Yesterday went to Bangkok Bank where I setup my account two years ago.  Asked if they could prepare

the letters for immigration indicating 12-months of deposits from a foreign source.  They said come back

tomorrow morning at 0830 and the letters, plus 12 months of "credit advise" would be ready.  updated the bank  book and left for immigration.   There, I went across the street and printed out all the pages of my bank book.  Then went to immigration, have to go to a tent outside for them to check to see if one has all the necessary forms.  I had to fill out and sign the two forms indicating I understood the penalties for overstay and the other standard form for immigration as I had the form 7 plus all documentation, and copies of all necessary passport pages.  they gave me queue #23.  Then I went inside, at the info window they again check all the documents to see that all is  okay - it was and they gave me a new queue # - 21 and the TV indicated they were serving #18.  Five minutes later, I was called and they collected my documents plus 1900 baht and told me to sit and wait.  Ten minutes later they indicated I was to have my photo taken.  Then waited another 10 minutes, collected my passport with the 1 year extension.  Total time at Immigration was about half an hour max.  Again, another year of zero problems with bank letters and immigration.  Once a year is okay with me and it sure beats those early morning 2-4 AM getting in queue and waiting for them to open to get a queue #.  Hope it continues to be this easy.

 

Go to a tent outside?

Never seen that before.

My BB said a week and my 12th deposit is scheduled for Wednesday. They said I best start on Friday

1 hour ago, earlinclaifornia said:

My BB said a week and my 12th deposit is scheduled for Wednesday. They said I best start on Friday

strange.  Just as last year, I went a day before I planned to go to immigration, they made a copy of my bank book and my passport and said for me to return the following day at 0830 when they opened and the documents would be ready.  I then updated my bank book and across from Immigration had them make copies of every page of the bank book (20 baht).  They were so that I was at immigration by 930 and out by 10.  Previously when I arrived after checking temp, just before the door into immigration they always said the TM7 was the wrong edition and so had to redo it then before going into the office.  This time I made copies of each tm7 I found on the webb sites.  At immigration, they send you off to the left with a canvas covered seating area where they check your documents to see that they are filled in correctly and you have all the proper forms - they give you the penalty for overstay notice, and one other doc to sign and then they give you a queue ticket.  Once you enter the immigration office, you go to the information window where they again check you documents and if okay they give you a different queue ticket.  On Thursday when I went they were doing #17/18 when I got #21 so the wait was short.  Was just as easy as last year.

 

A few years ago I caved even though I meet all the requirements for a retirement extension, no problem.  The first year I was using the 65,000 baht a month method and the visa agent got the documents from the bank.  The second year, I switched to 800,000 baht in the bank about four months before the application and the visa agent said this might be a "problem" that could be solved with 15,000 baht.  I said no way and I'd take it up with the U.S. Consulate.  Somehow it didn't come up when the visa agent and I went to Immigration.

 

Yes, I know I can do DIY and did for years, but now that my pension has kicked in and I've suffered insults from Immigration, I think the 5000 baht over and above the govt fees that I pay to a visa agent are worth it.  I'm in and out, don't have to look 'em in the eye.  Taken there in a nice car.  Don't break a sweat.

 

 

Great read that CMI is working well.