oldcpu

22 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Along these lines, I note AirAsia has a sale on right now, and I may purchase a Krabi to Kuala Lumpur one-way ticket, which is reasonably priced at about 740 Thai baht.  ... I highly doubt I will use that ticket, so it will basically be a throwaway ticket.

Given 740 THB is not much money ... I went ahead and booked that flight.  (of course it has no luggage, no advance seat reservation, no food ..but given its highly unlikely I will use this legitimate ticket, its not a bad deal).

Of the 740 THB, I note 400 THB is airport fee, 250 THB is a fuel surcharge, 35 THB is an advance passenger processing fee, and 15 THB is international departure and arrival fee (Thailand).  ... The actual ticket, minus the fees, is only 40 THB.   ... Incredible.

Further to this, I have read that if one has come into Thailand on a '30-day Visa Exempt', that it is common that the Airline in the departing country to go to Thaland (in my case this will be Germany) will ask to see proof via an airline ticket, how one plans to leave Thailand.

So if I leave Thailand in August, invalidate my permission to stay (and non-immigrant OA visa) I will be returning 30-day Visa exempt in October.   Likely I will need to show a departure ticket from Thailand for early November ...

Along these lines, I note AirAsia has a sale on right now, and I may purchase a Krabi to Kuala Lumpur one-way ticket, which is reasonably priced at about 740 Thai baht.  ... I highly doubt I will use that ticket, so it will basically be a throwaway ticket.

Unfortunately, according to Thaiger news, the two Thai maintained Tsunami buoys in the Andaman sea are not at present functioning and they won't be functioning until November this year.  

So its nice the warning towers are fully operational, but from where will they get their warning if the Tsunami buoys are not functioning?  Every time there is an earth quake at some TBD size do they put out a warning?  Cause an evacuation with no confirmation from a Buoy? 

Or does India have Tsunami buoys far from their area of concern in the Andaman sea?  I seriously doubt that Myanmar has operational Tsunami buoys.  Given there is typically only 20-to-30-minutes warning from a Tsunami buoy, even if India has some, how long will it take them to notify Thailand so that Thailand can act?

My hope the above has all been considered and appropriate measures in place, but thus far other than notes that Tsunami buoys not working, but the warning towers are functional, does not provide me that much confidence.  I wish more detail was provided on link from earth quake to the actual warning  (to give confidence that the Tsunami buoys were not needed).

22 hours ago, nana kid said:

My experience in May visit was to get a Non-O Visa you needed a Bank Acct with B 800,000.  I couldn't get a bank account without a Visa,        Tried 3 Banks    BB  Kasikorn   UOB    no luck getting an account.

 

Strange. I was able to open an account with Bangkok Bank on a 30-day Visa exempt (here in Phuket).  The day after I arrived in Phuket, I went to Phuket immigration, and obtained a 1 page letter (with a passport sized photo on it) stating my residence in Thailand (for the 30-days).  I told immigration I needed the letter to open a Bank account.  They had seen this before so this was nothing new to them.

I had to provide the photo to immigration. It cost some nominal small amount of money to get the letter.  I already had the passport sized photo to provide immigration.

Armed with that letter, and my passport, Bangkok Bank opened an account for me. They asked me why I wanted the account, and I told them (1) for retirement so I could go for a non-immigrant visa, and (2) so to transfer money to Thailand to buy real estate.

The 'key' was that letter from immigration.  I also tried Kaskiorn and UOB and they would not let me open an account even with that letter from immigration.

7 hours ago, CMBob said:

Perhaps a bit of over-thinking this but I'm presuming you see the merit of switching from an Non-OA to a Non-O if only to get rid of the medical insurance requirement.

Thanks for the reply.

I agree absolutely about moving to a Type-O visa ... I am on a marriage extension at present (for my Type-OA) but given putting 800k (vs 400k) in a Thai bank is not an issue for me, I would prefer a Type-O on retirement extensions (over marriage extensions) which as you note, and which I fully agree, has far less paperwork hassle for me , less paperwork hassle for the Thai immigration, and its quicker for me.   I already have 800k in a fixed account in a Thai bank (and have had for a few years).

I also already have superb health insurance, which Thai immigration does not accept (but that Thai hospitals love) and so going for a 'retirement' extension on a Type-OA visa is something I wish to avoid (as I hate paying for unnecessary double health insurance).

7 hours ago, CMBob said:

  If so, I'd simply not obtain a re-entry permit for the October trip, come back in on a 30-day exemption (presuming that's available for you), and then promptly convert to a Non-O (if you do it within a week or so of your return, you won't have to bother obtaining a 30-day extension of your exempt entry to buy more time), and then apply for a one-year extension of that within the last 30 days of your new Non-O.  For future trips out of Thailand, just make sure you have a re-entry permit (either single or multiple depending on how many trips a year).

I agree, except the timing worries me - or at least it did until I read your post and I looked at the calendar once again. 

If I come back on 7-October on a 30-day Visa-Exempt, and immediately apply for a 90-day Type-O Visa, say apply on Monday 10-Oct-2022 ...  that would give me a permission to stay until about 9-January-2023 (assuming the Type-O visa starts the day I apply and not the last day of my visa exempt permission to stay). 

Assuming then I have a Type-O non-immigrant visa, then a few weeks prior to my 3-or-4-January-2023 departure ... about 19-December-2022, I could apply for a 1-year extension on the permission to stay in Thailand based on retirement ... 

If the one year retirement extension is given immediately no problem (immediately followed by my obtaining a re-entry permit) ... but if the extension is slow, then my 3 or 4 January-2023 departure will cause me some stress.

Thou now, after reading your post, I realize I am stuck in a western mindset where in the west everything mostly shuts down from a few day before Christmas until after New Years.  But Thailand is NOT the west.   Thailand is of course different, and immigration should mostly be open during that Christmas/western-New Years period.

Hence the timing between ~19-December-2022 and 3-January-2023 should be more than adequate to get a retirement extension (for 1-year) on a Type-O Visa. 

7 hours ago, marin said:

I think you are overthinking this. Use re entry permits until you return in January. Then get an agent to renew your visa with another multiple entry re entry permit. This can be done in one day with ad a good agent. It would then be over for one more year.  Makes everything easy.

Thanks. I agree stick with single re-entry permits for maximum flexibility, especially given changing from an OA to an O visa is something constantly on my mind.

As for an agent? ... I confess ... I am not a person who likes going to an 'agent' and paying them my money.  I prefer to use the money I save from an agent to buy 'toys', buy nice 'dinners' and buy other things.  Having typed that, I have friends who swear by using an agent to make things easier for them.  So each to their own I guess. 

A further thought to my above post, would be the following (going only for a Single re-entry permit on original permission to stay (extension) on original Type-OA visa and then after re-entry in February changing to a new non-immigrant Type-O Visa and apply for a re-entry permit on that for the March-April trip). i.e. :

1A. Single Re-entry Permit idea on 2 different Visas (permissions to stay):
- go now to immigration and obtain single re-entry permit on my current permission to stay, so to be able to return to Thailand after upcoming Aug-to-October-2022 travel
- return to Thailand on 7-Oct-2022 with current permission to stay on type-OA visa still valid.
- depart Thailand 4-January-2023 (with no re-entry permit) which invalidates permission to stay on Type-OA visa.
- return Thailand 20-January-2023 on 30-day tourist visa exempt (should allow staying in Thailand until ~18-February-2023 or so).

- around 30-January-2023 apply for a 3-month Type-O Visa based on retirement, and

- assuming succesfully obtain a 3-month Type-O Visa (with permission to stay to around 30-April-2023) then in Jan/Feb-2023 immediately apply for re-entry permit on that 3-month Type-O
- depart Thailand 17-Mar to 17-April-2023.
- return to Thailand on 17-April-2023 on type-O visa (still valid) and immediately apply for a 1 year extension on Type-O permission to stay based on 'retirement'
 

The timing between "17-April" (return to Thailand) and "30-April" (end of permission to stay) is a bit tight for obtaining a 1-year extension on the 'permission to stay' but I think it doable < unsure >

41 minutes ago, TropicalGuy said:

Thai Drivers License ( also Govt. Photo ID) is accepted everywhere so way more useful. Even Govt Hospital didn’t accept my pink ID and I hear national parks, outside pink card province of issue, won’t accept it either ! 

I tried that (Thai Drivers License) in Phuket once, when checking into a Thai hotel.

They advised me to go to a different hotel. They refused to accept a Thai driver's license.

42 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Unfortunately, I don't know if your understanding about insurance companies, their database and immigration access is correct! 

I will probably get the 3,000,000 insurance later in the year, just to be on the safe side, if there are no definitive answers forthcoming.

 

My being married to a Thai, on a 'permission to stay' extension on a Type-OA visa, what I did, to avoid that 3,000,000 insurance requirement was to go for an extension based on marriage to a Thai.  I was able to do this (last extension based on marriage instead of based on retirement) without leaving Thailand.

I have great subsidized Health Insurance from a European Health Insurance company (superior to the 3,000,000 THB coverage), where there is a Thai branch of the Insurance company on the Thai list, but the European branch refuses to issue appropriate paperwork for Thailand (and refuse to fill in the Thai database). 

The Thailand branch (same Health Insurance mother company)  refuses to issue me appropriate paperwork for Thailand (and refuses to fill in Thai database for me) for their mother company in Europe. There is no money in it for their branch of the company, so they refuse.  When I asked how much they wanted to do the paperwork/fill in database, it was a full (double) 3,000,000 insurance from them.  

Obviously I wasn't interested in double Health Insurance AND I did not want to stop my superior subsidized European Health insurance (with the same company but a branch located in Europe) , so I elected to go for the 'extension of my permission to stay' based on marriage. 

I also want to add - I have visited a couple different Thai hospitals in Thailand, and without exception the Thai hospitals have accepted my European Health Insurance.

I have some international travel coming up, and I am debating if I will let my Type-OA expire (when I exit Thailand) and then try to go for a Type-O shortly after a re-entery Visa Exempt. However timing of my various travel complicates this ... so I am puzzling over it.

If international travel is an option for you, then you could consider leaving Thailand to invalidate your Type-OA and then re-enter Tourist Visa exempt, and immediately attempt the Type-O visa route, to avoid this health insurance requirement.  I think if you already have good health insurance (like myself) or have massive financial savings in the bank (for a self insurance) than such an effort to change to a Type-O visa (based on retirement) is an acceptable "moral" approach.

I wish the Thailand implementation of the Health Insurance proof would better accept European coverage (for when in Thailand) and also accept Self Insurance (by maintaining large amount of money in a Thai bank).

I confess I don't understand the concern that you have about the multiple citizenships (and being married using Canadian passport but using your UK Passport for permission to stay in Thailand).

I have dual Canadian and Irish citizenship. My Thai wife and I were married in Canada.  We both worked in Germany for 20 years prior to moving to Thailand.

I use my Irish passport for entering/leaving/staying in Thailand. ie Type non-OA visa and later an extension based on retirement, and subsequently an extension based on marriage.  Using the Irish passport, despite our being married in Canada, has never caused an issue with immigration (despite the local City Hall mistake).

The only problem came up when the local City Hall office first issued the Kor-22 (?) they mistakenly put my citizenship (written in Thai) as "German" (as I worked in Germany for 20 years and my last address in Germany before moving to Thailand somehow confused them).  Rather than re-issue that Thai language marriage document, they added an extra page to it, which corrects the mistake.  Of course as one might expect, when I went for a Kor-22 renewal (as one needs to renew the Kor-22 every year year for the marriage extension) they mistakenly copied the incorrect German citizenship entry (in Thai) to the updated Kor-22 and after I had my Thai wife proof read it, she saw the mistake and we had to have that corrected - which they did. They made the mistake as they did not read the last correction page on the original Thai issued marriage document.

As long as the city hall doesn't screw up there should be no issue. Just ensure someone who can read/understand Thai checks everything carefully.

Out of curiousity what bank do you use?  Am I correct in saying it is not Bangkok Bank?

23 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I used for hotel check ins when asked for ID

 

I did the same recently in Pattaya. My Thai wife and I were checking into the Dusit Thani, and my passport was with a carry-on bag, where the hotel 'porter' had taken the carry-on bag and placed with the remainder of the luggage of my wife and myself. 

At hotel reception I was asked for my passport and I started looking around for the porter ...  where did he disappear?

My wife said, just give the hotel receptionist your 'pink ID'.  I did, and they accept that. Copied the pink-ID, and returned it to me.

So on a rare occasion the 'pink ID' can come in handy.

(Eventually the porter did show up with our luggage in our room - and I'll be more careful next time with regard to my passport/luggage).

1 minute ago, Tuvoc said:

I think only if you are extending based on monthly income. For money in the bank, I just went into the local Bangkok Bank branch on the way to immigration, updated the passport and got a certification of the balance on the spot.

Interesting. I wonder if this is a change in policy? 

For Bangkok Bank in Phuket (two separate branches - same policy) to obtain the certification of the balance for 1 year, they need to apply to Bangkok to get the paperwork record, which can take up to a week. (ie Signed and stamped bank letter AND Signed and stamped bank statement showing the required money for the previous 12 months).

Only for shorter duration (3 months ? or maybe its 6 months) can one get the required paper work 'on the spot'.

On 7/2/2022 at 12:37 PM, JetsetBkk said:

In April 2021 I did the same but, at Phuket Immi., I was given the insurance certificate back. 

So that's when I wrote the note to myself to get the insurance in 2022, but not give the certificate to Immigration.

 

That's what I did and got my O-A Extension without problems this year.

 

So the question now is, will Phuket Immi. want to see the new 3,000,000 baht insurance certificate next April?

 

My understanding, and please correct me if I am wrong, that the Insurance company branches on the Thai 'immigration approved' list of companies, have to make an entry into a database (that is accessed by immigration) of those who have purchased the health insurance for a Type-OA visa extension. Hence the Immigration office in Phuket (in your example given) may not need the paper health certificate, as they can simply check the electronic database (that insurance companies are required to enter your data into).

Again, I would be interested to be corrected if my understanding is wrong.

On 3/5/2022 at 8:24 AM, BoonMeePakNam said:

.

I've opened a bank account at Kasikorn (only Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn will open acccounts for foriegners)

 

I am Irish/Canadian and live in Thailand with a Thai wife, on a Type-OA Visa, and I have bank accounts with both Bangkok Bank and also Krungsri bank.  My understanding is Krungsri and Kasikorn are not the same bank.   Hence based on my albeit limited banking experience the past half-dozen years in Thailand, I don't believe it accurate to say only Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn will open accounts for foreigners (given I have multiple accounts with Krungsri).

Having typed that, I do agree that Bangkok Bank is more difficult (than Krungsri) when it comes to obtaining the banking paperwork needed for an extension on a foreigner's  'permission to stay' in Thailand.

I have a Thai wife and I am retired in Thailand, with hopefully a lot of future International travel planned.

I am pondering the best approach for "Permission to Stay" extensions, or changing Visa (given upcoming trips outside of Thailand in 2022/2023) - I suspect simplist approach may be to get a multiple re-entry on current "Permission to stay" based on marriage to my Thai wife, with my visa beign a Type-OA visa. Unfortunate vacation/permission to stay dates complicate this a bit.

I have ideas, but I thought I would post here, in case someone spots a superior and easier course of action.

My Details (Visa and Travel planned):

- My visa is a Type-OA, and I am on a "Permission to Stay" based on marriage that expires 03-Feb-2023. I don't have a 're-entry' permit on that permission to stay (yet).

Upcoming travel of my Thai wife and myself outside of Thailand:
- mid-August-2022 to 7-Oct-2022 [flights booked]
- 4-Jan-2023 to 20-Jan-2023 (return dates +/- a few days) [flights not 'yet' booked]
- 17-Mar-2023 to 17-April-2023 ( dates +/- a few days). [flights not yet booked]

I Discarded 'no-rentry permit idea' :   I think coming/going with no-re-entry permit (invalidating my current permission to stay) may involve too much paperwork/liaison with Immigration each time I go/return to Thailand hence I won't speculate here on what is involved there (please correct me if I am wrong).

I think the simplest approach may be either a single-re-entry 'permit' or a multiple re-entry permit on my current 'permission to stay'.

Corrections/suggestions on that are welcome.

My current thinking/assessment (comparing a single vs multiple re-entry permit approach)

1. Single Re-entry Permit idea: (ie Single re-entry permit to allow return after Aug-October trip):
- go now to immigration and obtain single re-entry permit so to be able to return to Thailand after upcoming Aug-to-October-2022 travel
- return to Thailand on 7-Oct-2022 with current permission to stay valid.
- depart 4-January-2023 which invalidates permission to stay on Type-OA visa.
- return 20-January on 30-day tourist visa
- around 17-February-2023, apply for a 30-day extension on tourist visa [ this irrationally 'scares me a bit ' going for such an extension ]
- depart Thailand 17-Mar to 17-April-2023.
- return to Thailand 17-April-2023 on 30-day Tourist Visa Exempt
- immediately apply for 90-day Type-O based on 'Retirement' and not on 'Marriage' (I have had 800K in bank here in Thailand for years)
- then if get 90-day Type-O, after 2 months apply for 1-year extension on permission to stay based on 'retirement' (less paper work than marriage and money not the issue)

or

2. Multiple Re-entry Permit idea (on current permission to stay)
- go now to immigration and obtain multiple re-entry permit on current permission to stay in Thailand
- return to Thailand on 7-Oct and also return to Thailand on 20-January on current permission to stay (which expires 3-Feb-2023)
- IMMEDIATELY go to Immigration and apply for 1-year permission to stay based 'marriage' on a Type-OA Visa (where permission to stay expires 3-Feb-2023).
- Hopefully prior to 17-March I obtain 1-year extension, and then IMMEDIATELY apply for a re-entry permit on 'permission to stay' on Type-OA visa during my March-to-April-2023 travels outside of Thailand.  

The problem I see with approach-2, is there is not much time between 20-January and 3-February-2023,  ... and not much time between 20-January and 17-March (~7 weeks) for approval of 'extension on permission to stay'. (given massive paperwork for a marriage extension)? Last time it took almost 6-weeks to get my extension on my permission to stay (based on marriage) which means I would be very nervous - would I obtain my extension on my permission to stay before leaving on my 17-March-2023 travels outside of Thailand??

My current thinking is to go for a Single Re-entry permit now (for return after Aug-Oct travel) and to decide later (before 4-January-2023) if I go for a second re-entry permit for the January-2023 travel (ie be flexible and make my mind up later).

Viewpoints are welcome.

On 4/8/2022 at 6:36 PM, Tuvoc said:

I'm sure I've seen cases on this forum of this being done. You're obviously at the mercy of individual IOs, and it may be possible with an agent. Both are under the Non-O umbrella, the OA is a sub-type or variation. I'm not a lawyer or proficient in the Thai regs, but as I say I'm sure I've seen cases where people have succeeded with this.

If I read this correct then I would be one of those cases.

My permission to stay in Thailand on a 1-year retirement extension to my Type-OA visa was expiring in February of this year 2022.  I have excellent European health insurance not on the Thai accepted health insurance list and rather than buy double insurance, I elected to go for another 1-year extension on my permission to stay in Thailand, but this time based on marriage to my Thai wife (instead of being based on retirement).

There was no needed change of my underlying Type-OA to a Type-O (which would have required me to leave Thailand and then return to Thailand). 

I was successful in doing so at the Phuket immigration, obtaining a 1-year extension on my Type-OA visa (for reason of marriage to a Thai person) in early March of this year.   The entire process was slow, with lots of paperwork, but it was successful.  No additional health insurance from a Thai approved list was required. Immigration was not interested either in knowing about my European health insurance as such is not needed for an extension based on marriage to a Thai person.

My success was due in no small part to some of the encouragement from this forum.

On 3/16/2022 at 11:54 AM, OJAS said:

The following link provides details of the income confirmation service which is provided by the Irish Embassy:-

 

https://www.dfa.ie/media/missions/thailand/ourservices/Pension-Income-Letter-New.pdf

Thank you for that link. 

Until now I have always simply deposited required amount (by Thailand) in a fixed Thai bank account and mostly forgotten about it, but this possibility of the Irish Embassy providing proof of pension income has me reconsidering. 

However while Irish, my pension comes not from Ireland but rather from a European government organisation (of which Ireland is a contributing member to that organisation) ... so I am wondering if the Irish Embassy would accept a letter from that Europe organisation, as proof of my pension income, in order for the Irish Embassy to issue the income confirmation service for providing to Thailand for a Type-OA visa?   [ ... which reads to be convoluted approach but I don't believe the European organisation proof of pension income would be accepted by Thailand as the European organisation does NOT have an Embassy in any country, much less Thailand. ]

I am thinking I probably should contact the Irish Embassy if I wish to follow up with the  'monthly pension' approach to see if the Irish Embassy would accept the European organisation income proof, for Irish Embassy to provide the confirmation service.

I am fortunate that money is not at this time an issue, so I suspect it may just be easiest for myself to stick with the fixed deposit approach (as opposed to the income approach) but it does have me thinking (as a possibility to keep in my back pocket 'just-in-case' ) ...

Again - thanks for the link.

Do you mean a non-immigrant type-O visa ?  or a non-immigrant type-OA visa?  They are not the same. 

Also, are you going for an extension based on 'marriage to a Thai' or based on 'retirement'? They have different requirements.

To the best of my knowledge an extension (based on retirement) for a non-immigrant type-O visa requires no proof of marriage nor does it require proof of heath insurance.

... and also a type-O extension if based on marriage DOES require the appropriate marriage paperwork, but it does NOT require proof of health insurance.

In comparison, to the best of my knowledge, an extension (based on retirement) for a non-immigrant type-OA visa requires no proof of marriage BUT it does require proof of heath insurance, .. and alternatively a type-OA extension if based on marriage DOES require the appropriate marriage paperwork, but does NOT require proof of health insurance.

6 hours ago, RedArmy said:

I entered Visa Exempt - Got a Residence Certificate from Phuket Immigration (500 Baht) - Opened up an account with Bangkok Bank.

 

I did the same here in Phuket (at the Phuket town Bangkok Bank branch) - back in 2016 on Visa Exempt with a 'resident one page letter' from Phuket Immigration (which is 'nominally valid for 1 month'). 

I did try 3 other different bank branches first (in Phuket town) and they all would not give me a bank account.  Fortunately Bangkok Bank branch in Phuket town did allow me to open up an account at their branch.

I suspect many bank branches have different policies.

On 2/20/2022 at 12:34 PM, gerrytraveller said:

Apart from the 400k/800k difference in "o" based on marriage vs "based on retirement are there any other differences/advantages etc?

Yes - the 'marriage extension' requires a LOT more paperwork than the 'retirement' extension.  A LOT !!

Also, In my limited experience in doing a 'retirement extension once' and doing a 'marriage extension once' is that the retirement extension is approved MUCH faster.  In Phuket my 'retirement extension' was very quick (less than a week for approval).   However in Phuket the 'marriage extension' took over a month to be approved.     In my case for the 'marriage extension' I had to go back to immigration a second time, to give them copies a document they mistakenly initially did not keep. I only live 10-minute car drive from Phuket immigration so time for me is not an issue.  But if immigration is hours away by car, then extra time traveling associated with an extra (unexpected) immigration visit could be an issue.

If it were me, on a type-O visa extension, I would go for 'retirement' (as the money required to be in the bank is not an issue).  

I only went for 'marriage extension' because I am on a type-OA visa, where unlike Type-O the Type-OA requires one buy health insurance from an approved Thai list. I already have superior Health Insurance from Europe that covers both my Thai wife and myself, but its not on the Thai list.   I did not want to purchase needless double Health Insurance  and I did not want to give up that superior European health insurance.  I also did not want to leave Thailand at this time, so I changed from 'retirement' extension to a 'marriage extension'.

Within the past week I successfully obtained my an extension on my permission to stay (based on marriage) for the first time. 

There is a lot of paperwork required, but my being retired, I have more time than I have money, and despite being close to 70, I am still mobile enough that I don't need an agent to save me time/effort.  The money I saved by doing this myself can buy a lot of nice meals.

I don't know how much you have prepared for this ?  Note if your marriage was outside outside of Thailand (like mine was) you will need to get marriage documents translated, certified, and then register your marriage at a local Thailand city hall. That 'might' be an extra hoop you will have to go through.

Possibly in 10 years if I am still alive, I will start using an agent to minimize my effort, but for now I prefer to use the money saved for other things.

In Phuket one needs both a bank statement and a bank letter.

For Phuket immigration, the bank statement can be 1-week old, but the bank letter has to be the same day !

Since I use Bangkok bank, to get a 1-year bank statement my local Bangkok bank branch needs to order that from Bangkok.  Once the 1-year statement (from Bangkok) arrives in Phuket at my branch, it is basically only useful for a week. On then needs to decide the day (in the next few days) to go to immigration, go to the local Bangkok Bank early that same planned day, get the Bank letter (where amounts in the letter, the bank statement, and one's Bankbook have to match) ... and then after leaving the bank, immediately go to immigration on that same day.

It requires a bit of coordination.  ... Its relatively easy for me as I live a 10-minute car drive from immigration.  I have sympathy for anyone who is hours away from a local immigration.

.