mosan

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

Firstly, thanks for posting the FET form from Kasikorn.

 

There was a technical issue the beginning of July with TW transfers through the BKK partner account and hundreds of transfers subsequently went through Kasikorn to BKK accounts.

As you've stated, the required proof is only available from one of Kasikorn International Trade offices, but as these are widely spaced out throughout Thailand, expats in rural areas are confronted with up to a 4 hour drive to the nearest branch.

 

If this situation arose just twice a year, with the inconvenience and travel costs involved, then considering making direct foreign bank to Thai bank transfers, even with the higher transfer costs is looking a more viable option and does guarantee the required International transfer coding.

Each individual has to assess the risk and cost and make their own judgement call.

 

 

I'm going to contact Kasikorn's International Trade office through email, supply them with the information from TransferWise on a recent transfer, and see if they're capable of providing me with the aforementioned certification document without physically showing up at their office. I'll report back if I hear from them. If I don't hear from them, I'll see if there is an office locally (Ubon Ratchathani) and see what happens...

Are you now using or have you ever used a VPN?  Sometimes a site is inaccessible at some point when you are accessing from an overseas location.  Could be the answer to your problem...

6 minutes ago, fishtank said:

You choose to do that. It is not a requirement.

Just like other choose to deposit 800k or 400k or choose to transfer in 65k or 40k per month...I still had to show the money to the Embassy to get the visa.

26 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You wrote, "if the landscape has changed by then, I'll do what's necessary to obtain another visa--even if that means having to purchase healthcare insurance--because we all need healthcare insurance anyway..."  I agree with you but chances are we will not need or use the health insurance we will be forced to buy - was my point.  

No one can force you to buy anything...you have a choice. I may choose not to play along. Me and my lady have discussed the situation (she has American citizenship)--she says "we're not going there", we'll just go live in the US and visit here.  I'm flexible... 

Just now, marcusarelus said:

Do we need health care insurance that does not pay out?  Or is unreasonable in it's cost like for 40k outpatient?  Who would use insurance to pay 40k outpatient?  Nutty.  It would be cost prohibitive.  One would get a high deductible or pay all the outpatient costs themselves.  

This is not about what we need. It's about what will be acceptable to immigrations here, or what Thai Embassies and Consulates deem acceptable to obtain a new O-A visa if the requirement comes to pass...  NOTE: The emphasis is on "if".

10 hours ago, fishtank said:

No. You have an extension of stay based on retirement.

You do not have any visa.

You have 800,000 in a Thai bank or proof of income coming into the country.

O-A Visa holders do not.

Your statement is not exactly true. I am here on an O-A visa issued from the Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., but I transfer in a minimum of 70K Baht each month because one has to live on something.  Additionally, I realize that at some point I may need this income to apply for an extension of stay.  When the time comes (2021), I intend to return to the US and apply for another O-A while visiting family and friends. Of course, if the landscape has changed by then, I'll do what's necessary to obtain another visa--even if that means having to purchase healthcare insurance--because we all need healthcare insurance anyway...

26 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

May I ask which airlines operate to the UK from Utapao   ????

https://www.flights.com/flights/utapao-utp-to-london-lhr/

On 7/5/2019 at 5:33 PM, possum1931 said:

What is FTT? You are sending posts to a forum, not making text messages.

It stands for Foreign Telex Transfer

I sent you a Private Message...

41 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Please provide the email address you used to contact them so we may do so also.  

 

Thanks.

I contacted the company CEO and Chairman through Twitter's Direct Messaging facility: 

@TransferWise @Taavet (TransferWise Co-founder & Chairman)
@kaarman (TransferWise Co-founder & CEO)

I also addressed the coding of said transfers on this end referencing the FTT that Bangkok Bank used in their bank book and on their statements versus the "DUMMY", "SMART", and "DOMESTIC" wording that's been used frequently on posts throughout ThaiVISA here over the last week. 

3 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Has anyone used a SWIFT transfer via TW ? Why not just use SWIFT direct from your own bank account ?

As I mentioned earlier, many cannot initiate a SWIFT directly from their bank. It'll be interesting to see if initiating a SWIFT through TransferWise will have a positive effect (other than the SWIFT being just a way to move funds from your bank to Transferwise…)

1 minute ago, pontious said:

Thanks for that. Unfortunately you will see other emails saying they cannot guarantee anything even if you ask during the transfer process.

I think when they say use Swift they mean through there system. That obviously is less attractive, but will always arrive as international.

I hear what you're saying, and, I've read all of the posts. But I tried something a little different. Everybody else are trying to talk to Customer Service. I went on Twitter and sent Direct Message to the CEO and Chairman of the company:

@TransferWise @Taavet (TransferWise Co-founder & Chairman)
@kaarman (TransferWise Co-founder & CEO)

You'll also note that I got a little bit more comprehensive reply than the generic replies I got from my email to customer service.  Like I said earlier, maybe, just maybe, I got their attention.  And a little help for more of the masses out here can't hurt...

I sent TransferWise a link to this forum topic on Twitter and maybe just maybe got their attention. It would probably help if a few more people let them know how you "really" feel...

3 hours ago, paahlman said:

I used to have bankthai.. Suddenly one day there was no more bankthai.. no warning....

BankThai, Bangkok, Thailand | Head office, address, tel ...

1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I think that was for 1 year Non O A visas applied for in home country and not for 1 years extensions of stay granted in Thailand.

As of right now, there is no insurance requirement for a Non O-A Visa applied for in ones home country.

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

I find it amazing in this day of technological advancement, that a bank cannot go back into an account (at any of its branches) and find records of deposits and withdrawals going back years. Providing you have suitable identification as holder of that account.

Print them off and verify them, in a matter of minutes.

I can do it online on my overseas accounts.

I can go into any branch of my overseas bank in my home country and get verified copies of statements. 

Surely the systems here cannot be that antiquated ?

 

 

Too much Hanky Panky going on in branches here (they operate like franchises). I'm sure the main Banks don't want them mucking around in their files...

1 hour ago, Dene16 said:

My latest transfer, only today to Bangkok bank, shows as interbank transfer via smart

No longer FTT

Don't know where that will leave everyone?

What you should do is go to your bank and ask them for an explanation and emphasize why you need said explanation.  Additionally you can ask them to provide you with a letter of explanation (or a Credit Advise at the bare minimum) for immigration purposes.

A reply from you on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

1 hour ago, dcnx said:

I’ve received statements from a BKK Bank branch I didn’t open my account at. It’s like everything else here, it depends who you talk to at any given branch.

Right...how could I forget!!!

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

I must have missed that one, and I read the news every day !

Any link to the fact that everyone must have it, or are you quoting o-a visas ?

There is no news on the need to have insurance. And, by the way, it's not required for an O-A VISA either...unless I missed something!

Last thing first. To my knowledge, if you apply for a 90 day online you must apply "before" 15 days prior to the actual report date.

One always have to get printed statements initiated from the bank where their account was opened--this is now new and it's not a new rule.  And, you can't wait till the last minute.  It can take some time to produce those printed statements...

13 hours ago, BritTim said:

As I understand it, the basic cost of SWIFT is very low. What costs money is the additional fees charged by the bank at either end for participating in the transfer. Like any other services banks provide, those fees are negotiable for big customers. I speculate that TransferWise has negotiated much lower than normal rates for SWIFT transfers with its correspondent banks.

Don't quote me on this, but I don't think TransferWise is doing SWIFT transactions with their correspondent banks.  After talking with them, I was under the impression they have large account sums on deposit with their Thai correspondent banks here which is funded with their transfer fees.  When you fund your transfer overseas, they notify their account managers here in Thailand which then deposits the funds into your account here.  Hence, the lower fees and (sometimes) very short time necessary to complete the transfer.  Also, this is why if you're not using a TW correspondent bank, you will sometime get a transfer that's documented as a "domestic" transfer--as it essentially is one.  All that said, Bangkok Bank still has the best track record for showing your transfer as originating from overseas: e.g.; the FTT coding showing in the bank book...

6 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Thanks for that. I'm a UK national so ACH does'nt apply to me. Well if i don't change anything all my transfers are showing "domestic" as they are coming from TMB into my SCB account and if i'm confronted by an IO who insists they are shown as FTT i'm stuffed, thats why i'm gonna take me TW PDP statements which show its a foreign transaction.

 

 

Just between me and you, I don't think Immigrations will care to see your TW PDP statements. What they really want is your bank book and a printed statement from your local Thai bank detailing your transactions on the last 12 months or whatever period is covered since your last extension.  Go to your bank and request a printed statement for the last 3 to 6 months and see what it shows for transactions--you can do this immediately.  As some individuals have reported that their bank book doesn't show international transfers, but their printed bank statements do in fact show the transfers as originating from their home country.  

The suggestion to open a Bangkok Bank account is still a sound one.

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

And if only 12 payments don't add up to 40,000 or 65,000 baht a month but payments from more than one pension do. What then?

 

AFAIK what is required is a total of more than 40 or 65,000 per month.

Having multiple deposits into your account to equal the 40K or 65K per month requires one to do math to ensure you're in compliance.  Considering everybody has to use a calculator for simple addition and subtraction (not to mention division) I'd suggest you have your multiple sources deposit into your home bank and then bring your 40K or 65K into Thailand with one transfer a month at approximately the same time...

25 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Thankyou for your post, so in essence you have to have your TW transfer go into a Bangkok bank account not SCB as in my case, so i would need to open a BB account and change my TW transfers to BB in the future.

What is ACH ?

To be clear, you don't "need" to change anything.  I was just saying that of all the stories posted, evidence reveals that those with a Bangkok Bank account as the destination for receipt of their funds, they have had the most success.  Those with accounts at other banks have mostly reported receiving their deposits showing as "domestic transfers" because in fact they are all domestic transfers.  It's just that Bangkok Bank is most likely to get the coding right.  And, by the way, ACH is an internal mechanism used by US financial institutions to transfer funds.  TransferWise has a banking facility in the US (and other countries) that receive and then process said funds.  Whether or not you'd like to open up a Bangkok Bank account is your choice.  If it were up to me, I would do so...