Info on Bangkok Bank Confirming Incoming Monthly Foreign Transfers

[OJAS]

15 hours ago, Pib said:

It don't surprise me at all.  Just because a few posters have indicated their immigration office said HQ Immigration is working with banks for a new type letter or just go get letter titled so & so was probably fake news (wishful thinking) from the immigration office...or the immigration office was just expressing the type of letter they expect to receive--that is, I expect to receive a letter/statement just showing international transfers for the past 12 months....don't show me some statement a mile long with domestic and international transactions intermixed or a bunch of foreign bank/money transfer service docs.    And/or maybe the English-Thai miscommunications thingie that happens frequently.   

Yep, I'm seriously beginning to wonder whether these wondrous new letters are either pure figments of the imagination or (in the light of @TallGuyJohninBKK's experience) jealously-guarded Head Office secrets. Think I'll stick to the tried and tested method, as reported in the attached thread, of 2 x 6-month statements plus 800k-style letter when I next apply to extend my stay for retirement purposes on the basis of 65K+ per month next July!

 

 

[Sheryl]

I figure the typical bank rep that prepares the letter pulls up the standard format letter within their computer system, prints it out, and signs it.  Now asking them to make a special letter to address your situation....trying to explain what is needed...is probably going to be met with a Deer in the Headlights look....or No Can Do response.  Sure, I expect some branches may do it, but I figure getting most branches to do it will be a challenge. 

I have been getting this from my Kasikorn bank every year for the past 15 years or so. The only issue was their being able to understand what it was I needed. The first time entailed somr explanations and thereafter I just showed the prior year's letter as a prototype (along with the credit advice copies). They don't use any form, they type it up anew each time. But YMMV. I'm in an area with very few foreigners and they have no idea what a letter for immigration is all about, just rely on what I tell them I need. As long as the information is accurate per their system they have no issue with customizing a short letter. Sometimes done on the spot, sometimes takes 1 day. But I seem to recall hearing Bangkok Bank is more difficult? This is Kasikorn.

(As to why I have been getting this -- I use the 800k method but many years ago one did need to prove overseas fund origin for that. I didn't release no longer necessary so just carried on as before).

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

[willyumcr]

Just a quick question. If I deposit 65,000 baht a month in friends Thai account using Transferwise showing coming from me, Is this good for me to use to extend my extension of stay? Thanks

[lopburi3]

Just now, willyumcr said:

Just a quick question. If I deposit 65,000 baht a month in friends Thai account using Transferwise showing coming from me, Is this good for me to use to extend my extension of stay? Thanks

Do not believe anyone has any such experience but guess would be no - if a joint account with wife (would hope so).  But at this time do not believe anyone has any firm information.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, willyumcr said:

Just a quick question. If I deposit 65,000 baht a month in friends Thai account using Transferwise showing coming from me, Is this good for me to use to extend my extension of stay? Thanks

It has to go into an account in your name to be accepted.

 

[Pib]

2 minutes ago, willyumcr said:

Just a quick question. If I deposit 65,000 baht a month in friends Thai account using Transferwise showing coming from me, Is this good for me to use to extend my extension of stay? Thanks

No, because the account is not in your name.

[scubascuba3]

Just a quick question. If I deposit 65,000 baht a month in friends Thai account using Transferwise showing coming from me, Is this good for me to use to extend my extension of stay? Thanks

Plus transferwise transfer may not show as International

[jacko45k]

49 minutes ago, willyumcr said:

Just a quick question. If I deposit 65,000 baht a month in friends Thai account using Transferwise showing coming from me, Is this good for me to use to extend my extension of stay? Thanks

No.

[willyumcr]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

It has to go into an account in your name to be accepted.

 

Thanks Ubonjoe. The reason I ask is I have been living here for 12 years now without having a Thai bank account. My extension of stays have been based on US embassy income letter. I have always used Schwab ATM card or most recently Transferwise depositing from my account in USA into GF account, then withdrawing from that. I absolutely do not want to deposit 800,000 in a Thai bank. I also do not wish to have a Thai bank in my name. I right now have an extension of stay until January 2020. Does this mean I am OK until next January?

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, willyumcr said:

Does this mean I am OK until next January?

You can stay until your extension ends in January.

If you cannot prove your income or have the 800k baht to apply for a new extension you will have to leave the country then.

[lopburi3]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can stay until your extension ends in January.

If you cannot prove your income or have the 800k baht to apply for a new extension you will have to leave the country then.

Or marry the gf and obtain multi entry non immigrant O visa if having bank account is out of the question and Elite visa is not an option.

[willyumcr]

Thanks Ubonjoe and Lopburi3. I will let it play out until next January and hopefully more options by then. I have family in Costa Rica so would probably go back. Cheaper in the long run as right now supporting two families. Again thanks for your help. Willyum

[lucky2008]

I'm in the process of doing my 2nd- one year extension based on marriage so here's what's happened so far. 

 

When receiving international transfers to Bangkok Bangkok from abroad make sure you are updating your passbook every single time you receive a transfer, if you fail to update your passbook, and have more that 30 transactions (withdraws/deposits) between passbook updates, the FTT code will no longer show, instead you will have a CMB  (Combined No-Book Transaction) code appear when making the passbook update at a later date. I made the mistake of not updating my passbook for three months, and even though I received 12 consecutive international deposits, one deposit for every month of last year, my bank book can no longer be used as support documentation at immigration without being questioned about the "missing monthly FTT deposits". 

 

I also asked my local branch for a 12 month statement, and they said they can only print up the last 6 months, anything before that has to be ordered from Bangkok, and would take 3-5 bussiness days to arrive. They charged me 200 baht for a 12 month statment. 

 

When the bank statment comes back from BB headquarters, my local BB bank will then be able to cross reference all the FTT deposits, and then print out a "credit advise" report for each FTT transaction from the previous year. 

 

I hope this Credit Advise/ FTT report along with the 12 month bank statement will be enough for the IO. 

 

Can anyone please elaborate on what many members are calling the "letter from the bank." 

 

[lopburi3]

9 minutes ago, lucky2008 said:

When the bank statment comes back from BB headquarters, my local BB bank will then be able to cross reference all the FTT deposits, and then print out a "credit advise" report for each FTT transaction from the previous year. 

That should be exactly what you need - bankbook is not what immigration seems to want - they want bank to confirm deposits which the letter/statements will do.  Not all accounts even use passbooks anymore.  

[Pib]

Just as reminder, directly below is the OP's beginning post again before I tell you what my further research discovered.  And remember for me my research was "To Satisfy My Curiosity" in case I ever decided to switch to the monthly income method. I've been using the Bt800K in the bank method for many years for my annual retirement extension of stay....but hey, I may want to change to the monthly income or combo method in the future.'s  Ok, here's the OPs post as the reminder before moving on to my additional research.

 

Quote

sam6345 Posted Sunday at 06:03 PM

I spoke to my Bangkok Bank branch office (Phayao) manager about obtaining the subject statement and was told the following:

 

1. This type of statement/Letter is called an "International Inwards Funds Transfer / Foreign inward Remittance" letter together with credit advice.

2. They can provide it on the same day (no waiting) regardless of the period (1 year or more).

3. It will list only the incoming foreign transfers for the given period.

 

I will be using this to obtain my annual retirement extension in Nov based on the income method.

 

Just wanted to share this.

 

 

Back in my posts #10 and 31 I gave some interim reports on trying to get above mentioned letter and Credit Advices.  In post #10 a large full service Bangkok Bank branch told me no-can-do at their branch...I must go to my "home branch"...and same day a small branch in a mall told me the same.  But then a few days later I tried another small branch in a mall by asking just for "one" credit advice of a very recent Transferwise transfer and they got my home branch (the branch in the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Rd in Bangkok) on the phone and in a short time my home branch faxed that one credit advice to me while at the small branch in the mall....no fee. And as mentioned in post #31 I didn't think the credit advice would be of much use since it was in banking jibberish.  Go back to my post #10 and 31 for full details.

 

Ok, I finally got a chance to get to go to my home branch.  Went up to the second floor where they handle all the Foreign Remittances.  And instead of showing them the OP's post talking the letter, I had simply wrote on a piece of paper the following: "International Inward Funds Transfer / Foreign Inward Remittance Letter with Credit Advices."  Handed it to the bank rep (who speaks/reads English) and I asked did she know what that was...and she nodded her head Yes and then asked what specifically I needed it for.  I said for immigration visa extension purposes. 

 

She said OK, you need a "Confirmation Letter for Immigration"....said the letter costs Bt100....each Credit Advice less than 6 months old is free, but Credit Advices over 6 months cost Bt100 each "with a max fee of Bt500 for credit advices"   So, the letter and say the last 12 months of Credit Advices would cost Bt600 total (Bt100 plus Bt500).  Now if a person had been routinely going to the bank to get credit advices every few months they could avoid all the Credit Advice fees.   Just don't wait longer that 6 months to ask for a Credit Advice, otherwise, there will be a fee. 

 

Now remember, I've been using the Bt800K in the bank method and do not do monthly transfers....only had around 6 transfers over the last 12 months....a couple of ACH transfers from my US bank and several Transferwise transfers.   The bank rep said preparing the letter and credit advices will take about an hour. 

 

I asked the rep if this letter was based on "any recent, new guidance from immigration"....she said No...she had not got any new guidance from immigration or internal to Bangkok Bank on the monthly income method...the bank was still preparing letters as they always had.  Normally the letter is two different formats....one for the large deposit method (like I've been getting every year) and one were a person wants to prove monthly/periodic flow of incoming international transfers. I wanted the monthly transfer format although I didn't have 12 months of transfers to show....remember, this is satisfy my curiosity research.

 

I come bank an hour...letter and half dozen credit advice waiting for me.  Now the letter is all in Thai but what I have done is used Google Translate to annotate what the letter says...and of course I've redacted personal stuff.  And I've also attached two credit advices as examples....one is a credit advice for several thousand dollars sent via ACH from my US bank to Bangkok Bank with routing the Bangkok Bank NY branch.  The other credit advice is a Transferwise transfer.

 

Bank Letter

 

 

Below is a Credit Advice for an ACH transfer from my US bank.  Please note the "Payment Received Via" reflects the Bulk Payment System and identifies the sending bank as the Bangkok Bank NY branch with their SWIFT code.  Another credit advice from the same US bank showed SWIFT and the NY branch with their SWIFT code although it was also sent via ACH.   Anyway, these Credit Advices and some other info I has convinced me that when US folks send funds via ACH with Bangkok Bank NY branch routing the NY branch completes the New York to Bangkok leg of the transfer via SWIFT....it arrives the NY branch via ACH but the NY branch relays the funds onto Thailand via SWIFT. 

 

Below is a Credit Advice for a Transferwise Transfer.   Please note Bangkok Bank was used as the Transferwise partner bank for this transfer and a pseudo SWIFT code of FTTFRWUK is reflected as the Sending bank....this is probably just an internal Bangkok Bank code used by Bangkok Bank relating to Transferwise transfers they partner on.  As some of you know FTT which is the first 3 digits of above code is the Bangkok Bank passbook code simply meaning a Foreign Telegraphic Transfer whether send via SWIFT, ACH, BACS, just whatever external Thailand funds transfer system.  There is no actual SWIFT code of FTTFRWUK.

 

 

 

In closing, I spent Bt600 to satisfy my curiosity and I feel it was well worth it in the first hand knowledge gained (and shared), what to ask for, what to expect, associated costs, etc.   

 

[sfokevin]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

In closing, I spent Bt600 to satisfy my curiosity and I feel it was well worth it

Great work!... Could you possible post a slightly higher resolution version that is not so blurry?... I want them at the bank to be able to read these examples Thanks????

[Pib]

4 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

Great work!... Could you possible post a slightly higher resolution version that is not so blurry?... I want them at the bank to be able to read these examples Thanks????

Thanks. What I posted resolution-wise is about the best I can do.

[yang123]

Great work indeed!  Any chance of reposting the bank letter, duly anonymised, without the Google translate overlay?

Thanks in advance. 

[Pib]

Best I can do guys.  Remember, probably best you ask for:  "International Inward Funds Transfer / Foreign Inward Remittance Letter with Credit Advices."  Or what the bank rep I spoke to immediately responded with a name of "Confirmation Letter for Immigration."   

 

And remember if going the monthly income method you don't want the letter that the bank does to confirm you have Bt800/400K in the bank; you want a letter for immigration that confirms your monthly international inward transfers with Credit Advices.  Assuming you has done a transfer monthly you would need 12 credit advices to attach to the letter.  

 

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by Pib

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, Pib said:

...

And remember if going the monthly income method you don't want the letter that the bank does to confirm you have Bt800/400K in the bank; you want a letter for immigration that confirms your monthly international inward transfers with Credit Advices.  Assuming you has done a transfer monthly you would need 12 credit advices to attach to the letter. 

You may need both letters - the new "foreign transfers" letter, and the "this guy has an account here with X balance" letter (the 2nd being the same as is used for the "money in the bank" method).

[lucky2008]

7 hours ago, Pib said:

In closing, I spent Bt600 to satisfy my curiosity and I feel it was well worth it in the first hand knowledge gained (and shared), what to ask for, what to expect, associated costs, etc.   

Awesome research right there thanks a million! 

 

The examples you provided will help so many people. Much appreciated Pib. ????

[Sheryl]

Indeed, very helpful. Many thanks Pib.

One word of caution -- the time lag before you are charged for credit advices varies by bank. It's 3 months not 6 at Kasikorn and not only is there a charge after that it is more complicated to get and requires going through the head branch.

Good idea to collect your credit advices monthly if possible.

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

[Sheryl]

One question@Pib -- were any of the transfers shown in the bank letter ones that came through Transferwise via a different Thai bank? As that seems to be the area if gteatest uncertainty.

Thanks.

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

[Pib]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

One question@Pib -- were any of the transfers shown in the bank letter ones that came through Transferwise via a different Thai bank? As that seems to be the area if gteatest uncertainty.

Thanks.

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

All of my Transferwise transfers to my Bangkok Bank account used Bangkok Bank as the partner bank.  So, they all showed as international transfers and I was able to get a Credit Advice.

 

Now in those cases where TW uses another partner bank of either TMB or Kaiskorn to accomplish the final leg of a transfer I don't know what the Credit Advice would have said.   And I'm assuming a person can get a Credit Advice on any deposit/transfer, whether domestic or international, to a person's account as like in the name of "credit" advice it just a document that gives more details on a credit (deposit) to your account.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

19 hours ago, Pib said:

Best I can do guys.  Remember, probably best you ask for:  "International Inward Funds Transfer / Foreign Inward Remittance Letter with Credit Advices."  Or what the bank rep I spoke to immediately responded with a name of "Confirmation Letter for Immigration."   

 

And remember if going the monthly income method you don't want the letter that the bank does to confirm you have Bt800/400K in the bank; you want a letter for immigration that confirms your monthly international inward transfers with Credit Advices.  Assuming you has done a transfer monthly you would need 12 credit advices to attach to the letter.  

 

 

 

Pib, that letter you've posted the image of above looks very similar to the letter the BKK Bank branch staff I spoke with recently showed me -- describing it as the format letter they use to document inbound intl fund transfers for foreigner condo purchases.

 

As I mentioned in my prior post, the columns in the letter I saw were just --  date, originating currency, amount in foreign currency, amount in Thai currency.  Is that what you have on your letter as well?

 

PS -- Obviously, the summary entries Pib has on his sheet and on the one I saw recently at my BKK Bank branch are nothing like the much more detailed, full-page document that Sheryl has been getting from her bank. I'm guessing BKKB could produce a similar document if requested/desired, but seem to be showing us just a quick summary entry.

 

In the case of the examples Pib and I have seen from BKKB, presumably, they could basically fit 12 monthly transfer one-line summaries on a single sheet for Immigration -- as opposed to the person arriving with a 12-sheet pile of credit advices.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pib]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Indeed, very helpful. Many thanks Pib.

One word of caution -- the time lag before you are charged for credit advices varies by bank. It's 3 months not 6 at Kasikorn and not only is there a charge after that it is more complicated to get and requires going through the head branch.

Good idea to collect your credit advices monthly if possible.

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

Yeap, a bank's head office comes into play when asking for various documents when the transaction gets X-old (i.e, maybe 3 months, 6 months, etc).   Fortunately for me, my home branch is at the Bangkok Bank head office...it's the branch on the 1st floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building.  In fact, I think the Foreign Remittance section I used on the 2nd floor is actually the "head office" for all Bangkok Bank branches but also does double duty of being my home branch's foreign remittance/currency exchange/misc stuff section.    

 

So, someone using a Bangkok Bank branch in Nakhon Nowhere might have to wait X-days in order for their branch to get credit advices older than XYZ from the head office.  But I'm guessing....will need to wait and see what feedback may come from folks using branches across the country.   People definitely do some advance scouting/research of their own because This Is Thailand where standardization of immigration and bank policies seems to fall short.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

22 hours ago, Pib said:

She said OK, you need a "Confirmation Letter for Immigration"....said the letter costs Bt100....each Credit Advice less than 6 months old is free, but Credit Advices over 6 months cost Bt100 each "with a max fee of Bt500 for credit advices"   So, the letter and say the last 12 months of Credit Advices would cost Bt600 total (Bt100 plus Bt500).  Now if a person had been routinely going to the bank to get credit advices every few months they could avoid all the Credit Advice fees.   Just don't wait longer that 6 months to ask for a Credit Advice, otherwise, there will be a fee. 

 

Now remember, I've been using the Bt800K in the bank method and do not do monthly transfers....only had around 6 transfers over the last 12 months....a couple of ACH transfers from my US bank and several Transferwise transfers.   The bank rep said preparing the letter and credit advices will take about an hour. 

 

I asked the rep if this letter was based on "any recent, new guidance from immigration"....she said No...she had not got any new guidance from immigration or internal to Bangkok Bank on the monthly income method...the bank was still preparing letters as they always had. 

 

This above is pretty identical to the advice I got from my own BKKB home branch last week, as I had posted here previously.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, Pib said:

Yeap, a bank's head office comes into play when asking for various documents when the transaction gets X-old (i.e, maybe 3 months, 6 months, etc).   Fortunately for me, my home branch is at the Bangkok Bank head office...it's the branch on the 1st floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building.  In fact, I think the Foreign Remittance section I used on the 2nd floor is actually the "head office" for all Bangkok Bank branches but also does double duty of being my home branch's foreign remittance/currency exchange/misc stuff section.    

 

So, someone using a Bangkok Bank branch in Nakhon Nowhere might have to wait X-days in order for their branch to get credit advices older than XYZ from the head office.  But I'm guessing....will need to wait and see what feedback may come from folks using branches across the country.   People definitely do some advance scouting/research of their own because This Is Thailand where standardization of immigration and bank policies seems to fall short.

 

As I had posted here previously, my BKKB Bank branch is NOT the main HQ office, but rather a mall branch in BKK. And the rep there indicated they, locally in the branch, could/would handle any credit advice requests going back anytime up to about 5 years past or so. The rep I spoke with clearly indicated I wouldn't need to deal with BKKB HQ for anything re credit advice requests...

 

But, it's worth noting, that's advice coming from another branch in the same BKK province. Whether the same holds true for branches in other provinces remains a question, as the Thai banks sometimes make those kinds of regional distinctions.

 

 

[Pib]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

As I mentioned in my prior post, the columns in the letter I saw were just --  date, originating currency, amount in foreign currency, amount in Thai currency.  Is that what you have on your letter as well?

 

In the case of the examples Pib and I have seen from BKKB, presumably, they could basically fit 12 monthly transfer one-line summaries on a single sheet for Immigration -- as opposed to the person arriving with a 12-sheet pile of credit advices.

 

 

Yeap...and that's what I annotated/showed in post #75 regarding the column headings.

 

Yes, I expect they would document each separate monthly transfer on the letter, but I also expect the are going to give you the credit advices also as the credit advice are "detailed proof" to support the letter.  Heck the rep even made a copy and attached my passbook pages showing the foreign transfers as she was treating it as an actual letter being prepared for immigration.  

 

Each year when I do my bank letter using the "Bt800K in the bank method (not the new income method)," both Bangkok Bank and Krungsri Bank, prepared the letter formatted for that method "and attached copies of my passbook" as the immigration officer placed most emphasis on reviewing the passbook to ensure the seasoning requirement had been met....the bank letter does not address seasoning.   Basically, immigration focused a lot more on the passbook than the bank letter.....and maybe with this new income method that focus will also be on the "attachments such as credit advices and passbook" attached to the income method bank letter.

 

 

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

All of my Transferwise transfers to my Bangkok Bank account used Bangkok Bank as the partner bank.  So, they all showed as international transfers and I was able to get a Credit Advice.

 

Now in those cases where TW uses another partner bank of either TMB or Kaiskorn to accomplish the final leg of a transfer I don't know what the Credit Advice would have said.   And I'm assuming a person can get a Credit Advice on any deposit/transfer, whether domestic or international, to a person's account as like in the name of "credit" advice it just a document that gives more details on a credit (deposit) to your account.

Thanks.

 

OK - we really need someone who has gotten a Transferwise deposit through a bank other than their own to go to their bank and (1) get the credit advice and (2) request and get the "International Inward Funds Transfer / Foreign Inward Remittance Letter: and see if the TW deposit is included/shown as a foreign transfer.