Transfer visa to new passport at CW: bank book may be required

[Lorry]

There were 2 or 3 reports last year that said this. 

It happened to me,  too.

Just yesterday,  it happened to a friend. 

So, be warned. 

 

Bank book is not mentioned in the official list of requirements. 

Many reports here, where bank book was not required. 

Maybe it's only certain IOs who want it. But they are serious about it. They send people back home if they don't bring the bank book.

I don't know what they actually check in the bank book. 

[sometimewoodworker]

The only slight problem with the report is that immigration NEVER transfers visas. They will transfer extensions of stay but never a visa.

[KhunBENQ]

21 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The only slight problem with the report is that immigration NEVER transfers visas. They will transfer extensions of stay but never a visa.

The stamp in the new passport clearly shows all details of your last entry incl. visa class, point of entry etc.

They even replicate the entry stamp.

Of course the original visa remains in the old passport (expired in most cases).

Call it what you want.

This stamp has been put in the new passport in 2016 showing entry from 2011 (border run).

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I think the OP likely meant extension of stay as opposed to visa... (but yes, my long ancient last visa issue did get briefly cited when they also entered the full version of my latest extension of stay stamp in my new passport.)

 

I was one of those who posted on this recently. And indeed, last week when I went to BKK CW to have my retirement extension stamp transferred to a new passport, BKK CW said they WERE requiring extension holders using the Thai bank deposits method to produce...

 

1. their Thai bank book for inspection,

 

2. update the bank book the day of the visit to show the current balance, and

 

3. provide regular signed photocopies of the bank book pages for the prior period of the existing extension.

 

I too noted that NONE of that was listed on the Immigration document showing the document requirements for the process of transferring stamps to a new passport.

 

So I ended talking to a supervisor there at BKK CW, and she confirmed this is what they're going to be doing for all extension holders who rely on the Thai bank deposits method, when they want to transfer their stamps to a new passport.

 

I hadn't had a new passport, prior to last month, for the preceding 10 years. So I tried, but was unable to get them to clarify for me if the whole bank book stuff was a new requirement of some kind, or just something that I hadn't encountered from them in prior memory.

 

On the day of my visit to BKK CW last week, if I hadn't brought along my Thai bank book out of an abundance of caution because of reading on the issue here, I would have been screwed and had a wasted trip and wasted day. Because the IO wasn't budging on this requirement.

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[lopburi3]

6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

my retirement extension stamp transferred to a new passport, BKK CW said they WERE requiring extension holders using the Thai bank deposits method to produce...

This is logical as retirement extension of stay by bank deposit is now dependent on keeping funds in account year round.  Do not believe it would apply to other extensions of stay that do not have that 12 months requirement to keep funds in account.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

13 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

This is logical as retirement extension of stay by bank deposit is now dependent on keeping funds in account year round.  Do not believe it would apply to other extensions of stay that do not have that 12 months requirement to keep funds in account.

 

An extension holder already has to prove they've maintained the required bank deposits amount every time each year they go to apply for a new extension, and Immigration carefully checks their account balance for the prior 12 months.... If they haven't maintained the required balance, they won't get a new extension.

 

Adding another check of the same mid-cycle just because you want to transfer an existing, still valid stamp to a new passport just seems like overkill and make work B.S. on their part.

 

They're not issuing me a new extension or extending the period of an existing extension. They're just moving the stamps for the same extension from one expired passport to a newly valid passport.....

 

And if the IO IS going to make that a requirement, they ought to DANG well list it on their required documents sheet for the stamp transferring process, so people don't keep getting caught out by an invisible "requirement".

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The only slight problem with the report is that immigration NEVER transfers visas. They will transfer extensions of stay but never a visa.

The stamp in the new passport clearly shows all details of your last entry incl. visa class, point of entry etc.

They even replicate the entry stamp.

Of course the original visa remains in the old passport (expired in most cases).

Thank you for both confirming my posting that the visa was not transferred, only information relating to it required to support the extension of stay, and an example of such a transfer.

[Thingamabob]

Last December I underwent this process at CW. Bank  book not required at that time. I am on O visa retirement extensions with 800k baht deposited in my bank.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Last December I underwent this process at CW. Bank  book not required at that time. I am on O visa retirement extensions with 800k baht deposited in my bank.

 

There have been several posted reports here lately, including one from me, of the bank book and photocopies being required lately.

 

Given how Immigration operates, it's hard to know whether it's an all-emcompassing policy right now, or just being periodically and randomly enforced.

 

But, FWIW, the IO supervisor at BKK CW last week told me in English that it is now their POLICY.

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[DrJack54]

54 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

But, FWIW, the IO supervisor at BKK CW last week told me in English that it is now their POLICY.

So in future folk be advised to have your passport stamps and visa information transferred when your extension is due.

They can do it at the same time. 

Travel including international is no issue with both passports. 

[khunjeff]

When I transferred stamps to my new passport at CW in early 2020, the officer suddenly asked if I had my bank book.

 

Confused, I said I was there to transfer stamps, not for an extension. But do you have the bank book you used for your last extension, she asked? I replied (truthfully) that I had used an Embassy letter for that extension, and she nodded and said ok, without looking anything up.

 

It seemed strange at the time, and it seems even stranger that they're still doing it today without having ever updated their instructions.

 

And yes, they can indeed justify it by saying it's a check to confirm that you're fulfilling the deposit requirements for the extension, but by that logic they could ask for the bank book anytime you go to immigration for any service at all, or make everyone return with the book three months after the extension is granted, like Jomtien does. It can quickly turn into a lot of extra effort for minimal benefit. 

[Lorry]

3 hours ago, khunjeff said:

they could ask for the bank book anytime you go to immigration for any service at all,

That's exactly what their supervisor told me when I ran into this problem: "everytime you come to immigration you must bring your bank book".

That was early 2021.

They made me come a second day.

So now,  even for 90days report I bring my bank book, just in case (they have never asked for it).

[LindsayBKK]

On 9/20/2022 at 3:28 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I think the OP likely meant extension of stay as opposed to visa... (but yes, my long ancient last visa issue did get briefly cited when they also entered the full version of my latest extension of stay stamp in my new passport.)

 

I was one of those who posted on this recently. And indeed, last week when I went to BKK CW to have my retirement extension stamp transferred to a new passport, BKK CW said they WERE requiring extension holders using the Thai bank deposits method to produce...

 

1. their Thai bank book for inspection,

 

2. update the bank book the day of the visit to show the current balance, and

 

3. provide regular signed photocopies of the bank book pages for the prior period of the existing extension.

 

I too noted that NONE of that was listed on the Immigration document showing the document requirements for the process of transferring stamps to a new passport.

 

So I ended talking to a supervisor there at BKK CW, and she confirmed this is what they're going to be doing for all extension holders who rely on the Thai bank deposits method, when they want to transfer their stamps to a new passport.

 

I hadn't had a new passport, prior to last month, for the preceding 10 years. So I tried, but was unable to get them to clarify for me if the whole bank book stuff was a new requirement of some kind, or just something that I hadn't encountered from them in prior memory.

 

On the day of my visit to BKK CW last week, if I hadn't brought along my Thai bank book out of an abundance of caution because of reading on the issue here, I would have been screwed and had a wasted trip and wasted day. Because the IO wasn't budging on this requirement.

 

Yes I had to come back today 🙄, yesterday wasted 4 hrs+ (went to collect passportAUSEmbassyfirst) & was asked for bankbook here CW. As mentioned it is not listed in requirements. Updated book KrungThai Bank before collecting number. Walking to and from Government Complex Monorail pink line & BTS not so bad 555 ....yes will carry bankbook always in future.

[zzzzz]

On 9/20/2022 at 8:20 PM, DrJack54 said:

So in future folk be advised to have your passport stamps and visa information transferred when your extension is due.

They can do it at the same time. 

Travel including international is no issue with both passports. 

exactly and easily done when ur using an agent for old extension. New passport/new extension

all at same time

[lykes2fly]

Yes. It happened to me at CW August 2023. Fortunately I had mine with me.