Thai Retirement Visa

[johnfb43]

I am aged 61 from the UK. I receive about 1350 USD (in THB) monthly in my Kasikorn Bank account which is from Teachers Pensions in the UK. I do not have the 800k THB in my Kasikorn account (actually under 70k THB). Is the British Embassy in Bangkok going to be like the US Embassy in Bangkok in that they will very easily say in a signed document that I receive more than the 2000 USD a month that I need to show as income. My American friends have said its so easy for them in the US embassy getting this done although their icome is actually much lower than the required 2k USD a month. What will the British embassy be like? 

[usexpat46]

25 minutes ago, johnfb43 said:

I am aged 61 from the UK. I receive about 1350 USD (in THB) monthly in my Kasikorn Bank account which is from Teachers Pensions in the UK. I do not have the 800k THB in my Kasikorn account (actually under 70k THB). Is the British Embassy in Bangkok going to be like the US Embassy in Bangkok in that they will very easily say in a signed document that I receive more than the 2000 USD a month that I need to show as income. My American friends have said its so easy for them in the US embassy getting this done although their icome is actually much lower than the required 2k USD a month. What will the British embassy be like? 

The financial requirement isn't only either 65,000 baht a month in income or 800K baht in a Thai bank account, but also a combination of both.  You are not that far off (about 200K) and once you get the retirement extension you can draw from your bank account and then a couple months before renewing your retirement extension add to your account.  US Embassy doesn't ask for any proof but I was told yours does.

[johnfb43]

So you suggest I try and save the 200k THB first before applying?

[usexpat46]

Since you only have about 2/3 of the income requirement  you need 1/3 of the baht in the bank requirement, about 270K baht.  You need those funds to be in your account either 2 or 3 months prior to your initial retirement extension and again prior to your renewal.

[Billyboy294]

Why do you receive 1350 USD from a UK pension.

The British Embassy require proof of pension.

I think they only do it by post now. You post them the proof of the pension plus copy of page with it going into your bank. It can be a UK bank or a Thai bank.They post back the certified letter.

[johnfb43]

I am a retired teacher (took it early) from the UK so its a pension

[Billyboy294]

4 minutes ago, johnfb43 said:

I am a retired teacher (took it early) from the UK so its a pension

Yes but why do you say you get 1350 USD. Do you not get your pension in GBP. That is what the embassy will want to see.

[johnfb43]

Its paid in GBP but transferred by UK Teachers pensions to my Kasikorn Bank account and I will get about 43k -47k THB depending on exchange rate. I only just arrived here from the Philippines and there I had a HSBC USD account and I usually rec'd about 1450 USD a month there

[Insomniac]

12 hours ago, johnfb43 said:

Its paid in GBP but transferred by UK Teachers pensions to my Kasikorn Bank account and I will get about 43k -47k THB depending on exchange rate. I only just arrived here from the Philippines and there I had a HSBC USD account and I usually rec'd about 1450 USD a month there

Best option is to get married!

[johnfb43]

That's never going to be an option. Twice bitten very shy...

[Insomniac]

4 hours ago, johnfb43 said:

That's never going to be an option. Twice bitten very shy...

Me too, but 3rd time lucky and been married to Thai lady now for 17 years. 

[Billyboy294]

18 hours ago, Billyboy294 said:

Yes but why do you say you get 1350 USD. Do you not get your pension in GBP. That is what the embassy will want to see.

 

18 hours ago, johnfb43 said:

Its paid in GBP but transferred by UK Teachers pensions to my Kasikorn Bank account and I will get about 43k -47k THB depending on exchange rate. I only just arrived here from the Philippines and there I had a HSBC USD account and I usually rec'd about 1450 USD a month there

But the British Embassy will need to see evidence of the UK Teachers pension in GBP because that amount will not vary in any financial year. Also show them a recent bank statement with the amount in Baht going into Kasikorn bank.

Does the UK teachers pay your pension directly into Kasokorn.

[davidge]

The British Embassy WILL insist on seeing proof of your income. They will NOT certify without checking, as the US Embassy seems to do.

You’ll need to show them your Teacher’s Pension statement and/or UK Bank Statement showing the payment. They apply a certain exchange rate to give it in baht. I think it’s only done by post now with a fee of about 2400 baht?

You will need to have the difference between your income and 800000 baht in your Thai bank account for 2 or 3 months prior to applying for visa and before renewal.

So, if your monthly income is 45000 baht, that gives you 45000*12=540000 baht pa. You’ll need at least 260000 baht in your Thai bank account.

Link with forms etc:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration

 

[Billyboy294]

I dont think the British Embassy are interested in applying an exchange rate and converting to Baht. The letter which you give to Immigration shows the pension in GBP and they leave Immigration to convert that to baht.

[davidge]

17 minutes ago, Billyboy294 said:

I dont think the British Embassy are interested in applying an exchange rate and converting to Baht. The letter which you give to Immigration shows the pension in GBP and they leave Immigration to convert that to baht.

Yes, sorry. They do quote an exchange rate on their website (they use it to get the fee in baht) but Immigration will choose the one they use to convert for the visa requirements, Need to make sure there’s ‘spare’ in the bank account just in case rate is less than expected.

[johnfb43]

thanks everyone

[anglesea]

I always do the Stat dec in Thai bart. I convert my pensions to Thai bart for this purpose. If the embassy require proof the attach the documents from the pension authorities with the conversion shown.

[Billyboy294]

The proof  of a British Pension will be in GBP. That is what the Embassy wants to see ( no "if' about it) and they will then provide a confirmation letter showing the amount in GBP for you to give to Immigration.

It is Immigration who convert it to Baht (at their current rate) to check whether you have at least 65,000 or whatever sum you may have.

[Pumpuynarak]

1 hour ago, Billyboy294 said:

The proof  of a British Pension will be in GBP. That is what the Embassy wants to see ( no "if' about it) and they will then provide a confirmation letter showing the amount in GBP for you to give to Immigration.

It is Immigration who convert it to Baht (at their current rate) to check whether you have at least 65,000 or whatever sum you may have.

Correct in every respect.

[JAI DEE MAK]

On 10/19/2017 at 09:42, Pumpuynarak said:

Correct in every respect.

Yes 100% correct and note the UK embassy in BK will charge you for it every year you apply for it not sure but I think 2,500tb.

JDM

[Pumpuynarak]

12 hours ago, JAI DEE MAK said:

Yes 100% correct and note the UK embassy in BK will charge you for it every year you apply for it not sure but I think 2,500tb.

JDM

Latest is 2560bht inc postage. Its cheaper if you use a UK credit/debit card instead of obtaining postal orders. A nice little earner for them ehh.

[Terryofcrete]

On 18/10/2017 at 10:26, Insomniac said:

Me too, but 3rd time lucky and been married to Thai lady now for 17 years. 

Persistent Ain’t we ! 

[johnfb43]

My situation will change soon (in November) so I would appreciate updated info. From mid November I will have just over $10k going into my Thai Kasikorn bank (this is a one off payment with money coming in from the Philippines .In addition I still have about $1350 coming into my Kasikorn account (same account monthly- pension). Will these two combined be enough for my retirement visa? To recap I am a Brit aged 61 currently in Pattaya on a 30 day tourist visa (I plan to do a 1 month extension on the 1st November. Can anyone tell me if I am now ok for the retirement visa application and how do I go about this. I have never been through this before. On the 29th December I am flying to London, should I be applying at the Thai embassy for a visa and if so which one? For both the retirement visa and the visa at the Thai embassy in London in December what should I prepare? passport photos, medical, photo-copy of bank book, copies of the pension? 

Also when I go to Jomtien Immigration on the 1st November what do I need to bring with me for my 1 month extension? 

[sulu]

On 10/17/2017 at 09:33, johnfb43 said:

I am aged 61 from the UK. I receive about 1350 USD (in THB) monthly in my Kasikorn Bank account which is from Teachers Pensions in the UK. I do not have the 800k THB in my Kasikorn account (actually under 70k THB). Is the British Embassy in Bangkok going to be like the US Embassy in Bangkok in that they will very easily say in a signed document that I receive more than the 2000 USD a month that I need to show as income. My American friends have said its so easy for them in the US embassy getting this done although their icome is actually much lower than the required 2k USD a month. What will the British embassy be like? 

I can't speak to what the British Embassy does, but the American Embassy, at least 2 years ago when I applied, did NOT require any documentation. Just identification.

I filled in a form, an income statement, and signed it. The Embassy NOTARIZED my signature. i.e. They got sufficient proof from me of my identity and notarized my signature. That was IT.

[Pumpuynarak]

2 hours ago, johnfb43 said:

My situation will change soon (in November) so I would appreciate updated info. From mid November I will have just over $10k going into my Thai Kasikorn bank (this is a one off payment with money coming in from the Philippines .In addition I still have about $1350 coming into my Kasikorn account (same account monthly- pension). Will these two combined be enough for my retirement Visa? To recap I am a Brit aged 61 currently in Pattaya on a 30 day tourist Visa (I plan to do a 1 month extension on the 1st November. Can anyone tell me if I am now ok for the retirement Visa application and how do I go about this. I have never been through this before. On the 29th December I am flying to London, should I be applying at the Thai embassy for a Visa and if so which one? For both the retirement Visa and the Visa at the Thai embassy in London in December what should I prepare? passport photos, medical, photo-copy of bank book, copies of the pension? 

Also when I go to Jomtien Immigration on the 1st November what do I need to bring with me for my 1 month extension? 

Its best for you to visit the Thai immigration website, it details all their requirements under Retirement extension. The BE in Bangkok will require documentary evidence of you pension income in GBP and they will provide you with a confirmatory letter to take to the IO and they will convert to Baht. Current requirements are 65K bht monthly income or 800K in a Thai bank but you can split between the two if you don't have enough of either, eg 400k bank, 32500bht monthly income.

If you visit the BE website it details their requirements for production of the monthly income letter and you complete the form and send to them in the post with your evidence and they will return to you by post. You no longer can obtain by personal visit, it has to be done by post.

Its really very easy.