Thailand Retirement Visa New Policy

I visited the immigration office at the Udon Thani airport today for my 90 days report! The officers were very helpfully and also give me advice about other issues. They looked at my 1 year visa and told me what papers I needed to renew it the next time, and they say something I'd like to share whith you on the forum:

IF YOU SHARE ACCOUNT WITH YOUR WIFE YOU MUST DOUBLE THE MONEY AND HAVE 1.6M BAHT!

It looks like that's the policy about money in account even if theres no policy about that in the law what i can see?
Anyway - that;s the policy.............in Udon....you must have 1,6 mil in account if you share it whit your wife!

regards
kjell

Hi,
Went into this recently with Udon imm. Tired of doing the 90 days runs and there costs. I have pensions, paid in Britain, of approx 830,000B at today's exchange rate. 49B to 1GBP. When is it going to get better. Would not keep any money in LOS as poor interest rates here. You do not even have to have a bank account here. Just proof of monies you are getting, from your own country. I got my proof from the British Embassy in BKK, with the amount of Stirling I was receiving per annum from my pensions. Believe it or not when I showed the letter to immigration they asked me what was the exchange rate for GBP. I share a account with the wife in LOS and did not even have to show this, and if asked for, I would just tell them I do not have a Thai bank account. Just the amount my own country was paying me in pensions to my home bank, as stated by the B.E.. Having a Thai bank account is not a necessity, to get a retirement, or marriage visa.
If any troubles with a retirement visa, and you are married to a Thai. citizen then the amount you need for a marriage visa is only 400,000B. In my meetings with immigration I found they would rather do a visa for retirement, if you are of that age e.g. 50, and have a income of 800,000B, than a marriage visa. To much work the other way. If you do not meet there needs for a retirement visa.they will do a marriage visa, as I said before 400,000B income p.a.
This is been my experience with Imm.

IF YOU SHARE ACCOUNT WITH YOUR WIFE YOU MUST DOUBLE THE MONEY AND HAVE 1.6M BAHT!

It looks like that's the policy about money in account even if theres no policy about that in the law what i can see?

It has always been the policy that the account should be in your name, that has not changed. So nothing new really you are just highlighting a fact that many foreigners would not have a joint account with their wife Thai or otherwise, especially if it was requirement, so that visa proceedure would be painless as it were.

Thank you fore thisinformation - by theway...last year i was renewingmy vis in Nongkai imigration and show the same account.....have the same money, account in both names.........have no problem!

What i found intresting is .......i live whit my thai wife and of cause, that includes we have a commen economi, then i must have 1,6 in my account but...........if i make a marriedvisa.........i only have to show 400..........watsthe sens about that then???????????????????

Are your mariage official registreited or is it only with monks?
Whit paper 400,000 on a SAVING account in your name will do.

kjellsnell wrote:Thank you fore thisinformation - by theway...last year i was renewingmy vis in Nongkai imigration and show the same account.....have the same money, account in both names.........have no problem!

What i found intresting is .......i live whit my thai wife and of cause, that includes we have a commen economi, then i must have 1,6 in my account but...........if i make a marriedvisa.........i only have to show 400..........watsthe sens about that then???????????????????

Apparently, Udon immigration is operating by their interpretation of the rules. Anyway, if you prefer having the extension based on retirement, then open another account in your name only. You can always transfer funds to your joint account and then top off your other account as needed when it comes time for renewal, at least 3 months before.

Actually I had to do the same thing with Nong Khai. But, I have a so called retirement visa not marriage. i have always been discouraged from getting a marriage visa at Nong Khai. Paperwork may be part of the problem and the fact it goes through Bangkok.

The advantage to you is if something happens to the marriage you are not required to apply for a new visa.

When I went to Nong Khai for my marriage extension I tried to change from income to money in the bank. I showed the bank letter and passboook with more than the necessary amount of money and time in the account. They wouldn't accept it because it was a joint account. I was told it had to be an account in my name only. So did it on income again.

When I go to Udon this year I'll have it in an account with my name only and see what happens.

If you have the income letter,then it is much simpler process!No bank book or letter from the bank needed!Why would you use the bank deposit and letter?

Years ago the marriage visa requirement was 200K,I had a retirement visa at the time but was married.When I heard they were increasing the amount needed to 400K,I tried to change from retired to marriage and was told,impressly,''No NO,they don't like that,you already have a visa''.This was in Bangkok and there was only one guy to talk to so I didn't pursue it farther!

My real reasoning was that I was afraid they were going to raise the retirement amount also(which they didn't) and I wanted to ge grandfathered under the 200K marriage requirement!

Now I see why they were so emphatic about me not changing!It creates much more work for them to process the marriage visa!And we know how they ''love'' work!

If you have the income letter,then it is much simpler process!No bank book or letter from the bank needed!Why would you use the bank deposit and letter?

Wrong. For marriage extension (income, not deposit) they require the embassy letter for proof of income AND bank passbook (all pages from the past year) AND a certified letter from the bank (300B) showing all deposits (all originals and two duplicates).

What's excruciatingly baffling in Udon Expat's case is that in order to grant him an extension on the basis of supporting his Thai wife, they prohibit his deposits from being held in a joint account ... yeah~

Texpat wrote:

If you have the income letter,then it is much simpler process!No bank book or letter from the bank needed!Why would you use the bank deposit and letter?

Wrong. For marriage extension (income, not deposit) they require the embassy letter for proof of income AND bank passbook (all pages from the past year) AND a certified letter from the bank (300B) showing all deposits (all originals and two duplicates).

What's excruciatingly baffling in Udon Expat's case is that in order to grant him an extension on the basis of supporting his Thai wife, they prohibit his deposits from being held in a joint account ... yeah~

How could someone who arrives in Thailand with his Thai wife and wants to apply for the extension on basis of being married for the very first time - after two months he has stayed on basis of his non immi -o- visa - show these documents, if he hadn`t owned a bank account before?

10. Evidence showing financial position of aliens only.

Evidence showing the income of an alien. Not less than 40.000 baht before.

Or.

Evidence showing bank deposits in Thailand on behalf of an alien.

Not less than 400,000 baht.

An evidence of the requested income can be money from abroad being transferred into an account which is in the applicants name only or/and a letter of income from the applicants embassy.

Flo wrote:How could someone who arrives in Thailand with his Thai wife and wants to apply for the extension on basis of being married for the very first time - after two months he has stayed on basis of his non immi -o- visa - show these documents, if he hadn`t owned a bank account before?

If you using monthly income, only have to show bank documentation with the initial 40K deposit and Letter from Embassy.

If using annual you have to have deposit 400K 2 months prior to applying.

papaguido wrote:

Flo wrote:How could someone who arrives in Thailand with his Thai wife and wants to apply for the extension on basis of being married for the very first time - after two months he has stayed on basis of his non immi -o- visa - show these documents, if he hadn`t owned a bank account before?

If you using monthly income, only have to show bank documentation with the initial 40K deposit and Letter from Embassy.

If using annual you have to have deposit 400K 2 months prior to applying.

Thank`s for the info! It seems that the immigration is following the requirements on a case to case basis as there are foreigners in Udon who never had to show a bank book if they had their income letter from the embassy proofing the 40.000 THB/month. Would be interesting to know their criteria for being stricter. Maybe a question of sympathy?

It does make you wonder why they require proof of pension if you also have to show you've made the required monthly deposits. The proof should be in the pudding. If you can deposit the required amount, of what use is a self-declared letter saying you have a pension?

What if you have rich parents and are easily able to meet the requirement -- double or triple it even... but have no pension?

Texpat wrote:It does make you wonder why they require proof of pension if you also have to show you've made the required monthly deposits. The proof should be in the pudding. If you can deposit the required amount, of what use is a self-declared letter saying you have a pension?

What if you have rich parents and are easily able to meet the requirement -- double or triple it even... but have no pension?

Aah, there might be one reason! You Americans get the letter of income by declaring at your embassy that you have this kind of monthly income and that was it. If it is true or not - nobody ever checks it. The Germans get the income letter only if they show their tax declaration from their tax department so the income letter from the embassy proves that the money has been taxed in Germany.Nobody can cheat with this procedure!

Edit:

Sorry that wasn`t referring to what you said. Isn`t the requirement that you have to prove income of 40.000 generated abroad and not necessarily a pension? So a self-declared letter of income actually doesn`t prove a lot, even if it is stamped by the embassy. I guess that in cases where the income letter isn`t sufficient enough proving the income or pension they also want to see the money arriving in Thailand on a Thai bank account.