This year I'm extending my stay here using the money deposited in the bank method ... I don't want to pay the British Embassy around £50 for a letter confirming my pension.

BB told me today that it will take three days to get a letter confirming my deposit as the request has to go to HQ and then back comes a letter ... does anyone know that this is fact? Also does anyone know how much leeway there is with immigration on the date of the letter and the date you take it to immigration?

thanks

Policies on that can vary a lot between immigration offices.

It should definitely be as recent as possible. The stalest I have done (at Jomtien) was a Friday letter for a Monday meeting.

I'm curious about BB's policy. Are you going to the branch of where you opened your account there, or is the delay because you opened your BB account in another city?

In any case, if the delay can't be helped, you've just got to try with what you've got. If I were you, I would consider asking for a letter from the branch manager stating the facts of why the delay was necessary. I would also do a transaction and passbook update the same day as asking for the letter. I think with all that, chances are you will be OK at most offices. Good luck.

Edited March 22, 201214 yr by Jingthing

If you account is with the branch the manager should be able to make and sign the letter on your request. In Bangkok they want the letter or at least a transaction made on the day of application (there are bank branches below the immigration office that can issue).

Yes, Bangkok is known for needing a very fresh letter but it doesn't follow that every provincial office is that strict.

I would expect at the very least, some questioning about whether you touched the account between the last update and the letter/appointment.

Edited March 22, 201214 yr by Jingthing

If you account is with the branch the manager should be able to make and sign the letter on your request. In Bangkok they want the letter or at least a transaction made on the day of application (there are bank branches below the immigration office that can issue).

Yes Lop ... I was surprised, but talked to the manager of my branch today and that is what she said ... I'm in there again on Monday so will see if I can get her to write the letter, apparently I have to fill in a request form! ... Problem is that we are away for a few days from Tuesday and I would like to go to Immigration on the following Monday or Tuesday.

Actually can anyone tell me basically what the letter should say ... maybe there is a little mis-understanding of what I want and I will be able to sort it without the manager loosing face.

Edited March 22, 201214 yr by JAS21

At BB in Pattaya were my account was opened, they print from PC on demand and then sign. Forgotten the cost.

Only takes a few minutes.

Example of a letter confirming the bank balance:

https://lh6.googleus...52020080428.jpg

I'm afraid it's a very small image but that's how I saw it posted on ThaiVisa in 2008 and I have no other example for reference. If somebody will kindly post a copy of his bank letter, with personal details pixelated or otherwise made unreadable, I shall greatly appreciate it.

My accounts are with Bangkok Bank, a branch in Chiang Mai. I always have been able to go to that branch, my "home" branch and they can produce a letter in a matter of minutes, while I wait. A friend tried to get a bank letter at that branch, but her account was opened at another Bangkok Bank branch. She was told to go to her "home" branch for the letter, that they would not produce the letter at my branch. After her last visa extension, she changed the "home" branch for her account, since she now lives closer to the same branch I use. She didn't dare switch the account during the 90-day "seasoning" period required for a retirement extension.

Is a high interest deposit account acceptable as long as you have access to the funds at short notice albeit with loss of interest.

Is a high interest deposit account acceptable as long as you have access to the funds at short notice albeit with loss of interest.

Yes, with most immigration offices, provided the account is in Thailand. What immigration office do you go to?

Thanks, Chonburi Office

At BB in Pattaya were my account was opened, they print from PC on demand and then sign. Forgotten the cost.

Only takes a few minutes.

In most BB's it is done via their PC and only takes a few minutes once you are at the desk, but time-wise it depends on whether the bank is busy or not, if there is a queue on this particular desk then you have to wait a bit, the cost is 100.Bt.

Don't mean to distract from the subject at hand, but if you have a BB account in, let's say, Bangkok, and then you do an ATM withdrawal in Chiang Mai, what kind of fee do they hit you with?

I believe the normal fee would be 20 baht for 20,000 baht, but also depends on how much you withdraw or deposit.

I got my "letter" today at Bankok Bank in CM. Took about 30 minutes, now I just hope that Immigration will accept it on Monday for my extension.

Semper, I've always gotten my bank letter one business day before going to immigration in CM. My branch doesn't open until 10 am, and of course, all the queue tickets for retirement extensions are gone at CMI before 10 am. I do update the passbook in one of those machines while I'm on my way to immigration, though, so the date in the passbook is the current date. That may be an abundance of caution, though.

Semper, I've always gotten my bank letter one business day before going to immigration in CM. My branch doesn't open until 10 am, and of course, all the queue tickets for retirement extensions are gone at CMI before 10 am. I do update the passbook in one of those machines while I'm on my way to immigration, though, so the date in the passbook is the current date. That may be an abundance of caution, though.

This I don't completely understand. I have ALWAYS done a transaction just before I enter the bank to get the letter. The bank has always updated the passbook right then and there, so the passbook has an updated balance on the exact same date as the issue of the letter, and then issued the letter. Of course the balance must match exactly, letter and passbook. It wouldn't occur to me ever to get the letter first and then later update the passbook on a later day. If I did stick my passbook in the machine, there wouldn't be any new transaction anyway. Wouldn't the machine just spit out the book on the later day if there was nothing new to record?

Edited March 23, 201214 yr by Jingthing

Semper, I've always gotten my bank letter one business day before going to immigration in CM. My branch doesn't open until 10 am, and of course, all the queue tickets for retirement extensions are gone at CMI before 10 am. I do update the passbook in one of those machines while I'm on my way to immigration, though, so the date in the passbook is the current date. That may be an abundance of caution, though.

This I don't completely understand. I have ALWAYS done a transaction just before I enter the bank to get the letter. The bank has always updated the passbook right then and there, so the passbook has an updated balance on the exact same date as the issue of the letter, and then issued the letter. Of course the balance must match exactly, letter and passbook. It wouldn't occur to me ever to get the letter first and then later update the passbook on a later day. If I did stick my passbook in the machine, there wouldn't be any new transaction anyway. Wouldn't the machine just spit out the book on the later day if there was nothing new to record?

Bangkok Bank's machines will print out the current date and balance, even if there is no activity since the previous update. So, I update the passbook when I get the letter and again on my way to immigration just to show I didn't withdraw the funds right after I got the letter. Probably, I'm just being unnecessarily anal.

Thank you for clarifying that. I hadn't realized that there would be any update printed just because it is a new date. I thought there needed to be at least one new transaction for there to be an update. I reckon that if Bangkok Bank does that, probably most banks do. That would be a useful thing to do especially for people concerned that their letter may be seen as too stale.

Thank you for clarifying that. I hadn't realized that there would be any update printed just because it is a new date. I thought there needed to be at least one new transaction for there to be an update. I reckon that if Bangkok Bank does that, probably most banks do. That would be a useful thing to do especially for people concerned that their letter may be seen as too stale.

Kasikorn Bank does not print anything if there is not some transactions made since the last update. But NancyL, thanks for the tip. I'll try to make an update on the bank book Monday morning.

Does Siam Commercial Bank update passbooks by date if there is no new transaction to record?

Does Siam Commercial Bank update passbooks by date if there is no new transaction to record?

No it doesn't. Just displays that there is no unprinted transaction.

Requirement from Pattaya Immigration. Letter from Thai bank, not more than one week old, certifying a balance of at least 800,000bt, together with a copy of your bank book showing name page and transactions for past three months.

Requirement from Pattaya Immigration. Letter from Thai bank, not more than one week old, certifying a balance of at least 800,000bt, together with a copy of your bank book showing name page and transactions for past three months.

Thanks for that. I never had a specific idea of how old was acceptable as I have always done the day before or Friday before Monday. I still think the fresher the better or they may ask some prying questions.

Thank you for clarifying that. I hadn't realized that there would be any update printed just because it is a new date. I thought there needed to be at least one new transaction for there to be an update. I reckon that if Bangkok Bank does that, probably most banks do. That would be a useful thing to do especially for people concerned that their letter may be seen as too stale.

Kasikorn Bank does not print anything if there is not some transactions made since the last update. But NancyL, thanks for the tip. I'll try to make an update on the bank book Monday morning.

Hey Semper. Let me know how this works out for you. I'm heading to CM immigration on Wednesday morning to extend a NON-O marriage. I planned to get my letter from Bangkok Bank on Tuesday and update my bank book Wednesday morning. My appointment at CM immigration is at 10am on Wednesday so I'd be pushed to get a letter from the bank Wednesday morning prior to showing up at immigration. Too little time. Please post on Monday and let us know how it goes! Thanks. Good luck.

Thank you for clarifying that. I hadn't realized that there would be any update printed just because it is a new date. I thought there needed to be at least one new transaction for there to be an update. I reckon that if Bangkok Bank does that, probably most banks do. That would be a useful thing to do especially for people concerned that their letter may be seen as too stale.

Kasikorn Bank does not print anything if there is not some transactions made since the last update. But NancyL, thanks for the tip. I'll try to make an update on the bank book Monday morning.

Hey Semper. Let me know how this works out for you. I'm heading to CM immigration on Wednesday morning to extend a NON-O marriage. I planned to get my letter from Bangkok Bank on Tuesday and update my bank book Wednesday morning. My appointment at CM immigration is at 10am on Wednesday so I'd be pushed to get a letter from the bank Wednesday morning prior to showing up at immigration. Too little time. Please post on Monday and let us know how it goes! Thanks. Good luck.

I will do that.

Thank you for clarifying that. I hadn't realized that there would be any update printed just because it is a new date. I thought there needed to be at least one new transaction for there to be an update. I reckon that if Bangkok Bank does that, probably most banks do. That would be a useful thing to do especially for people concerned that their letter may be seen as too stale.

Kasikorn Bank does not print anything if there is not some transactions made since the last update. But NancyL, thanks for the tip. I'll try to make an update on the bank book Monday morning.

Hey Semper. Let me know how this works out for you. I'm heading to CM immigration on Wednesday morning to extend a NON-O marriage. I planned to get my letter from Bangkok Bank on Tuesday and update my bank book Wednesday morning. My appointment at CM immigration is at 10am on Wednesday so I'd be pushed to get a letter from the bank Wednesday morning prior to showing up at immigration. Too little time. Please post on Monday and let us know how it goes! Thanks. Good luck.

I will do that.

Thanks! Have fun!

Well, I did an update of the bank book yesterday just to be sure. Went to Immi this morning, handed over my paperwork and paid 1900 Baht. 20 minutes later I had my passport in my hand with a brand new 1-year extension stamp in it.

Edit. In fact, they didn't need to see my updated bank book, they were happy with the copy I made on Friday.

Edited March 26, 201214 yr by Semper

I got the answer today, just needed to ask the right question ... my branch, which I thought was quite a big one in fact cannot issue that letter as for some reason they are not connected to whatever to allow them to print one off. However they informed me that I could go to another 'bigger' branch and get the letter the same day ... they did tell me which was the nearest branch that I could use.

Also they gave me the form to complete, if I wanted to, to get a letter but it would take three days..................

Well, I did an update of the bank book yesterday just to be sure. Went to Immi this morning, handed over my paperwork and paid 1900 Baht. 20 minutes later I had my passport in my hand with a brand new 1-year extension stamp in it.

Edit. In fact, they didn't need to see my updated bank book, they were happy with the copy I made on Friday.

Thanks mate. Good to hear! Putting my paperwork together today and will visit the bank tomorrow. First extension done here in CM. My others were done in Korat. Love the Online Queue System here. It's nice to know when your appointment is.