Retirement Visa Extension Bank Letter For Bangkok Account

[lopburi3]

We are talking different areas of the country - Thai banks impose charges on any transaction outside your home bank area - even using that banks ATM in another area you will be hit with a charge.

[davejones]

I don't see any expenses iat all. You open a new account and withdraw the money from one and deposit the money in the new account. Only problem is acount numer changes, which has to since the first three digits identifies the bank branch. The reson that the brach won't write the letter on the Bangkok Branch goes back to the route of many of Thailand's problems, shear laziness!

That would only work if you physically go to where the original bank A/C is to withdraw the money, then travel to where the new A/C is to deposit it. Travelling to Bkk and back to Chiang Mai would cost as much or more than the withdrawal fee in C M on a Bkk branch.

I have two bangkok bank bank accounts and can, and have, withdrawn money form the accounts at other branches. I do not have to go to the bank where the accounts are. I can also transfer it from account to account or to my account in another bank via internet banking.

Yes, but that costs money. To transfer 1 million baht from one account to another at the same Bangkok Bank branch via ibanking costs 1,000 baht. I don't think anyone is saying that you can't withdraw from another branch; it just costs more money. Also, that was not my issue at all. The issue was getting a letter for immigration.

[thaibeachlovers]

I don't see any expenses iat all. You open a new account and withdraw the money from one and deposit the money in the new account. Only problem is acount numer changes, which has to since the first three digits identifies the bank branch. The reson that the brach won't write the letter on the Bangkok Branch goes back to the route of many of Thailand's problems, shear laziness!

That would only work if you physically go to where the original bank A/C is to withdraw the money, then travel to where the new A/C is to deposit it. Travelling to Bkk and back to Chiang Mai would cost as much or more than the withdrawal fee in C M on a Bkk branch.

I have two bangkok bank bank accounts and can, and have, withdrawn money form the accounts at other branches. I do not have to go to the bank where the accounts are. I can also transfer it from account to account or to my account in another bank via internet banking.

I wasn't saying that you can't withdraw money from an account at other branches, but surely you were charged a fee depending on the amount withdrawn if at a bank elsewhere in the country. I certainly am every time I do so.

[alfieconn]

What are the expenses involved in transferring the account location?

It depends how much money is in the account and how you move it. Doing a transfer between accounts can cost 1,000 baht even if you are transferring money between accounts in the same branch. This is how it works if you transfer online. A free option is to go to the branch and withdraw the money and then put it in the new account.

In my case this won't work because I'll be arriving in CM less than a month before renewing my visa. So if I withdraw the money in cash I won't have the money in my account for a continuous three month period. I'm not going to CM before then so there's no way for me to open an account there before I arrive.

Anyway I've already decided to go the income route, so it's no longer an issue for me.

On applying for my extension of visa last year, the immigration officer told us that it was a lot easier to process with the 400,00 in the bank option than the income per month option, so bare that in mind !

[lopburi3]

Retirement extension of stay is 800k and should not matter if you use income or bank deposit or combination as it is all decided on the spot.

[IMA_FARANG]

Know this is just a little off topic, but for those of you doing a retirement extension at Chaeng Wattana there is a Bangkok Bank branch downstairs (1st floor) that WILL give you a bank statement letter immediately that the immigration upstairs will recognize if you have:

1. Your passbook

2. A form of photo I.D. (your passport works).

3. And cash for the fee,

Go inside that Bangkok Bank branch and there is a English sign that tells you what counter to go to for to get a bank letter for immigration.

They will do it in about 15 minutes for any Bangkok Bank branch in Bangkok

Not sure about Bangkok Bank accounts outside of Bangkok however.

Believe the fee is about 200 Baht for the letter.... but I really don't remember.

[davejones]

What are the expenses involved in transferring the account location?

It depends how much money is in the account and how you move it. Doing a transfer between accounts can cost 1,000 baht even if you are transferring money between accounts in the same branch. This is how it works if you transfer online. A free option is to go to the branch and withdraw the money and then put it in the new account.

In my case this won't work because I'll be arriving in CM less than a month before renewing my visa. So if I withdraw the money in cash I won't have the money in my account for a continuous three month period. I'm not going to CM before then so there's no way for me to open an account there before I arrive.

Anyway I've already decided to go the income route, so it's no longer an issue for me.

On applying for my extension of visa last year, the immigration officer told us that it was a lot easier to process with the 400,00 in the bank option than the income per month option, so bare that in mind !

I don't see how income option is difficult for the immigration officer. All they have to do is take a look at the letter from the Embassy. That should take less than 5 seconds.

[lopburi3]

Income for a 400k (marriage extension) would likely involve local payments for most but if Embassy proof of foreign employment would be much more likely to be subject to check/verification requirements than for a local decision as this must be approved at a higher level.

[alfieconn]

What are the expenses involved in transferring the account location?

It depends how much money is in the account and how you move it. Doing a transfer between accounts can cost 1,000 baht even if you are transferring money between accounts in the same branch. This is how it works if you transfer online. A free option is to go to the branch and withdraw the money and then put it in the new account.

In my case this won't work because I'll be arriving in CM less than a month before renewing my visa. So if I withdraw the money in cash I won't have the money in my account for a continuous three month period. I'm not going to CM before then so there's no way for me to open an account there before I arrive.

Anyway I've already decided to go the income route, so it's no longer an issue for me.

On applying for my extension of visa last year, the immigration officer told us that it was a lot easier to process with the 400,00 in the bank option than the income per month option, so bare that in mind !

I don't see how income option is difficult for the immigration officer. All they have to do is take a look at the letter from the Embassy. That should take less than 5 seconds.

Sorry that was an Extension based on marriage.....i don't know if they look at retirement options differently but thats what she said on the marriage extension !

[bdenner]

Another question based on Extension renewal.

In preparation for mine I went to a passbook update printer to have the entries updated. The machine only updated the last 2 months and rest of the year was totaled into just 2 entries, debit and credit. Of coarse this period does not cover the full 3 months as required. I know the letter states the 3 end of month balances. --- BUT

Will I need to, or can I, get the day to day activity to cover the month missing in the passbook printout to show the balance did not go under the 800K during that period?

Bloody passbook and 19th century technology --- ya gotta wunda!!

[Mario2008]

If you go to the bank, they should be able to print all the data in the bankbook instead of the summary.

[davejones]

This first time in Bangkok I used the income method, and the second time I used the bank method. With the income method the immigration officer took a few seconds to check the Embassy letter. With the bank method he took much longer checking through all the photocopies. May be different in CM of course. If immigration want to make their lives easier then they should remove some of their silly rules, like requiring a bank letter. They can see from the bank book that the money is there, so why the need for a letter stating what it already says on the book. Anyway, the income method is allowed, so that's what I'll use. If it need s to be approved by someone higher, then that is fine with me. I've never had a problem in the past though, so don't expect any this time. It's always been very easy.