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Chiang mai Immigration

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Due to the flood last year I am unlikely to have the ฿400K in account when my extension for Marriage to a Thai citizen expires in a few months. I will therefore have to try using the income method.The proof of income requirement does not state what constitutes proof. Has any member obtained an extension recently using this method?  What documents were required and accepted? I am aware that different each clerk may have her own criteria, Therefore as many many recent experiences as possible are welcome. Please note this applies specifically to Chiangmai Immigration.

Realizing you specified marriage extension, my only experience is with a retirement extension - though the requirements should be similar.  (If not, I'm certain others will be along to correct me.)

 

In addition to the basic extension request form, I needed 12 monthly bank statements (from the previous 12 months) showing that I transferred at least 65k THB per month from an overseas account.  For a marriage extension, I believe it's 40k THB per month.

 

I also needed to obtain a letter from the bank showing the amount deposited from a foreign bank each month (yes, even though I provided the statements, the letter was still required.)

 

Also need to provided the bank book for the account in question.  Copies of passport pages, etc.

 

For your initial switch from one method to another, might be prudent to engage the services of a reliable agent.  

 

 

On 5/13/2025 at 8:07 PM, Maybole said:

I will therefore have to try using the income method.The proof of income requirement does not state what constitutes proof.

OP, seems that you have a UK pp (from another thread). 

You will need to show 12 monthly transfers of min 40k per month. 

If you haven't been doing that then subsequent advice is irrelevant. 

 

You can (if not done previously) obtain a 60 day extension "to visit wife".

This is sometimes done to buy time to have the 400k in bank seasoned for two months. 

On 5/13/2025 at 8:07 PM, Maybole said:

Due to the flood last year I am unlikely to have the ฿400K in account when my extension

 

I would treat this option with extreme caution, but I have used it before (for a different purpose): You (actually, your wife), can borrow locally the money needed to show the required 400k. 

 

First of all, only do it if you are 100% certain you can repay the loan. The loan sharks here are nasty people! 

 

Secondly, the interest is high. Let's say 5% per month. So make sure to repay as soon as you can. 

 

But, say you need to borrow 100k for two months. The fee for that service would be 10k. Very expensive, by out Western standards. But, in special circumstance, it may be worth it. 

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

You can (if not done previously) obtain a 60 day extension "to visit wife".

 

 

The OP says he's already on an EOS (vs the original 90-day visa). Can a 60-day extension be granted at the expiration of an EOS? If the answer is "yes," can an extension "to visit wife" be granted at the expiration of the retirement EOS (of course, assuming one is married to a Thai)? 

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2 minutes ago, Equatorial said:

 

I would treat this option with extreme caution, but I have used it before (for a different purpose): You (actually, your wife), can borrow locally the money needed to show the required 400k. 

 

First of all, only do it if you are 100% certain you can repay the loan. The loan sharks here are nasty people! 

 

Secondly, the interest is high. Let's say 5% per month. So make sure to repay as soon as you can. 

 

But, say you need to borrow 100k for two months. The fee for that service would be 10k. Very expensive, by out Western standards. But, in special circumstance, it may be worth it. 

OP, please don’t even begin to consider such nonsense.

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27 minutes ago, Equatorial said:

 

The OP say he's already on an extension (vs the original 90-day visa). Can an extension be granted at the expiration of an EOS? If the answer is "yes," can an extension "to visit wife" be granted at the expiration of the retirement EOS (of course, assuming one is married to a Thai)? 

Yes the OP has an extension. 

It's a permission of stay that has an expiryexpiry date. 

Since he is married to Thai national he can apply for a 60 day extension to visit wife (provided not done previously from this Non O) 

That does not have the financial requirements. 

 

The next step would be to obtain a 12 month extension so this is just to buy time. 

 

The OP would be aware that the 400k only needs to be held in bank for 2 months + under consideration period. 

If the financials cannot be met the OP has issues. 

A switch to agent for extension retirement would be an option. 

 

Edit: last resort option for OP is to exit Thailand. 

He can reenter Thailand visa exempt and receive (currently) a 60 day stamp. He can obtain a 60 day extension to visit wife every time he does this. 

He can effectively push back the timeframe to eventually obtaining a Non O. 

Messy (very) 

Let me try to summarize the OP situation and options. 

 

The OP is on marriage-based EOS. The renewal comes up within a few months. The OP expects not to have 400k seasoned for 2 months at the time of application for the next EOS. 

 

Options: 

 

1/ Switch to income method. This will NOT work because it would need to be retroactive for the full 12 month period, starting since the last EOS. 

 

2/ Get a 60-day extension "to visit wife," to give himself additional 60 days to get the seasoned 400k for the next EOS application.

 

3/ Get an agent, which involves switching to a retirement-based EOS. That can be reverted back to marriage-based the following year EOS, assuming the financial requirements are met by that time. 

 

4/ Exit Thailand, reenter visa exempt followed by 60-day extension "to visit wife." Repeat if necessary, until such time that the finances are in place to meet the requirements for a Non O. 

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I would talk to a visa agent before borrowing money form a local loan shark!…

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15 minutes ago, Equatorial said:

3/ Get an agent, which involves switching to a retirement-based EOS. That can be reverted back to marriage-based the following year EOS, assuming the financial requirements are met by that time.

Your options work apart from 3.

To "revert back" from retirement to marriage he would need to show financial compliance for the previous 12 months. 

He would need start over. 

  • Author

The options offered are irrelevant thank you. I am enquiring about about what will be accepted as proof of income. My bank can supply a print out of  one years entries showing pension from UK arriving every month, I can also get a printout from Wise.com showing monthly transfers, and my pension administrators supply a yearly statement including tax deductions and a foercast of what they intend to pay to me each month. also UK Tax  authorities supply an annual report of the income and tax for the tax year just ended and an estimate for the coming year. I can supply all these. But I do not want to go to Immigration with a lot of unnecessary paper. Immigration  themselves have only given vague and evasive answers so far.

A report from a member who has obtained an extension by this method recently is what i need.

 

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49 minutes ago, Maybole said:

I am enquiring about about what will be accepted as proof of income.

 

That has been answered by @DrJack54:

 

On 5/15/2025 at 6:49 AM, DrJack54 said:

You will need to show 12 monthly transfers of min 40k per month. 

If you haven't been doing that then subsequent advice is irrelevant. 

 

In other words, the income method accepted by immigration involves monthly transfers to a Thai bank. What is irrelevant is how much money you have in UK and how much you get as your pension. 

 

You do mention "Wise.com showing monthly transfers." If those transfers were deposited to a Thai bank, AND they were at least THB 40k in each of the twelve months prior to the EOS application, AND they are coded as a foreign transfer, then a statement from a Thai bank showing all of this information will be accepted as satisfying the financial requirement. 

 

Otherwise, I'm afraid, the other options offered may become relevant in a hurry... 

  • Author
On 5/17/2025 at 12:21 PM, Equatorial said:

 

That has been answered by @DrJack54:

 

 

In other words, the income method accepted by immigration involves monthly transfers to a Thai bank. What is irrelevant is how much money you have in UK and how much you get as your pension. 

 

You do mention "Wise.com showing monthly transfers." If those transfers were deposited to a Thai bank, AND they were at least THB 40k in each of the twelve months prior to the EOS application, AND they are coded as a foreign transfer, then a statement from a Thai bank showing all of this information will be accepted as satisfying the financial requirement. 

 

Otherwise, I'm afraid, the other options offered may become relevant in a hurry... 

Thank you Dr Jack , your entry is to the point. I would still like an actual report from somebody who has successfully used that method.

8 minutes ago, Maybole said:

I would still like an actual report from somebody who has successfully used that method

Indeed... What we need is a report re income method for extensions CM. 

 

Fact is some offices require no proof of eg "pension" but rather just regular monthly transfers from abroad. 

Bit of a cop out however I suggest that you apply as early as possible in case of nonsense from immigration. 

As you would be aware.. You can apply for extensions up to 45 days early at CM. 

Go to your Immigration office and ask them. They are the ones with the final say.

I got an EOS last month by presenting a year-long bank statement and my bank book showing monthly transfers to Bangkok Bank during the past year with the code FTT.  I suppose that if you can show a year’s  worth of foreign-sourced deposits to your Thai bank of 40K or more each month, that might satisfy the financial requirement for a marriage-based EOS.  You must be able to prove that the 40K is foreign sourced.

7 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

You must be able to prove that the 40K is foreign sourced.

That is not the issue. 

The issue is not to prove international transfers rather that some offices seem interested in eg "pensions" as source of funds

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

some offices seem interested in eg "pensions" as source of funds

 

I am curious - is there a documented Thai Immigration rule that says that for the Income Method the source of funds must be a pension rather than savings or interest income or whatever? 

 

That just doesn't make any sense at all! 

1 minute ago, Equatorial said:

 

I am curious - is there a documented Thai Immigration rule that for the Income Method the source of funds must be a pension rather than savings or interest income or whatever? 

As stated. Depends on immigration office. 

On 5/18/2025 at 8:24 PM, Equatorial said:

 

I am curious - is there a documented Thai Immigration rule that says that for the Income Method the source of funds must be a pension rather than savings or interest income or whatever? 

 

That just doesn't make any sense at all! 

No, it doesn't make sense - what if you have investments?  But, at some offices, they demand a pension-letter to prove the money is "from a pension" - especially for marriage-based extensions, knowing younger folks won't be able to supply it.  They hate doing that type, and look for any way to get out of it - less likely to be forced for a retirement-based extension.  I recall there is some wording about "pensions" as an example in the regulations, which they extrapolate (at some offices, sometimes) to mean "only a pension."

8 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

But, at some offices, they demand a pension-letter to prove the money is "from a pension" - especially for marriage-based extensions

 

That makes even less sense - for marriage-based, there is no conceivable reason to require that the income comes from a pension! 

7 hours ago, Equatorial said:

 

That makes even less sense - for marriage-based, there is no conceivable reason to require that the income comes from a pension! 

Here is list (CM specific) 

Note 3 refers to include income other than pension. "interest or dividends.. "

image.png

Just to clarify, I said "it makes even less sense'; I did not say that IOs don't require it. Goes back to the fact that every office and every officer makes their own rules and requirements, and they can change from one minute to another. 

 

Also, the connector between #3 and #4 is "and/or." The "or" part implies that #4 should suffice, without the "evidence of income." But again, just because that is the written rule does not mean that an IO will follow it. 

On 5/20/2025 at 1:13 AM, Equatorial said:

 

That makes even less sense - for marriage-based, there is no conceivable reason to require that the income comes from a pension! 

Yet, that is exactly what they told me.  My income was multiple the minimum, and I could prove it with foreign-transfers into my Thai bank.  Thank goodness for the Non-O-ME Visa, available at that time (not anymore).

Ubon Joe also got hit with the "show the source" question, at a friendly office, where he had been extending for years, prior.

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