Retirement vis - embassy letter

[Encora]

I will be applying for an extension of my retirement visa for one more year.

One of the conditions is an embassy letter certifying your proof of income documents.

 

Is that still also required if you can show proof that you have held more then 800.000 baht for over 90 days in a Thai Bank Account?

[forcebwithu]

I will be applying for an extension of my retirement visa for one more year.

One of the conditions is an embassy letter certifying your proof of income documents.

 

Is that still also required if you can show proof that you have held more then 800.000 baht for over 90 days in a Thai Bank Account?

 

No need for the 800,000 baht balance when using the income affidavit. Pattaya immigration does ask for a bank letter certifying whatever your current Thai bank account balance is though.

[bigusdickus]

Do you need a Thai bank account for a retirement visa with income affidavit?

[Oukiva]

No need for the 800,000 baht balance when using the income affidavit.

Pattaya immigration does ask for a bank letter certifying whatever your current Thai bank account balance is though.

Bank letter? Is that new? Never been asked for that.

Or maybe asked to American only?

[forcebwithu]

Do you need a Thai bank account for a retirement visa with income affidavit?

 

My experience with Pattaya Immigration is they require a bank letter certifying whatever amount is currently in your account. So yes, to produce that letter it would follow you need a Thai bank account.

[forcebwithu]

Bank letter? Is that new? Never been asked for that.

Or maybe asked to American only?

 

Never tried to apply for the extension w/o the bank letter. Do you report to the Pattaya immigration office?

 

Can anybody else that uses the Pattaya office confirm that you don't need the bank letter if using an income affidavit?

[Edge]

No need for the 800,000 baht balance when using the income affidavit. Pattaya immigration does ask for a bank letter certifying whatever your current Thai bank account balance is though.

 

 

My experience with Pattaya Immigration is they require a bank letter certifying whatever amount is currently in your account. So yes, to produce that letter it would follow you need a Thai bank account.

 

Done about 6 (both ways) but never heard of having to show a bank balance if you go the Verified Income route - it's either/or AFAIK.

 

It could be new I suppose, but I would have thought I'd have seen it on Thaivisa.

 

Also up to Immigration in the end if they decide to make someone jump through another hoop - Pattaya have had their knuckles rapped recently.

[forcebwithu]

Done about 6 (both ways) but never heard of having to show a bank balance if you go the Verified Income route - it's either/or AFAIK.

 

It could be new I suppose, but I would have thought I'd have seen it on Thaivisa.

 

Also up to Immigration in the end if they decide to make someone jump through another hoop - Pattaya have had their knuckles rapped recently.

 

Good to know. I'll save myself some time and baht next time I apply for the extension and forgo getting the bank letter.

[bertik]

Went last month for my annual extension and...and in addition to my proof of income letter they also wanted to see an account in my name in a Thai bank. There was no specific amount they were looking for as my proof of income was above the 65K threshold, but I did need to return the following day so they could verify that I did indeed have an account. No letter from the bank was asked for only my current bank book showing the balance
It's a mystery to me, why the new requirement. I asked them and was told that it is new. End of story

[filibuster]

Went last month for my annual extension and...and in addition to my proof of income letter they also wanted to see an account in my name in a Thai bank. There was no specific amount they were looking for as my proof of income was above the 65K threshold, but I did need to return the following day so they could verify that I did indeed have an account. No letter from the bank was asked for only my current bank book showing the balance

It's a mystery to me, why the new requirement. I asked them and was told that it is new. End of story

 

They're probably just satisfying themselves as to where your income originates.

[bertik]

Hmmm, maybe but my proof on income clearly states where my income originates. Alas TIT

[filibuster]

Hmmm, maybe but my proof on income clearly states where my income originates. Alas TIT

Who provided your "proof of income" letter?

[bertik]

P.O.I. provided by U.S. embassy

[Billyboy294]

I will be applying for an extension of my retirement visa for one more year.

One of the conditions is an embassy letter certifying your proof of income documents.

 

Is that still also required if you can show proof that you have held more then 800.000 baht for over 90 days in a Thai Bank Account?

 

I would read that as implying that you can show proof  of having "held more then 800.000 baht for over 90 days in a Thai Bank Account?"

 

So you just need a letter from the bank and copy of your bankbook.

 

If you have that, no need for letter from Embassy showing pension/income of more then 65,000 baht per month.

 

It is either/or.

 

If it is the pension route , you now don't even need a letter form bank showing if you have any money in a Thai bank account.. Note the Pension /Income does not have to be paid into a Thai bank. Mine is paid into my bank in Scotland.

[Oukiva]

Hmmm, maybe but my proof on income clearly states where my income originates. Alas TIT

P.O.I. provided by U.S. embassy

Didn't know the US Embassy at Bangkok could provide a Proof Of Income ??

Reading this forum I thought they could only provide an Affidavit.

[Edge]

I would read that as implying that you can show proof  of having "held more then 800.000 baht for over 90 days in a Thai Bank Account?"

 

So you just need a letter from the bank and copy of your bankbook.

 

If you have that, no need for letter from Embassy showing pension/income of more then 65,000 baht per month.

 

It is either/or.

 

If it is the pension route , you now don't even need a letter form bank showing if you have any money in a Thai bank account.. Note the Pension /Income does not have to be paid into a Thai bank. Mine is paid into my bank in Scotland.

 

 

Didn't know the US Embassy at Bangkok could provide a Proof Of Income ??

Reading this forum I thought they could only provide an Affidavit.

 

There is a thread on thaivisa saying that Phuket are asking to see a bank account even when the application is based on income.

Also a utilities bill was not sufficient proof of address - they wanted a copy of the Blue Book for the residence plus a copy of the ID card of the registered Thai owner as well.

 

There is another thread saying that US applicants now have to provide proof, not just sign an Affidavit.

 

Phuket also needed to see the Visa on which the Extension/s are based.

I also ran into this at Pattaya and it was quite a search back.

 

Things do appear to be tightening up re' Retirement Extensions lately.......as perhaps they move on from Ed' Visas?

[filibuster]

P.O.I. provided by U.S. embassy

 

Ok ... just a "language" thing.  For me, "proof of income" (my annual pension statement) is what I provide to the Brit Embassy and they provide a letter stating that they have seen that "proof".  Therefore, if an Immigration Officer asked to see my proof of income, I'd simply give them a copy of what I provided to my embassy.  I don't think the paperwork provided by the US Embassy amounts to proof of anything.

[Billyboy294]

There is a thread on thaivisa saying that Phuket are asking to see a bank account even when the application is based on income.

Also a utilities bill was not sufficient proof of address - they wanted a copy of the Blue Book for the residence plus a copy of the ID card of the registered Thai owner as well.

 

There is another thread saying that US applicants now have to provide proof, not just sign an Affidavit.

 

Phuket also needed to see the Visa on which the Extension/s are based.

I also ran into this at Pattaya and it was quite a search back.

 

Things do appear to be tightening up re' Retirement Extensions lately.......as perhaps they move on from Ed' Visas?

 

 

Ok ... just a "language" thing.  For me, "proof of income" (my annual pension statement) is what I provide to the Brit Embassy and they provide a letter stating that they have seen that "proof".  Therefore, if an Immigration Officer asked to see my proof of income, I'd simply give them a copy of what I provided to my embassy.  I don't think the paperwork provided by the US Embassy amounts to proof of anything.

 

Several years ago when i went to Jomptien with proof of pension i was told i had to also show (incl. letter from Bank) more than 100,000 baht in Bank account So i did this for several  years.

 

I was told a few months ago this was no longer needed and when i went to renew Retirement Visa in February  I did not take this but took my bankbook just in case. It was not asked for.

 

When i went to renew my Visa in Feb. 2014 after asking if i rented they asked to see the Rental agreement (first time ever in XXX years) I tried to tell them this would not prove anything as it was 10 years old.. Anyway i had to go back to Pattaya and make one up as i did not have one (only a verbal agreement).. Luckily i have my own printer..

 

I was told this year by a BM  that a biil showing address is accepted. So in February I gave them a 3BB bill and this was accepted. I had a copy of rental with me just in case.

 

A few years ago when the local UK Consul used to give you the letter confirming  proof of income, he gave me back the letter pinned to the proof and said give all to the Immigration.

 

Now that the Letter from Embassy comes from Bangkok, they don't give you back the proof  so In February i just gave them the Letter from Embassy (got it thro' Key Visa) but i did have a copy of the proof with me in case they asked.

 

Therefore  in February 2015, no proof of any money in bank, no proof of pension only letter from Embassy. I was in and out in 5 minutes. i did not see the Officer who was dealing with someone else, A girl standing alongside him checked my documents , said all OK , come back tomorrow to pick up Passport when they also took my photo.

[Soi7]

In the past when I was on a retirement visa they wanted the income letter bank book copies a tattoo and a note from my mother

[southsidebruce]

this entire retirement Visa thing is almost too funny... I have an ED Visa and it is expiring in April... I have age and income requirements to meet the retirement Visa rules... on one hand some folks at both the Jomtien Immigration and Bangkok Changwattana Immigration offices told me I can do the switcharoo (CANX the ED Visa and get a new NON-O) at the Bangkok Immigration office... BUT folks/BMs on ThaiVisa told me last night - NO FREAKN WAY - you MUST leave the country to get a new NON-O Visa... so I figure - OK, I will do a Visa Run... called 1st Class Visa that runs out of the Queen Vic... on the phone I was told that I could switch to a NON-O Visa for retirement in Laos and it can be done on one of their Van runs at the cost of 7,900 (or so) THB... I thought - OK, cool... If the Bangkok Immigration office can't do what I thought they told me they can do, I can just do a 1st Class Visa run... so today I go over to the Queen Vic and spoke to a Thai lady at the 1st Class Visa desk... what transpired in the conversation was so bizarre, it will be hard for me to reproduce it here... first she looked at my passport and said I needed to CANX my ED Visa first at Jomtien Immigration... I said, but then my Visa is no good, I am here illegally... So she sez, you get a 7 day Visa extension at Jomtien after they CANX your ED Visa... So, then I said, OK and then I take one of your 7,900 THB Visa runs to Laos and get a new NON-O for the retirement Visa... She asks - are you married... I say no (my Thai girlfriend was sitting next to me during this)... She says and do you own a house in Thailand... I say, I am trying to get a NON-O for retirement - what does being married and/or owning a home have anything to do with that?  She says you CAN NOT GET A NEW NON-O IMMIGRATION Visa (for retirement) in Laos, only a NON-O Marriage Visa... So, I say, OK, I get a tourist Visa on one of your runs to Laos, and then I can go to Bangkok Immigration and get a new NON-O Visa for retirement... So she sez, do you have 800K THB in a Thai bank account... I say no, but I have adequate retirement income... She says, if you don't have enough in your bank account there are options (that I won't discuss here)... Then she says she can do all the work for me to get the retirement visa for 20,000 THB... I again say I have enough retirement income to meet the requirements and don't need money in a Thai bank account... To that she says, well you can go to BKK by yourself and get one... 

 

The entire conversation was so bizarre, and so customer unfriendly - that it was almost as whacked as what I heard on the Thai Visa site last evening - compared to/in regards to what I had heard in Jomtien and from the Bangkok office (which I am having verified by a very bright young Thai lady who I used to work with in Bangkok - having her call the Bangkok office)... And I am sure that the changes to the Visa rules are driving folks like her crazy same as with the folks at the Thai Language school I attend... She also mentioned that since I had stayed over 120 days in Thailand I couldn't get a new tourist Visa unless I flew back to Thailand... And later she said - but that is only for Cambodia, and Laos is still OK... Now the 120 days I stayed in Thailand was on a real ED Visa, and I really attended Thai language classes at a real school and never worked in Thailand during the past going on close to a year... So it shouldn't be like I am a Visa Run offender in their eyes...

 

So, I am at a point where I want NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from anybody on the switch from ED Visa to Retirement Visa... I will go about doing it on my own based on information I have found on official (and non-official web sites) and I won't go the route where I pay a Jomtien Immigration office employee 30,000 THB and get a retirement Visa with no muss, no fuss as a guy I know told me he did several months ago (and maybe they are no longer doing this there)... And if I get to the Bangkok Immigration office (if the very bright Thai lady who is going to call them for me finds out from them I can do what I need to do there) and they still say NO WAY - you have to leave the country first... Well, I will take a trip out of the country, to Laos, and come back with a tourist visa and then go back to the Bangkok Immigration office, and again try to get it done... If all else fails, my plan will be to ditch retirement in Thailand for now, and head to Cambodia and try for a 1 year Visa there and then visit Thailand from Cambodia on tourist Visas every now and again... And live in Phnom Phen and eat HappyHerb pizzas and kick back and enjoy more of my retirement...