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Retirement Visa Extension - Bank Letter - Seasoning

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Hi All,

I'm over 50, had a 1 year non-immigrant O-A visa that was extended by re-entries, now approaching my first real 1 year extension.

Members of this forum have been extremely helpful along the way answering my questions (thanks for your patience!). Now I have a question about the bank letter I have to get to establish my THB 800K. I asked the bank to say in it that I've had that amount for at least 60 days (for the seasoning requirement). They said they don't do that, they just say what my current balance is and how long I've been a customer, and that they think Immigration will check seasoning from my passbook. Is that correct? I just want to make sure I get everything I need in that letter before heading off to Immigration.

Thanks in advance for any help.

TG

Correct. The bank will know what to provide.

You also need your bank book, updated and showing the same balance.

  • Author

Correct. The bank will know what to provide.

You also need your bank book, updated and showing the same balance.

Thanks Lite Beer!

TG

I have a question as well but I get a fortnightly pension and I got my original retirement Visa after going to the Australian Embassy for a Stat Dec. Do I have to do this every time I apply for renewal?

Yes a new document from Embassy will be required for each extension of stay using income or combined methods.

The bank letter only provides an additional level of validation the passbook entries are valid and you indeed have a bank acct. I'm guessing that maybe in the past some folks tried to forge new entries into their passbook just to try to show seasoning or maybe even had totally forged passbooks....guess requiring a bank letter with it letterhead/signature/stamp greatly reduced forged passbooks. For the seasoning check, immigration will look at the passbook.

Ex: late last year I did my annual extension of retirement using the 800K in the bank method. I keep this money in a fixed saving acct for higher interest...plus I can draw it out any time (but I will lose the higher interest) and it serves as my emergency money. Anyway, the 11 month fixed acct matured and I went to Bangkok Bank to roll the money over into a new 5 month fixed account based on the best promotion of the day....I did this approx one month before I would be applying for my extension renewal. While I thought the passbook acct number would stay the same and they would just enter my money into the new fixed account promotion, they actually closed the matured account and transferred the money into the new fixed acct resulting in a closed passbook and issue of a new passbook with new acct number. Ouch, I thought my 3 month seasoning had just be blown out of the water with my annual renewal just one month away. The bank said I should be able just to show my old/closed acct passbook and new acct passbook to show the money had been rolled over into the new account same day...it had never dropped below 800K during the preceding 3 month season period. OK, I come back about a month later, get the bank letter which basically just says you have acct XYZ with this much money in it on day XYZ. I take that letter along with my "new" passbook and use that during the renewal interview...the Bangkok Immigration officer looks at the letter for a second, puts the letter aside, and then looks at the attached passbook...and immediately points out the money had only been it the acct for 1 month. I say whoops, I forget to attach copies of the other acct...I handed over copies of that old/closed acct, I pointed out I had rolled over/transferred the money from the old acct to the new acct same day/minute, and why it occurred. Enough said...immigration satisfied as between the two passbooks I proved the 3 month seasoning requirement had been met....about 10 minutes later I'm walking out the door with my renewed extension of stay based on retirement.

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