16 hours ago, rickjza said:

The next bank statement the officials will see is 3 months prior, so how will they know if the money is spent down?

Because they may ask.   As some others have posted, they are sometimes, and I say sometimes interested in spend history for example to heck that you did not just borrow the money from somebody.  Then in a round robin fashion give them back the money, they season their account, etc.   Just a casual warning to follow the old Boy Scout Motto  "Be Prepared".   Times they are a changing over in Thailand and the winds of checking blow one way some times rather fiercely. Not to mention the day you run into an official that just doesn't like you or just fells like being difficult

8 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

all so complicated...maybe i'll retire in japan

If you think Thailand's Visa system is complicated, try taking a Thai to the US, the UK or Australia.

15 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

If you think Thailand's Visa system is complicated, try taking a Thai to the US, the UK or Australia.

acctually thailand is not complicated, what complicates things is communication problems with thai officials.

for example, i went to immigration office to ask for retirement visa, and ask if i need to go out of the country to apply for the visa. they answered NO NO NEED.

i asked WHAT NEED?

they answered  NEED ONLY SHOW MONEY IN BANK.

now you don't feel like you can ask much after a short blurry answer like that.

4 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

acctually thailand is not complicated, what complicates things is communication problems with thai officials.

for example, i went to immigration office to ask for retirement visa, and ask if i need to go out of the country to apply for the visa. they answered NO NO NEED.

i asked WHAT NEED?

they answered  NEED ONLY SHOW MONEY IN BANK.

now you don't feel like you can ask much after a short blurry answer like that.

I have been to several offices even Lampun and there always seems to be an English speaker.

What complicates things and makes things more difficult for many of us is the stupidity of people and not having their act together.  I think anyone who is so lame and overstays over 30 days should be sent home.

The Thai process seems so very simple.

15 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

If you think Thailand's Visa system is complicated, try taking a Thai to the US, the UK or Australia.

acctually thailand is not SO complicated, what complicates things is communication deficiencies with  with thai system, web sites and officials....

 

On 5/29/2018 at 7:09 PM, gk10002000 said:

I have read accounts where some Thai officials would really prefer to see the 800,000 being spent down. 

Interesting.

 

But I won't put it on the list of " things to worry about." ?

 

Just now, Thailand J said:

Interesting.

 

But I won't put it on the list of " things to worry about." ?

 

As well you shouldn't.

But at the end of the day the immigration officers are police and if they feel something is suspicious they have every legal right to investigate and ask questions. Doesn't mean they usually do though!

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

As well you shouldn't.

But at the end of the day the immigration officers are police and if they feel something is suspicious they have every legal right to investigate and ask questions. Doesn't mean they usually do though!

are you israeli? or just like eurovision?

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

As well you shouldn't.

But at the end of the day the immigration officers are police and if they feel something is suspicious they have every legal right to investigate and ask questions. Doesn't mean they usually do though!

spend the 800K or not...nothing to hide nothing to worry. are you a drug dealer , involve in money laundry or working withour a permit??

 

On 5/30/2018 at 9:37 AM, Mike Teavee said:

My understanding is that you have to show proof that the funds came from outside of Thailand as there is no seeding requirement for the initial Non O Visa.

 

I'm in a similar situation as I changed approx 300k with a mate who works in Thailand & wanted $SGDs, so my plan is to go to Penang to get the Non-O from there (showing them proof of 800k in the Bank & proof of income from British consulate in Bangkok - I know it's either 1 or the other but have read Penang like to see you've got some income coming in).

 

Failing that I'll just transfer another 300K across & do the conversion in Thailand, going to need spending money anyway & the 1st couple of months are always more expensive due to set-up costs so I won't be any worse off so long as I make sure I keep 800K in the account for at least 2 months prior to the 1st extension... Or go back to the Embassy & get another income certification, pretty painless process it just costs £52 as a Brit.

 

 

i heard that you have to show proof that THE WHOLE 800K  were trasfered  from abroad, so trasfering just 300K won't be enougth

21 minutes ago, Thailand J said:

spend the 800K or not...nothing to hide nothing to worry. are you a drug dealer , involve in money laundry or working withour a permit??

 

I spend it down. But some officers might be thinking about such questions for those that don't. It's been pretty well documented over the years that they usually don't challenge static 800K accounts. But  usually isn't always. For those with static 800K accounts you might want to have a story ready (hopefully true) as to where your spending funds in Thailand DO come from. It's not rocket science. 

Then just show the IO where your spending money is from.

No need to spend down the money to avoid a simple question.

If they ask at all..

3 minutes ago, Thailand J said:

Then just show the IO where your spending money is from.

No need to spend down the money to avoid a simple question.

If they ask at all..

I have never ever suggested that you need to spend it down!

3 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

acctually thailand is not complicated, what complicates things is communication problems with thai officials.

for example, i went to immigration office to ask for retirement visa, and ask if i need to go out of the country to apply for the visa. they answered NO NO NEED.

i asked WHAT NEED?

they answered  NEED ONLY SHOW MONEY IN BANK.

now you don't feel like you can ask much after a short blurry answer like that.

The regulation and procedural requirements are here;

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80 

 

They probably expect you to check with their website, rather than attempt to explain in 'Thailish'.

On 5/31/2018 at 3:06 PM, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

i heard that you have to show proof that THE WHOLE 800K  were trasfered  from abroad, so trasfering just 300K won't be enougth

The transfers I made from Singapore show clearly that they're "International Transfer" so I figured I need to ignore the 30k I opened the account with & the 325k that my mate transferred to me & send enough money to get to 1,155k. Call it 1.2M, then ask Bangkok Bank for a letter saying 845K of this came from "International Transfers".

 

Would be great if somebody could confirm 1 way of the other that my thinking is ok, if it's not then I'll need to wire over approx $35,000 a couple of days before I come out & ask for a Foreign Certificate Deposit statement for just that amount (approx 820k)

 

Again, I am going to need the money in Thailand anyway so it doesn't really matter whether I have 1.2M or 2M in the bank, it's just I think exchange rates are a little poor at the moment so would rather send money across when $35,000 gets 875k (25THB to 1SGD) than 820k.

 

 

Edit: But my plan is to get the Non-Imm O from Penang so I'm assuming that they just want to see that you have 800K in the account & don't care where it came from. - Can somebody please confirm or correct?

Edited June 2, 20188 yr by Mike Teavee

49 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

The transfers I made from Singapore show clearly that they're "International Transfer" so I figured I need to ignore the 30k I opened the account with & the 325k that my mate transferred to me & send enough money to get to 1,155k. Call it 1.2M, then ask Bangkok Bank for a letter saying 845K of this came from "International Transfers".

Would be great if somebody could confirm 1 way of the other that my thinking is ok, if it's not then I'll need to wire over approx $35,000 a couple of days before I come out & ask for a Foreign Certificate Deposit statement for just that amount (approx 820k)

Again, I am going to need the money in Thailand anyway so it doesn't really matter whether I have 1.2M or 2M in the bank, it's just I think exchange rates are a little poor at the moment so would rather send money across when $35,000 gets 875k (25THB to 1SGD) than 820k.

Edit: But my plan is to get the Non-Imm O from Penang so I'm assuming that they just want to see that you have 800K in the account & don't care where it came from. - Can somebody please confirm or correct?

I think immigration would accept the first 30k baht you used to open the account and then 770k baht baht transferred from abroad.

The bank will confirm the total amount transferred from abroad in one letter.

You do not need to prove the 800k baht came from abroad to apply at the consulate in Penang.

On 5/29/2018 at 4:09 PM, david_je said:

Is there any reason why I cannot now immediately spend down most of the 800,000 baht,

Why "most" and not "all"?  Is there a minimum amount like an ante to show you are still gonna play the next hand?

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I think immigration would accept the first 30k baht you used to open the account and then 770k baht baht transferred from abroad.

The bank will confirm the total amount transferred from abroad in one letter.

You do not need to prove the 800k baht came from abroad to apply at the consulate in Penang.

Thanks Joe... 

12 minutes ago, norrska said:

Why "most" and not "all"?  Is there a minimum amount like an ante to show you are still gonna play the next hand?

That's easy. Yes you could spend it completely down as long as you either keep that account open or have a new account to show the NEXT TIME with 800K seasoned three months. Practically speaking, people don't spend it all. They keep the account open for next time which means having at least some money in it at all times. But not there is no rule about what you do with the account during the non-seasoning period. 

20 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

The transfers I made from Singapore show clearly that they're "International Transfer" so I figured I need to ignore the 30k I opened the account with & the 325k that my mate transferred to me & send enough money to get to 1,155k. Call it 1.2M, then ask Bangkok Bank for a letter saying 845K of this came from "International Transfers".

 

Would be great if somebody could confirm 1 way of the other that my thinking is ok, if it's not then I'll need to wire over approx $35,000 a couple of days before I come out & ask for a Foreign Certificate Deposit statement for just that amount (approx 820k)

 

Again, I am going to need the money in Thailand anyway so it doesn't really matter whether I have 1.2M or 2M in the bank, it's just I think exchange rates are a little poor at the moment so would rather send money across when $35,000 gets 875k (25THB to 1SGD) than 820k.

 

 

Edit: But my plan is to get the Non-Imm O from Penang so I'm assuming that they just want to see that you have 800K in the account & don't care where it came from. - Can somebody please confirm or correct?

i just got the "letter from the bank" FROM BANGKOK bank. this letter has nothing to do with foreign trasfer certificate. 

it cost 100bt to get it and i got it with no problem. i printed the description of the letter from the immigration web site , in thai langugage, and this way the bank officer could understand exactly what i want. 8 minutes and it was ready. you can do it in any branch, not just your barnch. it has to be done no later than 5 days from the day of the application. again, it has nothing to do with the transactions behind the amount in your account. it is called "GURRUNTEE" letter, i guess a letter that proves that the amount mentioned on your passbook is real. 

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I think immigration would accept the first 30k baht you used to open the account and then 770k baht baht transferred from abroad.

The bank will confirm the total amount transferred from abroad in one letter.

You do not need to prove the 800k baht came from abroad to apply at the consulate in Penang.

i think you are wrong about that bank letter. it has nothing to do with transfer from abroad. it is just a confirmation that the amount mentioned in the passbook is indeed the amount in the bank. anyway i got the required letter from the bank allthought i did not transfered from abroad the whole amount.

9 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

i think you are wrong about that bank letter. it has nothing to do with transfer from abroad. it is just a confirmation that the amount mentioned in the passbook is indeed the amount in the bank. anyway i got the required letter from the bank allthought i did not transfered from abroad the whole amount.

You got the standard letter from the bank that anyone requesting it for Immigration receives.

 

The other form/letter that you can request details the foreign transaction.

I didn't need it, but Bangkok Bank issued it regardless.

It's also recorded in your passbook as an FTT deposit (Foreign Transfer Transaction).

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

You got the standard letter from the bank that anyone requesting it for Immigration receives.

 

The other form/letter that you can request details the foreign transaction.

I didn't need it, but Bangkok Bank issued it regardless.

It's also recorded in your passbook as an FTT deposit (Foreign Transfer Transaction).

Thanks... 

 

@SCOTT FITZGERSLD the letter we're discussing is the one that you need to prove the 800k came from outside of Thailand when you're doing a conversion  from Visa Exempt/Tourist Visa to Non-Imm O, not the letter you need to prove you've had the 800k in your account for 2/3 months to do an extension.

 

There is no 2/3 months seeding requirement to do a conversion, hence you need to prove that the funds have come from overseas & as UbonJoe/Tanoshi have said, Bangkok Bank will give you a letter confirming the total amount of all funds transferred into your account from outside of Thailand for this.

 

Edited June 3, 20188 yr by Mike Teavee

On 6/2/2018 at 7:43 PM, Tanoshi said:

You got the standard letter from the bank that anyone requesting it for Immigration receives.

 

The other form/letter that you can request details the foreign transaction.

I didn't need it, but Bangkok Bank issued it regardless.

It's also recorded in your passbook as an FTT deposit (Foreign Transfer Transaction).

When you say I DIDNT NEED IT - do you mean the immigration officer did not ask for it?

No, I obtained and entered on a single entry Non Imm O Visa.

I did my extension 2 months later and only the seasoning period was required.

So I never needed the letter of transfer of funds from abroad,

The "foreign transaction detail"  I got from the banks are just print outs, do not have  bank stamps or signatures. Are they acceptable if the IO asked?

On 6/3/2018 at 1:18 PM, Tanoshi said:

No, I obtained and entered on a single entry Non Imm O Visa.

I did my extension 2 months later and only the seasoning period was required.

So I never needed the letter of transfer of funds from abroad,

OOOO K. SO YOU GOT THAT NON IMM O VISA FROM JAPAN?

On 6/2/2018 at 1:17 AM, ubonjoe said:

I think immigration would accept the first 30k baht you used to open the account and then 770k baht baht transferred from abroad.

The bank will confirm the total amount transferred from abroad in one letter.

You do not need to prove the 800k baht came from abroad to apply at the consulate in Penang.

can i get the Non Imm O Visa from any thai embassy abraod?

or just from penang and others?

can i get this type of visa, for example, from thai consulate in japan, or manila, or phnom phen?

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 1:33 PM, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

OOOO K. SO YOU GOT THAT NON IMM O VISA FROM JAPAN?

No, I got in the UK, based on being over 50 and proof of financials.

They've since changed the requirements and it's now only available if 65 or over and receiving the state pension.

 

Now those below 65 and single, enter on a TV or VE and go through the conversion process at Thai Immigration.

 

10 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

No, I got in the UK, based on being over 50 and proof of financials.

They've since changed the requirements and it's now only available if 65 or over and receiving the state pension.

 

Now those below 65 and single, enter on a TV or VE and go through the conversion process at Thai Immigration.

 

are you sure you got the Non Imm O Visa and not the O-A? i think the Non Imm O Visa is different...