RETIREMENT EXTENSION - Combination Consular letter confirming pension/Cash in bank

[PETERTHEEATER]

This query is centred on the Hua Hin Immigration Office requirements.

I need to apply for Retirement Extension this month and intend to use combined Consular letter confirming pension backed with cash in Thai Baht bank account. My British Consulate letter (Bangkok) will be five weeks old on day of application. I understand that some offices accept a year or more.

Q1 - Does Hua Hin?

In case the UK pound exchange rate should drop to 49 in the next few days, at which my sterling pension amount would be right on the 800k requiremsnt, I intend to get a bank letter confirming additional funds in Thai Baht.

...Q2 - Does that letter need to be dated same day as the application is made?

...Q3 - If on the day of application the pension letter equals or exceeds 800k (Immigration calculation) is that all the proof they want or also bank letter?

[Mario2008]

Q1: up to 6 months is allowed, but do not now local requirements.

Q2. preferably, but normally a few days old will be OK. Your bankbook must be updated on the same day and be equal to the bank letter. Again. do not know local requirements.

Q3. If your pension equals 800,000 or more there is no need for a bank letter. (They might ask to see a bankbook with some money in it, but no particular sum or bank letter needed. Just to check if you have money to spend).

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks Mario.

[ubonjoe]

It is an income of 65k baht per month that is an annual income of 780k baht not 800k baht.

If using the combination of income and money in the bank it must total 800k baht.

[fvw53]

I have the same system : combination of letter issued by Embassy + some money in the bank to have total of 800.000 Baht

Is it acceptable to apply for the next extension one or two working days before the old extension expires?

Indeed I can have problem to get on time evidence of pension in my home country which has to be confirmed by Embassy.

[ubonjoe]

I have the same system : combination of letter issued by Embassy + some money in the bank to have total of 800.000 Baht

Is it acceptable to apply for the next extension one or two working days before the old extension expires?

Indeed I can have problem to get on time evidence of pension in my home country which has to be confirmed by Embassy.

No problem to do it close to the date it runs out. You can even do it on the last day.

[charliebadenhop]

I am a US citizen.

Here are my questions-

If I have a direct deposit account that receives my monthly pension, will I still need verification from my embassy?

I believe I can show money earned from an investment account as part of my income.

IF this is correct, do I simply need to get a letter from the investment company that services my account?

Will this letter need to be somehow verified?

If I show income from an investment account, will the Thai government want to levy income tax on what is earned?

Just as a possible example- Let's say I show B400,000 in income plus pension, then I would need to show B400,000 sitting in my Thai bank account for at least two months prior to my application. Yes?

On one site I saw the requirement to show I have no criminal record and none of a list of specific diseases, and that this would need to be verified by the government of the applicant. This is the first I have heard of this. Is this necessary?

I am already living in Thailand. I can imagine the embassy being able to verify I do not have a criminal record, but not sure how the US govt. could verify I do not have any specific diseases. IF this is necessary, and since I am living in Thailand already, would a letter from a Thai doctor suffice?

TIA

Charlie

[Lite Beer]

You need the Embassy letter.

The US Embassy does not require any proof to issue this.

You do not need a police report or a medical certificate.

[ubonjoe]

I am a US citizen.

Here are my questions-

If I have a direct deposit account that receives my monthly pension, will I still need verification from my embassy?

I believe I can show money earned from an investment account as part of my income.

IF this is correct, do I simply need to get a letter from the investment company that services my account?

Will this letter need to be somehow verified?

If I show income from an investment account, will the Thai government want to levy income tax on what is earned?

Just as a possible example- Let's say I show B400,000 in income plus pension, then I would need to show B400,000 sitting in my Thai bank account for at least two months prior to my application. Yes?

On one site I saw the requirement to show I have no criminal record and none of a list of specific diseases, and that this would need to be verified by the government of the applicant. This is the first I have heard of this. Is this necessary?

I am already living in Thailand. I can imagine the embassy being able to verify I do not have a criminal record, but not sure how the US govt. could verify I do not have any specific diseases. IF this is necessary, and since I am living in Thailand already, would a letter from a Thai doctor suffice?

TIA

Charlie

You will need to do an income affidavit at the embassy. Immigration will accept nothing else.

You will need nothing more than your passport, a completed income affidavit form and $50 to get it. You need to make an online appointment for the embassy, You can download or fill out the form online and find appointment info on this page from embassy website. http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/notarial-services.html#income_affidavit

You don't need to worry about Thai taxes.

If your total gross (pension and investment) income is less than 65k baht you will need to use the combination of income and money in the bank totaling 800k baht. The written rules only state that you need to have the money in the bank on the date you apply but some offices will want it there for 60 days.

The medical and back ground check will not be needed that is only for getting an OA visa at an embassy.

[Issanman]

The income verification statements can also be gotten through the US Embassy Consular Outreach program which travels around the country to particular cities on certain dates. It may save some persons a trip to Bangkok.

Here is the link for this years schedule:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/consular_outreach.html

Edited January 13, 2015 by Issanman

[PETERTHEEATER]

It is an income of 65k baht per month that is an annual income of 780k baht not 800k baht.j

If using the combination of income and money in the bank it must total 800k baht.

Understood. With rates falling daily, my letter value in ThB may be just below 800k hence the need to have also a local bank letter to show total of 800 plus.

[ubonjoe]

It is an income of 65k baht per month that is an annual income of 780k baht not 800k baht.j

If using the combination of income and money in the bank it must total 800k baht.

Understood. With rates falling daily, my letter value in ThB may be just below 800k hence the need to have also a local bank letter to show total of 800 plus.

I was reminding you that the income requirement is 65k baht per month or an annual income of 780k baht.

You could be 20k baht below the 800k baht number and still meet the income requirement.

[n210mp]

I would appreciate some advice.

I have an acquaintance who just narrowly misses the joint income and savings of the 800k but he has access to funds from a rental property that could more than make up the difference and thus allow him to avoid the pitfalls of borrowing the minimum amount of money from his friend to qualify for the issue of his retirement extension

Would this income be considered as acceptable, the rental income goes into a joint account held by himself and his wife

Thank you in anticipation

[paz]

I would appreciate some advice.

I have an acquaintance who just narrowly misses the joint income and savings of the 800k but he has access to funds from a rental property that could more than make up the difference and thus allow him to avoid the pitfalls of borrowing the minimum amount of money from his friend to qualify for the issue of his retirement extension

Would this income be considered as acceptable, the rental income goes into a joint account held by himself and his wife

Monthly income is the sum of all the income a person has, e,g. pension, fixed return investments, rentals, etc.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The OP asked his question re Hua Hin... But others have followed with other followup issues...

So I wanted to add for those thinking to do the combo method (monthly income plus Thai bank deposits) at Chaengwattana Immigration in Bangkok, that as of last report, CW Immigration is requiring combo method Thai bank deposit funds to be seasoned (have been on deposit) for at least three months prior to your application date. They didn't used to require that, before last year. Some other, but not all, Immigration offices have similar policies requiring seasoning of combo method bank deposit funds.

Also, as noted above, to satisfy Thai Immigration regarding meeting the 65,000 baht monthly income method, the main thing Immigration relies on is the income affidavit you obtain from your local home country Consulate. Different consulates/countries have different rules about what if any documentation they require in order to issue those affidavits. That said, if Immigration has some doubts or just decides to be a pain, they have the right to ask for additional documentation beyond the consulate letter (though that is rare).

As far as timing is concerned, generally, you'd be best to obtain the bank statement letter just a day before your Immigration appointment (or as short a period in advance as possible). If the bank letter is dated prior to your Immigration appointment, then they'll typically want to see your bank book updated the day of your Immigration visit showing the matching deposit amount and/or an ATM receipt for the account showing the same balance.

As far as what Thai Immigration considers qualifying monthly income, it certainly includes both government and private pension income, other kinds of government benefits like Social Security, etc, but also various other monthly income sources including bank interest, stock dividends, rental property income, etc etc. You should be able to document/prove the income, if required.

[n210mp]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I would appreciate some advice.

I have an acquaintance who just narrowly misses the joint income and savings of the 800k but he has access to funds from a rental property that could more than make up the difference and thus allow him to avoid the pitfalls of borrowing the minimum amount of money from his friend to qualify for the issue of his retirement extension

Would this income be considered as acceptable, the rental income goes into a joint account held by himself and his wife

Monthly income is the sum of all the income a person has, e,g. pension, fixed return investments, rentals, etc.

The OP asked his question re Hua Hin... But others have followed with other followup issues...

So I wanted to add for those thinking to do the combo method (monthly income plus Thai bank deposits) at Chaengwattana Immigration in Bangkok, that as of last report, CW Immigration is requiring combo method Thai bank deposit funds to be seasoned (have been on deposit) for at least three months prior to your application date. They didn't used to require that, before last year. Some other, but not all, Immigration offices have similar policies requiring seasoning of combo method bank deposit funds.

Also, as noted above, to satisfy Thai Immigration regarding meeting the 65,000 baht monthly income method, the main thing Immigration relies on is the income affidavit you obtain from your local home country Consulate. Different consulates/countries have different rules about what if any documentation they require in order to issue those affidavits. That said, if Immigration has some doubts or just decides to be a pain, they have the right to ask for additional documentation beyond the consulate letter (though that is rare).

As far as timing is concerned, generally, you'd be best to obtain the bank statement letter just a day before your Immigration appointment (or as short a period in advance as possible). If the bank letter is dated prior to your Immigration appointment, then they'll typically want to see your bank book updated the day of your Immigration visit showing the matching deposit amount and/or an ATM receipt for the account showing the same balance.

As far as what Thai Immigration considers qualifying monthly income, it certainly includes both government and private pension income, other kinds of government benefits like Social Security, etc, but also various other monthly income sources including bank interest, stock dividends, rental property income, etc etc. You should be able to document/prove the income, if required.

Thanks for the info

My friend who is a member on this forum but not a poster added another point for clarity when he said that all his bank accounts were in joint names between him and his The lady wife

Will this fact make any difference or in other words does any income have to go to a bank account in his sole name?

Once again thanks for the help

[ubonjoe]

Bank accounts have to be in the name of the person doing the application for an extension of stay. Joint accounts are not accepted.

What doesn't he do an extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai he would only need to prove 40k baht income or have 400k baht in the bank.

Some people make a big deal about how hard they are to do but that is mostly just rubbish talk.

[n210mp]

Bank accounts have to be in the name of the person doing the application for an extension of stay. Joint accounts are not accepted.

What doesn't he do an extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai he would only need to prove 40k baht income or have 400k baht in the bank.

Some people make a big deal about how hard they are to do but that is mostly just rubbish talk.

Do you know Joe neither I nor He would have thought about that and of course he can comply with the 400K just by opening a new account in his own name and transferring 400K into it , which won't be hard at all will it

Thanks for reminding us of the obvious

I think that his and my ideas on a marriage visa were based on a lot of talk about their unsuitability or them not being flexible in the event of a Thai wife's death or even a divorce but that was a long time ago and that sort of reasoning although maybe valid at the time is certainly not valid now

Thanks for the advice and and when it come to renewing my Visa Extension I will also be applying for a marriage extention

[ubonjoe]

In case of the Thai spouses death the extension remains valid until it expires.

For divorce there is always time to make arrangements before the date of the divorce.

[frodo77]

Does anyone know the current rule at Jomtien for the age of proof of income letter from the Embassy?

[ubonjoe]

A income letter will be accepted that is up to 6 months old.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

re the marriage vs retirement based extensions... I believe the following is correct.

Marriage extensions are somewhat more complicated to apply for and obtain, and may take more time, especially on the initial application.

However, they have the obvious advantage of having a lower income/bank deposits requirement, 40,000 baht per month or 400,000 in the bank. BTW, there is no combo method allowed (combined bank deposits and monthly income) for marriage extensions.

In comparison, retirement extensions tend to be easier and quicker to obtain. And, while the financial threshholds are higher, they have the advantage of allowing the combination of bank deposits and monthly income.

The other factor to consider is, once you've reached 50 right now, you're eligible for retirement extension based on age and always will be, in that you can't get any younger. But obviously, for marriage extensions, in the future, a divorce or wife's death could leave you ineligible for renewal.

The renewal factor becomes relevant when you consider that Immigration's past pattern has been to grandfather in existing extension holders when it comes to financial requirements. There's no guarantee of that for the future, but that's been the past pattern. So, if you hold a retirement extension now and keep renewing it, you probably can expect that the 800,000 / 65,000 requirements will continue for you into the future. Although, as I said, no guarantees.

On the other hand, if someone who had a retirement extension later switched to a marriage extension, and then later Thai Immigration were to raise the financial requirements for retirement extensions, you'd likely have to meet the new higher financial requirements if you ever needed to go back to a retirement extension.

So it seems to me, the prevailing wisdom has been, try to meet and qualify for the retirement extension if at all possible, especially considering the average length of typical marriages these days. But if not, the marriage extensions are certainly a viable alternative.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

My friend who is a member on this forum but not a poster added another point for clarity when he said that all his bank accounts were in joint names between him and his The lady wife

Will this fact make any difference or in other words does any income have to go to a bank account in his sole name?

Re your question here, I think you need to be careful to distinguish between talking about BANK DEPOSIT funds VS. MONTHLY INCOME funds.

If you're qualifying for an extension of stay based on Thai bank deposits, as Joe advised above, the Thai bank account used needs to be in the applicant's name only -- not a joint account.

But, if you're qualifying for an extension of stay based on monthly income, Thai Immigration is looking only at your Consulate income letter documenting the amount of the income. They don't care, and shouldn't care, where those monthly income funds are put once earned.

Just to be more clear, re qualifying based on monthly income, there's no Immigration requirement that your monthly income even be brought into Thailand or deposited in any Thai bank. You just have to be able to show that you received the monthly income -- not what you did with or where you put it after receipt.

Just as a footnote, sometimes, Immigration at some places has asked to see Thai bank activity showing financial activity inside Thailand. But, you shouldn't interpret those episodes as somehow requiring that one's monthly income to qualify for an extension of stay has to be deposited into a Thai bank account solely in the applicant's name. It doesn't have to be.

[n210mp]

My friend who is a member on this forum but not a poster added another point for clarity when he said that all his bank accounts were in joint names between him and his The lady wife

Will this fact make any difference or in other words does any income have to go to a bank account in his sole name?

Re your question here, I think you need to be careful to distinguish between talking about BANK DEPOSIT funds VS. MONTHLY INCOME funds.

If you're qualifying for an extension of stay based on Thai bank deposits, as Joe advised above, the Thai bank account used needs to be in the applicant's name only -- not a joint account.

But, if you're qualifying for an extension of stay based on monthly income, Thai Immigration is looking only at your Consulate income letter documenting the amount of the income. They don't care, and shouldn't care, where those monthly income funds are put once earned.

Just to be more clear, re qualifying based on monthly income, there's no Immigration requirement that your monthly income even be brought into Thailand or deposited in any Thai bank. You just have to be able to show that you received the monthly income -- not what you did with or where you put it after receipt.

Just as a footnote, sometimes, Immigration at some places has asked to see Thai bank activity showing financial activity inside Thailand. But, you shouldn't interpret those episodes as somehow requiring that one's monthly income to qualify for an extension of stay has to be deposited into a Thai bank account solely in the applicant's name. It doesn't have to be.

Thanks for your help and advice

OK I think!

My friend has his small private pension and his NHS pension sent to his Thai bank account and I think that this total will have to be verified by the British Embassy

This amount though, is still under the amount needed for the issue of a Spouse extension albeit the 400K requirement.

So He will transfer funds to a sole Thai bank account to make up the difference between his income from the UK via pensions and the 400K needed to qualify for the issue of a spouse extension to his visa

This is (if I have understood correctly)

That the total of the two sums will be just in excess of the 400K requirement and with some money in a sole Thai bank account in his name and the verified pensions income will be sufficient for the issue of a spouse extension to his Visa

I do not know the actual amounts but for arguments sake lets say that ; Income

He has verified income 360K from his UK pensions per year 360000

and transfers 50K from other joint accounts to rest for 3 month in a sole account 50000

Giving him the 400K that would be needed

The 50K in a sole Thai bank account would be evidenced by a Thai bank book

Thanks for your help

Edited January 31, 2015 by n210mp

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

BTW, there is no combo method allowed (combined bank deposits and monthly income) for marriage extensions.

Sorry No.. I think you missed the portion above where I noted that you CANNOT use a combo method (Thai bank deposits combined with monthly income) to qualify for a marriage extension.

You can do combo for retirement extensions...but not for marriage. With marriage extension, it's either all monthly income or all Thai bank deposits.. no mixing.

[roobaa01]

gdaya folks,

for my first marriage extension i had to provide for the immi in joimtien tm30 from my wife`s sister as the house is registered in her name, living in bkk.

now for the renewal do i need tm30 again ???

wbr

roobaa01

[ubonjoe]

gdaya folks,

for my first marriage extension i had to provide for the immi in joimtien tm30 from my wife`s sister as the house is registered in her name, living in bkk.

now for the renewal do i need tm30 again ???

wbr

roobaa01

It should not be needed again. But it is hard to predict what immigration will want.

Perhaps to be safe have her do another one before you go to immigration, Download: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/pdf/tm30.pdf

[n210mp]

BTW, there is no combo method allowed (combined bank deposits and monthly income) for marriage extensions.

Sorry No.. I think you missed the portion above where I noted that you CANNOT use a combo method (Thai bank deposits combined with monthly income) to qualify for a marriage extension.

You can do combo for retirement extensions...but not for marriage. With marriage extension, it's either all monthly income or all Thai bank deposits.. no mixing.

Yes you are correct I did in enthusiasm omit the relevant bit

Thank you so much for your help and clarification

[mojaco]

Bank accounts have to be in the name of the person doing the application for an extension of stay. Joint accounts are not accepted.

What doesn't he do an extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai he would only need to prove 40k baht income or have 400k baht in the bank.

Some people make a big deal about how hard they are to do but that is mostly just rubbish talk.

Question. It seems the poster was asking about "income" going into a joint bank account somewhere? I was queried once by a Thai Immigration Officer (apparently a new one undergoing training) because my personal income (pension, SocSec) goes into a joint bank account in the USA. I told her that it doesn't matter where the "income" goes, it is "my income" and that is all that is needed to satisfy the "income method" (65,000 Baht per month). She (and her older boss watching) let it go by. That is different than the 800,000 Baht in Thai Bank account method which has to be in a single owner account.

[ubonjoe]

Bank accounts have to be in the name of the person doing the application for an extension of stay. Joint accounts are not accepted.

What doesn't he do an extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai he would only need to prove 40k baht income or have 400k baht in the bank.

Some people make a big deal about how hard they are to do but that is mostly just rubbish talk.

Question. It seems the poster was asking about "income" going into a joint bank account somewhere? I was queried once by a Thai Immigration Officer (apparently a new one undergoing training) because my personal income (pension, SocSec) goes into a joint bank account in the USA. I told her that it doesn't matter where the "income" goes, it is "my income" and that is all that is needed to satisfy the "income method" (65,000 Baht per month). She (and her older boss watching) let it go by. That is different than the 800,000 Baht in Thai Bank account method which has to be in a single owner account.

My answer was for having the money in the bank for the extension not for income,

There is no requirement for you to even to show the money going into an account just proof of your income from the embassy.