Retirement visa news - and it's not good

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Gaybutton
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Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Gaybutton »

I hate to start yet another topic about the retirement visa, but based on what I was told just this morning I want to make sure everyone sees it.

Your choice as to whether or not to believe it or think you can find some way around it, but both RichLB and I spoke with a gentleman who went to Pattaya immigration this week, Tuesday, and spoke with the chief - not one of the officers - the chief himself. He also told us 2 of his friends spoke to the chief last week and were told exactly the same thing he was told.

So, what was he told?

He was told that after January 1, Pattaya immigration will only approve retirement visas for applicants who can prove 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account for at least 3 consecutive months prior to applying, period!

The chief made it clear - no matter what anyone else has been told or who told them, even if they were told by immigration officers, Pattaya immigration will accept embassy verification letters only until January 1 and even then, the letters will be accepted only if they were issued by the embassy on or before December 12. After January 1 no embassy verification letters will be accepted.

He said after January 1, any proof of a 65,000 baht per month income will no longer be accepted. The gentleman pointed out that Immigration's own web site says there are alternative ways of proving the 65,000 baht per month requirement. The chief said it doesn't matter what the web site says. He said the only reason the web site says that is simply because it has not been updated.

He made it very clear. After January 1 it's 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account for at least 3 consecutive months prior to applying. Nothing else will be accepted.

The gentleman told us he has an appointment with a Thai immigration attorney to try to find out if there is anything else that can be done. He will have an answer in a few days.

Again, folks, you can take what he told us or leave it. If you have any questions or doubts, I suggest going to immigration and personally talking with the chief.

I have no information as to whether what the chief said also applies to other immigration offices.
Up2u

Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Up2u »

Well that's the shits. I live in Jomtien and I believe I MUST use the Pattaya Immigration office but I am not sure. Anyone know?
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Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Gaybutton »

Up2u wrote:Anyone know?
Yes. You have to use the immigration office in your residence province or, if the province doesn't have an immigration office, you have to go to the nearest immigration office.

I doubt that it matters. I would find it difficult to believe if you can't get the retirement visa in one immigration office, all you would have to do is go to another.

I am guessing that if people expecting to get the visa go to immigration only to find they are denied the visa, they are going to try arguing with the immigration officials. Anyone who has experience in Thailand and immigration probably already knows you can argue with them from now until the cows come home, but it won't change anything and won't do you any good. If anything, arguing will only make matters worse.
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Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Gaybutton »

I'll give you another fun thought. For those who are going to be forced to leave Thailand and have an appreciable amount of money in a Thai bank account, you better start figuring out how you're going to get your money out of Thailand.

Years ago, before I lived in Thailand, but frequently traveled to Thailand, I had opened an account with Bangkok Bank while it was still easy to do so. On one of my trips, before I left my accountant told me she wants me to bring back a cashier's check from that account in an amount equivalent to about US $500. I never did understand the explanation as to why she wanted me to do that, but I did bring back the check.

When she was done with whatever she was doing with the check, I deposited it into my USA bank account. I was told it would take 12 weeks for it to clear. 14 weeks later it still hadn't cleared. I called my bank to ask what was taking so long. The agent said he will investigate and get back to me.

About two hours later the agent called me and told me that in his entire career he had never heard of anything like this. Bangkok Bank was refusing to honor their own cashier's check. Why? Because they wanted a reason they would accept as to why I needed the money to leave Thailand. I said that is ridiculous. I can withdraw money with my Bangkok Bank debit card at any American ATM.

I asked him what is going to happen now with the check. He said all he can do is return the check to me. When I got it back I took it with me on my next trip to Thailand, months later, and was able to deposit it right back into my Bangkok Bank account, no problem.

You figure it out. I gave up trying . . .
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Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Undaunted »

No problem getting money back to your home country...Put it in a foreign currency acct. yes the bht. will be converted to the currency you choose and it can be transferred to your acct. in your home country, some banks charge up to 3% of the amount to be transferred.

BTW what happens to those poor bastards that now want to put 800,000bht in a Thai acct. but they have less than 3mos. to renew their 1yr visa?
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
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Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote:BTW what happens to those poor bastards that now want to put 800,000bht in a Thai acct. but they have less than 3mos. to renew their 1yr visa?
I can think of only three things to do:

One is to go to immigration, talk to the chief, explain the situation, and see what he says.

The second is to go ahead and put in the 800,000. Then at some point before the current visa expires leave Thailand and then return on a tourist visa, making sure that visa will remain valid while waiting out the 3 months or you can get extensions, and start the retirement visa process again once the money has been in the account long enough.

The third is to put in the 800,000 baht, return to their home country, wait out the 3 months, and then apply for a new retirement visa in their home country.

I wish I had any better suggestions, but that's all I can think of for people in that situation to do. I just don't see how they would be able to avoid leaving Thailand at least temporarily.

Don't forget what Barry Kenyon said in his letter to the editor, Pattaya Mail, on November 2:
Barry Kenyon wrote:Your only choice will be to put the required lump sum in a Thai bank account well in advance of your application date. Period.
See: http://www.pattayamail.com/mailbag/no-ambiguity-229347

Apparently, despite what others have been saying, Barry had it right.
fountainhall

Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by fountainhall »

I hope those who several times advocated here a wait-and-see attitude did not take their own advice and made sure they had Bt. 800,000 in an account in the meantime. I feel very sorry for those who are now stuck in limbo. I wonder how many might fall into this category. Hopefully no GB members, readers and their friends.
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Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Gaybutton »

fountainhall wrote:I feel very sorry for those who are now stuck in limbo.
And I also feel sorry for people who don't read the boards, have seen no mention of this in the English language news media, word of mouth hasn't reached them, are completely unaware this is coming, and will have the shock of their lives when they go to immigration to renew their retirement visa only to discover they are now faced with a BIG problem.

Maybe when they go to immigration to submit their 90-day address report they will be informed and will have enough time, but there are also people who mail in their report.

I don't understand why proof of 65,000 baht per month income apparently no longer will be accepted, but unless immigration relents, that's how it's going to be.
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Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by RichLB »

Gaybutton wrote: Maybe when they go to immigration to submit their 90-day address report they will be informed and will have enough time, but there are also people who mail in their report.
That would be nice of them to do, but I just did my 90 days a week ago and my retirement visa expires in January. No one mentioned the impending changes.
Up2u

Re: Retirement visa news - and it's not good

Post by Up2u »

RichLB wrote:
Gaybutton wrote: Maybe when they go to immigration to submit their 90-day address report they will be informed and will have enough time, but there are also people who mail in their report.
That would be nice of them to do, but I just did my 90 days a week ago and my retirement visa expires in January. No one mentioned the impending changes.
Do you use the income affadavit? If so, keep us posted.
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