CONFIRMED: Here is exactly what’s needed for retirement & marriage extensions (income method) from 2019

[mojaco]

2 hours ago, racyrick said:

Thank you so much Pib for your help. I do have a Bangkok Bank account that I would use to deposit here.

I am only interested in transferring to Thailand to meet the new immigration rules.

 

As for the change of bank accounts for direct deposit, I do have a few questions.

First I assume I must open a new direct deposit savings account. Is that all I would have to do at my Bangkok Bank branch?

They only show information on what you need to do when you open or just start receiving benefits.

They ask you to fill out a direct deposit sign up form-open a savings account for direct deposit-direct deposit service application-copy of passport and social security card and they send all info to SSA.

SSA has my Thai address as that is the only one I have.

 

Thanks again so much for your help, time and patience!!

RacyRick I just sent you a PM with a step by step how to do what you want

 

[ocddave]

5 minutes ago, Pawpcorn said:

Is there any word yet as whether or not the Udon Thani Immigration office is still accepting valid Income Affidavit letters?

Well, according to how everyone seems to want to read this current notice, since it isn't mentioned that they will not accept them, then they must still be being accepted. Take that with a grain of salt.

[OJAS]

6 hours ago, sniggie said:

Well, as someone who is likely to be affected by the way Kbank reports Transferwise credits and who, like you, brings cash in on my return from UK visits, I am going to have to accept that I will have to change my financial arrangements from the middle of 2019. There will be a cost, using SWIFT interbank transfers on a monthly basis but that's the way it's probably going to be. 

 

5 hours ago, Henryford said:

So are we saying that Transferwise transfers are not acceptable. Even if the bank code is not clear as to their source i could show a copy of the transfer request clearly showing it originated from my UK bank.

 

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It seems from what others have said that Transferwise sends the funds to Bangkok Bank and from there a domestic transfer is made if the recipient uses other than Bangkok Bank.

That means 2 options for those using TW:

1. Have your account be at Bangkok Bank. The transfers will show in your bank book as international transfers.

2. Get a letter from Bangkok Bank stating you received these transfers from abroad and that the funds were in turn transferred to your account at Bank X. In this case you may also need a letter from your own bank confirming receipt of the transfers. Showing 2 different bank letters to Imm will complicate matters a little and you'll have to explain, unless you are able to persuade your bank to, based on the letter from Bangkok Bank, include the details in their letter (e.g. x amount date transferred from abroad first to Bangkok Bank and then to this account). That would be preferable but entail some discussion/explanation with your bank. And, you will probably have to deal with Bangkok Bank Head branch to get letter from them which might mean a trip to Bangkok if you live upcountry.

Option1 will obviously be simpler but if you have a compelling reasonto want to keep your account elsewhere option 2 should work.



Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

My KK account doesn't if I use TransferWise, as many others have said it says "Dummy Branch" on their website and the downloaded statement, my TW statement indicates that it's sent using a SWIFT transfer from TMB.

 

I use TW because of the cheaper International Transfer Costs from my overseas bank, the mid market rate as opposed to the Telex receiving rate and the absence of a receiving fee.

 

I have a number of options going forward, opening a Bangkok Bank account and hope that TW continues to use them, instruct one of my Pension Providers to pay directly to a Thai bank, reluctant to do that as I'm more inclined to spend it if I have easy access to it, get my bank in Jersey to send directly, unfortunatly that requires a phone call every month, put our joint account in my name only, or wait to see how it pans out over the next few months or so.

 

1 hour ago, Benroon said:

Incase it helps - For those with Kasikorn I just transferred money though Transferwise into my thai account and it shows on my statement as :-

 

‘Transfer Deposit (Other Bank)’

 

No mention of international transfer. 

 

 

IMHO the TransferWise coding issue is being blown out of all proportion. This is what I said earlier on in this thread:-

 

8 hours ago, OJAS said:

In that case, then, I wonder whether the answer to the coding issues on TransferWise transfers which have been raised a number of times on this and previous threads might be to provide evidence to your Thai bank to enable them to provide the necessary certificate required by Immigration, in the form of (1) your home country bank account statement recording the debit to TransferWise, plus (2) the TransferWise confirmation statement indicating how this debit subsequently morphs into a 40/65k+ credit to your Thai bank account. This should surely be sufficient to demonstrate to your Thai bank's satisfaction for the purposes of issuing their certificate the trail that exists between your home country bank account and your Thai bank account in the case of a particular TransferWise transfer.

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by OJAS

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, ocddave said:

Well, according to how everyone seems to want to read this current notice, since it isn't mentioned that they will not accept them, then they must still be being accepted. Take that with a grain of salt.

How could it be read any other way.

This is what is written in the amendment.

[farangx]

1 hour ago, ocddave said:

So I will find out what happens with 400K change, and how Transferwise codes are handled. I am hoping someone else posts before that with similar scenario, will ease my mind, but haven't seen anyone do it yet. Oh, and doing all the paperwork myself, as always, and no agents.

why not send transfer just 10 bucks across and see where it lands?

 

[JackThompson]

5 minutes ago, farangx said:

1 hour ago, ocddave said:

So I will find out what happens with 400K change, and how Transferwise codes are handled. I am hoping someone else posts before that with similar scenario, will ease my mind, but haven't seen anyone do it yet. Oh, and doing all the paperwork myself, as always, and no agents.

why not send transfer just 10 bucks across and see where it lands?

Based on reports, it seems to vary - so just because one comes in as "international" does not mean all will.  I do not understand why people depending on reliable "international" labeled transfers for their extension would take a chance, even if TW is a better value.

[Maestro]

2 hours ago, Dah fahrang said:

...Their K Cyber web site has a facility to view or download online statements.

Whilst these are not the most typographically simple - they are in Excel, they do clearly show...

There is a way to download the monthly statement in PDF format. I am not at my PC at the moment but the way I remember it, on the right side of the screen, about half way down, I click on "Print".

[sandyf]

46 minutes ago, skatewash said:

In the world of Bangkok Bank transaction codes BTN [sic] stands for BAHTNET (Bank of Thailand Automated High-value Transfer Network).

 

-- https://www.bot.or.th/English/PaymentSystems/PSServices/bahtnet/Pages/default.aspx

 

I would imagine that Kasikorn's BTN stands for the same thing as in the case of Bangkok Bank's BTN.  This is not particularly good news because it basically means that a domestic (not international) transfer has taken place between one Thai bank and another Thai bank.  This may not be recognized by your bank as an international transfer and it, in fact, seems to be a domestic transfer using the Thai BAHTNET network.

It's not clear from what you say what you are using exactly to transfer the money from the UK to Thailand.  SWIFT?  TransferWise?  If you were using TransferWise then yes opening and using an account at Bangkok Bank would show the correct FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer) transaction code you want (because Bangkok Bank is the bank TW uses in Thailand -- at least at the moment).  However, if you're using SWIFT to make the transfer than that may indicate a specific problem with Kasikorn Bank and you would be best advised to talk with them directly.

When I had my UK state pension paid direct from DWP to my Thai bank account it came via Bahtnet, usually about an hour after it came on line.

[Thaidream]

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

They ain't my Brits -- and if I see them at 8 AM it is when I pass by the bars returning from swimming which I do several times a week. And there's nothing to say those sitting there drinking at 8 AM and bored out there minds do not support families as well.

It is just that for some, it is a matter of self-reliance to able to do things without resorting to knowingly being involved in a bribe of a public official. If it doesn't bother YOUR Brits, that's up to them.

J.L- thanks for letting me know that there are bars open at 8 AM.  Having read through scores of threads and thousands of posts on this subject- an early morning drink may be what I need.

[Pib]

11 minutes ago, skatewash said:

OK, but since BBK is one of the banks TW uses in Thailand, if one had an account at BBK then that's what would be used, right?  In other words, sending a TransferWise from a UK bank to your BBK branch would result in an FTT code, right?

In a similar manner, if one had an account at TMB and sent a TransferWise request from the UK to their TMB branch then it would show up as whatever code TMB uses for such transfers (hopefully indicating it's of an international nature).

 

The problem, as I understood it, is that if you are using a non-TW affiliated bank in Thailand then there's a strong likelihood that TW will use one of its banks in Thailand as an intermediary bank and then when one looked at the transaction code on the non-TW bank it might very possibly indicate the transfer was domestic (because it was between two Thai banks) rather than the desirable international transfer code.

I'm not sure how the K-bank works for TransferWise.

There does seem to be evidence that when one has a BKK account and uses TW to send money to that account that it shows up with the desirable FTT transaction code.  That's why I was suggesting doing that.  It may be that one can get the same international transfer code at other Thai banks but I have not information to support that.

None of us know banking partner arrangements Transferwise has with X-amount of Thai banks in Thailand. 

 

So far from my personal experience and reading numerous TW related posts on ThaiVisa they appear to have at least "three" banking partners....maybe they have more....just haven't seen any post indicating such.  The known partners are Bangkok Bank, TMB, and a import/export business unit with Kaiskorn Bank.

 

I would think three partners is more than enough to ensure they have backup to complete transfers to "all" Thailand banks.  Heck, you or me right now could transfer money from our Thai bank account to any Thai bank in Thailand if we wanted to.  

 

I seriously doubt TW has partner arrangements with every Thai bank. 

 

All TW is doing to complete the final leg of the transfer is transferring money from a "TW account at the partner bank in Thailand" to the person's bank account in many different banks in Thailand.  

 

In my own personal TW transfer experience to my Bangkok Bank account all five transfers were coded at FTT/International Transfers on my Bangkok Bank account and on the TW Receipt it showed TW used Bangkok Bank to accomplish the final leg of the transfer....everything was kept in-house at Bangkok Bank for the final leg of the transfer.   

 

And for my one TW transfer to my Krungsri account TW used TMB as their partner and the transfer was codes as any ol' Thailand domestic transfer. 

 

Which banking partner TW decides to use for the final leg of the transfer is knowledge above my paygrade....only TW knows which banking partner they will decide to use for the final leg.

 

Now as to what coding appears for TW transfer to say KrungThai Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, and a dozen of so other major Thai banks.....and which banking partner used by looking on the TW PDF Receipt, well, ThaiVisa members using TW to send money to Thai banks need to chime-in with their results....what coding is appearing for them....what their TW PDF Receipt says...etc.  

 

 

 

[farangx]

18 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Based on reports, it seems to vary - so just because one comes in as "international" does not mean all will.  I do not understand why people depending on reliable "international" labeled transfers for their extension would take a chance, even if TW is a better value.

Cheap comes with a price when the trail is required, because their business is only to get your money from one place to another.  It can be via planes, trains or automobiles.  As I already said weeks ago, find out from the home bank if they use an intermediary bank in Thailand, if they do then adjust home bank or Thai bank to suit ....

 

Is the trouble really worth that few plates of fried rice?.

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by farangx

[madmen]

What does an average of 65 k paid monthly mean? How can you average it out over 1 month? I would have thought perhaps over 12 months

 

 

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, JLCrab said:

And to me the use of the word 'pension' implies that Thai IMM has the option to ask to see some corroborating source of recurring monthly income as they have always, with the embassy-provided income affidavit, had the right to ask for corroborating documentation.

Interesting. I've always known that TI have the right to ask for any additional documents as they see fit. But I'm curious to know whether they do actually ask for 'proof of income' from those presenting affidavits. (rather than evidence of income letters)

 

Anyone heard of such a practice?

[Spidey]

2 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Interesting. I've always known that TI have the right to ask for any additional documents as they see fit. But I'm curious to know whether they do actually ask for 'proof of income' from those presenting affidavits. (rather than evidence of income letters)

 

Anyone heard of such a practice?

US expats in Chiang Mai? Never heard of a Brit being asked for supporting evidence for their embassy letter.

[Pawpcorn]

Hi,

 

I opened the account for direct transfers from US Social Security at the main branch of Bangkok Bank, in Silom, as required, a couple years ago.

 

Question is: Do I have to travel from my home in Udon to this main branch in Bangkok to get the "Letter of Certification", or can the main branch in Udon handle this task?

 

Thanks again,

Pawpcorn

[joebrown]

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The have already started it if you don't have a income letter or cannot get one.

Read the example given. If it is the first time you have used the money going into they will on want to see one month but they might expect you to have it done since day one of this order since you have applied for an extension before.

I have a Marriage Extension renewal in August 2019 previously supported by  UK Embassy Income letter. I have always withdrawn cash at Thai ATMs to support my living expenses here. I do not have a Thai bank a/c, but will open one to arrange for my UK Bank to transfer at least 40.000bht from February. My only means of providing 12 months statements showing money coming into Thailand will therefore be by Barclays (UK) statements detailing the ATM withdrawals, and a statement/passbook for the new Thai a/c yet to be opened. Will this be acceptable to IO in August?

Edited January 8, 2019 by joebrown
change wording

[Pattaya46]

5 minutes ago, madmen said:

What does an average of 65 k paid monthly mean? How can you average it out over 1 month? I would have thought perhaps over 6 months

Why asking?

There is no "average" for the 65k, but transfer "no less than 65k"

[farangx]

1 minute ago, Moonlover said:

Interesting. I've always known that TI have the right to ask for any additional documents as they see fit. But I'm curious to know whether they do actually ask for 'proof of income' from those presenting affidavits. (rather than evidence of income letters)

 

Anyone heard of such a practice?

I would expect TI to ask for proof of source of money transferred from overseas relating to Thai bank account entries.  This also opens up checks on previous years to show consistency that the past affidavits were valid.  Of course I don't expect them to do that to everyone, just a few unfortunate souls.

 

[jvs]

33 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

How could it be read any other way.

This is what is written in the amendment.

So far the Dutch government still does certifications but if i can get the bank to certify my income from overseas each month i can also use that for immigration?It would save time and money.

Maybe my embassy will also see the light and cancel the certification letters.

The rules should be the same for everyone?

I started to read all of the posts but there is too much repetition,same questions being asked over and over.

Sorry if someone already posted a similar question to mine.

 

[keemapoot]

2 minutes ago, Pawpcorn said:

Hi,

 

I opened the account for direct transfers from US Social Security at the main branch of Bangkok Bank, in Silom, as required, a couple years ago.

 

Question is: Do I have to travel from my home in Udon to this main branch in Bangkok to get the "Letter of Certification", or can the main branch in Udon handle this task?

 

Thanks again,

Pawpcorn

That is a good question and probably applies to lots of us. Thailand has a rather strange system of branch banking, where you can seemingly do lots of things in the branches, except make changes to the account itself, etc.. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to answer this exact question. My feeling is you should be able to get the letter at a branch.

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, Pawpcorn said:

Question is: Do I have to travel from my home in Udon to this main branch in Bangkok to get the "Letter of Certification", or can the main branch in Udon handle this task?

They can do the letter in Udon. Bangkok Bank is flexible for doing them.

Mine was done in Pattaya and the branch here in Ubon have issued new bank books for it.

[farangx]

8 minutes ago, Pawpcorn said:

Hi,

 

I opened the account for direct transfers from US Social Security at the main branch of Bangkok Bank, in Silom, as required, a couple years ago.

 

Question is: Do I have to travel from my home in Udon to this main branch in Bangkok to get the "Letter of Certification", or can the main branch in Udon handle this task?

 

Thanks again,

Pawpcorn

Why not ask the bank?

 

[madmen]

Why asking? There is no "average" for the 65k, but transfer "no less than 65k"

 

 

'For retirement extensions of no more than 1 year evidence of average monthly income of B65,000 is required.'

 

 

It's in the OP attachment

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, jvs said:

So far the Dutch government still does certifications but if i can get the bank to certify my income from overseas each month i can also use that for immigration?It would save time and money.

You can do it that way instead of getting the letter from the embassy.

The bank only needs to certify your account just before you go to immigration to apply for the extension.

Just be you keep your bank book updated to show the international transfers coming in every month.

[Moonlover]

5 minutes ago, jvs said:

So far the Dutch government still does certifications but if i can get the bank to certify my income from overseas each month i can also use that for immigration?It would save time and money.

Maybe my embassy will also see the light and cancel the certification letters.

The rules should be the same for everyone?

I started to read all of the posts but there is too much repetition,same questions being asked over and over.

Sorry if someone already posted a similar question to mine.

 

You make a very valid point here. Why not use the new system which as available to you just as it is to the 'gang of 4' that started all this. I'm quite happy with it. It saves me 52 GBP a year.

It's just possible that the embassy income letters will simply die a natural death due to disuse once more folk click on this.

 

Thanks for bring this aspect to our attention.

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, jvs said:

So far the Dutch government still does certifications but if i can get the bank to certify my income from overseas each month i can also use that for immigration?It would save time and money.

Maybe my embassy will also see the light and cancel the certification letters.

The rules should be the same for everyone?

I started to read all of the posts but there is too much repetition,same questions being asked over and over.

Sorry if someone already posted a similar question to mine.

 

Yes, if you can fulfill the requirements.

[Pattaya46]

5 minutes ago, madmen said:

'For retirement extensions of no more than 1 year evidence of average monthly income of B65,000 is required.'

It's in the OP attachment

I don't see it 

Average is only for Marriage, not Retirement... AFAIK.

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Pattaya46

[JLCrab]

20 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

nteresting. I've always known that TI have the right to ask for any additional documents as they see fit. But I'm curious to know whether they do actually ask for 'proof of income' from those presenting affidavits.

I don't know but the answer du juor is that if you use an agent, you don't have to worry about it.

[madmen]

I don't see it 

Average is only for Marriage, not Retirement... AFAIK.

 

Click on the link at bottom of OP

 

Section 2.22

 

 

"For retirement extensions of no more than 1 year evidence of average monthly income of B65,000 is required.

 

 

 

1.       Evidence of pension. Same as 2 above,

 

2.       Evidence of income from a foreign embassy or consulate."

 

 

[EricTh]

There's still a loophole here.

 

What's to prevent certain people from transferring back to home country the 65000 at end of month and then transferring in again for next month?

 

Then all you need is a maximum of 65000 per month.