Etiquette at CW immigration

[Nowaythatsreal]

Ok sorry I do understand now. I thought the extra 6 months would not be a problem. So you suggest requesting a 12 month statement from my branch about a week before my appointment?

 

Does it have to be my branch or can I use any branch? 

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

Yes I have booked an appointment on the 10 March 👍

So apply at your local Bangkok Bank branch say march 3  and you will have the statement to take to CW on March 10

. 

[Zaphod Priest]

4 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

You'll be directed to a document check desk where staff will assemble your documents in the proper order and verify you have everything. After that, you'll wait for the IO to call your number.

 

My experience last month was a little different.  I joined the queue for the document check.  I always have the appointment booking on the top of my bunch of papers so it's obvious.  Previously I've been taken to the front of the document check queue when the booking has been spotted.  Last month I was taken from the document check queue by a young man to a desk next to the officer who was going to be handling my application where he (the young man) personally checked my paperwork.  (It was all in order.) I then was asked to sit down in front of the officer.  No queue number involved.  Plus it was 20 minutes or so before my appointment time.  All finished in 15 minutes.

[PJ71]

23 hours ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

Yes it will be my first without an agent 😳

Just out of interest, why have you decided to stop using an agent?

[Nowaythatsreal]

Well I am physically and mentally able to do it myself and have no wish to pay an agent a considerable sum of money to do it for me. I used an agent for my first non-O retirement visa which was a bad mistake. I should have just got the agent to open a bank account for me and I could have done the rest. However I got him to open an account for me and then immediately apply for the Non-O visa. This proved to be a problem when I tried to do the first extension myself as you will read earlier in this thread. 

[bamnutsak]

20 hours ago, Zaphod Priest said:

No queue number involved.

 

There is of course a queue number on the Appointment PDF, right side "L1 110n   Counter 35".

 

And the 110n numbers are displayed on the overhead monitors.

 

Thank you for the update on current procedures, a bit different now than they were for me last September.

 

 

[eddyod]

22 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

If you start with an agent then the agent would have obtained the 12 month extension WITHOUT adhering to financial requirements.

When did you actually place the 800k in your account and leave it there. 

 

When you apply for next extension you would need to show financial compliance back to your last extension date and even 2 months prior..

Are you able to do that.

For anyone reading this thread, a better option to start DIY after having used an agent is to start over.

Exit Thailand reenter visa exempt and obtain a Non O with your own 800k in bank and then subsequent 12 month extension. 

 

To do my agent-less extension I had to exit Thailand as DrJack mentions above. I used an agent for the 1st time, but then tried to do it myself and was told to leave and restart the process, which is what I did and it worked fine. I'm quite curious to see if you have to do the same thing.

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, eddyod said:

I used an agent for the 1st time, but then tried to do it myself and was told to leave and restart the process, which is what I did and it worked fine

I always suggest this option ..."start over"

If someone uses agent for the Non O + 12 month extension thats fine.

One of the reasons may also to include bank account.

 

In order to start DYI ....exit Thailand close to expiry of permission of stay (without reentry permit) and obtain visa exempt entry and obtain non O from that.

 

Note the 800k would need to be shown to have come from abroad or have been in bank for some months.

Would even suggest to having a new bank account. 

[Nowaythatsreal]

Well I hope now all the paperwork is in order the extension should not be an issue if I do it myself 🤷‍♂️

[BrandonJT]

9 hours ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

Well I hope now all the paperwork is in order the extension should not be an issue if I do it myself 🤷‍♂️

There are many reasons that could trip you up if you previously used an agent that would prevent you from doing it yourself.  You'll find out when you go. If they accept your application then you should be fine, otherwise they will basically tell you that they will not do it and you will either need to use an agent again or you will need to exit and start over.

[DrJack54]

Off topic post removed 

[Colabamumbai]

On 2/11/2025 at 2:19 PM, Nowaythatsreal said:

I will provide my passbook and get the bank to provide last 12 month statements and get the bank letter. I was planning to make a 100 tHB withdrawal on the day. Is a deposit better?

 

The agent I used opened my bank account with his own 800,000 THB and withdrew it 5 seconds later in 2023 and did my first Non-O visa for me. I tried to extend it myself in 2024 but of course I failed because of the 3 month rule i.e the 800,000 baht was only in the account for 5 seconds not 3 months after the extension. The passbook that showed the original 800,000 THB deposit and withdrawal is now full so hopefully they will not ask to see that. It should not make any difference but you never know. 

You can photocopy your passbook pages yourself and save the charge, just pay for the letter of balance. 

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, Colabamumbai said:

You can photocopy your passbook pages yourself and save the charge, just pay for the letter of balance. 

Some immigration offices also want 12 month bank statement.

For sale of 200b cost it's a good idea.

Immigration can be fussy.

In my case at CW I had couple of months with no activity.

Immigration demanded 12 month bank statement.

This often happens with those that use a dedicated bank account for immigration purposes. 

No problem as I use Kasikorn and could obtain on the spot.

 

[Nowaythatsreal]

10 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

There are many reasons that could trip you up if you previously used an agent that would prevent you from doing it yourself.  You'll find out when you go. If they accept your application then you should be fine, otherwise they will basically tell you that they will not do it and you will either need to use an agent again or you will need to exit and start over.

Could you give me some examples? Thanks 

[DrJack54]

29 minutes ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

Could you give me some examples? Thanks 

Don't think it's worth worrying about.

For example a certain immigration officer has good look in bank book back to months prior to last extension that there may be an issue.

That is why eg I suggest even opening new bank account for those that exit Thailand and start over.

 

In any event you have the funds in bank and shouldn't be a problem to obtain extension

If for some reason there is a problem just border bounce and start over.

Hopefully not required..

[Nowaythatsreal]

Will it be sufficient to show 12 month statement and my second passbook which started in October 2024 so will not show the 3 months after the April 2024 extension?

[DrJack54]

24 minutes ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

Will it be sufficient to show 12 month statement and my second passbook which started in October 2024 so will not show the 3 months after the April 2024 extension?

Sorta lost track of what your asking.

You need to show immigration 12 month of bank statements dating back from date of application for next extension.

That sometimes involves another bank account.

I have seen first hand the io checking my bankbook to look back to the two months previous to my last extension application date. 

 

[Nowaythatsreal]

Ok the question is will it be sufficient to show the 12 month statements and a current passbook that will show the 2 months prior to extension but not the 3 months after the previous extension. The statement will show the 3 month after extension but my current passbook will not. I do not want to show the previous passbook since it will show the original agent 800,000THB deposit and immediate withdrawal even though from a timeline perspective it should be irrelevant 🤷‍♂️
 

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

The statement will show the 3 month after extension but my current passbook will not

The thing is immigration will want to see bank book AND 12 month bank statement.

For example.....in my case I had been (for years) using two accounts. 

An FD + Savings account.

I closed out the FD account and teller kept the closed Bank Book.

I foolishly allowed that.

So fast forward to Nov 5 last year for my extension.

I provided two Bank Statements.

One for the closed FD and one for the Saving.

Immigration wanted the bank book for the FD, which I didn't have.

They weren't having a bar of it.

Eventually the head io at rear of L office OK it after some chit chat. 

 

 

[Nowaythatsreal]

My situation is that I can give them the 12 month statements which will show the 3 months after the previous extension which will obey all the rules. I can also give them my current passbook which will show the 2 months prior to the requested extension which will obey all the rules. My original passbook will also show the two months prior to extension which will obey all the rules. I just don’t want the IO to look at 800,000 THB deposit/withdrawal in the passbook which should be irrelevant for this new extension. It’s probably an impossible question to answer on here since it all depends on the IO that sits in front of me on the day 🤷‍♂️

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, Nowaythatsreal said:

It’s probably an impossible question to answer on here since it all depends on the IO that sits in front of me on the day

Exactly 

[Letseng]

On 2/11/2025 at 3:35 PM, Nowaythatsreal said:

Bangkok bank has a branch on the ground floor at CW so I just went in, waited a little after taking a queue ticket and asked for the letter and last 12 months of statements. As I recall they charged either 200 or 300 THB for the service. 
 

With regard to the agent original Non-O application my point was that if the rules state unequivocally that the 800,000 THB has to be in the account for the 3 months immediately after the granting of the extension then this condition could not possibly be met since the 800,000 THB was only in for 5 seconds even before the process had begun. In other words at the moment of application for the Non-O visa I did have any money in my account at all. 
 

I think the point that you are making perhaps is the the agent is able to bypass the 800,000 THB rule?

Bangkok Bank at CW doesn't give you a 12 month statement while you wait. You need to apply 7 days before at a bank branch. 

[scottiejohn]

I am not being pedantic but is that 7 working days or a standard week?

I have also been quoted 5/6 days!

Mine is due soon and I do not want to waste journeys to/from the bank!

 

PS;  I have just had a thought!!

Does it matter if you order the one year statement one month or even two in advance as I believe BKK can produce 6 months worth of back statements on demand!

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

I have just had a thought!!

Does it matter if you order the one year statement one month or even two in advance as I believe BKK can produce 6 months worth of back statements on demand!

That would work.

Some BBL customers obtain a 6 month statement at 6 months after application for extension and another 6 month statement just prior to attending immigration for new extension.

 

Regards your other point. Customers can obtain 12 month bank statement if located in Bangkok in approx 3-5 days.

Couple of extra days if up country..

Keep in mind CW will accept bank letter and bank statement up to 7 days prior. 

[scottiejohn]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That would work.

Thanks for your rapid, concise and helpful response!