1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

This has nothing to do with the American embassy. It all came about from pressure from Thai immigration. That is why these letters stopped. No doubt about it. It is called the Biggest Joke gravy train. 

No that was not the reason. The embassy finally understood that they couldn't verify a verbal statement from the average J. Doe who claimed his monthly earnings was 65K/month.

27 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You should check with Bangkok Bank to confirm you transfers are in the IAT format. Others getting VA benefits have been informed they are not in the IAH format.

Confirmed by Bangkok Bank your address in E Benefits must be a thailand address, and you need to have a direct deposit account with Bangkok bank.

2 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Confirmed by Bangkok Bank your address in E Benefits must be a thailand address, and you need to have a direct deposit account with Bangkok bank.

But have you asked them to confirm your most recent transfer was in the IAT format.

Send a email to [email protected] with your name, account number and the date of your most recent transfer and the amount it was to confirm it is in the IAT format.

They have already confirmed it to me Joe.  The VA also confirmed it to me through Peggy.

3 hours ago, edwardflory said:

Depending on YOUR BANK in the USA, using your debit/credit card, and your Thai bank, it MIGHT not be costly.  I use XE Currency converter as my exchange rate checker.  I have never been more than $5.00USD over the XE rate ( per 25,000.00THB )  I have a INSIDE TELLER swipe my US Bank card and deposit straight to my Thai account.  Use the bank's ATM to withdraw monies using my Thai Bank card.

 

AFAIK, that method of obtaining funds here, commonly called a counter withdrawal, is not necessarily going to meet Immigration's requirements for a "foreign transfer". It's typically done as an almost invisible two step process -- first, they do an advance against your foreign card, and then, take the cash they've received and LOCALLY deposit it into your Thai account. It doesn't get recorded as a foreign transfer on the Thai end.

 

If you're intending on using that method to satisfy Thai Immigration, you'd better be talking to your Thai bank if they're going to be willing to issue a letter certifying that those kind of monthly transactions are "foreign transfers" as required by Thai Immigration. I doubt they'll be treated that way. But it's certainly worth asking/trying.

 

BTW, I know the funds are coming from your U.S. bank account -- that's not the issue. The issue is what kind of transaction is involved. If a person withdraws money from a Thai ATM with their U.S. bank card, that also is pulling funds from the U.S.  But zero indication that Thai Immigration is going to accept ATM withdrawals either from foreign accounts as qualifying transfers.

 

 

Edited February 15, 20197 yr by TallGuyJohninBKK

It's all about a letter for T. I. :

A letter from Embassy for income abroad. 

A letter from a Thai bank confirming 800000 are on a Thai account. 

A letter from Thai bank confirming that the monthly transfers are from abroad. 

If one have one of these, in 99% T. I. don't need more. 

 

Officers like the easy way. 

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are the official consulates all the others are honorary consulates.

Kop Khun Kop ????

My USA Bank charges $20 per transfer and some politically controlled New York scam bank adds $25 to that for a total of $45 per month. Not cheap but I'm used to it and transfer only takes one day, normally.

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

No that was not the reason. The embassy finally understood that they couldn't verify a verbal statement from the average J. Doe who claimed his monthly earnings was 65K/month.

Wrong. If that was the case why would most embassies do this simultaneously? Consider that. No doubt the pressure came from the Thais. 

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

No that was not the reason. The embassy finally understood that they couldn't verify a verbal statement from the average J. Doe who claimed his monthly earnings was 65K/month.

No the didn't. 

8 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

Well, it looks like due to the American Consulates failure to verify simple US bank statements for expats living in Thailand, there is no sensible solution.  Having money transferred from the US to a Thai bank monthly is costly and idiotic.  Thank's consulate staff, you are a great group ????

Write your state congressman/woman............enough people bitch about this the better......it would be a simple process as setting up an Internet Computer in the lobby of American Citizen Services in Bangkok so you can log onto your Bank Records that they can verify - since this is the reason they re not issuing any more Letters, they claim they can't verify the amount in the bank.   There used to be a terminal in the lobby so Amcits could log onto the SSA and VA Websites.........that should be sufficient.   Write your elected officials and start a rally.

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This has nothing to do with the American embassy. It all came about from pressure from Thai immigration. That is why these letters stopped. No doubt about it. It is called the Biggest Joke gravy train. 

And only four embassys gave in to the pressure! Illogical.

22 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration has come out with a amendment to a police order that allows you to show transfers into the country as proof of your income in response to the US embassy and others stopping the issuance of income proof.

Screenshot of the requirements for extensions based upon upon marriage. You will only need to show one transfer as it states but I would suggest you do a few more before the date you apply for the extension. You would only need to transfer a little more than 40k baht to allow for exchange rate fluctuations.

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but where in this police order excerpt does it state that only one transfer is adequate to obtain the "marriage extension?" Thanks.

10 minutes ago, davhend25 said:

Please excuse my ignorance, but where in this police order excerpt does it state that only one transfer is adequate to obtain the "marriage extension?" Thanks.

It is split between two pages so hard to get in one screenshot. From retirement means the firs extension application.

 

 

There was topic posted about the new requirements last month.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is split between two pages so hard to get in one screenshot. From retirement means the firs extension application.

 

 

There was topic posted about the new requirements last month.

Thank you as always, ubonjoe, for your kind reply to my question. Now I understand. 

How much does an Immigration Attorney cost?  The "visa service" robberies are high enough. If it could help me stay here, it might be worth it. My situation is completely unique and will require more tea money than China could produce. Give me an example of what the total cost of getting an extension, which takes fifteen minutes to process will cost me??? Even a ballpark estimate will suffice. These posts without prices attached should end. Give us the total.