Income verification US Consul General interview

[nkped 1,208]

This is a 43 minute interview which the U.S. Consul General did on the local English language 103FM.  He had quite a bit to say about the changes in income verification documentation for retirement and marriage extensions.  That is a bit spread out over the first 26 minutes.  He said the Embassy has been negotiating with Thai immigration about how individuals can meet the income verification requirement and spoke with considerable confidence.

• Income affidavits will be accepted for up to 6 months after executed.
• Showing 65.000 baht a month income will still be an option.
• The method of showing the income will probably be bank statements showing deposits into a Thai bank account.
• A police order stating the requirements/procedures should be coming out in early January.  He's seen the order.  Supposedly, this will resolve the variation between different immigration offices.
• The combination of a bank account with less than 800K baht and less than 65K a month will still be an option.

He said that there are 75,000 Americans who are long term residents in Thailand of whom 2,900 live in Chonburi province.

https://youtu.be/a8KRUhc1qgA

Edited December 23, 2018 by nkped

[js007 795]

I'm sure some effort will be made to resolve the current lack of clarity.  Deposits into a Thai bank account would work, I suppose, but what about the people applying for the first time?  How many months will they have to show such deposits?  What about people with easily verifiable pensions and social security income?  

I'm about to return and have decided simply to have enough money wired into my Thai account to satisfy the 800,000 baht requirement, then draw that down over the course of the next nine months.  I can always top it up, as necessary.  Maybe in a few months, I won't have to do that and can prove my income when necessary?

I've also been looking at Vietnam as a home base of sorts.  As an American I can get a one year visa and would only have to leave the country every three months.  Maybe spend part of the year in Vietnam and part of the year in Thailand.  There are lots of options.

[jacko 8,822]

8 hours ago, nkped said:

Income affidavits will be accepted for up to 6 months after executed.

Not everywhere... spoke to a friend in the North where he has been told (very recently) 2 months validity only.

Smaller offices seem to do as they please!

[forcebwithu 4,856]

2 hours ago, jacko said:

Not everywhere... spoke to a friend in the North where he has been told (very recently) 2 months validity only.

Smaller offices seem to do as they please!

 

10 hours ago, nkped said:

• A police order stating the requirements/procedures should be coming out in early January.  He's seen the order.  Supposedly, this will resolve the variation between different immigration offices.

Hopefully the police order will resolve the discrepancies in requirements between offices.

[nkped 1,208]

4 hours ago, jacko said:

Not everywhere... spoke to a friend in the North where he has been told (very recently) 2 months validity only.

Smaller offices seem to do as they please!

Hope they resolve it at 6 months before April.

[jacko 8,822]

2 minutes ago, nkped said:

Hope they resolve it at 6 months before April.

That is sort of how the conversation came about as my friend is also due around April. I asked if he had pursued an Income letter to be used then, and he told me it wouldn't be any use to him. 

[forcebwithu 4,856]

15 minutes ago, jacko said:

That is sort of how the conversation came about as my friend is also due around April. I asked if he had pursued an Income letter to be used then, and he told me it wouldn't be any use to him. 

It might be worth his while to get the income letter before YE, then hopefully in January there is some sort of official word from TI on their acceptance for six months. If no official announcement is forthcoming by end of January, he still has time to go the 800k, 3 month route.

[jacko 8,822]

2 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

It might be worth his while to get the income letter before YE, then hopefully in January there is some sort of official word from TI on their acceptance for six months. If no official announcement is forthcoming by end of January, he still has time to go the 800k, 3 month route.

Not available, last chance with British embassy was to apply 12th Dec.

He seems to think his monthly deposits into a Thai bank will cover it, that brings him close to the 400k (married ext) and he plans to have some  cash on deposit for the rest. He has been told that will be acceptable, but of course no official statement yet! 

Edited December 24, 2018 by jacko

[Olded 243]

I found the best way is just put 800k in your Thia Bank account, 0ne year I tried a married ext for 400k and it was just too much trouble, they came to my house took pictures, wanted to see our wedding photo, talked to people around were I live about me. Next year I said f---- the married visa I just put the money in the bank.