Financial requirement 500K THB for one-year extension of non-O visa

[MART]

Hello,
My wife has applied for a non-O based on living with non-Thai family members. My son will study at an international school in Thailand. 

 

We've been told that she will have to show 500K bahts on her Thai bank account to apply for a one-year extension - which was no surprise to me, I knew about it. She had planned to bring cash and deposit it in the bank. My issue: I've read hints here and there that one is supposed to prove that the money comes from abroad. Is it the case in our situation? Do we need to wire the money to her bank account or is there a way around it?

Thanks for your help!

[DrJack54]

@brewsterbudgen thinking you went through this? 

Any advice. 

 

Edit: the important thing is to obtain the Non O prior to entering Thailand. 

[brewsterbudgen]

45 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

@brewsterbudgen thinking you went through this? 

Any advice. 

 

Edit: the important thing is to obtain the Non O prior to entering Thailand. 

We haven't done it yet, but I have never heard that the money needs to have come from abroad.  In our case, we've been living as family in Thailand for 10 years, so all our (and my wife's) money is here in Thailand.  

[MART]

15 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

We haven't done it yet, but I have never heard that the money needs to have come from abroad.  In our case, we've been living as family in Thailand for 10 years, so all our (and my wife's) money is here in Thailand.  

Thank you. 
Hopefully someone will be able to answer for sure.

[MART]

I will ask my son's school admins and report back.

[Liquorice]

12 minutes ago, MART said:

Thank you. 
Hopefully someone will be able to answer for sure.

If I'm reading your situation correctly, your son has been accepted to study at an International School in Thailand, pursuant to clauses 2.8 or 2.9 of Immigration order 327/2557. 

 

 

Your wife intends to stay in Thailand during his education period at an International School.

In that situation, your wife would be required to enter Thailand with a Non Immigrant 0 visa.

The requirements for her to extend her period of stay for a further 12 months are in Clause 2.11

 

 

 

To expand and in agreement with @DrJack54, your wife should obtain the Non Imm O visa from the Thai Embassy in your home Country before entering Thailand.

 

2 hours ago, MART said:

She had planned to bring cash and deposit it in the bank. My issue: I've read hints here and there that one is supposed to prove that the money comes from abroad. Is it the case in our situation? Do we need to wire the money to her bank account or is there a way around it?

Firstly, does your wife already have a bank account with a Thai bank?

Apart from the 500K THB Immigration requirement, she would need initial additional funds for rent, travel and living expenses.

Whilst there is nothing in Immigration Orders stipulating that the 500K must come from overseas, I wouldn't want to carry 500K + in cash.

Sufficient funds to meet immediate needs, yes, but I'd transfer the 500K to a Thai bank account.

[MART]

17 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

If I'm reading your situation correctly, your son has been accepted to study at an International School in Thailand, pursuant to clauses 2.8 or 2.9 of Immigration order 327/2557. 

 

 

Your wife intends to stay in Thailand during his education period at an International School.

In that situation, your wife would be required to enter Thailand with a Non Immigrant 0 visa.

The requirements for her to extend her period of stay for a further 12 months are in Clause 2.11

 

 

 

To expand and in agreement with @DrJack54, your wife should obtain the Non Imm O visa from the Thai Embassy in your home Country before entering Thailand.

 

Firstly, does your wife already have a bank account with a Thai bank?

Apart from the 500K THB Immigration requirement, she would need initial additional funds for rent, travel and living expenses.

Whilst there is nothing in Immigration Orders stipulating that the 500K must come from overseas, I wouldn't want to carry 500K + in cash.

Sufficient funds to meet immediate needs, yes, but I'd transfer the 500K to a Thai bank account.

Thank you for your help.
Yes, my wife has applied for a non-O. My son already has a non-ED.

No, my wife hasn't got a Thai bank account yet, she will have to open it once there. 

We're used to travel with big amounts of cash. In our current situation, we'd even better do so, because if we want to transfer funds from the country we currently live in, we're looking at a 7~8% fee.
And yes, of course I know my wife needs to pay a rent, eat food and pay for utilities. My question was only about the deposit for a one-year extension.

[Liquorice]

2 hours ago, MART said:

We're used to travel with big amounts of cash. In our current situation, we'd even better do so, because if we want to transfer funds from the country we currently live in, we're looking at a 7~8% fee.

Many of those who stay here long term use 'Wise' as a transparent and very affordable way to send funds from overseas.

https://wise.com/gb/send-money/

 

Where does your wife intend to reside, this will determine which Immigration office she will use.

There are other Immigration formalities to be aware of in Thailand.

Filing a TM30.

Opening a bank account.

[MART]

11 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Many of those who stay here long term use 'Wise' as a transparent and very affordable way to send funds from overseas.

https://wise.com/gb/send-money/

 

Where does your wife intend to reside, this will determine which Immigration office she will use.

There are other Immigration formalities to be aware of in Thailand.

Filing a TM30.

Opening a bank account.

 

Thank you. I am not a newbie, I have lived and worked in Thailand before. I know about the TM.30, TM.47, and so on.

 

Well obviously the school we have enrolled our son in is the major criterion for looking for a place of residence.

 

And by the way, we cannot use Wise to transfer funds out of the country where we are currently residents. The same goes for Thailand, one can transfer funds using Wise into Thailand, but not out of Thailand. I know Wise, and they provide a great service, which I have used to transfer funds into our current country of residence, but they're of no help in our current situation.

[MART]

Oh and I'm aware that opening a bank account is not as straightforward as it used to be. However the admins at my son's school told us that my wife should not have any issue as a non-O visa holder.

[DrJack54]

3 hours ago, MART said:

However the admins at my son's school told us that my wife should not have any issue as a non-O visa holder

That is correct. 

The bank may also want a certificate of residence from immigration. 

[Caldera]

10 hours ago, MART said:

Oh and I'm aware that opening a bank account is not as straightforward as it used to be. However the admins at my son's school told us that my wife should not have any issue as a non-O visa holder.

 

That will depend on the local bank branches and your wife's nationality, I wouldn't take this lightly right now. She will probably need some additional supporting documents, such as secondary ID from her passport country (ID card or DL) and Thai proof of residence (residence certificate from immigration, lease, etc.). Even then, some banks will likely just say "no" in the current climate. 

[MART]

15 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

@brewsterbudgen thinking you went through this? 

Any advice. 

 

Edit: the important thing is to obtain the Non O prior to entering Thailand. 

Thank you for your help. Just reacting to the edit that I did not see before. She's applied for the non-O, but I've been also told she could transform her visa-exemption stamp into a non-O in Thailand if necessary. Do you mean that we would have timeline issues then because of the bank account that needs to hold funds for at least a month before applying for her extension of stay?

[MART]

6 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

That will depend on the local bank branches and your wife's nationality, I wouldn't take this lightly right now. She will probably need some additional supporting documents, such as secondary ID from her passport country (ID card or DL) and Thai proof of residence (residence certificate from immigration, lease, etc.). Even then, some banks will likely just say "no" in the current climate. 

Thanks for the warning. I am not too worried, since she's Japanese. She has 2 DL from 2 different countries. We should be able to get a residence certificate and a lease agreement too.

[terryq]

8 minutes ago, MART said:

Thank you for your help. Just reacting to the edit that I did not see before. She's applied for the non-O, but I've been also told she could transform her visa-exemption stamp into a non-O in Thailand if necessary. Do you mean that we would have timeline issues then because of the bank account that needs to hold funds for at least a month before applying for her extension of stay?

Having a non-O makes opening a bank account easier.

[MART]

11 minutes ago, terryq said:

Having a non-O makes opening a bank account easier.

A non-imm is even a prerequisite at the moment, as far as I understand it. She will have a non-O. The questions is only if she will have it when entering the country or later, after she has applied for a change of permission to stay from visa-exempt to non-O.

[Liquorice]

15 minutes ago, MART said:

A non-imm is even a prerequisite at the moment, as far as I understand it. She will have a non-O. The questions is only if she will have it when entering the country or later, after she has applied for a change of permission to stay from visa-exempt to non-O.

On what basis would your wife apply for the Non Imm O visa at an Immigration office, which requires more than a single visit.

[Liquorice]

47 minutes ago, MART said:

We should be able to get a residence certificate and a lease agreement too.

Residence certificates are usually only issued for purchase of transport or obtaining a Thai driving licence.

You may have an issue getting one for the purpose of opening a bank account.

[MART]

38 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

On what basis would your wife apply for the Non Imm O visa at an Immigration office, which requires more than a single visit.

Residing with non-Thai family, my son having been issued a non-ED for studying at an international school.

[MART]

26 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Residence certificates are usually only issued for purchase of transport or obtaining a Thai driving licence.

You may have an issue getting one for the purpose of opening a bank account.

OK good to know. Then I don't know how we will do it. My son can get a certificate of residence from his embassy. Not sure if my wife can, she has a different nationality.

[Liquorice]

17 minutes ago, MART said:

Residing with non-Thai family, my son having been issued a non-ED for studying at an international school.

Entering Visa exempt Immigration offer the opportunity to apply for the Non O at a local Immigration office but only for certain criterias.

This is the Immigration list.

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/issuing-and-changing-type-of-visa/

 

I do not find the reason you describe as being available.

[MART]

6 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Entering Visa exempt Immigration offer the opportunity to apply for the Non O at a local Immigration office but only for certain criterias.

This is the Immigration list.

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/issuing-and-changing-type-of-visa/

 

I do not find the reason you describe as being available.

Interesting, thanks. The school admins told us it would be possible (they even mentioned the fee, "Arrival on exemption – exemption visa change to 3 months NON O visa ..........................2000 THB"), but not advisable from a timeline perspective. 

 

EDIT: Anyhow, she's applied for hers in our country of residence already. I was just anticipating, in case there is an issue with her application. We'll see how it goes.

[MART]

27 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Entering Visa exempt Immigration offer the opportunity to apply for the Non O at a local Immigration office but only for certain criterias.

This is the Immigration list.

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/issuing-and-changing-type-of-visa/

 

I do not find the reason you describe as being available.

I think it is that one: 8. FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO OR BEING A DEPENDANT OF A PERSON WHO HAVING RESIDENCY IN THAILAND (NON-O)
Not sure though, since the words used under 4 do not all make sense to me: "In case the applicant’s family is a foreigner with a permit to reside in Thailand:
residency certificate, alien registration certificate, work permit, a copy of passport and house registration". Never heard of an alien registration certificate. Work permit can't be a must, just an option, since the title says "FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO [...] A PERSON WHO HAVING RESIDENCY IN THAILAND".

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022C1_08.pdf

[Liquorice]

1 hour ago, MART said:

I think it is that one: 8. FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO OR BEING A DEPENDANT OF A PERSON WHO HAVING RESIDENCY IN THAILAND (NON-O)
Not sure though, since the words used under 4 do not all make sense to me: "In case the applicant’s family is a foreigner with a permit to reside in Thailand:
residency certificate, alien registration certificate, work permit, a copy of passport and house registration". Never heard of an alien registration certificate. Work permit can't be a must, just an option, since the title says "FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO [...] A PERSON WHO HAVING RESIDENCY IN THAILAND".

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022C1_08.pdf

No, that's for a person having residency, as in permanent residency.

Your son will only have temporary permission of stay.

 

1 hour ago, MART said:

EDIT: Anyhow, she's applied for hers in our country of residence already. I was just anticipating, in case there is an issue with her application.

That was the advice given, for good reason.

On entry, she will be granted permission of stay for 90 days.
File a TM30.

Open a bank account (must be in her sole name), deposit funds.

Within the last 30 days of that 90 and when the funds have been season for 30 days, she can apply for the 12-month extension.

 

My other concern is the documents your wife must bring to prove relationship for the extension application.

Whilst Thai Embassies will accept marriage certificates, birth certificates to issue the appropriate visa, Thai Immigration do not accept foreign documents without being 'legalised'. Basically, they must be authenticated in your home Country, then the Thai Embassy certify it. On arrival in Thailand, any documents must be translated into Thai, then legalised by Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[MART]

2 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

No, that's for a person having residency, as in permanent residency.

Your son will only have temporary permission of stay.

OK, then I do not know what the school admins were referring to, but again they said it's possible, although not advisable from a timeline perspective.

 

3 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

My other concern is the documents your wife must bring to prove relationship for the extension application.

Whilst Thai Embassies will accept marriage certificates, birth certificates to issue the appropriate visa, Thai Immigration do not accept foreign documents without being 'legalised'. Basically, they must be authenticated in your home Country, then the Thai Embassy certify it. On arrival in Thailand, any documents must be translated into Thai, then legalised by Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Thank you. We already have a birth certificate which has been 1. legalized by the ministry of foreign affairs of my son's home country, 2. translated by a certified translator of my son's home country and finally 3. legalized by the Royal Thai embassy in my son's home country. The school admins have checked the legalized document and told us that everything is fine. We also provided this document to the embassy when applying for both my son's and my wife's visas.