400,000 Baht In A Time Deposit For Marriage Visa Extension

[yankee-expat]

I have a one year extension to my O-Visa obtained in October and expires the end of June. I will have to do the whole process again mid-June.

Presently my money is sitting in Bangkok Bank at less than 1 percent interest. I would like to take the money and put it in a time deposit earning almost 5 percent. Since I don't touch that money why not have it earning the most interest it can, right?

Is that suitable for the Immigration people? I can show 400,000 baht in a time deposit - say 12 months or 24 months?

I can't bear to think of leaving that at BB for less than 1 percent interest -

[lopburi3]

You should probably start the extension process 3 to 4 weeks before the expiration date.

As you are using a now unavailable option I would not take any chance. Some officers have allowed time deposit on retirement type extensions but do not believe they will be anxious to do so for marriage type (as the whole idea under the grandfathered rule was support and showing that support by deposits/withdrawals of a passbook type savings account).

[astral]

Under the old scheme we were supposed to spend the 400K during the year and then top it up.

Is that still the case, assuming one is grandfathered??

Perhaps the OP could move most of his money to a Time Deposit for 6 or 9 months at a time,

then back to Savings for renewal.

I realise this does not get the best 12 month interest rate, but is better than the savings rates.

[whopper]

I just applied for my fourth extension based on marriage. I used a fixed account for a 3 month period in advance. The officer didn't seem to mind in Chiang mai. The officer did ask if I had income, and said that next year I should show steady income stating that the rules may change. So, if you think you are granfathered in the the old rules, you may have to think again.

I know this might make a few people confused, but that is the truth of what just happened to me.