Non Immigration O Extension Application.

[chokdee69]

My non immigration O visa expires on 05/01/2011, I realise that a requirement is that I have 400,000 baht in my Thai bank account for a minimum of 90 days prior to my application. My question is, whats the minimum time that I can apply for the extension prior to my visas expiry date. Im trying to delay applying for the extension waiting for the cash exchange rate to regain where it was prior to the Australian federal election which resulted in a hung parliament. Thanks.

[Mario2008]

The day you have to leave the country is the last day you can apply for the extension, but you better make sure all paperwork is in order.

The required time for seasoning is 2 months, although some immigration offices demand 3 months after your first extension.

If it is your multiple non-O VISA itself that will expire and you still are doing 90 day runs, by leaving the country and returning a day before the visa expires you will get a new 90 days. Or our you already on an extension of stay?

[ssimpson]

The equivalent of 400,000 Baht can be held in a foreign currency account, so there's no need to convert your Australian Dollars.

I have my funds in a GBP account and that was perfectly acceptable.

[Lite Beer]

The equivalent of 400,000 Baht can be held in a foreign currency account, so there's no need to convert your Australian Dollars.

I have my funds in a GBP account and that was perfectly acceptable.

That may well be the case with some Immigration offices but maybe not all.

Best to check with them first.

[Colabamumbai]

The equivalent of 400,000 Baht can be held in a foreign currency account, so there's no need to convert your Australian Dollars.

I have my funds in a GBP account and that was perfectly acceptable.

That is good news. Is your account in a Thai bank? Can you tell me what Immigration office you used? I assume you needed a letter from your affidavit from your Embassy here in Thailand to take to Immigration?

[lopburi3]

The money would have to be in a Thai located bank account and would have nothing to do with Embassy.

[chokdee69]

Lopburi3 as my non immigration O visa expires on the 5 January next year when would be the latest I could apply for my next extension. Im sweating on the Aussie dollar returning to normal after the recent federal election which returned a hung parliament as I mentioned before.

[Lite Beer]

You can apply on the very last day if you are sure that you have all the correct paperwork.

A bit of a risk though.

[ssimpson]

Yes, my account is with a Thai bank here in Bangkok. I used the immigration office at Sathorn, before they moved to Chaengwattana.

I'll be going to that office to my next extension in September. I did not require any lettter from my embassy.

[Mario2008]

Yes, my account is with a Thai bank here in Bangkok. I used the immigration office at Sathorn, before they moved to Chaengwattana.

I'll be going to that office to my next extension in September. I did not require any lettter from my embassy.

Deleted.( Incorrect answer).

[jfchandler]

When the poster above referred to a "foreign currency account," he wasn't talking about an account in a foreign bank such as Australia. Meaning you could keep your money there and meet the visa bank deposit requirement.

He was talking about a kind of account offered by Thai banks where the funds held on deposit here are held in some other currency than the Thai baht....

The Thai government regulation says extension of stay qualifying funds must be held in a bank here in Thailand. Whether funds held here in a foreign currency account would meet that requirement, or be accepted by Immigration, is a question I don't recall having been clearly resolved.

[Mario2008]

When the poster above referred to a "foreign currency account," he wasn't talking about an account in a foreign bank such as Australia. Meaning you could keep your money there and meet the visa bank deposit requirement.

He was talking about a kind of account offered by Thai banks where the funds held on deposit here are held in some other currency than the Thai baht....

The Thai government regulation says extension of stay qualifying funds must be held in a bank here in Thailand. Whether funds held here in a foreign currency account would meet that requirement, or be accepted by Immigration, is a question I don't recall having been clearly resolved.

As said by Lite Beer, some reports indicate that immigration will accept it, others don't seem to accept it. Better check with your own immigration office.

[Colabamumbai]

When the poster above referred to a "foreign currency account," he wasn't talking about an account in a foreign bank such as Australia. Meaning you could keep your money there and meet the visa bank deposit requirement.

He was talking about a kind of account offered by Thai banks where the funds held on deposit here are held in some other currency than the Thai baht....

The Thai government regulation says extension of stay qualifying funds must be held in a bank here in Thailand. Whether funds held here in a foreign currency account would meet that requirement, or be accepted by Immigration, is a question I don't recall having been clearly resolved.

As said by Lite Beer, some reports indicate that immigration will accept it, others don't seem to accept it. Better check with your own immigration office.

Is their a Thai Immigration website that lists the phone numbers of the offices in the various provinces so we can call and check without having to visit?

[Lite Beer]

Is their a Thai Immigration website that lists the phone numbers of the offices in the various provinces so we can call and check without having to visit?

Immigration and Thai Visa

[jfchandler]

WOW, I was just looking at the BKK Immigration office web site for the first time in a few months, as provided in the link above, and it looks like they've done a significant re-do of the web site, and it's actually beginning to be both comprehensible and helpful in English!!!.

There's a full roster of phone numbers by type of permit handled, a full list of the current fees, a list of all their PDF form downloads, and a lot more... Still a lot of dead links, and a FAQ section that's empty... But overall, I'd say this version is a big improvement over its longstanding predecessor site... (though they still could use a bit of help with their English spelling...)

[JimGant]

You do now that you can also use a combination of income and money in the bank?

Based on the 400k mentioned by the OP, this sounds like a marriage extension. Didn't think combos were allowed for such....

[Mario2008]

You do now that you can also use a combination of income and money in the bank?

Based on the 400k mentioned by the OP, this sounds like a marriage extension. Didn't think combos were allowed for such....

Thanks. You are right. I have deleted my answer because it is incorrect.

[Colabamumbai]

When the poster above referred to a "foreign currency account," he wasn't talking about an account in a foreign bank such as Australia. Meaning you could keep your money there and meet the visa bank deposit requirement.

He was talking about a kind of account offered by Thai banks where the funds held on deposit here are held in some other currency than the Thai baht....

The Thai government regulation says extension of stay qualifying funds must be held in a bank here in Thailand. Whether funds held here in a foreign currency account would meet that requirement, or be accepted by Immigration, is a question I don't recall having been clearly resolved.

As said by Lite Beer, some reports indicate that immigration will accept it, others don't seem to accept it. Better check with your own immigration office.

Is their a Thai Immigration website that lists the phone numbers of the offices in the various provinces so we can call and check without having to visit?

I guess the question I asked should have been has anyone received a retirement visa based on income from abroad shown in foreign bank account using the 65,000 Bhat per month method, with affidavit from Embassy and which Immigration offices granted the visa based on this method?? without depositing in a Thai Bank, I understand it looks good to have some funds in a Thai Bank also.

[caf]

Getting some conflicting information so thought I'd seek clarification on this site

My 90 days is due 16 October

My extention of stay expires 25 October

I intended leaving for a short break overseas from 15 October to 22 October.

The 16 October is a Saturday but as I am leaving on 15 October am I right in believing that it is not relevant as a new 90 days will start from my return on 22 October. I can safely ignore the 16 October deadline?

The 25 October is a government holiday. Attending on the 26th is acceptable? Getting back on 22nd leaves me no other option.

I bank with a Bangkok bank and the latest they can do the bank letter is 20th so it arrives on the 22nd by EMS. I trust that is acceptable too. I could always print out a balance from an atm on the 26th to show no movement of funds

Thanks for your help guys

[lopburi3]

Yes that should work - be sure you have a re-entry permit prior to travel.

If the money has been in account for required time you could, and really should, do the extension of stay before travel.

[jfchandler]

I guess the question I asked should have been has anyone received a retirement visa based on income from abroad shown in foreign bank account using the 65,000 Bhat per month method, with affidavit from Embassy and which Immigration offices granted the visa based on this method?? without depositing in a Thai Bank, I understand it looks good to have some funds in a Thai Bank also.

Cola, you're talking about obtaining an extension of stay, not visa, based on retirement, meaning minimum age of 50.

Re the funds, if you have an Embassy income letter documenting at least 65,000 baht in monthly income, the immigration regulations say the issue of funds in a Thai bank account is irrelevant. The required monthly income can be obtained from anywhere and can be deposited anywhere, if you're using the 65K to qualify for a retirement-based extension. You just have to document the sufficient income, period.

That said, there apparently are some immigration officers/offices who go beyond what the actual regulations require, or perhaps don't fully understand them???, and have asked for some evidence of Thai bank account activity, based on past reports from TV members. But that apparently occurs only in relatively isolated cases. And speaking personally, at Chaeng Wattana in BKK, they've never asked that of me and I haven't heard any/many reports of that ever occurring in BKK. I'm thinking I've heard those reports from TV members in Pattaya area...

So, if you're worried, take a printed out copy of the immigration regulations along with you... and/or bring a printout of a Thai bank statement. Just to be clear, in those rare cases where that's been asked, apparently, the officers are NOT looking for people to double satisfy the income requirement -- 65,000 in income plus 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, but rather, just wanting to see evidence of a Thai bank account with some modest balance and ongoing transaction activity.

[Jingthing]

I don't think requiring a Thai bank account with some money in it for those qualifying on income is an isolated enforcement policy at all. Last I heard that was the policy at Pattaya, which is a very busy office.