5 Months and 800,000 baht

[lovelg10]

Given that the IO folks want to see 5 months of 800,000 baht in a bank account, and that they have yet to provide any method for verifying same (except next year's extension visit), can someone tell me why they settled on a two month/three month split (before/after extension) instead of a simpler 5 months before extension? 

[Henryford]

Don't they verify it by checking your book at the extension and 3 months later? I presume they are doing it to stop people just borrowing the money for a short time to get their extensions.

[WorriedNoodle]

You are going to need it longer than 5 months, more like 5 1/2 - 6 months as many extenders go to extend a month or so before expiry (hardly anyone leaves it to last day) and the money has to be in bank 2 months before date of application until 3 months after the extension date.

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

You are going to need it longer than 5 months, more like 5 1/2 - 6 months as many extenders go to extend a month or so before expiry (hardly anyone leaves it to last day) and the money has to be in bank 2 months before date of application until 3 months after the extension date.

Not really. 

The 2 months before is based on the application date and the three months after is based on the date the new extension is approved not the ending date of the previous extension. 

[lovelg10]

So, has anyone actually had that three month verification done in some form?

[Andyfez]

It could be checked when you go extend the following year? You'll find out then....

Anyway, as you need to put the funds back in about 6 months later I can't see the point of using the 'withdrawal method'.

 

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, lovelg10 said:

So, has anyone actually had that three month verification done in some form?

Yes, many people have attended at Jomtien to show their bankbook 3 month after renewal. 

[lovelg10]

jacko45k - Was more done than just showing them your bankbook (filled out a form, copy of bankbook needed)? Was there any notation made to any document (passport, your extension file, etc.)?  Was the timing linked to your 90 day visit in any way?

[Henryford]

We don't know what notes were made on our computer files. But we all had to report back with our bank balances. There is no link to the 90 day reports.

[Gilltom]

18 hours ago, lovelg10 said:

So, has anyone actually had that three month verification done in some form?

Yes we ad to go 3months later so prove money still in bank.don't know how visa shops  get round that.would be very  interesting to know though

[DrJack54]

A more interesting question regarding Jomtien nonsense 3 month post extension bank balance check would be....

What would they do if you had slipped below the 800k? Put a big red void stamp on your current permission of stay? 7 days to get out of Dodge? 

Why would anyone attend with their bankbook if they dipped below. What would the Jomtien clowns do if someone fails to turn up.

[Jaxxper]

19 hours ago, lovelg10 said:

So, has anyone actually had that three month verification done in some form?

Yes, Jomtien ask you to go back 3 months from the extension date with an updated passbook to show you still have the funds there. Takes 2 minutes once you are there.

[Sumarianson]

It is simple. If you show them your expenditure over the year, if it is legitimate and it looks as though you can afford to live here, that would be sufficient. Instead all this bull. It is extortion. A genuine retiree has to transfer 1.2MB now so that they have 800K for 5 months and the money to live on for that time also. The government has burdened the mojority of honest retirees while agents are rubbing their hands with the interest they sre making on the loan of 800K for 5 months and 400K for 9 months. This policy has not stopped the gangsters but it is costing genuine x pats some with families and wives here in Thailand to support a fortune. That is why the genuine ones are leaving, not the criminals.

[tgeezer]

6 minutes ago, Sumarianson said:

It is simple. If you show them your expenditure over the year, if it is legitimate and it looks as though you can afford to live here, that would be sufficient. Instead all this bull. It is extortion. A genuine retiree has to transfer 1.2MB now so that they have 800K for 5 months and the money to live on for that time also. The government has burdened the mojority of honest retirees while agents are rubbing their hands with the interest they sre making on the loan of 800K for 5 months and 400K for 9 months. This policy has not stopped the gangsters but it is costing genuine x pats some with families and wives here in Thailand to support a fortune. That is why the genuine ones are leaving, not the criminals.

  I have always thought that an agency is owned or connected to someone in immigration who can issue extensions.  I don’t think that they lend money.  

 

[WorriedNoodle]

On 1/9/2020 at 10:37 AM, Jingthing said:

Not really. 

The 2 months before is based on the application date and the three months after is based on the date the new extension is approved not the ending date of the previous extension. 

Thanks - good to know the difference. So expats in places like Jomtein are going 3 months after the application / approval date to show there is still 800k and not 3 months after the extension rolls over to new one which might be 30 days later I presume?

[khunPer]

20 hours ago, lovelg10 said:

So, has anyone actually had that three month verification done in some form?

Some have posted that they have been asked to show the bankbook with their 800k deposit when doing 90-day report after extension of stay was granted.

 

That also explains the purpose of a "3 month after" period; whilst the 2 month before application is easy to check upon application.

 

At the immigration office I use, some had been asked to show bankbook – so they have posted in our local forum – but I wasn't when extending my stay in October last year; however could be that I have had 800k permanent in deposit for more than a decade, so they don't bother, or perhaps the IO just forgot it...????

 

I will anyway bring my bankbook as proof when re-confirming my 90-days address report later this month, no big deal...????

Edited January 10, 2020 by khunPer

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

Thanks - good to know the difference. So expats in places like Jomtein are going 3 months after the application / approval date to show there is still 800k and not 3 months after the extension rolls over to new one which might be 30 days later I presume?

Correct. 

I have such a pleasant task coming up myself soon.

My understanding is that you show up under the magic number you have 7 days to exit Thailand.

But I don't think we've heard any first hand reports about that as yet. 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Correct. 

I have such a pleasant task coming up myself soon.

My understanding is that you show up under the magic number you have 7 days to exit Thailand.

But I don't think we've heard any first hand reports about that as yet. 

IF that was the case then why would anyone bother to go to imm with bankbook showing an amount under 800k.

Especially when most imm offices do not require the 3 month bankbook gig.

 

[luckyluke]

And still many, as myself, still don't have to have any amount on a Thai bankbook, neither have to transfer monthly at least 65000 ThB, if we don't want to.

This may of course change one day.

I hope they will wait;

I have to apply for an extension based on retirement this month.

A letter of income from the Austrian Consulate here in Pattaya was sufficient the last 15 years.

[Jingthing]

18 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

And still many, as myself, still don't have to have any amount on a Thai bankbook, neither have to transfer monthly at least 65000 ThB, if we don't want to.

This may of course change one day.

I hope they will wait;

I have to apply for an extension based on retirement this month.

A letter of income from the Austrian Consulate here in Pattaya was sufficient the last 15 years.

There have been no indications that they will stop accepting embassy letters from embassies such as yours that continue to issue them. So this topic has nothing to do with you.

 

However, I reckon there are Austrians that are using the 800K bank method as well. Or maybe not but it's an option for all nationals regardless of embassy income letter policy.

[luckyluke]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So this topic has nothing to do with you.

Just wanted to remind that there are still different ways to obtain an extension, very easy for some nationalities, more complicated for others.

 

I find regularly out  that many think here that there are only Americans, Australians and British expats, and are persuaded that the regulations which apply to them, de facto apply to everyone.

 

By the way I am Belgian.

[Onrai]

If I have learned one thing is regardless of what you read from the Thai consulate or immigration websites it is completely arbitrary on how these rules get enforced. 

Example 1. When I did my 90 day immigration reporting retirement visaI didn’t have to show proof that my 800k was still in the bank.

Extreme example 2- names and places omitted to protect the innocent and guilty. My friend didn’t have 800k in the bank, nor any record of 65k baht being deposited on a monthly basis. He walked into immigration at 3.55 pm and walked out with a one year extension at 4.35 pm. Cost 17,000 baht to the immigration officer. Happened 3 days ago. It was the IO that suggested this method of extending since he didn’t have the money.

[Peter Denis]

9 minutes ago, Onrai said:

If I have learned one thing is regardless of what you read from the Thai consulate or immigration websites it is completely arbitrary on how these rules get enforced. 

Example 1. When I did my 90 day immigration reporting retirement visaI didn’t have to show proof that my 800k was still in the bank.

Extreme example 2- names and places omitted to protect the innocent and guilty. My friend didn’t have 800k in the bank, nor any record of 65k baht being deposited on a monthly basis. He walked into immigration at 3.55 pm and walked out with a one year extension at 4.35 pm. Cost 17,000 baht to the immigration officer. Happened 3 days ago. It was the IO that suggested this method of extending since he didn’t have the money.

Example 1 - There is no rule that you need to prove your financials when doing your 90-day report.  It's just a confirmation that you are still staying at the same place.  And can be easily done on-line.

Extreme example 2 - Your friend must have known that there was an immigration officer at his local IO, that was ready to help (for a 17.000 THB fee of course).  In most IOs that wouldn't fly...

[xylophone]

11 minutes ago, Onrai said:

He walked into immigration at 3.55 pm and walked out with a one year extension at 4.35 pm. Cost 17,000 baht to the immigration officer. Happened 3 days ago. It was the IO that suggested this method of extending since he didn’t have the money.

Well one thing I will say is that he got away cheaply, because doing something similar where I am, can cost up to 45,000 baht, and I know this because a friend is just in the process of doing it using an agent.

 

On the other hand when I visited an office a while ago for my 90 day report, the officer asked if I was aware of the changes coming into play with regards to the 800 K in the bank, and then suggested that if I couldn't find the money I should go directly to him to see what he could do.

 

There always seems to be a way to do things here, even if it's not "by the book".
 

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, Onrai said:

If I have learned one thing is regardless of what you read from the Thai consulate or immigration websites it is completely arbitrary on how these rules get enforced. 

Example 1. When I did my 90 day immigration reporting retirement visaI didn’t have to show proof that my 800k was still in the bank.

Extreme example 2- names and places omitted to protect the innocent and guilty. My friend didn’t have 800k in the bank, nor any record of 65k baht being deposited on a monthly basis. He walked into immigration at 3.55 pm and walked out with a one year extension at 4.35 pm. Cost 17,000 baht to the immigration officer. Happened 3 days ago. It was the IO that suggested this method of extending since he didn’t have the money.

You posted false information above. There is NO CONNECTION between 90 day address reports and the mandated SHOW the 800K money written ORDERS given at some immigration offices.  None at all! Nobody credible has said that there is. So your report that this didn't come up at a 90 day address report is 100 percent irrelevant.

 

As far as immigration CORRUPTION and accepting special payments that is nothing new at all and not really on topic to this thread either. Expats that choose to participate with that corruption make their choices and take their chances.

[Suradit69]

22 hours ago, lovelg10 said:

So, has anyone actually had that three month verification done in some form?

Certainly some/many have received a form at the time they do the extension requiring them to show bank after three months and there have been reports of those who turned in the form and copies of bank book balance on or about the given date.

 

 

 

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Correct. 

I have such a pleasant task coming up myself soon.

My understanding is that you show up under the magic number you have 7 days to exit Thailand.

But I don't think we've heard any first hand reports about that as yet. 

Agree there have been no reports of anyone having his extension cancelled, but a couple of people have posted that "they" (immigrations) wouldn't know or do anything about it until one does his next annual extension. That assumption could be regretted. 

 

However unlikely, and I agree it is unlikely, if an officer asked to see proof that one kept 800,000 for three months and then 400,000 for the balance of the year, at any time during the year, it could be curtains for someone and his extension if hadn't complied.

[natway09]

Just put it in an account  & leave it there. The 800 K is like a deposit to live here. 

It's not like they are going to steal it.

I will be very blunt, if the 800K rule worries you it is time to go back home.

[lovelg10]

43 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

Certainly some/many have received a form at the time they do the extension requiring them to show bank after three months and there have been reports of those who turned in the form and copies of bank book balance on or about the given date.

 

 

 

Ah, the mysterious 'form'. Would someone be kind enough to attach a copy of said form, as all of the usual Thai Immigration form sources seem to be devoid.

[lovelg10]

1 minute ago, natway09 said:

Just put it in an account  & leave it there. The 800 K is like a deposit to live here. 

It's not like they are going to steal it.

I will be very blunt, if the 800K rule worries you it is time to go back home.

Not everyone who seeks clarification is a worrier. And I will be blunt as well. I'm taking a guess that your cavalier attitude comes from association with the type of Thai/ex-pat who looks down on people not conforming to their 'standards'; how's that for drawing conclusions out of thin air.