tracy3eyes

Syntax error due to poor English. He means million!

Once you have your 1 year extension you can then renew up to 45 days before at CM IMO. I just did on 26 Aug and my extension was to 9 Oct. Now renewed till 9 Oct 2020.

7 days before in Chiang Mai.

On ‎8‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 9:51 AM, The Man Who Sold the World said:

Good luck Tracy, thanks for taking the time to report and the details.

 

Good Luck.

 

50/50 - everything is at the discretion of the IO

You were absolutely correct. 

On ‎8‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 11:59 AM, Captain 776 said:

They dont care about your extra paperwork............you are not meeting current requirements.

They do if it is necessary and proven today during my successful renewal.

UPDATE AFTER MY SUCCESFUL RENEWAL TODAY.

I had actually planned to do it tomorrow but thought I would just pop to CM IMO and get all my photocopies done and ready for an early start in the morning. Well, it didn't go quite as I had planned today.

Upon my arrival at approx. 11.15am this morning I popped across the road to get my photocopies and asked at the assist with visa desk (not IMO desk) if they could provide me with some photocopies. Upon presentation of my International Transfers letter from the Bangkok Bank which only has 2 transfers, both of which where in August I was told by this lady that I could get a copy because I needed 6 transfers on the letter. I said I think you are wrong and should you be telling me what CM IMM should be telling me. I did not argue and went back across the road to the IMO and explained what had happened to a young girl in what looked like school or uni clothes. She said that the independent visa agents had not business telling me what they did and she went to talk to an immigration officer and showed by document set which included a letter in Thai from me explaining the problems I had with the transfer codes and she also showed them my company pension letter and P60 and UK bank statements showing my monthly pension deposits which well exceed the required funds.

She came back and told me to go to the other copy desk and get what needed copying so I did and when I get back she will give me a ticket, which is what happened.

When my number came up I presented all my documentation and the IMO was keen to have a copy of my P60 and company pension letter, copy of bank book, bank letter and credit advices including my UK transfer notifications which matched with the BNT transfers which BB would not put on my international transfer letter.

The IMO told me that next year I must show 12 transfers and I proceeded to pay my 1900 euros and my renewal was granted.

So supporting documentation this year if you have some FTT transfers is being looked at and copies taken. It appears that they are lenient this year and particularly if your documentation verifies your income as genuine.

I thanked the IMO for his discretion and help!

Hope this was useful and good luck to all who still have to do their renewals to do!

I was told by a few on TV that I had no chance of getting my renewal. Well I did and thank you to those who said good luck!

Beer tonight with the family.

Best

2 hours ago, Captain 776 said:

They dont care about your extra paperwork............you are not meeting current requirements.

That is true! Never mind.

Maybe I will just skip the embarrassment of renewal rejection.

Looks like its goodbye Thailand as far as long stays are concerned for me.

Best of luck to all with your renewals.

According to one of the posts I have zero chance of getting my renewal on Tuesday next week. If that is the case then so be it!

UPDATE:

This morning I went to the BB to get my Bank Letter which stipulates that I have receive 2 FTT transfers and lists them. They also provide me with 2 credit notices as they did for my 2 BNT coded international transfers (but they wont put them in the letter).

I then went to CM IMO to check that IO have all that is required and was told that CM are lenient until 31 Dec 2019 which what I was told a few weeks ago when I visited them to talk about the BNT coded transfers. I was told then that I still had time to plan and sort it out so that I can show some FTT transfers which is what I have gone and done.

I talk to the IMO I know and he knows me. He checked all I had and said that you have everything you need for next week when I will be doing my extension renewal 42 days early. I was told to also bring the supporting documents Company Pension Letter & P60 (they know the company extremely well) and to show them if asked for proof of my pension. Which is why I have them and Thai translations if asked for.

No indication was given that I would have a problem, however, I guess it will be down to the actual IM officer I get. 

We will just have to see. If they refuse then I am done as far as long stays in Thailand and will probably look at other country options.

I will update again when I have returned from CM IMO next Tuesday pm.

Good luck to all that have pending renewals.

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

With one (1) qualifying foreign transfer (August) I'm not certain you'll be able to dazzle them with your paperwork?

 

In theory you should probably have seven or eight monthly qualifying foreign transfers.

 

All the other documentation you list seems superfluous, unneccessary and will lead to confusion.

 

Unless there is some detail missing in your screed I'd put the odds at 0%.

 

I'd be working on a plan B, and maybe a plan C.

 

Plan B would be to maintain monthly qualifying foreing transfers for Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, etc. Then maybe leave, re-enter on a TVE, apply for a 90, then extend that in Nov or Dec. when they may allow it with four or five QFTs?

 

 

 

 

Have 2 qualifying transfers I am told and a letter in Thai explaining that I had actually sent 4 transfers and have the UK transfer receipts and credit notices for the two that arrived BNT. If I don't get a renewal then I wont be bothering any further. Ensuring 12 transfers next year wont be a problem but if more agro this time then F it! See my update after visiting the BB and IMO this morning to check I had all that was required.

1 hour ago, rawhod said:

Did my retirement extension end of May this year at CM immigration (44 days early) using a British Embassy letter from the end of December last year, so not the same method as the OP.

However, they did ask for proof of my pensions. Luckily I had taken copies of the documents I submitted to the Embassy for my income letter.

 

My UK Pension Service letter and my Employment pension letter were both in English and were accepted.

So, I wouldn't offer the translations unless they are specifically requested.

2 hours ago, cnx355 said:

I hope for everybody in CM that this translation does not start a new trend at Immigration so they can make <extra> sharing with translation services for an <compulsory>translation.

But if your documents is in Spanish and not in english, that is a good idea.

They are not in Spanish and if it makes the difference between extension or no extension then I will show the translations if requested! 

18 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Interesting Strategy.  I never thought about obtaining a Translated Pension Statement.  Is there something special about Star Visa that CNX IMM will consider this statement.  

Not that I know of but I do know that CM IM know them well. 

I thought the translation would remove any ambiguity and provide clear understanding and evidence that I do have a genuine pension. And the P60 also.

I spoke with IMO at CM last month and mention pension documents and he said bring so I thought translation would help.

<SNIP>

Star Visa Shop is next to US Embassy CM near market

21 hours ago, sead said:

Possible to make a visa run and take a flight from another country? Think its easier to try a border.  You can get new temporary passport from your embassy if you or daughter say you lost it.

Apply for new passport for daughter and leave the country with her by whatever means and surely if she is a citizen of your country and you are the sole carer they will allow her to stay? What is your country? The UK do not separate single parent carer from the child and particularly not if they are a citizen. The Law I think.

Would someone be so kind as to inform me on the below

I need to visit Bangkok 31 Aug to 4 Sept (staying in Novotel) and then catch a flight to the UK on the morning of the 4th Sept. What do I need to do TM30 because its all very confusing and in some cases contradictory?

9 hours ago, SammyJ said:

i was using tw as well, and it seemed ok, to my bkk bank acct, but my last transfer of just last week, did not show as an international transfer, but as an "interbank transfer via SMART---yes, i had been made aware that this could happen rarely, but it seems that now, via a new TW processing that makes the transfer take place more quickly, but at the same time means that it likely will not show here as an international transfer.

 

I hope this is incorrect, though--has anyone used TW in the past few days to bkk bank and seen it listed as an international transfer??  Also, if using SWIFT from the US--can anyone recommend the US bank they use--I use Discover online, as it was possible to open an account with them while I am here in Thailand, but making the SWIFT transfers is a real hassle--as they want local US ph numbers, etc to text codes to.  anyone using a US ph number--via SKYPE or others to resolve this?

 

Thanks for any advice!

My TW tester came in as SMT. MY Halifax tester came in as FTT

On ‎7‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 12:51 AM, Dene16 said:

 

Transferwise has already stated they cannot guarantee the FTT code

Many posters have recieved both

So on the basis that yourself and a few other people have recieved the FTT code we are supposed to think everything is OK?

Are you prepared to risk your extension when you suddenly realise they haven't been coming through this way for a few months and the ensuing panic to try and sort it out

I sent a test transferwise payment last week and it hit my Bangkok Bank account with a SMT code! So won't be using them. Will use Halifax because they send direct to Bangkok Bank and you get FTT.

9 hours ago, pontious said:

To open a Halifax account you have to be a UK resident. 

Or have a UK address and able to go to the bank with your passport and then they activate your online account.

On 7/9/2019 at 4:34 PM, oxmermaid said:

Tracy, are you transferring funds through TransferWise or SWIFT?

Just direct from Halifax Uk using swift. And it arrives FTT

6 hours ago, dabhand said:

I opened an account with Halifax (CC + bank account) a couple of years back. Done online and with a UK address, but they needed me to do an ID / address verification (passport + UK DL), in person, at any Halifax branch in the UK before they would activate the accounts.

 

Did you need to do a similar verification check in person?

I opened my account about 5 years ago and not recently so looks like they updated their procedures. Which would require one to take a trip home to do  it now.

9 hours ago, Pib said:

Really any Bangkok Bank branch can prepare the account balance type letter because any branch can see your basic account info like name, account number, current balance, etc.  That letter is a very basic letter providing your name, account number, current balance, etc....a short & sweet letter which is used if using the Bt800K on deposit method for your extension of stay.

 

However, the other letter which you are looking for will show the individual monthly international transfers you have done.   Like list an international transfer for Jan, list an international transfer for Feb, etc....etc....etc.  Now that letter requires the branch to pull retrievals from your account looking specifically for transfers coded as international transfers. 

 

Now, branches can not see more that 6 months back...for that they need to submit a request to the Bangkok Bank Head Office in Bangkok on Silom Rd...in the HQ Bangkok Bank building....which takes several business days to a week.    With the kind of letter individually listing each international transfer the immigration officer doesn't need to look at a bunch of supporting docs like Credit Advices, Transferwise PDF receipts, other possible transfer docs, etc., to confirm you have been doing the required monthly transfers.   

 

Out of curiosity when getting a Credit Advice for a recent international transfer at the Bangkok Bank head office which happens to be my branch I paid the Bt100 to get the monthly international transfer letter just to see what it looked like....and it was nothing more than what I described above.  Starts off by giving the very basic account info and then individually lists the international transfers right on the letter.   I posted a redacted version of that letter months ago but can't find it now trying to search thru my ThaiVisa attachments previously uploaded because the ThaiVisa system is just too durn slow....like watching grass grow in when searching for past posts/attachments.  I'll continue to look...maybe I can spot it later in the slow growing grass.

 

Edit: never fails....found it right after initially posting.  The letter was all in Thai language...I just added some English translation.  

 

 

 

Thank you. That is very useful. I will show the example at the bank so he can see it is more than just balance needed.

3 hours ago, SooKee said:

16 hours ago, tracy3eyes said:

FYI
If you transfer from the Halifax in the UK you will get an FTT code. You can open an account online. I know because I just tested it.
 
Also, from the La Caixa bank in Spain you get a FTT code.
 
 
 
Hope this is helpful.

You can open an account with Halifax online from Thailand? Unless you are in our at least have a valid address in the UK I thought that was pretty much impossible.

I opened an account online and have a valid uk address.

FYI

If you transfer from the Halifax in the UK you will get an FTT code. You can open an account online. I know because I just tested it.

Also, from the La Caixa bank in Spain you get a FTT code.

Hope this is helpful.

9 hours ago, Pumpuynarak said:

I've just returned from Korat IO where wifey and i spoke to the Chief IO to inform her that i could'nt evidence that my transfers had come from the UK by way of TW due to the fact they were not coded when credited to my SCB account as FRC (from abroad)

I took all my SCB bank statements (all printed off by me) from Jan this year to July together with the TW PDF's (all printed off by me) she had a good look and said "don't worry" all we want to see is that you are transferring money each month into your SCB account from abroad and she said that i can see from the evidence you have supplied.

I did inform her that in future (August onwards) i will do a swift transfer from my HSBC UK account direct into my SCB account here and that will show as a foreign transaction, she was happy and once again said "don't worry". I'll have to just put up with the higher charges and bad exchange rate from SCB.

 

I think wifey had a good chat to her and said we've been married 13 years and living together here in Thailand and always transferred the money monthly from the UK and she did'nt want to lose her husband lol   

 

Are you sure that transferring through HSBC will show as foriegn because I transferred from my Nationwide and it was sent through HSBC as the intermediary bank and I got code BAHTNET which is my problem. But now I have discovered that sending from the Halifax gets you a FTT code.

Here is an update on my endeavours. following my initial post on page 7 and a few since.

I visited another BBK branch in Chiang mai I have used many times before for transfer etc on Charon Ruan Road (the road out to Macro and train station).

I explained my dilemma to the chap there and my experience at the Changklan Rd Branch. Anyway he said that if I brought the international transfer printouts provided provided by my branch he would produced a letter stating my account balance to accompany them to immigration. Not sure if this is exactly what IMO want. Thought they wanted a letter with the list of the international transfer in the letter? Does anyone have an example of the required format of the Bank letter? I said I would then take what he gave me along with my pass book and a statement to the IMO to ask them if this was acceptable. So I will do this.

I have also done some test transfers from the Uk & Spain to my BBK and here are the transaction codes that they were allocated.

1. Transferwise from UK   - SMT

2. La Caixa Bank Spain - FTT

3. Halifax UK - FTT      - charged me £9.50 and about 500 at Thai end

4. Nationwide previously - BNT

Hope this info is useful to any Brits with the same problems.

Looks like I may now have a few options. But would like to see the format and an idea of the content of the required bank letter. Anyone have?

1 hour ago, pontious said:

No problem with Bangkok Bank. You cannot expect them to write a letter saying xxxx is international transfer when they received it as domestic. You would have to ask the intermediary bank to issue a letter - good luck with that.

They have it on their system that states the funds came from the Nationwide bank UK and they gave me the print outs as well as verbally confirming that they were international transfers, which state that they were such, so why would the bank not verify their own information they are holding?  Of course its Bangkok bank.