Evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand - How stringently is this enforced?

[eboy]

On the Non-O visa application form there is the following requirement:

 

5.3 Evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand

 

I am planning to switch from an O-A to an Non-O visa. I've had over 800k Baht in a Thai bank continuously for a few years and I occasionally deposit some money via Wise (previously Transferwise). Am I going to be required to produce documentation of these transfers? If so, would copies of email confirmations suffice?

 

My local Immigration office is in Jomtien, Chonburi.
 

[DrJack54]

You should not have any issues.

Even with money in bank for several months the "came from abroad" would be waived 

To get rid of your non O-A you would need to exit Thailand and reenter visa exempt 

Edited January 3, 2023 by DrJack54

[eboy]

@DrJack54 Thanks!

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, eboy said:

I've had over 800k Baht in a Thai bank continuously for a few years and I occasionally deposit some money via Wise (previously Transferwise).

In which Thai bank? If Bangkok Bank, then provided that you have selected the "Funds For Long-Term Stay In Thailand" option for your Wise transfers, this should result in these being classed FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer) in your passbook. You might also wish to download and print off the Wise transfer confirmation PDF's for each of the transfers in question (assuming that these total at least 800k) so as to show a trail from your home country to Thai bank accounts, on the off-chance that you will be asked to prove their foreign origin - although, as already said, this should be unlikely in practice.

Edited January 3, 2023 by OJAS

[scubascuba3]

Allegedly an agent and Immigration can switch to O from OA, worth checking if you don't fancy leaving Thailand. Let us know if you do that

[nigelforbes]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Allegedly an agent and Immigration can switch to O from OA, worth checking if you don't fancy leaving Thailand. Let us know if you do that

You can't actually change an OA visa that is in use, to an new O visa, the OA has to be cancelled and then an O visa obtained. I guess what the OP means is that he has an extension to an OA and that he is changing the reason for stay, perhaps? Failing that, he is going to allow his OA to lapse and obtain a new O visa? (I think the latter). I did that with my OA extension which was based on retirement initially. I subsequently changed the reason to marriage, in country. To be clear, the OA visa is the one first obtained which can be used for entry and exit for up to two years (if timed right), it is the visa that is glued into your passport. Thereafter the visa is extended using stamps in the passport..

Edited January 3, 2023 by nigelforbes

[DrJack54]

22 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Allegedly an agent and Immigration can switch to O from OA, worth checking if you don't fancy leaving Thailand. Let us know if you do that

He won't be doing that as it's not possible.

The only way he could switch to a non O is to exit Thailand and with no reentry permit kill off his non O-A.

Reenter visa exempt and apply for non O retirement or obtain a non O at  nearby consulate.

Any agent suggesting that can achieve that process inside Thailand is a fraud and should be avoided at all costs. 

 

BTW if someone is married they can obtain extensions based on marriage and not retirement.

That would not require insurance and no need to get rid of the non O-A. 

 

[nigelforbes]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

No. 

He changed the reason the extension was based on from retirement to marriage.

 

For extensions from a non O-A retirement requires insurance.

 

For extensions from a non O-A marriage insurance not required.

 

Your friend still has a non O-A. 

Yes, sort of. He doesn't actually have any visa any longer, just an extension. The underlying visa on which the extension is based, WAS an OA. I know this sounds like nit picking but it's this level of detail that many people don't understand, that causes the confusion.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

You can't actually change an OA visa that is in use, to an new O visa, the OA has to be cancelled and then an O visa obtained. I guess what the OP means is that he has an extension to an OA and that he is changing the reason for stay, perhaps? Failing that, he is going to allow his OA to lapse and obtain a new O visa? (I think the latter). I did that with my OA extension which was based on retirement initially. I subsequently changed the reason to marriage, in country. To be clear, the OA visa is the one first obtained which can be used for entry and exit for up to two years (if timed right), it is the visa that is glued into your passport. Thereafter the visa is extended using stamps in the passport..

A friend of mine did change OA to O via an agent plus there was another poster on here, but that's all the evidence I've got 

Edited January 3, 2023 by scubascuba3

[scubascuba3]

28 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

He won't be doing that as it's not possible.

The only way he could switch to a non O is to exit Thailand and with no reentry permit kill off his non O-A.

Reenter visa exempt and apply for non O retirement or obtain a non O at  nearby consulate.

Any agent suggesting that can achieve that process inside Thailand is a fraud and should be avoided at all costs. 

 

BTW if someone is married they can obtain extensions based on marriage and not retirement.

That would not require insurance and no need to get rid of the non O-A. 

 

See above, we've discussed this before 

[DrJack54]

44 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

Thereafter the VISA IS EXTENDED using stamps in the passport.

You state...

 

." I know this sounds like nit picking but it's this level of detail that many people don't understand, that causes the confusion."

 

Visas cannot be extended. 

The permission of stay can be extended by 12 months ongoing.

The record that his original visa is a non O-A determines the requirements for his ongoing extensions. 

In the above examples posted earlier the suggestion of someone married can change the bases of the extension from retirement to marriage does indeed get around the requirement for insurance.

If the same guy is to get divorced and returned to extention based on retirement he will need to obtain insurance as per the requirements of extension from a non O-A. 

[nigelforbes]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

You state...

 

." I know this sounds like nit picking but it's this level of detail that many people don't understand, that causes the confusion."

 

Visas cannot be extended. 

The permission of stay can be extended by 12 months ongoing.

The record that his original visa is a non O-A determines the requirements for his ongoing extensions. 

In the above examples posted earlier the suggestion of someone married can change the bases of the extension from retirement to marriage does indeed get around the requirement for insurance.

If the same guy is to get divorced and returned to extention based on retirement he will need to obtain insurance as per the requirements of extension from a non O-A. 

Sorry, yes, you are absolutely correct, visa's cannot be extended, only extensions of stay can be. My poor use of terminology.

 

"But I'm not sure what you mean by this, "The record that his original visa is a non O-A determines the requirements for his ongoing extensions". Once the visa has expired there should be no need to reference it ever again. Extensions are extensions and are based on whatever criteria the applicant requests, albeit the applicant must request a change of reason.......or am I missing something?

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, nigelforbes said:

Extensions are extensions and are based on whatever criteria the applicant requests

Consider extension based on retirement from a non O-A and from a non O.

Both are the same apart from the fact that the extension from the non O-A requires insurance. 

 

The only way to obtain extensions based on retirement without the insurance requirement is to kill off the non O-A.

 

Don't be confused with the expiry date of the visa.

 

The requirements for the extension is based on what visa you have in pp.

A non O-A or non O. 

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

A friend of mine did change OA to O via an agent plus there was another poster on here, but that's all the evidence I've got 

If you get a way to scan the stamps in your friend's passport that show this conversion from Non O-A to Non O in country, it would be very interesting to see it. Senior immigration officials have a lot of power, but I think only the direct intervention of the Minister could legally facilitate this particular operation in country. The rules are too clearcut. Maybe, his passport will show a border bounce (arranged by the agent without his participation).