New Immigration requirement.

[Freddy]

Can't say I fully agree. It's takes two to Tango ( or 3 if you factor in the IOS)  No supply no demand. No demand, no supply. Those that partake of a clearly corrupt service to circumvent the requirements are just as responsible for the widespread corruption as those that provide it.

[CO-CO]

Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut 
I've seen the latest news today and as normal it's all the Bad Old Expats fault and New Laws must be brought in to stop these Bad Expats that try and cheat the system at all cost's....even though it could effect the mainly Law/Rule abiding good one's !!!.
The simple answer to the problem would be to BAN all Visa Agents altogehter,to make sure all applicant's apply in person with the correct paperwork and to make sure the Immagrations Officers in charge of checking the Paperwork of those applying for an Extention based on Retirement ( or any other Extention that could be obtaioned fraudulently ) do so correctly.
Its that simple 

Admirable.


I am guessing that your tongue may have been in your cheek at various points of compiling that post Smithy ??   

[Smithy]

Admirable.

I am guessing that your tongue may have been in your cheek at various points of compiling that post Smithy ??   

I haven't condoned people that use Visa Agents or Visa Agents . I use the Savannakhet option , but if that route was to changed then I would just have to bring Money have I have in the UK over to meet the requirements for a Local Marriage Visa extension  . What gets my goats is Officials like the Big Joke that blames Visa Agents and and those that use their services and NOT their own Officials . NO Visa Agent puts money in Visa applicants Bank Account for the required seasoning time and if anyone thinks these new changes in the rules are going to stop the visa infractions then think again.....these's to much money involved 

[Starman]

Admirable.

I am guessing that your tongue may have been in your cheek at various points of compiling that post Smithy ??   

I haven't condoned people that use Visa Agents or Visa Agents . I use the Savannakhet option , but if that route was to changed then I would just have to bring Money have I have in the UK over to meet the requirements for a Local Marriage Visa extension  . What gets my goats is Officials like the Big Joke that blames Visa Agents and and those that use their services and NOT their own Officials . NO Visa Agent puts money in Visa applicants Bank Account for the required seasoning time and if anyone thinks these new changes in the rules are going to stop the visa infractions then think again.....these's to much money involved 

I know of someone who arranges these extensions via agents. He tried to get it done in his home province but, in his words, "the bank would not play ball". A member of staff at the bank gets paid to pay the money in the bank with the wrong date. This particular time they went off to the seaside to do it. There is a well known bank there that will play ball for the right money.

Will the banks be able to swing it for 5 months now? Even if they do the expat will need to find 400k as a permanent deposit.

[Smithy]

I know of someone who arranges these extensions via agents. He tried to get it done in his home province but, in his words, "the bank would not play ball". A member of staff at the bank gets paid to pay the money in the bank with the wrong date. This particular time they went off to the seaside to do it. There is a well known bank there that will play ball for the right money.

Will the banks be able to swing it for 5 months now? Even if they do the expat will need to find 400k as a permanent deposit.

I know a few people that have used the Visa Agent Route and they have shown me their Bank Books . Their Bank books have showed the money was in there for less than a day.
I sure the Banks are getting a small donation for printing up the letters but I'm fairly sure that that the letter will only confirm that the money was the bank of the Day the letter was written on . That is why the IO's always want to see your Bank Book ( with photo copies ) showing the season period has been met when you go the legitimate route
I think it's obvious that those on a kosher extension will have to meet the new requirement but those using the unofficial route then I guess will just pay another fee to have bank book updated as before .....so quids in all round for the Visa Agent and corrupt IO's 

[urleft]

One of the obvious consequences to this requirement is that there will be a large migration to marriage visas, have to wonder if that is intentional?  I have been getting the Retirement Extensions over the Marriage because it was less hassle to me.

Is there a corresponding seasoning requirement for Marriage Visa funds?

[gotlost]

One of the obvious consequences to this requirement is that there will be a large migration to marriage visas, have to wonder if that is intentional?  I have been getting the Retirement Extensions over the Marriage because it was less hassle to me.

Is there a corresponding seasoning requirement for Marriage Visa funds?

60 days only for each yearly marriage extension.

[iammike]

One of the obvious consequences to this requirement is that there will be a large migration to marriage visas, have to wonder if that is intentional?  I have been getting the Retirement Extensions over the Marriage because it was less hassle to me.

Is there a corresponding seasoning requirement for Marriage Visa funds?

As Gl already said, 2 Months, but I keep the money (well over 400k) in a Fixed Deposit Account and DON'T Touch I only add funds to it (via iBanking) and NEVER withdraw.

I think You are correct in this, but Marriage extension is a bit harder to get then Retirement, a lot more documents but less money. And don't forget it's not granted on the spot but you have to wait 30days+ (we have to wait 39 days) before you hear the "verdict" which has to come from the Regional Immigration Head office.

[Smithy]

One of the obvious consequences to this requirement is that there will be a large migration to marriage visas, have to wonder if that is intentional?  I have been getting the Retirement Extensions over the Marriage because it was less hassle to me.

Is there a corresponding seasoning requirement for Marriage Visa funds?

As Gl already said, 2 Months, but I keep the money (well over 400k) in a Fixed Deposit Account and DON'T Touch I only add funds to it (via iBanking) and NEVER withdraw.

I think You are correct in this, but Marriage extension is a bit harder to get then Retirement, a lot more documents but less money. And don't forget it's not granted on the spot but you have to wait 30days+ (we have to wait 39 days) before you hear the "verdict" which has to come from the Regional Immigration Head office.

Marriage Extensions aren't that much harder to get than an Retirement Extensions , there's just a little bit more paper work and an extra trip to the Immigration Office after you have been checked out .
You will get a Home Visit to confirm your are really married ( They were even doing this for those wanting a Retirement Extension a while back ) .I've had them in the past and 15 years ago when I first applied for a Marriage Extension I had to go to the local police station to be interviewed before home visits were routine , so getting checked out is nothing new . But more often than not if you go in to get a Marraige Extension it's the IO's that suggest's you use the Retirement Extension route after they have seen your bank book ( if you have more that 800k in there ) as it's less work for them and a One less trip for you !! 

One last this about these new changes . Big Joke and the Immigration Officials are trying to make out these New Rules are there to stop Visa Agents and those that use them. But for the Visa Agent to obtain the under the counter Visa Extension there must be a complicit Immigration Official involved. 80% of the Visa Agents Fee goes to that complicit Immigration Official and the suggestion by Big Joke that the Immigration Officals are being duped by these devious Visa Agents is laughable   

[iammike]

A little bit more Paperwork

We needed 21 x 2 Pieces of Paperwork last January when we did our extension (marriage)

Now with the New Rules for Retirement coming i Suspect that the rules for Marriage extension also will be tightened (But that is just guessing)

[Starman]

Now with the New Rules for Retirement coming i Suspect that the rules for Marriage extension also will be tightened (But that is just guessing)

I doubt that there will be much change to the extensions based on marriage. They have been getting steadily more involved for sometime now and extra checks put in place.

The new rules announced this week with regards to extensions based on retirement are aimed at stopping people using agents.

This has already been covered with marriage extensions as they have to be approved at regional head office.

Why Immigration bosses did not decide to do this with extensions based on retirement is anyone's guess.

[Smithy]

A little bit more Paperwork

We needed 21 x 2 Pieces of Paperwork last January when we did our extension (marriage)

Extra paper work 
#1  A hand drawn map of where you live ( no need to be a cartographer ,a simple sketch will do )....so no big deal
#2 Copy of your marriage certificate ...no big deal 
#3 Copy of spouse's house registration and ID card ...no big deal 
#4 Picture of your house and yourself with family, both inside and outside showing the house number. We all have phones and Kodak shops are abundant ..so no big deal 
#5 Some extra forms the wife has to fill in ,normally with the help of the Office girl at the Immagration Office....no big deal for us at all 

Or cough up the extra 400k in the bank and then not allowed to spend it ....A big deal for many 

[Smithy]

Why Immigration bosses did not decide to do this with extensions based on retirement is anyone's guess.

Because that would be to simple 

[iammike]

Or cough up the extra 400k in the bank and then not allowed to spend it ....A big deal for many 

That's what we are going to do next year, money required is already in the account (Fixed account and never touch it)

[fishy]

Have never used an Agent. Always had the 800k Bht +++ cooking in the bank 3 months prior to extension application... Now I'm thinking maybe time to check out the Agents for a price and invest "800K bht" my way instead of it sitting in an interest only bearing account for 5 months....and doing the same with the other 400K bht for the rest of the other 7 months. Maybe now it's time  to consider an Agent for the best Price to get an Extension with all this crap going on.  4% x 800,000bht 5 months =13,333 bht, 4% x 400,000Bht 7 months(5+7=1year) = 9,333bht. I used 4% as an example of funds tied up. I'm sure you millionaires can do better than that! A total of 13,333 + 9,333 @ 4% = 22,666Bht per/year...? Is that somewhere in the ball park for an agent to provide an extension if/an when this stuff comes into effect? I reckon I can do better than 4%..
I'm still trying to understand how the 800K Bht + 400K Bht being locked away in a bank account is going to help the Thai economy. I'm on the back foot buying that new bike I was dreaming of already. TiT !!!!