Changes to Retirement Visa Regulations Coming in October

[Gaybutton]

Yesterday, the PATTAYA TODAY newspaper published an article that basically says that as of October, applicants for the retirement visa, whether new applicants or people renewing, who use a proof-of-income statement from their embassies, will be required to obtain a confirmation stamp from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

While this would be inconvenient, it probably wouldn't be much of a problem unless you would have to travel a long distance to Bangkok from wherever you reside in Thailand.

 

I am somewhat skeptical about this article because I have not been able to find anything about this in any other publication in Thailand, including the immigration bureau's own web site. If there is anything about this at all in other publications in Thailand, then it's well hidden.

 

I have not been to the immigration police office to check this out. Perhaps someone can find out more and inform the rest of us if you happen to be going to the immigration police office.

 

There is discussion about this on the Thaivisa web site at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=130954

 

The PATTAYA TODAY article reads as follows (see http://www.pattayatoday.net/index.php?acti...s&id=2406):

 

Changes to Retirement Visas Heralded

 

The Thai ministry of foreign affairs has indicated that, effective October 1 this year, foreign applicants for the one year retirement visa, or those renewing, must take their embassy letter guaranteeing their income to the ministry of foreign affairs in Bangkok for a stamp of confirmation.

 

They then return to the local immigration bureau with the letter and process the application as now. The ministry emphasised that applicants need journey to Bangkok to do this only once and not annually. The letter they take to the ministry must be an original from the embassy and must not be more than 12 months old. This means that most applicants for a retirement visa, or a renewal, from October 1 this year will need a new letter from their embassy concerning his or her income.

 

Immigration sources stressed that all applicants for one year visas, whether retired farangs over the age of 50 or those with a Thai spouse or dependants, will need to register as a one-off with the ministry if they need an embassy letter as part of the process. “It’s just one extra step and the immigration bureau will handle the applications as now provided that the embassy letter has been stamped by the ministry,” a senior police official said, adding that no other regulations have been changed.

 

The exception to the new rule are those foreigners, aged 50 and above, who keep at least 800,000 baht in a Thai bank and can show it has been there for three months prior to the application or renewal. These long stayers do not need a letter from the respective embassy to apply for the yearly visa and thus do not have to appear at the ministry of foreign affairs in Bangkok. However, only a small minority of retirement visa holders keep such a sum in a Thai bank for the requisite period, most relying on a combination of pension income in their home country and a lesser amount in the Thai bank.

 

Holders of one year visas, whether retirement or the married man’s variety, are asked to note the new regulation for the time being. Nearer the starting date on October 1 2007, there will be leaflets in English and Thai available at immigration bureaux, including currently ambiguous matters such as foreigners who are unable to travel long distances because they are incapacitated.

[Guest wowpow]

I know that I should know better BUT, what on Earth can they be thinking of as the objective of this exercise?

 

If having money in the bank does not need such a performance then why not accept a declaration for the first application and in subsequent years have sight of a bankbook showing monies arriving into Thailand?

[bedbugy]

could the reason for the changes

 

many farangs are scanning the documents and changing the amount recieved to quallify and re printing with new figures

 

not showng the correct amount if fraud

 

it wont be long before all married and single farangs on fixed income who say they quallify must show the bank book every 3 months when reporting to the immigration if the sums don't match deportation and prison term and fine will be order of the day

[Gaybutton]

many farangs are scanning the documents and changing the amount recieved to qualify and re printing with new figures not showng the correct amount if fraud

 

I doubt that could be the reason because applicants must show the original document from their respective embassies, complete with embossed notary seal. So unless an inordinate number of people are capable of forging such a document and would do so even if they could, then that's not it.

 

In any case, today I went to the Pattaya Immigration Office and asked. I was told that they know nothing about this and none of their offices have said anything about such a requirement coming up. That's just about what I thought they would say.

 

For whatever reasons, either this is something simply under proposal or the PATTAYA TODAY reporter is either mistaken or is privy to information that even the Immigration Office knows nothing about.

[Guest wowpow]

Everything changes.

 

I just got back from Pattaya Immigration. The Senior lady on the Retirement section confirmed that those with a pension/income letter will need to have it stamped at The Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1st October 2007.

 

The game of thinking up new rules to trip up applicants continues. I had to get photocopies of:

 

1) My bank passbook to show that the 800,000 had been in the bank for 3 months - not just the last page with the total.

 

2) A page from my Passport showing my arrival in 2001 - I have no idea why unless there is something on that page showing my first retirement visa?

 

They took my photo onto their computer and I have to go back this afternoon to collect my passport.

[Guest Boxer]

The only reason can be FEES........but they like to mess us around also at times....

[Gaybutton]

It doesn't come as a major surprise to me that Wowpow and I would be getting conflicting information from the very same office. Based on who Wowpow talked to compared with who I talked to, I think the safest thing to assume is that Wowpow's information is probably correct. I also think it is probably correct because imposing this new regulation makes the least sense. Boxer may be right too . . . maybe additional fees will be charged. I don't suppose anyone knows where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is . . .

 

For those of us living in Bangkok or Pattaya, having to find this ministry and get the stamp probably isn't much more than an additional inconvenience. But many "farang" live great distances from Bangkok and if this regulation does indeed go into effect, then they'll have to make a trip to Bangkok to get the stamp.

 

The silver lining on the cloud may be "The ministry emphasised that applicants need journey to Bangkok to do this only once and not annually." That seems to me that you will be able to use the same proof-of-income statement multiple times. As it stands now, you are allowed to use the same statement for five years, at least at the Pattaya Immigration office. We'll have to see how many years they'll allow the same statement if and when this new regulation takes effect.

[Gaybutton]

The only reason can be FEES........but they like to mess us around also at times....

 

You are probably correct. It turns out that the Ministry intends to charge 400 baht for the stamp.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I will be arriving on Monday, August 20, in Bangkok for five days. While I am there, I hope to get the letter from the US Embassy swearing to my income.

 

Now, does anyone know where I find the Ministry of Finance to get the letter stamped?? I will apply for the visa before October 1, but I might as well get it stamped so that I don't have to do this again when I renew the visa.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!!

[Gaybutton]

Now, does anyone know where I find the Ministry of Finance to get the letter stamped??

 

This morning I went to the Pattaya Immigration office and asked. Naturally, nobody had any idea other than to tell me it is in the Chang Watthana area, not far from the Don Muang airport.

 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site ( http://www.mfa.go.th/web/1.php ) the address is:

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

123 Chaengwatthana Road

Laksi

 

Telephone: 02-981-7171

 

See: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/143.php for a map.

 

I have placed another map for you on this post, both in English and Thai. The green circle in the center of the map is the location. Hopefully that will all provide you with enough information to get there without too much trouble.

 

I don't see any BTS or MRT stations in that area. Probably the best thing to do is call the number from a taxi and let them tell the taxi driver how to get there. I haven't tried the number, but I think it is a land line number, meaning that you shouldn't need to dial 082. Of course, if 02 doesn't work, then try it with the 8.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I have just received "the stamp" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The best seems to be to ride the sky train to the end of the line nearest the old airport (Don Meang sp), and take a cab from there...about a 20 minute cab ride.

 

When you arrive, go into the lobby either from the front or the parking area, and then up the escalator. Angle to your left, and go up another floor by stairs. This is the "Legalization" department. Take you passport, a copy of passport, and your letter from the embassy.

 

The reception table will give you a form to fill out...very simple..and then a number. You will be called very quickly, where they will collect the forms and 400 baht for expedited service...two hours. They will call you back in a few minutes for your receipt, and then tell you that they will call you name or come back in two hours. We waited, and it was just under one hour when they called my name, and I picked up my embassy letter, now with there stamp and note on the back. All total from Silom area and back was about 2-1/2 hours...not too bad...considering our embassy only took about 15 minutes.

 

Hope I don't have to do this for a few years....five maybe!

 

[Gaybutton]

Hope I don't have to do this for a few years....five maybe

 

Let's hope so. Thank you very much for posting this, GaySacGuy. You just saved a lot of people from a whole pile of trouble and I'll bet there will be more people copying and saving your message than there has been for any other in quite some time.

 

You did this before it is required. Once the requirement for this begins in October, I have a feeling there will be a lot more people there every day, trying to get the stamp. I shudder to think how long the wait will be once they start getting busy.

 

So far it's a one to two hour wait. Is anything around there to do or see, or at least get something to eat or drink while waiting?

 

Also, once you got to the point at which you took a taxi, what did you tell the taxi driver to get you there?

[Guest Boxer]

The Map shows a couple of places for Shopping and eating I assume near by.

[2lz2p]

The Managing Director of Pattaya Today is also the Honorary British Consul in Pattaya. In addressing the Pattaya City Expats Club about the new requirements, he also mentioned that Pattaya Immigration would process renewals up to 90 days early (I have done it as much as 3 weeks early). A close friend of mine had a renewal date in October. So, he went to Pattaya Immigration a couple of weeks ago to see if he could renew his retirement visa without the hassle of going to Bangkok to get a Ministy stamp on his Embassy letter. Pattaya Immigration renewed his visa without any questioning of why he was doing it a coouple of months early. They accepted his Embassy letter, which was about 4 years old - they did take the original this time (previously they were accepting photocopies and giving back the original). His visa was renewed to October 2008 (one year from it's expiration date).

 

So, if anyone is due to renew in October and November using their Embassy "inocme" letter, they may want to try to renew early to avoid the hassle of getting the ministry stamp. Of course, this is Thailand, so the rules could change at anytime.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

 

So far it's a one to two hour wait. Is anything around there to do or see, or at least get something to eat or drink while waiting?

 

Also, once you got to the point at which you took a taxi, what did you tell the taxi driver to get you there?

 

There is a commercial strip in the area, a Big C, and even a 7-11 type place on the ground floor of the building.

 

My boyfriend told the taxi driver that he wanted the Ministry of Foreign affairs near the airport, and he knew the way. He took us into the car park area for dropoff, but if I had a choice next time I would be dropped off curbside outside the front of the building. Upon leaving, we asked for the skytrain station, and rode it back into Silom.

 

The expedited service is suppose to be provided in less than two hours. They are processing all kinds of forms and such there, and I don't think added retirement visa activity will impact too bad on the wait....at least hope not.

[Gaybutton]

A friend sent an E-mail today that included more specific directions about getting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok. A photo of the building is included. Click on the link below to download the file.

 

He also included the following in his E-mail:

_____

 

That being said, it crossed my mind that for those that do not have a car or want to go to the expense of a taxi or hiring a car from Pattaya, getting there from Pattaya should not be too difficult. There are some express bus/van services to Don Muang Airport -- from there by taxi to the Ministry should be a fairly short trip - a few years back, I stayed at a hotel near the airport off Chang Watthana Road - it was about a 5 minute ride to the airport -- a little bit more from the airport as I recall because of the need to go further down the freeway to get a U-Turn ramp. One could also go to the North Pattaya Bus Station and take the bus to Mo Chit Bus Station in Bangkok, then take a taxi from there.

[2lz2p]

Is it all for naught?

 

The UK Honorary Consul in Pattaya announced at the Pattaya City Expat Club this morning that the Col commanding the Patttaya Immigration office told him that he has recieved new instructions from Bangkok -- the requirement for the Ministry of Foriegn Affairs stamp beginning October 1st for Embassy letters verifying income has been cancelled. Don't shoot me, I am just the messenger! However, he said this requirement, which has been in place somtime for those renewing based on marriage to a Thai will not change.

 

I'm sure this will generate a lot of he's wrong, he's right. So, we will really find out when we get a report from someone renewing their retirement visa in October without the stamp being required. He did say that he expects that Immigration will continue to take the original letter, thus requiring a new one each year.

[Gaybutton]

He did say that he expects that Immigration will continue to take the original letter, thus requiring a new one each year.

 

I hope your information is correct, as I'm sure everyone else who uses the proof-of-income statement hopes. I suppose we'll all know for sure soon enough.

 

One odd thing, though . . . the part about continuing to take the original letter. They didn't take mine. I renewed a few months ago using the original letter I had from the year before. They readily accepted it and gave it back to me. So I am now in possession of an original letter that has thus far successfully been used twice. We need to find out the story regarding that too. We need not only to know whether they are supposed to return the original letter, but also how many years we're allowed to use it before having to obtain a new one.

 

While we're at it, we might as well try to find out about the supposed requirement for a map. That requirement seems almost even more ridiculous considering the fact that the local police know where all the addresses are. Why they would need a map, no matter where one lives in Thailand, goes beyond me.

[2lz2p]

I renewed at the end of June. At that time, they were taking the photocopy and giving the Embassy letter back. However, two friends that renewed in August confirmed that Immigration is now taking the original Embassy letter - one friend used a letter that was around 4 years old - so, at least in August, they were not requiring the letter be less than a year old -- I'm sure we will hear more on the subject along with the "map to your house" requirement.

[Gaybutton]

I renewed at the end of June.

 

Look at the bright side. Neither you nor I have to renew again until next summer. By then the regulations will probably have changed at least a dozen more times. And I thought the exchange rate was unstable!