Bank Statement concerns

[markedlyupbeat]

Hi there, I'm hoping to come to Thailand this summer (visa exempt - 45 days) but I am a little worried about uploading my bank statement for the Certificate of Entry. My UK bank statement includes my name, address, sort code, account number, BIC and IBAN... it doesn't seem like the sort of thing you should just "give out".

 

Should I worry? Should I edit out the sort code, account number, BIC and IBAN?

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts/experience... (and apologies if this a stupid question. I know I'll probably need to just upload it as is)

Thanks in advance,

MU

[gk10012001]

You most definitely should not give it out.  I was not aware that the COE required it. If so, well.. it is a bit of a pickle.  Maybe with a PDF file editor, you can white out some information, that is most personal identifying.  The basic account info is not horrible if that gets compromised.  One can always open a different account. 

 

I stand corrected.  From the Thai embassy DC in the USA website COE link

 

In order to obtain the COE for visa exemption scheme, Please fill information online here and upload the required documents listed below:

– Copy of passport
– Confirmed Air Ticket with proof of payment (Repatriation Flight or Semi commercial flight
– A confirmation of booking of Alternative State Quarantine (or Alternative Hospital Quarantine-AHQ for Medical Treatment and accompanying person)
– A copy of the recent bank statement. (700 USD per person / 1,500 USD per family)
– Medical insurance guaranteeing that the insurance company will cover a minimum of 100,000 USD (or equivalent in other currencies) of medical costs incurred by the applicant in Thailand, including medical costs in the event that the applicant contracts COVID-19 (The insurance must cover the whole duration of stay in Thailand)

Edited July 14, 2021 by gk10012001
update

[sammieuk1]

Unfortunately all perfectly normal I have recently uploaded my entire life to the Thai embassy London and they still wanted more  

[bluezircon]

I didn't even think about it, I just uploaded bank statement. Using a PDF editor to change Account Number may be a sensible pre-caution. I suppose there's a very slim chance of identity theft or someone setting up Direct Debit in your name.

 

Of course passport etc. is just as concerning. Just have to hope they are careful and have good online security.

[gk10012001]

2 minutes ago, bluezircon said:

I didn't even think about it, I just uploaded bank statement. Using a PDF editor to change Account Number may be a sensible pre-caution. I suppose there's a very slim chance of identity theft or someone setting up Direct Debit in your name.

 

Of course passport etc. is just as concerning. Just have to hope they are careful and have good online security.

They do not have any verifiable online security.  And as anybody who has gone to just about any immigration office probably has seen, (I have only been to the one in Jomtien), every day they were collecting literally thousands of pieces of paper copies of extension stays, other types of applications, reports, and other stuff.  Many people have posted getting back printed things from immigration where the back side of the paper had stuff from other people!

[gk10012001]

5 minutes ago, bluezircon said:

I didn't even think about it, I just uploaded bank statement. Using a PDF editor to change Account Number may be a sensible pre-caution. I suppose there's a very slim chance of identity theft or someone setting up Direct Debit in your name.

 

Of course passport etc. is just as concerning. Just have to hope they are careful and have good online security.

I would not change anything, as technically you are now lying.  But deleting some information may be the better thing.  There are no standard bank statement formats so as long as some basic stuff is there which identifies you a little bit, which I am sure has to be there for them to check, things could be OK

[bluezircon]

1 minute ago, gk10012001 said:

They do not have any verifiable online security.  And as anybody who has gone to just about any immigration office probably has seen, (I have only been to the one in Jomtien), every day they were collecting literally thousands of pieces of paper copies of extension stays, other types of applications, reports, and other stuff.  Many people have posted getting back printed things from immigration where the back side of the paper had stuff from other people!

I wonder if they'd accept a saving account statement. Less damage could be done with that.

 

 

 

[gk10012001]

3 minutes ago, bluezircon said:

I wonder if they'd accept a saving account statement. Less damage could be done with that.

 

 

 

That literally is what I am going to give them next month when I kick off my COE stuff, assuming Pattaya and Thailand at least stabilize a bit.  My savings account has no ATM card.  No bill pay set up.  No direct deposit set up.  I keep a few thousand in there just for like next day emergency. 

 

If I ever need large amounts of money I have tons in my regular brokerage account I can sell stuff and get monies in two days.  And of course I keep a decent amount in my regular checking accounts for daily use as needed.  I prefer to keep my money as fully invested as possible and making me dividends and bond fund interest

[gk10012001]

7 minutes ago, bluezircon said:

I wonder if they'd accept a saving account statement. Less damage could be done with that.

 

 

 

On second thought, I have accounts with several banks as I move around the country and some times a brick and mortar bank comes in handy.  My primary bank is Etrade but no offices.  So I have Navy Federal Credit Union and Wells Fargo.  I don't use them for much but for this situation, I think I will use my Navy Federal Credit Union checking account.  Keep their hands out of my Etrade area where I have Checking, Savings, Money Market, IRAs, Brokerage etc.

[gk10012001]

I just downloaded and checked one of my monthly checking account statements from Etrade.  It only contains my name, home address, and the account number.  No social, no other stuff.  Not too bad really.  I mean if one is paying and transferring monies and things, such as for monthly retirement extensions, some account information is going to be known to Thai agencies, so putting that on the COE doesn't seem too horrible.  But I will use my "holding" or buffer account, not my primary account.  I get monies from several sources and will put what I need for Thailand into that buffer account from which I will make the monthly transfers out of.  That way, in case social security hiccups, or my dividends get waylaid or whatever, the proper amount will always be available for transfer.  Don't want to cut things too close and have a transfer not go through one month, then have immigration have a fit.

 

[ubonjoe]

I have never had to show a bank statement to apply for a visa. But I have to had give copies of my bank book, statements and letter from the the confirming my account to immigration. All of coerce had my bank account number on them.

Not much difference between the 2 and I have had no qualms about doing it. A account number is not enough to do anything at a bank and etc.

[mvdf]

The last 8 numbers of my IBAN and the last 6 of my credit cards are obscured or redacted on all my statements. They are delivered to me that way.

 

Nevertheless, for peace of mind, I keep the majority of my funds in accounts which are not linked to my debit card. I can however internally transfer between the accounts should any need for a large amount arise. I am religiously diligent with maintaining this practice because of a type of scam called Lastschriftbetrug (direct debit fraud) or SEPA-Lastschriftbetrug (SEPA direct debit fraud). For such a scam, the criminal needs the IBAN and account name only. They can then use that information to buy pricey items and have them delivered to mules or to mailbox addresses opened with fake ID.

 

Because of the limited information required to perpetrate these scams and the stress involved when trying to reverse the debited amounts from an overseas location, I am not taking any chances. 

 

I've never edited official documents but if the information shown is glaringly risky and if the embassy says they need that information to verify the veracity of the document, then one is indeed in a pickle.

 

 

[buick]

i deal with the consulate in Los Angeles.  i've done both, sent the etrade statement as-is and also with personal details redacted.  in a couple cases i was in a hurry, wasn't paying much attention, realized i forgot to black out the personal details.  they were always accepted, redacted or not.  what wasn't redacted included name, address and balance.  i got my COE with a redacted version.  in the past it was for tourist visas, applied for in person or by mail.

[khunPer]

18 hours ago, markedlyupbeat said:

My UK bank statement includes my name, address, sort code, account number, BIC and IBAN... it doesn't seem like the sort of thing you should just "give out".

 

Should I worry? Should I edit out the sort code, account number, BIC and IBAN?

You should only worry if you don't want someone to send you money when giving information like "sort code, account number, BIC and IBAN", However, you better not supply Credit Card number(s) and PIN-codes, By the way, the embassy already got copy your passport, so in principle they have access to a lot of personal details.

I wouldn't worry about showing an embassy my bank statement for a COE.