Monthly transfer to Thai bank for extension of stay

[bluesofa]

If a regular monthly transfer from a US to a Thai bank account is made, is this acceptable for a Non O annual extension of stay based on retirement?

 

If so, how much is required per month - do I remember correctly it’s about 65,000 Baht?

 

Is there any proof required to show that is has come from abroad, or is that not necessary?

 

[Longcut]

Nothing in the police order states it must be deposited in a Thai bank. Currently it only says proof of 65,000 baht a month income or 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank. Just not sure what they will accept as proof for the 65,000 baht. This is what needs to be clarified. Too many rumors floating around.

[crazygreg44]

Allow me my 5 cents about the income affidavit case.

 

I think that Immigration is not going to accept banking receipts over monthly money coming into your Thai bank account from abroad, as a proof of income.

 

Why I think so?

 

Well, it is not scam-proof ! . . . . . . . because you literally can spray fog over the fact that you, let’s say, only make 45,000 THB per month. Imagine you hold two bank accounts in Thailand, and use only ONE for receiving 65,000+ THB from your USA or UK account every month. In Thailand you withdraw cash 20,000 THB from account #1 and put into account #2. Then you transfer the 20,000 THB to your USA/UK account. (Fees and exchange rate losses not taken into consideration here,ok?) In the meantime, your USA/UK account has accumulated another 45,000 THB and you top this up with the 20,000 THB to make the next transfer of 65,000 THB from USA/UK to Thailand.

 

Let’s call this an “Income carousel” or a “transfer carousel”. You could actually hide the fact that your income is much much less than the 65,000 THB needed for the extensions, while not needing 800,000 in a bank. I consider the Thai side clever enough for not being aware of the possibility

 

By the way, as of now nothing is in the written from Thailand's Immigration Police about what they will accept as proof of income once in mid summer next year the affidavits which can still be had until 30 th December and are valid for use as income proof for six months, become void.  At the moment all you can do and wait for the Thai Immigration to publish something written about this matter

 

Edited November 10, 2018 by crazygreg44

[ubonjoe]

22 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

If a regular monthly transfer from a US to a Thai bank account is made, is this acceptable for a Non O annual extension of stay based on retirement?

As of today it would not be accepted unless it was back up proof for the required income proof from an embassy or consulate.

If it was accepted it would be a minimum of 65k baht unless using the combination of money in the bank and it.

[Bert Jones]

Sorry to hijack the topic...but does anyone know what the fines are for late extension applications...looks like I will be a week late. Would it help if I notified IO that I will be late or just turn up a week late and pay the fine...or would they refuse my application and make me re-apply for a new non O ?

[BoBoTheClown]

If you have 65,000 baht of salary coming to any account (US,UK,Thai) every month you have the means to prove it. Only people that don't have the money can't figure out how to prove.  Even a clown like me knows that. 

[crazygreg44]

5 minutes ago, BoBoTheClown said:

If you have 65,000 baht of salary coming to any account (US,UK,Thai) every month you have the means to prove it. Only people that don't have the money can't figure out how to prove.  Even a clown like me knows that. 

you firstly have to prove that you are earning a salary.  That's the point with showing proof of income for an extension of stay. Only secondly they need to see that your salary is 65,000+ THB or above.  Only showing bank slips stating that every month, 65000+ THB are transferred into your account, could (??) probably not seen as a proof of income. Do you see my point?  As of today, it is not clear if bank slips will be accepted as being proof.  Only notarized legalized income letters are accepted as proof as of today

Edited November 10, 2018 by crazygreg44

[crazygreg44]

17 minutes ago, Bert Jones said:

Sorry to hijack the topic...but does anyone know what the fines are for late extension applications...looks like I will be a week late. Would it help if I notified IO that I will be late or just turn up a week late and pay the fine...or would they refuse my application and make me re-apply for a new non O ?

It seems that your permit of stay is now void, and in order to get an extension, you need to get a new Non-Imm-O or O/A Visa again and start the whole process all over

Edited November 10, 2018 by crazygreg44

[Bert Jones]

I spoke directly to the officer at the Irish embassy in Bangkok...they are still issuing affidavits and will continue to do so. They do actually scrutinise my statements and a one point rejected my application... 

[Bert Jones]

Are you 100% on that Greg?

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Bert Jones said:

Sorry to hijack the topic...but does anyone know what the fines are for late extension applications...looks like I will be a week late. Would it help if I notified IO that I will be late or just turn up a week late and pay the fine...or would they refuse my application and make me re-apply for a new non O ?

You will be fined 500 baht for every day of overstay after your extension ends.

It will depend upon the immigration office where you apply but most would allow you to pay the overstay fine and then apply for the extension. 

It would not hurt to talk to your office first.

If married to a Thai you could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife.

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, crazygreg44 said:

It seems that your permit of stay is now void, and in order to get an extension, you need to get a Non-Imm-O or O/A Visa again and start the whole process all over

That depends upon the immigration office but most office will allow an extension after the overstay fine is paid.

I have read of people doing it 2 weeks late and they were advised to do it that way  by a immigration officer.

[Bert Jones]

I don't know what I and many others would do without you Joe. Many thanks for your valuable contributions.

[bluesofa]

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

As of today it would not be accepted unless it was back up proof for the required income proof from an embassy or consulate.

If it was accepted it would be a minimum of 65k baht unless using the combination of money in the bank and it.

UJ,

I understand completely about embassies and this latest proof of income issue, as I'm under the impression that nothing is verified on a per-applicant basis.

 

I don't follow why it's not accepted by immigration that a Thai bank could (I assume?) provide proof of the cash coming from abroad regularly, on a transaction-by-transaction basis? They accept 800K Baht balance in the account.

Or have I missed something obvious here?

 

[wgdanson]

19 minutes ago, BoBoTheClown said:

If you have 65,000 baht of salary coming to any account (US,UK,Thai) every month you have the means to prove it. Only people that don't have the money can't figure out how to prove.  Even a clown like me knows that. 

I can prove that I have over 65,000 coming into my UK bank. Unfortunately the British Embassy cannot/will not prove it to the Thais in future.

[The Cobra]

The reason is the operating procedure of the various offices, its just the way they want it, or been taught, "ask for the letter" as a matter of ease in procedure for them. In the same way they prefer "retirement" over "marriage, not because its technically wrong, but because its easier to process, nothing more. 

 

Thats my view.

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

UJ,

I understand completely about embassies and this latest proof of income issue, as I'm under the impression that nothing is verified on a per-applicant basis.

 

I don't follow why it's not accepted by immigration that a Thai bank could (I assume?) provide proof of the cash coming from abroad regularly, on a transaction-by-transaction basis? They accept 800K Baht balance in the account.

Or have I missed something obvious here?

 

You are mixing up the two options. For the income option you only need show 65k baht in the bank every month there is no need for it to be 800k baht. For a year of transfers it would need to total 780k baht or more.

You only need 800k baht in a Thai bank for that option to apply for the extension.

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You mixing up the two options. For the income option you only need show 65k baht in the bank every month there is no need for it to be 800k baht. For a year of transfers it would need to total 780k baht or more.

You only need 800k baht in a Thai bank for that option to apply for the extension.

OK. Ignoring the 800K Baht lump sum in an account, but sticking with the monthly transfers:

Am I mixing up who is allowed to verify regular transfers into the account?

 

So just to confirm: It's not acceptable for a Thai bank to verify to immigration by showing/confirming each monthly transaction from abroad, even though the amount is sufficient?

Is that correct?

 

[onera1961]

1 hour ago, Longcut said:

65,000 baht a month income or 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank.

Here is the line that says it all. It has to be deposited in a Thai bank. 65,000 baht a monthly income (deposited in a Thai bank) or 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank

[onera1961]

30 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I don't follow why it's not accepted by immigration that a Thai bank could (I assume?) provide proof of the cash coming from abroad regularly, on a transaction-by-transaction basis? They accept 800K Baht balance in the account.

I think they will accept without embassy letter. Nobody has ever tried it so nobody knows.

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

So just to confirm: It's not acceptable for a Thai bank to verify to immigration by showing/confirming each monthly transaction from abroad, even though the amount is sufficient?

Dependent upon the bank you use each transfer would be coded as a foreign transfer in your bank book. All of them in my Bangkok Bank book has a FTT code which means Foreign Telex Transfer. It shows them as international transfers on the online banking account register.

The bank could stamp a copy of bank book pages as valid which should be proof of the transfers if needed. Not sure if they could do a one year print out of them though since the online banking will only go back 6 months.

 

[chickenslegs]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Dependent upon the bank you use each transfer would be coded as a foreign transfer in your bank book. All of them in my Bangkok Bank book has a FTT code which means Foreign Telex Transfer. It shows them as international transfers on the online banking account register.

The bank could stamp a copy of bank book pages as valid which should be proof of the transfers if needed. Not sure if they could do a one year print out of them though since the online banking will only go back 6 months.

 

I asked about this at my Bangkok Bank branch. They charge 200B for a 12 month statement and it takes about 1 week to get it (from head office, I wastold).

 

 

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

For the income option you only need show 65k baht in the bank every month

Are you saying that if I transfer Bht 65,000 every month via Transferwise which shows FTT on my Bangkok Bank statements, Immigration would take that as proof?

[wgdanson]

37 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Dependent upon the bank you use each transfer would be coded as a foreign transfer in your bank book. All of them in my Bangkok Bank book has a FTT code which means Foreign Telex Transfer. It shows them as international transfers on the online banking account register.

The bank could stamp a copy of bank book pages as valid which should be proof of the transfers if needed. Not sure if they could do a one year print out of them though since the online banking will only go back 6 months.

 

It's safest to save or print one out every month or two. A Foreign Currency Account only goes back 2 months online so do it regularly.

[marcusarelus]

52 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

I think they will accept without embassy letter. Nobody has ever tried it so nobody knows.

Have you ever been to Thai immigration?  Have you ever been to Thailand? 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Are you saying that if I transfer Bht 65,000 every month via Transferwise which shows FTT on my Bangkok Bank statements, Immigration would take that as proof?

That is what the embassies are saying immigration will accept. Immigration has not said a word about anything yet.

I already have more than a year of them showing well more than the 40k baht needed for my extensions in a bank book. By next August when my extension is due it will be more than 2 years.

[wgdanson]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is what the embassies are saying immigration will accept. Immigration has not said a word about anything yet.

I already more the a year of them showing well more than the 40k baht needed for my extensions in a bank book. By next August when my extension is due it will be more than 2 years.

Without an Embassy Letter?

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

It's safest to save or print one out every month or two. A Foreign Currency Account only goes back 2 months online so do it regularly.

Thanks.

Perhaps I didn't explain that part of it clearly:

It's THB account, which has a US$ transfer to it from the US, but is converted to THB when credited to the account.

 

[onera1961]

4 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Have you ever been to Thai immigration?  Have you ever been to Thailand? 

Right now I am in Thailand on an O-A visa. I used to live in Bangkok circa 2011-2103. Did made a few trips to CW at that time. After I received my O-A, I have not been to any immigration office. Trying to avoid 90-day report by leaving the country just before that and come back.

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, onera1961 said:

Right now I am in Thailand on an O-A visa. I used to live in Bangkok circa 2011-2103. Did made a few trips to CW at that time. After I received my O-A, I have not been to any immigration office. Trying to avoid 90-day report by leaving the country just before that and come back.

Is it not easier going to Imm Office every 90 days than leaving the country?