U.S. Embassy to stop providing income letters Jan 01, 2019

[Jing Jing]

The US Embassy needs to talk to their boss.. Secretary of State

The U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications issues both apostilles and authentication certificates. If you need U.S. Department of State documents to be authenticated, please refer to the Office of Vital Records.

In accordance with 22 CFR, Part 131, the Office of Authentications provides signed certificates of authenticity for a variety of documents to individuals, institutions, and government agencies. Examples of documents that may require authentication for use abroad include:

company bylaws
powers of attorney
trademarks
diplomas
treaties
warrants
extraditions
agreements
certificates of good standing
courier letters

So why can’t the State Department certify all SS, VA and FERS income statements?

[FrazeeDK]

go to the Consular Outreach next Wednesday and ask them.. I imagine they've got a canned answer that's been approved... But, even if you brought in a FERS annituant pay printout how would they know it was actually genuine? On top of that the Thai Immigration policies currently ask for a Income Verification Letter. Would they be amenable to accepting Bank Statements, Pension Statements, and a multitude of other income documents that, if you could get the Embassy involved at all would likely be Notarized as a "True Copy.."

[ladda3904]

My thought on this regards copies. Why do they have to accept copies? Why can't they ask for and receive the original documents? I don't know about VA or Government pensions, however Social Security sends a statement every year. Bring the original statement and get a verification of income. They could even ask to see the envelope it was received in if they felt it necessary. Obviously any 'copy' carries with it the chance of foul play. This may at least help some. It could also be a little perk for Vets who served here many years ago, married Thais and returned after retirement.

[tutone]

The way I see it is the only way one will know what evidence or documents immigration will accept to verify monthly income for an extension of stay is to ask immigration. Who out there is currently using proof of income other than an income affidavit from the U.S. embassy? What documents/evidence are you currently providing to immigration in order to qualify for an extension?

[RLTrader]

My thought on this regards copies. Why do they have to accept copies? Why can't they ask for and receive the original documents? I don't know about VA or Government pensions, however Social Security sends a statement every year. Bring the original statement and get a verification of income. They could even ask to see the envelope it was received in if they felt it necessary. Obviously any 'copy' carries with it the chance of foul play. This may at least help some. It could also be a little perk for Vets who served here many years ago, married Thais and returned after retirement.

Hmm, seems to me Every form of income sends year end statements, including any Bank account, with copies sent to IRS. So it would be very easy for State Department to verify income.
Therefore

The U.S. government cannot provide this verification

is beyond misleading.

[semperfiguy]

My thought on this regards copies. Why do they have to accept copies? Why can't they ask for and receive the original documents? I don't know about VA or Government pensions, however Social Security sends a statement every year. Bring the original statement and get a verification of income. They could even ask to see the envelope it was received in if they felt it necessary. Obviously any 'copy' carries with it the chance of foul play. This may at least help some. It could also be a little perk for Vets who served here many years ago, married Thais and returned after retirement.

All Americans that receive Social Security benefits are able to register for an online account. There is a link there to be able to print out a letter which verifies the amount of monthly benefit that is sent to the recipient of those benefits. One should be able to walk into the Udon Immigration Office and pull up that link on his cell phone to show it to the officer while presenting a printed copy of the letter for the records. I can't think of a better way to confirm a copy than to see it actually posted on the official Social Security website. Now if we could just get those shallow thinking people at Immigration to consider that approach, many of us would be home free with no more worries.

[FrazeeDK]

so, how far would the Immigration authorities be asked to go? Pull up your bank account info? A company site with access to your monthly pension statement? All in different languages? Different currencies? Nah, Immigration will stick with people showing their bank letter and bank book for the 400 or 800 thousand required funds.. Not to worry though, you can bet they'll be unscrupulous visa brokers that will lend that required sum of money for the mandated time frame "in the bank"..

[Barney]

Do not usually enter immigration threads but want to throw a question out there for my information,

Can the 65,000 bht or some amount part thereof that is required a month come from a source from investments within Thailand, say from money invested though an International bank with the account based in the Thailand branch?
Any one investigated this?

[sometimewoodworker]

Do not usually enter immigration threads but want to throw a question out there for my information,

Can the 65,000 bht or some amount part thereof that is required a month come from a source from investments within Thailand, say from money invested though an International bank with the account based in the Thailand branch?
Any one investigated this?

The short answer is no, at the moment.


There is no official word from Udon I. O. on any acceptable proof of income for the nationalities where the embassy has stopped, or will stop, providing letters/affidavits.

So at present, unless you fancy being a guinea pig, the only certain method is 400k, 2 months, married or 800k 3 months, retired.

Though if you need to renew up until July (possibly even Aug.) next year you can still use the letter/affidavit you get this year and get it as late as possible as it is valid for 6 months and needs to be valid on the day you apply not the date of your extension.

There has been one report at a different immigration office of an extension using income without an embassy letter/affidavit, nothing official from Udon

[Giggle]

a ginny pig

Guinea.

Just put the money in a Thai account. That's what they want -- without having to say it. They want a guarantee -- something tangible they can access immediately.

[parrot]

Someone recently posted on this thread holding out for a better exchange rate (dollar/baht). That could very well happen......or not:

[JimboPSM]

Someone recently posted on this thread holding out for a better exchange rate (dollar/baht). That could very well happen......or not:

It’s not exactly rocket science, the medium to long term fall of the USD became written in tablets of stone as soon as the “winning” tax cuts package was passed (thus ensuring that the future performance of the USD would be somewhat similar to that between 2001 and 2008).

Those who are familiar with Greek and Roman history will recall that there is a term for that kind of “winning” – a Pyrrhic victory.

What should be of concern to many members with a USD asset base (e.g. US pensions, US investments, US savings) is that, ceteris paribus, the result of that medium to long term fall in the USD is a high probability that the USD/THB rate will have fallen to 25 (ish) by 2024.

A fall of such magnitude would mean that by 2024 the annual 800,000 THB requirement would then have risen to the equivalent of 32,000 USD.

.

[Barney]

a ginny pig

Guinea.

Just put the money in a Thai account. That's what they want -- without having to say it. They want a guarantee -- something tangible they can access immediately.

I certainly don't intend to be a guinea piglet.
Yes giggles having the cash money deposited in the bank has been one of the 3 immigration scenarios as a pre-requisite of the visa for many a year, well deduced sherlock.
You do seem however obsessed with advising all and sundry at every opportunity that the Thai govt just wants our cash. No new revelation there old mate.
My actual query which may have been confused with the large cash deposit required is about the monthly income, maybe I was thinking to far out of the box, I referred to the alternative to 800K or 400K cash in the bank, just being the monthly income of 65,000 or a top up to that amount. Of course due diligence would have to be done on the security of such investment against the possibility of losing that money. The Thais, like most other economies do want investment in their country.
Here the scenario, If I were to invest in a Thai bank account, with an international bank not a Thai bank, I have citibank accounts in 3 countries including Thailand, all of which including Thai Citibank offer investments, example being bonds in foreign banks etc. So my query was purely hypothetical, if I received in my Thai investment account say 20,000 bht or any other amount up to 65,000 as a return on the investment each month would that in some way count as all or part of the 65,000. Therefore not relying on money being sent from outside Thailand and having to be certified by an embassy.
Just thought some one may have gone down this road. No worries I will inquire with immigration when the time comes.