400,000 Baht Rule: Any Wiggle Room?

[phuketsub]

I was trying to maintain a balance of above 400,000 baht for two months in order to get another one-year extension on my permit to stay. This morning, to my horror, I hit the wrong button while doing an ATM transaction and the balance now sits at 399,900 baht. Doh! I can put money back into that account today, but now I wonder if I have just screwed myself into having to make another visa trip...Does anyone know if there is any wiggle room on this? Should I go down to Phuket Immigration and plead for lenience today? Just wondering if any fellow TV members have experience/advice on this...

[ThaidDown]

Have no personal experience but would put money back asap to take it above 400,000 to support the argument that it was an error on your part and you corrected it straight away.

Then hope for the best.

[phuketsub]

that's my plan..thanks...I will keep you posted

Have no personal experience but would put money back asap to take it above 400,000 to support the argument that it was an error on your part and you corrected it straight away.

Then hope for the best.

[LivinginKata]

Speaking with many years extension experience of married visa it's been my experience that immigration grant no latitude at all. All you can get is an extension (maybe 2 months) to get your time line sorted out. That's how I sorted out problems in the past.

[phuketsub]

Speaking with many years extension experience of married visa it's been my experience that immigration grant no latitude at all. All you can get is an extension (maybe 2 months) to get your time line sorted out. That's how I sorted out problems in the past.

I am on a two-month extension already after about six years of successive one-year extensions. I guess my question is: in what form does the "proof" that the balance has never dipped below 400,000 have to come? Is it a letter from the bank? A bank statement?

I really think the heat is starting to get to me...how the Hell did I commit such a blunder? I have to go down there before Songkran for my 90-day-report anyway; I am just wondering if I should tell them what happened or not. They were pretty nice in giving me the two-month extension to get it sorted -- and now this. Anyway, I assume on a day like today with all this heat they probably won't be in any mood to help me

[Jimi007]

Speaking with many years extension experience of married visa it's been my experience that immigration grant no latitude at all. All you can get is an extension (maybe 2 months) to get your time line sorted out. That's how I sorted out problems in the past.

I am on a two-month extension already after about six years of successive one-year extensions. I guess my question is: in what form does the "proof" that the balance has never dipped below 400,000 have to come? Is it a letter from the bank? A bank statement?

I really think the heat is starting to get to me...how the Hell did I commit such a blunder? I have to go down there before Songkran for my 90-day-report anyway; I am just wondering if I should tell them what happened or not. They were pretty nice in giving me the two-month extension to get it sorted -- and now this. Anyway, I assume on a day like today with all this heat they probably won't be in any mood to help me

Can't you get an earnings statement from your embassy? Or is that only for retirement visas?

[phuketsub]

Speaking with many years extension experience of married visa it's been my experience that immigration grant no latitude at all. All you can get is an extension (maybe 2 months) to get your time line sorted out. That's how I sorted out problems in the past.

I am on a two-month extension already after about six years of successive one-year extensions. I guess my question is: in what form does the "proof" that the balance has never dipped below 400,000 have to come? Is it a letter from the bank? A bank statement?

I really think the heat is starting to get to me...how the Hell did I commit such a blunder? I have to go down there before Songkran for my 90-day-report anyway; I am just wondering if I should tell them what happened or not. They were pretty nice in giving me the two-month extension to get it sorted -- and now this. Anyway, I assume on a day like today with all this heat they probably won't be in any mood to help me

Can't you get an earnings statement from your embassy? Or is that only for retirement visas?

that doesn't apply to me; I am on a non Immigrant "B"...Anyway, I am gonna go down there now and see what they say

[phuketrichard]

happened to a friend of mine couple of months ago, he dipped 5,000 baht below 800,000 for less than one day

Went into immigration and

they smiled and asked him how much it would cost for him an his wife to fly out, (Both Farangs, he is on a retirement extension and her extension is tied to his) an start the whole thing over..

he "accepted" 5,000 baht to make it all ok

Its Thailand

Edited April 9, 2013 by phuketrichard

[JetsetBkk]

happened to a friend of mine couple of months ago, he dipped 5,000 baht below 800,000 for less than one day

Went into immigration and

they smiled and asked him how much it would cost for him an his wife to fly out, (Both Farangs, he is on a retirement extension and her extension is tied to his) an start the whole thing over..

he "accepted" 5,000 baht to make it all ok

Its Thailand

It's corruption.

[phuketsub]

I went down there with my daughter and told them exactly what happened, not trying to hide the real anguish and self-loathing I was feeling about the whole thing and adding in that I was worried about who would take care of my daughter if I had to do a visa run.

One of the more senior officers told me it shouldn't be a problem; not to worry about it, as it probably wouldn't appear on the bank statement. (something I will do my best to make sure of)

I just hope he is still there when I go to apply for the one-year extension.

Anyway, I have resigned myself to fate on this one. In my own experience, I have only done an under-the-counter payment once in 25 years of living here, and that was to save on paying a much larger fine for failure to do the 90-day report on time.

I think most of the staff there are generally nice people who understand that what they do, the decisions they make, have a real, sometimes overwhelming effect on peoples' lives. The Immigration Police Volunteers deserve a lot of credit for their help too.

That said, if you walk in there with a shitty, self-entitled and rude attitude it's like a game of snakes and ladders, with the ladders removed. I've seen it first hand so many times.

I will let you all know how it works out.

I wish you all a happy and safe Songkran.

[Baerboxer]

Speaking with many years extension experience of married visa it's been my experience that immigration grant no latitude at all. All you can get is an extension (maybe 2 months) to get your time line sorted out. That's how I sorted out problems in the past.

Exactly the same as my experience. Two months extension, sort any issues with the account out (in my case new bank had put wife's name on the bank book too), then apply again for one year extension. It's a pain but I doubt they'll budge. Worth a try and please do post how you get on.

My more recent experience is that for marriage visa extensions they have become more pedantic and more black and white. It's either what they want or not - end of discussion.

[SDM0712]

For the 400k and 800k rule you will have to show your bank passbook which will show when you dipped down below the 400k. Good luck but I doubt they will let you get away with it. We all have our own stories about immigration. A letter from the bank or embassy is only looked at if you are claiming your income from a foreign source at over 40,000 pm ( in case of marriage visa).

[phuketrichard]

happened to a friend of mine couple of months ago, he dipped 5,000 baht below 800,000 for less than one day

Went into immigration and

they smiled and asked him how much it would cost for him an his wife to fly out, (Both Farangs, he is on a retirement extension and her extension is tied to his) an start the whole thing over..

he "accepted" 5,000 baht to make it all ok

Its Thailand

It's corruption.

I would say more bakeshish ( sharing the wealth) and greasing the wheels he could have refused to pay and then had to leave the country ( both of them) get new visas and such.

BTW this was in Phuket

If u live in Thailand u accept it ( even if u don't like it) the Thai's do and its their country.

Smiling and being humble might work as well. You never know

[Paangjang]

happened to a friend of mine couple of months ago, he dipped 5,000 baht below 800,000 for less than one day

Went into immigration and

they smiled and asked him how much it would cost for him an his wife to fly out, (Both Farangs, he is on a retirement extension and her extension is tied to his) an start the whole thing over..

he "accepted" 5,000 baht to make it all ok

Its Thailand

It's corruption.

Like he said, its Thailand

[manly100]

Once my account went from about 500k to about 4 million then back to about 500k again after my wife bought a house for us (sweet girl). Immigration said no to visa because of the balance swings, even though my account stayed above 400k. Never got an answer why and didn't have the stones to press the issue.

[LivinginKata]

Once my account went from about 500k to about 4 million then back to about 500k again after my wife bought a house for us (sweet girl). Immigration said no to visa because of the balance swings, even though my account stayed above 400k. Never got an answer why and didn't have the stones to press the issue.

In all the many years I have dealt with Patong Immigration on married extension I have never ever heard of a problem so long as the 400K balance was in place 2 months before application. Many of us have a roller coaster balance through the year.

[starkey_rich]

In all my dealings with the Phuket lot they will probably make it as difficult as possible.

On the other hand I recently had to deal with Ranong immigration and what a pleasant experience.

I was literally in and out in 5 mins and that included filling in a questionnaire about their quality of service and corruption.

[phuketsub]

I'll let you all know how this case works out.

I have stopped hating myself for the foolish blunder that created it.

It won't be the end of the world if I have to do a visa run, but I would prefer not to.

My strategy will be to do a lot of smallish (but necessary) bank transactions on that account, then when I go to update the bank book they will all be 'compressed' and the fact that it dipped below 400,000 won't show up...does that make sense to anyone?

Anyway, I wish everyone who takes in this forum part a happy and safe Thai New Year !

[phuketsub]

Just a brief update: I got the application for the one-year extension accepted today without difficulty. My blunder (see initial post) simply didn't show up in the bank book, as the update machine rolled ten transactions together. Altogether quite good/friendly service by Phuket Immigration.

I guess the case is closed and moderators might want to do the same with this thread.

[backstairs]

Just a brief update: I got the application for the one-year extension accepted today without difficulty. My blunder (see initial post) simply didn't show up in the bank book, as the update machine rolled ten transactions together. Altogether quite good/friendly service by Phuket Immigration.

I guess the case is closed and moderators might want to do the same with this thread.

nice to have a message with a happy ending