Immigration clarifies retirement visa rules

[ubonjoe]

Off topic a little bit. Does the 800,000 baht have to be shown as coming from overseas or can it be "saved up" money while in Thailand?

Proof of funds coming from abroad is not required for a extension of stay.

But to do a conversion from a tourist visa or visa exempt entry to a non immigrant visa proof of funds transfer from abroad is required.

[docspinoff]

Before an under 50 girlfriend(not spose) could tag on to a over 50 man with 800,000 baht in Thai bank to get a retirment visa does this still apply ?

[menorah]

It would be great if they also could clarify if people on a retirement visa is supposed to pay tax on their pensions!

Thailand has no reciprocal tax agreement with UK, other EU states may differ......best keep quiet lest you 'open a can of worms' !

[menorah]

it seems clear the confusion is the fault of poor translation of the original Thai legal jargon into English or else the original Thai wording was hopelessly constructed...anyone's guess.

Suffice to say, submit a sole account with 800,000 baht and thereby 'tie-up' less finance in the Thai banking system. The 'Follow on' for a wife seems more practical.

[geejay]

Hello everyone

Sorry but I am still cofused, may somebody could clarify for me.

My wife and I are both from UK and we are both 62 years old.

In the past we have submitted statements from our individual UK bank accounts showing pensions etc to The British Consulate to receive the required letter of Proof of income in support of our Retirement visa applicaltion.

The letter shows that they are satisfied with the total monthly income from our separate UK banks, being greater than 65000 baht per month.

The letter we received from The Consulate is Titled To Mr & Mrs.

We would then fill in individual retirement forms with photos etc and then when called would go together to The imagration officer together.

I can show more than 65000 baht per month and my wife could show about 40000 baht per month however we are not in a position to show 800000 baht or 1.6 m baht in the bank.

I would appreciate any advice regarding what has changed or what we would need to do to continue Retirement status on our next application.

Also when do the new rules come into effect.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you

[Ai52b]

It would be great if they also could clarify if people on a retirement visa is supposed to pay tax on their pensions!

[ubonjoe]

Hello everyone

Sorry but I am still cofused, may somebody could clarify for me.

My wife and I are both from UK and we are both 62 years old.

In the past we have submitted statements from our individual UK bank accounts showing pensions etc to The British Consulate to receive the required letter of Proof of income in support of our Retirement visa applicaltion.

The letter shows that they are satisfied with the total monthly income from our separate UK banks, being greater than 65000 baht per month.

The letter we received from The Consulate is Titled To Mr & Mrs.

We would then fill in individual retirement forms with photos etc and then when called would go together to The imagration officer together.

I can show more than 65000 baht per month and my wife could show about 40000 baht per month however we are not in a position to show 800000 baht or 1.6 m baht in the bank.

I would appreciate any advice regarding what has changed or what we would need to do to continue Retirement status on our next application.

Also when do the new rules come into effect.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you

 

There is no change in your case.

The 65k baht income method is still available.

[Mario2008]

Officially you need to pay tax, if the money is brought in the same year as it is brought in.

In practice, no checks are made.

[keeniau96]

I have done ten retirement extensions in a row in Phuket and found the Immigration office there always honest, helpful and consistent. The statement by the current chief is just another example of such. Nothing new, just consistent application of what has been done for years. If you walk in with your papers all in order you will walk out in less than an hour (my last was about 25 minutes) all ready for another year.

[ubonjoe]

Removed some duplicate posts.

[OJAS]

Don't think there ever was a mistake. The rules were and are clear and have not changed. Funds in your own personal account(s) is what and has always been considered when processing such a request for such extensions. If some liberterian doesn't want to be considered as a 'follower' in a foreign land then they should (quite rightly) put up or shut up.

Nothing nore than confusion caused by poor reporting and/or folks with an agenda of their own.

The person responsible for (official Thai) interpretation has spoken and confirmed this.

Thailand (a sovereign nation) is in Asia and doesn't have to proscibe to western values and idiosyncracies if there is no benefit to Thailand or it's people.

Jerry

Strikes me as more of a case of the local Phuket Immigration Chief "doing his own thing". AFAIK the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok haven't endorsed his interpretation through issuing revised instructions to immigration offices, just as they did 6 months ago in the case of the validity period of Embassy income confirmation letters. So, even though no earth-shattering changes seem to be on the cards, there still remains a degree of uncertainty as to how the rules will be interpreted locally for farang married couples who do not live in Phuket.

Edited December 10, 2013 by OJAS

[ubonjoe]

It would be great if they also could clarify if people on a retirement visa is supposed to pay tax on their pensions!

Pension income is exempt from taxes because it is not from working and etc.

See: http://www.rd.go.th/publish/6045.0.html

[Showbags]

Are most wives 'followers' ?

[GMeel]

Never heard of " follower" status before.

Same here, what are they talking about? I know a wife can follow the visa/extension of stay of her spouse, meaning if the visa/extension of stay of the spouse is cancelled so is the wife's visa/extension of stay cancelled. Problem here, when applying for this extension BOTH have to fill in a form. What is said here that if one applies 800 K THB is needed (no joint accounts) and the wife will have a "follower" status. What do they mean? Does this mean the wife doesn't need to fill in any kind of form? Please show me that form where ONLY the husband applies and there is a follower section where he can put the name of his wife. It doesn't exist...

Both need to fill in the SAME form in my opinion, so two applications = 1.6 M THB.

Who knows the answer?

Edited December 10, 2013 by GMeel

[bunta71]

My retirement ext. expires on January 23, 2014. How many days earlier than that can I get this extended??? Thanks for any replies in advance

[Mario2008]

30 days early, in some places now 45 days early. If need to travel they might even allow earlier.

[ubonjoe]

Before an under 50 girlfriend(not spose) could tag on to a over 50 man with 800,000 baht in Thai bank to get a retirment visa does this still apply ?

As far as I know that has never been possible. There is no cause in the police order allowing for it.

The age of 50 or over would still apply.

[OJAS]

My retirement ext. expires on January 23, 2014. How many days earlier than that can I get this extended??? Thanks for any replies in advance

30 days unless you live in Bangkok or maybe Pattaya where it is 45 days beforehand.

[ubonjoe]

Never heard of " follower" status before.

 

Same here, what are they talking about? I know a wife can follow the visa/extension of stay of her spouse, meaning if the visa/extension of stay of the spouse is cancelled so is the wife's visa/extension of stay cancelled. Problem here, when applying for this extension BOTH have to fill in a form. What is said here that if one applies 800 THB is needed (no joint accounts) and the wife will have a "follower" status. What do they mean? Does this mean the wife doesn't need to fill in any kind of form? Please show me that form where ONLY the husband applies and there is a follower section where he can put the name of his wife. It doesn't exist...

Both need to fill in the SAME form in my opinion, so tow applications = 1.6 M THB. 

 

Who knows the answer?

Just a poor use of wording.

It should say dependent extensions based upon being the spouse of a person that has been granted an extension of stay based upon retirement.

[GMeel]

Never heard of " follower" status before.

Same here, what are they talking about? I know a wife can follow the visa/extension of stay of her spouse, meaning if the visa/extension of stay of the spouse is cancelled so is the wife's visa/extension of stay cancelled. Problem here, when applying for this extension BOTH have to fill in a form. What is said here that if one applies 800 THB is needed (no joint accounts) and the wife will have a "follower" status. What do they mean? Does this mean the wife doesn't need to fill in any kind of form? Please show me that form where ONLY the husband applies and there is a follower section where he can put the name of his wife. It doesn't exist...

Both need to fill in the SAME form in my opinion, so tow applications = 1.6 M THB.

Who knows the answer?

Just a poor use of wording.

It should say dependent extensions based upon being the spouse of a person that has been granted an extension of stay based upon retirement.

Sorry, not clear.....my wife is on a dependent extension as you call it.......yet still she has to fill in exactly the same form I am filling in. So these are TWO applications, meaning 800K THB required each in individual bank accounts. On the application form there is no tickbox you are applying as a "dependent" ..or?

Edited December 10, 2013 by GMeel

[richard10365]

I think this topic should have been closed right after post number 1.

[IAMSOBAD]

Ubonjoe and mario2008 thank you for all the hard work on this.

[ubonjoe]

 

 

Never heard of " follower" status before.

 

Same here, what are they talking about? I know a wife can follow the visa/extension of stay of her spouse, meaning if the visa/extension of stay of the spouse is cancelled so is the wife's visa/extension of stay cancelled. Problem here, when applying for this extension BOTH have to fill in a form. What is said here that if one applies 800 THB is needed (no joint accounts) and the wife will have a "follower" status. What do they mean? Does this mean the wife doesn't need to fill in any kind of form? Please show me that form where ONLY the husband applies and there is a follower section where he can put the name of his wife. It doesn't exist...

Both need to fill in the SAME form in my opinion, so tow applications = 1.6 M THB. 

 

Who knows the answer?

 

Just a poor use of wording.

It should say dependent extensions based upon being the spouse of a person that has been granted an extension of stay based upon retirement.

 

 

Sorry, not clear.....my wife is on a dependent extension as you call it.......yet still she has to fill in exactly the same form I am filling in. So these are TWO applications, meaning 800K THB required each in individual bank accounts. On the application form there is no tickbox you are applying as a "dependent" ..or?

Your wife does not need 800k baht to apply for her extension as your dependent. This new rule is just stating that if have joint bank account you need to show 1.6 million in it. I suggest if you have a joint account close it and open an account in your name only.

Two completed forms are needed.

There is a line on TM7 form that has a space to put reason for the extension. She writes dependent extension based upon my husbands extension based upon retirement.

And she attaches copies of your passport with one of the copies being your extension stamp plus a copy of your marriage certificate.

[Mario2008]

Sorry, not clear.....my wife is on a dependent extension as you call it.......yet still she has to fill in exactly the same form I am filling in. So these are TWO applications, meaning 800K THB required each in individual bank accounts. On the application form there is no tickbox you are applying as a "dependent" ..or?

There is only 1 form to apply for an extension of stay, whether you are a tourist or a pensioner or dependent. What is different is the reason you apply for the extension, which you fill in at the bottom of the form.

You both fill in a separate form. You would fill in something as "to retire in Thailand", while your wife would fill in something as "to stay with my husband".

[zorroverde]

So it was a storm in a teacup. They were just arguing that the person applying for the extension should have 800k in his own name, not shared with anyone else in a joint account, even if that person was also applying for an extension as a dependent. Legally that is a perfectly defensible argument, since joint owners own 50% of the assets each, even though the implementation may be somewhat obtuse.

Obtuse???????Did you mean obscure or opaque?

[hellodolly]

It would be great if they also could clarify if people on a retirement visa is supposed to pay tax on their pensions!

Thailand has no reciprocal tax agreement with UK, other EU states may differ......best keep quiet lest you 'open a can of worms' !

I enquired of the Canada Pension Pan CPP. they told me there wass no difference in what I would recieve. Unlike some other countries. what they did telle was that if I choose to live in Thailand they had an agreement with Thailand where they would give Thailand 25% of my pension and I could apply through Thailand for a return if I had one coming. I choose the policy of keeping my mouth shut

Thailand knows you are receiving an income if you use the income guarantee system for extending your Visa so I would say that they do not expect you to pay tax to them on it.

[bhorn]

I and my wife, we have both a O-A visa. Do we also need to have 1.6 millions Baths on a joint account, or 800.000 baths each with separate account ?

[Mario2008]

If you both want to get an extension of stay based on retirement the answer is yes.

If one of you wants to be a dependent, only 800,000 would be required but must be in an account of the other spouse only.

[ubonjoe]

I and my wife, we have both a O-A visa. Do we also need to have 1.6 millions Baths on a joint account, or 800.000 baths each with separate account ?

You can have it in a joint account with 1.6 million baht in it.

[belg]

the law here is always up to the mood or ignorance of the immigration officer in front of you,as he/she might read / interpret that law in the way he / she seems fit

and asking you more paperwork while you have everything asked on their outdated website does not really help either