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Retirement visa renewal question


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I am currently in Thailand on a type O-A multiple entry visa (retirement) which expires on January 3, 2009. I just came from immigration where I completed my 90 day reporting requirement. While I was there, another individual was trying to renew his retirement visa. The immigration officer kept asking him for his bank book and he kept saying that he had a letter verifying his retirement income.

 

My question is: If you are basing your renewal of the visa on a monthly retirement income of 65,000 baht or more, do you still have to have a Thai bank account? If you do need a Thai bank account do you have to show 800,000 baht balance? Thanks for the assistance.

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Pilot... not a complete answer to your Q.

 

I think the new regulations came into force in November 07, requiring proof of funds (800,000) for a minimumperiod of 3 months before renewing your visa.

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Technically, if you have the Embassy letter showing an income in excess of 65K baht per month, there should be no need for a Thai bank book. However, it has apparently become some sort of an unwritten rule that you have to have a Thai bank account with some money in it.

 

That's what I read before I applied for my retirement visa and so that's what I did. I opened a Thai bank account with 42,000 baht.

 

When I went to apply for my visa extension based on retirement, I had a letter from the US embassy showing a monthly income well in excess of 65K baht, but I also brought the bank book. But that wasn't good enough. I also needed a "letter" from my bank. I started to argue with the guy but thought better of it. So, I went to the bank and got the "letter" at a cost of 200 baht. What it said, I'm not sure because it was all in Thai. But, once I had that letter, the people at immigration were happy. It was late in the afternoon by then and they told me to come back the next day to pick up my passport with the new retirement extension.

 

So, no, you don't need 800K in your bank if you have enough monthly income, but they do like to see a bank book and bank letter.

 

J

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Technically, if you have the Embassy letter showing an income in excess of 65K baht per month, there should be no need for a Thai bank book. However, it has apparently become some sort of an unwritten rule that you have to have a Thai bank account with some money in it.

 

That's what I read before I applied for my retirement visa and so that's what I did. I opened a Thai bank account with 42,000 baht.

 

When I went to apply for my visa extension based on retirement, I had a letter from the US embassy showing a monthly income well in excess of 65K baht, but I also brought the bank book. But that wasn't good enough. I also needed a "letter" from my bank. I started to argue with the guy but thought better of it. So, I went to the bank and got the "letter" at a cost of 200 baht. What it said, I'm not sure because it was all in Thai. But, once I had that letter, the people at immigration were happy. It was late in the afternoon by then and they told me to come back the next day to pick up my passport with the new retirement extension.

 

So, no, you don't need 800K in your bank if you have enough monthly income, but they do like to see a bank book and bank letter.

 

J

 

Thanks, that sounds fairly simple.

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I don't mean this as an outright flame, but:

 

If the question arose in the immigration office from an immigration officer, wouldn't it have been better to ask the immigration officer or his co-workers instead of rushing to ask farang on the Internet?

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I don't mean this as an outright flame, but:

 

If the question arose in the immigration office from an immigration officer, wouldn't it have been better to ask the immigration officer or his co-workers instead of rushing to ask farang on the Internet?

 

 

Valid question. It was from a conversation I overheard between an individual and immigration office that standing in another line. I was in line for another reason and by the time I finished my business, all parties involved in the first question were long gone. I really didn't feel like standing around waiting for an answer to the question as I'm quite a few months from having to deal with this particular issue. I asked the question here because there is a wealth of information here and I'm sure others have had to deal with this issue before. Thanks for asking.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Maybe this will help, maybe not, but for what it's worth.

I'm on my 3rd extension. For my first extension, late during the first ninety days, is for the remaining

nine months of your first year. (after the first year, it's yearly, on the anniversary date of your visa).

At that time I needed a medical certificate, (you don't need that anymore, they discontinued that requirement), which I got from a clinic across the street from Carrefour, on Central road, 200 baht. 5 min.

I needed, and you STILL need.....a letter from the embassy stating your monthly "pension" income, and you need a NEW one every year now, since last year. The income can be from any source, pensions, annuities,etc, and no proof is needed for the letter. You are required to fill out a form, pay the fee at the cashiers cage, then swear, under "oath" that the statement is true. That's it for the letter, and you can now get a letter at the Dusit Thani hotel two or three times a year when the embassy visits but you have to inquire when they come, and I understand they're only there for about two hours in the morning.

To avoid having to get a letter, you need 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, and it has to be there for at least three months before you apply for an extension, (and that's firm).

If you don't have enough monthly income.......and don't have 800,000 baht in the bank either, then you need a combination of the two, (that would be your monthly income times twelve months, added to the amount you DO have in a Thai bank, and it has to equal 800,000 baht, or more). Even if you do have the amount in income, Immigration likes to see a bank book with a few thousand baht in it, and an occasional withdrawl from the bank to prove you're living on your own capital and not working illegally.

 

When you go to the Immigration office for your extension you need the following:

Completed application form.

ONE passport photo.

Your passport, and copies of all the pertinenet pages, the ID page, your visa page, the day you entered Thailand, and a copy of your entry card, with the number on it. (The one you filled out on the airplane)

Your bankbook, and copies of each and every page.

Your letter from the Embassy, if needed.

A letter from your bank, certifying that you DO have an account, and the amount. (100/200 baht).

1900 baht., payable at Immigration. That's the FIRST thing they have you do.

 

All these copies, and bank letter have to be timely, preferably yesterday, but the copies are cheap and there's plenty of places around, and if you forget anything, there's a copy shop right next door to the Imm. office that makes copies in seconds........and photos in minutes. You will be required by the immigration officer to sign each page of the copies, thereby "certifying" them.

Unless you go in the afternoon, on a busy day, this whole thing shouldn't take over an hour, so get there early if you can, take a number from the dispensor relating to the task you're there for, and have a seat, or go outside and have a smoke if you're so inclined, but mainly, just relax. They're a friendly group.

I took my girlfriend, (now my wife), with me. She speaks SOME Engrish, and it made the whole process so much easier for all concerned.

I hope this infor ation helps someone, it was a pain to type.

And very important.....don't forget, you have to report to Immigration every 90 days......good luck, ErnieK

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Maybe this will help, maybe not, but for what it's worth.

I'm on my 3rd extension. For my first extension, late during the first ninety days, is for the remaining

nine months of your first year. (after the first year, it's yearly, on the anniversary date of your visa).

At that time I needed a medical certificate, (you don't need that anymore, they discontinued that requirement), which I got from a clinic across the street from Carrefour, on Central road, 200 baht. 5 min.

I needed, and you STILL need.....a letter from the embassy stating your monthly "pension" income, and you need a NEW one every year now, since last year. The income can be from any source, pensions, annuities,etc, and no proof is needed for the letter. You are required to fill out a form, pay the fee at the cashiers cage, then swear, under "oath" that the statement is true. That's it for the letter, and you can now get a letter at the Dusit Thani hotel two or three times a year when the embassy visits but you have to inquire when they come, and I understand they're only there for about two hours in the morning.

To avoid having to get a letter, you need 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, and it has to be there for at least three months before you apply for an extension, (and that's firm).

If you don't have enough monthly income.......and don't have 800,000 baht in the bank either, then you need a combination of the two, (that would be your monthly income times twelve months, added to the amount you DO have in a Thai bank, and it has to equal 800,000 baht, or more). Even if you do have the amount in income, Immigration likes to see a bank book with a few thousand baht in it, and an occasional withdrawl from the bank to prove you're living on your own capital and not working illegally.

 

When you go to the Immigration office for your extension you need the following:

Completed application form.

ONE passport photo.

Your passport, and copies of all the pertinenet pages, the ID page, your visa page, the day you entered Thailand, and a copy of your entry card, with the number on it. (The one you filled out on the airplane)

Your bankbook, and copies of each and every page.

Your letter from the Embassy, if needed.

A letter from your bank, certifying that you DO have an account, and the amount. (100/200 baht).

1900 baht., payable at Immigration. That's the FIRST thing they have you do.

 

All these copies, and bank letter have to be timely, preferably yesterday, but the copies are cheap and there's plenty of places around, and if you forget anything, there's a copy shop right next door to the Imm. office that makes copies in seconds........and photos in minutes. You will be required by the immigration officer to sign each page of the copies, thereby "certifying" them.

Unless you go in the afternoon, on a busy day, this whole thing shouldn't take over an hour, so get there early if you can, take a number from the dispensor relating to the task you're there for, and have a seat, or go outside and have a smoke if you're so inclined, but mainly, just relax. They're a friendly group.

I took my girlfriend, (now my wife), with me. She speaks SOME Engrish, and it made the whole process so much easier for all concerned.

I hope this infor ation helps someone, it was a pain to type.

And very important.....don't forget, you have to report to Immigration every 90 days......good luck, ErnieK

 

I did my renewal last August and only had about 2,000 baht in my account and had no problems (have heard rumor that they now want to see at least 100,000 in the account). I also leave LOS and return 6 times a year so maybe that was a factor. On the 90 day reporting to immigration, the calander resets when you re-enter LOS at BKK. I have yet to report to immigration because of my frequent trips going outside of LOS. To do this you need to purchase the mulitple re-entry permit for 3800 baht or pay 1000 baht each time along with filling out the forms. The only time I have reported to immigration is when I moved to another residence which they want you to do immediately. I agree about having either a Thai wife or TGF with you to make the process easiser. Have taken TGF with me on both occassions and many times the immigration official was talking directly to my TGF in Thai and I didn't have a clue to what was being said.

Edited by Emil
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