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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Phuket retirees refused visa renewal for failing bank balance asked to apply for COVI

    PHUKET: Phuket Immigration is urging all expats staying on retirement visas whose applications to renew their one-year permit to stay have been refused due to financial reasons to apply for a 60-day “COVID visa” so they can continue to stay in the country.

    The issue came to the fore after a retired expat who has been living in Phuket on a retirement visa for nigh on 10 years informed The Phuket News that his application to renew his permit-to-stay for another year had been refused.


    The reason given for refusing his application was that he had failed to maintain the B400,000 minimum bank balance in a Thai bank account as required by the conditions of being approved a one-year ‘extension” to his visa.

    Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Lt Col Nareuwat Putthawiro confirmed to The Phuket News that the requirements for a one-year permit-to-stay for people on retirement visas have not changed, despite the ongoing crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.


    However, he added, “Foreigners who have financial problems and are unable to meet the requirements [for renewing their permit-to-stay], please apply for the ‘COVID visa’, which allows them to stay in the country for 60 days.




    “This type of visa is aimed at helping all foreigners staying in Thailand during tough situations like this, both those staying here permanently or just traveling through,” Lt Col Nareuwat said.


    “Additionally, they can extend the visa many times,” he added.


    “To apply for the COVID visa, foreigners only have to present their passport and pay the B1,900 fee. Then the officer will have a one-page document for them to fill out their information,” Lt Col Nareuwat explained.


    “They can also contact the Immigration office to discuss their situation to see what other options there are,” he added.


    Phuket retirees refused visa renewal for failing bank balance asked to apply for COVID visa

  2. #2
    Member Wakey's Avatar
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    Easy enough to skip all that crap by using an agent.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    So I'm guessing the missus wasn't about to chip in then.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    So I'm guessing the missus wasn't about to chip in then.
    The guy was on a Retirement, not a Marriage extension. Retirement requires the maintain a minimum 400,000 balance in your own account, apart from the 3 months before and after the extension where it's 800,000. The reason I changed from Retirement to Marriage extensions a couple of years ago. Easily done for some transfer payment to take you below the minimum.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    The guy was on a Retirement, not a Marriage extension. Retirement requires the maintain a minimum 400,000 balance in your own account, apart from the 3 months before and after the extension where it's 800,000. The reason I changed from Retirement to Marriage extensions a couple of years ago. Easily done for some transfer payment to take you below the minimum.
    I'm missing something. Why did you change from Retirement to Marriage?

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat jabir's Avatar
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    Not that I'd suggest Thai Immigration may be using a new variation on an old theme to extort farangs, but if what Lt Col whatever says is true, RTI is simply waiving the Marriage/Retirement deposit requirements in return for 6x on the retirement extension fee, some of which might even go to the gov.

    No documents, turn up with your passport, fill out the form, pay the Retirement extension fee, rinse and repeat every 60 days, you happy stay a year, we happy get 6x.


    “They can also contact the Immigration office to discuss their situation to see what other options there are,” he added.
    Hmm, the cynic in me says someone in bkk has figured the next logical step in the war against other people owning money...to cut out the middleman. Agents, monkeyboy, agents.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    I'm missing something. Why did you change from Retirement to Marriage?
    A fucking brain, 'arry, a fucking brain. That's what you are missing.

    The new rules brought in because the US/UK/Aus couldn't be arsed to provide income letters are stupidly cumbersome, illogical and rigid and the only way to deal with them is to lock up 800,000 baht in an account for the purpose and forget about it. Many either cannot do that or do not wish to. Switching to marriage is less financially onerous.

    The obvious exception are the poor bastards who are singletons who have no choice but to lump it.

    I spoke about this before and estimated since the rules excluded the combined option of savings and income that many would be forced to leave. TV estimated that 30% of Brits had to hoof it.

  8. #8
    Member Wakey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Seekingasylum View Post
    Switching to marriage is less financially onerous.
    But then introduce the joys of photos, home visits, interviews with neighbours to vouch for the marriage etc.

  9. #9
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    So what, they're third world lumpen idiots, humour them and they're happy.

    Or as folk say, pay an agent to front for you and maybe a little extra juice would have eased the Phuket johhny's path.

  10. #10
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    ^^^

    Correct SA (odd feeling writing that). I had/have the options of doing either, and prefer the route of having the required monies in my account 2 months prior to an extension, then the ability to use any or all of those funds for the rest of the year. Once you've scanned the paperwork for the Marriage extension, including the photos, just a case of printing it off each year. The exception being the Kor Ror 2 of course, which M'Sahib obtains a few days before the Immigration Office visit. We've never had a home visit by Immigration.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Seekingasylum View Post
    since the rules excluded the combined option of savings and income
    Do you have a link to the Immigration Ministry publication of this, 'exclusion"?

    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    then the ability to use any or all of those funds for the rest of the year
    Is one not required to retain the bank balance above the minimum for the month after application in addition to the two months prior to application, whilst BKK rubber-stamp, the "request to remain in Thailand"?

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post

    Is one not required to retain the bank balance above the minimum for the month after application in addition to the two months prior to application, whilst BKK rubber-stamp, the "request to remain in Thailand"?
    I think you're referring to the one month "Under Consideration" criteria for Marriage extensions, for which I believe some Immigration Offices require the balance to remain above the minimum. In my case (Phuket), that isn't a requirement. Again, we've never had a home visit.

    In truth for paperwork, there is really little difference between Retirement and Marriage extensions. Both require full copies of passport, bank letter, copies of bank book, bank statement etc, and certainly for the last 5 years, Retirement extensions have needed a photo of the applicant outside his/her home with the house number displayed. As I said in a previous post, if everything is scanned then it's just a printing job each year (KorRor 2 excepted).

    Another advantage of a Marriage extension is that you can obtain a Work Permit if you wish, not the case with a Retirement extension.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Seekingasylum View Post
    A fucking brain, 'arry, a fucking brain. That's what you are missing.

    The new rules brought in because the US/UK/Aus couldn't be arsed to provide income letters are stupidly cumbersome, illogical and rigid and the only way to deal with them is to lock up 800,000 baht in an account for the purpose and forget about it. Many either cannot do that or do not wish to. Switching to marriage is less financially onerous.
    Which was my point when I said "So I'm guessing the missus wasn't about to chip in then.".

    I think PAG is trying to say he might not be married, but, well who fucking cares really.

    He's obviously skint and should fuck off home.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Which was my point when I said "So I'm guessing the missus wasn't about to chip in then.".

    I think PAG is trying to say he might not be married, but, well who fucking cares really.

    He's obviously skint and should fuck off home.
    Not so Harry. By virtue of his applying in person for a Retirement extension, he had at least 800,000 baht in his account. The application was denied because at some point during the preceding 12 months, his bank balance had gone below the 400,000 baht minimum. This may have been because of not knowing/understanding the criteria, or a simple lapse through making an unplanned payment for say a medical bill or motor repair etc. At least he was offered the option of a new 60 day non O visa, which would allow him to start the Retirement extension over again.

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    Not so Harry. By virtue of his applying in person for a Retirement extension, he had at least 800,000 baht in his account. The application was denied because at some point during the preceding 12 months, his bank balance had gone below the 400,000 baht minimum. This may have been because of not knowing/understanding the criteria, or a simple lapse through making an unplanned payment for say a medical bill or motor repair etc. At least he was offered the option of a new 60 day non O visa, which would allow him to start the Retirement extension over again.
    Looks is he fucking married or not?

    Is he boracic lint?

    Do you know the bloke or something?

    Or is it you?

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Looks is he fucking married or not?

    Is he boracic lint?

    Do you know the bloke or something?

    Or is it you?
    Dear oh dear Harry. Read my first post on this thread, and the reason I changed from a Retirement to a Marriage extension some years ago. Who the guy is, his nationality and his marital status I have no idea. Whether the lapse in the minimum 400K balance was an accident or through ignorance, who knows? At least an alternative was offered to him, when he could have easily been given 7 days to leave the country (accepting that he may well have been applying 30/45 days before his extension expired any way).

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabir View Post
    Not that I'd suggest Thai Immigration may be using a new variation on an old theme to extort farangs, but if what Lt Col whatever says is true, RTI is simply waiving the Marriage/Retirement deposit requirements in return for 6x on the retirement extension fee, some of which might even go to the gov.

    No documents, turn up with your passport, fill out the form, pay the Retirement extension fee, rinse and repeat every 60 days, you happy stay a year, we happy get 6x.
    The "COVID extension" is to help people being stuck in Thailand, not being able to go home or travel to a nearby country in order to get a new visa. Immigration has renewed that service a couple of times but it won't last forever.
    The price for an extension of stay is not a per day price, you pay for the processing and it is the same work regardless of how long the extension of stay is.

    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    At least he was offered the option of a new 60 day non O visa, which would allow him to start the Retirement extension over again.
    Yes he was offered a temporary solution to his problem, a solution that normally don't exist. (not a new 60day Non-O visa, only an extension of his permit to stay)

    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    and certainly for the last 5 years, Retirement extensions have needed a photo of the applicant outside his/her home with the house number displayed.
    Must be a Phuket thing, never heard about that before for a yearly extension based on a Non-O visa for retirement.

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