Best Cheapest Way To Extend Retirement Visa

[gubeman1]

I have existing retirement visa one year and reentry permit. I paid attorney before 1000$ plus 10,000baht under table money. My bankbook this year in thailand has wellover 800,000 baht in transfers. How can I renew my self? where do I go and what do I need to do???? thanks

[beechguy]

May be helpful to know when your visa or extension of stay expires, your nationality, and where you are located.

Edited September 8, 2010 by beechguy

[Jingthing]

You need to learn more about this program. You do NOT need 800K in transfers, you don't need even one baht in recent transfers. What you do need (assuming you are using the bank account method) is 800K in your Thai bank account for at least 3 months before your extension application meeting (never any lower than that during that time). If you've got the money why are you greasing the palms of somebody when you don't need to?

Edited September 8, 2010 by Jingthing

[metisdead]

1) TM7 form filled and signed with pasted photo

2) Copies of passport pertinent pages (picture page, original visa page, entry date page, stamped pages, etc)

3) Bank letter showing minimum balance of 800,000 baht at least 90 days prior to renewal application

4) Copies of bank passbook pages showing up-to-date entries for the last 90 days to show balance has not dropped below 800,000 baht

5) Fee of 1900 baht payable in cash

[Lite Beer]

Application fee 1,900 Baht.

Multi Re Entry Permit 3,800 Baht.

(1) The alien has obtained a temporary visa (NON-IM);

(2) The applicant is 50 years of age or over;

(3) Proof of income of not less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

(4) Account deposit with a bank in Thailand of not less than

800,000 Baht as shown in the bank account for the past 3 months at the filing date of the application. For the first year, the applicant should have that amount in his bank account for not less than 60 days or

(5) Annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the filing date of application

Apply at Immigration within the final 30 days of your permission to stay.

Take passport. Letter from your bank if using the 800,000 method. Updated bank book showing the same balance.

Proof of address.

[jfchandler]

I have existing retirement visa one year and reentry permit. I paid attorney before 1000$ plus 10,000baht under table money. My bankbook this year in thailand has wellover 800,000 baht in transfers. How can I renew my self? where do I go and what do I need to do???? thanks

To the OP, dunno what nationality you are, or where you reside. But paying an attorney 10,000 baht "under the table money" for a retirement visa or extension based on retirement sounds crazy... And did you mean $1,000 U.S. dollars??? If so, that's even crazier...

As long as you're at least age 50, qualifying for a retirement visa outside Thailand, or a extension of stay based on retirement inside Thailand, is pretty danged simple, as long as you read and learn from the posts here in ThaiVisa on the subject.

If you have an existing retirement visa that's still valid, and you're inside Thailand, you can apply for an annual extension of stay based on retirement at the local immigration office closest to wherever you're staying in Thailand.

What in the world an attorney's going to bring to the table in that situation I can only wonder...

[Pib]

Easy process. Go to your immigration office where you have been filing your 90 day address report (I'm assuming you are living in Thailand). Fill out the TM7 application form which is mostly just entering your name, address, and attaching a photo. Attached a copy of your passport and the bank letter or embassy letter confirming you meet the 800,000 baht income/pension/savings requirement, and pay the 1900 Baht application fee. If using the bank letter approach be sure to take along your bank passbook with copies to support the bank letter/show you have the seasoned 800,000 baht in the Thai bank. Hopefully, within about 20-60 minutes of setting down in front of the immigration officer with above paper work you will have an retirement extension of stay good for one year stamped in your passport. Then, to get a reentry permit, take your completed TM8 Application form with photo (which is easy to fill out like the TM7 form was) and give the nice immigration officer (probably a different officer at a different desk) the 1000 baht application fee for a single entry permit or 3800 baht for a multiple entry permit...this process will take 20-60 minutes also....end result is another stamp in your passport which will match the expiration date of your retirement extension of stay.

Now, if you are living outside of Thailand, just get a new retirement visa at the same location you did before/a nearby Thai Consulate, "but fill out the paperwork yourself!" There is more paperwork to getting a retirement visa in another country versus a retirement extension of stay in Thailand, but the paperwork is still easy. Do it yourself "without a lawyer"...not need for a lawyer...this is not complicated stuff...unless, you are leaving out some important details.

[jfchandler]

Good answer Pib... The OP should be paying YOU for the time it took you to draft the guidance for him... as he seems to have money to spread around...

I'd only add, there are 3 different ways of satisfying the income requirement for retirement extensions under Thai Immigration's rules:

--800,000 baht in a bank in Thailand for at least 2 months prior on your first extension, and 3 months prior on all subsequent extensions, or

--65,000 baht per month in income of any type and from any location, regardless of where it is deposited. Income must be documented via a confirming letter from the applicant's consulate in Thailand, or

--a combination of consulate letter documented monthly income combined with deposits in a bank inside Thailand, and that combination can be of any proportion as long as the two together equal at least 800,000 baht for the year. If the combo method is used, no seasoning (deposit ahead of your application time) is required.

Attached a copy of your passport and the bank letter or embassy letter confirming you meet the 800,000 baht income/pension/savings requirement, and pay the 1900 Baht application fee. If using the bank letter approach be sure to take along your bank passbook with copies to support the bank letter/show you have the seasoned 800,000 baht in the Thai bank.

[gubeman1]

Can all clarify if the 800,000 has to be in a thai bank or can much larger sum in a USA 500,000usd bank/broker. I prefer rather than just let 800,000 sit uninvested in a thai bank. Bob

[Jingthing]

Can all clarify if the 800,000 has to be in a thai bank or can much larger sum in a USA 500,000usd bank/broker. I prefer rather than just let 800,000 sit uninvested in a thai bank. Bob

No, if using the bank account method for retirement extensions, the 800K MUST be in a THAI bank.

[longball53098]

If the cash is invested in some sort of account in the US and you draw off that account on a regular basis for living expenses and such you could use the income/pension letter from the Embassy as the necessary document for proof of income. 65,000 baht a month or more income from a pension or other income is quite acceptable to Immigration. Then no need for the big cash in a Thai bank. The other "retirement" requirements still must be observed and age over 50 is one of them but then no bank letters or passbook pages.

[jfchandler]

Longball above is quite correct about U.S. bank earnings, and any other income, counting toward the 65,000 baht per month income threshhold, or counting toward income in the combo method that also partly relies on Thai bank deposits... That's exactly how I satisfy the income requirement for my extensions.

Jing is also correct about if you use the 800,000 baht only method, it must be in a Thai bank, though the exact wording of the regulation is "bank in Thailand," which presumably would include banks that have accounts in Thailand such as HSBC and Standard Chartered...

The combo method, to me, is quite appealing because if you have ANY amount of income, you can use that toward the extension's financial requirement and thus entirely avoid the "seasoning" requirement for funds under the 800,000 baht bank deposit only method. With the combo method, no seasoning of bank deposits in Thailand required.

Can all clarify if the 800,000 has to be in a thai bank or can much larger sum in a USA 500,000usd bank/broker. I prefer rather than just let 800,000 sit uninvested in a thai bank. Bob

No, if using the bank account method for retirement extensions, the 800K MUST be in a THAI bank.

[gubeman1]

Thanks for all the good advice. i

[gubeman1]

Thanks for all the good advice. I think this first year to be on the safe side I will wire back the 800,000 before 3 months in another account. But I still want to see if the income method would suffice first.

I am a US citizen have investment portfolio etc. I can see how it can be a nightmare for some thai visa agent to pull out the income from various accounts, documents. After all interest is .025% on cash. I do get peatty reasonable pension but i think doesnt cover the amount. The rest is invested in bonds , munis etc. What kind of evidence do I need to bring? Perhaps letter from certiied accountant, or just try to dump all the papers on their desK???? They net value is pretty good . However if there some requirement I go to the embassy to have this documents checked from investment advior which I would dread wasting the whole day. Any advice what proof is easiest and aceptable outside income can I bring? Is there a paper from Social security office I could get for example?

BTW to the previous replier I used a lawyer cause i didnt have the time and was 1000$ fee plus 10,000Baht under table money else they would appartnatly hold the passport too long and I needed to get over to China. He also prepared all the documents for the non immigrant visa. the 1000$ was worth it to me but didnt appreciate the 10,000baht tea money

[lopburi3]

There is no holding of passport (the longest time would be Pattaya where they keep overnight) and at most places it is about a 20 minute process.

Cost 1,900 baht for one year extension of stay.

Cost 3,800 baht for matching one year multi re-entry permit or 1,000 baht single entry.

If you do not have initial non immigrant visa 2,000 baht for that.

[jfchandler]

Gubeman, forgive me for saying so, but you're writing here doesn't appear as that of an American... That doesn't matter as far as offering assistance for you, glad to do it... But, your writing does make me wonder, because I am an American.

As far as your future efforts are concerned, you'd be better off spending your time here reading and learning a bit about the visa process from some very knowledgeable people who've done it all before, instead of wasting your money on attorneys who probably don't know half as much as the veterans here.

You also appear to not be reading the advice given here very carefully. Because you asked again above about how to document your income. And we very clearly told you above, you document your income for Thai immigration by obtaining a confirming letter from your country's consulate in Thailand, which if you're really an American, would be the U.S. consulate in Bangkok. That's if you're applying for a retirement-based extension of stay based on an already valid retirement visa for Thailand.

[Jingthing]

Gubeman, forgive me for saying so, but you're writing here doesn't appear as that of an American... That doesn't matter as far as offering assistance for you, glad to do it... But, your writing does make me wonder, because I am an American.

You're right. It is not the style of a native, but we've got lots of immigrants, eh?

[jfchandler]

You're right Jing... And I have no problem either way... Still glad to try to help. But I want the advice to be accurate and relevant.

The writing style made me wonder if there might be something afoot with the visa application, in terms of country or status, maybe a bit different from the appearance/representation in the thread.

Obviously, things do depend to a certain extent on the citizenship country of the applicant, including what's required by the different consulates in terms of obtaining an income verification letter.

Gubeman, forgive me for saying so, but you're writing here doesn't appear as that of an American... That doesn't matter as far as offering assistance for you, glad to do it... But, your writing does make me wonder, because I am an American.

You're right. It is not the style of a native, but we've got lots of immigrants, eh?

[jazzbo]

You're right. It is not the style of a native ... Maybe it's the style of someone under age 50 which might explain why all those payments ...

[jfchandler]

[moe666]

I have sometime on my hands in Nov. and I will only charge you half of what you paid last time will not be the cheapest but cheaper.hehehe only kidding

Reread what has been posted these guys know their stuff it's as easy as falling off a log.

[gubeman1]

Born and bread and in Elizabeth New Jersey, lived in Boston, Pittsburgh, Birminghham, Pensacola home of the blue Angels. Mets won the series in 1969 so did the Jet with Joe white shoes Namath. Hunch is incorrect, but thamks for advice.

[jfchandler]

As I said before, the advice is freely given, regardless.....

Read other threads here on TV re the process for Americans to obtain the income verification letter from the U.S. consulate in BKK....

[jazzbo]

So 1969 -- the year of Gil Hodges and the Amazin' Mets would make him 40 or 41; he certainly has yet to say otherwise.

[gubeman1]

Tommy Agee and Don Clendenon, Buddy Harrelson, Seaver too. Amazin Mets. Mom's line came from the revolutionary days. Born in the USA (Bruce S). I am American and a tea potter (constitutional republican) and I dont want to deal the the American embassy in the least to invade my constitutional privacy, so U have all answered my question I will just wire in 800,000. I am 51 now retired early.

PS: Also as you all know the comments on an open forum often the information is not 100% accurate. Allot people post their opinions or their misunderstandings as hard fact (human nature) that is why i didnt just accept the first reply that said go to consulate. I believe now that the consulate is the only answer for income solution since 3 or 4 confirm. Sorry if I offended anyone. I did try to sift through this very large and useful forum which I have been a member for 10 years. Had to re-register recently because for some reason couldnt get on.

thanks all !!!

[jazzbo]

I dont want to deal (with) the American embassy in the least to invade my constitutional privacy... Well as we Americans also say ' No harm ... no foul."

However, the best embodiment of your 'constitutional privacy' in this case is not to seek an income statement from the US Embassy but just do the 800k aged for 2 months-in-the-bank routine and then you never have to set foot on US property or make any statement to the US Government in order to obtain your extension of stay in The Kingdom of Thailand

Edited September 10, 2010 by jazzbo

[Jingthing]

Let's grow up here. Dealing with the US embassy to get an income letter for Thai immigration has pretty much nothing to do with the US constitution and privacy issues. This is the visa forum, let's leave the paranoid ramblings of the Glenn Beck cultists out of this!

Edited September 10, 2010 by Jingthing

[jazzbo]

No problem JT ... When he goes into the US Embassy (or outreach) for his income affidavit, and the consular officer asks him if all the statements are true, he can just say he refuses to answer in that it is a violation of his constitutional right to privacy.

[jfchandler]

I love you guys, jokers all...

I was going to ask the OP, since he's a true "tea potter," and we wouldn't want anyone to invade his constitutional privacy, can I have your Social Security check each month when it arrives in the future???

We wouldn't want the Social Security Admin. to be invading your rights, now would we....

PS - Just remember, at some point in the future, if you hope to continue living and traveling abroad, you're going to need a renewed U.S. passport... I'm sure the prospect has you shivering in your boots...

[mistakurtz]

Go to US embassy or consulate, attest on their provided form that you have 800000 baht income per year, no proof needed, have them notarize the form, and you're covered.