savannakhet now require bank statement (400k) for 1 year multi visa (non-O marriage or Thai family)

[Brickleberry]

45 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

Correct. 400k/40k per month is way too low.

 

I would agree with this. I don't see how anyone can live on 40k a month.

 

Trouble is, you need a bank account. You can only get a bank account with a work permit. 

 

If you have a bank account, then you need to show that the money has come from abroad when using the monthly method - impossible if you use Wise to send the transfers, and a bank that is not Kbank or Bangkok Bank.

 

I meet all of the requirements, but cannot get a yearly extension despite showing a 12 month bank statement with over a million and a half going through the account.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Brickleberry said:

 

I would agree with this. I don't see how anyone can live on 40k a month.

 

Trouble is, you need a bank account. You can only get a bank account with a work permit. 

 

If you have a bank account, then you need to show that the money has come from abroad when using the monthly method - impossible if you use Wise to send the transfers, and a bank that is not Kbank or Bangkok Bank.

 

I meet all of the requirements, but cannot get a yearly extension despite showing a 12 month bank statement with over a million and a half going through the account.

I think you mean you can't live on 40k a month.......😉

[BritTim]

4 minutes ago, Brickleberry said:

I would agree with this. I don't see how anyone can live on 40k a month.

 

Plenty of rural Thai families live on less than half of this. If there is no rent to pay, and you grow much of your own food, you can live surprisingly cheaply up country in Thailand.

[Brickleberry]

6 minutes ago, transam said:

I think you mean you can't live on 40k a month.......😉

Yes, definitely! LOL, my mortgage and student loan payments would eat away at most of that

[transam]

Just now, Brickleberry said:

Yes, definitely! LOL, my mortgage and student loan payments would eat away at most of that

Oh, you should have pointed that out, as I reckon many of us here don't have those burdens....😉

[Brickleberry]

Just now, transam said:

Oh, you should have pointed that out, as I reckon many of us here don't have those burdens....😉

 

It was so annoying when I turned up at immigration to be told, sorry we can't accept your bank statement. They said it would be best to park 400k in a bank account for 2 months, but I don;t have that kind of money lying around. I'm not rich, but I'm not poor.... stuck in the middle! 

 

I've heard it's about 40k to use an agent, but I don't think that is reasonable at all for a perfectly legitimate visa that I qualify for. I'm really worried that I won't be able to get a multiple entry visa in SAV after reading this thread now....

[Brickleberry]

Although, I just saw this post on another thread, so perhaps this is not something to worry about?

 

 

[MangoKorat]

2 hours ago, Brickleberry said:

 

The problem isn't the system being abused, it is the requirements.

 

A MENO based on marriage is not intended for people who live in Thailand with their wife - its intended for those who work/live elsewhere but visit their wife regularly.  Therefore, people who in fact live in Thailand using a MENO are technically abusing the intention of that visa. I would repeat that I am in no way criticising people who do that, I would probably have done the same if I was still married as my local immigration office can be really awkward on extensions of stay.

 

That said, Thai Immigration are now abusing the requirements - 400,000 in the bank covers a 12 month stay when using the extension of stay method - a MENO only gives you a 90 day stay so why 400,000? Using the income method: proof of 40,000 per month should be easy enough for those using the visa for its intended purpose unless their earnings are 'grey' and unrecorded - in which case they will have to either be 'creative' or use an agent.

 

What I will never understand is that a married guy who probably supports his wife and maybe has a family is required to show 40,000 per month whilst a single guy on a B visa has to show 50,000 per month.

[Brickleberry]

1 minute ago, MangoKorat said:

A MENO based on marriage is not intended for people who live in Thailand with their wife - its intended for those who work/live elsewhere but visit their wife regularly.  Therefore, people who in fact live in Thailand using a MENO are technically abusing the intention of that visa. I would repeat that I am in no way criticising people who do that, I would probably have done the same if I was still married as my local immigration office can be really awkward on extensions of stay.

 

That said, Thai Immigration are now abusing the requirements - 400,000 in the bank covers a 12 month stay when using the extension of stay method - a MENO only gives you a 90 day stay so why 400,000? Using the income method: proof of 40,000 per month should be easy enough for those using the visa for its intended purpose unless their earnings are 'grey' and unrecorded - in which case they will have to either be 'creative' or use an agent.

 

What I will never understand is that a married guy who probably supports his wife and maybe has a family is required to show 40,000 per month whilst a single guy on a B visa has to show 50,000 per month.

 

Using the income method (If you send transfers using Wise) is only possible with two banks; Bangkok Bank & Kbank. This is because Wise uses accounts with these banks to send money to your account. You can easily request a form that states where the payment originated from (USA).

 

If you don't have an account from those banks, then when you request the form from your local bank, it will say 'local transfer.' This means you cannot possibly get an extension. If I had known about this issue previously, I would have used a different service to send my funds. Proving the funds came from America would be easy enough, I could even log in to one of their PCs in immigration and print out a 12 month statement from my Wise account, clearly showing the transactions. Unfortunately, they only look at Thai bank accounts, so this limits your ability to do anything.

 

My only option now is to get a ME non-o (hopefully) and somehow open a Thai bank account (not sure how as I don't have a WP) with one of those two. It'll be an annoying year bouncing over the border every three months, but hopefully I will be able to apply for a 12 month extension next year. Fingers crossed SAV is still doing ME non-o.

[MangoKorat]

1 minute ago, Brickleberry said:

Using the income method (If you send transfers using Wise) is only possible with two banks; Bangkok Bank & Kbank. This is because Wise uses accounts with these banks to send money to your account.

Using the visa as intended, you should not have to show the money is in a Thai bank account - a MENO is for visitors, not residents. Technically only those resident in Thailand can open a Thai bank account so they cannot require the funds to be in one.  That is a requirement for an extension of stay - not a MENO.

 

Recent reports seem to suggest that applicants are being asked to provide proof of funds in a Thai bank account.  As I will be applying for just such a visa in the near future, I have written to the Consulate at Savannakhet for clarification.

[megapix]

Just now, MangoKorat said:

Using the visa as intended, you should not have to show the money is in a Thai bank account - a MENO is for visitors, not residents. Technically only those resident in Thailand can open a Thai bank account so they cannot require the funds to be in one.  That is a requirement for an extension of stay - not a MENO.

 

Recent reports seem to suggest that applicants are being asked to provide proof of funds in a Thai bank account.  As I will be applying for just such a visa in the near future, I have written to the Consulate at Savannakhet for clarification.

Can you please provide us with answer after they reply you ?

 

I think I will go to Savannakhet next week to apply for multi non-o based on marriage before I go back to EU. Cannot apply back home in EU and HCMC seems to require 6 months bank statement which basically means that they need the funds to be seasoned.

 

I will prepare bank statement with 400k balance and certificate from bank but the funds has not been seasoned. If they require the funds to be seasoned then I dont know what Im going to do. Getting a single entry is useless because in January I will be in Thailand for 4 days only before going on holiday. I would waste a visa for 4 day stay.

[Highlandman]

On 10/25/2023 at 3:52 AM, MangoKorat said:

In one office building!!!  You might be surprised to learn that there are thousands of office buildings and businesses in Bangkok.

 

I don't see anywhere like the amount of 'expat' teachers in Thailand as I used to do but whenever I visit areas like Silom, I see an awful lot of foreigners working in that area.  Then you have to consider the Eastern Seaboard Automotive sector - the management of which contains a very high percentage of foreigners.

 

In my area there is a very large foreign owned factory which also has a branch in Chonburi - again, most of the management are foreign.

 

I used to work for a Dubai based construction/civil engineering company with offices throughout Asia - including Thailand.  Our management consisted of 90% expats and that applied to our Bangkok office.  Much of the construction industry (major projects) operate on the same basis - companies just cannot find enough qualified Thai staff.

 

I wouldn't be confident enough to put a number on it but 11,000 seems a small amount to me and I would not be at all surprised if there were 3 or 4 times that number of foreigners working in areas other than teaching in Thailand.

 

 

The figure was 106,000 expats working in Thailand back in 2014. Probably more now. Some of these are teachers, but likely only around 30-40%, if that 

[MangoKorat]

1 minute ago, megapix said:

Can you please provide us with answer after they reply you ?

 

I think I will go to Savannakhet next week to apply for multi non-o based on marriage before I go back to EU. Cannot apply back home in EU and HCMC seems to require 6 months bank statement which basically means that they need the funds to be seasoned.

 

I will prepare bank statement with 400k balance and certificate from bank but the funds has not been seasoned. If they require the funds to be seasoned then I dont know what Im going to do. Getting a single entry is useless because in January I will be in Thailand for 4 days only before going on holiday. I would waste a visa for 4 day stay.

I certainly will provide their answer.  I've tried to make it as simple as possible as even the best Thai national English speakers sometimes don't fully understand - hopefully they will this time.  The last time I wrote to Savannakhet the reply took around 7 days - I wrote earlier today.

[Highlandman]

On 10/25/2023 at 10:54 AM, PJ71 said:

Filthy rich yes, stupid, no.

 

Why would they not just get a letter from bank and go to Savankhet, am i missing something here?

Well, in that case they might as well go to Ho Chi Minh, which hosts many oil and gas guys and also has a major international airport, unlike Savannakhet, which is a backwater.

[Highlandman]

On 10/25/2023 at 5:40 PM, MangoKorat said:

One thing I am sure of, they are out of order if they are requiring the 400k to be in a Thai account.  The MENO is intended for people who don't live in Thailand.  It would be wrong to expect them to have a Thai account.

 

In fact - if you look at the requirements for a MENO, nowhere does it say in a Thai account - mixing the rules up with extensions of stay again.  Next thing you know, they'll want it seasoning and a letter from your bank dated the same day as the application 😁.

In which case, the question would need to be asked: why not just get an extension of stay at your local immigration office in Thailand? If the requirements to seek a visa abroad are going to be almost like those at immigration offices inside Thailand, it negates the point of going there anymore. 

[transam]

5 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

In which case, the question would need to be asked: why not just get an extension of stay at your local immigration office in Thailand? If the requirements to seek a visa abroad are going to be almost like those at immigration offices inside Thailand, it negates the point of going there anymore. 

Wow, I/we never knew that...............😂

[PJ71]

18 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Well, in that case they might as well go to Ho Chi Minh, which hosts many oil and gas guys and also has a major international airport, unlike Savannakhet, which is a backwater.

Savanakhet is indeed one of the most boring places known to mankind, i could not agree more.

[MangoKorat]

19 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

In which case, the question would need to be asked: why not just get an extension of stay at your local immigration office in Thailand? If the requirements to seek a visa abroad are going to be almost like those at immigration offices inside Thailand, it negates the point of going there anymore. 

Not everybody can do that. The time taken from when you are eligible to apply for an extension to going for interview and then collecting the extension may be longer than your stay - for those using the visa as intended. 

[MangoKorat]

Interestingly - with of course, the caveats that such a visa may no longer be available from the RTE London and that their website often contains innacurate information. These are their financial requirements for a MENO.

 

3. Financial evidence, e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, proof of sponsorship from a third party

 -Your recent official UK/Ireland bank statement shows your name, address, and a minimum

closing balance of £500 (for individual single entry) £1,000 (for family single entry), £5000 (for individual multiple entries, and £10,000 (for family multiple entries) , proof of earnings (payslips) or sponsorship letter from your sponsor with official ID and their Bank Statements. (Do not send the screenshot)   

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/spouse-and-family-visa

 

£5000 for a MENO to visit wife/family = approx 220,000 baht.

 

These embassies/consulates just make things up as they go along.

[Highlandman]

On 10/24/2023 at 5:28 PM, Wongkitlo said:

Or get agent assisted visas. It is a,long trip to only get 90 days. Considering the expense involved( Laos visa, accom, travel every 3 months ) unless you are under 50 years old you might as well switch to a retirement visa. I do not think under 50's are as much o a market for upmarket Savannaket than retirees

Well, it's a long trip unless you're living somewhere like Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani or Nakorn Phanom, but even then it's a hassle. It's fine under the previous system but with this change it will be a lot more work for those that choose to do it that way. I suspect, not many will. Instead, they'll use agents or do in country extensions or just get the non-O multi entry with Financials.

[Highlandman]

24 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Savanakhet is indeed one of the most boring places known to mankind, i could not agree more.

I usually enjoy spending a day there every now and then, even though there really isn't much to do (once you've seen That Ing Hang and the forest just outside the city) other than dining at one of the nice restaurants there and going for a run alongside the Mekong.

 

The point is that just getting to Savannakhet is a trek, especially for a FIFO worker. You can't fly there from Bangkok anymore, so either you're going by land or flying to Ubon or Nakorn Phanom and then catching a bus or taxi to the border and then crossing the border etc whereas everything is so convenient when it comes to traveling to Saigon. 

[MangoKorat]

From time to time there have been reports of Immigration crackdowns - I seem to remember one last year involving corrupt Immigration Officers/Agents/Dodgy bank accounts in relation to extensions of stay.

 

Out of interest, if you use an agent to get around the financial requirements for an extension of stay and another 'crackdown' exposes the agent/officers involved with providing your extension do you have a problem?  Have there been any occasions where the applicant has also been prosecuted and/or their extension cancelled?

[megapix]

20 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Interestingly - with of course, the caveats that such a visa may no longer be available from the RTE London and that their website often contains innacurate information. These are their financial requirements for a MENO.

 

3. Financial evidence, e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, proof of sponsorship from a third party

 -Your recent official UK/Ireland bank statement shows your name, address, and a minimum

closing balance of £500 (for individual single entry) £1,000 (for family single entry), £5000 (for individual multiple entries, and £10,000 (for family multiple entries) , proof of earnings (payslips) or sponsorship letter from your sponsor with official ID and their Bank Statements. (Do not send the screenshot)   

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/spouse-and-family-visa

 

£5000 for a MENO to visit wife/family = approx 220,000 baht.

 

These embassies/consulates just make things up as they go along.

Hmmm this makes me wondering.

 

Would they accept in HCMC or Savannakhet if my wife write me a sponsorship letter and provide statements to them ? 

[MangoKorat]

Just now, megapix said:

Hmmm this makes me wondering.

 

Would they accept in HCMC or Savannakhet if my wife write me a sponsorship letter and provide statements to them ? 

You need to check the requirements at HCMC - I understand there have been changes there now.  I believe they want financial evidence now - exactly what I don't know. Maybe someone else can clarify?

[MangoKorat]

12 minutes ago, megapix said:

Hmmm this makes me wondering.

 

Would they accept in HCMC or Savannakhet if my wife write me a sponsorship letter and provide statements to them ? 

The HCMC website is as bad as the RTE London - bad links.

 

They don't say what their financial requirements are just:

 

2.4.1. Thai spouse:

• Guarantee letter from Thai Spouse, can be Thai or English
• Copy of Thai marriage certificate

                    - If an applicant has another national marriage certificate, the document will need to be translated in English by a notary public

                    - For Vietnamese marriage certificate need to be legalized by Department of External Relation in Ho chi Minh City (Address: 184 Bis Pasteur, Quận 1, TP.HCM)

• Certified copy of Thai spouse’s ID card
• Certified copy of house registration book
• Other relevant document, for example copy of Thai child’s birth certificate with their passport/Id card

 

      2.4.2. Thai child(ren) 

• Copy of Thai child’s birth certificate with their passport/Id card
• Certified copy of house registration book

2.5. Applicant’s financial statement of adequate finance is required.

 

https://hochiminh.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/non-immigrant-o-accompanying-thai-spouse-and-family-members

[BritTim]

11 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Out of interest, if you use an agent to get around the financial requirements for an extension of stay and another 'crackdown' exposes the agent/officers involved with providing your extension do you have a problem?  Have there been any occasions where the applicant has also been prosecuted and/or their extension cancelled?

 

When you use an agent who uses unapproved ways to get you a visa/extension, I am not aware of any cases that have resulted in you being prosecuted. However, you can face problems from Immigration later making your life difficult. A classic example, affecting many Westerners, was those who acquired the dodgy Non O (Volunteer) visa and extension.

[MangoKorat]

9 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

When you use an agent who uses unapproved ways to get you a visa/extension, I am not aware of any cases that have resulted in you being prosecuted. However, you can face problems from Immigration later making your life difficult. A classic example, affecting many Westerners, was those who acquired the dodgy Non O (Volunteer) visa and extension.

Thanks for that, I don't think I'd ever risk it - the problems created by not/never being able to visit again are just not worth it.

[Highlandman]

20 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

From time to time there have been reports of Immigration crackdowns - I seem to remember one last year involving corrupt Immigration Officers/Agents/Dodgy bank accounts in relation to extensions of stay.

 

Out of interest, if you use an agent to get around the financial requirements for an extension of stay and another 'crackdown' exposes the agent/officers involved with providing your extension do you have a problem?  Have there been any occasions where the applicant has also been prosecuted and/or their extension cancelled?

Yes, in the case of volunteer extensions. Affected individuals had their extensions canceled and forced to leave the country and were additionally fined for overstay.

 

However, if you WERE on an agent assisted extension in the past but no longer now, you should be fine. Except, sadly, in the case of volunteer and education visas, you may, in some cases, have trouble extending certain types of visas in country or applying for a privilege (elite) visa. Bizarrely, even legitimate volunteer and education visa holders may find it difficult to get an elite visa because so many were agent assisted that a blanket "ban" is imposed on elite/privilege visa applicants.

 

I don't think that will extend to marriage/retirement agent assisted extensions, as immigration knows most of those are "legit" except for not having the funds seasoned part. It would cause a lot of chaos if they cracked down on those, hence why I don't believe they will, at least not for a long time to come. 

 

The difference being is that volunteer and education visas obtained through agents have been used by criminals using Thailand as a base, hence the reason for the crackdown.

 

I also don't know how far back they go when scrutinizing previous holders of such extensions. I can imagine someone who last held a volunteer visa obtained through an agent 10 years ago would have no troubles whereas someone who's held one in the past 3 years would.

[Highlandman]

2 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Thanks for that, I don't think I'd ever risk it - the problems created by not/never being able to visit again are just not worth it.

My understanding is that provided your visa/extension was NOT canceled during the time you held it AND you attempt to come back on any visa or exemption that is NOT related to that extension, you should be fine.

 

That being said and like I mentioned before, you may have trouble converting to certain other types of visas but this applies ONLY to those having held agent assisted volunteer visas and maybe education visas. The other types are safe. 

[khunjake]

Consider the fact that some of us need this visa type for the legitimate purpose of living with our wives due to rogue immigration offices that want bundles of baht (via agent) just to accept/process a completely legitimate non-o visa extension application.
 

I’m not saying all offices are like this and we have done 2 annual extensions with very professional and polite IOs at other offices before. The office where we live was part of a larger ring of offices which were caught processing visa extensions illegally for Chinese triads so yes, this offices is and continues to make problems.