I have lived in Thailand for 18 years and retired from a Bangkok university at the end of 2001.

When I extended my visa locally for one year to take care of my Thai wife the income requirement was 20,000 Baht/month. Now its been raised to 40,000 Baht a month. But, of course, my UK government pension had not chnaged and it will never change.

Now my visa had been extended to 5 August for some strange reason (perhaps to invent money in the bank). I'm going to the UK for two of three weeks on 10 July and may not be back by then.

What's the best thing to do? Write to Toxin? I've heard he doesn't like the Head of Immigration.

Wondering/anxious and not wanting to desert my wife.

You do not have to meet the income requirements if you can put the money into a bank account so maybe that is what the extension is for - and maybe they will keep giving you such extensions in hope that you can make the combined bank account/income requirements at some point.

But if you do not plan to return in time I would seriously think about obtaining a multi entry non immigrant O visa from Hull or another such Consulate. If you can not meet support requirements that is probably your best option and is usually also available from Penang so a trip back to UK each year would not be required.

Do you have a local pension, or other income that could be added by any chance. Also nothing wrong with asking immigration what they would advise - they often do not want to say anything unless asked.

If you still have question there was a recent posting inviting direct contact with the Director of Immigration using this link http://imm.police.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=comment

You do not have to meet the income requirements if you can put the money into a bank account so maybe that is what the extension is for - and maybe they will keep giving you such extensions in hope that you can make the combined bank account/income requirements at some point. 

But if you do not plan to return in time I would seriously think about obtaining a multi entry non immigrant O visa from Hull or another such Consulate.  If you can not meet support requirements that is probably your best option and is usually also available from Penang so a trip back to UK each year would not be required.

Do you have a local pension, or other income that could be added by any chance.  Also nothing wrong with asking immigration what they would advise - they often do not want to say anything unless asked.

If you still have question there was a recent posting inviting direct contact with the Director of Immigration using this link http://imm.police.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=comment

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the info.

This is just a trip back to see the grandchildrenI have never met. No more plannned.

I'm not into visa trips now so I will write to the boss. This has also been recommended by an old Thai friend who used to be chief of Taksin's Shginawatra office.

I'll do another post later about the outcome. This problem is not going to go away, is it?

200,000 in the bank, plus your 20,000 pension per month should be

suffucient to meet the requirements.