gotlost
Kap Chong R Us Member
A few ???bnaughtyChokdee5
KCI requirinng more than letter from embassey.
- Thread starter gotlost
- Start date
A few ???bnaughtyChokdee5
nomad97
Resident Geek
Mr Moderator, I do understand all too well the need for discretion. And for sure if I do not fully understand a non-native English speaker will have no chance at all. That said, when Coffee is listening to the Beetles and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds before writing on here none of us has any chance at all at comprehending his thoughts.
ThumbUp6Crazy1
ThumbUp6Crazy1
CO-CO
Rather wrinkly & occasionally cantankerous member
It is OK, because you post as Moderator, they won't know who you are Dave.
Don't tell him your name Pike! LMAO1
gotlost
Kap Chong R Us Member
J
johnb
Guest
Thanks, GL. That is reassuring for those of us, me included, with our 800k in a fixed account. My extension is next month so we shall see!
J
johnb
Guest
Colin, you still have time to move your 800k from fixed to savings, not a solution available to me because of the "seasoning time".
I shall go with full details of my savings account showing transfers into Thailand from UK and regular outgoings and hope for the best.
Ivor the Engine
Nowhere man
A bottle of Regency usually helps too! LOL
mango 2 you 2
Surin Legend
This is exactly what you should not do....paving their way...please dont
Ok i know you must be joking.
nomad97
Resident Geek
Supporting documentation for visa extension:
If you need to obtain a bank statement for the year for your account from Bangkok Bank please be advised it will take 3 to 4 working days and cost you 200 THB. I know, I tried this morning! Paid the 200 THB and told to come back next week. The letter from the Bank Manager confirming the balance on your account is another 200 THB although they can do that there and then. The cost of a bank draft (to pay the Embassy) is a modest 10 THB and done on the spot also.
The cost to obtain a letter from the British Embassy is now 2,820 THB, up from 2,420 THB last year. It's actually £45 for the letter but they are using an exchange rate of 56 THB to the £ - thieving bar stewards. The total includes another 200 THB admin charge to cash the bank draft and 100 THB for return postage. No problem putting up Embassy charges year after year but cannot provide any index linking to our Old Age State Pension. Frozen in time throughout eternity from the date it is first drawn.
Don't forget a set of new passport photos at 100 THB for a set of 6 and the cost of EMS to post the package to the British Embassy in Bangkok.
The documentation required to support the application for a visa extension now exceeds well over 3,000 THB.
In comparison, the cost of the visa extension at 1,900 THB is cheap at nearly half the price.
If you need to obtain a bank statement for the year for your account from Bangkok Bank please be advised it will take 3 to 4 working days and cost you 200 THB. I know, I tried this morning! Paid the 200 THB and told to come back next week. The letter from the Bank Manager confirming the balance on your account is another 200 THB although they can do that there and then. The cost of a bank draft (to pay the Embassy) is a modest 10 THB and done on the spot also.
The cost to obtain a letter from the British Embassy is now 2,820 THB, up from 2,420 THB last year. It's actually £45 for the letter but they are using an exchange rate of 56 THB to the £ - thieving bar stewards. The total includes another 200 THB admin charge to cash the bank draft and 100 THB for return postage. No problem putting up Embassy charges year after year but cannot provide any index linking to our Old Age State Pension. Frozen in time throughout eternity from the date it is first drawn.
Don't forget a set of new passport photos at 100 THB for a set of 6 and the cost of EMS to post the package to the British Embassy in Bangkok.
The documentation required to support the application for a visa extension now exceeds well over 3,000 THB.
In comparison, the cost of the visa extension at 1,900 THB is cheap at nearly half the price.
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A
AussieBill
Guest
Considering that an Embassy letter can be obtained up to 6 months prior to an application for Extension, does the same timeline apply to any supporting bank statements?
CO-CO
Rather wrinkly & occasionally cantankerous member
If I may so bold Bill, you are in error asking a direct question. A direct answer does not exist in Thailand!
My contribution, by way of best guess, is that they simply want to tick a box that says you are spending money in Thailand. If 5 month old Bank statements, or ATM receipts, show that you are withdrawing/transferring to Thailand, say, 50,000 Baht p.m. then they will be satisfied. Maybe....
nomad97
Resident Geek
A few years back KCI had some nicely printed sheets that explained what was required for the different types of visa extension. These were printed on A4 size card. However, I don't think there was anything on there about dates, validity of documentation or bank statements required. Not seen those handouts for a while. Pity really, everyone knew exactly where they stood back then without this new guessing game that has just started.
gotlost
Kap Chong R Us Member
This weeks Stickman's column.
The Immigration Department in Chiang Mai is aware that statutory declarations made by Americans at the US embassy in Bangkok and the consulate in Chiang Mai do NOT verify that the statement made by the citizen is true, rather that the person who claims to have made the statement really is the person who made the statement. "Some Americans (and all other nationalities) get a stat dec from their embassy which states that they have income from abroad that fulfils the required criteria to qualify for a retirement visa. However, there have been a number of cases where it has later transpired that the person doesn't have that level if income at all. This loophole has long been exploited by some retirees and Immigration in Chiang Mai is cracking down. Previously, Immigration accepted the document at face value. Now, however, Americans using this method are asked to show proof that they do actually have such income. A printout of the account will suffice. At present it is only Americans targeted, but one would reasonably expect that all nationalities will be looked at as the practice is certainly not limited to Americans. Of course there is another means of meeting the financial criteria for retirement - showing a local bank account with 800,000+ baht deposited."
http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Bangkok-escorts-interview.htm
The Immigration Department in Chiang Mai is aware that statutory declarations made by Americans at the US embassy in Bangkok and the consulate in Chiang Mai do NOT verify that the statement made by the citizen is true, rather that the person who claims to have made the statement really is the person who made the statement. "Some Americans (and all other nationalities) get a stat dec from their embassy which states that they have income from abroad that fulfils the required criteria to qualify for a retirement visa. However, there have been a number of cases where it has later transpired that the person doesn't have that level if income at all. This loophole has long been exploited by some retirees and Immigration in Chiang Mai is cracking down. Previously, Immigration accepted the document at face value. Now, however, Americans using this method are asked to show proof that they do actually have such income. A printout of the account will suffice. At present it is only Americans targeted, but one would reasonably expect that all nationalities will be looked at as the practice is certainly not limited to Americans. Of course there is another means of meeting the financial criteria for retirement - showing a local bank account with 800,000+ baht deposited."
http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Bangkok-escorts-interview.htm
CO-CO
Rather wrinkly & occasionally cantankerous member
The British embassy (being made of stiff upper lip material) require us Brits to furnish evidence to support the amount we are asking them to certify. Seems a reasonable, and fair, practice.
Not something that our American and Australian cousins have been able to pick up yet.
A
AussieBill
Guest
I presume that those who were later found to be lying on a Statutory Declaration are enjoying jail time in both Thailand and their home countries (following deportation). It is those who try to circumvent the system who make life hard for the rest of us honest folk and I have no sympathy for them.
mango 2 you 2
Surin Legend
The letter from the UK Embassy has changed too, it now reads that the said individual has presented documented proof of the said pension he receives, as stated by that person...words to that effect...
Basically a cop out from them , as they obviously do not contact the trustees for verification...
A waste of money it would appear , as my letter was deemed as fake..by you know who...
Even though i had the Embassy recipt in hand..
Ivor the Engine
Nowhere man
That's terrible. Surely each declaration has an individual reference number on it, so would be simple to verify.
nomad97
Resident Geek
I posted my letter to the Embassy on 27th Nov, it was received by the Embassy on 28th Nov. As of now, 10 days later, I am still waiting for their reply. I guess it will be time to get on the telephone if I do not get my letter later today.