Phuket Immigration Now Want Bank Statement for 1 YEAR for 1 Year Extension

[JetsetBkk]

1 hour ago, Kopitiam said:

You must be not living in Phuket.  Phuket Immigration is one of the most progressive and considerate in Thailand.  Just to give you two examples - Drive-in for 90-day reporting (no form to fill, no copies of passport) and correct interpretation of health insurance requirement for O-A retirement extension.

 

I wish I could give more than 1 "like"  ????

[simon43]

Me: Annual business visa and work permit process.

 

Procedure: Hand passport, money and 1 photo to agent.  Wait 1 week.  Collect passport with new business visa, also work permit and local ID card.  Finished until next year.

 

Document requirements: No bank statements, no insurance statements, no photos of house/wife/bedroom etc.  No numerous photo-copies, no house documents, no letter from village head, no witness statements, no same-day dated documents.

 

Location of residence : Laos

 

I know why I left Thailand ????

[Susco]

On 5/6/2021 at 3:39 PM, ChipButty said:

This is Phuket it has it's own rules

 

My experience is that in Thailand every official, regardless of which department, has his own rules

[rumak]

23 hours ago, Brierley said:

As usual it's different rules for different locations and even for different people. In Chiang Mai I am never asked for bank statements and haven't been for the past 12 years. Just the 400k fixed deposit book and that's it, doing that also covers the two months prior and the three months subsequent. My sympathies to those in different locations who have to jump thru. hoops.

i do same with retirement "extension".     800 k in fixed account     100 baht for bank letter

that's all thats needed ( CM )

 

the whole process......go to bank,  then immig,  walk out with one year extension,   took me 2 and a half hours this year.

Edited May 7, 2021 by rumak

[rumak]

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

Me: Annual business visa and work permit process.

 

Procedure: Hand passport, money and 1 photo to agent.  Wait 1 week.  Collect passport with new business visa, also work permit and local ID card.  Finished until next year.

 

Document requirements: No bank statements, no insurance statements, no photos of house/wife/bedroom etc.  No numerous photo-copies, no house documents, no letter from village head, no witness statements, no same-day dated documents.

 

Location of residence : Laos

 

I know why I left Thailand ????

 

i think you could just paste and post this ............. i have it memorized by now   ????

 

that said,  for retirement age people that do the 800k  in bank .... it has always been very easy for me (and some others).     In 30 years i have not lost a baht by keeping it in a Thai bank ( in fact exchange wise i have "made"  around 15 %  over that time,  plus good interest rate for many years).      Of course interest now sucks everywhere,  but 800k will not make much difference investment wise.

 

So,  i understand your story.    Good for people that don't want the easy money in bank method..... For myself,  i know why i did not leave Thailand .

[nongsung]

Yep, one year Bank statement suddenly required at our Immigration Office.
The previous 11 years or so just Bank letter confirming the balance was sufficient but
not any longer. So you gather all your papers, copies, drawing, photos (sometimes 1 sometimes 2) you visit the bank for that letter only to be sent back to the bank that needs 7 days to come up with that 12 months statement. This is 2021 right?
They move the goal post without you knowing it, getting annoyed by it but it is what is is unfortunately.
But, this alien (that is not to be trusted) has a new shiny stamp in his passport saying he is allowed to stay another year; Hurray!
Now all I have to do is relax and wait for that phone call that they are coming to visit us.

Check, check and double check. Pfffff......

Edited May 7, 2021 by nongsung

[simon43]

2 hours ago, rumak said:

i ...  Of course interest now sucks everywhere ...

 

I get 8% pa on my savings account in Laos ????  (And no Lao bank has ever gone bust in the past 20 years, my bank is a Franco-Belgian company).

 

But I also understand why you prefer to stay in Thailand.  For me, the Thai government 'flip-flops' concerned me for a stable life in later years, and that's mainly why I chose to leave.

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

Me: Annual business visa and work permit process.

 

Procedure: Hand passport, money and 1 photo to agent.  Wait 1 week.  Collect passport with new business visa, also work permit and local ID card.  Finished until next year.

 

Document requirements: No bank statements, no insurance statements, no photos of house/wife/bedroom etc.  No numerous photo-copies, no house documents, no letter from village head, no witness statements, no same-day dated documents.

 

Location of residence : Laos

 

I know why I left Thailand ????

 

But if you use an agent in Thailand (for a retirement visa, as per this topic), it wouldn't be much different.

 

Also, how are the beaches in Luang Phabang compared with Phuket?

[simon43]

1 minute ago, Caldera said:

 

But if you use an agent in Thailand (for a retirement visa, as per this topic), it wouldn't be much different.

 

Also, how are the beaches in Luang Phabang compared with Phuket?

The most boring part of living in Phuket was sitting on the beach!  I'm not a beach bum, and after restaurant chairs and tables were banned from Nai Yang beach, I never went again ????  I prefer hills and nature.

[JetsetBkk]

22 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I did not know that, I just use fixed account with Bangkok bank,can take

up to 7 days to get the statement,

regards worgeordie

 

If you're happy with the interest rate, why not compare it with the SCB rate. I don't know how different they are. But with SCB (Central Festival is my branch) they print out the 1 year statement while you wait. 

 

A friend told me about the SCB "Shopping Card" which I use for Lazada and AliExpress shopping (it's a VISA card) and I put 800k in their Fixed Term deposit account years ago. No worries about waiting for the Bank Statement.

 

My current account is at Krung Thai.

 

Just tonight I was talking about this with a friend who also has a Bangkok Bank account and has a problem getting the one year statement for his American tax reporting.

 

[JetsetBkk]

On 5/6/2021 at 5:58 PM, Old Croc said:

I submitted a 12 month statement at Phuket for my extension in 2020.

It obviously shows adherence to the new rules regarding minimum sums in the bank at various times through the year.

I don't know why they still require copies of your bank book as they now seem to mistrust that information. My experience is that they don't even look at them now, only at the statement. Of course their strength is in creating more tasks and paperwork not in dispensing with that which is redundant.

I still believe Phuket has evolved into one of the better IOs in the country. I thin they are the only one that doesn't insist on the bogus O-A insurance for grandfathered expats.

(– If the Non-OA visa from your home country is issued In or BEFORE 2017 then the health insurance is NOT required for your extension)

 

The best post of the thread! Thanks, OC.

 

Go here, people:

 

https://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/retirement/

 

 

[suzannegoh]

In Chiang Mai they also have started asking for 12 months of Bank statements when renewing extending an OA visa.  Kasikorn was able to print them for me with no fuss but I think that there was a small fee.

[BangkokBoyJohnny]

On 5/6/2021 at 5:16 PM, SEAsia Traveler said:

Yes, I'm stuck on that because Bangkok Bank Floresta branch can only produce a bank statement dated the previous banking day. The bank letter and passbook, no problem, they can do same day, but can't produce a statement dated the same day. I've been rejected twice outside room 103 because of this. "Everything today!" the man says.

 

I'm with Bangkok Bank and stored the 800k there to not touch throughout the year, curious how did you get around the "Everything Today" issue ?

[BangkokBoyJohnny]

On 5/7/2021 at 12:24 PM, jesimps said:

I think this awkwardness is to drive you into the arms of the visa agents. It has to be money motivated, no human being would act like they do just for the hell of it. If they were pleasant and helpful, no one would use the agents.

Agree 100%, more agents, more Tea Money to be divided up at the end of each day ....

[SEAsia Traveler]

8 hours ago, BangkokBoyJohnny said:

I'm with Bangkok Bank and stored the 800k there to not touch throughout the year, curious how did you get around the "Everything Today" issue ?

This week I will apply for the non-O visa again with the bank letter, bank statement and passbook all updated as of the previous day. Maybe if everything has the same date and balance it will work.

 

That's my only choice at this point. The branch at Central Floresta simply cannot (or will not) produce a bank statement for me dated the same day.

[KarenBravo]

I did my extension about two weeks ago using the 800k method and the three month statement was fine. A one year statement from Bangkok Bank has to come from their head office and takes one week. No insurance needed.

[holy cow cm]

CM I have always gotten them anyway for a just incase, but they are always given back to me. Next end of the year will be no exception and I will get them once again. No big deal since at the bank already anyway.

[KarenBravo]

On 5/7/2021 at 1:03 PM, JulesMad said:

Phuket is by far THE most unfriendly and uncooperative province in Thailand.

 

So you've been to all 77 provinces have you?

 

As we are talking about immigration, I think Phuket is one of the best and no immigration officer has ever been rude to me.

Maybe it's you that's the problem? Speaking Thai also helps immensely.

 

I'm living where I want. I didn't give in to the wife and go live in a village near Nakorn Nowhere.

I'm convinced those people that did give in and are living in the Boonies with their computer as their only entertainment are the ones that knock Phuket, Pattaya and Samui.

Edited May 9, 2021 by KarenBravo

[JetsetBkk]

Update on my extension on Friday:

 

I went to pick up the passport in the afternoon and a younger Thai IO took the pale blue/green receipt that I was holding. He told me to wait at a chair outside the door. A few minutes later the girl inside the office opened the door, gave me the passport and said "Please check!" which I did.

 

Everything was in order including the new 90 day report receipt that was stapled in the passport.

 

While I was checking the passport I heard a voice I recognised - it was my neighbour from across the road who was "discussing" the 1-year bank statement requirement with the IO. After I finished checking my passport I went to her and the IO and explained to her that from now on she needed a 1-year statement, not 3 months. The IO also pointed to her bank letter dated April and said "New letter!". So I explained to her that it had to be no more than 7 days old. Then the IO interjected with "Yes, 7 days!" ???? 

 

Then my neighbour's husband arrived - after finding somewhere to park his car - and said he'd done his extension 2 months ago when he gave only a 3 month statement. So off they went to get a new statement and letter.

 

[foreverlomsak]

On 5/6/2021 at 12:59 PM, JetsetBkk said:

While I was there, about 5 people were told: "From today! 1 year bank statement."

That means with Bangkok Bank 2 statements as it takes 10 days to get a 1 year for HQ, 1 for a year overlapping with one for month produced on the day, or would 2 * 6 months be acceptable.

There was a time that bank passbook was good enough.

[impulse]

Given that they recently enacted a rule where you have to keep 800K for X months and not go below 400K at any time during the year, it seems they'd have to change the reporting requirement in order to confirm compliance?

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

4 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

That means with Bangkok Bank 2 statements as it takes 10 days to get a 1 year for HQ, 1 for a year overlapping with one for month produced on the day, or would 2 * 6 months be acceptable.

There was a time that bank passbook was good enough.

The 2 x 6 months statement has been discussed before , the thinking being that a 6 month statement can be obtained instantly. But the general consensus was not a good idea, even UJoe didn’t recommend it.

I got a Bangkok Bank 1 year statement in 4 days for my last extension even though they had quoted a week. 10 days sounds a long time, I would be tempted to enquire at another BKK Bank branch.

[impulse]

7 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

I did my extension about two weeks ago using the 800k method and the three month statement was fine. A one year statement from Bangkok Bank has to come from their head office and takes one week. No insurance needed.

 

I suspect that's going to change all over, if it hasn't already- just in the past few weeks. 

 

How did they confirm you kept 400K in the bank throughout the year if they only checked 3 months?  That's a relatively new requirement, and expats are now renewing their extensions for the first time where they were required to keep a minimum balance for the entire year, as opposed to 3 months of seasoning like before.  You may have gotten in on the tail end, though I don't remember the exact date the 400K minimum balance was implemented- with Covid confusing things.

 

But...  I've been wrong before.  It'll be interesting to get more anecdotes in the coming weeks and from other immigration offices.  Good data point from the OP regardless.  

[KarenBravo]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

I suspect that's going to change all over, if it hasn't already- just in the past few weeks. 

 

How did they confirm you kept 400K in the bank throughout the year if they only checked 3 months?  That's a relatively new requirement, and expats are now renewing their extensions for the first time where they were required to keep a minimum balance for the entire year, as opposed to 3 months of seasoning like before.  You may have gotten in on the tail end, though I don't remember the exact date the 400K minimum balance was implemented- with Covid confusing things.

 

But...  I've been wrong before.  It'll be interesting to get more anecdotes in the coming weeks and from other immigration offices.  Good data point from the OP regardless.  

 

I use the 800k method. I have a separate account for it and my bank book is updated every month. I supplied a photocopy of my bank book showing one years worth of entries along with the bank letters.

All exactly the same as last year and every year before that. Maybe this is something that has come out after I got my extension?

[impulse]

11 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

 

I use the 800k method. I have a separate account for it and my bank book is updated every month. I supplied a photocopy of my bank book showing one years worth of entries along with the bank letters.

All exactly the same as last year and every year before that. Maybe this is something that has come out after I got my extension?

 

I'm just saying that about a year ago, they implemented a requirement that expats keep 800K for X months and a minimum 400K balance all year as opposed to 800K seasoned for 3 months.  Somehow, they're going to have to confirm that the balance didn't fall below 400K during the year.  That will mean more than 3 months' statements. 

 

For timing, I'd expect them to start requiring the additional confirmation for new extensions starting about a year after they implemented the new rule.  I don't recall exactly when the new rule started, but it seems like this may be about a year that expats have been required to keep a minimum balance.

 

Sounds like you've been providing a year's worth of bank data all along, even before the new requirement.

Edited May 9, 2021 by impulse

[KarenBravo]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I'm just saying that about a year ago, they implemented a requirement that expats keep 800K for X months and a minimum 400K balance all year as opposed to 800K seasoned for 3 months.  Somehow, they're going to have to confirm that the balance didn't fall below 400K during the year.  That will mean more than 3 months' statements. 

 

For timing, I'd expect them to start requiring the additional confirmation for new extensions starting about a year after they implemented the new rule.  I don't recall exactly when the new rule started, but it seems like this may be about a year that expats have been required to keep a minimum balance.

 

Sounds like you've been providing a year's worth of bank data all along, even before the new requirement.

 

Yes, but that year is from my bank book, not from a bank letter.

I think it's the bank letter that people have been talking about with regard to the one years worth of bank activity.

[JetsetBkk]

26 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

All exactly the same as last year and every year before that. Maybe this is something that has come out after I got my extension?

 

That's what I think - the 1 year bank STATEMENT (i.e. computer print-out) - is a requirement that is now enforced. 

Each year I keep copies of every document I present to Immigration and merely update them every year with the latest data.

I've been doing that for at least 15 years, adding to the list of documents as the requirements change.

But this is the first year that the statement had to cover from the date of my last extension to the current date.

 

And that is why the IO was saying, on Thursday: "From today, one year statement!".

 

[impulse]

22 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Yes, but that year is from my bank book, not from a bank letter.

I think it's the bank letter that people have been talking about with regard to the one years worth of bank activity.

 

I took the OP's "1 year of bank statements" to mean just that.

 

You wisely keep a separate account and update that passbook every month.  I kept a passbook and updated it once or twice a year.  I'd have run out of passbook pages in a month if all my ATM, debit, and online transactions were posted on separate lines in that book.  So I'd stick it in the machine once in awhile and it gave me a new balance... no details.  I'd have to ask the bank for a 12 month statement in order to prove my minimum balance didn't fall below the requirement.  But as I understand it, in the past I'd have just needed to prove my 800K was properly seasoned.  I'm theorizing that's what caught the OP this year.

 

Just to be clear, I'm posting looking for feedback.  I was on a WP and never required a bank balance.  But if I decide to retire in Thailand, I want to know more about what would be required. Seems like it's a moving goalpost.

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by impulse

[KarenBravo]

2 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

 

That's what I think - the 1 year bank STATEMENT (i.e. computer print-out) - is a requirement that is now enforced. 

Each year I keep copies of every document I present to Immigration and merely update them every year with the latest data.

I've been doing that for at least 15 years, adding to the list of documents as the requirements change.

But this is the first year that the statement had to cover from the date of my last extension to the current date.

 

And that is why the IO was saying, on Thursday: "From today, one year statement!".

 

 

Then how can we comply when it takes five to seven working days to actually receive the years statement from Bangkok Bank?

[JetsetBkk]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

You wisely keep a separate account and update that passbook every month.  I kept a passbook and updated it once or twice a year.  I'd have run out of passbook pages in a month if all my ATM, debit, and online transactions were posted on separate lines in that book.

 

That's exactly what used to happen when I used my Krung Thai current account for the 800k account - masses of transactions.

Now I use the SCB fixed term deposit account, and there's just a few entries over the whole year - less than one page of statement.