Retirement Extension success

[brianhuahin]

65K Baht monthly Income Process. Visa due 18th June.

This exact process worked for 2019 extension via Hua Hin Immigration office and using Krungsri Bank.
It may be possible to skip some steps but this did satisfy.
No agent no tea money.

1. Get letter from pension provider 3rd April.
a. Make sure if says where the money is sent it the application has consistent account numbers.
2. Apply for Bank data one month early in case of hic-ups, few days after 18th May say 21st May.
a. Visit bank 21st May.
b. Apply for print out of FCD account transactions, showing 12 months data with suitable Bank Stamps showing authenticity, 21st May.
c. Highlight Swift credits, date, account name and number.
d. Apply for bank letter proving account is valid 21st May.
i. BKK head office E mails the letter and printed locally.
ii. Wait one hour.
iii. Fee of 100 Baht.
3. Update Saving Account pass book 21st May.
a. In case IO wants to see cash flows to support living.
b. Make copies for one year.
c. Do not give to IO unless asked. I did and as it confuses them.
4. Apply for Visa extension on the day the pass books updated and FCD print out stamped, 21st May.
5. Document provided to IO.
a. Pension letter.
b. Bank letter.
c. FCD print out for last year, suitably highlighted to make easy.
d. FCD atm card.
e. Saving Account bank book and copy for last year
i. Do not give to IO unless asked as it confuses them.
f. Passport and copies.
i. ID page.
ii. Departure card.
iii. All pages with Visa extension data.
g. House location map.
h. First Direct bill or HMRC showing address in Thailand. (not sure if this was necessary, but they like loads of paper)
i. Completed TM 7.
j. Copy and original Tabian Baan House & People pages.
k. IO will check that the required deposits and time limits, one deposit at least every month at 65K Baht or above have been met, if not extension may be refused.
l. The IO I drew used the current Forex to calculate all the Baht value of all the transfers.

Hop it may help others

[T.O.M.]

Thanks for reminding me.of to never ever change from 800k in the bank route....
To people not familiar with Thai immigration....they will think the above list is a joke....little do they know that some immigration offices even require a medical certificate....

[HHTel]

OMG. My renewals in the past (with the British Embassy letter) have been completed in 10 minutes. This year I'll be going for the 800K as my income does not fit their requirements.

[Big Boy]

brianhuahin, did Immigration ask for all of that information, or did you simply put together a belt and braces application? If they asked for it, where is is stipulated please? I'm guessing it's a belt and braces application based on your 'It may be possible to skip some steps' remark.

I'm totally lost with your FCD abbreviation - could you expand upon it please?

Regarding paragraph 5k - is this 100% correct? I thought they were giving some leeway in this first year. If yes, how did you know to start the transfer process 12 months ago to comply?

Again para 5K - at least one transfer each month. So if for example I transfer on 30 April, and my next transfer is 1 June, I fail? What about the poor people transferring the correct amount periodically, every few months?

Paragraph 5l is worrying. Did they not check the amounts received as opposed to transferred? With exchange rate fluctuations over 12 months, it must be very easy to fall down on that test.

[HHTel]

The requirement is 65K baht. Nothing to do with the exchange rate!

[HHTel]

I wonder if he's talking about a Foreign Currency Deposit in which case, BB, your correct in pointing out that the value in baht would differ each month.

[HarryVardon]

I pay tax in Thailand every year on an amount above 800,000 Baht. Has anyone tried showing them their tax receipts?

[brianhuahin]

Big Boy et all
The list of "requirements" was a belt and braces approach, but they were scrutinized by the IO and many nods of approval. I suspect that the data as I supplied is required. Try your luck with less at your own risk. The ATM card floored me and he did accept the transaction print out in the end.
The FCA does refer to a foreign currency Account in GBP.
The monthly sum received is the issue it does not matter what you transfer the (Forex x sum transferred) must equal or exceed 65k and it must occur each and every month. 130K one month then a zero transferred the next is not acceptable.
The IO used the current Forex and applied it to all transferred monies irrespective if the Forex in that particular month changed up or down. They have no way of historically looking at individual monthly Forex.

Hope this clarifies.

[Big Boy]

I can sort of understand that they can't check historically on exchange rates, but it isn't rocket science to see money transferred (Sterling) against monies received (Baht). I'm surprised they had to check anything at all. So if the £ plummets further to maybe 35 Baht, those people who have transferred their 65K Baht religiously, just as well pack their bag because they are illegal. I find this very hard to believe.

I know a few who transfer periodically rather than monthly - the vague instruction did seem to permit this.

Why, oh why does this country think every man and his dog are trying to pull a fast one? 99% of us are here for a peaceful life and are certainly not criminals. Their paranoia is becoming obsessive.

[brianhuahin]

In my case the FCD is in GBP. The incoming funds from the UK arrieves as GBP not as Baht and is not converted to Baht until I make a withdrawal or transfer to my saving account that I use for day to day expenses.

[Nereus]

Why, oh why does this country think every man and his dog are trying to pull a fast one?

Because that is exactly what their own population set out to do!

[T.O.M.]

I can sort of understand that they can't check historically on exchange rates, but it isn't rocket science to see money transferred (Sterling) against monies received (Baht). I'm surprised they had to check anything at all. So if the £ plummets further to maybe 35 Baht, those people who have transferred their 65K Baht religiously, just as well pack their bag because they are illegal. I find this very hard to believe.

I know a few who transfer periodically rather than monthly - the vague instruction did seem to permit this.

Why, oh why does this country think every man and his dog are trying to pull a fast one? 99% of us are here for a peaceful life and are certainly not criminals. Their paranoia is becoming obsessive.

To become less dependent on the fluctuating exchange rate, why not use the 'Combination Method"...?
Money in the bank + income......IE 200k in the bank plus 12 MONTHLY transfers of minimum 50k and you are good to go for another year.
Since both the income-route and the combination route are quite complicated paper wise...why not use an agent?
A tenant of mine (American...income route) just extended using an agent....Got a list of papers wanted by the particular IO he was going to meet. By appointment...!! Picked up by the agent and driven to immigration by him and since it was by appointment, he got to see the officer straight away. 5 minutes later he was out with his extension. Price 3.000 baht on top of the normal immigration cost. Note this is not one of the illegal agents, who make the seasoning requirements "go away"....but simply a guy doing the leg work for you.
Might be worth considering?

[Big Boy]

And herein lies the problem:

To become less dependent on the fluctuating exchange rate, why not use the 'Combination Method"...?
Money in the bank + income......IE 200k in the bank plus 12 MONTHLY transfers of minimum 50k and you are good to go for another year.

(Please don't take this the wrong way, as it isn't aimed at you personally)

If somebody in the street said that to me, I would say it was total bollox

The Thais are great at changing things, but never tell us exactly what is required. What about the 400K show money that has to stay in the bank until you either die, or leave Thailand? Because you're only showing 200K, does it get reduced? I don't know, and I've seen nothing explaining it clearly.

Likewise, I'm not having a go at brianhuahin, he seems to have done a brilliant belt and braces job, and well done for getting the extension. However, is it overkill? It is quite worrying that several 'musts' contradict what has been said previously, but where is the requirement laid down? Were brianhuahin's requirements that of the individual Immigration Officer he dealt with, or is it written down somewhere?

In all of these recent developments, somebody spouts a one liner, and an encyclopedia is written based on various interpretations. A typical services instruction, leaving the plebs to implement that one liner. In the UK the one liner used to become a written procedure, here it becomes a directive to stuff Johnny Farang. Some people might have got away with it this time, but one thing is sure, they will come for them soon.

I'm an ex-civil servant, and used to the bullsh*t, but this vaguery is starting to bring me down also.

FFS tell us what you want, and we can get it sorted. I'm 6 weeks away from my renewal (if my passport arrives back in time), and all I have is little more than here say to work on.

[T.O.M.]

^^
Only one way to be sure....Pay a visit to the local immigration and inquire about their requirements for just YOU....

[Big Boy]

I tried that - they were too busy taking selfies because a big wig was in town. I'll find out when my time comes - even brianhuahin's long as your arm list wouldn't be insurmountable. It would just be nice if the regs were written clearly, and we could prepare properly.