BRITISH CONSULATE - Letter of verification of pension/income

[PETERTHEEATER]

Apart from pension income, can an applicant applying for a Consular letter of confirmation of income to support a Retirement Extension ask for rental income to be included? If so what evidence do they require apart from Rental Contract and (say) agents periodic invoices bearing in mind that the contracted amounts can vary if deductions are made by the agent for repairs and maintenance.

[ubonjoe]

You can use rental income to meet the 65k baht income requirement.

You can use the rental contract and bank statement showing the last 3 months of income going into the bank.

You can find info for getting the income letter here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks Joe. I have had a letter two years running without problem but with the downturn in GBP may need rental income as a backup. Fortunately, the BBL with whom I have an FCA account into which my incomes are paid do send me monthly statements reliably.

[OJAS]

The only evidence which I have provided to the Embassy as proof of my rental income are the pages from my current 20-page tenancy agreement stating my name and Thai address and specifying the monthly gross rent figure and termination procedures. Based on my experience there is no need for you to bother letting them have bank statements as well (which, of course, would be net of managing agents' fees plus, in your case, the hefty charges which BBL levy on transfers into FCD accounts - I briefly held a GBP account with them a few years ago before concluding that it was better to continue relying on my UK account as my GBP one and making periodic transfers into my THB account here via their London branch).

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks OJAS but, as a non-resident of UK I cannot open an on-shore bank account, My offshore account was closed without notice by HSBC after being a customer of theirs for over forty years because they had upped the deposit minimum to 25k plus to kick-out smallholders. I was able to open an account in Guernsey with Coop Bank who provided excellent service but had to close that branch as part of there downsizing policy. Hence the FCA via the BBL London became an option.

 

Yes, you are correct about the punitive charges.

 

Thanks for the tip on rental proof, Since you have successfully used letting agreement only I shall try that. I note the upswing to the GBP exchange rate yesterday (thanks Mr Trump) and hope that will continue to a reasonable level.

[OJAS]

Forgot to mention in my previous posting that, in addition to the provisions stating your name and Thai address and specifying the monthly gross rent figure and termination procedures, you should also let the Embassy see the provision which states the start and end dates of the agreement, to satisfy them that it is current.