800,000 In The Bank?

[Asmerom]

I carelessly used my Kasikorn bank card to buy some groceries in a Chiang Mai store and allowed my 800,000 to slip 315.18 below on 6th Feb. On the 8th Feb I restored the balance to 809,000.

A poster on the Chiang Mai Forum tells me that in all liklihood I will now have to start all over again and apply for a new Visa in my own country-- the UK!! My Visa is due fo renewal on 13th March 2010.

Is this horrific consequence really likely? All for the sake of £6 !! Probably costing me £1,500 in travel expenses.

[Lite Beer]

You are at the mercy of the Immigration Officer. Yes it is quite possible that you will be turned down.

Go and have a chat with them. You might be OK.

If you did have to start again you can get a Non Imm O Visa from a neighbouring country.

No need to go to UK.

[chiang mai]

This is a real long shot but maybe worth a try:

Do you have any other older Thai bank accounts that you no longer use that contain small amounts of money. if so you can combine multiple accounts to achieve the required balance.

[Asmerom]

You are at the mercy of the Immigration Officer. Yes it is quite possible that you will be turned down.

Go and have a chat with them. You might be OK.

If you did have to start again you can get a Non Imm O Visa from a neighbouring country.

No need to go to UK.

So I could go to Mae Sai, Burma? Or would it have to be a Capital City?

Edited February 10, 2010 by thaiphoon

[thaiphoon]

You would have to obtain Non-O visa from consulate abroad. You cannot obtain at the border.

[Asmerom]

You are at the mercy of the Immigration Officer. Yes it is quite possible that you will be turned down.

Go and have a chat with them. You might be OK.

If you did have to start again you can get a Non Imm O Visa from a neighbouring country.

No need to go to UK.

So I could go to Mae Sai, Burma? Or would it have to be a Capital City?

I just read in a paper in my file headed Royal Thai Consulate ; " Please bear in mind that lt is highly unlikely that you will be able to obtain a Non immigrant Visa with multiple entries from any country other than your country of nationality". I am currently wanting to renew my Visa for one year. A sort of "retirement" Visa.

[Lite Beer]

You should have no problem getting a single entry Non Imm O Visa. This would give you time to season your 800,000 Baht.

It might not even come to that.

[Asmerom]

You should have no problem getting a single entry Non Imm O Visa. This would give you time to season your 800,000 Baht.

It might not even come to that.

Many thanks for your help and advice.

[123ace]

Ask the Bank to provide statements from the day prior to, or following the top up for the month affected. It is not a probelm at all - just look at it from a different persepective.

[Lite Beer]

Ask the Bank to provide statements from the day prior to, or following the top up for the month affected. It is not a probelm at all - just look at it from a different persepective.

They would see the shortfall in his bank book.

[Asmerom]

Ask the Bank to provide statements from the day prior to, or following the top up for the month affected. It is not a probelm at all - just look at it from a different persepective.

Not sure how that helps. My visa is due for renewal in four weeks time.The 800,000 has to be sitting in the account for three months.

[lopburi3]

Do you have any pension income you could get a letter from your Embassy to provide with the bank balance? That should remove the 3 month rule (or at least provide them a excuse to do so).

[TaoNow]

OP's case is just another reason for parking the 800K baht in a local fixed deposit account and putting an end to balance angst -- if you can afford to let this chunk of money sit there earning very little interest.

[Asmerom]

Do you have any pension income you could get a letter from your Embassy to provide with the bank balance? That should remove the 3 month rule (or at least provide them a excuse to do so).

No, not really. I just have the small Nat Insurance Pension of about £350 paid into my UK Bank Account. I do have zillions of stocks and shares though.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Asmerom

[lopburi3]

That should work - take evidence of that to UK Consul and have a letter written.

[Lite Beer]

Do you have any pension income you could get a letter from your Embassy to provide with the bank balance? That should remove the 3 month rule (or at least provide them a excuse to do so).

No, not really. I just have the small Nat Insurance Pension of about £350 paid into my UK Bank Account. I do have zillions of stocks and shares though.

That would do the trick. Get a letter from the UK Embassy verifying your pension.

Take that to Immigration together with your bank documentation. There is then no need to have the money in the bank for 3 months.

[monty]

Do you have any pension income you could get a letter from your Embassy to provide with the bank balance? That should remove the 3 month rule (or at least provide them a excuse to do so).

No, not really. I just have the small Nat Insurance Pension of about £350 paid into my UK Bank Account. I do have zillions of stocks and shares though.

That would be sufficient.

At current exchange rates this amounts to over 17,500 Baht/month.

Which is a fair bit over 200,000 Baht/year.

Get the statement from your embassy to confirm that income (others will post what you need exactly paperwork wise, I'm not English ).

With that paper you would only need 600,000 Baht in the bank, AND because you are doing the combination bank/income, the funds do not have to be in the bank 3 months prior to application.

[Lite Beer]

From the UK Embassy site. http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for...ng-in-thailand/

Proof of Income Letters

British nationals applying for a visa, or an extension of a visa, with the Thai Immigration Bureau may be asked to obtain a letter from us verifying their income. To obtain the letter you must be registered with us. We will also need to see a copy of your passport and, either bank statements for the previous 3 months, or the original evidence of your pension or income. We charge a fee of THB 2,088 for the letter, which is ready to collect from the Consular Section at 09:00 on the working day after the application is submitted to us. You can also apply for a proof of income letter by post. To apply by post you must ensure that the above documentation is included and that the total amount of pension or income you receive is clearly stated. You can only pay in the following ways;

* Banker's Draft, plus THB 200 administration fee;

* Postal orders payable to 'British Embassy' to be cashed at Nana Post Office, Bangkok 10110 (Please note that online postal orders are not accepted.

Return of the letter by EMS, if you apply in person or by post, costs an additional THB 100.

[chiang mai]

OP's case is just another reason for parking the 800K baht in a local fixed deposit account and putting an end to balance angst -- if you can afford to let this chunk of money sit there earning very little interest.

Except, as reported elsewhere in this forum, Immigration in some parts of the country do want to see movement of funds, money in and money out rather than just a dormant 800k sitting in one place all year. Still doable however but it would require a second account showing such movement.

[Asmerom]

That would do the trick. Get a letter from the UK Embassy verifying your pension.

Take that to Immigration together with your bank documentation. There is then no need to have the money in the bank for 3 months.

What ! Only £350 a month? I thought the pension rule was a few thousand a month before it rendered the 800,000 unnecessary.

[Lite Beer]

(1) The alien has obtained a temporary visa (NON-IM);

(2) The applicant is 50 years of age or over;

(3) Proof of income of not less than Baht 65,000 per month; or

(4) Account deposit with a bank in Thailand of not less than

800,000 Baht as shown in the bank account for the past 3 months at the filing date of the application. For the first year, the applicant should have that amount in his bank account for not less than 60 days or

(5) Annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the filing date of application

[monty]

What ! Only £350 a month? I thought the pension rule was a few thousand a month before it rendered the 800,000 unnecessary.

800,000 Baht is the total per year.

Only pension, then yes you'd need at current exchange rate about 1300 Sterling/month.

But you have the option of combining, as long as the total yearly pension plus the money in the bank is over 800,000 Baht!

[Asmerom]

(5) Annual income plus bank account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the filing date of application[/b]

Great. You've convinced me. The other clauses fit me and Clause No 5 seems to clear the matter up wonderfully. Your help is much appreciated.

[Asmerom]

That would be sufficient.

At current exchange rates this amounts to over 17,500 Baht/month.

Which is a fair bit over 200,000 Baht/year.

Get the statement from your embassy to confirm that income (others will post what you need exactly paperwork wise, I'm not English ).

With that paper you would only need 600,000 Baht in the bank, AND because you are doing the combination bank/income, the funds do not have to be in the bank 3 months prior to application.

I've tried posting my thanks a couple of times without success to all those helpful posters. I hope this time my appreciation for your most welcome and expeienced advice will penetate the defences of the gremlins sabotaging my posts.Your highlighting the relevant rules really does seem to clear the matter up. Much to my relief. Thanks a million or maybe just fractionally short of.

Edited February 10, 2010 by Asmerom

[vicco]

I maintain a FX (foreign exchange) account with a Thai bank. I transfer Canadian dollars in and hold them until exchange rates are favorable. I make fairly regular transfers from my FX account into a joint (with wife) account and of course change to Thb.

My question: Can I use the balance in the FX account to renew my "O" retirement visa. The balance would always be over the 800,000 Thb requirement

and there is lots of "movement" in and out. I have heard that some immigration offices will accept FX balances and others will not. Anyone have

actual experience of this situation?

[Lite Beer]

There have been many reports of FX accounts being accepted as long as the money stays over 800,000 Baht for the required time.

They may not accept a joint account.

[Lite Beer]

Your highlighting the relevant rules really does seem to clear the matter up. Much to my relief. Thanks a million or maybe just fractionally short of.

Good luck. Lets us know how you get on.

[sharecropper]

OP's case is just another reason for parking the 800K baht in a local fixed deposit account and putting an end to balance angst -- if you can afford to let this chunk of money sit there earning very little interest.

What kind of interest would you earn on that, just out of interest!

Thanks.

[jbeck]

Ask the Bank to provide statements from the day prior to, or following the top up for the month affected. It is not a probelm at all - just look at it from a different persepective.

my bank would do the balance letter ONLY for the day I went in to the bank. And no history statement. You need to copy your bankbook.

[moetownblues]

Does this mean that you have to deposit 800,000 in a bank but then you are not allowed to touch it? What is the puppose of this?