CharlesHH Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I made appointment on line with US Embassy in BKK one day before, Monday. Went in on time on Tuesday, explained I need paper to show that I had sworn my monthly income from retirement sources exceeded the lower limit Thailand demands for normal retirement visa/permit. Filled out one sheet including stating USD amount of my monthly income. Go to cashier, FIFTY DOLLARS please. Paid with a US hundred and got back locally worthless two twenties and a ten USD change. Cashier has no fifty dollar bills. Called 10 min later and I looked notary in the eye as I swore my info was correct. She signed, stamped, and embossed my form. Whole visit was about 40 min. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post pmarlin Posted June 11, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted June 11, 2014 Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? Why? you his mother. The OP said he swore the information was correct. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post phuketrichard Posted June 11, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted June 11, 2014 why are $20 an $10 worthless?work fine for me 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think he means that the exchange rate is lower on the smaller bills Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danthai Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? What difference. One is allowed to report gross earning. Deductions to gross change all the time depending on circumstances allotments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chiang mai Posted June 11, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted June 11, 2014 Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? Why? you his mother. The OP said he swore the information was correct. Yup, I wanna be sure my son is doing the right thing! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think he means that the exchange rate is lower on the smaller bills Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Just save those bills for your next visit to Laos....unless the bills were old and crappy looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think he means that the exchange rate is lower on the smaller bills Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Just save those bills for your next visit to Laos....unless the bills were old and crappy looking. you mean Cambodia>> laos does not use $$ they use the kip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? Why? you his mother. The OP said he swore the information was correct. Someone swore it was correct so it must be true. Why don't they ask for proof? Not saying the OP lied about it, just saying the procedure is not fail proof. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post robblok Posted June 11, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted June 11, 2014 Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? Why? you his mother. The OP said he swore the information was correct. Someone swore it was correct so it must be true. Why don't they ask for proof? Not saying the OP lied about it, just saying the procedure is not fail proof. Correct.. crazy procedure to be honest. No checking nothing just swearing you have the money. Why would one not lie to free up money. Most of use need to keep money in the bank they can just swear.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I think he means that the exchange rate is lower on the smaller bills Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Just save those bills for your next visit to Laos....unless the bills were old and crappy looking. you mean Cambodia>> laos does not use $$ they use the kip But you use it for laos visa at the border Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesHH Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 I reported what I did on Tuesday. I came home with the US Embassy "certifying" statement which I will present to Thai authorities very soon. Unless more snide and insulting comments come to me, I will report those activities here also. Question is, did you use gross or net income and/or, did you tell the whole truth? Why? you his mother. The OP said he swore the information was correct. Yup, I wanna be sure my son is doing the right thing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 ... and as every good Mother says: Now don't go committing any felonies today, dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumballl Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Correct.. crazy procedure to be honest. No checking nothing just swearing you have the money. Why would one not lie to free up money. Most of use need to keep money in the bank they can just swear.. US citizens are trustworthy. Trust me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wayned Posted June 11, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted June 11, 2014 Keep the positive reports coming they're nice for a change. Most of the complainers are just envious and jealous because their countries don't trust them and make them bring piles of BS to prove what they say is true. They also make them jump through hoops at an increased cost to renew their passports and then have to "beg" for the required letter to immigration to get there current extension stamps transferred.. US passport renewal is easy and costs the same as if yo did it in the US. Make an appointment, get pictures, go in fill out the form, pay $110, and go back 7-10 days later and pickup the new passport (email sent to advise of arrival, no appointment necessary to pickup). You can even have the new one Ems-ed to you. The old passport remains a valid travel document until the new one is picked up! Obviously I'm an American and I'm certainly not saying that I agree with a lot of the US policies, but I think that they got this one right. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 The US State Department policy that Embassies and Consulates will not be put in a position to determine the authenticity of documents originating in the USA is consistent worldwide. The option to Thailand was either to accept this policy or tell US citizens that they cannot use the income affidavit method for purposes of extension of stay, Thailand Immigration maintains the right to ask for any corroborating information as to the information on the affidavit. There is really no way these days given PhotoShop, PageMaker/InDesign, etc. that anyone today can determine with only a brief look-over that a document has not been forged or altered. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 (edited) That’s certainly encouraging the Embassy doesn’t require reams of supporting documentation and authentications, Simplifies the process. But am wondering if Thai immigration would as a matter of default not trust the US Embassy affidavit and require supporting documentation. Edited June 11, 2014 by cobra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 To be clear, I for for one am not complaining about this point, I merely seek to highlight it and maybe even discuss it. I only first became aware of this issue about three weeks and to be honest I was amazed, it seemed to me that it's only a matter of time before the Thai Immigration folks catch on and the rules get tightened up, that's typically what happens here. So in that respect there's a false economy involved here and if Americans were complaining of being squeezed when USD went sub 30 baht, maybe part of the reason why rests in this issue - the minimum retirement income level is a check and balance issue, the Thai government needs reassurance the individual has sufficient funds to live here but the individual needs that same assurance, if he's allowed to deceive himself and others the system falls down, some folks actually need saving from themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 (edited) Thai Immigration is well aware of the US Policy on authentication of documents originating in the USA. There is nothing about the US State Department policy that is unique to Thailand. Edited June 11, 2014 by JLCrab 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 You might think and expect that Thai Immigration understands that policy but I seriously doubt they've joined up the dots, after all, look at the extent of check and counter check that takes place when a person uses the 800k on deposit for their visa. A person has to supply copies of their bank pass book, a certified letter from the bank and all of this within a maximum 48 hours of when the balance was recorded. And why is that, it's because people were found to be abusing the system by borrowing money and putting it on deposit overnight in order to be eligible for the visa the next day, after which the funds were given back to their rightful owner. It doesn't really make sense to me that the tests and checks should be so stringent using the 800k method whilst the alternative, the income method, involves no checks and is open to abuse. And before they start, I don't begrudge Americans for being able to use the system that way, power to you if you can do it, my only point is that the system is unbalanced and that one day it will almost certainly change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 If the Thai Immigration official has any doubt on the veracity of the information on the US Affidavit -- which may be nothing but body language -- they have full right to ask for corroborating information. The US Consular official before signing the affidavit will often advise to this effect. Meanwhile, Thai Immigration website has a contact page where I sure they will be happy to hear of your concerns regarding the undermining of their Extension of Stay system by Americans and maybe others: http://immigration.go.th/ 'Contact' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CharlesHH Posted June 12, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) My note about getting a notarized document from the US Embassy was my first, and now my last, effort to be informative on ThaiVisa. Now I see that the majority utilization of this site is to voice sour, grumpy, unsubstantiated opinions with basically no useful substance. New to ThaiVisa and thinking what great resource it could be, I now see clearly that it is one huge bitching place. The USA has a system of notaries, often called "notary public," which allows citizens to swear to something with the same idea as swearing in a court of law. It carries penalties for misuse and remains a remarkable "old world" feature of the time when a man's word was his bond. People are sent to prison based on sworn testimony that has the same level of validity as the notary system. My conclusion is that I will weaken occasionally and spout off an opinion on this venue, but never again simply list a factual account of something I personally experienced. I abandon, for myself, this site as only palaver by people with too much time on their hands. Edited June 12, 2014 by ubonjoe Changed font color 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe666 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 You might think and expect that Thai Immigration understands that policy but I seriously doubt they've joined up the dots, after all, look at the extent of check and counter check that takes place when a person uses the 800k on deposit for their visa. A person has to supply copies of their bank pass book, a certified letter from the bank and all of this within a maximum 48 hours of when the balance was recorded. And why is that, it's because people were found to be abusing the system by borrowing money and putting it on deposit overnight in order to be eligible for the visa the next day, after which the funds were given back to their rightful owner. It doesn't really make sense to me that the tests and checks should be so stringent using the 800k method whilst the alternative, the income method, involves no checks and is open to abuse. And before they start, I don't begrudge Americans for being able to use the system that way, power to you if you can do it, my only point is that the system is unbalanced and that one day it will almost certainly change. The current system for declaring income for Americans has been in place for many years and has been excepted by immigration. Remember we take a oath that our income is what we say it is and could be charged with a crime if we lie under oath. I claim exactly what is deposited in my bank account and then bring 3 months of statements if asked for proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe666 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 My note about getting a notarized document from the US Embassy was my first, and now my last, effort to be informative on ThaiVisa. Now I see that the majority utilization of this site is to voice sour, grumpy, unsubstantiated opinions with basically no useful substance. New to ThaiVisa and thinking what great resource it could be, I now see clearly that it is one huge bitching place. The USA has a system of notaries, often called "notary public," which allows citizens to swear to something with the same idea as swearing in a court of law. It carries penalties for misuse and remains a remarkable "old world" feature of the time when a man's word was his bond. People are sent to prison based on sworn testimony that has the same level of validity as the notary system. My conclusion is that I will weaken occasionally and spout off an opinion on this venue, but never again simply list a factual account of something I personally experienced. I abandon, for myself, this site as only palaver by people with too much time on their hands. Do not take it personal they cannot help themselves 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Did no one here ever hear of debate, discussing the pro's and con's of anything doesn't mean it's being criticized and is certainly no reason to take your bat and ball home, grow up for goodness sake! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmarlin Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Did no one here ever hear of debate, discussing the pro's and con's of anything doesn't mean it's being criticized and is certainly no reason to take your bat and ball home, grow up for goodness sake! That isn't a problem but asking someone if they committed a crime is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) Also it was posted that in his opinion Thai Immigration is most likely unaware of the US Document Authentication policy and that they have yet to 'connect the dots' -- so we have an assumption to the debate which starts the debate on dubious grounds. Edited June 12, 2014 by JLCrab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 You guys are priceless, however do you get by in life with such narrow thinking, over and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) It isn't narrow thinking; just being tired of the idiots. This is from the US Embassy Bangkok website: Authentication of Vital Records, Academic, Commercial or Other Credentials Issued in the U.S. U.S. Consular officers are not empowered to authenticate public documents issued in the United States. Such documents include vital records (birth, marriage, death, and divorce), as well as academic, commercial, or other credentials. Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing office or the seal of the custodian of these records. http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/notarial-services.html But maybe the Thai Immigration officials are not aware there is such a thing as a website. Edited June 12, 2014 by JLCrab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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