Report: Successful retirement extension using monthly income, no consul letter

[Pib]

43 minutes ago, rawhod said:

Sorry but I am not clear what bank statements you are refering to.

I don't receive bank statements from Bangkok Bank through the post as I could do in the UK. Do these have to be requested from the bank?

I can download statements for 6 months banking on-line, but I would not call those bank statements.

Thanks

I would agree Thai bank statements you get online are not as detailed/fancy as most western online or mailed bank statement but they still show the basics.  Like below is a redacted statement I pulled on one of my Bangkok Bank accounts for the 1 May - 31 Aug 18 time frame.   I pull/download such statements periodically thru the year for tax and other purposes.  

 

The particular time period shows some international transfers I did when signing up for/testing Transferwise (the first 3 international transfers) and checking to make sure an ACH transfer from my US bank via the Bangkok Bank New York branch still worked (the last international transfer).   

 

Note the disclaimer that the transfer reference (i..e., Description) is provided by the "Sender" like Transferwise, my US bank, etc., but apparently that can get stripped off/replaced for some  Transferwise transfers sometimes depending on which partner bank Transferwise uses to accomplish the final leg of the transfer.  Transferwise's three Thai partner banks are Bangkok Bank, Thai Military Bank, and Kaiskorn Bank.  The three Transferwise transfers shown below used Bangkok Bank at their partner bank per the Transferwise receipts...final leg of the transfer was basically an internal Bangkok Bank transfer....from one account to another.  Now when I did on Transferwise transfer to my Krungsri Bank account (Transferwise used TMB as it partner bank on this transfer) it showed up just as a domestic transfer.

 

Now on the passbook you will not see "International Transfer' but instead see a "FTT" code which means Foreign Telegraphic Transfer.

 

 

[mercman24]

i have a question, how can one show 12 months , back accounts if this scheme has just started, as i bet 99 % like for example this January how can one show 12 month accounts when thousands used the embassy letter/money in the bank method. i do not keep much money in this country, as i suspect many others do not also

[Pib]

8 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

So at ones 6 month mark one could go to the bank and get an official first 6 month statement then at renewal time the second six month statement... Would this be doable?... I would worry immigration might balk at the first 6 month statement as it is technically 6 months old...

You can ask for annual/12 month statement also like people usually have to do when applying for loans, mortgages, etc.  But it may take a few days and cost a few hundred baht.   These statements supposedly come with bank signature, stamp, letterhead, etc.

 

Just for example here is what K-bank would charge for a statement if you go to a branch and ask for one.

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by Pib

[jvs]

@ Ubonjoe,i would like to know if this method is also possible for people who still can get a conformation letter from their embassy.

It would be a lot easier for me if i could just deal with the bank and the local IO.

No need to travel to Bangkok and i would not have to pay the embassy well over a thousand baht.

Maybe just try and see what happens?I still have 3 more months on this extension so maybe before that someone will find out?

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, john ianson said:

Just a question , My retirement visa expires June 2019 and I have had a retirement visa for 9 years with no problem . In the past I have transferred $ 10000 Aus approx every 3 months depending on the exchange rate  which always totals well over 800000 baht per annum . Can I renew my visa this year with a Bangkok Bank statement showing these International transfers arriving regularly along with a letter from the bank validating these transfers ? Thank you 

It’s important to ensure your transfers are coded as international . At this point there are some questions regarding TW and some of their affiliated local banks and not correctly coding some deposits.And yes it seems monthly is required Johno.

[MuuKondiao]

14 hours ago, Pib said:

And a report I'm looking forward to is where some one goes in with a year's worth of bank statement which show 12 Transferwise transfers say for 65K, but they are not coded as international transfers (just domestic transfers); however, the applicant also includes 12 Transferwise receipts which match up to the 12 transfers reflected on the bank statement.

That is what I am wondering about too. Just arrived in C.M. this month - for "ever" as they say; to die here is what I am thinking - and my monthly income is a disability DD from Uncle Sam. Easy enough to make the transfers myself to a Thai bank once I have the right to open one; but difficult to get the Veterans Administration to change my DD from the American bank to a Thai bank.

So I wonder if I/O will accept bank statements that  show I made the transfers here monthly.

ANy encouraging words to offer? 

[scubascuba3]

Outstanding is whether Immigration will accept Transferwise transfers to Kasikorn which are a mix of Intl/Local and will they take Transferwise confirms as sufficient evidence

[ubonjoe]

37 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Surely, you mean 'I see no reason why they should not accept them for the income proof'

Yes

It is fixed now.

[Pib]

19 minutes ago, MuuKondiao said:

That is what I am wondering about too. Just arrived in C.M. this month - for "ever" as they say; to die here is what I am thinking - and my monthly income is a disability DD from Uncle Sam. Easy enough to make the transfers myself to a Thai bank once I have the right to open one; but difficult to get the Veterans Administration to change my DD from the American bank to a Thai bank.

So I wonder if I/O will accept bank statements that  show I made the transfers here monthly.

ANy encouraging words to offer? 

Most definitely yes they would would accept Thai bank statements showing the transfers were international...from a US bank for example or US govt agency.   That's exactly what the OP showed....Thai bank statement which listed the transfers as international transfers. 

 

And since you are apparently American, you will no longer be able to get an embassy income letter so you have to use the Bt800K deposit method, monthly income method, or combo method---no can get the embassy income letter anymore.

 

But keep in mind come 1 Apr 19 if you were using (or planning to use) the Bangkok Bank "New York" routing method to your Bangkok Bank account (if you have one...you may be using another Thai bank), that method will no longer work unless you US bank can send in ACH "IAT" format.  So far no one has identified any US bank or credit union that will use IAT format for sending funds overseas....they only use SWIFT.  But one person did show that apparently Vanguard brokerage transfers using IAT format.  Instead, you need to use the usually pricey SWIFT method "to ensure the transfer is coded/described as international on your Thai bank statement/passbook. 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by Pib

[LawrenceN]

3 hours ago, rawhod said:

What sort of bank statements are you referring to?

 

I can download statements from my i-banking for 6 month periods, where these what you used?

Or did you specifically get statements from the bank, if so, what time periods did they cover?

Or did you just use photocopies of your bank book?

Thanks...

Printed statements from the bank, each covering six months, one last July, one this month for a 100-baht fee each time.

[LawrenceN]

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

So at ones 6 month mark one could go to the bank and get an official first 6 month statement then at renewal time the second six month statement... Would this be doable?... I would worry immigration might balk at the first 6 month statement as it is technically 6 months old...

That is exactly what I did. See above, a post or two.

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, mercman24 said:

i have a question, how can one show 12 months , back accounts if this scheme has just started, as i bet 99 % like for example this January how can one show 12 month accounts when thousands used the embassy letter/money in the bank method. i do not keep much money in this country, as i suspect many others do not also

2019 is a transition period.

You are only required to produce proof of deposits from January up to the date of this years application, so if your extension application was submitted in August for a September renewal, you'd only have to prove 8 deposits, Jan - Aug.

That's how I interpret it.

 

Extensions renewals from Jan 2020 require the full years statements.

[SheungWan]

50 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Outstanding is whether Immigration will accept Transferwise transfers to Kasikorn which are a mix of Intl/Local and will they take Transferwise confirms as sufficient evidence

The default is either it shows up on your bank statement as an international transfer or it does not.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, mercman24 said:

i have a question, how can one show 12 months , back accounts if this scheme has just started,

Some may have been making regular monthly international transfers to live on prior to this amendment. Fortunate for them. If you go read the details some provision is included in the first year for partial demonstration of transfers. ie, in May, showing one every month since the announcement. So people need to make their minds up.

[Nyezhov]

Im dying to know how they are going to handle part timers. Im going to leave March/April and come back October with an expiration in January 2020. Im not going to put any money into my Thai bank account for those months. I guess I can just toss up to 800K in when I arrive if I want to mess with a year extension again.

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, Moonlover said:

...

So it would appear that the banks are not required to trawl through all the deposits in order to prove that they are from abroad after all. I always envisaged a problem with that anyway, given that some deposit methods, notably pensions and TransferWise do not flag up as international anyway.

 

So after numerous topics, hundreds of pages and thousands of postings it was, in words of William Shakespeare, all: 'Much ado About Nothing'. (No, I haven't read or seen it either!)

 

Thanks again Lawrence.

The OP's transfers on his bank-statement were all "FTT" foreign transfers (Bangkok bank's international code), so the assumption that one does not have to prove the transfers "are from abroad" is not supported by this report.

 

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

So at ones 6 month mark one could go to the bank and get an official first 6 month statement then at renewal time the second six month statement... Would this be doable?... I would worry immigration might balk at the first 6 month statement as it is technically 6 months old...

Others have reported their banks tell them it will take a couple weeks to get a 12-mo statement.  The OP's IO accepted his older 6-mo statement - yours may not.

I would suggest folks apply for a 12-mo statement in-advance of their extension - just to be on the safe-side with whatever IO/office you are forced to deal with, based on where you happen to live. 

[Kadilo]

1 minute ago, Nyezhov said:

Im dying to know how they are going to handle part timers. Im going to leave March/April and come back October with an expiration in January 2020. Im not going to put any money into my Thai bank account for those months. I guess I can just toss up to 800K in when I arrive if I want to mess with a year extension again.

Seems the easy option for the likes of yourself. Still got time for the seasoning so no need to worry. 

[scubascuba3]

The default is either it shows up on your bank statement as an international transfer or it does not.

Yes i know, so still outstanding whether IO will accept it with backup which is the same for all 12 months

[Psimbo]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The new rules state you must show 12 monthly transfers into the country equal to or greater than 65k baht to apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement if you do not have proof of income from your embassy which you can no longer get from the Australian embassy.

You need statements to prove statements to prove the transfers and letter from the bank confirming you account is valid.

What about people who have ring fenced the money in the past? Is having the 800k in the bank no longer valid?

 

Also the law came into effect this month. With a renewal in Jul that would still only be 7 monthly transfers.

[JackThompson]

4 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

What about people who have ring fenced the money in the past? Is having the 800k in the bank no longer valid? 

That method is still valid.  No change.

 

4 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

Also the law came into effect this month. With a renewal in Jul that would still only be 7 monthly transfers.

Correct - and the new rules state they will be flexible in the 1st year, so 7 mo of monthly international-transfer history should be plenty.

[Psimbo]

2 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

That method is still valid.  No change.

 

Correct - and the new rules state they will be flexible in the 1st year, so 7 mo of monthly international-transfer history should be plenty.

Thanks for that- I like to keep the 800k ring fenced and bring in a lump sum once a year for living expenses. I bring it in on that account then on to my 'working' account just to show some activity.

[jacko45k]

14 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

Thanks for that- I like to keep the 800k ring fenced and bring in a lump sum once a year for living expenses. I bring it in on that account then on to my 'working' account just to show some activity.

Carry on sir. No changes,

[SheungWan]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

The default is either it shows up on your bank statement as an international transfer or it does not.

Yes i know, so still outstanding whether IO will accept it with backup which is the same for all 12 months

You can hope, but I think the default is no. It isn't actually an international transfer.

[CMBob]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That is good news.

Just the letter from the bank confirming your account is valid and a statement or bank books are what I have been predicting is all they will want.

I'm curious as to exactly what the OP's "bank letter" said.  You've indicated that it only said the OP's account was currently valid but the OP's comments were a bit unclear on that.

OP, if you kept a copy of the bank letter, could you post a copy (blocking, of course, name and account number)?  

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I'm curious as to exactly what the OP's "bank letter" said.  You've indicated that it only said the OP's account was currently valid but the OP's comments were a bit unclear on that.

First he asked for one to verify his income by showing the transfers into the country. Then immigration told him to get the standard letter used to verify his account.  That is the same standard letter used for the 400k or 800k baht in the bank for that option.

[OJAS]

10 minutes ago, CMBob said:

OP, if you kept a copy of the bank letter, could you post a copy (blocking, of course, name and account number)?  

Attached is a specimen example of what I believe to be the current version of the letter issued by Bangkok Bank (with acknowledgements to @KhunBENQ)

BKKB letter example.pdf

[Pib]

43 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I'm curious as to exactly what the OP's "bank letter" said.  You've indicated that it only said the OP's account was currently valid but the OP's comments were a bit unclear on that.

OP, if you kept a copy of the bank letter, could you post a copy (blocking, of course, name and account number)?  

I've gotten the letters from both Bangkok Bank and Krungsri Bank....they are short & simple letters that just basically say you have an account with them, account number XYZ, on the date of the letter you had X-amount on deposit with them, etc.   It includes your name, account number, etc.  All very basic stuff. 

 

It does not say the money was seasoned for X-months, talk about individual transactions, etc. 

 

The bank statement/passbook attached to that letter shows all the individual transaction info--that's really the important document.  The letter is really just fresh validation you do indeed have an account with them, the attached statement/passbook is recent, etc.

 

I still had an old from 2016 for Krungsri Bank....see below...it's more wordy than the Bangkok Bank version that if I remember right was only one paragraph one.  Short and sweet the letters are are.

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by Pib

[robertson468]

The amendment to the Retirement extension was only published in January 2019 under Police Order 2.18 (I think).  I did my last extension in October and obviously the amendment had not been published at that stage, however, I did deposit 40K (married to Thai Lady) monthly for November and December 2018, but it was not transfered in to Thailand.  I had made ATM withdrawals in the absence of any direction.  Went to Samui Immigration (with Thai Wife) to confirm exactly what they wanted come October 2019.  They said I had to prove 400,000 in Bank and when I questioned about 40K monthly and quoted the Police Order, the Officer didn't have a clue.  We asked her to check it out with her Superior and phone us back.  So far, no response, so come early next week we will be going back again to get clarification, also the issue of (in my case) Non-overseas deposits for November and December.  Will report back folks!

[DogNo1]

Ubonjoe mentioned an easy alternative to a bank statement - copies of the bank book countersigned by the bank.  To my mind, this plus a bank letter is the easiest proof.  My understanding is that the bank letter must be dated on the day that the application is made.  I assume (hope) that the bank book copies could be countersigned at an earlier date in the month of application provided that they showed  a transfer deposit for that month.

 

It turns out that several financial institutions in the US offer free SWIFT wire transfers.   Check with your institution.

 

People who have been using a domestic ACH transfer to Bangkok Bank will longer be able to do so after June 1st (someone here said April 1st but I think it is June.).   My bank didn't even know what an International ACH is, so I am sending SWIFT wires.  They show up in my bank book coded FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer.)

[Pib]

12 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

People who have been using a domestic ACH transfer to Bangkok Bank will longer be able to do so after June 1st (someone here said April 1st but I think it is June.).   My bank didn't even know what an International ACH is, so I am sending SWIFT wires.  They show up in my bank book coded FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer.)

 

Per Bangkok Bank....1 Apr 19

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Other-Services/Transfers/Transferring-Into-Thailand/Transfer-money-from-US-to-Thailand-via-Bangkok-Bank-NewYork-branch

Quote

With effective from April 1, 2019, New York branch only process ACH with appropriate IAT format and all non-IAT transactions will be returned.