Expat Life
British Embassy in Thailand Announces It’s Ending Issuance of Income Letters
BANGKOK – The British Embassy in Bangkok has announced that as of January 1st, 2019 it will no longer be providing British nationals with letters confirming their income.
The letter has served as a supporting document for obtaining a Thai retirement or marriage visa.
Embassy officials said that it’s stopping the certification of income letters because it is unable to fulfill the Thai authorities’ requirements to verify the income of UK nationals, it said in a release on Monday.
For a retirement visa, British nationals have to demonstrate that they have at least Bt800,000 in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the visa application, or a monthly income of at least Bt65,000 transferred into an account in Thailand.
For a marriage visa, the amounts are Bt400,000 in an account in Thailand for no less than three months prior to the visa application, or a monthly income of at least Bt40,000 transferred into an account in Thailand.
A bank statement should in future be used as the supporting document for obtaining a Thai retirement or marriage visa, the embassy said.
All British nationals concerned should note that the last date for income-letter applications is December 12, it added.
