UK Pensions Letter for Thai Immigration Retirement Extension

[joebrown]

I am a UK passportholder and need to apply for a 1 year Retirement Extension in 6 months time. Last year I got a letter from the British Embassy, Bangkok by using the Visa service office in Soi 5, Jomtien (the old Consular Office). The whole procedure cost me about 4,000bht, but saved me the hassle and a trip to Bangkok. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the British Embassy cut back on nearly all Notarial services and stopped issuing Income confirmation letters.

I'm told the Visa service office in Jomtien has closed down and wonder whether anyone can tell me how I can obtain the Income letter for Immigration. If this can be done without a visit to Bangkok please let me know which office in Pattaya/Jomtien offers a 'courier' service.

[thepool]

Direct from the Embassy by post ----------unless you really want to put money in an "Agents" pocket

Details on the Embassy's web site

[ubonjoe]

You can get it by mail. Info here: https://www.gov.uk/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand

[FatController]

Got mine about a month ago by post .

Cost 2,620 Baht (inc EMS) and took about 7 working days.

[ubonjoe]

I have removed a post promoting a business and several replies to it. If you want do promote a visa service to do the income letter you can do it by PM to the OP.

[firefox999uk]

Has any one sent only a COPY of their original pension papers and recieved the confirmation letter back

from the Embassy?....just wondering as i am always dubious about sending the original papers by ems, although i have

not had a problem in the past.

[ubonjoe]

This is what info says on embassy website.

Documents required for this service

• original valid British passport or a photocopy if applying by post
• proof of address such as outlined above
• evidence of your current pension/income which will be returned to you

They don't mention that original documents are needed.

[joebrown]

Many thanks for the detailed information from all of you. I'm sure I wasn't dreaming when I read somewhere about the British Embassy ceasing the issue of Pension Letters for Thai Immigration. Perhaps someone was 'scaremongering', predicting the withdrawal of this service as a follow on from the transfer of Passport services to Hong Kong (which has since returned to Bangkok). I now hope nothing changes in the next few months, but as we have seen with Passports, the FO is controlled by accountants and doesn't seem to know it's 'a--se from it's elbow' at the moment.

[Jip99]

This is what info says on embassy website.

Documents required for this service

• original valid British passport or a photocopy if applying by post
• proof of address such as outlined above
• evidence of your current pension/income which will be returned to you

They don't mention that original documents are needed.

The "such as outlined above" bit refers to:-

For our notarial services you will need to attend the embassy in person with your passport/identification and a proof of address eg utility bills, mail showing your name and local address, a house registration, etc

[evadgib]

Plucked from the appropriate link:

Consular letter confirming pension/income for Thai Immigration

We can issue a standard letter addressed to Thai Immigration confirming your pension/income to support the renewal/extension of your retirement visa. This letter is a Thai requirement and the granting of the visa is at the sole discretion of the Thai Immigration authorities not the British Embassy.

Please ensure the pension/income evidence you provide is in a form that is simple and easy to understand and contains the essential financial amounts that are required for inclusion in the letter. According to Thai Immigration, your pension currency should not be converted into Thai Baht.

The fee for this letter is payable by cash or credit card if applying in person or by postal order for the exact amount if applying by post. The letter can be collected in person or sent to you by express mail with an additional postage and packaging cost of 100 Baht. Please note that fees can change without prior notice.

If you are unable to visit us in person, please mail us your request stating the total pension amount received monthly/yearly and enclosing the required documents. Please make the postal order (available at Post Offices) payable to the “British Embassy” and to be cashed at “Nana Post Office Bangkok 10112”.

Fees

Fee 2(i) Letter in English THB 2,520 EMS postage and packaging THB 100

Documents required for this service

• original valid British passport or a photocopy if applying by post
• proof of address such as outlined above
• evidence of your current pension/income which will be returned to you

[Tafia]

I believe the evidence of Pension must be the original otherwise why would they return the copy?

(I have always had to show or send the original Pension Statement) Otherwise it is open to abuse.

[firefox999uk]

Plucked from the appropriate link:

Consular letter confirming pension/income for Thai Immigration

We can issue a standard letter addressed to Thai Immigration confirming your pension/income to support the renewal/extension of your retirement visa. This letter is a Thai requirement and the granting of the visa is at the sole discretion of the Thai Immigration authorities not the British Embassy.

Please ensure the pension/income evidence you provide is in a form that is simple and easy to understand and contains the essential financial amounts that are required for inclusion in the letter. According to Thai Immigration, your pension currency should not be converted into Thai Baht.

The fee for this letter is payable by cash or credit card if applying in person or by postal order for the exact amount if applying by post. The letter can be collected in person or sent to you by express mail with an additional postage and packaging cost of 100 Baht. Please note that fees can change without prior notice.

If you are unable to visit us in person, please mail us your request stating the total pension amount received monthly/yearly and enclosing the required documents. Please make the postal order (available at Post Offices) payable to the “British Embassy” and to be cashed at “Nana Post Office Bangkok 10112”.

Fees

Fee 2(i) Letter in English THB 2,520 EMS postage and packaging THB 100

Documents required for this service

• original valid British passport or a photocopy if applying by post
• proof of address such as outlined above
• evidence of your current pension/income which will be returned to you

Evadgib, yes dead right....I’m sure previous instructions on the site

Said to enclose ORIGINAL pension details which I have always done, but

With all yearly update letters from my pension provider which they send to me

By email (PDF on headed paper). So I think this year I will only send a COPY of

My original papers and copies of yearly updates. At least it will give ME piece of mind that they will not go astray in the post.