What Can I Do?

[thaichips]

Hi,

My Retirement visa expires on the 23rd December 2006. As I understand the new visa requirements, I will have to have had 800,000 Bht deposited with my Bank for at least 3 months. My problem is that I have just transferred monies from the Uk to allow for the shortcoming in the amount held.

Can anyone advise me what I should do, regarding visa requirement. I really don't want to do a Visa Run. Is there anyway I can extend my present visa to allow me to stay in the country until such time as my deposited monies have been held for the required 3 months.

Any assistance in tis matter would be very much appreciated.

[naka]

They appear to be treating this leniently as this is the first year of this new requirement.

Immigration will probably give you an initial extension of three months and tell

you to report back then. They will then re-check your financial status and if

all is in order i.e. you still have a substantial amount left in the bank, they

will give you the balance of nine months.

By 'substantial' I mean 600,000 or so Not 50,000.

Naka.

Edited November 7, 2006 by naka

[thaichips]

They appear to be treating this leniently as this is the first year of this new requirement.

Immigration will probably give you an initial extension of three months and tell

you to report back then. They will then re-check your financial status and if

all is in order i.e. you still have a substantial amount left in the bank, they

will give you the balance of nine months.

By 'substantial' I mean 600,000 or so Not 50,000.

Naka.

Hi Naka,

Many thanks for your reply.

I will proceed as you advise. Let's hope Phuket Immigration Office are lenient!

Many thanks

[Noel]

I was under the impression that the three month rule only applies to first time applicants.

Of course the interpretation of the rules may well vary from office to office, and the activity on your bank account may be scrutinized more than before, but if you have played by the spirit of the rules I foresee no problem when renewing.

[lopburi3]

The three months in account seems to be a new requirement for all.

[Noel]

The three months in account seems to be a new requirement for all.

Yes, that might well be the case although not according to at least one other poster.

But, as I say above, the interpretation of the rules may well vary from office to office.

I will be applying for my fourth extension next month, which means that I could not possibly have complied with an effectively retrospectively changed law other than by luck.

My bank account will show starting funds of far in excess of the minimum being regularly drawn down over the year, just as was the case in previous years. That fact may of course mean nothing in the eyes of a jobsworth, although I am quietly confident given my past dealings with my local Immigration Bureau.

I will report my findings in due course, and just hope that the officer dealing with my application on the day has not just had a row with his/her spouse...