Visa extensions

[olavhome]

Since staying more or less permanently in Thailand, guess you pay tax to the country.
Why not bring copy of tax report to show them ?
Guess that should make them more "friendly" :-)

[Starman]

Confirmation received: Some people are going mad on TV as they haven't read the letter correctly. Please see that it does, quite clearly, state " supporting evidence of income".

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076820-confirmed-here-is-exactly-what%E2%80%99s-needed-for-retirement-marriage-extensions-income-method-from-2019/

[iammike]

+1 @Freddy

I forgot to mention that my experience that I wrote down in Post #11 was my First extension based on Marriage at Buriram Immigration.

Maybe this year will be different, in any case I will report back.

Or maybe I just have an untrustworthy appearance (55555555)

Report back.

New Extension today (was very busy at Immigration , arrived at 12:15 done and dusted at 15:45, only 2 IO's present. Immigration at Chang Arena was closed today, we went there first).

Immigration was only interested in the Fixed Deposit Bank Book and Bank Letter, no need for the Savings Account or Incoming Transfers paper.

Bank letter must BE from the same day, withdraw or deposit some funds before you go to the BANK so it shows an update on the date you go to Immigration.

Bangkok Bank @Big C refused to copy the (updated) last page of the Bank Book , so found a copy shop  in the adjacent Soi which did it for 1 THB per page

Bank Letter was 100 THB

So the scrutiny I received last time was only because it was my First Extension in Buriram.

[mudcat]

Went to the immigration office at Chang Arena for my first retirement extension off of my current 'family-visit' Non-Imm 'O" visa.   Out in time for lunch after leaving Bangkok Bank Nang Rong with letters/statements at around 10:15 for the 1-hr drive to Buri Ram - two couples in front of us when we arrived.

To be sure there would be no re-visits I brought with me and to write my list for next year I brought:

Embassy letter together with a letter from my local government agency pension provider;
Updated my regular savings account and term account bank books, obtained letters and statements for the above;
A roll-up of my Thailand credit card transactions, ATM withdrawals from my U.S. account, and recent wire transfers;
Completed TM7 and TM8 applications;
Scans of all used passport pages (with TM6 and TM30 appended);
A map to our home in Tako;
and of course three one-thousand baht bills for the extension and a single re-entry permit.

I was informed that for next year:
Updated (that day) bank books together with a letter for the 800 term account and a 6-month statement of the savings account would suffice for financial documents next year (no more letters for Americans).
Completing TM6 and TM7 prior to your visit probably speeds things up, but probably not necessary.
Copies of used passport pages, current TM6 and TM30 were appreciated, not sure if simply presenting passport for them to copy is sufficient.
Having a map didn't seem to be necessary, but once done it is simple enough to-reprint.

Got the normal - sign over-stay acknowledgement form to sign.

Next year less preparation will be necessary, but as I pushed paper for a living in my previous life so going over board wasn't a problem for me.  Our situation (half the year here, half the year back in the U.S. and travelling) makes regular monthly transfers of 65K way over what we need to live here, but I will probably set a monthly wire transfer of my Social Security payment to cover recurring costs (insurance) and living expenses for the year.

Just an aside - I decided against extending based on our marriage because of the additional and intrusive requirements and the 'under-consideration' return.   Seeing as the 800k would eventually come to my wife, it seemed to be the cleaner and easier way to proceed. Next up is completing a legalized power of attorney for my wife that together with our KorRhor22 should make her helping with formalities with banks, immigration, land transport, and Social Security (should I need a 'representative payee' as I age out of competence) easier.

Steve

[DeputyDavid]

Did they say they wanted both the 800K book and letter as well as a book and letter that shows money being spent or was it either/or?

[mudcat]

Stated that the 800K needed a letter but no statement and the 'working' (oops - not allowed to work on a retirement visa) bankbook should have a statement but no letter - both bank books should be updated that day and brought in.  Should there be only one account I guess they would want a letter and a statement on the qualifying account. 

Not clear that this is a requirement, but if possible it would make questions of what you are living on go away - guess the same could be accomplished with ATM receipts and Credit Card statements if that is how you cover your daily and recurring expenses.

As I had an embassy letter, but an teenage 800K account (my IRA minimum withdrawal needed to be in 2019 so could not age gracefully it enough to use it for extension this year), so the discussion of what would be needed next year was informational only - I will see next year if there are any additional hurdles.

[Starman]

Went to the immigration office at Chang Arena for my first retirement extension off of my current 'family-visit' Non-Imm 'O" visa.   Out in time for lunch after leaving Bangkok Bank Nang Rong with letters/statements at around 10:15 for the 1-hr drive to Buri Ram - two couples in front of us when we arrived.

To be sure there would be no re-visits I brought with me and to write my list for next year I brought:

Embassy letter together with a letter from my local government agency pension provider;
Updated my regular savings account and term account bank books, obtained letters and statements for the above;
A roll-up of my Thailand credit card transactions, ATM withdrawals from my U.S. account, and recent wire transfers;
Completed TM7 and TM8 applications;
Scans of all used passport pages (with TM6 and TM30 appended);
A map to our home in Tako;
and of course three one-thousand baht bills for the extension and a single re-entry permit.

I was informed that for next year:
Updated (that day) bank books together with a letter for the 800 term account and a 6-month statement of the savings account would suffice for financial documents next year (no more letters for Americans).
Completing TM6 and TM7 prior to your visit probably speeds things up, but probably not necessary.
Copies of used passport pages, current TM6 and TM30 were appreciated, not sure if simply presenting passport for them to copy is sufficient.
Having a map didn't seem to be necessary, but once done it is simple enough to-reprint.

Got the normal - sign over-stay acknowledgement form to sign.

Next year less preparation will be necessary, but as I pushed paper for a living in my previous life so going over board wasn't a problem for me.  Our situation (half the year here, half the year back in the U.S. and travelling) makes regular monthly transfers of 65K way over what we need to live here, but I will probably set a monthly wire transfer of my Social Security payment to cover recurring costs (insurance) and living expenses for the year.

Just an aside - I decided against extending based on our marriage because of the additional and intrusive requirements and the 'under-consideration' return.   Seeing as the 800k would eventually come to my wife, it seemed to be the cleaner and easier way to proceed. Next up is completing a legalized power of attorney for my wife that together with our KorRhor22 should make her helping with formalities with banks, immigration, land transport, and Social Security (should I need a 'representative payee' as I age out of competence) easier.

Steve

Seems to be a bit over kill to me.

Remember...no rules have change just yet.

If you happened to get an affidavit of income from your embassy before they stopped issuing them, UK,USA,Aus and Denmark, then you can still use it for up to 6 months from the issue date. If you deal with any other Embassy then nothing has changed at all.

The rules regarding 400k/800k in the bank have not changed. You need a bank book and letter showing the same, updated, balance on the date you are extending.

The grey area is the income deposits for extending for those from UK, USA, Aus and Denmark.

The official announcement was that you need to show monthly deposits of a minimum 40k/65k each month for the whole year. These deposits have to be transfers from overseas. This led to panic among those who have got less than this time before their next extension and therefore are unprepared, as they simply have no time to show 12 deposits before their next extension dates.. A subsequent announcement said that immigration would be lenient towards these cases for this year and deposits for less than a year will be accepted. This is where a trip to immigration for clarification of how they interpret that might be a good idea.

If Buriram immigration are asking for 2 books then this is an office specific requirement as it is not a rule nationally. I personally have not heard of anyone needing to show how much money is being spent for some time now.

[mudcat]

Sorry I wasn't clearer. 

I brought additional materials to avoid a return visit and to understand what (at least one) IO would want to see next year.  You are correct there is nothing in the regulations requiring both a letter from the qualifying (400/800k) account and six month statement for your working account (assuming they are separate accounts) but IOs have in the past requesting additional information about living expenses when relying upon an income statement from the U.S. Embassy and certainly their remit allows them to request other documentation as they see fit.

For me, seeing as we are already at the bank, paying 100 baht for a six-month statement is easier than and avoids the 'update' the bankbook regularly routine.  I will continue to bring the letter, statement and bankbooks, as well as print the passport entries; as I monitor my credit card usage I will roll that up, but not print it, nor will I print a new map every year.