Some Bangkok Embassies to stop Certification of Income Letters

[HHTel]

Agree entirely, BB. I know several Americans who even brag about how easy it is. On the other forum, the Americans have been openly laughing at the Brits and the actions of our Embassy. Many suggesting that the BE should go the same route as the US.

They're not laughing today.

In a way it does vindicate the British Embassy. They were right all along.

I've been using the income route for many years. I hate having to tie up 800K with virtually no return but it seems it's the only way that we know will be accepted.

[Big Boy]

Or just 400,000 if you go the marriage route.

I fear for those who are not married, or can't show the money. Will they have to go home? If they do, local economies could be affected.

I'm sure the Thais will announce an alternative. We'll know what is required by March. I'm still of the opinion the Thais didn't see this one coming either - even if they did initiate it.

[Edit] To me it sounds like a typical, "Make it so." command from a General. He must be right because he's a general, but has not thought through the consequences. There will be Civil Servants now busily trying to sort his mess out.

[PeteC]

If American you can start to draw retirement benefits as young as 62. Normal threshold now I think is around 67 for your full benefit. It's very clear and in black and white on an official Gov statement yearly what you are getting. You can't fake those things and actually more secure and certain than any un-verified embassy letter.

The problem is that many don't hit the 65,000 baht threshold. It depends upon how long you've worked, what your salary/contributions/employer contributions have been etc., over your working life, and any other non-Gov, private supplemental retirement benefit you may have.

I started contributing when 14 (part time) and stopped at 65. My benefit is about 90 per month and will stay that way until death. It's very sad that something as sure as this and as easily verifiable as this doesn't count because these people don't have systems in place to handle it, but of course we know they want your 800,000 cash sitting in their banks so they can profit from it.

I've said before, saddle overseas Thais with these restrictions in any other country and there will be a diplomatic uproar heard around the world. By god I wish they would do it though and stick their nose in it. Pete

[migrant]

As a Yank it was always so easy, but times they are a changing. Like HHTel I didn't want to tie the money up here, but oh well.

[Big Boy]

Likewise Pete, I and several others on here have a UK Civil Service pension. This too is very clear and in black and white on an official Gov statement yearly what you are getting. However, since this happened, I have been thinking about it, and I think, with modern technology, would not be too hard to fake.

[PeteC]

Yes, or course. Go with me to Khao san road and we can get the original Magna Carta!

If there's a will, there's always a way though, be it a 2 step verification direct with Immigration or whatever. There doesn't appear to be any will to be helpful on their part though so far to overcome the problem.

With the hordes of Chinese tourists perhaps they really don't care or want to take the time being helpful to foreign retirees. Perhaps our "contributions" are becoming meaningless or so small it doesn't matter to them.

Let's see what the future brings. Maybe we'll be surprised and they'll announce a reasonable alternative. Nahhhhhh, wishful thinking.

[Nereus]

It is probably beyond Immigrations mental capacity, but some concession should be made if you can prove that you own property here, either by a legal marriage, Condo, or even via a company. The company ownership threat seems to have faded away, but there must still be a number of Farangs that are still using that for ownership. How do they prove their income, given that they are obliged to file a tax return?

[Chazz14]

I'm making the assumption that Thai Immigration became annoyed that the BE in Bkk told them (at a meeting back in May) that they couldn't verify that the pension letters were genuine. TI's response was typically Thai i.e. act now, think later. No thought has been given to the Thai wives/partners and their children who will be left behind if the men have to leave.

I'm hoping that my bank book showing my monthly pension payment from the UK will be acceptable (my pensions/savings split is about 50/50)... If not, I'll be joining the queue at Suvarnarnbhumi.

Has anyone found anything on Twitter about this issue. Is there a hashtag?

I've asked Mrs C to talk about this on FB and Line and to inform the local villagers of what has happened. It certainly won't do any harm to get this story into the Thai language media...

[laphanphon]

Likewise Pete, I and several others on here have a UK Civil Service pension. This too is very clear and in black and white on an official Gov statement yearly what you are getting. However, since this happened, I have been thinking about it, and I think, with modern technology, would not be too hard to fake.

I would think it would be quite hard to fake a USA Embassy notary stamp. Certainly not impossible, but harder to fake than a letter from the Thai bank.

As others, my Soc Sec and Pension payments are deposited and statements given at the end of the year, so easily verifiable, so not seeing why they are saying, income can't be verified.

[Big Boy]

I've not seen a USA Embassy notary stamp, so can't comment. Certainly my documentation from the UK would be relatively easy to fake. However, I agree a letter from a Thai Bank would be just as easy.

I think it is very possible to verify pensions etc, but it would be labour and time intensive, and the cost makes it not feasible.

[HHTel]

Forging a letter from a Thai bank would be a little pointless. One phone call from the IO would prove whether real or not.
It's been suggested that a P60 from the UK is proof of income. But that will only work if your income is made in the UK. I have one pension that is paid from Gibraltar and another from the Isle of Man. Neither would appear on a P60.

I suppose I'd better sell a couple of shares ready for next year.

[Big Boy]

We've just got to learn from the poor guinea pigs who renew in the first few months of next year. It's only then that we will know the answers.

[Nereus]

I've not seen a USA Embassy notary stamp, so can't comment. Certainly my documentation from the UK would be relatively easy to fake. However, I agree a letter from a Thai Bank would be just as easy.
I think it is very possible to verify pensions etc, but it would be labour and time intensive, and the cost makes it not feasible.

But it is not just a matter of a letter from a Thai Bank. It has to supported by a Thai Bank book, and faking that would be a much bigger challenge. The books have your signature that only shows up under ultra - violet light, plus the paper has a watermark that would be difficult to fake.

[Big Boy]

Whatever, we're still to hear from the Thai authorities what they will accept. Everything we're hearing is guesswork to date. There have been so many guesses, somebody will have been right, but a lot more will have been wrong.

All that we can do is wait.

[laphanphon]

I've not seen a USA Embassy notary stamp, so can't comment. Certainly my documentation from the UK would be relatively easy to fake. However, I agree a letter from a Thai Bank would be just as easy.

I think it is very possible to verify pensions etc, but it would be labour and time intensive, and the cost makes it not feasible.

US embassy letters use an embossed stamp, so quite hard to fake. Doubt very much if IO check the authenticity of any bank letters. Simply a basic statement, on bank letterhead. Can't get any easier to fake that.

I can sit there in front of IO, or my embassy, and pull up my USA bank account online, and show 'live', my monthly deposits from SS and pension. No work involved.

For $50 USD notary fee, simply looking at my phone screen wouldn't put them out too much. Now that they actually have to do something for the $50 bucks, they falsely state, they can't.

Another useless bureaucrat.