtain extension of stay for one year for 1,900 baht.

[theoldgit]

Could he apply for a tourist visa which, I believe, are (or should be) free at the moment?

[lopburi3]

Yes he can - that is why I said any type. But if he does not have a non immigrant visa to start he will have to buy one later at an extra cost of 2,000 baht.

[sailor59]

Thank you all, helpful info.

Next week i have an appointment at the US Embassy in Athens, and given the chance -because we live in an island- i will pay a personal visit to the Thai consulate with all my paperwork to see what my options are.

Will keep in touch!