Hello, looking for some advice, maybe some thinking outside the box. 
 

My husband has been on a retirement visa extension for several years now, and I on a dependent. 800,000 in the bank method. We are about a month from renewing, and he accidentally dipped below the amount by about 9k. It was a Saturday, and we almost immediately (within half a hour) transferred money back into the account. But I’m sure this will show up when we get the bank book updated. 
 

Is there a chance immigration will be reasonable at all?

 

If not, is there a way around the bank book not showing it? For example, it seems that at some point when you have a ton of transactions and you haven’t updated your book, it won’t take the time to update each one, just give the latest one. 
 

Any other ideas? Or do we need to start packing??!
 

Maybe an irrelevant side note, but we have started the income of 65k/mo a few months ago because we were thinking of switching over to that next year. 
 

any help much appreciated! 

What office is it?

Hire an agent and stop worrying about dipping. No need to keep 800,000 of you money in a Thai bank. 

Which immigration office? 

45 minutes ago, WhatMeWorry said:

Hire an agent and stop worrying about dipping. No need to keep 800,000 of you money in a Thai bank. 

 

Legally there is

Yeah, happened to me once. Friend of mine said "what did I tell you? you should have parked the 800k in a separate account".

Happened to me. I went below for 300 baht for maybe half a day. They still said they couldn't accept it. My luck was that the dip happened very early in the 3 months period, so I just had to wait about 10 days and go back to immigration with the full 3 months. Without that, I would have been royally fragged.

Good luck

Well I can say this.

If your book did update with composite transactions that won't help you because in such cases immigration will require full statements showing all transactions.

 

You seem to be saying it went under and back the same day. So at least you have that in your favor if you go in begging.

 

It seems to me you have two options.

 

Go in there and beg them or go to an agent.

 

I'm not suggesting begging will work. I guess it's possible. 

 

 

 

 

NO 

If you topped up the same day then it never went below 800k for the day.

 

If they deem it an issue, ask them what you can do, Jomtien you don't actually need an agent you can pay direct, but they will often direct you to an agent instead

No, they will not be reasonable. I found myself in the same position you will simply have to pay a fee to either an agent at the office or an outside agent, in my particular case I had to pay a 10,000 baht fee to get them to do fake bank statements. I dealt with an officer right at the office. They are nearly all crooked. 

Thanks so much for all the comments. 
 

it’s in Hua Hin immigration.   
 

What about the fact that we have also been bringing in 65k baht per month for several months, including this month? Could that qualify for the “combo bank sum and income” method?

Update your passbook and hopefully it has composite updates and the less than 800k won't show. But I suspect the balances they show always show the lowest balance reached. It might show the EOD (end of day) balance, in which case you might get away with it.

 

If I'm wrong, when you submit the bank statements, remove the page that shows the drop in limit.  I've watched them checking the statements - they quickly scan down the balance column looking at the numbers, but they don't do what an auditor would do. i.e check for consecutive page numbers, or check the balance carried forward to the next page.

 

It's worth a crack. 

Thanks. Good advice Gsxrnz.  They do normally look at the bank book as well don't they? Im quite sure it will show on that.

2 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Update your passbook and hopefully it has composite updates and the less than 800k won't show. But I suspect the balances they show always show the lowest balance reached. It might show the EOD (end of day) balance, in which case you might get away with it.

 

If I'm wrong, when you submit the bank statements, remove the page that shows the drop in limit.  I've watched them checking the statements - they quickly scan down the balance column looking at the numbers, but they don't do what an auditor would do. i.e check for consecutive page numbers, or check the balance carried forward to the next page.

 

It's worth a crack. 

You're wrong. 

The bank book will only update composite if it hasn't been updated for a very large number of transactions and or a very long time period depending on the rules of the specific bank.

 

When immigration sees composite transactions they will require getting a full detailed statement from the bank showing ALL transactions.

 

 

This issue has come up here quite a few times over the years. Maybe ten or more, but a Search might yield exact figures and outcomes.

 

Every instance I recall enforced the "rules are rules", with no exceptions (on this 800k thing).

 

You're going to have to ask at HH Imm about the combo method: is it allowed, and does it cover your brief dip below 800k, with a 65k qualifying foreign transfer in that month.

 

 

Happened to me,had to bribe an immigration officer in Phuket.

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

You're going to have to ask at HH Imm about the combo method: is it allowed, and does it cover your brief dip below 800k, with a 65k qualifying foreign transfer in that month.

I’ve been told by a Hua Hin and a Cha-am Immigration officer, and my Thai wife has also been told, that these Immigration Offices will not accept the 65K transfer/month, they both only accept the 800k deposit method. Good luck. 

A bank account with THB 800'000 needs to be having this balance. Had a friend (who subsequently moved away due to the complete absence of logical thinking) who had, for years, such a retirement visa. 
One year, he had exactly the THB 800K on the bank; then the bank debited THB 200 for the yearly ATM-card fee which resulted in THB 799'800. He noticed this and covered with four days later. 

Upon application for extension there was the "Njiet" and, despite explaining with papers of the bank and the booking confirmation by the bank that the THB 200 were ATM-card fee, the officer said no. My friend lost the plot, left, sold condo and car and moved to Sri Lanka. From what he tells me, the common sense seems to exist there; here they lost someone, who spent more than a million - brought in from overseas - per year. Go figure ......... 

Put 8k in your passport and point out this was the amount I withdrew by mistake officer sir.  Happy New year. 

1 hour ago, TucsonDavid said:

I’ve been told by a Hua Hin and a Cha-am Immigration officer, and my Thai wife has also been told, that these Immigration Offices will not accept the 65K transfer/month, they both only accept the 800k deposit method. Good luck. 

Is there an agent in Hua Hin can help?

Does anyone know?

It’s probably true to say that allowing a small dip below 800k intraday, should not matter. But equally, allowing an exception costs the immigration officers money. They know that if they refuse you, you will go to an agent and pay a fee. Part/most of that fee will end up in the immigration officers pension fund.

 

to allow an exception is to do themselves out of money. But you might as well try. Nothing lost but a few hours.

I have been using the B 65000 a month method at Huahin (not a married visa - simple non 0 retirement visa ) for the last four years without any problems. The paper work is a hassle I put up with. I suggest ringing the office if you wish to confirm this. It is possible that the original posters situation is different from mine. In any case I would be wary of taking advice from any place other than the immigration office itself

From reading the replies here, it seems immigration just uses these unfortunate but honest mistakes to take advantage of foreigners and pocket a little "bonus“. 

2 hours ago, TucsonDavid said:

I’ve been told by a Hua Hin and a Cha-am Immigration officer, and my Thai wife has also been told, that these Immigration Offices will not accept the 65K transfer/month, they both only accept the 800k deposit method. Good luck. 

I always wondered what happens ir someone was using the income methode for years ago and then wants to move to a place like Hua Him. What, they can't live there? 

OP, do you happen to have another bank account in addition to the one you dipped below the 800k.

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, do you happen to have another bank account in addition to the one you dipped below the 800k.

Great point.

If he does immigration will accept using multiple accounts.

Of  course you'd need bank letters and transaction records for both accounts. 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Of  course you'd need bank letters and transaction records for both accounts. 

Correct.

The bank will provide one bank letter listing the 2 accounts if both accounts with same bank.

Or two letters if different banks.

100b each letter

He would need to provide bank records either bank book pages photocopies or bank statements depending on what Hua Hin requires.

 

OP, I suggest that immigration will not make exception for the accidentally dip.

18 hours ago, WhatMeWorry said:

Hire an agent and stop worrying about dipping. No need to keep 800,000 of you money in a Thai bank. 

Much better to use an agent. If you put the math to it, investing the 800K in a ETF , S&P 500 etc. At 10% you are money ahead. If stuck in Thailand with a wife, GF or what ever. Then, if they ever put a stop to using agents, put the money in the bank. 

Another consideration is, if you want to fund the existing Thai government. Which is basically what the 800K is doing. 

Why speculate go in immigration Wai, slap yourself in the face tell them what happened ting tong see what their response go from there.

🤔