Retirement Visa Renewal--Income varification

[brianks]

On my 90 day check in at Immigration yesterday I was told that when I renew my retirement visa I no longer need to go to the U.S. embassy to obtain the notarized income verification. If your income is via retirement funds, you need only pay Immigration an additional 4,000 baht and they will verify your income. Sounds interesting to me since Embassy notary costs over 1,000 baht, the cost of travel back and forth plus the time and appointment requirement. If your even farther away from BKK than Hua Hin could be very interesting.

[sateeb]

Sounds interesting...not above board...but interesting. I will test the water on Monday or Tuesday as a newbie just arrived in HH on an extension of Visa based on retirement granted in khon kaen.

[Big Boy]

As they are checking pensionable income, is this 4,000 Baht a one off charge, or is it payable annually? As an example, mine will be index linked (in the UK), so it should only require checking once.

not above board

Can I assume you believe this service to be illegal, or do you mean something else?

[moja]

We were offered a joint, multi entry retirement visa no need for money in the bank - no need to check paperwork for 17400 which is 6000 baht more than we needed to pay! Since we could do everything properly we just waiting the 60 days needed for the money to be in the bank but it seems any kind of visa is available at a price! Nice little earner for those working at immigration!!! BUT what happens when it comes to renewal and you get someone who is not so "helpful"??

[hhfarang]

Until I see that option in writing on a Thai Government web sight, I'll continue to go to Bangkok. I look at the Bangkok trip as a mini vacation (usually stay 3 nights and get my annual health checkup and medications at the same time). Since it's the only place I ever go it's a welcome break.

[sjpthsuk]

I assume this verification by the Embassy is done only if you don't have the 400,000 or 800,000baht in a Thai Bank? or is this something for me to lookout for in the future?

[hhfarang]

^ Correct, it is in lieu of the large bank deposit. You must show a foreign derived income of at least 65k baht per month.

You can even use a combination of the two methods as long as the result is at least 65K per month over a 12 month period.

[tonymaroni]

On my 90 day check in at Immigration yesterday I was told that when I renew my retirement visa I no longer need to go to the U.S. embassy to obtain the notarized income verification. If your income is via retirement funds, you need only pay Immigration an additional 4,000 baht and they will verify your income. Sounds interesting to me since Embassy notary costs over 1,000 baht, the cost of travel back and forth plus the time and appointment requirement. If your even farther away from BKK than Hua Hin could be very interesting.

So I assume it is the same income verification process the Embassy uses.
The Embassy doesn't really check your income they just give you a letter that says,
'he appeared before me today and states he has this much income' stamp stamp.

Sounds like some entrepreneurial spirit at Immigration has developed a way to cut
out all the middlemen (Bangkok buses, taxis, hotels and the Embassy).

Tony

[wpcoe]

This may be a coincidence, and an almost paranoid stretch, but when I encountered a snag at Hua Hin Immigrations this past week with my savings (using the combination of savings + income for a retirement extension) not having been in the account for 90 days, they offered the same mysterious B4,000 amount for a 90-day extension to give me time to season my money in the bank.

[wpcoe]

Sounds interesting...not above board...but interesting. I will test the water on Monday or Tuesday as a newbie just arrived in HH on an extension of Visa based on retirement granted in khon kaen.

What financial qualification will you be using:
(a) income only (B65,000/month), or
(b) combination of annual income+savings (B800,000)?

[Homer]

The 4,000 baht figure was offered to me in Sept of last year when I asked for my first 12 month extension to a Non-Imm 'O' visa for retirement. I visited immigration a week before I was eligible to request the extension, asked what the current requirements were. Said I'd be using the combo of income and thai bank savings account. They said the money had to be in the account for at least two months. WTF? My money wasn't two months old yet. The official said a 4000 baht payment would solve that problem. I didn't pay it. Waited until the account had been open for 2 months then requested the extension. That was possible because I'd read on the thai visa site that shall not be named that sometimes immigration says the 2 months is a requirement.

[Norseman]

Thread temporarily locked and under consideration as it is discussing obtaining visas by illegal means.

The official figures of income for this kind of visa is 40.000 or 65.000 Baht income pr. month as stated by the Thai Foreign Department.

[Lev]

There is misleading information on this thread already about income requirements that has been clarified by a moderator.

The cost of extending any visa, whether a Non Immigrant or Tourist is 1,900 THB as stipulated by Immigration law.

In order not to confuse matters further with individual instances of what people are prepared to pay this thread is locked.