This is a question which I would love to know the answer to.
Not how he can get round it but what do you think would immigration do.
Let us say person A. came to Thailand 5 years ago and applied for a retirement visa.
His pension is 800 poobahs per year and the rate of exchange is 1,000 baht to one poobah he has 800,000 baht a year, passport stamped and onto the 90 day treadmill he goes.
For 5 years everything is fine but when he goes to renew his visa for the 6th time the poobah has dropped to 900 baht to one poobah. Now he only has 72,000 baht a year.
Question what happens to his visa/person A.
In my case I would get a marriage visa but if person A. is not married and cannot get married for whatever reason does he get the boot????
A question which I would love to know the answer to.
A question which I would love to know the answer to.
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand
Re: A question which I would love to know the answer to.
Welcome to the land of smiles, close the door on your way out.sargeant wrote:if person A. is not married and cannot get married for whatever reason does he get the boot????
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Afraid to say that said individual almost certainly wouldn't get the extension. Imm can up the ante for income or money in the bank at any time, but in that instance it's almost certain that person A would be grandfathered at the income/savings level they had when they got the first extension.
Unfortunately, this won't work with exchange rate fluctuations. If the GBP, USD or whatever fall to levels where person A can't meet the financial requirements (based on those in effect for first extension), then no extension will be granted.
Unfortunately, this won't work with exchange rate fluctuations. If the GBP, USD or whatever fall to levels where person A can't meet the financial requirements (based on those in effect for first extension), then no extension will be granted.
IMHO I think he's screwed, Sarge. Bureaucracy doesn't care. If the rule says 800 and not 720, his past 6 years mean nothing. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
He should see a good divorce lawyer Sarge!!
Seriously though its a sh!tty deal if you got refused by 50k Baht because of a serious currency fluctuation the week before.
Would they show some leniency and be decent enough (Buksi no need to reply
) to allow you a bank top-up of said amount even if not in your book for the 3 months ?
The obvious thing to do is to have some bunce in your bank but how far do you go, exchange rates can go mad.
They don't seem to increase the 800k in line with inflation every year either, which is a bit of help.
SJ
Seriously though its a sh!tty deal if you got refused by 50k Baht because of a serious currency fluctuation the week before.
Would they show some leniency and be decent enough (Buksi no need to reply
) to allow you a bank top-up of said amount even if not in your book for the 3 months ?The obvious thing to do is to have some bunce in your bank but how far do you go, exchange rates can go mad.
They don't seem to increase the 800k in line with inflation every year either, which is a bit of help.
SJ
SJ what you say is the very point i am making it would be a shitty deal if the pound drops to 52.35 i dont make the 800K
I am ok though because i am married so i would just change to a marriage visa
I did ask the question at my last 90 day i wont put the imm officers answer on here i will wait and see what a few more people think so far it seems bye bye is the majority view
I am ok though because i am married so i would just change to a marriage visa
I did ask the question at my last 90 day i wont put the imm officers answer on here i will wait and see what a few more people think so far it seems bye bye is the majority view
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand
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Wanderlust
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sarge,
I wouldn't have thought that immigration would necessarily stick rigidly to a 'snapshot' exchange rate, as the extensions do cover a year - normally it wouldn't make any difference but in a scenario where it did i would think they would have leeway to use an average over the last 12 months, but perhaps with a warning to the individual to make sure there is more than enough there for the following year. Based on others reports, a plate of cookies wouldn't go amiss either, as a tip rather than a bribe...
I wouldn't have thought that immigration would necessarily stick rigidly to a 'snapshot' exchange rate, as the extensions do cover a year - normally it wouldn't make any difference but in a scenario where it did i would think they would have leeway to use an average over the last 12 months, but perhaps with a warning to the individual to make sure there is more than enough there for the following year. Based on others reports, a plate of cookies wouldn't go amiss either, as a tip rather than a bribe...
As I stated in another thread, I got my extension this week and the imm lady pulled out a calculator to make sure that the pension amount on my Embassy letter did indeed exceed the 65k baht per month, and she used 34 baht to the dollar. I told her that this week I was getting 34.50 but she just said it didn't matter because I qualified using their number.
I think if I hadn't I'd have gotten the boot, except that, like Sarge, I would have been scrambling to change from a retirement to a marriage visa.
I think if I hadn't I'd have gotten the boot, except that, like Sarge, I would have been scrambling to change from a retirement to a marriage visa.
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dtaai-maai
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I don't understand why this is a question. If you need 800k or 400k or however many baht in the bank, or comingt in each month, that's what you need. It isn't Thailand's problem if your currency has gone down the toilet.
Blimey, for once I find myself agreeing with the Thai authorities. That's seriously worrying.
Seriously, though, this isn't a question of the attitude of the Thai authorities. If you have a similar visa/extension in any other country (if they offer them) which is dependent on your income in terms of the currency of the country you are living in, you won't get a sympathetic pat on the back and 'mai bpen rai' if the rate of exchange rate drops through the floor.
Blimey, for once I find myself agreeing with the Thai authorities. That's seriously worrying.
Seriously, though, this isn't a question of the attitude of the Thai authorities. If you have a similar visa/extension in any other country (if they offer them) which is dependent on your income in terms of the currency of the country you are living in, you won't get a sympathetic pat on the back and 'mai bpen rai' if the rate of exchange rate drops through the floor.
This is the way
Can see both sides of it and its not like me to shit on the fence.
Tight to refuse you over 0.05 of a rate equaling 10,000 Baht, but we should allow for it and have spare on the 800k. Plus bearing in mind they don't raise the 800k every year for inflation we're quids in currently.
Time to get the chocolate hobnobs out
SJ
Tight to refuse you over 0.05 of a rate equaling 10,000 Baht, but we should allow for it and have spare on the 800k. Plus bearing in mind they don't raise the 800k every year for inflation we're quids in currently.
Time to get the chocolate hobnobs out
SJ
Last edited by Super Joe on Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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dtaai-maai
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It might also depend on how boy-scouty the immig official is.
Some might well understand that currencies bounce up and down and that 750K is basically 800K and the punter has a good track record and is no risk.
Then again you might draw Sukhole Somchai who wants to impress the office poo yai wth his diligence.
At day's end though I have to agree with dtaai-maai, our currency problems are not their balliwick so make sure you have a cushion which isn't a bad approach to many things anyway.
Some might well understand that currencies bounce up and down and that 750K is basically 800K and the punter has a good track record and is no risk.
Then again you might draw Sukhole Somchai who wants to impress the office poo yai wth his diligence.
At day's end though I have to agree with dtaai-maai, our currency problems are not their balliwick so make sure you have a cushion which isn't a bad approach to many things anyway.
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Guess
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The 800,000 Baht is a guideline for immigration officials, not a hard and fast rule.
The most likely event (after 5 years) would be that the extension would be granted.
Many of you must remember the panic when the amount was increased from 400,000 to 800,000. I heard stories of refusals and people had to find work arounds but I never actually spoke to anybody that it had happened to, so it obviously wasn't the norm.
I have arranged a retirement visa for a guy who was receiving 52,000 Baht per month at 66 Baht to the UK pound.
What they really need to know is that you are self sufficient and that you can live without earning cash on the side illegally. They know this goes on and make efforts to control it.
So don't drive up in a new truck and show papers for a house with rental of 20,000 Baht per month if you are close to or below the 65,000 Baht threshold. And of course the ranting and raving that some people do at immigration, claiming its beyond their control will almost certainly get you a refusal.
The reality is that the larger the concession given, the larger the expected beer voucher will be.
The most likely event (after 5 years) would be that the extension would be granted.
Many of you must remember the panic when the amount was increased from 400,000 to 800,000. I heard stories of refusals and people had to find work arounds but I never actually spoke to anybody that it had happened to, so it obviously wasn't the norm.
I have arranged a retirement visa for a guy who was receiving 52,000 Baht per month at 66 Baht to the UK pound.
What they really need to know is that you are self sufficient and that you can live without earning cash on the side illegally. They know this goes on and make efforts to control it.
So don't drive up in a new truck and show papers for a house with rental of 20,000 Baht per month if you are close to or below the 65,000 Baht threshold. And of course the ranting and raving that some people do at immigration, claiming its beyond their control will almost certainly get you a refusal.
The reality is that the larger the concession given, the larger the expected beer voucher will be.
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