Suppose Bangkok Bank lock your deposit for not having been made four months prior, as per policy. You go to the IO the same day but there’s a problem which prevents immigration from accepting the application on the day.

How long have you got until the funds in your bank account disappear..? (I have heard they are not visible on eg statements for the four month period. But beginning when?) Immigration will still want a bank letter issued on the day of the application with a statement showing 400/800k as I understand it? Anyone got an idea of the timeframe until disappearance( if this is what happens).

Or a Decent scan of the agreement they get you to sign? Thanks

They will always be visible on your ledger. They will just not be shown in your available funds.

54 minutes ago, BrandonJT said:

They will always be visible on your ledger. They will just not be shown in your available

58 minutes ago, BrandonJT said:

They will always be visible on your ledger. They will just not be shown in your available funds.

Ok thanks. So Bangkok bank should issue the certificate letter again, and it’s Just a question of what immigration would want to see at that point I.e. funds available to spend for the next four months..?

Logically this could be 4 x 40k or 65k, I guess. And/or annual statement showing total monthly deposits over and above the 400/800k ..?

Just wondering whether Bangkok bank have provided for timing of visa application in the wording of their agreement..? EG a week would be sensible and one day not so sensible…

7 hours ago, James Bernard said:

Just wondering whether Bangkok bank have provided for timing of visa application in the wording of their agreement..? EG a week would be sensible and one day not so sensible…

You are worrying over nothing.

The bank Letter simply shows you as the owner of the account and balance at time of issue.

Proofs of funds can be eg Bank Book or Bank Statement.

The book/statement will show ledger funds not just available funds.

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You are worrying over nothing.

The bank Letter simply shows you as the owner of the account and balance at time of issue.

Proofs of funds can be eg Bank Book or Bank Statement.

The book/statement will show rledger funds not just available funds.

Ah OK thanks yes that is what I originally thought the bank letter was/did more a certificate of authenticity than a ‘three month old deposit certificate’ Will let you know if anything more able happens.

It is as the Dr. order! If you have a ATM for this account place it in, it will provide a breakdown, for example you got 1,000,000 baht, and they locked 800,000 it will show you can withdraw only 200,000 baht.

If you place you bankbook in the update machine it will show your full balance not what is locked or not locked!

But it is really time for many to think about moving their money elsewhere when the lock in period ends! maybe walking with our feet they get the message even if they don't!

1 hour ago, thailand49 said:

It is as the Dr. order! If you have a ATM for this account place it in, it will provide a breakdown, for example you got 1,000,000 baht, and they locked 800,000 it will show you can withdraw only 200,000 baht.

If you place you bankbook in the update machine it will show your full balance not what is locked or not locked!

But it is really time for many to think about moving their money elsewhere when the lock in period ends! maybe walking with our feet they get the message even if they don't!

maybe its just time for some to ensure timely transfers?

On 1/16/2026 at 12:46 AM, James Bernard said:

Ok thanks. So Bangkok bank should issue the certificate letter again, and it’s Just a question of what immigration would want to see at that point I.e. funds available to spend for the next four months..?

Logically this could be 4 x 40k or 65k, I guess. And/or annual statement showing total monthly deposits over and above the 400/800k ..?

You seem to be mixing two financial options. You either show 400/800K in the bank OR show income with monthly deposits.

With 800K in the bank and matching passbook, immigration doesn't ask for proof of other available spending funds(*). The 6/12 month statement is proof you maintained the 400/800 appropriately.

(*) excluding random rouge offices, of course!

I was wondering about this as BK Bank locked my funds and when I asked them they said it was 4 months= 60 days before & 60 days after, but they could not clarify "before & after"! Tomorrow I will go to get my renewed Visa at immigration. Will I be able to retrieve my funds when I go to the bank if I show them my Visa? I will try & if successful I will update this. If anyone has done this yet, please let me know.

Thanks

The last few days Ive lost sleep thinking are they going to lock my money for 4 month.

Should be noted the book I use has well over the baht necessary and is joint with my Thai.

I was hoping for the worse walk in made a small deposit to up date my book then walk over wai and requested the letter, 20 minute wait small chit chat I was out of door no mention of locking any money. Nevertheless , I'm still going to see if I can open another account at Kungsri.

Tomorrow bright and early Immigration. If all goes well like prior in at 8:30 out by 9am

Feedback based on a “friend’s” recent experience with Bangkok Bank.

The Bangkok Bank letter issued once they signed their documentation confirming they agreed to their ฿800,000 being frozen for 4 months showed their Available Balance as the pre-frozen amount.

Example: ฿810,000 in the account:

Available Balance: ฿810,000

฿800,000 was then frozen for 4 months from the date the letter was issued and automatically unfrozen 4 months later e.g. frozen 1st July 2025 - unfrozen 1st November 2025.

As the letter showed the Available Balance as ฿810,000 before the ฿800,000 was frozen there was no issue with Immigration and they accepted the bank letter.

This works for an Annual Extension as only one bank letter is required.

However, if anyone is planning to enter Thailand Visa exempt, apply for a Non-O in country then Extend on the basis of Retirement using Bangkok Bank beware of the following.

If your ฿800,000 is frozen by Bangkok Bank when you apply for the first bank letter to obtain your Non-O under the above scenario the bank letter will show:

Available Balance: ฿810,000

The ฿800,000 is then frozen.

Immigration accept the bank letter.

But when you go to get your second letter for your Extension of Stay based on Retirement the letter, based on the above example, will show:

Available Balance: ฿10,000

and a footnote to the letter stating:

“฿800,000 has been seized”.

This letter is not acceptable to Immigration as you have to have an Available Balance of ฿800,000 for the Extension regardless of the Bank Book showing the Balance as ฿810,000 (using the above example).

The solutions for a Bangkok Bank customer seem to be:

1. Obtain your Non-O visa outside of Thailand and extend on Basis of Retirement in country so only one bank letter is required and will show your Available Balance as ฿810,000 (using the above example).

2. If you enter Thailand Visa exempt and apply for a Non-O in country ensure your ฿800,000 has been in the account for more than 4 months when you apply for the first letter so the ฿800,000 will not be frozen. Your second letter for your Extension on Basis of Retirement will then show Available Balance as ฿810,000 (using the above example).

3. Use another Bank who do not freeze your ฿800,000!

3 minutes ago, skorts said:

"The Bangkok Bank letter issued once they signed their documentation confirming they agreed to their ฿800,000 being frozen for 4 months showed their Available Balance as the pre-frozen amount."

Thank you for this, although it only further muddies the water for my question. I did not get this BK Bank notification until my money had already been in the bank for 60 days & I requested a Current Balance for submitting my Visa renewal to Immig. I guess I will find out in the next 2-3 days

15 minutes ago, skorts said:

The solutions for a Bangkok Bank customer seem to be:

1. Obtain your Non-O visa outside of Thailand and extend on Basis of Retirement in country so only one bank letter is required and will show your Available Balance as ฿810,000 (using the above example).

2. If you enter Thailand Visa exempt and apply for a Non-O in country ensure your ฿800,000 has been in the account for more than 4 months when you apply for the first letter so the ฿800,000 will not be frozen. Your second letter for your Extension on Basis of Retirement will then show Available Balance as ฿810,000 (using the above example).

3. Use another Bank who do not freeze your ฿800,000!

So are you saying if I obtain my Non 0 outside of Thailand when I do my extension after the initial 90 days that Bangkok Bank will not freeze my account?

48 minutes ago, mlkik said:

So are you saying if I obtain my Non 0 outside of Thailand when I do my extension after the initial 90 days that Bangkok Bank will not freeze my account?

Regardless of whether you obtain your Non-O outside of Thailand or within Thailand Bangkok Bank will freeze the ฿800,000 when you apply for your Bank Letter unless the funds have been in your account for 4 months already in which case the ฿800,000 will not be frozen.

Obtaining a Non-O outside of Thailand means only one Bank Letter is required for the Annual Extension Based on Retirement.

Based on my “friends” experience the Bank Letter for his Non-O application in country showed the Available Balance as ฿810,000, in the example I used above, as it was provided before they froze the ฿800,000. The Available Balance on the Banking App was shown as ฿10,000 soon after that day and remained that way until exactly 4 calendar months after the date the Bank Letter was issued when it returned to ฿810,000.

Applying for a Non-O outside of Thailand means the ฿800,000 is frozen for 4 months from the date of issuing the Bank Letter for your Annual Extension Based on Retirement and you don’t need another Bank Letter until your next Annual Extension in 12 months time by which time the ฿800,000 will have been unfrozen and your Available Balance will be shown on the next Bank Letter as ฿810,000 using the example above.

The issue with applying for the Non-O in country is you need two Bank Letters 1. For Non-O Application and 2. For Extension Based on Retirement.

As you have to apply for your Annual Extension Based on Retirement within 4 months of the first Bank Letter, if your ฿800,000 is frozen when you get your first letter it will still be frozen when you apply for your Annual Extension Based on Retirement and the second letter will show the Available Balance as ฿10,000:using the example above. This is why it doesn’t work.

It all comes down to whether your ฿800,000 has been in your Bangkok Bank account for 4 months when you apply for your Bank Letter. If it has not been then entering Visa Exempt, obtaining a Non-O in country and applying for an Annual Extension Based on Retirement doesn’t work.

Sorry, I am very new to this topic. What is this “freezing” of money by Bangkok Bank for a period of 4 months?

Is something that you request to safeguard money? Or something Bangkok Bank do unilaterally? And if the money is frozen, can it still be taken out?

Apologies in advance for the simplistic questions. I haven’t ever heard of this before.

2 hours ago, skorts said:

The issue with applying for the Non-O in country is you need two Bank Letters 1. For Non-O Application and 2. For Extension Based on Retirement.

Thanks ,now I understand what you meant about 2 bank letters. As my proof of funds when applying outside of Thailand will come from the country I am applying from.

3 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Sorry, I am very new to this topic. What is this “freezing” of money by Bangkok Bank for a period of 4 months?

3 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

And if the money is frozen, can it still be taken out?

Not for 4 months.

So is it frozen from when the ฿400,000 - ฿800,000 is in the account or from when the letter is requested.

16 minutes ago, mlkik said:

So is it frozen from when the ฿400,000 - ฿800,000 is in the account or from when the letter is requested.

From when the letter is requested ................. unless said funds have already been in the account for 4 months previously, in which case the letter will be issued and the funds are not frozen.

Just now, Liquorice said:

From when the letter is requested ................. unless said funds have already been in the account for 4 months previously, in which case the letter will be issued and the funds are not frozen.

So if I have money in my account all the time then this does not affect me?

5 minutes ago, mlkik said:

So if I have money in my account all the time then this does not affect me?

Correct.

It only applies to those who haven't had the 400/800K in the bank for 4 months before requesting the letter.

8 hours ago, Liquorice said:

Not for 4 months.

Thanks for sending me this. Good to know. I had no idea Bangkok bank are doing this. I also wonder about the legality of their freezing funds.

If I take the money out and as a result my visa is refused the next time I apply, that is on me. I don’t see that Bangkok bank have any legal standing to effectively act as an extension of immigration by freezing funds on their behalf.

After all, maybe I have more funds in an account at another bank that meets the required amount for immigration.

Anyway, although I have an account at Bangkok bank, I shan’t be using those funds for visa purposes, that’s for sure. I take a dim view of banks freezing MY money just because they think the funds should be used for immigration applications purposes.

17 hours ago, thailand49 said:

Should be noted the book I use has well over the baht necessary and is joint with my Thai.

Be very careful with that , if Immigration notice this then you will be refused your extension.

44 minutes ago, NE1 said:

Be very careful with that , if Immigration notice this then you will be refused your extension.

Indeed. To quote The Man ubonjoe..

"A joint account will not be accepted for a extension based upon marriage"

Note: for married guys you may wish to have your wife as a signatory to your Thai bank account.

That works for immigration

15 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Sorry, I am very new to this topic. What is this “freezing” of money by Bangkok Bank for a period of 4 months?

Is something that you request to safeguard money? Or something Bangkok Bank do unilaterally? And if the money is frozen, can it still be taken out?

Apologies in advance for the simplistic questions. I haven’t ever heard of this before.

Already discussed ad nauseam on here in several threads, including the following quartet:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1368850-alert-bangkok-bank-new-rule-money-seasoning/

https://aseannow.com/topic/1372303-bangkok-bank-restricting-funds-held-for-immigration/

https://aseannow.com/topic/1372870-cant-get-marriage-renewal-because-of-bangkok-bank-and-immigratio/

https://aseannow.com/topic/1382131-bangkok-bank-have-locked-my-400000-baht-balance-for-4-months/

2 hours ago, NE1 said:

Be very careful with that , if Immigration notice this then you will be refused your extension.

I've had this joint account for 20 plus years! I started using it bank deposit of 800,000 the account has well over 8 times the limit, rarely have I ever taken money out but make deposits yearly since I don't buy health insurance anything over the 800,000 is set aside for Medical if necessary.

Wife also knows common sense, if I pass, that money will not be needed it's hers, to tie her and family over until the rest comes from overseas.

Since the American Embassy stopped issuing income letters I used this Joint book at the Pattaya office, which has been at least over 5 years now? Told originally if I want to use the Joint book there must be a " minimum of 800,000 for you and 800,000 for your wife total minimum 1,600,000

million baht.

I went to IQ office this morning, Q was #1 for retirement, I just got back will write my experience this morning on a separate thread.