I was told by someone tonight that they were required to open a Bangkok Bank account and put their money there for a retirement extension. They said they heard someone else at the Jomtien Immigration Office being told the same thing. Has anyone heard of this?

Rubbish rumor.

May have been twisted in translation.

Most agents use Bangkok Bank to open an account for clients. 

Alternatively it may be as simple that Bangkok Bank will open bank account for folk on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry in Pattaya.

 

I wouldn't put money in a Bangkok Bank account for retirement extension when it takes a week to get a 12-month statement from the bank.  Other banks can give you the 12-month bank account statement on the spot, for example, SCB, etc.

I don't  believe this is true but it is the bank favoured by agents when they liase immigration department. BUT I would suggest that people who are not going the agent route to open a separate  bank account for daily use separate  from the retirement deposit  account.

1 minute ago, Kopitiam said:

I wouldn't put money in a Bangkok Bank account for retirement extension when it takes a week to get a 12-month statement from the bank.  Other banks can give you the 12-month bank account statement on the spot, for example, SCB, etc.

I don't think SCB is on WISE list of transfers above 50k baht. 

If Jomtien requires bank statements for money in bank method ...it's a pretty simple thing to plan for regarding annual extensions.

 

14 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I don't think SCB is on WISE list of transfers above 50k baht. 

It was OK in January, could have changed since then of course.

Just now, Upnotover said:

It was OK in January, could have changed since then of course.

Thanks for the correction.

 

Think for new folk opening Bank account then one on Wise list is best option.

Untrue.  Tell "someone" they are 100% wrong.   

 

Or better yet, ask "someone" for some additional proof and that "someone" will probably then say another "someone" told them.

The "info" in the OP is obviously FALSE.

Old guys, don't get upset by this. SIMPLY IGNORE. 

46 minutes ago, Kopitiam said:

I wouldn't put money in a Bangkok Bank account for retirement extension when it takes a week to get a 12-month statement from the bank.  Other banks can give you the 12-month bank account statement on the spot, for example, SCB, etc.

BBK statement available for 12 months using mobile banking app send to your registered email address. 

9 minutes ago, Madgee said:

BBK statement available for 12 months using mobile banking app send to your registered email address. 

But that statement does not have a bank officer signature block & signature which may not satisfy some immigration officers.

2 hours ago, Kopitiam said:

I wouldn't put money in a Bangkok Bank account for retirement extension when it takes a week to get a 12-month statement from the bank.  Other banks can give you the 12-month bank account statement on the spot, for example, SCB, etc.

You state that you need one week... amazing, but perhaps you want to share what city and branch?

I have since years a BKB 800k fixed deposit for retirement extensions, it takes no longer than 5 minutes to get the letter duly stamped, Immigration always happy with it. Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai - Kad Suan Kaew Branch - 4th quarter 2021:

 

TWELVE MONTH OFFICIAL STATEMENT took 1 week. I asked why - they said 12 month  statements can only be issued from Bangkok main office. Local offices can do 6(?) months statement only.

3 hours ago, Barley said:

Chiang Mai - Kad Suan Kaew Branch - 4th quarter 2021:

 

TWELVE MONTH OFFICIAL STATEMENT took 1 week. I asked why - they said 12 month  statements can only be issued from Bangkok main office. Local offices can do 6(?) months statement only.

Same branch, 5 minutes or less, and 100B, year after year.

Perhaps our differing experiences are in what we request? I have a fixed deposit account with 800k + accrued interests, orange passbook, separate from the checking account (blue passbook). There are never any transactions on that account. All I do is ask for "letter for immigration", they know. Immigration is happy, I am happy.

ps: as you know you will now have to use the Chang Pueak / Thanin branch as KSK closed down.

12 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I don't  believe this is true but it is the bank favoured by agents when they liase immigration department.

You were faster.

I got this information first hand from a visa agent in Pattaya.

It's about shady 800k extensions.

So the story from the OP might be related.

Otherwise you are free to choose the bank.

5 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Same branch, 5 minutes or less, and 100B, year after year.

You are writing about a different matter. Letter confirming account owner, account type and current balance ("bank letter").

But the other poster has to do the monthly transfer > 65k from abroad and needs a statement of transactions for the whole year to proof his transfers 

13 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

You are writing about a different matter. Letter confirming account owner, account type and current balance ("bank letter").

But the other poster has to do the monthly transfer > 65k from abroad and needs a statement of transactions for the whole year to proof his transfers 

Shame IO will not accept up-to-date bank book, or monthly downloaded statements from online banking each showing the monthly Foreign Transfer. 

Say your Extension is due in December, you could get two six month statements from Bkk Bank, one in June and t'other in December IF you couldn't wait a week.

6 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Same branch, 5 minutes or less, and 100B, year after year.

Perhaps our differing experiences are in what we request? I have a fixed deposit account with 800k + accrued interests, orange passbook, separate from the checking account (blue passbook). There are never any transactions on that account. All I do is ask for "letter for immigration", they know. Immigration is happy, I am happy.

ps: as you know you will now have to use the Chang Pueak / Thanin branch as KSK closed down.

Some IO's (mine is one) are asking for a 12 month statement in addition to the standard letter, and copies of all the pages of the relevant passbook.

As already mentioned with Bangkok Bank there is the 12 month bank "statement" that takes about 3-5 days to get (comes with bank official signature block & signature).....not to be confused with the unsigned statement you can quickly get using the bank's app.  And then a  formal bank "letter" with bank official signature block & signature that takes only 15 minutes or so to get but just confirms you have an acct and the current balance.   

 

Two different animals.  

 

9 minutes ago, Pib said:

As already mentioned with Bangkok Bank there is the 12 month bank "statement" that takes about 3-5 days to get (comes with bank official signature block & signature).....not to be confused with the unsigned statement you can quickly get using the bank's app.  And then a  formal bank "letter" with bank official signature block & signature that takes only 15 minutes or so to get but just confirms you have an acct and the current balance. 

It takes a week or more to get a one year bank statement unless you are in Bangkok.

I have gotten one year banks statement form Bangkok Bank here for the past 3 years and none of them were stamped or signed by the bank when I picked them up at the local branch.

41 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

Some IO's (mine is one) are asking for a 12 month statement in addition to the standard letter, and copies of all the pages of the relevant passbook.

Mine, at least one in my local office, also asks for monthly credit advices for a twelve month period.

 

I'd hoped that the 12 month statement that Bangkok Bank will now send by email would suffice, but I fear that most, if not all, IO's will require a statement that a local branch obtains from HQ, along with the bank book and copy supplying identical information along with credit advices also giving duplicate details of the FTT transfers.

 

Whilst obtaining the duplicate statement isn't really a problem for me, apart from the, albeit neglibile, cost of the statement in their preferred form and fuel for two round trips to the bank, I do hope that at some time in the future IO's may drop their policy of being as awkward as possible to applicants, maybe even enforce Police Orders consistantly throughout the country - I can but dream.

28 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It takes a week or more to get a one year bank statement unless you are in Bangkok.

I have gotten one year banks statement form Bangkok Bank here for the past 3 years and none of them were stamped or signed by the bank when I picked them up at the local branch.

The last time I got a 12 month bank statement around a year ago from my Bangkok Bank branch here in Bangkok it came with bank official signature block and signature.

14 hours ago, Joeb said:

I was told by someone tonight that they were required to open a Bangkok Bank account and put their money there for a retirement extension.

Completely false, you can use any Thai bank

13 hours ago, Kopitiam said:

I wouldn't put money in a Bangkok Bank account for retirement extension when it takes a week to get a 12-month statement from the bank. 

What a terrible inconvenience when you only have twelve months to prepare for that, eh?

13 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I don't  believe this is true but it is the bank favoured by agents when they liase immigration department.

I think it must depend on the agent.  Several years ago I used an agent in Hua Hin and had to open a KTB account even though I had an existing account at BBL.

you can use any bank, but remember "Do what they say"

 

I opened a Bangkok Bank account for my retirement extension and it works very smoothly.

 

 

7 hours ago, arithai12 said:

There are never any transactions on that account. All I do is ask for "letter for immigration", they know. Immigration is happy,

The bank letter is not the same as 12 months' bank statements

I take the option of 65,000.-THB income monthly!
This for 20 years now! I have NEVER needed a bank confirmation for my monthly income!
It is always enough to present the confirmation of the embassy / consul and the pension certificate in copy, at immigration!

The pension certificate only since 2 years!

Immigration Chonburi / Pattaya Jomtien.

7 minutes ago, Richard 2020 said:

t is always enough to present the confirmation of the embassy / consul and the pension certificate in copy, at immigration!

Again you miss a point.

Some unlucky nationals do not get a confirmation from embassy/consul anymore (since long).

One of them is among the biggest groups of posters here: USA.

I think times that I have not missed a point!

I wrote exclusively about my experience!

And I get just these confirmations.....

Which nationalities "These" no longer, and for what reasons no longer get, I have not searched for!