Any good lawyer for extending retirement visa?

[John7272]

Hi

 

Do you have any good lawyer for extending retirement visa?

Could you share me their email address?

I need to extend my retirement visa with monthly pension income.

 

Good day all

[Phuket Man]

Why on earth do you need a lawyer to something so simple?

[Thailand]

Google visa agents Chiangmai.

Search visa agents  on this forum.

 

Multiple choice ranging from DIY for next to nothing to "deluxe" services for quite a few thousand baht.

If you do really require a lawyer to do it add a few thousand more baht.

[Maverell]

You don't need a lawyer. It is very simple as long as your income is correct.

[brommers]

I doubt if any lawyer will have a staff member who will go to Promenada at 5am to queue for a slot number. And as others have said there are visa agents who will handle everything for you. Personally I use OS Visa who are located in soi 9 Nimanhaemin because they are capable and convenient.

[chuang]

Get a visa agent...

[Somnambulist]

Get a visa agent, but be aware that starting next month the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai will start requiring ACTUAL proof of income before they'll notarize your income affidavit.  

 

But for the rest of August they will require no actual proof. 

[jmd8800]

14 minutes ago, Somnambulist said:

Get a visa agent, but be aware that starting next month the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai will start requiring ACTUAL proof of income before they'll notarize your income affidavit.  

 

But for the rest of August they will require no actual proof. 

Citation needed.

[watcharacters]

 

 

Eight posts and no one has said it yet?        Doesn't exist.          

[scottiejohn]

5 hours ago, brommers said:

I doubt if any lawyer will have a staff member who will go to Promenada at 5am to queue for a slot number. And as others have said there are visa agents who will handle everything for you. Personally I use OS Visa who are located in soi 9 Nimanhaemin because they are capable and convenient.

+1 for OS Visa.

[scottiejohn]

5 hours ago, brommers said:

I doubt if any lawyer will have a staff member who will go to Promenada at 5am to queue for a slot number.

The lawyer's office will have staff who will do it if it is work permit/business related etc.  Unlikely for bog standard retirement/marriage extensions

[lexilis]

40 minutes ago, Somnambulist said:

Get a visa agent, but be aware that starting next month the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai will start requiring ACTUAL proof of income before they'll notarize your income affidavit.  

 

But for the rest of August they will require no actual proof. 

Are you sure about that? Surely it would be Immigration that would require the proof.

[Bill97]

Get a visa agent, but be aware that starting next month the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai will start requiring ACTUAL proof of income before they'll notarize your income affidavit.  
 
But for the rest of August they will require no actual proof. 

I doubt the US Consul will get into that, what would they consider to be "proof"?


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[McTavish]

6 hours ago, brommers said:

I doubt if any lawyer will have a staff member who will go to Promenada at 5am to queue for a slot number. And as others have said there are visa agents who will handle everything for you. Personally I use OS Visa who are located in soi 9 Nimanhaemin because they are capable and convenient.

5am?  Who does that anymore ... bowl up anytime before lunch most days and you'll be done by 3 or 4pm latest.

[Pesky]

1 hour ago, Bill97 said:

I doubt the US Consul will get into that, what would they consider to be "proof"?


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Same as the UK Embassy does in order to issue relevent document acceptable to Immigration? In other words, official letter/documention from the payer of the current stated income (eg pensions), or I think Inland Revenue Tax Returns, plus bank statements showing actual receipt of the income. Why would that be difficult for USA Citizens unless the true income is not as is being claimed? UK Embassy in Bangkok accept the verification documents online & normally respond in a few days by snail mail. 

[metisdead]

A post of a defamatory nature has been removed.

[Somnambulist]

5 hours ago, Bill97 said:

I doubt the US Consul will get into that, what would they consider to be "proof"?


Sent from my iPod touch using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Well, apparently they are getting into it, according to a friend of mine and also my visa agent.  I'm going there this Thursday so I'll try to get confirmation myself.  And to be clear, this has nothing to do with Thai Immigration - this isn't their initiative.  

[jmd8800]

Seems TVF goes through this weekly. I would be totally surprised of the US Dept of State changed their policy on income affidavits without posting the change online or some other warning. From the US Embassy website:

 

"An affidavit is a sworn statement of facts, made voluntarily, and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the person making it.  Please note that the Embassy and Consulate assume no responsibility for the truth or falsity of the representations that appear in the affidavit. Only the identity of the individual making the statement is validated."

 

They do not verify that what the signer claims is true they only verify that that the signer is who he says he is. What is so hard to understand about that? The last couple of weeks of this on other threads on TVF lead to a few emails from people I know saying they will have to move elsewhere.

 

If you are going to peddle rumors and 'my friend said this' or 'my agent said that' it is only fair to the readers on this forum to back it up with legitimate references. Rumors and the like can have big impacts on people.

 

The above quote can be referenced here: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/notaries-public/

[Thailand]

23 minutes ago, DonDoRondo said:

Assist Thai Visa posted the new requirement requiring show of income on their Facebook Page yesterday.

Here you go

 

"Urgent; If you are a citizen of USA and use an affidavit for your extension visa extension, you will now need to show proof of the amount declared. This can be a statement from social security or your pension provider stated on affidavit. This is for renewal and for first time applicants." 

 

Immigration requirement I believe. 

 

Simply leveling the playing filed.

[watcharacters]

2 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Simply leveling the playing filed.

 

 

Thanks  Thailand.

 

Would you please explain what  you mean by "leveling the playing filed" (sic?)

 

[Thailand]

2 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

Thanks  Thailand.

 

Would you please explain what  you mean by "leveling the playing filed" (sic?)

 

Most people who went through the process  of applying for extension of stay have to provide immigration with the source of the income that was being declared, money in bank certified, pension certified and proven etc.

 

For sometime immigration accepted a declaration  from Americans that the source of funds was correct without any proof. I believe that is no longer the case.

[scottiejohn]

45 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Immigration requirement I believe. 

 Was at my agent today and asked about this.  Does not affect me but thought I would ask anyway.

According to my agent they are advising that anyone using Embassy affidavits, not just US, should have proof of income to back up their affidavit.  Immigration are enforcing an existing rule on some, but apparently not all applicants.  Nothing appears to have change at the US Embassy.

 

[jmd8800]

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

Here you go

 

"Urgent; If you are a citizen of USA and use an affidavit for your extension visa extension, you will now need to show proof of the amount declared. This can be a statement from social security or your pension provider stated on affidavit. This is for renewal and for first time applicants." 

 

Immigration requirement I believe. 

 

Simply leveling the playing filed.

I'm referring to the post where the US Embassy / Consulate was requiring proof.  This post by Assist Thai Visa on facebook does not mention who might be requiring the proof. Assist Thai Visa? US Embassy? Thai Immigration? Just who is requiring this proof?

 

I did say:

If you are going to peddle rumors and 'my friend said this' or 'my agent said that' it is only fair to the readers on this forum to back it up with legitimate references. Rumors and the like can have big impacts on people.

 

Again Assist Thai Visa is not saying who is requiring proof.

 

There is a big difference between Assist Thai Visa requiring proof, Thai Immigration requiring proof and the US Consulate requiring proof. Besides, the Thai Immigration has always reserved the right to ask for proof over and above the income affidavit and the US Embassy has made it clear they are validating the statement made by the person not the amount declared on the form.

 

I can see many here are resentful of people who can use the income affidavit system but honestly the chit chat with opinion based posts and 1/2 truths does more of a disservice than a service. I agree it is wise for people to be able to prove their income to be able to comply with the laws. Anything else is asking for trouble.

 

This is my last comment on the subject. It is a waste of time to go through this over and over again.

[Thailand]

49 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

I'm referring to the post where the US Embassy / Consulate was requiring proof.  This post by Assist Thai Visa on facebook does not mention who might be requiring the proof. Assist Thai Visa? US Embassy? Thai Immigration? Just who is requiring this proof?

 

I did say:

If you are going to peddle rumors and 'my friend said this' or 'my agent said that' it is only fair to the readers on this forum to back it up with legitimate references. Rumors and the like can have big impacts on people.

 

Again Assist Thai Visa is not saying who is requiring proof.

 

There is a big difference between Assist Thai Visa requiring proof, Thai Immigration requiring proof and the US Consulate requiring proof. Besides, the Thai Immigration has always reserved the right to ask for proof over and above the income affidavit and the US Embassy has made it clear they are validating the statement made by the person not the amount declared on the form.

 

I can see many here are resentful of people who can use the income affidavit system but honestly the chit chat with opinion based posts and 1/2 truths does more of a disservice than a service. I agree it is wise for people to be able to prove their income to be able to comply with the laws. Anything else is asking for trouble.

 

This is my last comment on the subject. It is a waste of time to go through this over and over again.

And I was replying to post 19.

 

And it is not exactly rocket science to determine that the Assist Thai Visa Facebook post refers to a highly likely requirement to confirm income relates to immigration's potential requirements to supplement an affidavit.

[Somnambulist]

Well, I was wrong.  I went to the consulate today to get my annual income statement and there has been and will be no change in how they do things.  You write whatever you want, raise your right hand, and say I do.
And my agent was at Immigration a few days ago and helped two customers renew their retirement "visas" (yes, I call it a visa, deal with it) and they both used income statements from the U.S. Consulate as their sole proof.  That's all I know.  

jmd8800 - A thousand apologies for having such a "big impact" on your life.  I hope you recover soon.  

[Spaniel]

I think the best solution is to have B800,000 in the bank then everyone is happy and you save $50 US embassy fee although I think the banks charge a fee for their letter too.

[CMBob]

3 hours ago, Spaniel said:

I think the best solution is to have B800,000 in the bank then everyone is happy and you save $50 US embassy fee although I think the banks charge a fee for their letter too.

Yes, they do.  My bank (SCB) charges 200 baht for the annual bank letter (about $43.75 cheaper than paying the Consulate for a notarization). 

[JLCrab]

15 minutes ago, CMBob said:

Yes, they do.  My bank (SCB) charges 200 baht for the annual bank letter (about $43.75 cheaper than paying the Consulate for a notarization). 

I see so it is much better to use the 800K baht tied up in a Thai bank account method than to use the 65K per month via sworn affidavit method because with the 800k baht in the bank method you can save $43.75 each year on the income affidavit. OK.

[CMBob]

6 hours ago, JLCrab said:

I see so it is much better to use the 800K baht tied up in a Thai bank account method than to use the 65K per month via sworn affidavit method because with the 800k baht in the bank method you can save $43.75 each year on the income affidavit. OK.

I use the 800k method for three reasons: 

(1)  First and foremost, I want an easily available sum of money in case I ever need it for a medical emergency or whatever.  As you may know, the banks have term accounts that allow you to withdraw the money any time you want (although withdrawing early would mean loss of all accrued interest).

(2)  Secondly, I can get a fair amount more interest in a Thai bank than I can get in a bank or brokerage account back in the US.

(3)  Third, to support the annual retirement extension.

 

Presuming one has $25,000 sitting in a bank anywhere (which, frankly, isn't all that much money for somebody that's had a normal life and is 50 years of age or over), I figure it might as well be located where it might do me the most good.  That's my choice but, as they say, it's up to you.    

[JLCrab]

2 hours ago, CMBob said:

 

Presuming one has $25,000 sitting in a bank anywhere

Thank you -- I don't have $25K in cash sitting in a bank anywhere and if I did I certainly would not want it to be in Thailand.

 

Also, I am well insured and don't need cash for a medical emergency here in Thailand. I also have the no-credit-limit American Express card which is accepted at (most) all major hospitals here in Thailand -- don't leave home without it!

 

And as a US citizen $25K in a non-US bank account puts you on FBAR territory which is to be avoided if at all possible.