Source of 65,000 baht monthly income

[Thailand]

21 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

Do you have a link to the reports you are stating?...

Assist Thai Visa have stated on their Facebook page that CM Immigration is not requiring any proof of funds source - Just that it be shown to have been transferred from abroad...

 

 

 

Read what I said regarding 2 weeks ago and last week. "Income" is now acceptable,whereas 2 weeks ago they insisted on "pension". One source, a friend, the other, the one you are quoting.

[jesimps]

I'm waiting with baited breath for reports of someone applying for retirement visa extension at Jomtien using the monthly income method, with proof of international transfers from Jan/Feb of this year and asking for leniency.

It'll also be interesting to see accounts of people using the combination method at the same office. 1) Does the lump sum have to be seasoned for two months?   2) Does the whole or part have to remain banked for three months afterwards?   3) On the income part, can there be less than twelve months international transfers, providing that added to the lump sum it totals 800,000 ie 450,000 lump and six months intl txfers totalling 350,000?

[Jai Dee]

A couple of misquotes and replies have been removed.

[1]

31 minutes ago, jesimps said:

On the income part, can there be less than twelve months international transfers, providing that added to the lump sum it totals 800,000 ie 450,000 lump and six months intl txfers totalling 350,000?

So for example on the month that the income was only 44500 May. 

 

12 x 44500 = 534000

If I seasoned 266000 for the appropriate amount of time would that be acceptable?

 

Or possibly ignoring May and showing

11 x 65000 = 735000 and seasoning 65000 

But there would be a March and April payment. 

 

It just seems to me that using the income method it's more beneficial in that I do not have to have 800000 tied up in Thailand for the seasoning period doing very little.

[david555]

As we are 1 June now , and all started from 1 March we can from now expect more factual rapports from applicants about the new system in different I.O's offices , for both system 800/400K or combination , about the money seasoning control , origin , and how they calculate in combination method .

[TTL2]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:36 AM, Henryford said:

I am not advocating it but you could transfer 65k to a thai bank from overseas. Withdraw it in cash and send back home via say Dee money, then repeat. Nothing in your thai bank to be suspicious about. The 65k cash could just as easily been spent on living expenses.

You have a practical point. The value of paper notes have since became very depreciated as inflation rate is consuming it day by day. 

[hargri]

'I was in Jomtien on 2nd May for my retirement extension based on income without an UK embassy letter. I've been doing transfers with TransferWise for over 2 years now and was able to show the full 12 months. There were actually 15 transfers in that time only 4 of which showed as foreign. As a result I had taken copious evidence that proved they had emanated from UK but they weren't interested in looking and were happy to grant the extension. What I did also have were occupational and state pension statements (the one's I would normally have presented to the embassy for the letter) so I have assumed that immigration were happy to accept that the money coming into my Thai bank (I had the appropriate letter and certified statements) was from that source without additional proof. I did try to ask whether this was the case going forward but the one guy working on the customer side of the desk was real busy and not prepared to answer questions.'

 

I posted the above middle of last month. It seems, at least at Jomtien, that if you have appropriate income source documents then they are not concerned if transfers don't show as foreign. I had been expecting to answer questions on this but there were none. It really was a very easy and fast process. Of course I don't know whether this is merely an example of leniency with a new system so I was keen to ensure that future transfers confirmed their overseas origin. On that subject I have just read the following from earlier on here:

 

'BKK bank is the leading Thai bank at ensuring this code, and if you use Transferwise  - who have an agreement with BKK Bank, and a few others, the FTT code is automatic.' 

 

My experience is that this is not correct. I first read that this was the case in December 2018 and changed monthly transfers from SCB to Bangkok bank. As stated above only 4 of 6 subsequent transfers had the FTT code and 2 were SMART transfers. I have contacted TransferWise and was advised the determining factor is where they send the money from. They asked me to nominate a recipient account and they would ensure that all payments to that account would be made from an account of their's that would generate a foreign transaction. I got the impression that the recipient account didn't have to be with Bangkok bank as I was told to nominate any of my accounts.

[Srikcir]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:05 AM, mtls2005 said:

Been covered here ad nauseam.

Immigration did not establish any standards for a bank certification letter that I've seen. Bangkok Bank apparently have their own idea of what would comply.

Kasikorn has a different approach called a Credit Advice Report that can be issued (apparently free) with each month's foreign transfer deposits sent via email.

Other banks may as well approach certification of foreign deposits into their accounts in other kinds of "letter."

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Immigration did not establish any standards for a bank certification letter that I've seen.

 

I was specifically addressing the OP, and answering their question(s)...

 

 

On 6/2/2019 at 8:11 AM, simon43 said:

In my case, funds are received into my Bangkok Bank account monthly from Paypal.

 

and not any standards or lack thereof on the part of Immigration regarding the certification of qualifying foreign transfers.

 

Credit Advice/Receipts without a certified covering letter may, or may not be acceptable? My Credit Advice/Receipts, from Bangkok Bank, obtained in person at my branch for no fee, have none of the usual dazzling array of garuda stamps, signatures, dates, etc, and could easily be shotophopped.

 

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Other banks may as well approach certification of foreign deposits into their accounts in other kinds of "letter."

Of course, but not really relevant to the OP's situation.

 

The sample letter from BBL which I posted has previously been used for a variety of purposes to certify the off-shore source of funds, most often used when buying a condo.

 

You're right in that other banks probably have similar draft cover letters on file, now available for use for Immigration?

[billsmart]

 

 

 

5 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

No, it isn't.

 

The police order says:

 

"Evidence showing income, such as pension or interest received or dividend received"

 

 

the keyword is "income", the source of which could be, but is not limited to the three examples given. It could be other sources (IRA/Roth, annuity, capital gains, rent received, subsidy, lottery/gambling winnings, inheritance, to name just a few), but perhaps not a result of illegal activities.
 

 

 

No. It isn't. Income is income.

 

Very few pensions are guaranteed. In fact, most are not. Maybe they have the imprimatur of a "government"/sovereign backing or are insured by legislation, but public and private pensions can be raided by politicians and investment bankers. 

My remarks were based on the police order you cited but also documents I was given at my local (Phetchabun) Immigration Office in Feb this year. Below are excerpts from the English version (translated by Phetchabun Immigrations) of those documents.

Like I said in my original post on this thread, the exact requirements are unclear.

And, to your point, yes, "income is income," but not all income can be classified as a "pension."

 

[LivinLOS]

On 6/2/2019 at 7:38 AM, Digby Strong said:

Depends WHERE you get your O-A Non-res Visa. 

I have previously got mine from the UK. The Thai Embassy in London  need an "income letter" from whichever company is providing the money, dated and signed within 3 months of visa application date. 

That PLUS bank statememts showing the money coming into your UK bank account (certified correct by your bank or a solicitor /notary public,). 

 

I think the general gist to read into this, anywhere you apply, is make sure your evidence of income can be proved to apply to the last 3 months. 

 

As hes talking about an incountry extension this is totally not relevant. 

[BoBoTheClown]

I guess nothing can stop you, but if that is the life you want to live then live it. 

[Acharn]

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Immigration did not establish any standards for a bank certification letter that I've seen. Bangkok Bank apparently have their own idea of what would comply.

Kasikorn has a different approach called a Credit Advice Report that can be issued (apparently free) with each month's foreign transfer deposits sent via email.

Other banks may as well approach certification of foreign deposits into their accounts in other kinds of "letter."

I've forgotten what years it was in effect, but some time after the financial meltdown in 1997 there was a requirement for extensions of stay to have a Thai bank account. We had to provide copies of the bank book and a letter from the bank listing all our transfers from overseas. Seems to me that requirement lasted six or seven years, and every one of those years my letter (from BKK Bank) stated I had no transfers from overseas. Never had a problem, even when the xenophobic Purachai was Minister of the Interior (which then owned the Police Department). I'm guessing all the banks used the same letter format and will do so again. Finally one Immigration Officer told me I could stop getting the bank letter because most people used cash advances through the ATM so they were dropping the requirement.