Hello,

 

I have a 90 day Non-Immigrant O visa which was issued by the Thai Consulate in Switzerland. I arrived in Samui on March 10th, 2017 and I had planned to extend the visa to a 1 year retirement visa. One of the visa requirements is to show a monthly income of 65,000 baht. For this requirement I had planned to used the monthly rental income from the house that I'm renting out in Switzerland. However when I went to the Immigration Office in Samui the head of the office told me that the 65,000 has to be a government pension income which is verified by the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok. I am not old enough to receive a government pension so now I've had to transfer 800,000 baht to a Thai account, which I believe should satisfy the financial requirement.

 

I have two questions:

 

1. Is the local immigration official correct in telling me that the 65,000 baht monthly income has to be in the form of a state pension? On all of the Thai visa info websites I've looked at it just mentions "monthly income" without specifically stating it must be a Embassy-verified state pension.I would like to know if this is his own interpretation of the requirement or is, in fact, the correct understanding.

 

2. I've transferred the 800,000 baht to my Thai bank account however it will fall short by about 10 days of meeting the 2 month balance requirement. So now it looks like I will have to leave the country and apply for a tourist visa in KL to bridge the time gap. I went to a travel agency yesterday to inquire about visa trips and they offered another solution for 37,000 baht where they could manage to secure my 1 year visa without me having to leave the country. This sounds a bit scammish to me and I would like to know if what they are proposing is a legitimate process or just an expensive exercise in futility.

 

Thank you for your assistance!

 

 

1. It does not have to be pension income. Any income can be used but the only proof immigration will accept is a income letter from your embassy.

The problem some people have is that their embassy will only do one for pension income. Not sure what the policy is at the Swiss embassy is. I suggest you contact them to find out about it.

2. Try to get the income letter before you decide to anything else.

     Some immigration offices might do the extension after paying the fine for a 10 day overstay at 500 baht per day.

1. It is entirely up to the office processing the application as to what income they will accept.
2. You will probably get a legitimate permit to stay. You are paying to bribe an immigration officer to issue an extension of stay by waiving the requirements. If you do leave the country try to get s single entry non-immigrant visa as it will save a lot of hassle when you return.

14 minutes ago, elviajero said:

It is entirely up to the office processing the application as to what income they will accept.

Can you post any info about offices insisting on it only being pension income. Most only want to see what the income letter states which in normally only the amount of income not its source.

The police order only states income.

I think the OP means that it is the Swiss embassy that says that ONLY a state pension is acceptable .........NOT a Thai Immigration office.

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Can you post any info about offices insisting on it only being pension income. Most only want to see what the income letter states which in normally only the amount of income not its source.

The police order only states income.

Could I then have my brother send me 500 quid a month on 1st of each month to my UK bank, then I give it back on 30th.

22 minutes ago, novo58 said:

I think the OP means that it is the Swiss embassy that says that ONLY a state pension is acceptable .........NOT a Thai Immigration office.

This is what he wrote. No mention of the embassy anywhere in his post.

23 hours ago, kir94 said:

1. Is the local immigration official correct in telling me that the 65,000 baht monthly income has to be in the form of a state pension?

 

3 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Could I then have my brother send me 500 quid a month on 1st of each month to my UK bank, then I give it back on 30th.

No

You have to get a income letter from the UK embassy. The bank statement you could use would show the 500 pounds going in and immediately going out again. That would look a little suspicious I think.

Below is the official reply that I got from the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok:

 

"Pensioners who receive a pension from the Swiss Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance and/or a Swiss private pension fund can apply for a pension’s certificate at this Embassy. Such document is issued for the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau for the renewal of the permit of stay. The Embassy does not issue pension certificates on the basis of property rental income"

 

So it is not entirely clear to me if the Swiss Embassy will not issue income certificates on the basis of non-pension income (e.g rental income) because it's their policy or because the Thai Immigration Bureau won't accept it.

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, kir94 said:

So it is not entirely clear to me if the Swiss Embassy will not issue income certificates on the basis of non-pension income (e.g rental income) because it's their policy or because the Thai Immigration Bureau won't accept it.

It is their policy not immigration's. You might want to ask them if you could do an affidavit stating your income instead of their standard letter.

Form clause 2.22 of the police order 327/2557 for extensions.

Quote

(3) Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month:

 

That's a good idea. Thanks!

On 5 May 2017 at 1:38 PM, ubonjoe said:

Can you post any info about offices insisting on it only being pension income. Most only want to see what the income letter states which in normally only the amount of income not its source.

The police order only states income.

Why? I didn't say they are/do. 

 

However, the police order also states that the extension is based on "retirement". If taken/applied literally it would disqualify anyone 'working' anywhere and their income from that work.

 

The extension is clearly meant for people living in the country that are in receipt of a regular (arguably guaranteed) income, or have enough cash in the bank to cover their stay.

Edited May 8, 20179 yr by elviajero

26 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Why? I didn't say they are/do. 

 

However, the police order also states that the extension is based on "retirement". If taken/applied literally it would disqualify anyone 'working' anywhere and their income from that work.

 

The extension is clearly meant for people living in the country that are in receipt of a regular (arguably guaranteed) income, or have enough cash in the bank to cover their stay.

 

Are you sure? I thought it was based on being over 50 years of age, and the "retirement" part meant that you would not be working in Thailand.

40 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Why? I didn't say they are/do. 

This is what you wrote.

On 5/5/2017 at 7:23 PM, elviajero said:

It is entirely up to the office processing the application as to what income they will accept.

It certainly implies that.

As I wrote it does state only pension is required. Many people that are retired do not have a pension income.

43 minutes ago, elviajero said:

However, the police order also states that the extension is based on "retirement". If taken/applied literally it would disqualify anyone 'working' anywhere and their income from that work.

 

Retirement here but not elsewhere plain and simple. Retirement is what is used in the translations of what is written in Thai in the police orders. Another interpretation is to live the remainder of your life.