exchange rate and immigration

[keith101]

With the exchange rate on the aussie dollar going down all the time it looks like I will end up around 14,000 baht short of the 40,000 per month requirement so what chances of immigration being lenient and giving me another 1 yr extension ? New application has to be done by January 7 .

 

I suppose an option would Savanakhet but not sure if they have the same financial requirements now or not ?

Edited November 15, 2019 by keith101
spelling

[steve187]

no financials at savannakhet for 'married' non imm O visa, overnight stay required, apply by 11am collect after 2pm next day.

[Martyp]

I've seen posts by a very few number of people that got leniency when they missed by a small amount for one month. 14,000 short of 40,000 is not a small amount. How long have you been short the required amount? Is this going to continue as long as the exchange rate stays what it is? 

[scubascuba3]

consider using an agent until you're back up above 40k, they don't seem to be very lenient, a bit like Ming the Merciless

[wgdanson]

The Bht 40k per month does not fluctuate with the exchange rate if you keep an eye on the rate, 40 = 40. 

[keith101]

21 minutes ago, Martyp said:

I've seen posts by a very few number of people that got leniency when they missed by a small amount for one month. 14,000 short of 40,000 is not a small amount. How long have you been short the required amount? Is this going to continue as long as the exchange rate stays what it is? 

40,000 per month equals 480,000 per year so 14,000 or just over 1,000 per month from that is what I am talking about

Edited November 15, 2019 by keith101

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, keith101 said:

40,000 per month equals 480,000 per year so 14,000 from that is what I am talking about

Perhaps combo method could be used, can you use a balance instead? so 800,000 - (480,000-14,000) = 334,000?

[wgdanson]

2 minutes ago, keith101 said:

40,000 per month equals 480,000 per year so 14,000 or just over 1,000 per month from that is what I am talking about

Immigration will accept 12 x 40k for marriage or 12 x 65k for retirement.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Perhaps combo method could be used, can you use a balance instead? so 800,000 - (480,000-14,000) = 334,000?

He is applying for an extension based upon marriage. There is no combination option allowed for it.

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Perhaps combo method could be used, can you use a balance instead? so 800,000 - (480,000-14,000) = 334,000?

I am going to ask my IO at P'lok if they will accept the combo of 12 x 45k plus 260k in the bank, and whether the 45k can be spent when needed.

[john terry1001]

2 minutes ago, keith101 said:

40,000 per month equals 480,000 per year so 14,000 from that is what I am talking about

So your actually saying the shortfall is a fraction over 1000 baht per month?

 

About four years ago, after the UK pound had been dropping, a temporary dip in the rental income  on my house meant at one extension application my 65k income dipped to 63.5k pm. Jomtien never said anything at all. 

[steve187]

13 minutes ago, john terry1001 said:

So your actually saying the shortfall is a fraction over 1000 baht per month?

 

About four years ago, after the UK pound had been dropping, a temporary dip in the rental income  on my house meant at one extension application my 65k income dipped to 63.5k pm. Jomtien never said anything at all. 

you would have been getting a letter from the embassy then. not monthly payments in the bank

[Moonlover]

Do note that, for a marriage extension an average of 40k per month is required. Sum up your monthly transfers to date and see whether you're likely to hit the target of 40k X 12 being 480K over the year.

[Martyp]

1 hour ago, keith101 said:

40,000 per month equals 480,000 per year so 14,000 or just over 1,000 per month from that is what I am talking about

Thanks for clarifying that. As others have said, if you are short a month or two then you have a reason to plead your case, tell them you found the error, have corrected it and it won't happen again. If however, you are planning to ask for leniency until the exchange rate changes in your favor then I don't think they will go for that. If you are that close to the line for monthly income requirement then you need to transfer more than the minimum amount as a buffer to exchange rates and check monthly. Even if you are allowed an average of 40k/month you need to watch it closely. Watching changes in exchange rates is your responsibility. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Martyp

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

So your actually saying the shortfall is a fraction over 1000 baht per month?

 

About four years ago, after the UK pound had been dropping, a temporary dip in the rental income  on my house meant at one extension application my 65k income dipped to 63.5k pm. Jomtien never said anything at all. 

Do not live so close to the edge then, make sure the rental is say 66k, have a buffer in your UK (?) account to amke up for any changes in rate.

Sorry Martyp, I posted before i read your reply. I do not think you are allowed an average of 40k or 65k, that is a MINIMUM figure. If it was average you could transfer say 1000 for 11 months and then make it up to 40k or 800k in the last one. No, no! 

Edited November 15, 2019 by wgdanson

[david555]

2 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

So your actually saying the shortfall is a fraction over 1000 baht per month?

 

About four years ago, after the UK pound had been dropping, a temporary dip in the rental income  on my house meant at one extension application my 65k income dipped to 63.5k pm. Jomtien never said anything at all. 

Could be they use a different exchange rate than yours …? As I even don't know which bank and which exchange they use...transfer rate or notes rate ? 

Just curious as I am on the very safe side of the 800K , but curious to know ?

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He is applying for an extension based upon marriage. There is no combination option allowed for it.

Is he not allowed to switch? needs must and all that

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, steve187 said:

you would have been getting a letter from the embassy then. not monthly payments in the bank

When the Embassy was issuing letters, an AVERAGE of over 65k was accepted.

[john terry1001]

3 hours ago, steve187 said:

4 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

So your actually saying the shortfall is a fraction over 1000 baht per month?

 

About four years ago, after the UK pound had been dropping, a temporary dip in the rental income  on my house meant at one extension application my 65k income dipped to 63.5k pm. Jomtien never said anything at all. 

you would have been getting a letter from the embassy then. not monthly payments in the bank

Yes, I was.

[john terry1001]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

consider using an agent until you're back up above 40k, they don't seem to be very lenient, a bit like Ming the Merciless

Agents don't like doing marriage extensions because everything has to be above board and accurate.

[john terry1001]

2 hours ago, wgdanson said:

4 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

So your actually saying the shortfall is a fraction over 1000 baht per month?

 

About four years ago, after the UK pound had been dropping, a temporary dip in the rental income  on my house meant at one extension application my 65k income dipped to 63.5k pm. Jomtien never said anything at all. 

Do not live so close to the edge then, make sure the rental is say 66k, have a buffer in your UK (?) account to amke up for any changes in rate.

MY target was always well over 70k pm but I had a bad tenant who refused to pay the rent and it takes time to get people evicted. The months without the rent coupled with the lower exchange rate took me slightly below.took me slightly below, and just for that one year.

Edited November 15, 2019 by john terry1001

[scubascuba3]

16 minutes ago, john terry1001 said:

Agents don't like doing marriage extensions because everything has to be above board and accurate.

I was thinking he could switch to retirement extension using combo method but thinking about it maybe it isn't possible without starting the process again with a non imm O

[john terry1001]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I was thinking he could switch to retirement extension using combo method but thinking about it maybe it isn't possible without starting the process again with a non imm O

Just my opinion but I think a marriage extension might be a safer option in the future.

 

As the changes inevitably occur in the future and we're pushed towards their health insurance requirements I think marriage extensions will be at the end of that queue. 

 

Splitting families up because of unobtainable insurance requirements is always going the cause more problems than for just single people and the easiest way of setting the bar is by using the type of visa/extension people have. Yes, I know married people have been getting retirement extensions because it is much easier but they can change to marriage extensions if needed.  

[ripstanley]

If you are doing monthly income Thai Immigration do not use an exchange rate. They only look at what Thai Baht has been deposited in your account every month.

[scubascuba3]

43 minutes ago, john terry1001 said:

Just my opinion but I think a marriage extension might be a safer option in the future.

 

As the changes inevitably occur in the future and we're pushed towards their health insurance requirements I think marriage extensions will be at the end of that queue. 

 

Splitting families up because of unobtainable insurance requirements is always going the cause more problems than for just single people and the easiest way of setting the bar is by using the type of visa/extension people have. Yes, I know married people have been getting retirement extensions because it is much easier but they can change to marriage extensions if needed.  

I don't think they will bring in insurance for O, but if they do it will include marriage, just makes sense to include that too

[wgdanson]

41 minutes ago, ripstanley said:

If you are doing monthly income Thai Immigration do not use an exchange rate. They only look at what Thai Baht has been deposited in your account every month.

That is exactly what I was saying earlier, 40k = 40k, 65k = 65k, no matter what the exchange rate.

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, john terry1001 said:

MY target was always well over 70k pm but I had a bad tenant who refused to pay the rent and it takes time to get people evicted. The months without the rent coupled with the lower exchange rate took me slightly below.took me slightly below, and just for that one year.

OK so tell that to your IO and see what he has to say. Tough. He couldn't give a monkeys where your income is from, 65k every month and you stay here, less and you do not.

Try telling a traffic cop 'I was only doing 80 mph' when the limit is 70.

Edited November 15, 2019 by wgdanson

[john terry1001]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

I don't think they will bring in insurance for O, but if they do it will include marriage, just makes sense to include that too

Then we'll agree to differ. The way I look at it, people have to show 800k or 65k pm transferred every single month to obtain a retirement extension from an original non O but will not be separating family if they leave Thailand though lack of finance or unable to meet the insurance regulations.

 

There is a significant difference for the rules regarding those with a marriage extension:

1. Financial requirement is lower at only 400k or 40k pm average throughout the year.

2. You can also have work permit and work within Thailand as well as the marriage extension.

3. The money earned through that work can count towards the 40k pm income requirement.

4. Throughout the rule changes during the past year, nothing has changed with regard to marriage extensions.

5. Apart from a few minor categories, a non O visa is still available for family outside Thailand and hasn't changed but has become the main reason for being issued. To get a non O for retirement is no longer an option though. 

 

The more relaxed requirements suggest to me that Thai Authorities recognise a right to a family life, realise that big changes in the rules could cause a lot of problems and, at present, are maintaining the status quo in that area. For that reason I think insurance requirement for marriage extensions is unlikely for the foreseeable future and likely to be at the bottom of the list for any future requirements.

 

 

 

[john terry1001]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

OK so tell that to your IO and see what he has to say. Tough. He couldn't give a monkeys where your income is from, 65k every month and you stay here, less and you do not.

Try telling a traffic cop 'I was only doing 80 mph' when the limit is 70.

This was a about four years ago and to get an income letter from the British Embassy you had to provide the Embassy with proof of the source of your income. The IO didn't get involved, he only wanted to see the figure the BE had written on the letter. 

 

Anyway, the small shortfall I had that year was ignored by the IO and my extension was granted. The whole point of my original post was just to say that small shortfalls due to currency fluctuations used to be ignored in the past. They were flexible. 

[keith101]

When i first came back here in Sept 2017 I was getting 51,000 tbh per 28 day payment cycle but this was cut after 3 months to 43,000 down 8,000 and with the exchange rate down so far my next payment will approx. 34.500 down another 8,500 so no I did not count on this happening and that's with 6 monthly pension increases the last one being a whole $13 a month or around 280 tbh .