British Embassy letter re.pension/income

[tekka8]

I am about to fill in and send off the standard letter to the embassy,to support my extension of stay based on retirement.

I am over 50,legally married to a thai national, and have a multiple entry 'O' visa (based on retirement income),of which I am on the last 3 months ie. months 13,14 and 15 .(admitted to 13th.Aug.2014)

On the reverse of the embassy letter it asks for 'Thai address',and my questions relate to this.

We live in Chonburi city, but we have sold this property and will be moving to our house in na Jomtien district in about 6 weeks or so.

My wifes id card has our chonburi city address on it.

Should I put my present or future address on the letter to the embassy?

If I put the Chonburi address will I have to got to Sriracha for my extension,or if the na Jomtien address,then Jomtien immigration,or either??

Just a little convoluted ,but since this will be my first extension of stay request,I want to get it right!

Thanx in advance from a newbie!

[ubonjoe]

Are you applying for the income letter by mail or or in person? I assume the address you put on the letter will be where they will mail it to if doing it that way.

Having you the address where you will be living when you apply for the extension would be the best way.to do it.

I would expect that your wife will be changing her house book and ID card to your new address soon. Having that when you do your extension would help because you will need proof of address when you do the extension.

[jimn]

Why dont you go and see Darren at Key Visa near Big C at Pattaya Tai. They only charge 300 baht in addition to the embassy fee. They take your info to the Embassy and get your letter within a week. A great service. They will also advise on your address situation. I have nothing to do with them just a satisfied customer

[tekka8]

hi,

thanx for that.

My wife already has the blue book for the new house as we have had it for a while.

Her id card address is at another house she owns,also in chonburi city.

So I suppose if she keeps that, I should give that address and apply at sriracha only?

But does the address on the letter from the embassy have to match that on my wifes id card,and does that then dictate which immigration office I go to??

ie when I go to get my extension will

differing addresses cause problems/confusion?

Darren did our first UK visit visa for my wife,when they were just starting at Jomtien, so maybe I will give him a buzz.

[ubonjoe]

You can use the house book for the new house. Her ID card is not that important for your proof of residence.

[evadgib]

Applicable link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301359/Publication._Pension_2014._Master.pdf

[dabhand]

Why dont you go and see Darren at Key Visa near Big C at Pattaya Tai. They only charge 300 baht in addition to the embassy fee. They take your info to the Embassy and get your letter within a week. A great service. They will also advise on your address situation. I have nothing to do with them just a satisfied customer

I second this advice.

Used KV for my UK embassy pension letter a couple of months back, initially requesting advice on appropriate content of required docs. Worked out just fine, both at the Embassy as well as at Immigration.

For Bt300 it is a bargain.

Again, I have no connection with KV other than as a satisfied customer.

[Lozza]

Why dont you go and see Darren at Key Visa near Big C at Pattaya Tai. They only charge 300 baht in addition to the embassy fee. They take your info to the Embassy and get your letter within a week. A great service. They will also advise on your address situation. I have nothing to do with them just a satisfied customer

I didn't know this was available. So all I need to do is take a copy of my Income and usual forms. I have to sign a staturory declaration at the Embassy..how is this done? can I do it here in Pattaya. Does key visa take it to Immigration to get the retirement stamp. Sounds too easy

[dabhand]

Why dont you go and see Darren at Key Visa near Big C at Pattaya Tai. They only charge 300 baht in addition to the embassy fee. They take your info to the Embassy and get your letter within a week. A great service. They will also advise on your address situation. I have nothing to do with them just a satisfied customer

I didn't know this was available. So all I need to do is take a copy of my Income and usual forms. I have to sign a staturory declaration at the Embassy..how is this done? can I do it here in Pattaya. Does key visa take it to Immigration to get the retirement stamp. Sounds too easy

The Stat Dec is, I believe, a US (plus others?) requirement, not UK. They arrange for the UK Embassy letter (based on the appropriate income backups provided by you). You do the application at Immigration - at least that was my experience.

Very simple and very little effort.

As noted above, my experience is as a UK passport holder.

[Postmaster]

Do the income calculations for the British Embassy and/or your Visa Agent and attach it to the paperwork. With 3 pensions, one weekly, one monthly and one annually, they calculated my total income wrong having not comprehended the varying pay periods...................only by £12,000 !!!. Apply at least 2 weeks before your Visa Extension expires.

[tekka8]

So can I presume that the Thai address asked for on the embassy letter is purely for a returns address?

[laislica]

In Chiang Mai, I popped into the Brit Consulate with print outs from my UK bank, highlighting the pension payments.

I had another print out from my Spanish bank highlighting the state pension.

I did the calculations to show the monthly and annual totals.

Hand wrote the request for a letter form.

Paid the about £50 in Baht and went away.

Went back the next day to collect the letter and on to immigration with all other necessary paperwork/ photos etc and got the retirement extension.

Then I kept the 800,000 Baht in my bank account for 60 days prior.

Then popped into the bank, updated the book, paid 100 Baht for a letter to immigration and on to imm, again success.

Future extensions require the cash to be in the bank for at least 90 days.

Easy as pie!

Using an agent is a great idea, especially as it not expensive.

(Doing that when applying for a UK visa for my wife might have forestalled the refusal LOL)

Good luck.

[billd766]

I will be going to the British Embassy next month for the same reason. As I live 400 km away I will be treating it as a short holiday and take the paperwork in myself as it is easier that way for me.

I will also be doing some shopping for stuff that I cannot get around Khampaeng Phet.

Just like laislica I will be doing all the calculations myself using the gross annual figures (it looks better to Immigration) and if I could get some of their embossed paper I would do it myself. Basically all they need to do is pull out last years letter, change the dates and amounts and print it and for this "service" they charge 2,500 thb. The UK government are the robbin barstewards, not the Embassy.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thailand-consular-fees/thailand-consular-fees

[laislica]

I will be going to the British Embassy next month for the same reason. As I live 400 km away I will be treating it as a short holiday and take the paperwork in myself as it is easier that way for me.

I will also be doing some shopping for stuff that I cannot get around Khampaeng Phet.

Just like laislica I will be doing all the calculations myself using the gross annual figures (it looks better to Immigration) and if I could get some of their embossed paper I would do it myself. Basically all they need to do is pull out last years letter, change the dates and amounts and print it and for this "service" they charge 2,500 thb. The UK government are the robbin barstewards, not the Embassy.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thailand-consular-fees/thailand-consular-fees

Pity is that Immigration keep the original of the letter so when you need one to get say a 90 day non O and two months later need another one for the retirement extension, it'd 50 quid each time plus the journey to the Consul.

Hence, if possible, keeping the 800Kb in the bank is a good and cheap move.

Once the extension is granted, you can spend it until 90 days before the next extension when it needs to be topped up again.

A great shame that Thailand does not offer reciprocal treatment to spouses like the EU does.

Er in doors, gets a five year ID, can work if she likes, no reporting, no showing money, no re-entry permits, just come and go as you like.

PS

Keep your eyes open next month, we're planning to stay with friends on a farm about 50 K out of KP

[billd766]

I will be going to the British Embassy next month for the same reason. As I live 400 km away I will be treating it as a short holiday and take the paperwork in myself as it is easier that way for me.

I will also be doing some shopping for stuff that I cannot get around Khampaeng Phet.

Just like laislica I will be doing all the calculations myself using the gross annual figures (it looks better to Immigration) and if I could get some of their embossed paper I would do it myself. Basically all they need to do is pull out last years letter, change the dates and amounts and print it and for this "service" they charge 2,500 thb. The UK government are the robbin barstewards, not the Embassy.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thailand-consular-fees/thailand-consular-fees

Pity is that Immigration keep the original of the letter so when you need one to get say a 90 day non O and two months later need another one for the retirement extension, it'd 50 quid each time plus the journey to the Consul.

Hence, if possible, keeping the 800Kb in the bank is a good and cheap move.

Once the extension is granted, you can spend it until 90 days before the next extension when it needs to be topped up again.

A great shame that Thailand does not offer reciprocal treatment to spouses like the EU does.

Er in doors, gets a five year ID, can work if she likes, no reporting, no showing money, no re-entry permits, just come and go as you like.

PS

Keep your eyes open next month, we're planning to stay with friends on a farm about 50 K out of KP

I do believe that you can get 2 copies of the Embassy letter with the second at a reduced price. If I remember I will ask when I am there next month. It ought to be considerably cheaper as the original is the one worked on and they just need to print 2 copies.

[Lozza]

Why dont you go and see Darren at Key Visa near Big C at Pattaya Tai. They only charge 300 baht in addition to the embassy fee. They take your info to the Embassy and get your letter within a week. A great service. They will also advise on your address situation. I have nothing to do with them just a satisfied customer

I didn't know this was available. So all I need to do is take a copy of my Income and usual forms. I have to sign a staturory declaration at the Embassy..how is this done? can I do it here in Pattaya. Does key visa take it to Immigration to get the retirement stamp. Sounds too easy

The Stat Dec is, I believe, a US (plus others?) requirement, not UK. They arrange for the UK Embassy letter (based on the appropriate income backups provided by you). You do the application at Immigration - at least that was my experience.

Very simple and very little effort.

As noted above, my experience is as a UK passport holder.

Thank you for the replies..will head to key visa tomorrow.

[pauleddy]

The UK Embassy website now seems to encourage postal applications for the Retirement/Pension letter. However, my Extension is due in about 10 days, so I will go in person to consular desk next week--now done this for 4 years.

The postal app is showing a different form to fill in--a year's income.

I have always shown only my pension letters/P60 PLUS 3 months' bank statements.

Is 3 months of statements still OK?

Thx

eddy

[tekka8]

During the last 30 days of my non O visa I had intended applying for an extension based on retirement income.

However my father died suddenly in the UK and I had to return before I could extend.

My non O has now expired and I intend to return to Thailand mid September.

My question is what visa options do I have ?

I would like to get an extension of stay based on retirement income as before(I realise I can only do this in Thailand?),but am not aware of what is the best/easiest route from where I am now?.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.