I am over 50 and a UK passport holder, I am thinking of a Retirement Visa. I can either put the 800,000bts into a Thai Bank or I also qualify with above the 65000bts a month. If I opt for the latter I have to get a letter from the UK Embassy in Bangkok which will cost me just over 3000bts I understand then I would present this to my local Immigration to get the Retirement Visa.

Am I required to get this letter annualy or is it a once only requirement?

It's an annual expense you'll need to include in your budget.

The cost is 2,340 baht for the letter plus another 100 baht for the return of the letter and your original evidence by EMS as per this page and yes, a new one is required yearly.

http://ukinthailand....pension-income/

Edited November 29, 201213 yr by lungbing

Does this just apply to UK nationals as a German friend has been told the letter is once and once only requirement, the information came to him from the Immigration Office.

I suspect that immigration officer is not doing such processing as it is a normal requirement for each application if using pension income.

So I will take it that the letter from the Embassy is an annual requirement and it will cost about 2500bts a time and it looks like the immgration officer might have lost something in translation. Thanks for the clarification.

I did my 2nd annual extension renewal October 5, 2012 at Chaeng Watanna

Used combination mrthod wiith approx. 600K Baht in Thai bank account and U.S. embessy income letter of 50K baht monthly from Social Security.

Had bank book and U.S. embessy letter stating income of 50K baht monthly.

They took U.S. embessy statement and glamced at passbook.

They did not care about Social Security income letter although I had one.

(You can request a form from Social Security that states your monthly pension income).

At Chaeng Wattana all they to see was:

Thai account bankbook

U.S. embessy income letter.

Nothing else mattered to them as long as the combined total of those two sources was over 800K baht equivalent.(annual income)

Extension renewal aqpproved, and I am now good until October 15, 2013.

So usual the poor Brits are ripped off! It only costs the Australians about 600 baht!

costs American 1600 baht.

have heard that they are asking for more proof than just the letter now in Phuket. Anyone else heard this??

Looks like it might be simpler just to put the cash in he bank and make it work, saves the letter fee and with luck will make enough to pay the fees at immigration, lets face it the interest rates back home, wherever home might be, are a disgrace.

It's not just the money in the bank here, it's the worry that you might dip under the required 800,000 during the months that the money must be seasoned for. So it's not just 800,000 it's 800,000 plus two or three month's living expenses and hoping that you or a loved one doesn't need say, expensive hospital treatment during the seasoning period.