Retirement visa using the monthly income

[kingstonkid]

Hi I went to a session tnight and got some mixed information.  I am hoping there is someone here that has done this already.

 

I am a monthly income person who has been transferring in 68K+ at least every month to Kasikorn Bank.

 

It was my understanding that I could do this and get a letter from KBANK for immigration I realize I also need my bank book and everything.

 

My confusion comes from attending this seminar and being told that there was no way to do a monthly unless the Embassy did the letter.

 

There were a few other things that made me go MMMMM, but my main worry is the monthly letter.  

 

Can anyone help me out? I have already gone to the expert Dr. Jack, but he suggested someone here may have done it and find out.

 

If not, then I am left looking to move out of the country because if they will not take the monthly for retirement, I doubt they would accept it for marriage.

 

 

 

 

[OJAS]

46 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

My confusion comes from attending this seminar and being told that there was no way to do a monthly unless the Embassy did the letter.

Whoever told you that was, unfortunately, talking out of their derriere. What KBANK can give you is a letter in the Thai language which, in essence, confirms that you hold an account with them. What you'll also need from them for IMM purposes is a 12-month statement which they should be able to issue on the spot.

 

It is the case that a number of embassies do issue letters or affidavits confirming monthly income, which IMM will accept instead of bank letters & statements. However the American, Australian, British, Canadian and Norwegian embassies no longer issue the necessary letters or affidavits, leaving their nationals with no option other than to go down the bank account confirmation letter and 12-month statement route, based on monthly transfers of at least 65k each for an annual retirement extension.

[Tod Daniels]

I don't know who told you that misinformation, but I give them three thumbs down for the bad info 👎👎👎

 

I would be suspect taking any advice from them.

 

At the end of 2018, early 2019 the United States Australia and the UK embassies in Thailand all stopped issuing the affidavit of income from a broad notary letter. Because of this, the immigration office came up with an addendum to the clause to meet proof of funds via monthly income.  That was to transfer the minimum required amount into a Thai bank account in your name only from abroad, each month, every month, for the previous 12 months before you apply for your next extension. All the transfers have to code as international transfers or you have to prove the money originated from abroad. 

 

This is how it works:

If you come from a country whose Embassy here no longer issues the affidavit of income from a broad notary letter that means in order to use monthly income method for an extension you have to do international transfers each month, every month, for the previous 12 months before you apply for your extension. 

 

What that means is you cannot use monthly income by transfer method to get either the in country 90 day Non-O visa or for the very first yearly extension  from the Non-O. 

 

That is because you need to have 12 months of previous transfers.

 

Typical Bank documentation is the standard Bank letter, a 12 month detail transaction print out, and an updated Bank book the date you apply for the extension. 

Note: if your transfers do not code in the bank book as International origin you will have to get a credit advice from the bank showing the money trail as originating from abroad

 

 AFAIK, every immigration office will accept monthly income by International transfer for extensions based on retirement, although some will no longer accept monthly income method by transfer for extensions based on marriage. They only allow legally working inside the country for monthly income proof or the banked money method. 

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

9 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

My confusion comes from attending this seminar and being told that there was no way to do a monthly unless the Embassy did the letter.

As I explained in our chat.. That is not the case many folk from countries such as USA, AU, UK etc are using the income method and those embassies do not provide the "income letter" 

My next extension (October) I will be showing a 12 month bank statement and shows 12 monthly transfers from abroad. 

Since I'm changing from money in bank method I will also show compliance with that option. 

[KhunBENQ]

At Khon Kaen:

I could still get the income letter but I asked whether every national can do monthly transfer. Yes!

So I started monthly transfers and last year did extension with account statement from Bangkok Bank.

As supporting documents I had pension statements in German language but wasn't relevant.

 

I prefer the method because I don't need this income letter from Bangkok or Pattaya. All "local".

 

This year (October):

As Bangkok Bank is incapable of supplying one year statement on the spot (only max 6 month) I will go with three seamless statements.

You can only specify start date for the statement. Will always end on day before.

Ask for statement in Thai language.

[kingstonkid]

@OJAS @Tod Daniels @DrJack54 @KhunBENQ

 

Thanks, that is what I thought, but to have a company that advertises as Immigration specialists tell me different, it threw me.  Especially considering that I have relied on the CDN Embassy for this.

 

Do you take your bank book with you.  I was also thinking of my cdn account showing the international transfers as a part of my package, but it might be overkill 

 

Again thanks

 

 

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

18 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Do you take your bank book with you.  I was also thinking of my cdn account showing the international transfers as a part of my package, but it might be overkill 

As mentioned... I doing same thing. 

I plan to obtain 12 month bank statement from K bank day or two prior. 

Obviously also the bank letter and photocopies of all pages, of bank book bank prior to last extension. 

Also will make small deposit on the day to update and show activity. 

I will make the appointment for date after my transfer for that month. 

 

Plan to ask for the statement in Thai language. 

My understanding is that the brief Thai next to the transfer translates to "money from abroad" 

That's the plan. 

Not taking anything from my Oz bank or from WISE

[kawikasudo]

Make sure your transfers per month come in as FTT which shows as international transfers. If one of the months doesn’t show that then immigration will reject it. 

[brianburi]

Both my UK pensions come into my Bangkok Bank as BTN, (Bank Transfer Note ?),  Todd mentioned a 'credit advice'   Is this another letter from the Bank to go along with the annual statement and proof of account letter.  Going to apply for my extension next month.....

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

 

That is because you need to have 12 months of previous transfers.

There was an exception in the text of 0029.173/Wor 4950.

[Liquorice]

26 minutes ago, brianburi said:

Both my UK pensions come into my Bangkok Bank as BTN, (Bank Transfer Note ?),  Todd mentioned a 'credit advice'   Is this another letter from the Bank to go along with the annual statement and proof of account letter.  Going to apply for my extension next month.....

When you elect to have pension payments directly paid to your Thai bank account, Citibank (who handle the overseas pension payments) transfer to the Bank of Thailand using the BAHTNET system. BTN = BAHTNET. Bank of Thailand transfer the funds to your individual Thai bank account.

 

Immigration may be aware that transfers coded as BTN are in fact overseas transfers, but then again, maybe not.
Speak to your Bangkok bank branch, they may be able to provide 'credit receipts', or a 'Foreign Exchange Transfer form' as proof of overseas transfers.

 

When this anomaly first cropped up back in 2020, a representative from Bangkok Bank visited the local Immigration office to explain and confirm transfers coded BTN were indeed overseas transfers, and this coding has been accepted without question since, but your IO may be unaware.

 

 

[Sophon]

It would be my guess that you probably misunderstood what they were talking about.

 

If they were talking about requirements for getting a Non Immigrant O visa in Thailand (as a first step to getting your retirement extension), then they were correct that it can only be done if your embassy issues income letters. If not, then you will either have to use 800k in the bank, or go to a consulate outside Thailand to get the Non o visa. If you already have the visa, then monthly transfers will work fine for the extension.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, kawikasudo said:

Make sure your transfers per month come in as FTT which shows as international transfers. If one of the months doesn’t show that then immigration will reject it. 

And this will be reflected in the statements.

Only bankbook with FTT will not be enough.

[KhunBENQ]

11 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

I am a monthly income person who has been transferring in 68K+ at least every month to Kasikorn Bank.

65k is the minimum.

I sent something like 66k+ with WISE.

The remaining money saved on the home country account to be transferred occasionally (and to other bank in my case).

[Liquorice]

9 minutes ago, Sophon said:

If not, then you will either have to use 800k in the bank, or go to a consulate outside Thailand to get the Non o visa. If you already have the visa, then monthly transfers will work fine for the extension.

Non O only grants a stay of 90 days, so not possible to meet the 12 months requirement to transfer 65K+.
If they were on a previous extension, then you can switch to the income method, but must prove you complied with the previous extension if it was based on funds in the bank.

[kingstonkid]

@KhunBENQ @DrJack54

 

This is what it shows up as on my account

 

[Rimmer]

A post containing personal information has been removed

[jerrymahoney]

4 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

A post containing personal information has been removed

OUCH. Apologies and thanks. I thought I was posting a dummy letter from Pattataya expats club but that was the real thing from me.

[kingstonkid]

Just now, jerrymahoney said:

OUCH. Apologies and thanks. I thought I was posting a dummy letter from Pattataya expats club but that was the real thing from me.

 

 

We have to be so careful but there are times that we have to say THANK YOU TO THE MODS LOL

[kingstonkid]

34 minutes ago, Sophon said:

It would be my guess that you probably misunderstood what they were talking about.

 

If they were talking about requirements for getting a Non Immigrant O visa in Thailand (as a first step to getting your retirement extension), then they were correct that it can only be done if your embassy issues income letters. If not, then you will either have to use 800k in the bank, or go to a consulate outside Thailand to get the Non o visa. If you already have the visa, then monthly transfers will work fine for the extension.

 

 

I was not clear what i was asking.  As to letters the Embassies do not supply.  Not sure what would happen in Canada when applying initially. 

 

BUT I was clear to her. 

[Liquorice]

15 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

@KhunBENQ @DrJack54

 

This is what it shows up as on my account

 

Read my previous post (5 above) in reply to brianburi re-using the Bahtnet system of transfers.

[kingstonkid]

8 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Read my previous post (5 above) in reply to brianburi re-using the Bahtnet system of transfers.

 

Yeah I deal with Kbank, so not sure how that will work LOL

 

The olny saving grace that I might have is i deal with pathum Thani and have been doing this for 15 years so they know me there

[Liquorice]

33 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Yeah I deal with Kbank, so not sure how that will work LOL

Ask Kbank about 'credit receipts' as proof of an International transfer.

 

https://www.bot.or.th/en/our-roles/payment-systems/Payment-systems.html

[Tod Daniels]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

There was an exception in the text of 0029.173/Wor 4950.

I would wager not even one SINGLE person got that "exception" when the countries stopped the income affidavits, I have never heard of anyone EVER getting it. 

The good thing was because the embassy letters are valid for 6 months, most people who had extensions in the first half of the year after they stopped issuing the letters were able to get one and use it that year 
 

[Tod Daniels]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Not sure what would happen in Canada when applying initially. 

You can show proof of funds in your canadian bank to get the initial 90 day Non-O visa issued from either Vancouver or Ottawa before you wing your way here 
BUT 
Once you hit the ground you'd need to get a bank account open and get the 800K baht transferred in because you won't get the first year extension using monthly transfer method. (No matter if it mentions that officers should cut people slack who are doing the first year, they just don't)

[Tod Daniels]

FWIW: Canada stopped issuing those affidavit of income notary letters back on April 1st,

I know a person who got one dated end of March from them and his extension isn't until this coming October and because he can apply up to 45 day early he'll still be within the 6 months that letter is valid for. 🙂

He's already started transferring in 65K baht a month so he can get the following year extension via monthly income by transfer method.  

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

I have never heard of anyone EVER getting it. 

 

Only the arrogant would think that means it has never happened.

[Tod Daniels]

27 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Only the arrogant would think that means it has never happened.

So I take it you never heard of it ever happening either. 😉 😛 

[BrandonJT]

6 hours ago, sandyf said:

Only the arrogant would think that means it has never happened.

Only the arrogant would question Tod's knowledge.

[sandyf]

On 8/22/2025 at 11:26 PM, BrandonJT said:

Only the arrogant would question Tod's knowledge.

You mean knowledge based on hear say.

It may come as  a surprise to you but not every visit to immigration appears on the forum.