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Latest Word on No Embassy Income Letters Allowed Now


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5 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

I never said they were a disaster- I indicated the Embassy could easily do it.  Instead,

an applicant has to either place 800K in a Thai Bank for 5 months and leave 400K in the bank for the whole year.

 

This requirement causes issues  involving foreign reporting for the  IRS plus the fact that instead of having the money in a US Bank it is now in a Thai Bank.

 

As far as the 65K per month- one has to transfer the funds each month when I can easily prove my income each month by Primary, Secondary or Tertiary evidence- I don't expect the Thai Immigration to view this evidence- but I would expect the US Embassy staff to understand what a Social Secuiryt Letter says; a military pension letter says and a Veterans Disability to say.  In addition- all 3 are certifiable/verified if need be by secure Computer link direct to  each agencies website.

 

Instead- I now have to pay each month a fee to transfer the funds to a Thai bank; then make sure they are listed as an international transfer on the bank book and present all this evidence at the end of the extension to Immigration.  

 

This is the 21st Century - I get all my funds via ATM- why would I need to do a bank transfer each time I need money or keep  800K locked up for 5 months when the whole purpose of the financial requirement is to be used each month for living expenses.

 

What adds more security to the situation is that the Embassy Letter is  signed under penalty of perjury.

 This means that the citizen who lies has committed  a felony.

 

It is not an exagerration that the change that came about as a result of the US Embassy stopping the income letters has created  a larger burden on the applicant.

 

The US Embassy  has a responsbility to assist it's citizens .  In fact, the Us Embassy in Columbia does exactly what the US Embassy in Thailand refuses to do.  It is also interesting that the Embassy in Columbia uses the term 'certify' in its announcement and the evidence that they need to provide  an income letter is  a letter from Social Security; Other Government entitities and even private  pension funds.  Neiter they or their counterpart in the  Columbian Immigration Office seem to have any issues with  working together.

 

The  USA; UK and Austrlian governments  are the largest English speaking communities in Thailand and I would imagine represent  the majority of retirees in Thailand. Every other Embassy in Thailand still issues the Embassy Letter .

 

 

I agree. At the very least the State Department could easily verify if Social Security, military, and veteran benefits at least exceed the 65,000 baht requirement.

 

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On 7/24/2019 at 10:48 AM, ubonjoe said:

If you can get proof of income from your embassy it will be accepted.

If not you have to show the 40k baht or 65 baht needed for your extension going into a Thai bank from abroad every month.

something is strange....people getting proof of income from their Embassy - and no need to show bank transfers - may have commitments in their country of origin (such as alimony after a divorce) so that if they can survive here with 20.000 Baht a month it would still OK for Immigration.

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53 minutes ago, fvw53 said:

something is strange....people getting proof of income from their Embassy - and no need to show bank transfers - may have commitments in their country of origin (such as alimony after a divorce) so that if they can survive here with 20.000 Baht a month it would still OK for Immigration.

There are other reasons you may want to spend part of your income in home country. Two common examples are

  • you spend several months of the year back in home country and, strangely enough, do not need to spend 65,000 baht a month in Thailand when you are not there; and
  • you have good health insurance from home country that you could not replicate with a new policy paid in Thailand.
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22 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

Yes I am also waiting for a reply from many weeks ago too that I sent in a similar vein.  I pointed out why is it that they are refusing to verify pensions that are recorded by HMRC due to them quoting the data protection act yet on the other hand the government sells DVLA data of driving license holders to third parties ?

The fact that you both have not received replies possibly offers a glimmer of hope, An outright refusal would likely have been sent by return. It is my belief, having had some involvement with government during my career, that some bright spark in the FCO jumped on this as a way of cost-saving.  Austerity is everywhere in our benighted country. I am sure that the UK embassy's method of certifying pensions was no less robust than many other countries' methods and much better that affidavids.  Just maybe someone in the FCO is reconsidering the issue as it is now coming to a head for many nationals. If, as has been reported in other posts, the 65k per month method becomes too difficult for some IOs to get their heads round then maybe the UK embassy will have to think of some way of helping their citizens. Maybe, to save face, it is something else that they could delegate to VFS.   

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21 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thanks for your speedy response, Joe.

Just sent the following email:

Thai Immigration will accept an Embassy letter for a long term visa. Why will the Embassy not issue such a letter on production of our P60 end of year certificate? Surely you would want to assist British Nationals living here, particularly elderly ones; if they were forced to return they would plunder the Social Services?

This is the response from our caring Embassy -

mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.bookingbug.com%2Ffco%2FFCO_email_70x48.png&t=1564106369&ymreqid=250ff5f5-1951-e22d-1c8a-d6000101ec00&sig=rGFDYa.qXcpUo8rri0.lxg--~C

 

Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Consular Service

Dear <removed>
 
Thank you for your enquiry of 25/07/2019 05:48 .

You can find information on the notarial services we provide, and how to apply for them, on our Notarial and Documentary Services Guides:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notarial-services 

Please be aware of any informative notes and letters that are available within the guide, which you can download and print, if they are of use to you.

If you require a service which is not on our guide, please see the list of alternative providers.
 
Regards

Global Consular Contact Centre

No attempt to answer my question WHY!

Edited by ubonjoe
removed personal info
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53 minutes ago, mikebell said:

No attempt to answer my question WHY!

Indirectly they did answer it since a link provided has a link that takes you to info on the embassy website that states this.

Services we cannot provide

  • Consular letter confirming income for Thai Immigration. The last date for applications for this service was 12 December 2018.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#services-we-cannot-provide

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1 hour ago, mikebell said:

This is the response from our caring Embassy -

mail?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.bookingbug.com%2Ffco%2FFCO_email_70x48.png&t=1564106369&ymreqid=250ff5f5-1951-e22d-1c8a-d6000101ec00&sig=rGFDYa.qXcpUo8rri0.lxg--~C

 

Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Consular Service

Dear <removed>
 
Thank you for your enquiry of 25/07/2019 05:48 .

You can find information on the notarial services we provide, and how to apply for them, on our Notarial and Documentary Services Guides:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notarial-services 

Please be aware of any informative notes and letters that are available within the guide, which you can download and print, if they are of use to you.

If you require a service which is not on our guide, please see the list of alternative providers.
 
Regards

Global Consular Contact Centre

No attempt to answer my question WHY!

Yes, that's the same reply other people have been getting since January after the embassy ceased issuing income letters. I'm pretty sure the embassy has received hundreds of emails like yours over the past 6 mths. As uninformed people try to schedule their appts to get their yearly letters and find out they are no longer being issued, we will keep seeing posts about it. By December 2019, everyone should then know... 

Edited by BertM
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Maybe this is off topic. However I found it interesting. Recently I needed attend AU embassy bkk for me to sign 2 documents. Transfer real estate docs. So I was greeted by au lady and her trainee. Took opportunity to chat with her about the decision of stopping providing the "income letter" aka what we call stat dec. Her reply (and don't shoot the messenger) ..... Cannot VERIFY any information regarding contents of statement and more interesting that the stat decs can only be used within Australia. Implying that in the past this was in error.

I'm thinking this is incorrect but note the lady had been working for a long time at embassy bkk. Bottom line I can't imagine this service being provided in future.

PS..over 3000baht to stamp my signature as being signed in front of her. Took 15 seconds. Hate to think what "verifying" my income statement would cost.

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2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Maybe this is off topic. However I found it interesting. Recently I needed attend AU embassy bkk for me to sign 2 documents. Transfer real estate docs. So I was greeted by au lady and her trainee. Took opportunity to chat with her about the decision of stopping providing the "income letter" aka what we call stat dec. Her reply (and don't shoot the messenger) ..... Cannot VERIFY any information regarding contents of statement and more interesting that the stat decs can only be used within Australia. Implying that in the past this was in error.

I'm thinking this is incorrect but note the lady had been working for a long time at embassy bkk. Bottom line I can't imagine this service being provided in future.

My guess is that they went along with it knowing that it was all a joke because "everyone else did it". Once the assumptions underpinning it came into question they followed the UK and the US

Edited by ThaiBunny
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21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Indirectly they did answer it since a link provided has a link that takes you to info on the embassy website that states this.

Services we cannot provide

  • Consular letter confirming income for Thai Immigration. The last date for applications for this service was 12 December 2018.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#services-we-cannot-provide

Here is the latest non-answer: my email asked WHY they cannot use P60s to verify income & issue letters which Thai Immigration would still ACCEPT.  As you can see below I elicit a mere history lesson.

 

Dear Mr Bell 

 
Thank you for your reply of 25/07/2019.
 
A decision was made by the United Kingdom government, as of 01 January 2019, to cease issuing letters confirming ones income in support of visa applications.
 

The decision was made as it was determined that the British Embassy Bangkok was unable to fulfil the Thai authorities’ requirements to verify the income of British Nationals.

British Nationals should now demonstrate that they have an amount of at least 800,000 THB in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the visa application, or a monthly income of at least 65,000 THB transferred into an account in Thailand for a retirement visa. A bank statement should be used as the supporting document for obtaining a Thai retirement visa.

Additional details can be reviewed on the Notarial and Documentary Guide on our government website under the 'services we cannot provide section':
 
 
We hope this information is helpful in addressing your concerns.
 
Regards
 
Samantha M.

Consular Contact Centre

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14 minutes ago, mikebell said:

800,000 THB in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the visa application

And this is based on old, new, unknown Thai requirements?

Image result for goat fuck

Edited by lopburi3
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