CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION RULES FOR EXTENSIONS:
Since the beginning of the year there have been some significant changes to a few things visa/extension related..
So let's re-cap them
*As of the 7th of January the consulates of FOUR countries (Australia, Denmark, USA & UK) have stopped providing affidavits of income from abroad notary letters for people to use when using monthly income for proof of funds on extensions of stays which allow it (marriage, retirement, raising half thai children).
*The Police Order concerning monthly income method of funds was amended and is as follows
You must transfer in from abroad the minimum required amount (40K baht for marriage/children & 65K baht for retirement) EVERY month for the previous 12 months before you apply for your extension.
*The combination method of showing proof of funds for extensions based on retirement is still a valid option BUT they will take the month with the least amount transferred in to thailand and use that times 12 to get an 'average' transfer amount. The rest must be banked and the seasoning requirements still are in place.
*There is a supplemental police order which states in view of this policy change there will be leniency granted on people unable to show 12 months of incoming transfers BUT no one knows WHAT that actually means or how lenient they will be.
*There is a set of changes which will come into effect on March 1st. They are in regards to using banked money for an extension of stay based on retirement.
*It states the 800K baht must be in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months prior to you applying for your extension of stay AND for 3 months AFTER the extension application. It also states that at no time during the year can the balance of the account go below 400K baht.
*There is some conjecture given the incredible amount of blow back to these changes for banked money that they will either be amended or not implemented. BUT as of now they ARE set to take effect March 1st.
TLDR : Answer Summary
Recent changes to immigration rules in Thailand include the discontinuation of foreign income affidavits from consulates of Australia, Denmark, the USA, and the UK for visa extension proof of funds. Applicants must now show a minimum monthly transfer from abroad for the previous year—40,000 baht for marriage or raising Thai children, and 65,000 baht for retirement. There are subsequent changes effective March 1st regarding the requirement for maintaining a minimum bank balance in a Thai account for retirement extensions, indicating potential leniency but lacking clarity on the extent.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
