Retirement Visa From A 30-day Arrival Stamp

[wpcoe]

Hi, I am interrested in the SCBSFF account

Is it possible to withdraw from it with ATM or via internet banking ?

How is the interrest calculated on daily balances ?

Thanks

There is no ATM card available, and I doubt the internet banking. To withdraw funds, you need to come into the bank before mid-afternoon (2pm?) to request withdrawal, and then return the next day for the money.

I'm pretty sure interest is calculated AND POSTED daily. Every time I've gone in for a passbook update, there is an increase in the balance. I opened the account on 16July, and on 19July, 04Aug, 07Sep, and 13Sep the balance had increased.

If you read Thai, I'm think all the answers are here: http://www.scbam.com/download/summary_pro/sff_imp.pdf

I'm not sure if that .pdf file is current: it shows Cummulatve Annual Returns for 3mos/6mos/1yr/3yr as 1.75%/1.64%/1.48%/2.07%. I deposited B50,000 on 14July. On 13Sep (not quite two months) the balance was B50,349.54. The increase of B349.54 is .699% which if multiplied by 6 to get a simple annual return is just over 4%. Perhaps this account has rather volatile rates of return?

[added later:] I just remembered that I got an "SCBAM Newsletter" and it shows "Performance" figures in line with what I am seeing in my passbook: 4.21% for 3 mos, 3.98% for 6 months, 3.35 for 1 year. (see copy from the SCBAM newsletter)

[wpcoe]

Did you have to show you tor tor 3 -- or a certificate of residence -- during this process? As far as I know, you could be living in a hotel to get your retirement extension (i.e., proof of condo ownership or a rental agreement is NOT needed to get a retirement extension).

No. No proof of address required, although please note that the various forms ask for your "Address in Thailand."

My understanding is that if you move, you are required to report your new address within 24 (?) hours. If you used a hotel address on the form and move to another location, you would need to notify the address change immediately. If you had put a hotel address on the form, and left the country directly, my guess is that you should high-tail it down to the Immigrations office immediately upon your next arrival if you are staying someplace else. Not sure, just speculating.

[wpcoe]

For some reason, there is no edit button on my post #31 above, so I'll "edit it" here:

Hi, I am interrested in the SCBSFF account

Is it possible to withdraw from it with ATM or via internet banking ?

How is the interrest calculated on daily balances ?

Thanks

There is no ATM card available, and I doubt the internet banking. To withdraw funds, you need to come into the bank before mid-afternoon (2pm?) to request withdrawal, and then return the next day for the money.

Every time I've gone in for a passbook update, there is an increase in the balance. I opened the account on 16July, and on 19July, 04Aug, 07Sep, and 13Sep the balance had increased.***

If you read Thai, I'm think all the answers are here: http://www.scbam.com/download/summary_pro/sff_imp.pdf

I'm not sure if that .pdf file is current: it shows Cummulatve Annual Returns for 3mos/6mos/1yr/3yr as 1.75%/1.64%/1.48%/2.07%. I deposited B50,000 on 14July. On 13Sep (not quite two months) the balance was B50,349.54. The increase of B349.54 is .699% which if multiplied by 6 to get a simple annual return is just over 4%. Perhaps this account has rather volatile rates of return?

[added later:] I just remembered that I got an "SCBAM Newsletter" and it shows "Performance" figures in line with what I am seeing in my passbook: 4.21% for 3 mos, 3.98% for 6 months, 3.35 for 1 year. (see copy from the SCBAM newsletter)

***[edited, even later, after I took the time to examine my passbook and read the newsletter]:

I was incorrect, and unintentionally misleading, when I first referred to the SCBSFF fund as an "interest-bearing bond fund account." It is a bond fund account, period.

With my initial deposit, I received "x" number of shares at a given share price. Each time I've updated my passbook, it simply reflected a new share price (higher each time, in this case) multiplied by the static number of shares (since I had made no more "deposits"). There is no "interest", just a daily change in the share prices. The prices can go up or down, unlike interest, which once accrued is yours to keep, as is your original deposit.

Please accept my apologies for any misunderstanding/confusion I caused with that ill-informed comment.

(Click here for a list of investments in the SFF fund.)

[JimGant]

If you used a hotel address on the form and move to another location, you would need to notify the address change immediately. If you had put a hotel address on the form, and left the country directly, my guess is that you should high-tail it down to the Immigrations office immediately upon your next arrival if you are staying someplace else. Not sure, just speculating.

Your 90-day reporting clock starts on visa extension approval date (according to Immigration website). So, if you move the next day, it might seem you should have to report your new address -- but I don't see anything definitive on this. In fact, the TM47 seems to be the form that updates any new address, so if many moves occur within that 90 days, only the last location seemingly needs to be reported.

And as far as leaving the country..... Upon return, on the TM6 is where you report your 'current' address. If different than what it was when you last filed a TM47 (or last TM6), no big deal, as far as I can tell. 90 days later, you file a TM47, which either matches what was on your TM6 -- or provides Immigration your new address.

(supposedly, everytime you move, your new landlady/hotel is to provide Immigration your details. have a feeling this is ignored often.)

[Krub]

For some reason, there is no edit button on my post #31 above, so I'll "edit it" here:

Hi, I am interrested in the SCBSFF account

Is it possible to withdraw from it with ATM or via internet banking ?

How is the interrest calculated on daily balances ?

Thanks

There is no ATM card available, and I doubt the internet banking. To withdraw funds, you need to come into the bank before mid-afternoon (2pm?) to request withdrawal, and then return the next day for the money.

Every time I've gone in for a passbook update, there is an increase in the balance. I opened the account on 16July, and on 19July, 04Aug, 07Sep, and 13Sep the balance had increased.***

If you read Thai, I'm think all the answers are here: http://www.scbam.com/download/summary_pro/sff_imp.pdf

I'm not sure if that .pdf file is current: it shows Cummulatve Annual Returns for 3mos/6mos/1yr/3yr as 1.75%/1.64%/1.48%/2.07%. I deposited B50,000 on 14July. On 13Sep (not quite two months) the balance was B50,349.54. The increase of B349.54 is .699% which if multiplied by 6 to get a simple annual return is just over 4%. Perhaps this account has rather volatile rates of return?

[added later:] I just remembered that I got an "SCBAM Newsletter" and it shows "Performance" figures in line with what I am seeing in my passbook: 4.21% for 3 mos, 3.98% for 6 months, 3.35 for 1 year. (see copy from the SCBAM newsletter)

***[edited, even later, after I took the time to examine my passbook and read the newsletter]:

I was incorrect, and unintentionally misleading, when I first referred to the SCBSFF fund as an "interest-bearing bond fund account." It is a bond fund account, period.

With my initial deposit, I received "x" number of shares at a given share price. Each time I've updated my passbook, it simply reflected a new share price (higher each time, in this case) multiplied by the static number of shares (since I had made no more "deposits"). There is no "interest", just a daily change in the share prices. The prices can go up or down, unlike interest, which once accrued is yours to keep, as is your original deposit.

Please accept my apologies for any misunderstanding/confusion I caused with that ill-informed comment.

(Click here for a list of investments in the SFF fund.)

Hi,

Thanks for the clarification.

How did you manage to keep your money in Sterling ?

When I transfer money to my SCB account, they immediately convert it into baht and credit my current account

[wpcoe]

Jack: I'm not the one who kept his money in pounds sterling. That was sleepyjohn.

It sounds like he has a foreign currency account, not a standard savings account.

Attn: sleepyjohn, can you provide more details: bank? type of account?

[Krub]

Jack: I'm not the one who kept his money in pounds sterling. That was sleepyjohn.

It sounds like he has a foreign currency account, not a standard savings account.

Attn: sleepyjohn, can you provide more details: bank? type of account?

Sorry I mixed the posts

My mistake

[stickyb]

Thanks wpcoe for a most useful thread. I followed your instructions and now have a one year retirement visa. No problems at all - worst thing was waiting in the in the queue at the Immigration Office.

Once at the head of the queue paperwork was allaccepted in about 15minutes and I had to come back that afternoon to pick up visa.

Only minor differences from your experience - i have a UK passport and did not need to go to Embassy, but bank charged 400 Bht for the letters. The Doctor however, only charged me 100Bht!

Edited September 26, 2006 by stickyb

[JimGant]

i have a UK passport and did not need to go to Embassy,

Presumably, you had at least 800,000 bt in your bank, so didn't need your embassy's verification of any income.........

[simcity]

By experience, did anyone know :

a- If a bank statement from oversea ( Australia ) showing a deposit in the form of 5400 dollars monthly will be acceptable from the embassy to certified a income ?

b- did they need to see the lease document as well ?

c- Will they ask the clear position of this deposit ? minus GST / TAX / Interest paid ?

d- Will dividend from share market can be show?

e- Is individual tax form required?

i do not have a retirement government / pension or retirement fund !

OR is it better to have a sum into a Thai bank passbook as well ?

No yet 50 but approaching !

thk

[stickyb]

i have a UK passport and did not need to go to Embassy,

Presumably, you had at least 800,000 bt in your bank, so didn't need your embassy's verification of any income.........

Yes, that was so.

[wpcoe]

Someone asked me the procedure/process/costs of the annual renewal of the one-year extension on a retirement visa. This was my reply, based on what I understood the process to be:

I'm not clear which of the fees need to be paid, but I'm fairly sure it would be

a ) the doctor/hospital fee for the medical letter,

b ) the bank fee for the guarantee letter (if you didn't show sufficient income on the embassy letter, and if you were not permitted to keep the original letter from initial application ... I wasn't able to keep mine), and

c ) the TM.7 for another extension.

If you happen to be out of the country when your one year renewal date appears, I know that is no problem, and that you can take care of it at a Thai Immigrations office (or maybe even a Thai embassy/consulate in your own country).

How close was I?

And, can you remind me what the process is if you are out of the country when your visa extension expires, please?

[LoveDaBlues]

Thanks wpcoe for a most useful thread. I followed your instructions and now have a one year retirement visa. No problems at all - worst thing was waiting in the in the queue at the Immigration Office.

Once at the head of the queue paperwork was allaccepted in about 15minutes and I had to come back that afternoon to pick up visa.

Only minor differences from your experience - i have a UK passport and did not need to go to Embassy, but bank charged 400 Bht for the letters. The Doctor however, only charged me 100Bht!

Was this in Pattaya or Bangkok? I'd bet my eye teeth it wasn't Nong Khai!

[Krub]

Someone asked me the procedure/process/costs of the annual renewal of the one-year extension on a retirement visa. This was my reply, based on what I understood the process to be:

I'm not clear which of the fees need to be paid, but I'm fairly sure it would be

a ) the doctor/hospital fee for the medical letter,

b ) the bank fee for the guarantee letter (if you didn't show sufficient income on the embassy letter, and if you were not permitted to keep the original letter from initial application ... I wasn't able to keep mine), and

c ) the TM.7 for another extension.

If you happen to be out of the country when your one year renewal date appears, I know that is no problem, and that you can take care of it at a Thai Immigrations office (or maybe even a Thai embassy/consulate in your own country).

How close was I?

And, can you remind me what the process is if you are out of the country when your visa extension expires, please?

I don't think you can apply for an extension of stay while outside of the country (via a Thai Embassy) but I may be wrong

[Noel]

And, can you remind me what the process is if you are out of the country when your visa extension expires, please?

That visa becomes defunct.

When you return, you will have to start from scratch.

[Firefan]

Wauw! If one forgets the re-entry permit one can just pay an additional 2000 Baht and get it "fixed" in Thailand? Never heard that before. I thought one had to start all over...

Also never heard that if one is out of the country at renewal time, that one can just pay 2000 Baht(conversion from 30 day stamp) and renew based on the old (expired) extension.

These changes should have happened in connection with the 30 day stamp being acceptable to convert to other visas?

Sunbelt; any comments?

Cheers!

The possibility to change from a visa-exempt 30-day entry stamp directly to non-O status is part of the new changes introduced over the past few days.

Great news -- and obviously true, as wpcoe found out (at least in Pattaya). I thought I kept pretty current on these things, but I sure missed this. Are there any links to officialdom mentioning this?

wp, out of curiosity, how'd you get alerted to this? (And I think your website is super -- I'm sure it will be bookmarked by many.)

I wonder how long the TM87's been around(?). Its title ("Application for Visa") denotes something that recently wasn't possible inside Thailand. In fact, the TM86 (Application for Change of Visa), used to change a tourist visa to a Non Immigrant visa, is a fairly recent procedure.

Couple other nice things about this:

If you're out-of-country at extension renewal time, you just come back in on a 30-day stamp and start the extension process over again, with everything about the same as required for renewal, except for the 2000 bt conversion fee. However, this is probably a bargain when you consider the time and money needed to visit an embassy/consulate to get another visa. (And now, maybe your new, later in the year renewal date fits better into your travel schedule.)

Forgot (or didn't have the time) to get a reentry stamp? Pay an extra 2000 bt (net, 1000 bt) for the oversight. Of course if you left right after your last extension renewal, you've pretty much wasted the 1900 bt extension fee you paid for it. But, again, time and money *not* wasted on visiting an embassy/consulate could be worth it.

Also, with the 30-day stamp procedure, it would appear you can start the ball rolling for your extension immediately. If you enter with a Non Imm, the published procedure was you had to wait for 60 days before applying for the extension (although exceptions were noted). Now, get the job done soonest.

Neat.

[Thaddeus]

On this topic, I had a very strange experience at Immigration in Bangkok two days ago. (the subject material following is mainly for a Non Imm Visa based on marriage and not retirement, but there is one important comment at the end that applies to both)

When I presented my paperwork, I was told that some extra documents were required. There was a little bit of difficulty in explaining the names of said documents (but it had something to do with when we got married) the names were written down in Thai by hand by the Immigration Official .... On (the wife) told me that we needed to go to the Amphur, luckily we married in Bangkok, so it was a 3 hour round trip in a taxi, rather than a 1 day round trip to Ban Kruat.

When we talked to the Registrar and showed her the scribbled note, the conversation went along the lines of "what on Earth do you need those for, if I hadn't seen and retained those you wouldn't have the Marriage Certificates"

Never mind, the Registrar extracted our paperwork from the archives and we made at least 5 copies of absolutely everything, just to be sure. The Registrar then stamped the copies as official and signed and dated them.

We returned to Immigration.

And now everything was Ok, apart from one thing.

"Do you have any photographs of your wedding?"

Wha! .... now I know this is a requirement to get the extension, but I was a little surprised to be asked that at this stage.

Anyway, cut a long story short..... I was issued with a 90 Day 'o' Visa on the condition that I emailed some photographs to the Immigration Officer within a reasonable time frame, otherwise it would be revoked (needless to say, it was the first thing I did when I got home)

Now the important point.

I was informed by two Immigration Officials that the upgrading of a VOA stamp was a 'limited offer only' i.e. they will allow it this month to help those in need now, but the practice will cease when the new regulations take effect.

[wpcoe]

I was informed by two Immigration Officials that the upgrading of a VOA stamp was a 'limited offer only' i.e. they will allow it this month to help those in need now, but the practice will cease when the new regulations take effect.

UH OH!!! I need to advise a LOT of people, if that is true!

[lopburi3]

On this topic, I had a very strange experience at Immigration in Bangkok two days ago. (the subject material following is mainly for a Non Imm Visa based on marriage and not retirement, but there is one important comment at the end that applies to both)

When I presented my paperwork, I was told that some extra documents were required. There was a little bit of difficulty in explaining the names of said documents (but it had something to do with when we got married) the names were written down in Thai by hand by the Immigration Official .... On (the wife) told me that we needed to go to the Amphur, luckily we married in Bangkok, so it was a 3 hour round trip in a taxi, rather than a 1 day round trip to Ban Kruat.

When we talked to the Registrar and showed her the scribbled note, the conversation went along the lines of "what on Earth do you need those for, if I hadn't seen and retained those you wouldn't have the Marriage Certificates"

Never mind, the Registrar extracted our paperwork from the archives and we made at least 5 copies of absolutely everything, just to be sure. The Registrar then stamped the copies as official and signed and dated them.

We returned to Immigration.

And now everything was Ok, apart from one thing.

"Do you have any photographs of your wedding?"

Wha! .... now I know this is a requirement to get the extension, but I was a little surprised to be asked that at this stage.

Anyway, cut a long story short..... I was issued with a 90 Day 'o' Visa on the condition that I emailed some photographs to the Immigration Officer within a reasonable time frame, otherwise it would be revoked (needless to say, it was the first thing I did when I got home)

Now the important point.

I was informed by two Immigration Officials that the upgrading of a VOA stamp was a 'limited offer only' i.e. they will allow it this month to help those in need now, but the practice will cease when the new regulations take effect.

Believe they were asking for this (para 11) requirement "Evidence certified by the applicant's embassy or consulate showing the applicant's marital status. "

It did not used to be required but have heard a few people speak of it. As the lady said - you would/should not have the marriage certificate without having had that paper to start with.

[eugengeri]

When I presented my paperwork, I was told that some extra documents were required. There was a little bit of difficulty in explaining the names of said documents (but it had something to do with when we got married) the names were written down in Thai by hand by the Immigration Official .... On (the wife) told me that we needed to go to the Amphur, luckily we married in Bangkok, so it was a 3 hour round trip in a taxi, ...

Same same happened to us on february this year.

Yes, the applicant's marital status.

[Thaddeus]

I was informed by two Immigration Officials that the upgrading of a VOA stamp was a 'limited offer only' i.e. they will allow it this month to help those in need now, but the practice will cease when the new regulations take effect.

UH OH!!! I need to advise a LOT of people, if that is true!

I can only state what I was told..... this VOA upgrade is a 'special offer' .... how true that is, I do not know, but like every other situation I have had in dealing with any authority in the world (not just Thailand) better to err on the side of caution, just because you did it last week and I did it two days ago, doesn't means that the same will be true tomorrow (or in three days from now for the sake of accuracy)

Lopburi3 & eugengeri

Believe they were asking for this (para 11) requirement "Evidence certified by the applicant's embassy or consulate showing the applicant's marital status. "

It did not used to be required but have heard a few people speak of it. As the lady said - you would/should not have the marriage certificate without having had that paper to start with.

Is there a slight possibility that some mixed race couples have managed to acquire a marriage certificate without the correct paperwork, for a fee of course, I would expect the answer to that to be more than zero, in which case, I don't have a problem with it..... it just would have been nice to know beforehand...... especially for the chap I was talking to from Chang Mai who was asked to produce the same document... and had to go back to Chang Mai to get it.

[lopburi3]

For the last several decades the proof of being single has been very much a requirement and do not believe any significant number of people would have been able to bypass it as the consequences for the officials are severe and they are being checked closely on this. I suspect for older marriages it may have been a more prevalent factor and thus the Immigration requirement - although the immigration requirement may predate the civil Embassy paper and thus have been the only check.

[WilliamIV]

The possibility to change from a visa-exempt 30-day entry stamp directly to non-O status is part of the new changes introduced over the past few days.

Great news -- and obviously true, as wpcoe found out (at least in Pattaya). I thought I kept pretty current on these things, but I sure missed this. Are there any links to officialdom mentioning this?

wp, out of curiosity, how'd you get alerted to this? (And I think your website is super -- I'm sure it will be bookmarked by many.)

I wonder how long the TM87's been around(?). Its title ("Application for Visa") denotes something that recently wasn't possible inside Thailand. In fact, the TM86 (Application for Change of Visa), used to change a tourist visa to a Non Immigrant visa, is a fairly recent procedure.

Couple other nice things about this:

If you're out-of-country at extension renewal time, you just come back in on a 30-day stamp and start the extension process over again, with everything about the same as required for renewal, except for the 2000 bt conversion fee. However, this is probably a bargain when you consider the time and money needed to visit an embassy/consulate to get another visa. (And now, maybe your new, later in the year renewal date fits better into your travel schedule.)

Forgot (or didn't have the time) to get a reentry stamp? Pay an extra 2000 bt (net, 1000 bt) for the oversight. Of course if you left right after your last extension renewal, you've pretty much wasted the 1900 bt extension fee you paid for it. But, again, time and money *not* wasted on visiting an embassy/consulate could be worth it.

Also, with the 30-day stamp procedure, it would appear you can start the ball rolling for your extension immediately. If you enter with a Non Imm, the published procedure was you had to wait for 60 days before applying for the extension (although exceptions were noted). Now, get the job done soonest.

Neat.

But if you had been "Grand Fathered" up until you left - on Original Bank Deposit of only

Bht 200,000 - you will in this case have to start afresh and show Bht 800,000 - ???

[mldo]

Visa exemption entry stamp into Retirement Visa can likewise be done in Bangkok:

Armed with your excellent webpage instructions, I did just that. No Consular letter on income was needed as I was going the Baht 800,000 bank account route. The required list of documents did not include a medical certificate but I got that one anyway at a Bangkok hospital just in case.

Issuance of 90 day retirement visa was quick--took about 15 minutes. HOWEVER, getting it upgraded to a 1 year visa required entering a different queue and a 4 hour wait!! The requirement of having 21 days left on your entry stamp is being waived--for now-- mine was due to expired October 6.

The final step of getting the multiple re-entry stamp took just 10 minutes.

I now have in hand a 1 year multiple re-entry retirement "O" visa.

One word of warning: the female officer in the retirement visa section warned me that if I failed to file prior to October 1 I might be faced with new regulations on the Baht 800,000 bank account requirement. As it was, I was required to state that the money in the account had been earned entirely in Thailand while I was previously working under a Work Permit. Don't know if this is really a requirement.

[wpcoe]

The required list of documents did not include a medical certificate but I got that one anyway at a Bangkok hospital just in case.

I just did a quick check of my web page. "2. Obtain a medical certificate from a hospital or doctor. (My hospital charged B500, and it took about ten minutes)" Whew. I thought I'd left it out or deleted it!

One word of warning: the female officer in the retirement visa section warned me that if I failed to file prior to October 1 I might be faced with new regulations on the Baht 800,000 bank account requirement. As it was, I was required to state that the money in the account had been earned entirely in Thailand while I was previously working under a Work Permit. Don't know if this is really a requirement.

And an other angle: having the B800k but NOT having it transferred from overseas, because you legally earned it in Thailand. There are just SO many variables, the mind boggles.

Thanks for confirming that the process can be done in Bangkok.

[stickyb]

This thread is still relevant to alot of people today, so bump up

[wpcoe]

I break out in a sweat every time I see how many hits my web page is getting.

Can someone please state with certainty whether the 30-day visa waiver stamps are still able to be converted to Non-Immigrant O visas for the purpose of extending for retirement? I have that big old yellow disclaimer box on that page, and would be delighted to remove it.

I'm still fuzzy on the three-months-in-the-bank requirement for the retirement extension. I keep getting further confused with the differences between retirement vs marriage extensions. Is there any clear rule regarding when the funds need to be in the bank for three months and when they don't? Or, are we mererly in an undeclared grace period of transition where sometimes the three month period is ignored, but at some future unspecified date it will be a non-ignorable hard-and-fast rule?

[stickyb]

I have just read a thread on another board where a poster started with a 30 day visa waiver stamp and followed the route through to retirement extension, so it appears it can still be done.

[lopburi3]

This thread was over a year old. Yes you can use a 30 day entry stamp with 21 days or more remaining to obtain a non immigrant visa for extension of stay.