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What are the new requirements for retirement visa extensions in Thailand following the 2019 changes?

Retirement VisaThailand Immigration RulesVisa ExtensionFinancial RequirementsBank BalanceMonthly IncomeImmigration Documents
Feb 12, 2019
6 years ago
John **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I did the one year extension for my retirement visa at Chiang Mai immigration. There are a number of new documents to be signed now regarding penalties for infractions of immigration laws. One document is in Thai and I can only read Thai very slowly.

I had more than 800,000 Baht in my account, so no problem this year. I asked two immigration officers and a visa service employee about the new rules and all three agreed: After March 1st, 2019 you must keep 400,000 Baht in your account at all times. At a minimum of 90 days before you do your next extension you must have a minimum of 800,000 Baht in your account. You cannot use an aggregate of monthly income and bank balance. Only the money in your account counts.

If the rules as I have stated above are not correct, let me know.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion focuses on the new immigration rules for retirement visa extensions in Thailand, effective from March 1st, 2019. Key points include the necessity for a minimum bank balance of 400,000 Baht at all times and a requirement of 800,000 Baht at least 90 days before applying for a visa extension. The combination of bank balance and monthly income is still valid under certain conditions, and there is some debate on interpretation and implementation of these new policies across different immigration offices. Users share personal experiences and clarifications regarding the documents and requirements.
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Tod *********
I think AFTER these changes take effect on the 1st of March things will become clear as more and more people use the new rules AND as more and more immigration officers become familiar with interpreting them and implementing them.

I can't see much good in keeping this open. There are hundreds of pages about these changes on forums related to thailand and we're just re-hashing what we think might happen.

I will also say that even IF you talked to your immigration officer, given Most officers less than hard core grasp of english and most foreigners abysmal grasp of thai there could be a LOT of lost in translation going on.

We'll know a LOT more in 17 days, until then we're done..

Thanx all for the contributions.
6 years ago
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Carl ***********
There's my condo out the window I wanted use the £10.000 to put towards bit now has to stay bank for 12 months! So now have to rent which is dead money so all of its dead money! Lol Thailand
6 years ago
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Tod *********
AFAIK: ONLY the seasoning requirement (money in the bank 2 months BEFORE you apply and for 3 months AFTER you apply) is carried over to the banked money IF you are using the combination method of some banked money and some monthly transfers. BUT I'm sure after March 1st we'll find out exactly how the overly vague and extremely poorly written rule will be interpreted. At this time there seems to be NO consistency with any of the offices
6 years ago
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David **********
@Tod ********
 agreed
6 years ago
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David **********
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John **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thank you everybody for the information. I don't wish to seem dense, but as a for-instance, if I recieve 50,000 baht every month and have 300,000 baht in the bank at all times, I am good. Yes?
6 years ago
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Carl ***********
yes I think thats correct I think its just the ruling of having the 400.000 in bank all year, trying to stop fake 1 year visas, but really cannot see how this will work to stop them?
6 years ago
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Carl ***********
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Tod *********
Next year IF you're using monthly income method (and can't get the affidavit notary anymore) you'd need to transfer a minimum of 65K baht in from abroad each and every month for the previous 12 months BEFORE you're application for extension.
6 years ago
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Carl ***********
is this reduced if you already have capital in the bank? say you have 400,000 in account then you need half of the
*****
? so rules same as before but you have to keep 400,000 in account all year?
6 years ago
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Carl ***********
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Tod *********
They are incorrect as far as saying you can't use the combination method.
6 years ago
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Mike *******
Yes imm officer confirmed with me on friday after renewing ext of stay.in chaing mai.
*****
0 for 2 months before applying.3 months after.and
*****
0 remainder of year.
6 years ago
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Tod *********
You CAN use the combination method.
6 years ago
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David **********
It's interesting, we really need 1m bhat in the bank now, 40k a month living,

They say 400k to be kept in the bank, does that mean they recognise that a single person can actually live on 400k or less, the mind boggles
6 years ago
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David **********
@Patricia *********
 I built My house last year, if the new rules were in effect then, I wouldn't have been able to.

Such is life, onwards and upwards
6 years ago
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Patricia **********
@David *********
 depending on your rent/where you live totally doable...
6 years ago
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Patricia **********
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Tod *********
@John *********
, IF you got your extension already you are NOT affected by the new rules until NEXT year.

The new rule state that IF you're using banked money you need the money in the account for 2 months before you apply for your extension, AND for 3 months AFTER you applied for it. AND your balance cannot go below 400K baht during the rest of the year.
6 years ago
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Carl ***********
So can it still be a combination of income and money in bank?
6 years ago
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Tod *********
yes you can use the combination method BUT your banked money needs to be seasoned the same amount of time as if you were using all banked money.
6 years ago
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Tod *********
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Richard *******
I thought the new ruling was 60 days before and 90 days after for the 800,000 banked money ??
6 years ago
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Richard *******
@Tod ********
 Correct.
6 years ago
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Tod *********
The new rule comes into effect on March 1st.
6 years ago
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Tod *********
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Robert *******
The police order coming into effect 1 march 2019 mention: OR 60 days prior application date till 90 days after application date a minimum of 800.000 Thb in your Thai bank and the rest of the year not less than 400.000 Thb. OR a monthly foreign deposit of 65.000 Thb into your Thai bank account for the last 12 months. OR monthly deposits into your Thai bank of where the smallest deposit during the last 12 months is multiplied by 12 together with your banked money, 60 days before till 90 days after of where the combination is minimum 800.000 Thb. But we have to see how different Immigration Offices are going to implement this.
6 years ago
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Patricia **********
@John *********
 WOW makes no sense!
6 years ago
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Tod *********
@John *********
 the ONLY document you can provide the immigration office to show you get monthly income is the affidavit of income from abroad notary from your consulate here in thailand.

IF you are from one of the 4 consulates that stopped issuing them (or were from a consulate that never issued them) the ONLY avenue you have if you want to use monthly income as the method of funds for your yearly extension is the 65K baht per month international transfers in to your thai bank account from abroad every month for the next 12 months.
6 years ago
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John **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
My consulate recognizes it, but no affidavit.
6 years ago
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Patricia **********
@John *********
 so you get an official government document and your embassy does not recognize it?
6 years ago
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Tod *********
@John *********
 Your social security statement is worthless here. You need either 800K baht banked OR international transfers from abroad into a thai bank account in excess of 65K baht a month EACH month for a full year before you apply for your next extension
6 years ago
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John **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
By what you have outlined above, the 12 months of deposits in the bank book is as good as the affidavit. I showed my U.S. Social Security statement, which is an official government document showing what the monthly income is, the officer kept a copy and said she would discuss it with her superiors.
6 years ago
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Robert *******
@Daniel ***********
 I believe with you, for all those others the income affidavit is enough as proof of income. We have to wait and see.
6 years ago
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George *************
Only four: UK, US, Australia, and Denmark, unless you know of another.
6 years ago
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Daniel ************
@Robert ******
 some consulates still issue affidavit of monthly income (only consulates of 5 countries have stopped doing so). In that case, I believe you do not need to show your bank book or any bank letter. Do you agree?
6 years ago
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Daniel ************
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Robert *******
The three "new" documents you can find in the Files section of this group named 3forms.pdf, if you want to read them again. It is not new but not all Immigration Offices let everybody sign these in the past.
6 years ago
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Robert *******
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