Combo method enforcement under the new rules specific office monitoring topic

[jesimps]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

If you did want to use the combo method under the new rules especially without an embassy letter you would well understand that the specific enforcement criteria for such applications is indeed complex and very unclear. 

 

Instead you as someone without a clue as to the issues with this come on here to flame me for trying to help the community of expats that would like to use the combo method by encouraging people to post office specific reports.

 

In my opinion you should be ashamed of yourself. Posts such as your are the opposite of helpful. They are intentionally destructive.

 

Regarding Jomtien and the information that I shared indicating they wouldn't accept any combo applications I will repeat that those expats using that office that still hope to do a combo application there visit that office to confirm or refute that.

 

It's no use preparing for an application method that won't work. We do know for a fact that full 800k applications will work in every office and the rules for those though changed are indeed very clear.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

Who needs BJ when you have farang like Jim777. Too many like him trying to ridicule his fellow expats. Probably hits his G-spot. The new system is a mess, evidenced by the number of threads on here since it was announced. I thought your original post was useful.

[jacko45k]

14 minutes ago, moonseeker said:

Does Jomtien accept 6 mths. fixed deposit bank books? Guess I can't renew that book the day of extension, just get the bank letter to it as usual? Thank you. MS>

Yes, should be OK. You can update some FD books to show the same day balance.

[malibukid]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

If you did want to use the combo method under the new rules especially without an embassy letter you would well understand that the specific enforcement criteria for such applications is indeed complex and very unclear. 

 

Instead you as someone without a clue as to the issues with this come on here to flame me for trying to help the community of expats that would like to use the combo method by encouraging people to post office specific reports.

 

In my opinion you should be ashamed of yourself. Posts such as your are the opposite of helpful. They are intentionally destructive.

 

Regarding Jomtien and the information that I shared indicating they wouldn't accept any combo applications I will repeat that those expats using that office that still hope to do a combo application there visit that office to confirm or refute that.

 

It's no use preparing for an application method that won't work. We do know for a fact that full 800k applications will work in every office and the rules for those though changed are indeed very clear.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

do i really want to tie up funds into a Thai bank in preparation for using the combo method if ultimately this method will be rejected?

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, malibukid said:

do i really want to tie up funds into a Thai bank in preparation for using the combo method if ultimately this method will be rejected?

Well probably not. But there  are some reports of combi being accepted , Jomtiem for one IMSMC.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, malibukid said:

do i really want to tie up funds into a Thai bank in preparation for using the combo method if ultimately this method will be rejected?

Well, that's a personal call depending on your options.

 

First try to see what your local office's policy is.

If they are accepting them then you need specific details for that office complicated by whether you have an embassy letter for the income or not.
Using a combo method application is going to be tying up less money than an 800K baht full bank method application.

 

Other than that if you have full 65K income you now need to import that monthly (but you can send it out if you want).

 

Other than that, you can try corruption with an agent.

 

Or buy an elite card (money spent).

 

Or of course leave. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Well probably not. But there  are some reports of combi being accepted , Jomtiem for one IMSMC.

I have never said no offices are doing them under the new rules.

The main purpose of this topic is for people to post information and reports about their local offices.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I have never said no offices are doing them under the new rules.

The main purpose of this topic is for people to post information and reports about their local offices.

I do not grasp this response, I did not mention nor quote you and if off topic the post you and I replied to was.

[jvs]

I did not read all of the posts but nearly two weeks ago i asked

Ubonjoe about the rules for the combination method.

He responded that is was all a bit unclear and that i should ask my local imo.I did and they told me that,'if you have the embassy letter nothing has changed over here'

I also asked if i needed to keep a certain amount in my account and i was told all i needed is the money to make up the difference between income and 800 000 baht.

If the Euro keeps going up a little bit more i will not need the bank letter at all.I am going to do my extension in the first week of April.

My imo is in Tha -yang phetchaburi province.

[riclag]

I think many "USA newcomers" to this forum who want to adhere to the  IO rules, must be aware of meeting the 800k requirements for a Retirement in Thailand and  the USA requirement of filing a FBAR report with

 "FBAR refers to Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, that must be filed with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which is a bureau of the Treasury Department. ... The FBAR filing requirement is not part of filing a tax return. The FBAR Form 114 is filed separately and directly with FinCEN".

Edited March 21, 2019 by riclag

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, jvs said:

I did not read all of the posts but nearly two weeks ago i asked

Ubonjoe about the rules for the combination method.

He responded that is was all a bit unclear and that i should ask my local imo.I did and they told me that,'if you have the embassy letter nothing has changed over here'

I also asked if i needed to keep a certain amount in my account and i was told all i needed is the money to make up the difference between income and 800 000 baht.

If the Euro keeps going up a little bit more i will not need the bank letter at all.I am going to do my extension in the first week of April.

My imo is in Tha -yang phetchaburi province.

Thanks for that excellent report!

What's most interesting about your report which is of course about your office only, is that you were told there is a difference if you have an embassy letter or not.

I suspected that may be the case sometimes, which I did allude to in previous posts.

Unfortunately this twist may add even more uncertainty on this general issue.

Like if a person is told no can do at this office or can do at this office perhaps that isn't the entire story, because the policy might be different with embassy letter or not.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Well, there is no way that I can quantify the risk but personally I have avoided using agents like the plague. In my case, I think the reason is the way I was raised. If there is a way for me to do things legally and by the book especially living in a foreign country, I will do so. I am fully aware that using agents when you aren't meeting the financial requirements may not be technically "illegal" (that's debatable) but you can't deny by doing so you are participating in corruption. I just would rather not. Many do and I hope it always works out for you, but I'd rather avoid having any such concerns. 

When one feels coerced into breaking the law in order to stay in a land that isn't yours and that land traditionally disallows foreigners the same legal 'generosities' afforded their own nationals when similarly caught breaking the law, unless one is very, very well-funded, then it is half-past time to fully evaluate the options for longer-term residence presented by other lands or returning to your homeland. Not fulfilling the proof of income requirements as defined in the Police Orders is not 'technically "illegal"' or even debatable as such. For years these (and other) rules and laws being open to local interpretation has maybe spun a totally false sense of security? When someone who has disavowed these agents for decades suddenly begins to consider their unquestionably questionable 'benefits', personally I see that as the triggering of DEFCON 2.

 

The immigration laws and rules oversight is front and center to foreigners. However, for upwards of 5 years, there's been a slow, gradual but undeniable push for all sorts of existing rules laws to be observed and enforced. These are rules laws that affect the locals in much less visible ways than the usual old chestnuts of helmetless motorbike riders, unregulated minivans, taxis that refuse to use meters and the brake failures on buses that gets the foreigners here in a needless froth.

 

Apologies for going off topic and recycling the viability of agents. Good subject matter and hope it serves to indicate some sort of consistency in a subject matter that already has way too many variables.

Edited March 21, 2019 by NanLaew
sorry

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I do not grasp this response, I did not mention nor quote you and if off topic the post you and I replied to was.

Sorry. I just want to emphasize the purpose of this topic is to encourage specific office reports.

My first report post was about Jomtien apparently not accepting combo applications at all (though people should always personally confirm such things themselves). I'm concerned that some people might read that and think I'm saying no offices will do them. That's all. Nothing personal.

[david555]

On 3/20/2019 at 2:20 PM, Jingthing said:

JOMTIEN office of CHONBURI immigration --

 

 

I have heard from credible sources multiple reports that Jomtien is telling people they will not accept any combination applications -- PERIOD.

If you are preparing for a future combo application at Jomtien, you should visit yourself to confirm this and/or prepare for an 800K baht application or whatever you may need to do based on your timing and circumstances (including planning to exit Thailand).

 

Related troubling report but I am also hearing reports that Jomtien will not accept any full income applications (65K monthly) unless you can show a record going back a full 12 months. They are not following the suggestion for "leniency" on that matter as the policy is new.

 

Jomtien of course is among the most high volume offices in Thailand for retirement extensions.

And of course also the highest rate of agents ……!! say no more …....

[jacko45k]

Just now, david555 said:

And of course also the highest rate of agents ……!! say no more …....

Chicken egg, egg chicken?

[david555]

Just now, jacko45k said:

Chicken egg, egg chicken?

Poultry anyway...in any shape

[zaZa9]

I cant fathom why anyone would criticize the idea of trying to collect in ONE thread  all the current  , and often differing -depending on region , IO offices approach to  Retirement  Visa Extensions based on the 'Combo Method'. I applaud the initiative and hope to add Phuket Towns views after I enquire next week..

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Well, there is no way that I can quantify the risk but personally I have avoided using agents like the plague. In my case, I think the reason is the way I was raised. If there is a way for me to do things legally and by the book especially living in a foreign country, I will do so. I am fully aware that using agents when you aren't meeting the financial requirements may not be technically "illegal" (that's debatable) but you can't deny by doing so you are participating in corruption. I just would rather not. Many do and I hope it always works out for you, but I'd rather avoid having any such concerns. 

Yes, I agree with you. I've used Jomtien for 13 or 14 annual extensions and have never had the need to complete the process " with assistance " since I've always met the requirements. Going forward I'll be using Baht 800,000 in the bank to avoid having to comply with income or combination methods since they seem open to interpretation ( to put it charitably). I'd rather use some variation of the old income method, but prefer some degree of  certainty and an absence  of surprises ... so will use the least uncertain approach for the time being.

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by Suradit69

[Bill Miller]

On 3/20/2019 at 2:31 PM, Jingthing said:

The fan is ALREADY being hit for some at Jomtien (and likely other offices as well) every day.

 

I will add there is a practical reason that Jomtien may be rejecting all combo applications. It is a very high volume office. Combo applications are much more complex and time consuming, well specifically combo applications without embassy letters, so even if they understand  the exact rules they are supposed to apply to them -- they simply don't have the time!

 

So it might be interesting to see if there a pattern where larger offices balk at this but perhaps smaller offices might be willing to take the time (again assuming they understand the rules concerning them). 

Yeah, we are getting married next month, probably in Chiang Mai. Been "going together" for four years now. My SS "pension"  is close on 42,000 baht, so won't have to dicker about my quarterly dividend income, I expect.
Now, due to a PITA at Jomtien I have been getting a new "visa" at Savannakhet each year, then doing ninety day in and out  holidays. Would that work for folks who don't have the ready on hand? I was asked for my bank book in Laos last time around, but was excused with a photocopy of my last "O" visa because I did not have my bankbook along. Is the proof of income only required when applying for an annual permission to stay?
On the first item is Chiang Mai the place to get hitched, or is there some advantage to going to an ampur in Mae Hong Son? Likely be living in Mae La Noi, if anyone even knows where that is. I believe Mae Sariang is the local admin office for them.

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Is the proof of income only required when applying for an annual permission to stay?

I think you got very lucky the issued the visa without your bank book. Perhaps that was a enough to prove your got your visa there and they checked their records to see what you used the last time.

There should not be much difference between Amphoes but best to check to find out what they want. Some want some odd things like for a example a certified copy of your passport by your embassy and a translation of it.

 

[Bill Miller]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

I think you got very lucky the issued the visa without your bank book. Perhaps the was a enough to prove your got your visa there and they checked their records to see what you used the last time.

There should not be much difference between Amphoes but best to check to find out what they want. Some want some odd things like for a example a certified copy of your passport by your embassy and a translation of it.

 

Yes, the year before they did not even want that. I went with an affidavit and copies of supporting documents from my US bank and the SS administration, and the guy at the window asked "What this?"
In re: the best Amphoe, just wondered if anyone has gotten married out that way recently. We can for sure stop in CM on the way, but if you gave driven the 1,864 mountain curves on the way to Mae La Noi...????
Not something you want to "extras" of.

[marcusarelus]

3 hours ago, zaZa9 said:

I cant fathom why anyone would criticize the idea of trying to collect in ONE thread  all the current  , and often differing -depending on region , IO offices approach to  Retirement  Visa Extensions based on the 'Combo Method'. I applaud the initiative and hope to add Phuket Towns views after I enquire next week..

If one was required to post the location of experience it would be a great idea. 

[Jingthing]

29 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

If one was required to post the location of experience it would be a great idea. 

Obviously that is strongly encouraged. 
It's right there in the title -- SPECIFIC OFFICE.

But people can't be "required" to post anything here. It's like herding cats.