What are the new requirements for the retirement visa in Thailand after March 1st?

Vladimir Thode Please do not post that link again, it is a commercial website and full of incorrect information.

@Gary **************

I can't seem to find the damn thing, can u send it to me on messenger?

@Sammy ******

That was all just b/s grandstanding for the press (being the press hound that he is) BUT they have already had a 10 year retirement visa for people from 15 countries.

It's called the Non-Immigrant Type O-X visa and you get it at a thai consulate in your country before you come here OR from a thai immigration office inside the country. It requires 3 MILLION baht on deposit, a police background check, a medical certificate and mandatory health insurance.

@Tod ********

it definitely seems that way--- any new info on news article i read recently where "Big Joke" said he was reforming visas and would offer new 10 year retirement visa and do away with 90 day reports?? (and said all this done within a matter of months).

Chiang Mai is a kingdom unto itself. They have been hard on people with the consulate letters for a while demanding support documentation (which they have a right to ask for) BUT they sometimes go overboard with their 'requests'..

@Tod ********

wow, sorry to hear that, they sure as hell keep u guessing!!

@Tod ********

i understand and have read this in a number of places. it would have been nice had they accepted it at face value, but....

@Sammy ******

at least in Bangkok IF your consulate still offers the affidavit of income from abroad you CANNOT use monthly incoming transfers to show proof of funds. you HAVE to use the consulate notary. There are reports of people who tried and were denied their extension even though they had 12 months of incoming transfers because their embassy still issued the letters and they didn't have one.

if ur consulate still offers them, I guess it never hurts-- my agent added mine to all the documentation but told me it was really not necessary as I had bank statements, bank letter and bank book, all documenting the international transfers each month of more than the 65,000.

@Sammy ******

Chiang Mai has always been rabid about the support documentation when using affidavits of income from abroad from the consulates. It's one of the few immigration offices that don't accept them at face value.

@Gary **************

, thai consulates are in other countries and they sell VISA

You're talking about thai immigration offices which are all INSIDE the country and these changes that are going to take effect are the first changes to the extension rules since 2014 :O

@Tod ********

i believe that's correct, but even though my own visa agent told me to get one of the last income affidavit letters from the US consulate, as they were to be accrpted as before, for the next six months, I got one. It turned out it was of no real help as CM immigration wanted ALL the supporting documentation anyway-- bank statements, bank letter, bank book, etc-- NONE of which was required before when I could present the income affidavit. but, for me, I was just happy that I had all the documentation and got my 1 year extension.

@Gary **************

yep, they still issue them.

GET one !!!

There are more than a few reports that monthly incoming deposits are NOT enough IF your consulate still issues the embassy letter.

@Gary **************

unless I'm wrong last year they did not accept any documentation about incoming transfers they ONLY accepted the embassy notary letters (they might have asked for bank statements because chiang mai is like that BUT it was the embassy letter that cut the ice with them NOT the transfers)

I understand that, and had misread then, thinking he was going to get his earlier, but it still sounds as if he can verify the min. 65 000 per month

@Sammy ******

while I appreciate your offer to help the O/P you have to realize that you getting a yearly extension BEFORE the new changes take effect has nothing to do with them getting a yearly extension AFTER the first of March :(

@Gary **************

hold the thanx for now and let's see IF the immigration office interprets the rules the same way :O

It's one of the reason I mentioned stopping by and asking.

NO ONE has a clue how it is really gonna play out after the first of March.

Gary, I just completed mine at the beginning of this month and it went just as Tod explained. Anything i can answer, just ask.

@Gary **************

but you said you are using the monthly income method NOT banked money. It is one or the other NOT both.

Starting March 1st, the banked money method changes are

you bank 800K baht in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you apply for your extension of stay AND for 3 months after you apply for the extension plus the balance of the account cannot fall below 400K baht for the rest of the year. :O

The internet (related to thailand) is FULL of threads on forums and in groups about the changes that were announced.

They do NOT affect you IF you're using monthly income method. <- that was changed when the 4 consulates stopped issuing income affidavits at the end of last year, to be where you show monthly international transfers into your thai bank account for a minimum of 65K baht a month EVERY month for the previous 12 months.

There is also a directive stating that for this first year (when they went from the embassy letter to monthly transfers) the immigration office will be lenient (as in not require a full 12 months of transfers in).

I'd say one more time, GO to the immigration office, get the hand out and see what's required as far as documentation to get your yearly extension.

you are reading it wrong

@Andy *****

, the NEW rules for a yearly extension of stay at the immigration office inside the country state clearly that IF your country no longer provides affidavits of income from abroad AND you want to use monthly income method as proof of funds you need to transfer in from abroad a minimum of 65k baht a month into your thai bank account each and EVERY month for the previous 12 months prior to you applying for your yearly extension of stay.

The way i've read it

@Tod ********

its 65k monthly into your home bank, not necessarily a thai bank, OR 800k lump sum ?

@Gary **************

what ever, all I can say is she gave you piss poor information this year.