Bangkok Bank - proof of 12 months international transfers (changed?)

[SooKee]

Yes, Silom.  But this letter no longer has the 12 month line by line amounts.  It's just a summary of the total amount remitted to my account by way of International transfer for the year.  If they need to, Immigration can refer to the 12 credit slips attached to it, IF they need this letter at all now.  I'll find out tomorrow.

[pmarlin]

On 1/25/2020 at 4:18 PM, ubonjoe said:

I don't think that is really needed. A bank statement is the most important proof of income that immigration wants and they will show every transaction.

immigration yes but your bank branch needs it to produce credit advice letters for each FTT. Otherwise you have to order  the bank statement wait 4 to 5 days pay for it. This is based on the latest Bangkok bank proof on income letter for monthly income. Cover letter with a years worth of credit advice attached.

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

immigration yes but your bank branch needs it to produce credit advice letters for each FTT. Otherwise you have to order  the bank statement wait 4 to 5 days pay for it. This is based on the latest Bangkok bank proof on income letter for monthly income. Cover letter with a years worth of credit advice attached.

That was in response to a post about updating bank books.

Not all offices want the redundant letter listing all of your international transfers. All they want is the bank statements showing the foreign transfers.

[SooKee]

Went to renew my extension at Bangkok (CW) today and, as I mentioned above, decided to try supplying the absolute bare minimum of documents in terms of proving international transfers to find out what would be accepted and, more importantly, cut down the amount of time I spend piddling around getting worthless documents next year.  So, in addition to the regular Extension paperwork needed, for the banking side I provided:

 

• Certificate of account ownership from bank
• Copy of my bank book (including the first page / inside front cover) with the last 13 months of transfers highlighted (I was applying today and my transfers normally arrive 28th so the latest one hadn't been captured by the document trawl so I updated the book at CW to show it).  
• Bank Book

 

That was it, all accepted and approved without any other bank documents needed.  IO was interested in nothing at all but the bank book.  Applying this month I thought that the last 12 transfers was all they needed (e.g. Jan to Dec inclusive) but I think because I was applying at the end of this month (or because the application coincided with the date my money normally arrives) they wanted the bank book updating to show the funds arrival from yesterday (28th), making it 13 transfers that they wanted to see.  Either that or 13 months is the standard they are looking for.  Next year will be easier as I will be applying early Feb as I normally do so it may then just be a straight 12 they're interested in.

 

Happy in one way that I went prepared with likely all the documents they might have asked for (peace of mind given I leave Thailand in 4 days for a while so had a really small application window) but I really won't bother with all the Bangkok Bank transfer proof documentation next year.  I always apply a month early anyway so if Immigration does revert to 'more paper, more paper!' I can go and get what they need and go back again.  In my bag for this application I also had:

 

• 12 months bank statement
• Bangkok Bank International Transfer summary letter complete with the 12 Credit Advice notes they supply by default.
• Copy of yearly update letter from pension provider
• Copy of last 4 payslips

 

None of it asked for.

Edited January 29, 2020 by SooKee

[Max69xl]

4 hours ago, pmarlin said:

immigration yes but your bank branch needs it to produce credit advice letters for each FTT. Otherwise you have to order  the bank statement wait 4 to 5 days pay for it. This is based on the latest Bangkok bank proof on income letter for monthly income. Cover letter with a years worth of credit advice attached.

You don't always need credit advises. Last year there were reports about some immigration offices required proof of foreign transfers because they didn't show up as foreign in the bank book. Other offices were ok with the bank letter + a bank statement showing the transfers as foreign. Bangkok Bank on Silom Road in BKK just wants to make money and charges 600 baht for a set of documents which is a rip off, and you might not need everything included in the set. Many immigration offices are ok with the 12 months bank statement even if you have to wait a few days for it. The papers you need are the papers your immigration office asks for. 

[moe666]

People have to remember it is immigration who tells BKK what they want. The new Immigration guy at CM decided he needed a 6 month letter as well as a 12 month letter so after getting the 30 day waiting stmp for my extension the io says need one more form from bank. the next morning with my agent obtained another letter wanted by the new boss

[Max69xl]

23 minutes ago, moe666 said:

People have to remember it is immigration who tells BKK what they want. The new Immigration guy at CM decided he needed a 6 month letter as well as a 12 month letter so after getting the 30 day waiting stmp for my extension the io says need one more form from bank. the next morning with my agent obtained another letter wanted by the new boss

What you have to remember is,what your immigration office wants, might not be the same at other immigration offices when it comes to bank statements or credit advices. The requirements differ. 

[pmarlin]

20 hours ago, Max69xl said:

You don't always need credit advises. Last year there were reports about some immigration offices required proof of foreign transfers because they didn't show up as foreign in the bank book. Other offices were ok with the bank letter + a bank statement showing the transfers as foreign. Bangkok Bank on Silom Road in BKK just wants to make money and charges 600 baht for a set of documents which is a rip off, and you might not need everything included in the set. Many immigration offices are ok with the 12 months bank statement even if you have to wait a few days for it. The papers you need are the papers your immigration office asks for. 

It will only cost about 200baht for the cover letter from the bank if you do it my way using an updated bank book and obtaining a credit advice often (at lest ever 3 months which is free) Just adding on to what the OP informed us about how Bangkok bank is now providing proof for income.

[pmarlin]

Reading the OP post 64 which I now just read. Bank book and bank letter proving ownership of the account. is very simple and straight forward. But will take the credit advice letter just in case for backup along with proof of funds source. you never know if the IO is having a bad day.

[Max69xl]

45 minutes ago, pmarlin said:

It will only cost about 200baht for the cover letter from the bank if you do it my way using an updated bank book and obtaining a credit advice often (at lest ever 3 months which is free) Just adding on to what the OP informed us about how Bangkok bank is now providing proof for income.

I was referring to OP who was asked for 600 baht at Bangkok Bank head office on Silom Rd for credit advices,bank letter and a 12 month bank statement. He refused to pay 300 baht for the credit advises, and just went with the bank letter and bank statement. The bank letter cost 100 baht and the bank statement normally 200 baht = 300 baht. 

[snooky]

Today I went to CW for my yearly extension.  FYI, I haven't had a problem in the past 15 years using my monthly income as my source of funds.  Unbeknownst to me , in order to get a full years worth of statements showing international transfers, I would need to submit an application and wait 3-4 days.  OK, my bad.  I tried for the extension anyway, using the six months of statements that the bank in CW could print but the IO told me that I needed the full years statement, and IN ADDITION, I would need a document from my bank in the US stating they had made the international transfers!!  This may be a b---h to get, especially since BKK Bank NY discontinued their transfer service in December whereby I had to send money to a friend to send over as an international transfer from his bank for December and now using Transferwise for January and all future transfers.

 

Has anyone else ever been told they need a letter from their foreign bank regarding the transfers and if so, can they tell exactly what to ask for and/or in what format! 

 

Thanks!

Edited January 30, 2020 by snooky

[pmarlin]

17 hours ago, snooky said:

Today I went to CW for my yearly extension.  FYI, I haven't had a problem in the past 15 years using my monthly income as my source of funds.  Unbeknownst to me , in order to get a full years worth of statements showing international transfers, I would need to submit an application and wait 3-4 days.  OK, my bad.  I tried for the extension anyway, using the six months of statements that the bank in CW could print but the IO told me that I needed the full years statement, and IN ADDITION, I would need a document from my bank in the US stating they had made the international transfers!!  This may be a b---h to get, especially since BKK Bank NY discontinued their transfer service in December whereby I had to send money to a friend to send over as an international transfer from his bank for December and now using Transferwise for January and all future transfers.

 

Has anyone else ever been told they need a letter from their foreign bank regarding the transfers and if so, can they tell exactly what to ask for and/or in what format! 

 

Thanks!

you would think that credit advice letters from  Bangkok bank will show that they were foreign transfers and you wouldn't need anything from your US bank. 

[Pib]

17 hours ago, snooky said:

Today I went to CW for my yearly extension.  FYI, I haven't had a problem in the past 15 years using my monthly income as my source of funds.  Unbeknownst to me , in order to get a full years worth of statements showing international transfers, I would need to submit an application and wait 3-4 days.  OK, my bad.  I tried for the extension anyway, using the six months of statements that the bank in CW could print but the IO told me that I needed the full years statement, and IN ADDITION, I would need a document from my bank in the US stating they had made the international transfers!!  This may be a b---h to get, especially since BKK Bank NY discontinued their transfer service in December whereby I had to send money to a friend to send over as an international transfer from his bank for December and now using Transferwise for January and all future transfers.

 

Has anyone else ever been told they need a letter from their foreign bank regarding the transfers and if so, can they tell exactly what to ask for and/or in what format! 

 

Thanks!

Never seen another TV post where the immigration office wanted a confirmation from your Thai bank the transfers were international "AND a doc from your US bank saying they had sent the transfers."   Now, if you had gotten Credit Advices from your Thai bank for each transfer those Credit Advices will show the where the funds were launched from such as your US bank.

 

Heck, in some cases a US bank may not even be involved in launching the transfer....that is, you (or someone) logging onto ibanking and initiating a transfer.  Instead, it might be a US govt monthly pension like social security, military retirement, etc., being sent direct from the govt versus from your bank acct.

 

Now I have seen some posts where an immigration office asked for some doc showing the source of the funds like a pension statement....and when the applicant showed them a doc like a Social Security, Military Retirement benefit statement that satisfied immigration.

 

Maybe if your provide bank statements and Transferwise receipts it will satisfy immigration....and about all you can do regarding that one month a friend sent the money from their acct is ask the friend for a copy of his bank statement for that month which could very well make him uncomfortable in granting your request.

 

I'm thinking getting 12 credit advices and/or a 12 month statement from your Thai bank would satisfy immigration as they will show the source of the funds/the US financial entity that sent the funds.  With Bangkok Bank it costs Bt100 for each Credit Advice over 6 months old with a "max" charge of Bt500 for credit advices requested.  So even though you would be asking for 6 of 12 transfers older than 6 months the charge would only be Bt500 instead of Bt600.  And it will takes several business days for your Bangkok Bank branch to provide credit advices older than 3 months because credit advices older than 3 months must be requested from the Bankgok Bank head office....your branch will request the credit advices from the head office.  And I think an annual statement costs Bt200 and also takes several days for your branch to get it from the head office.

 

What I'm thinking happended is since you applied "without" having a Thai bank letter or credit advices confirming the transfers over the last year were international--I guess you were just using your passbook--it looks like your immigration office just threw the book at you it terms of income proof they wanted.   But I bet if you would go back with a Thai bank letter/12 month statement/credit advices confirming the transfers were international there would be no mention of also wanting some doc from the US bank end.