Some questions on the O-A Retirement Visa.

[JimmyJ]

Re:  the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa

 

I see that the Royal Thai Consulate Los Angeles website states:

" *5. Four copies of: 
               - applicant's bank statement (U.S.) showing a balance in the amount of not less than 800,000 Baht (current Thai exchange rate is available from the Bank of Thailand web site)
               - or an income certificate with a monthly salary of not less than 65,000 Baht
               - or a combination of a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht a year.
      (When submitting the bank statement, a letter from the bank verifying the account and balance is to be presented)"

 

So for the initial year the money is in a US bank account.

 

 

And then for renewal in Thailand:

" 4) Account deposit with a bank in Thailand of not less than Baht 800,000 as shown in bank account transactions for the past 3 months..."

 

So the 800k baht has to have migrated to a Thai bank.

 

 

Can I apply for the 1st year of the 1 year Retirement Visa while I'm in Thailand?

Is there less paperwork required? More?  Still have to bother with the Dr. report/Police report/Bank letter, etc., if I apply while in Thailand?

 

 

I'm planning a 1st trip to Thailand  on a Single Entry or Visa Exempt and was considering bringing some funds with me to deposit as a start towards moving the 800k baht equivalent.

 

I know there are "Starting a bank account" threads, which I've read, but don't recall this:

 

While in Thailand on the initial visit on a Single Entry or Visa Exempt,  is it equally difficult to start a bank account in USD as to start one in Baht?

I'd rather leave it in USD and convert as needed.

 

Do all the banks accept USD accounts, or only (IIRC) Bangkok Bank ?

 

Just in case of unknown problems and I somehow choose not to move to Thailand, there is no difficulty in moving my funds out of there and back to the US or another country via ACH or if necessary via Bankwire?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

You would get almost 2 years of total stay from a OA visa since it allows unlimited one year entries from the date of issue. If you do an entry just before the visa expires you will get a new one year entry.

Near the end to those 2 years you could apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement. You would need to show 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days to apply for the first extension. For the extension application there is no requirement for a medical certificate a or back ground check.

My suggestion would be to wait until you have the OA visa before opening a bank account since it would be easier to open the account with a non immigrant visa.

 

 

[JimmyJ]

 "For the extension application there is no requirement for a medical certificate a or back ground check."

 

 

To get the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa in the USA to start the 2 years it would require the medical/bank letter/ bg check, etc.

Correct?

 

Or are you suggesting entering Thailand on Visa Exemption or whatever, and then getting the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa while in Thailand?

[ubonjoe]

13 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

To get the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa in the USA to start the 2 years it would require the medical/bank letter/ bg check, etc.

Correct?

Yes

13 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Or are you suggesting entering Thailand on Visa Exemption or whatever, and then getting the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa while in Thailand?

No you quoted my post out of context. This is what I wrote.

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Near the end to those 2 years you could apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement. You would need to show 800k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days to apply for the first extension. For the extension application there is no requirement for a medical certificate a or back ground check.

 

[dentonian]

The O-A Visa can only be obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a Country where you have permanent residency.

 

Once in Thailand you apply for annual extensions of stay based on retirement (not a Visa) from a local Immigration office.

 

You seem unsure about a permanent move to Thailand, in which case I would advise you first obtain a TV which will allow a stay of 60 days (can be extended by another 30 days locally). This would give you an insight into life in Thailand and more time to make informed decisions.

It is a big move, and it's not to everyone's taste.

[RayFaye]

2 hours ago, dentonian said:

 

Once in Thailand you apply for annual extensions of stay based on retirement (not a Visa) from a local Immigration office.

 

I just extended the O-A for the second time (third year on original from Los Angeles Thai Consulate) and indeed, it is now called a "Retirement" visa, which the officer didn't even have a stamp for, but wrote it in bold letters with a pen.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As Joe explained above, you don't really "extend" O-A visas. You apply and receive them from the Consulate in your home country, and can get almost two years of permitted stay in Thailand using your original one (or each issued one) by leaving and returning to Thailand just before your initial one-year permitted to stay until date expires. At that point when returning to Thailand, you'll be given another year's permitted time to stay stamp in your passport (the second year under your original O-A).

 

You can go back to your home consulate and apply for a NEW, 2nd, 3rd whatever O-A visa pretty much as many times in succession as you want. But each time, you'll have to meet all the same requirements as you did for the original O-A, including money in a U.S. bank, police and medical clearances, etc.

 

The alternative to that route, which involves returning to your home country every 1-2 years, is to simply remain in Thailand and switch to annual EXTENSIONS OF STAY based on retirement that are issued by Thai Immigration. Similar requirements to the O-A, except the money must be in a Thai bank instead, and no police or medical clearances required. No trip back to your home country. Can be renewed at Thai Immigration annually. But only good for one year at a time.

 

There's no direct connection between the O-A visa and the retirement extensions. You don't have to first have an O-A in order to later apply for a retirement extension. You can enter Thailand on a tourist visa or a single entry O visa, and then go to switch to a retirement extension at Thai Immigration, provided you meet the extension requirements. Of course, you can also switch from an O-A to a retirement extension, provided you mean the requirements for the extension as well. But in none of those cases is it an extension (in the general meaning of the word) of your original O-A visa.

 

Re bank accounts, it's probably easier in general to open a Thai bank account when you are here on an O-A visa or retirement extension of stay. But, it's certainly also possible to open a Thai bank account if you're on a tourist visa or even visa-exempt entry. Possible, but you may have to work harder at finding a Thai bank branch willing to do so. They don't all follow the same rules and procedures even among the same banking companies, so it's always a bit of a c**p shoot. The answer is just to keep trying, and eventually you'll succeed.

 

For an American, Bangkok Bank has the best banking setup. because they have a low-cost procedure whereby you can ACH funds from your U.S. bank to their New York branch, and then have them forwarded on to your BKK Bank account in Thailand for relatively small fees -- as opposed to the often very expensive traditional international wire transfers. No other Thai bank company has a similar, low-cost method for U.S. to Thailand funds transfers. However, should note, that BKK Bank process only works one way -- U.S. to Thailand. You can't use that same system to send funds from Thailand back to the U.S.

 

U.S. $ accounts are kind of a pain in my experience, typically have a lot of fees and not much value/purpose for most people. And, the Thai banking system doesn't have a lot of the same protections as the U.S. bank system does. So most Americans here on retirement, IMHO, keep the majority of their funds in secure accounts back in the U.S. and only transfer over (or pull what they need via ATM) relatively small amounts as needed for month to month expenses.

 

For the retirement-based extension of stay issued by Thai Immigration, you have the choice of keeping 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account or showing at least 65,000 baht in monthly income any sources documented by an income letter from your country's consulate in Thailand. If going the 800,000 route, you could move it via just one ACH transfer via BKK Bank. If going the monthly income route, at most Immigration offices, you don't have to show you're keeping that amount or moving that amount INTO Thailand. Just that you're receiving it, even if it's received entirely in the U.S.

 

As for moving funds out of Thailand, that's not so easy, especially if the funds weren't earned as taxable salary inside Thailand. You have to prove where the funds originated and keep any record if you've originally transferred them from the U.S. It can be done, but in general, I'd avoid bringing any large amounts into Thailand until/unless you're sure you're going to stay and need them.  As noted above, you can do successive O-As in the U.S. without ever putting a single dime into the Thai banking system.

 

 

[partington]

47 minutes ago, RayFaye said:

I just extended the O-A for the second time (third year on original from Los Angeles Thai Consulate) and indeed, it is now called a "Retirement" visa, which the officer didn't even have a stamp for, but wrote it in bold letters with a pen.

You didn't extend your visa. A visa is a permission to enter a country at a border, and the period a visa is valid is the period during which you can use it to enter the country at a border.

 

The "permission to stay" you get when you use your visa is not the visa, it is a permission to stay. It can go on longer than your visa is valid for.  If you enter the country on a single non-Imm O visa you get 90-days permission to stay.  If that visa expires on 2nd Jan, and you enter on 1st Jan you can stay for 90 days even though your visa expires the day after you enter.

 

You can tell your visa (permission to enter at a border) has expired because if you now leave on the 3rd Jan, and try to re-enter they will just admit you for 30 days because you are now entering without a visa, on a visa waiver.

 

What is written in your passport over "retirement"  is "extension of stay permitted up to" and a date. This is what has been extended, and it does not say "visa" because it is not a visa (permission to enter at a border).

If you think you still have a visa, try leaving tomorrow and coming back in. You will get 30 days stay because you no longer have a current visa.

 

Failure to understand these terms makes people prone to errors that can cause them to  lose their extended permission to stay ( that is leaving the country without a visa substitute : the "re-entry permit")

 

 

 

[dentonian]

2 hours ago, RayFaye said:

I just extended the O-A for the second time (third year on original from Los Angeles Thai Consulate) and indeed, it is now called a "Retirement" visa, which the officer didn't even have a stamp for, but wrote it in bold letters with a pen.

You cannot extend a Visa.

You can only apply for a new Visa when it expires.

You extend your permission to stay in Thailand beyond what a Visa allows.

It is a permit, not a Visa. It does not allow entry to Thailand which is why you must obtain a re-entry permit.

 

I have the word 'Retirement' stamped across the top of my 'extension of stay'.

That only denotes the purpose the extension was issued.

[buick]

some more advice/details (i'll be converting a visa exempt entry to non imm o visa in bangkok and have that extended for a year(s) based on retirement.  i passed on the O-A option):

 

if you bring money with you, i think you will need to delcare it at customs/airport when you arrive in thailand.  in order to get the non imm o visa, the 800,000 thb (or USD equivalent) needs to come from abroad.  if you just show up at the bank with cash and can't prove where it came from, it won't count towards the 800,000thb.

 

i have a USD account at bangkok bank.  all their foreign currency accts are held at their main office on silom road.  i opened my acct in feb 2016 and was on a tourist visa at that time.  it is difficult to open them on a visa exempt entry (and sometimes difficult with a tourist visa).  if i recall correctly, they charge only 500thb on funds you send in from abroad (many thai banks charge 1% of the amount transferred).  then there is a fee if you choose to withdraw the funds.  i thought it was 1% but recently someone corrected me here on TV and said it was 0.25% for bangkok bank (and provided a one page schedule of fees which supported that).  in any case, i transferred 25,000usd and don't plan to touch it as i will use it to support my annual extensions of stay.  i also have a thai baht account at bangkok bank and i transfer money from my US accounts to that account via ACH using bangkok bank's new york branch.  although that got complicated recently when wells fargo dropped the ability to confirm identity via phone for such transfers.  now they require a text message to your USA phone (mine doesn't work in thailand).  so sometimes these things sound easy but get a bit tougher as times passes.

 

you might consider entering on a single entry tourist visa (SETV) so it is easier to open a bank account.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

33 minutes ago, buick said:

  i also have a thai baht account at bangkok bank and i transfer money from my US accounts to that account via ACH using bangkok bank's new york branch.  although that got complicated recently when wells fargo dropped the ability to confirm identity via phone for such transfers.  now they require a text message to your USA phone (mine doesn't work in thailand).  so sometimes these things sound easy but get a bit tougher as times passes.

There are a lot of things any American thinking to relocate to Thailand ought to consider and arrange before moving. And one of those things, for a variety of reasons, is keeping access to some kind of U.S. phone number that will enable receipt of U.S.-sent SMS messages even when outside the U.S.  There are lots of different ways of doing that, and it's best done before you relocate.

 

Using a U.S. Google Voice account is probably the easiest method and it works with all of my many U.S. banks (though apparently Wells Fargo isn't one of those).  But it does require an initial one-time setup process that relies on a code being sent to some/any regular U.S. mobile phone number. But once that's done, bank SMS messages can be received on the regular Google Voice app you can install on your regular Thailand mobile/smartphone. You just give the bank your U.S. Google Voice number and the SMSs arrive on your Google Voice app.

 

GV is essentially a free service to receive those kinds of SMS messages and to maintain the service. There also are a variety of other low-cost U.S. telephony solutions that likewise will allow someone to receive U.S. SMS messages in Thailand, including MagicJack and even a regular cellular service called FreedomPop, which has basically free-very low cost accounts that enable receipt of SMS messages even when outside the U.S. via their Android app.

[jollyhangmon]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

>... keeping access to some kind of U.S. phone number that will enable receipt of U.S.-sent SMS messages even when outside the U.S. ...<

 

.. interesting, i have two banks (from Austria) sending me the SMStans for eBanking directly on the Thai sim card, worked for almost 3 years now, at least with one of them.

US banks won't do that? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, jollyhangmon said:

>... keeping access to some kind of U.S. phone number that will enable receipt of U.S.-sent SMS messages even when outside the U.S. ...<

 

.. interesting, i have two banks (from Austria) sending me the SMStans for eBanking directly on the Thai sim card, worked for almost 3 years now, at least with one of them.

US banks won't do that? 

I can't say no 100%, but I can say no for most. Usually, the automated bank systems in the U.S. only allow you to enter a domestic U.S. 10-digit number (no foreign country codes allowed).

 

The U.S. banking system, generally speaking, simply was never/has never been set up with the notion of needing to serve people living outside the U.S.  I would imagine the thinking goes, if they're Americans, they must be living in the U.S., so no need to deal with anything else.

 

[jollyhangmon]

35 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I can't say no 100%, but I can say no for most. Usually, the automated bank systems in the U.S. only allow you to enter a domestic U.S. 10-digit number (no foreign country codes allowed).

 

The U.S. banking system, generally speaking, simply was never/has never been set up with the notion of needing to serve people living outside the U.S.  I would imagine the thinking goes, if they're Americans, they must be living in the U.S., so no need to deal with anything else.

 

... probably not that much different then because there where some glitches at the beginning (didn't get the SMS's) where i had to contact them for correction, sometimes also when i'm back here from say a 2 or 3 mth stay at home.

 

I usually use roaming TH>AT whilst in Europe to get the messages (free) but didn't work well last year so i changed to the Austrian sim, then back to the Thai one again and had problems back here with one of the banks ... 

 

I was pretty happy with the old paper-TANs, never lost any, they where valid for years if not decades and no possibility of technical failure ... the last of my banks killed them mid of 2016 though. 

[JimmyJ]

Thai Consulate LA states for the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa:

 

Required Documents

"*6. Four copies of police verification stating the applicant has no criminal record issued by the authority concerned of his/her nationality or residence.  The verification must not be more than three months old. Please note we will not accept the receipt for Request for Live Scan Service unless it includes the actual report/results."

 

How is this obtained in the US? Ask the local Police Department for (what?)?

 

 

Also, what is "...no criminal record.. concerned of his/her nationality or residence"?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Thai Consulate LA states for the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa:

Required Documents

"*6. Four copies of police verification stating the applicant has no criminal record issued by the authority concerned of his/her nationality or residence.  The verification must not be more than three months old. Please note we will not accept the receipt for Request for Live Scan Service unless it includes the actual report/results."

How is this obtained in the US? Ask the local Police Department for (what?)

Also, what is "...no criminal record.. concerned of his/her nationality or residence"?

Where you get the criminal records check done depends upon which state you are in. You can request it at the local police in some and others you have to request it at the state police level.

I you are in the states I assume your nationality is US. Country of residence could be one where you have been granted permanent residency.

[sqwakvfr]

Just obtained my O-A Visa from the LA Consulate.  I went to my local police department and asked for a "Clearance Letter".  Most Law Enforcement Agencies in Southern California provide this service for residents in their jurisdiction.  If you live anywhere in Los Angeles Country the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department can provide this service at the Records Bureau in Norwalk, CA.  The Clearance Letter can also be used for Pre-Employment Background check purposes.  It should only take a matter of days or a week.  My local police department clearance letter was accepted by the LA Thai Consulate for Visa Application.  

[JimmyJ]

20 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

As for moving funds out of Thailand, that's not so easy, especially if the funds weren't earned as taxable salary inside Thailand. You have to prove where the funds originated and keep any record if you've originally transferred them from the U.S. It can be done, but in general, I'd avoid bringing any large amounts into Thailand until/unless you're sure you're going to stay and need them.  As noted above, you can do successive O-As in the U.S. without ever putting a single dime into the Thai banking system.

 

 

"You have to prove where the funds originated and keep any record if you've originally transferred them from the U.S."

 

So if I kept records of the original transfers towards getting 800k baht equivalent into a Thai bank, that should be sufficient to get the funds out again?

I don't have to show where the funds originated other than they were transferred from my US bank to a Thai bank?

 

Can the funds be in a USD account in the Thai bank, as long as they equal 800k baht at the time I apply for the extension?

 

 

 

" You can enter Thailand on a tourist visa or a single entry O visa, and then go to switch to a retirement extension at Thai Immigration, provided you meet the extension requirements."

 

Do you (or anyone) have a copy or a link of the extension requirements for getting the retirement extension while in Thailand?

[cocteau2x]

https://www.keyvisathailand.com/services/retirement-visa-in-thailand/

 

I just got my retirement extension today.

If you are from the USA and doing this in BKK ... The USA embassy will give you an "income verification letter" .. actually they just notierize it .. you download from their website.  You DO NOT NEED MONEY IN THE BANK. [You do need a Thai bank account though) ... You just need to "Prove" you are making over 800,000 Thai baht a year.  The proof is this income verification letter.  The USA embassy does not ask you to prove anything to them... You can lie about your income .. then you take this letter to the Thai commerce building and they verify it is a legitimate stamp from USA ...

... This ..And a non-O visa (a whole nother topic) and lots and lots of copies of visa/passport etc ... Is all you need

...YOU DO NOT NEED THE MONEY IN THE BANK ... ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE FROM THE USA

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

 

So if I kept records of the original transfers towards getting 800k baht equivalent into a Thai bank, that should be sufficient to get the funds out again?

I don't have to show where the funds originated other than they were transferred from my US bank to a Thai bank?

 

Can the funds be in a USD account in the Thai bank, as long as they equal 800k baht at the time I apply for the extension?

 

Those are two good questions I'm afraid I can't authoritatively answer for you. So hopefully someone else with more direct experience on those particular points can chime in.

 

As for the requirements for an extension of stay based on retirement, the specifics may vary somewhat depending on what Immigration Officer you're dealing with, and also what kind of entry you have into Thailand before applying for the retirement extension (such as O visa, tourist visa, visa-exempt etc.)  But these are the general requirements:

 

--Age 50 or older

 

--Meet Immigration's financial requirement, meaning:

+at least 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account for at least 2 months prior to your first application, or

+at least 65,000 baht per month in income, as certified by an income affidavit from your consulate in Thailand,

+or a combination of bank deposits and monthly income equaling 800,000 baht.

 

--a completed Immigration form TM 7 applying for the retirement extension

 

--photo copy of your airport departure card, front (and back if there's anything on the back)

 

--photocopies of your passport facepage and any recent Thailand passport stamps/visas

 

--1900 baht application fee.

 

[Evilbaz]

24 minutes ago, cocteau2x said:

https://www.keyvisathailand.com/services/retirement-visa-in-thailand/

 

I just got my retirement extension today.

If you are from the USA and doing this in BKK ... The USA embassy will give you an "income verification letter" .. actually they just notierize it .. you download from their website.  You DO NOT NEED MONEY IN THE BANK. [You do need a Thai bank account though) ... You just need to "Prove" you are making over 800,000 Thai baht a year.  The proof is this income verification letter.  The USA embassy does not ask you to prove anything to them... You can lie about your income .. then you take this letter to the Thai commerce building and they verify it is a legitimate stamp from USA ...

... This ..And a non-O visa (a whole nother topic) and lots and lots of copies of visa/passport etc ... Is all you need

...YOU DO NOT NEED THE MONEY IN THE BANK ... ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE FROM THE USA

 

 

That's a US Federal offence to lie on an Affidavit.

Some Immi offices already ask you to prove "the facts" you swore to.

Don't get too cocky about this!

[JimmyJ]

On 2/4/2017 at 9:51 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

...the Thai banking system doesn't have a lot of the same protections as the U.S. bank system does.

I guess this means no equivalent of US FDIC (bank accounts insured to 250k)?

 

No guarantees/insured accounts of any kind and for any amount? Any protections?

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

I guess this means no equivalent of US FDIC (bank accounts insured to 250k)?

 

No guarantees/insured accounts of any kind and for any amount? Any protections?

At this time deposits are insured up to 15 million baht. See:http://www.dpa.or.th/ewt_news.php?nid=320&filename=index___EN

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

26 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

I guess this means no equivalent of US FDIC (bank accounts insured to 250k)?

 

No guarantees/insured accounts of any kind and for any amount? Any protections?

 

No, as Joe notes above, there is a kind of government insurance for Thai bank deposits, though AFAIK, unlike the U.S. FDIC, the Thai government deposit insurance has never been tested in real life in it current form (it only came into being after the Asian Financial Crisis). And the stated statutory timeframes for funds being restored can be kind of long, up to several months.

 

But more importantly, the government insurance only covers against the financial failure of the Thai bank, period. It doesn't cover against anything else of the kinds of things that seem to happen pretty regularly here, including theft from accounts and other kinds of misdeeds by bank employees or those connected to them. Be unlucky enough to find yourself on the bad end of that kind of problem, and good luck in getting your funds back.

 

Also, regarding Thai bank debit cards you have to be very careful especially coming from an American's perspective. In the U.S., VISA and MC logo debit cards pretty much have a zero liability policy for cardholders in the event of lost or misused cards. In Thailand, however, the common rule is you the cardholder are responsible for anything that happens with your card until AFTER you've notified the bank that your card has been lost, stolen, or whatever. And a lot can be rung up on a card here in a pretty short period of time.

 

[JimmyJ]

On 2/5/2017 at 2:01 AM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

There are a lot of things any American thinking to relocate to Thailand ought to consider and arrange before moving. And one of those things, for a variety of reasons, is keeping access to some kind of U.S. phone number that will enable receipt of U.S.-sent SMS messages even when outside the U.S.  There are lots of different ways of doing that, and it's best done before you relocate.

 

Using a U.S. Google Voice account is probably the easiest method and it works with all of my many U.S. banks (though apparently Wells Fargo isn't one of those).  But it does require an initial one-time setup process that relies on a code being sent to some/any regular U.S. mobile phone number. But once that's done, bank SMS messages can be received on the regular Google Voice app you can install on your regular Thailand mobile/smartphone. You just give the bank your U.S. Google Voice number and the SMSs arrive on your Google Voice app.

 

GV is essentially a free service to receive those kinds of SMS messages and to maintain the service. There also are a variety of other low-cost U.S. telephony solutions that likewise will allow someone to receive U.S. SMS messages in Thailand, including MagicJack and even a regular cellular service called FreedomPop, which has basically free-very low cost accounts that enable receipt of SMS messages even when outside the U.S. via their Android app.

 

"There are a lot of things any American thinking to relocate to Thailand ought to consider and arrange before moving."

 

Yes, agree. I've been working on getting more US  credit cards and bank and trading accounts in case they are needed and/or it becomes difficult to impossible in the future to do so from abroad, and linking them all to each other for ACH transfers.

 

Good phone info. I have for years used a voicemail message # as the # I give out for everything. It forwards a "You've received a voicemail"  to my cell phone.

The last time I renewed I asked if there's anyway I can get a text message forwarded. The reply was "Not yet".

I'll check again before I leave the US permanently in case the technology has advanced to that point.

Either way, this is the # everyone has for me so I plan to keep it. I can call and hang up before the 1st ring completes for no charge. If there's a message it picks up at once without ringing.

 

I hate Google due to their privacy invasions, and I'm sure every call one makes is retained by Google or at least the "metadata" - the # one called, the time, etc.

But perhaps it will be the easiest to use for those hopefully rare times when I need to get a call or text from a US financial institution for verification.

 

Was planning to temporarily remove the Two Tier verification currently in use for a number of online accounts (they text a code which I need to use to login) while I visit Thailand, until I think of a solution for when I make the permanent move.

(I tried applying to one financial company and they required 2 tier verification simply to be able to apply online and this may become more common in the future).

 

Will look into the other phone services you mentioned (1 or 2 people mentioned MagicJack in a thread I started about how to keep a US identity while living abroad.

[JimmyJ]

Thanks to all for the great feedback.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have and use both MJ and GV.

 

MJ I use for actual phone calling back to the U.S. to keep in touch with familly, friends, and to do business calls where an actual voice call is required. Basically unlimited U.S./Canada calling for one low yearly fee.

 

GV I strictly use for receiving U.S. sent SMS messages from my various financial entities, including second factor authentication SMS messages that a lot of my financials now require with each and every log-in. No charge at all.

 

The underlying problem here is that the international roaming rates of the major U.S. mobile carriers to use their SIM cards/services outside the U.S. has for a long time been EXTORTIONATE. I think with TMobile, for example, it's like $2.39 per minute for voice calls when roaming internationally and 50 cents per SMS sent, though I think the price for receiving SMSs in less.

 

But lately, I think I've heard that some of the carriers are offering newer plans with better international roaming rates -- though I seriously doubt they'll ever get close to the pricing of MJ and GV, and similar offerings.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

On 2/6/2017 at 9:29 AM, JimmyJ said:

 

So if I kept records of the original transfers towards getting 800k baht equivalent into a Thai bank, that should be sufficient to get the funds out again?

I don't have to show where the funds originated other than they were transferred from my US bank to a Thai bank?

 

Can the funds be in a USD account in the Thai bank, as long as they equal 800k baht at the time I apply for the extension?

 

I was hoping someone else would chime in with answers on these two questions you raised, but I see no one has. As I said above, I don't know the answers here with any authority. But I'll give you my best guesses.

 

For transferring money out of Thailand, I believe you'll need to get some form from the bank that received the funds originally certifying the details of the transaction. I don't know if you can get that at the time the transferred funds come in, or, you have to wait until the time you might need to transfer the funds out. Best to check with the Thai bank that will handle any transfer, and if it's Bangkok Bank, go to their HQ office on Silom Road and get your info their instead of from some misc branch elsewhere. (Bank staff answers here tend to be often unreliable).

 

I don't believe there's any issue about the original source of your U.S. funds on the Thai end, just verification that they came from outside Thailand and the details of that transfer.

 

As for Immigration and their 800,000b requirement, again, best to check with/call the particular Immigration Office you plan to use. The 800K requirement is a broad, national one, but how individual Immigration Offices enforce the details/particulars of that can vary some. It certainly would be safer/less problematic to keep your 800k in a Thai currency account, since that's what Immigration is used to seeing every day. Whether any partic Immigration office would accept a foreign currency account instead, not sure.  The regulation simply says 800K baht in a Thai bank.

 

Also, I should have mentioned before: for someone intending to end up on a retirement-based extension of stay, it does matter somewhat what kind of entry you make into Thailand prior to the extension process.  The easiest, simplest way is to arrive on some kind of non-Immigrant visa, such as a single entry O visa, then you can apply directly for a retirement extension toward the end of your O. Every Immigration office in Thailand can handle that kind of an application.

 

But if you arrive on a visa exempt entry, you'll still need to make sure you've meet the 2 month seasoning requirement for your 800K in a Thai bank account. And then you've have to go thru a slightly more complicated process at Immigration where Immigration actually issues you an O visa and then issues a retirement extension, all in the same process. Costs a bit more, and only BKK and a few other Immigration offices will do that two-step process. The other/most Immigration offices will not, AFAIK.

[JimmyJ]

On 2/5/2017 at 2:01 AM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Using a U.S. Google Voice account is probably the easiest method and it works with all of my many U.S. banks (though apparently Wells Fargo isn't one of those). 

Apparently you read a posting of someone not able to use it for Wells Fargo?

That's one of my brand new checking accounts (just got the pin # today).

 

Just found out that Skype cannot receive SMS.

 

Lots of terrible reviews recently for Magic Jack, at least when used on my phone make, at Google Play Store.

Obviously it works well for you which is encouraging.

 

FreedomPop says "Coming Soon" for Thailand/Vietnam. No mention of Laos/Cambodia.

 

 

[JimmyJ]

I've been planning to keep my Smartphone and use a Thai phone company for sim card.

 

But I will ocassionally need a way to receive the code # verification texts for logging in and that's all I see myself needing as far as the USA goes other than ocassional calls there, so will research Google Voice next.

It's important that the financial institutions see the call as coming from inside the US if I need to contact them, and that the texts they send are going to a number in the US, and since you don't have any problems there I assume it works fine for that purpose.