If you are not totally legit, I hope you are denied.

@Graham *****

I'm sure I'm just another one. I just have my experience. 555.

PS: no letter would have been required had I set up a direct deposit of my social security check to a Thai bank. But I send it to Wise due to their high interest paid. Then I transfer it when the baht is weakest against the dollar. I have no need in all of my retirement to end up in Thailand and draw 0.1% interest when it draws 3% or more sitting in Wise.

@Jen ***********

They made me have both in Samut Prakan. I had my USA social security letter, notarized by the US embassy in Bangkok and had 2 years of monthly deposit from my US bank. It didn't fly. I still had to keep my 800,000 baht in the bank for 3 months before my annual renewal of my visa and 3 months after. For the 6 months between, I could let the balance fall to 400,000 baht.

They are stickers for how they interpreted the rules.

Interest!

A level headed & intelligent Thai friend with is usually the answer. But Thailand can be a blast trying to do just about anything. Proof of residency is completely different from the lease agreement. And yes, you have to have the signed copy of the landlord's Thai ID, plus a signed copy of his ownership book (Title). There's definitely more.

Bangkok Bank is strict, but you'll succeed with consistency.

But you have a lot of steps to go.

You really need the Thai person that can translate for you.

It'll happen.

I didn't read all comments, but did you apply and get a retirement visa "before" you left the states.

That's actually #1. Without that, the bank is axed.

Your not volunteering!

Say it again.

Ok, now say, "I'm not working".

Say it again so you don't forget.

Now say, " I'm exercising ".

Good job.

Now go play and have a marvelous day, your safe. 555...

@Stephan **********

I've been saying this for 3 years. Others keep telling me you don't have to have income or the letter as long as you have 800k in a Thai bank. I finally give up. But I do tell them not to move to Samut Prakan Province. They are sticklers and do require both.

I have a 2 bedroom, two story townhouse. I run air in the bedrooms at night, air in the living area in the day, air in the kitchen in the evening, 2 shower water heaters, water pump, washer, computer, TV, water kettle, rice cooker, microwave, toaster, and a porch light on at night. I pay direct to the municipality. My bill runs between 4,000 and 5,000 baht a month. Before I insulated the upstairs area, my bill was 6,000 to 7,000. I paid 10,000 baht for the 6" foil wrapped insulation, 50 sq meters at Thai Watsadu. My expense return was less than a year.

I have a 300 sq meter open concept cabin i rent at the beach. I spend less than 10 days a month there. Air and water heater, plus lights run 2,000 baht a month. I get a copy of pictures of my meter from my Thai landlady and get the local rate of around 4 baht per kilowatt. I'm considering insulation. But it has a metal roof, it is on stilts and the 2"X6" floor boards have hairline cracks between them, and no wall insulation.

I'd probably come out ahead by buying a lot and building a properly insulated house, 555.

Those who depend on agencies to slide their discrepancies through the system have a rude awakening coming.

Immigration is training all new college grads by the book to take over supervision positions. Greasing the wheel will be a thing of the past for all immigration offices in the very near future.

I have already seen it in Samut Prakan. By the book. Every detail verified and checked twice. It will catch agencies helping you when you're short on your bank account or don't have a good address or whatever discrepancies you might have. They checked my balance weekly for the year. I had to make sure I deposited the 65,000 baht a month for income, as I was unable to get the certified letter like I used originally 3 years ago, from Social Security. The previous 2 years I made the deposits regularly knowing I couldn't get the letter.

It supposedly is going to clean up some of the foreigner rift raft.

Thailand is know for implementing changes and then backing down. I think this change is going to stick.

Good luck if you're unable to dot all of your i's and cross all of your t's. Because the young lady supervisor my window immigration agent had to prove everything to wore an extremely tight belt last month. I had never seen so much highlighting of dates, dollar amounts, etc... Even my original application to Thai immigration in Washington DC in America went smoother.

I will say, I have handled all of my immigration paperwork all alone. It's a jailable offense to lie on your application.

I've never been to jail. And I damn sure don't want to start in Thailand.