Hi all. I'm in the middle of trying to put together the paperwork for my annual retirement extension for the Koh Samui Immigration office. Hopefully based on income as opposed to the 800K as I've now had 12 regular international monthly transfers into my Bangkok Bank above the required 65k baht. As a fall back I've had the 800k in the same bank for about the last 14 months or so. My visa appointment is the 15th and my visa finishes on the 16th so I'm really concerned that I may be missing something for the application. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm just back from Bangkok Bank (Central Samui). The checklist from Samui IO has for the income "proof of pension by showing confirmation letter issued by a bank in Thailand and a bank statement of a bank in Thailand showing funds transferred from abroad every month for the past 12 months." I tried to ask for the letter from Bangkok Bank Samui but they will not provide this - I ended up just paying 100 baht for the Bank letter that just confirms my balance. The letter has no mention of the regular income payment for each of the last 12 months. I was emailed the 12 month statement from the Bank showing the 12 foreign t/ts each month. Is this sufficient, i.e. the Bangkok Bank letter showing the balance and the statement showing the 12 foreign t/ts above 65000 baht for the immigration office? I've read through the idiots guide to extending on Samui but can't see that situation is covered.

In addition, my passbook / bank book has big gaps in the updates. I have Nov 24 to March 25, Oct 25 to Oct 25 and Dec 26 to now. I spoke to Bangkok Bank on this today and they just updated the book and said it needs to be updated every 30 days and nothing they can do. I will obviously need to print out the pages, are these gaps an issue? given that I have the 12 month statement showing all the transactions and the balance above 800K throughout. I will also make a transaction on the day of the appointment, update the pass book and get that page printed.

Final query (hopefully), assuming this goes through OK. How do you know that the extension is based on income and not the 800K? Is this confirmed in the papers stapled into the passport? or somewhere else?

thanks in advance for any replies.

You are confused with income letter from bank.

Also what's required from bank.

You need

1. Bank Letter. This just verifies you as the owner and balance on day of issue.

2. 12 month bank statement. This shows 12 monthly international transfers of 65k +

3. Update your bank book on day of application.

4. The bank statement will also show you maintained the 800k for first 3 months after previous application.

24 minutes ago, qwab32 said:

Final query (hopefully), assuming this goes through OK. How do you know that the extension is based on income and not the 800K? Is this confirmed in the papers stapled into the passport? or somewhere else?

When the io is looking at your 12 month bank statement inform the io that you are changing to income method.. She will check that you maintained the 800k for first 3 months of previous application and also check your 12 international transfers. Best to highlight (*) the transfer entries.

Also request statement in Thai language.

Note: BBL takes 3-5 days to provide bank statement (200b)

Bank letter (100b)

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

When the io is looking at your 12 month bank statement inform the io that you are changing to income method.. She will check that you maintained the 800k for first 3 months of previous application and also check your 12 international transfers. Best to highlight (*) the transfer entries.

Also request statement in Thai language.

Note: BBL takes 3-5 days to provide bank statement (200b)

Bank letter (100b)

Thanks Dr Jack - do you know if the statements requested through the app are the same statements I would receive if I requested from the actual branch. I asked the teller at Bangkok Bank today and he said yes, they are the same, but I'm not 100% convinced. I requested through the app and they arrived in about 1 hour. I requested in English and Thai (through the app) but both look the same. I would be happy to visit the bank again, pay them and get their statements if it makes the process easier.

9 minutes ago, qwab32 said:

Thanks Dr Jack - do you know if the statements requested through the app are the same statements I would receive if I requested from the actual branch. I asked the teller at Bangkok Bank today and he said yes, they are the same, but I'm not 100% convinced. I requested through the app and they arrived in about 1 hour. I requested in English and Thai (through the app) but both look the same. I would be happy to visit the bank again, pay them and get their statements if it makes the process easier.

The thing missing is the Banks stamp and signature which immigration won't like. Likely the bank won't stamp/sign your homemade version. Best go back and get them to get the statement for you.

22 minutes ago, qwab32 said:

Thanks Dr Jack - do you know if the statements requested through the app are the same statements I would receive if I requested from the actual branch. I asked the teller at Bangkok Bank today and he said yes, they are the same, but I'm not 100% convinced.

They may look the same as a statement issued by your bank branch, but copies from your App will not be 'certified' by the bank and may be refused by Immigration, as pointed out by @Upnotover. When ordered and issued by the bank branch, they will stamp and sign the statement, certifying it as an original copy.

Also, the standard letter confirming your name, account number and balance addressed to Immigration is commonly known as a 'bank account balance certificate', by the branch staff.

Thanks for all the information. Back to the bank for the statements.

4 hours ago, qwab32 said:

My visa appointment is the 15th and my visa finishes on the 16th so I'm really concerned that I may be missing something for the application.

Your visa would have expired a long time ago, you're applying to extend your permission of stay for another year.

You can apply up to 30 days early, never a good idea to apply at the last minute

Just now, Liquorice said:

Your visa would have expired a long time ago, you're applying to extend your permission of stay for another year.

You can apply up to 30 days early, never a good idea to apply at the last minute.

I'll remember for next year. The officer at Samui was not too please when I turned up with 10 days to go. They managed to squeeze me in eventually.

1 minute ago, qwab32 said:

I'll remember for next year. The officer at Samui was not too please when I turned up with 10 days to go. They managed to squeeze me in eventually.

I stand to be corrected, but isn't Koh Samui one of the oddball Immigration offices that still request a 'Health certificate' for extensions based on retirement.

40 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

I stand to be corrected, but isn't Koh Samui one of the oddball Immigration offices that still request a 'Health certificate' for extensions based on retirement.

It was required last year, but the list of requirements has it scored out now so not required.

Just an update on the 12 month bank statement from Bangkok Bank. I was in two different branches and asked for the 12 month statement for the visa extension. Both stated that this would be emailed to me in 2 days and would be the same as if i requested through the app. I asked if I can bring this into the branch to be stamped and signed and they said - no. For the second branch (Bophut) I explained that I ordered a copy through the app today and received it within about 30 minutes. The teller again explained that the copy received would be the same as if she ordered it - both emailed in the same way. She was fairly confident that account holders requiring 12 month statements for visas have been using this option on Koh Samui. Fingers crossed this works. I ended up paying 100 baht for a 6 month statement which they signed and stamped. Not sure if this will help or not.

11 hours ago, qwab32 said:

I ended up paying 100 baht for a 6 month statement which they signed and stamped. Not sure if this will help or not.

How will a 6 month bank statement help when you need statement showing 12 international transfers

One every month for the year

15 hours ago, qwab32 said:

Fingers crossed this works

Hmm, not sure that it will, I think, particularly given @Upnotover 's comments. And I doubt whether a 6-month statement in isolation will cut the mustard with IMM.

Unfortunately it would appear that both BBL branches you've approached have been giving you duff info regarding the availability of signed and stamped 12-month statements. No way that IMM will accept unsigned and unstamped copies issued by email: you need instead to insist on paper copies duly signed aand stamped, which, as already said, will take 3-5 days to show up - even if this does necessitate some effort being expended by lazy BBL branch officials.

Another important point to bear in mind is that each of your monthly transfers must be recorded as an International Transfer in a signed and stamped 12-month BBL statement (as well as FTT standing for Foreign Telegraphic Transfer in the related account passbook). Any other classification is unlikely to satisfy IMM's requirements since this would not, in their eyes, adequately prove the foreign origin of the transfer(s) in question.

20 hours ago, Upnotover said:

The thing missing is the Banks stamp and signature which immigration won't like.

I requested (in person) and received (in person, after ~ 8 days) a printed (dot matrix) 12-month statement from Bangkok Bank.

It had no stamps or signatures.

3 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

I requested (in person) and received (in person, after ~ 8 days) a printed (dot matrix) 12-month statement from Bangkok Bank.

It had no stamps or signatures.

And that was accepted by immigration for annual extension?

22 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

And that was accepted by immigration for annual extension?

Because I ordered the 12-month statement too late - it took nine (9) days, and I had an appointment - I completed my annual ext stay/ret-inc (CW) without submitting or being asked to submit a statement. I've never been asked for a statement (eight-ish years). I do carry a 12-month statement from the mobile app as back-up. I also carry supporting documents and provenance for my monthly transfers, but these are never required.

Interestingly, the receipt (200 baht) for the printed statement does have two stamps, and three signatures.

I provide passbook+copy, twelve Credit Advice Receipts (CAR), the bank's CAR Summary cover letter addressed to Immigration, and an Account Ownership Letter.

18 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I completed my annual ext stay/ret-inc (CW) without submitting or being asked to submit a statement.

So the bank statement for your extension was irrelevant.

Can be successful if using money in bank method and providing bank book with photocopies provided there is an update/transaction every month.

Also sometimes bank statement not required for FD account.

Using income method would strongly suggest to folk to provided a 12 month bank statement.

One provided by the bank branch and stamped/signed by the bank.

The transfers need to be coded as international transfers

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So the bank statement for your extension was irrelevant.

Yes, but I didn't know that at the time.

I wanted to get one on order in case they required it.

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Using income method would strongly suggest to folk to provided a 12 month bank statement.

If pressed I'll try to pass the mobile app statement, and get a proper one on order from BBL ahead of time.

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The transfers need to be coded as international transfers

Yes, of course. FTT coded in the passbook. And the CARs and cover letter show that the transfers come from outside Thailand.

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

One provided by the bank branch and stamped/signed by the bank.

Like I said, my BBL statement was not signed or stamped.

On 1/8/2026 at 1:26 PM, qwab32 said:

I was emailed the 12 month statement from the Bank showing the 12 foreign t/ts each month. Is this sufficient, i.e. the Bangkok Bank letter showing

thanks in advance for any replies.

I know this is Samui. In Pattaya they accepted the emailed Bangkok Bank Statement. I also have big gaps in the bank book. My opinion is they are concerned with a confirmed letter from the bank, the amount has been within the amounts and time frames required consistently and like mentioned for monthly amounts the amounts , source and monthly deposits appear consistent.

On 1/8/2026 at 7:26 AM, qwab32 said:

Hi all. I'm in the middle of trying to put together the paperwork for my annual retirement extension for the Koh Samui Immigration office. Hopefully based on income as opposed to the 800K as I've now had 12 regular international monthly transfers into my Bangkok Bank above the required 65k baht. As a fall back I've had the 800k in the same bank for about the last 14 months or so. My visa appointment is the 15th and my visa finishes on the 16th so I'm really concerned that I may be missing something for the application. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm just back from Bangkok Bank (Central Samui). The checklist from Samui IO has for the income "proof of pension by showing confirmation letter issued by a bank in Thailand and a bank statement of a bank in Thailand showing funds transferred from abroad every month for the past 12 months." I tried to ask for the letter from Bangkok Bank Samui but they will not provide this - I ended up just paying 100 baht for the Bank letter that just confirms my balance. The letter has no mention of the regular income payment for each of the last 12 months. I was emailed the 12 month statement from the Bank showing the 12 foreign t/ts each month. Is this sufficient, i.e. the Bangkok Bank letter showing the balance and the statement showing the 12 foreign t/ts above 65000 baht for the immigration office? I've read through the idiots guide to extending on Samui but can't see that situation is covered.

In addition, my passbook / bank book has big gaps in the updates. I have Nov 24 to March 25, Oct 25 to Oct 25 and Dec 26 to now. I spoke to Bangkok Bank on this today and they just updated the book and said it needs to be updated every 30 days and nothing they can do. I will obviously need to print out the pages, are these gaps an issue? given that I have the 12 month statement showing all the transactions and the balance above 800K throughout. I will also make a transaction on the day of the appointment, update the pass book and get that page printed.

Final query (hopefully), assuming this goes through OK. How do you know that the extension is based on income and not the 800K? Is this confirmed in the papers stapled into the passport? or somewhere else?

thanks in advance for any replies.

It might be worth for you to use the pinned thread about "Samui Immigration" in the local Samui/Phangan/Tao-forum, which might help you with fast replies from locals. Link here is for the last posting:

Bangkok Bank branches – and the islands main office in Nathon iight be better to use than their Central Festival branch – cannot issue any statements for more tha 6 month. You will need to order a 12-months statement from the headoffice in Bangkok – the branch will do that for you – and pick it up in the branch, don't accept a statement by E-mail, it need to wet-sign it for the immigration office and a bank branch will nopt sign a print from your E-mailed statement. It might take up to a week to get it, but ask the banch; again preferable in the Nathon main office that are used to deal with that kind. A statement from the head office costs 200 baht.

Updates of bank book can show "combined" with only a balce as withdrawal or deposit for a period. Best thing is to keep your bankbook regulary updates, if you use the income method. Samui Immigration require photo copies of all pages in the bank book, need to be portrait format and signed by you.

You might need to use the 800k method one more year, if you cannot provide full documentation; but ask at the immigration office, if they will accept the bank's statement coming later. If you keep the 800k baht in a 12-months fixed term deposit, Samui Immigration use to acceot bank letter plus a 3-months statement; the do for me, I've used the deposit method since 2007 and last extended my stay in October 2026.

Please note, that your bank book(s) need to be update "same day" as you application for extended stay. If you appointment is early, they might accept updated from the day before – the accept that for me, but I'm using a 12-months fixed deposit. Your photo copies of (all pages in) the bank book need to include the "same day update". There is a photo copy service-shop next to the immigration office.

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

It might be worth for you to use the pinned thread about "Samui Immigration" in the local Samui/Phangan/Tao-forum, which might help you with fast replies from locals. Link here is for the last posting:

Bangkok Bank branches – and the islands main office in Nathon iight be better to use than their Central Festival branch – cannot issue any statements for more tha 6 month. You will need to order a 12-months statement from the headoffice in Bangkok – the branch will do that for you – and pick it up in the branch, don't accept a statement by E-mail, it need to wet-sign it for the immigration office and a bank branch will nopt sign a print from your E-mailed statement. It might take up to a week to get it, but ask the banch; again preferable in the Nathon main office that are used to deal with that kind. A statement from the head office costs 200 baht.

Updates of bank book can show "combined" with only a balce as withdrawal or deposit for a period. Best thing is to keep your bankbook regulary updates, if you use the income method. Samui Immigration require photo copies of all pages in the bank book, need to be portrait format and signed by you.

You might need to use the 800k method one more year, if you cannot provide full documentation; but ask at the immigration office, if they will accept the bank's statement coming later. If you keep the 800k baht in a 12-months fixed term deposit, Samui Immigration use to acceot bank letter plus a 3-months statement; the do for me, I've used the deposit method since 2007 and last extended my stay in October 2026.

Please note, that your bank book(s) need to be update "same day" as you application for extended stay. If you appointment is early, they might accept updated from the day before – the accept that for me, but I'm using a 12-months fixed deposit. Your photo copies of (all pages in) the bank book need to include the "same day update". There is a photo copy service-shop next to the immigration office.

Thanks. Much appreciated

3 hours ago, J Branche said:

I know this is Samui. In Pattaya they accepted the emailed Bangkok Bank Statement. I also have big gaps in the bank book. My opinion is they are concerned with a confirmed letter from the bank, the amount has been within the amounts and time frames required consistently and like mentioned for monthly amounts the amounts , source and monthly deposits appear consistent.

Thanks

On 1/8/2026 at 1:49 PM, DrJack54 said:

You are confused with income letter from bank.

Also what's required from bank.

You need

1. Bank Letter. This just verifies you as the owner and balance on day of issue.

2. 12 month bank statement. This shows 12 monthly international transfers of 65k +

3. Update your bank book on day of application.

4. The bank statement will also show you maintained the 800k for first 3 months after previous application.

Samui immigration now allow you to get the bank documents the day before your appointment as all appointments are for 0830am.

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

It might be worth for you to use the pinned thread about "Samui Immigration" in the local Samui/Phangan/Tao-forum, which might help you with fast replies from locals. Link here is for the last posting:

Bangkok Bank branches – and the islands main office in Nathon iight be better to use than their Central Festival branch – cannot issue any statements for more tha 6 month. You will need to order a 12-months statement from the headoffice in Bangkok – the branch will do that for you – and pick it up in the branch, don't accept a statement by E-mail, it need to wet-sign it for the immigration office and a bank branch will nopt sign a print from your E-mailed statement. It might take up to a week to get it, but ask the banch; again preferable in the Nathon main office that are used to deal with that kind. A statement from the head office costs 200 baht.

Updates of bank book can show "combined" with only a balce as withdrawal or deposit for a period. Best thing is to keep your bankbook regulary updates, if you use the income method. Samui Immigration require photo copies of all pages in the bank book, need to be portrait format and signed by you.

You might need to use the 800k method one more year, if you cannot provide full documentation; but ask at the immigration office, if they will accept the bank's statement coming later. If you keep the 800k baht in a 12-months fixed term deposit, Samui Immigration use to acceot bank letter plus a 3-months statement; the do for me, I've used the deposit method since 2007 and last extended my stay in October 2026.

Please note, that your bank book(s) need to be update "same day" as you application for extended stay. If you appointment is early, they might accept updated from the day before – the accept that for me, but I'm using a 12-months fixed deposit. Your photo copies of (all pages in) the bank book need to include the "same day update". There is a photo copy service-shop next to the immigration office.

Just visited Nathon. They are the same as Bophut and Chaweng. 200 baht for a statement which they will email in 2 days. And they won't sign or stamp it. I already ordered one from Chaweng so didn't bother with ordering again from Nathon. The statement ordered from Chaweng is the same as if you order from the app. I'll just have see what happens on Thursday at immigration.

1 hour ago, CFCol said:

Samui immigration now allow you to get the bank documents the day before your appointment as all appointments are for 0830am.

Thanks

Bangkok Bank are universally dreadful. They have their own unilateral pllicies around Visa’s and deposits. It’s not Royal Thai Police Immigration Policy it is them…

When it’s done change your bank. Like I did. No issues elsewhere.

Doing your own Visa take’s planning, and that starts the moment you get your new Visa. Renew it early if you can , you can do so up to 30 days before. Any unforeseen issues can be put right. Leave it late and there’s an issue, things get difficult. Good luck

43 minutes ago, Jon Kenealy said:

Bangkok Bank are universally dreadful. They have their own unilateral pllicies around Visa’s and deposits. It’s not Royal Thai Police Immigration Policy it is them…

When it’s done change your bank. Like I did. No issues elsewhere.

Doing your own Visa take’s planning, and that starts the moment you get your new Visa. Renew it early if you can , you can do so up to 30 days before. Any unforeseen issues can be put right. Leave it late and there’s an issue, things get difficult. Good luck

Actually 45 days prior it can be done.

3 hours ago, Jon Kenealy said:

Bangkok Bank are universally dreadful. They have their own unilateral pllicies around Visa’s and deposits. It’s not Royal Thai Police Immigration Policy it is them…

When it’s done change your bank. Like I did. No issues elsewhere.

Doing your own Visa take’s planning, and that starts the moment you get your new Visa. Renew it early if you can , you can do so up to 30 days before. Any unforeseen issues can be put right. Leave it late and there’s an issue, things get difficult. Good luck

Thanks

I just returned form my local immigration office in Phetchaburi. I tried to use the monthly income method to satisfy the income requirement. I had a 12 month stamped and signed statement from Bangkok Bank showing regular deposits of well over bt 65,000 every month (12months). Was told by immigration that I need a certified statement to verify the source of the funds that were deposited. The funds are from a pension. This is an immigration issue not a bank issue

This is the first time I have used the monthly method as I used the 800,000 lump sum method in years past. Is this the standard requirement for monthly income?

Thanks

6 minutes ago, dinger said:

I had a 12 month stamped and signed statement from Bangkok Bank showing regular deposits of well over bt 65,000 every month (12months).

You stated"regular deposits" If you mean monthly transfers of 65k + shown as international transfers then that should be accepted.

How do you transfer the monthly amount