Sample Us Bank Guarantee Letter

[Sateev]

Having searched the forum already, I can not find an example of exactly what a "letter of guarantee" comprises:

"- In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required. "

Please note that I am NOT applying for an extension of stay from within Thailand. I am applying for a "Long Stay" (non-immigrant O-A) visa at a Thai Embassy in the US.

Can someone either post a duly-redacted copy of a "letter of guarantee" from their US financial institution, or describe such a letter?

Also, just FYI, the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles WILL NOT issue a multiple entry non-immigrant O-A, confirmed by telephone this morning. The consular official said they were told to issue ONLY single entry O-A visas, $65.00. Other non-immigrant visas can be multiple entry, per their website, and phone recording. No other explanation was given, although the guy was helpful (no attitude). He suggested I apply at the Embassy, in Washington, DC.

Any help with the bank letter of guarantee will be appreciated.

Sateev

[rfukata]

I wouldn't place your bet on the Thai Embassy (Los Angeles): there services are poor in my opinion. Why don't you

find a Thai consulate or honorary consulate away from California. (google the consulate info)

For your bank guarantee letter or affidavit, I have used at times a letter issued from my bank that states I maintain a balance

of X amount of dollars and have been banking since i.e. 1990. Also attach your bank statements.

Another option for your visa might be (you'll get more experienced members commenting about actual situations)

just get a single entry and re-apply for your multiple from a neighboring country once you settle in.

You can get a affidavit of income at the US embassy in Bangkok (it cost $30 or $35)

[lopburi3]

They may want the paper notarized (easy at a bank) but believe all they need for text is that your have an amount on deposit that would be more than the 800k baht requirement. You also need medical and police reports if doing in US. LA is known to only issue single entry so really not worth the bother in my opinion - the multi entry provides almost two years stay before you need funds proof in Thailand so it's good for many people. The other method is just get a single entry at an Honorary Consulate and then extend your stay inside Thailand. That requires the money to be in Thailand 2 months however. But no medical or police report.

[Langsuan Man]

Stay away from the Consulate in LA

They appear to be a law onto themselves, especially not issuing a multiple entry non immigrant O-A Visa's (based upon retirement)

I have received multiple entry non immigrant O-A Visa's from the Washington Embassy, twice, and the Consulate in New York, recently

In fact The Consulate in New York would not issue a single entry O-A and would only issue a multiple

Royal Thai Consulate General

351 E 52nd Street

New York, NY 10022

Tel: 212 754 1770

Fax: 212 754 1907

1. If I should apply for a single entry for $65 USD ? For O-A visa, we only issue a multiple entries visa. The fee is $ 175.

In all cases I only had to submit a Earnings Statement (non notarized) from the Retirement branch of my previous employer to show the 65, 000 THB income

[Sateev]

They may want the paper notarized (easy at a bank) but believe all they need for text is that your have an amount on deposit that would be more than the 800k baht requirement. You also need medical and police reports if doing in US. LA is known to only issue single entry so really not worth the bother in my opinion - the multi entry provides almost two years stay before you need funds proof in Thailand so it's good for many people. The other method is just get a single entry at an Honorary Consulate and then extend your stay inside Thailand. That requires the money to be in Thailand 2 months however. But no medical or police report.

Thanks for the pertinent reply.

And as I originally stated, I confirmed that the LA consulate is fairly useless.

My reason, which I probably should have stated in my original post, is that I WANT the (almost) two years without having to transfer the money into Thailand. After that, I will have retirement income to make up the bulk of the 65K per month/800K aggregate. I can think of better things to do with US$25K than park it in a non-interest bearing savings account, in a country that changes its laws as the wind changes. I am not interested in getting a single-entry and extending inside Thailand. I will apply to the actual Embassy, in Washington, DC.

Although I certainly respect Lopburi's opinion on the text of the letter, I hope someone with actual experience obtaining the bank letter will post a more specific answer to my original question, i.e., a copy of an actual letter that was sufficient. I will be cutting it fairly close in terms of my departure date, and obtaining the visa, and don't want to leave it to chance. I can't imagine what a bank could guarantee that would have any bearing on immigration. If a notarized copy of a bank statement would do, I could comprehend.

Also, I need to know if funds held in a 401(k) (which are fully fungible at my age (59 1/2)) can be used, or whether I need to transfer them into a checking or savings account first.

Thanks again.

Sateev

[Sateev]

In all cases I only had to submit a Earnings Statement (non notarized) from the Retirement branch of my previous employer to show the 65, 000 THB income

Thanks. However, I will not have retirement income for the first two years, so I need to know what a "letter of guarantee from the bank" means as it pertains to the 800K equivalent in deposits.

Good info about the New York Consulate, I will give them a try.

-S

[craigt3365]

I got my OA from the LA embassy in November of last year. It was easy and they were very quick. No hassles at all. I even called them twice and they answered my questions.

Here in Thailand, I just got my income verification letter from the US embassy. You don't have to show anything, just fill out the form and put in whatever amount you want. A notary will ask you if this is true, you sign, and are done. So....you can say you make 65k Baht a month and nobody will question you.

I have a Thai wife, but am going the long-stay route as I think it is easier. I don't have 800k baht in the bank. Just the income verification letter and that is all I need...at least I hope so! Going to the immigration office here in Jomtien next week for my conversion.

If you don't like LA, try the one in Oregon. I called her also and she was really nice. But I read somewhere that it needs to be done in the region you live in. I was in Vegas and LA covered that area...so I sent it to LA just to be safe. The lady in Oregon said she could do it also.....

[lopburi3]

That "notary" is a Department of State Consular Officer and that document is a statement of fact made under oath and witnessed by that officer.

[JusMe]

I've had an O-A visa from the Thai Consulate in Vancouver several times.

I've sent them the appropriate police check and medical form, as well as copies of some related income tax letter from Revenue Canada, to show my income for the previous year.

I've also had an investment brokerage send a letter for me as well, as I don't keep that kind of cash in a simple bank account.

Although it's four years old, this is all I had in the letter from the brokerage firm (personal info deleted). The cash amount indicated was Canadian dollars, and more than the necessary amount in Thai baht. And I indicated that I had at least that amount for several years, not wanting to divulge too much personal financial info.

Hope it helps. Different country, different consulate. I'm no longer with that brokerage, but have managed something similar from the firm I'm with now.

[Gary A]

I applied for the retirement based visa at the LA Consulate and found them to be very rude and not helpful at all. (Thai woman) My biggest problem at that time was the medical clearance. My doctor wouldn't sign off without the tests and my insurance company refused to pay for the tests. They were quite expensive. They issued me a six month tourist visa and I got my visa here in Thailand without any problems.

[Langsuan Man]

Send an email to The Royal Thai Consulate in New York and ask them exactly what they want in the Bank "letter of guarantee" and then include their answer with your application

email them at

[email protected]

[Sateev]

Send an email to The Royal Thai Consulate in New York and ask them exactly what they want in the Bank "letter of guarantee" and then include their answer with your application

email them at

[email protected]

Thanks. I will do exactly that. And in a nearly unheard of twist: I will post the reply here, so that others may benefit.

JusMe: Appreciate your posting the letter.

And others: please take heed of Lopburi3's warning: the income statement obtained at the US Embassy (and completely irrelevant to my original question) is done UNDER OATH. Any suggestion that someone be less than truthful has no place here, and puts those who can legitimately attest to the proper level of income at risk of undue suspicion/scrutiny.

-S

[tripplejjj]

That "notary" is a Department of State Consular Officer and that document is a statement of fact made under oath and witnessed by that officer.

This is a legally binding document. The IRS can come after you using this document alone. Perjury is a crime. (Only if prosecuted.)

[redwood13]

As another suggested, apply for the O-A at the Honorary Consulate in Portland, OR. They don't have any territorial limits as far as applicants go. Turnaround was very quick.

Back in 2003 I submitted the following letter to Portland on a Wells Fargo letterhead.

My name and mailing address.

"At the close of business day M/D/Y the to your credit on our books for your checking account was $XXXX.xx. The balance to your credit on our books for you savings account was $XXXX.xx."

Authorized Signature

[Also enclosed business card of the signatory with contact details.]

I always suspected the word "guarantee" as used in describing the bank letter is some sort of mistranslation from the Thai.

-redwood

[craigt3365]

That "notary" is a Department of State Consular Officer and that document is a statement of fact made under oath and witnessed by that officer.

This is a legally binding document. The IRS can come after you using this document alone. Perjury is a crime. (Only if prosecuted.)

Yep, totally understood. I went low just to be safe, and fully agree with what you say. But I can believe there are some who would take advantage of this process.

Notarized documents in my business are a routine thing. Legally binding for sure.

I tried to mention the ease with which you can get the certified income letter, but implied something else...sorry!

At least one part of the visa application process is relatively easy....

[Sateev]

As promised, I sent the following to the Royal Thai Consulate, New York:

"Dear Consular Official,

I am beginning the process of applying for a Non-Immigrant O-A visa. I note the following requirement from your website:

"- In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required. "

Could you please provide a sample letter, or inform me as to the required form or content of an acceptable letter to meet this requirement?

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

[sateev]"

I received this reply, less than 24 hours later:

" Please indicate your financial information including the amount of money, when you opened the account with the bank, any other investment/ CDs if you have, etc.

Sincerely,

Royal Thai Consulate General

351 E 52nd Street

New York, NY 10022

Tel: 212 754 1770

Fax: 212 754 1907"

While not exactly illuminating, it seems that the "guarantee" part, as redwood13 said, is a probable mistranslation.

I'll send a copy of the email along with my 'guarantee letter'.

Thanks to all who posted. Hope this thread will be helpful to those who choose this path.

Sateev

[Langsuan Man]

Just send them your latest statement, which will be official looking enough for their purposes (and of course the email response)

[craigt3365]

Just send them your latest statement, which will be official looking enough for their purposes (and of course the email response)

That's all I sent as well...worked fine...and mine was printed off the internet!

[JRinger]

I got my OA from the LA embassy in November of last year. It was easy and they were very quick. No hassles at all. I even called them twice and they answered my questions.

Here in Thailand, I just got my income verification letter from the US embassy. You don't have to show anything, just fill out the form and put in whatever amount you want. A notary will ask you if this is true, you sign, and are done. So....you can say you make 65k Baht a month and nobody will question you.

I have a Thai wife, but am going the long-stay route as I think it is easier. I don't have 800k baht in the bank. Just the income verification letter and that is all I need...at least I hope so! Going to the immigration office here in Jomtien next week for my conversion.

If you don't like LA, try the one in Oregon. I called her also and she was really nice. But I read somewhere that it needs to be done in the region you live in. I was in Vegas and LA covered that area...so I sent it to LA just to be safe. The lady in Oregon said she could do it also.....

If there's a crackdown or change or policy change we know who to hang.(ref: paragraph 2.)

Don't people know how to keep a lid on somethings?

[Sateev]

Update on Royal Thai Consul-General, Los Angeles

On 21 February, I attended a special visit of the Royal Thai Consul-General, Los Angeles, Mr. Damrong Kraikruan, at Wat BuddhajakraMongkolratanaram in Escondido, California. Mr. Damrong has been Consul for approximately nine months, and seemed eager to promote Thailand as a place for investment (his job, of course), but, also, as a place to retire.

During the question-and-answer period following his speech, I asked a polite, but pointed question about the availability of multiple-entry, Non-Immigrant O-A (Longstay) visas at the Royal Thai Consulate, LA. I pointed out that the website SPECIFICALLY stated that multiple-entry O-A visa would NOT be issued.

Mr. Damrong's response was that they certainly WOULD be issued, and that his administration was dedicated to adherence to Thai law, and would NOT be capriciously denying any legal visa. He also said he would check into the current policy, and correct it if necessary.

I followed up with an email, thanking him for his attention. I can note that, at this time, the website has been corrected, and that there is indeed an option for the multiple-entry, O-A visa ($175). In a couple of months, I will avail myself of this service, and report back with my experience.

I am STILL not sure what form my "letter of guarantee" will take, but I intend to leave myself plenty of time to get it sorted, even if it means several submissions. I will post a copy (suitably redacted) as an example for others to follow.

Seems there is some hope for fair treatment at the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles. We shall see.

Sateev

[Sateev]

Update #2 on Royal Thai Consul-General, Los Angeles

This morning, I received the following as part of an email from the Thai Consulate, LA:

"Thank you for your request for information regarding visas for Thailand. I saw on the web site Thaivisa.com that there is some confusion about the wording of “Bank guarantee.” Actually it is a letter from the bank stating something along the line of, for example, “Mr. X” has been a customer of “Bank X” and has maintained an account or accounts in excess of $23,000.

The letter is not a guarantee from the bank but basically a letter supporting the amount(s) shown on the applicant’s bank/financial statement(s)."

So, the consular employee monitors ThaiVisa!

This is very helpful information, and I called and spoke to the same employee after I read the email. He answered a couple of other questions, and stated unequivocally that they will issue multiple-entry, non-immigrant O-A visas.

I also had a question about the requirement for the medical certificate, police report, and bank statement to be notarized. He indicated that the notarization was only needed to verify the identity of the named individual. The doctor/police/bank official need NOT be present.

I consider this a new era of helpfulness and cooperation from the LA Consulate, and encourage people to begin again to deal with them.

Sateev

reason for edit: misspelled my own nick!

Edited April 1, 2010 by Sateev

[Maestro]

The Thai consulate in Los Angeles, and I believe also the one in Chicago, are government-staffed consulates and therefore are allowed to issue the non-OA visa, in addition to the consular section of the Thai embassy in Washington, whereas honorary consulates cannot.

--

Maestro

[hhgz]

If you are receiving US Social Security benefits, the SSA will provide you with a letter confirming the amount of your pension.

[Sateev]

The Thai consulate in Los Angeles, and I believe also the one in Chicago, are government-staffed consulates and therefore are allowed to issue the non-OA visa, in addition to the consular section of the Thai embassy in Washington, whereas honorary consulates cannot.

--

Maestro

You are, of course, correct. Both LA and Chicago have official (not honorary) Royal Thai Consulates General.

The problem has been that the Consulate in LA would not issue multiple-entry non-O-A or multiple entry Tourist visas, in spite of the immigration rules allowing them. When I met with the new Consul, and queried him about that policy, he replied that his Consulate MUST comply with Thai immigration law, and issue those visas, in the absence of a valid reason to deny them. He didn't seem aware that the Consulate's website didn't offer those visas, either.

Since then, the policy has changed to be in full compliance, although, as of a week ago, on their website, the visa validity was still not correct for the O-A visa. It said only 90 days, but a quick call to the visa office confirmed that for O-A multiple entry visas, the validity is one year. The English section of the website appears to be much older than the new, re-vamped Thai side of the site.

In any case, I have happy news: after a lot of clarification about the wording of documents, particularly the misnamed "bank guarantee", and a lot of copying, notarizing, and scrambling around, I submitted my non O-A application on Tuesday, 27 July, and got it back in the mail today, 29 July! Approved, multiple entry, one year validity.

The entire process was relatively painless, although there is still a bit of gruffness from the Thai lady who collates your paperwork ("Start Here"). The visa clerk, a farang, went out of his way to be helpful, even telling me that if there was a problem, he would let me know, and find a way to fix it by fax (I live in San Diego). He checked everything thoroughly, and sent me to the cashier, and voila! Done in 20 min.

I am very encouraged by the way things went, and I truly believe the Consul General has a 'service mind', and the best interests of his country at heart.

Sateev