Chaeng Wattana Imm./Retirement Extension trip report Aug 2013

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just returned from my annual excursion to Chaeng Wattana Immigration in Bangkok for this year's triple crown: retirement extension, single-use re-entry permit and a 90-day report to boot.

Completing all three tasks on a Tuesday morning took just slightly over two hours -- 8:35 am to to 10:40 pm, and that included getting the first queue ticket and doing the first task, then getting a queue ticket for the second one, then getting a queue ticket for the third one.

TRAVEL:

Took the #52 bus from the Mochit BTS Station on the park side of the road for an 8 baht one-way fare. The bus stops beneath the BTS station between the station stairs north and south. Outbound travel time on the #52 bus was about 35 minutes. In the past, that bus has been a white colored, non-air con variety. But today to my surprise, the #52 I caught was a newer yellow-color air con variety. The bus drops you off on Chaeng Wattana Road at the entrance to Soi 7 near the CAT building.

Walk into Soi 7 about 100 meters, and they have red-colored BMTA-type buses running free shuttle service that take you direct to the Immigration building, and then back to the main road when you're finished, if you choose that option.

On the way home today, however, I tried something new, waiting for the #166 bus at the entrance doors of the Immigration Building. The same as the last time I was there, a red-colored #166 came by after a few minutes but was empty and the driver waived off me and another passenger. So apparently there's something else going on with those red colored #166 buses there.

But a few minutes later, another #166 came along, this one blue-colored and air con with a yellow Thai language placard sign in the window. That was the correct bus, and I confirmed with the ticket lady that this #166 did indeed take the expressway from CW back to Victory Monument. 18 baht fare, and about a 35 minute ride back to Victory Monument on a mostly empty bus and very little traffic on the expressway. The Victory Monument stop for the #166 bus is coming from Ratchawithi Road and then immediately after turning left into the Victory Monument circle.

RETIREMENT EXTENSION:

After arriving at 8:35 am, I was about 14th waiting in the queue. But I didn't have to wait very long as they had six or so officers/desks handling extensions. Took about an hour start to finish of waiting, working with the initial officer, and then an unusually long wait for the supervising officer to sign off on the paper.

I submitted the normal things:

--passport

--TM 7 retirement extension form with my color photo pasted on and my mobile phone number written on the top of the back page.

--My consulate-issued income letter attesting to at least 65,000 per month in income.

--4 photocopies: my passport facepage, my last extension stamp, my last Thailand entry stamp and my airport departure card. The officer asked me to sign each of the 4 photocopy pages.

Wasn't asked for anything else, no maps, utility bills, leases, etc etc., though I had all of those just in case. Also wasn't asked for any additional income documents beyond my consulate income letter.

The officer did have me fill out and sign two additional forms that I hadn't brought along: 1] a familiar acknowledgement statement saying I understood and would follow the rules, and then 2] a single page sheet I hadn't seen before titled "Statement" that for some unknown reason, asked me to fill in a bunch of info they already had, such as my name, address, age, [each written twice] country of citizenship, last entry date, permission to stay date, and my occupation

Paid the 1900 baht fee for annual retirement extension and done.

RE-ENTRY PERMIT:

Nothing remarkable here, other than waiting 40 minutes from the time I submitted my paperwork until the time my stamped passport was returned. Submitted:

--passport

--completed TM 8 re-entry permit form with my color photo pasted on the front and my mobile phone number written atop the page.

--the familiar 4 photocopies: my passport facepage, my last extension stamp, my last Thailand entry stamp and my airport departure card.

Paid the 1000 baht fee for a single-use re-entry permit that's valid until my new retirement extension expires in a year, and done.

90-DAY REPORT

This part was a bit interesting today for the following reason. I had decided to go to CW today in order to do my retirement extension and re-entry permit, although the old ones would have been valid thru mid-September (never wait till the last days...always try to do at least a month ahead). But since I had already traveled to CW today, I figured/hoped I'd try to do my 90-day report in person, even though it wasn't due until Sept. 10.

Normally, I believe, BKK will allow you to report in person up to two weeks or 15 days ahead of your due date. And today, I was about 20 days ahead of my due date, or about 5 days beyond the norm. So I went to the queue counter to ask for a 90 days ticket and got one. Then I asked the queue officer there about the timing and showed him my reporting slip. And then he began to waiver, saying he thought I was too early and couldn't do it. But we chatted a bit, and finally he said go ahead and try at the 90 Days Reporting Counter.

So after waiting a while, my queue number was called and I went to the 90-Days cubicle where a genial looking male officer was sitting and two female university student assistants/trainees were sitting alongside. Immediately, both of the students began tittering and giggling in Thai (because I'm very tall) and one of them wanted to stand next to me, and asked how tall I was. Meanwhile, the Immigration officer was laughing and asked in Thai if I'd previously played basketball, and I said, yes...surely had.

So after a couple minutes of that, without a word of business to me or any question about my timing or paperwork, the Immigration Officer guy handed me back my passport and new 90-Day reporting notification slip. So the good part is, now I don't have to mess around with mailing in my 90-day report in another 5 days when it otherwise would have been due for mailing. But the bad part is, the slip he gave me counted 90 days from today (not from my original Sept. 10 reporting due date). So now I'll have another report due in 3 months from today, and not 3 months from my original reporting due date.

CONCLUSION

All in all, now that I've got a better handle on the bus transit to Chaeng Wattana, the travel isn't so bad. And to be fair, the atmosphere and setting inside the CW Immigration office/building is orderly and serene compared to the sweaty, congested madhouse that Suan Plu used to be.

But the Immigration officers there still could use some help with their English. On the way out, I spotted a male Immigration supervisor there who I'd seen and spoken with before. So I walked up to say hello and just let him know I was thankful that everything had gone smoothly and orderly for my visit today. I did my best to speak slowly and clearly, but then the supervisor responded by telling me I needed to go and fill out TM7 and TM8 forms. So I tried a second time, emphasizing that I'd already done and finished all that, and was fine, and I was just thanking him. So then, I think, he got the drift of things the second time around.

Edited August 20, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pib]

John,

I did my 90 day report at Chaeng Wattana today also....but the girls were really giggling because your fly was open. :-)

Thanks for the report...I'll go back in early Sep to do my annual extension of stay, but I now use the Bt800K bank letter approach. I first go to the Bangkok Bank branch downstairs when it opens at 8:30am just like when Immigration opens, takes about 5-10 minutes to got the letter against the fixed savings account I have at that branch...the letter costs Bt100 and they update the passbook, I then get a copy of the updated passbook page to attach to the bank letter, then it's back upstairs to immigration to file my extension paperwork....usually I'm done and gone in 30 to 60 minutes. Has worked fine and easy for the last two years using the bank letter; before that I was using the embassy letter but got tied of paying them $50/Bt1600 for the letter.

Pib

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

John... the girls were really giggling because your fly was open. :-)

Yes Pib... It was intentional, of course! Works every time!

But seriously, that's a nice idea... If one's going to use the bank deposits route, having one's 800K (Immigration) bank deposit at the bank branch located at CW Immigration. Certainly, I'd assume the bank staff there are going to be experienced and familiar with preparing the necessary letter and getting everything just right for the Immigration folks upstairs.

In my dealings with various bank staff in the center of BKK (far from CW Immigration), they seem far less familiar with what Immigration needs, wants and expects. And I guess that shouldn't be surprising, since most of their customers are Thais who have nothing to do with Thai Immigration.

If you're going to have to bury away in hole 800K baht for the entire year, the least the Thai bank staff can do in return is make the documenting process for Immigration relatively easy and hassle-free.

[Pib]

And as far as I know the Bangkok Bank branch at Cheang Wattana will do the bank letter for any person with a Bangkok Bank account at any branch; you don't have to have an account at the Cheang Wattana branch to get the letter...just any Bangkok Bank branch as far as I know as they can see your accounts at other Bangkok Bank branches....I know they can sure see my other accounts at other Bangkok Bank branches. The Cheang Wattana branch even has a poster on their windows saying they do immigration bank letters....I expect they do quite a few each day....I know each year when I've went in to get my letter there is usually one or two other farangs there at the same time getting a bank letter. And they have always had a couple folks in the branch which speak pretty good English. Your results may vary.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Pib

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And as far as I know the Bangkok Bank branch at Cheang Wattana will do the bank letter for any person with a Bangkok Bank account at any branch; you don't have to have an account at the Cheang Wattana branch to get the letter...just any Bangkok Bank branch as far as I know as they can see your accounts at other Bangkok Bank branches....

I'd be interested to know and confirm if that's infact true, Pib, the part about the CW branch being willing to do Immigration letters and such for bank customers who have their accounts at other branches of BKK Bank.

As you know, for a lot of things, Thai banks often will only do account service things at the home branch for one's account, even simple things like updating an email address or phone number of record. It seems ridiculous to me, but I've run into that multiple times. But I hope what you're saying about the CW branch is true for people whose accounts are held at other branches of the same bank.

A year ago, during my last extension, I went to the then home branch of my BKK Bank account and they insisted on charging me 200 baht for a paper printout of my recent account activity. Yesterday, I went to my new mall BKK Bank home branch, and their system was down and they asked me to come back the next day (which I couldn't do owing to my Immigration plans for the day).

In the end, after talking to a supervisor at the mall branch, she recommended me to go to another regular branch that was walking distance away and assured me they'd do the printout, even though I didn't have my account there. Sure enough, the other branch cheerfully did my printout in about 5 minutes, and they didn't ask for a baht to do it -- much unlke the former branch I had dumped a year ago for their generally unfriendly service.

[Pib]

A bank letter just says you have XXX baht in account number XXX on the date of the letter. It's only about two sentences long. They don't say anything about is the money enough to meet XXX minimum amount for a certain kind of extension of stay (i.e, Bt800K for retirement, Bt400K marriage to a Thai, etc) nor does the letter say anything about the money meeting the 2 or 3 month seasoning requirement....the immigration officer must review the passbook to determine if the seasoning requirement is met. I guess the bank letter just helps to reduce (not eliminate) the use of fraudulent/altered passbooks.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Pib, did the bank branch do the photocopy of your bank book balance page for you...or do you have to take it elsewhere in the complex to one of the copy places there?

Meanwhile, on the subject of using a bank deposit vs the consulate income letter...it's an interesting choice.

While I was there Tuesday waiting for final Immigration supervisor signoff on my extension, another guy there just started moaning to me unheeded about that they were going to turn him away because he'd made some change or something about his bank deposits during the 3 month seasoning period, and thus he was no longer deemed to be in compliance.

I'm not quite sure what was going on with his situation and didn't feel inclined to want to know more. But consistent with what other posters here have reported over time, it seems that Immigration is pretty strict about the 800K requirement... Pretty much, one day or one baht short, and they'll deem you out of compliance. At least that seems to be what people here have reported over time. And in Immigration's defense, the rule is the rule, and there's not a lot of room for interpretation involved.

On the other hand, while paying $50 for a consulate income letter (from the U.S. Consulate) seems a bit overpriced, it unfortunately is the same price as their general notary service. And unlike the bank deposits method, as people here are generally aware, the consulate income letter approach tends to have more flexibility (if you want to call it that) built into that method.

And of course, that situation even improved a bit more lately with the policy change by Immigration to now allow the consulate income letters to be obtained up to 6 months before their use, instead of the pretty short period that they had planned on adopting.

It's nice if a person has the flexibility to choose which method (income letter or bank deposits) they want to use. Of course, for many folks, they only can do one or the other method, and no choice available.

Edited August 20, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pib]

Pib, did the bank branch do the photocopy of your bank book balance page for you...or do you have to take it elsewhere in the complex to one of the copy places there?

I think one year I asked them to provide a copy and they did....the next year I walked out and got half way to immigration like 20 steps away from the bank branch almost to the up escalator and remembered I didn't get a copy of the updated passbook page the bank updated just minutes earlier and instead of walking back into the branch with other customers inline I just walked over to the copy shop 30 steps away and paid them 1 or 2 baht to make a copy.

[asiaexpat]

And as far as I know the Bangkok Bank branch at Cheang Wattana will do the bank letter for any person with a Bangkok Bank account at any branch; you don't have to have an account at the Cheang Wattana branch to get the letter...just any Bangkok Bank branch as far as I know as they can see your accounts at other Bangkok Bank branches....

I'd be interested to know and confirm if that's infact true, Pib, the part about the CW branch being willing to do Immigration letters and such for bank customers who have their accounts at other branches of BKK Bank.

As you know, for a lot of things, Thai banks often will only do account service things at the home branch for one's account, even simple things like updating an email address or phone number of record. It seems ridiculous to me, but I've run into that multiple times. But I hope what you're saying about the CW branch is true for people whose accounts are held at other branches of the same bank.

A year ago, during my last extension, I went to the then home branch of my BKK Bank account and they insisted on charging me 200 baht for a paper printout of my recent account activity. Yesterday, I went to my new mall BKK Bank home branch, and their system was down and they asked me to come back the next day (which I couldn't do owing to my Immigration plans for the day).

In the end, after talking to a supervisor at the mall branch, she recommended me to go to another regular branch that was walking distance away and assured me they'd do the printout, even though I didn't have my account there. Sure enough, the other branch cheerfully did my printout in about 5 minutes, and they didn't ask for a baht to do it -- much unlke the former branch I had dumped a year ago for their generally unfriendly service.

I can confirm that Bangkok Bank in CW will provide the needed letter for immigration regardless of where you maintain your account and they speak good english. They also will photo copy your passbook if you ask when you apply for the letter. Otherwise, just use the copy shop.

[alantheembalmer]

I use a foreign currency account for my retirement extension, which is held at Bangkok Bank, but I have to go to head office in Silom Road for the letter for immigration. I asked at the CW branch last year, and they will not/cannot supply me with the required letter.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Sounds like the BKK Bank branch at CW is OK for doing Immigration letters for regular Thai currency savings accounts, even if a different BKK Bank branch hosts the account, but not the same for foreign currency accounts.

[Estrada]

And as far as I know the Bangkok Bank branch at Cheang Wattana will do the bank letter for any person with a Bangkok Bank account at any branch; you don't have to have an account at the Cheang Wattana branch to get the letter...just any Bangkok Bank branch as far as I know as they can see your accounts at other Bangkok Bank branches....

I'd be interested to know and confirm if that's infact true, Pib, the part about the CW branch being willing to do Immigration letters and such for bank customers who have their accounts at other branches of BKK Bank.

As you know, for a lot of things, Thai banks often will only do account service things at the home branch for one's account, even simple things like updating an email address or phone number of record. It seems ridiculous to me, but I've run into that multiple times. But I hope what you're saying about the CW branch is true for people whose accounts are held at other branches of the same bank.

A year ago, during my last extension, I went to the then home branch of my BKK Bank account and they insisted on charging me 200 baht for a paper printout of my recent account activity. Yesterday, I went to my new mall BKK Bank home branch, and their system was down and they asked me to come back the next day (which I couldn't do owing to my Immigration plans for the day).

In the end, after talking to a supervisor at the mall branch, she recommended me to go to another regular branch that was walking distance away and assured me they'd do the printout, even though I didn't have my account there. Sure enough, the other branch cheerfully did my printout in about 5 minutes, and they didn't ask for a baht to do it -- much unlke the former branch I had dumped a year ago for their generally unfriendly service.

I can confirm that Bangkok Bank in CW will provide the needed letter for immigration regardless of where you maintain your account and they speak good english. They also will photo copy your passbook if you ask when you apply for the letter. Otherwise, just use the copy shop.

Very useful information. Last year my Bangkok Bank Branch at Seacon Square did not have a clue about what to do in order to provide a letter, they sent me to Bangkok Bank Head Office on Silom Rd, or also did not have a clue and only could issue me with a statement of account. I used to have an HSBC account and they had no problem issuing the letter with the correct details and wording confirming that the account balance had been above B800,000 for the required period of time. It seems that because BBL is a Thai Bank, immigration will accept merely a bank statement. When I go next month I will head for BBL downstairs in the Government Complex, thank you.

[spermwhale]

Thanks for recounting your travels and which buses you took.

[umbanda]

Move to Chiang Rai and do all that without wait, without line, seating on a sofa, chatting just 10 minutes with a beautiful officer, at the Mae Sai office....they will even make copies of your documents for you.

[Pib]

Move to Chiang Rai and do all that without wait, without line, seating on a sofa, chatting just 10 minutes with a beautiful officer, at the Mae Sai office....they will even make copies of your documents for you.

Yea, but when another farang moves to Chiang Rai the office will start getting busy.

[Royrex]

A bank letter just says you have XXX baht in account number XXX on the date of the letter. It's only about two sentences long. They don't say anything about is the money enough to meet XXX minimum amount for a certain kind of extension of stay (i.e, Bt800K for retirement, Bt400K marriage to a Thai, etc) nor does the letter say anything about the money meeting the 2 or 3 month seasoning requirement....the immigration officer must review the passbook to determine if the seasoning requirement is met. I guess the bank letter just helps to reduce (not eliminate) the use of fraudulent/altered passbooks.

Important note: The bank letters do NOT say the money is from a foreign source. I have letters done at CW from both BKK and KTB and the immigration lady would not accept because of that. The lady showed me a bi-lingual notice stating the letter must say bank money must be from foreign source. This is not the first time it has happen to me.

[Pib]

A bank letter just says you have XXX baht in account number XXX on the date of the letter. It's only about two sentences long. They don't say anything about is the money enough to meet XXX minimum amount for a certain kind of extension of stay (i.e, Bt800K for retirement, Bt400K marriage to a Thai, etc) nor does the letter say anything about the money meeting the 2 or 3 month seasoning requirement....the immigration officer must review the passbook to determine if the seasoning requirement is met. I guess the bank letter just helps to reduce (not eliminate) the use of fraudulent/altered passbooks.

Important note: The bank letters do NOT say the money is from a foreign source. I have letters done at CW from both BKK and KTB and the immigration lady would not accept because of that. The lady showed me a bi-lingual notice stating the letter must say bank money must be from foreign source. This is not the first time it has happen to me.

Hasn't happened to me at Cheang Wattana.

Sent from my tablet

Edited August 21, 2013 by Pib

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Well, if a person is staying in Thailand on a retirement extension, presumably they're not legally working in Thailand, so their funds likely would have originated from a non-Thailand source.

But I've never heard or seen anything I can recall about the bank's letters to Immigration somehow needing to say that or face rejection. And it certainly didn't sound like the letters Pib has been getting from BKK Bank at CW make any mention of that detail.

A bank letter just says you have XXX baht in account number XXX on the date of the letter. It's only about two sentences long. They don't say anything about is the money enough to meet XXX minimum amount for a certain kind of extension of stay (i.e, Bt800K for retirement, Bt400K marriage to a Thai, etc) nor does the letter say anything about the money meeting the 2 or 3 month seasoning requirement....the immigration officer must review the passbook to determine if the seasoning requirement is met. I guess the bank letter just helps to reduce (not eliminate) the use of fraudulent/altered passbooks.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I was going to add, the whole topic of documenting or verifying income for Immigration purposes seems to be a messy topic.

In my years in Thailand, as an American, I've only done consulate income letters, never bank deposits. And on every visit to BKK Immigration, they've always accepted the consulate income letter from me with absolutely nothing else requested relating to finances.

Yet, I have the feeling I've read posts from other members over time reporting that even with a consulate income letter, their Immigration offices (I'm thinking mostly outside Bangkok) were also asking to see bank passbooks or copies of bank statements or letters, etc etc.

And now we're getting some of the same kind of thing with bank letters... with one member here saying the CW bank branch won't issue a letter for a foreign currency account, and another member saying BKK Immigration wouldn't accept local bank letters because they didn't specify the funds on deposit had come from a foreign source.

Even though I've never had any problem, I always feel some trepidation going into doing these kinds of things, because I'm never quite sure if I'm going to end up with an Immigration officer who may have their own unique or special take on just what they think is required, even if it's different from what goes on elsewhere 90+% of the time.

[nami]

Great report and good info on the buses. I always take a taxi from mochit or chatuchak, but I will try next time.

I always thought 90 days reports are "reset" every time you do something at immigration. For instance, I just applied for an extension based on work, need to go back on September but my original 90 day report was due this month. I understand my last visit for the extension counted as a report or I am wrong and will need to pay the fine?

[ubonjoe]

Great report and good info on the buses. I always take a taxi from mochit or chatuchak, but I will try next time.

I always thought 90 days reports are "reset" every time you do something at immigration. For instance, I just applied for an extension based on work, need to go back on September but my original 90 day report was due this month. I understand my last visit for the extension counted as a report or I am wrong and will need to pay the fine?

Only first extension resets the 90 days. If you are more than 7 days late you will be fined 2000 baht.

[lopburi3]

Only the first extension of stay is regarded a 90 day report - once you start reporting only the TM.47 or entry into country is regarded as a report.

[jointedNose]

is there a kasikorn branch nearby somewhere CW that will do the required letter too?

i take the train to laksi station and walk from there. will check the buses on my google maps phone app next time.

edit: can do on laptop too https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Bangkok+Bus+Terminal,+Kamphaeng+Phet+2,+Chatuchak,+10900,+Thailand&daddr=Chaeng+Watthana+Bangkok+Thailand&hl=en&sll=13.853032,100.572418&sspn=0.132334,0.208054&geocode=FfrF0gAdfED-BSndBXCFaJziMDG8zGZJVfJoZA%3BFQ_10wAd42v-BSmdI0r3PYPiMDG3otXzOEVfDQ&dirflg=r&ttype=now&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=def&mra=ls&t=m&z=12&start=0

Edited August 21, 2013 by jointedNose

[Mr Red]

Did my retirement extension about 3 weeks ago at Samut Prakan immigration. That is a great office, always helpful, and this was no exception. Did the extension of stay first for 1900 baht -- used embassy form for income, TM7 and they pasted photo on for me, gave me back all my photocopies as not needed, and only needed my wife to complete a form saying I lived in our (her) house. Also, the officer gave me the normal receipt for a 90-day report without my asking. Quick and easy.

Then went for multiple-re-entry permit, and again no problems -- TM8 form with photo they pasted again, 3800 baht and done.

All totaled, 45 minutes and done.

[lopburi3]

Almost all Thai banks have branch office on Chiang Watanna ground floor area and believe they will all provide letters for account holders of that bank group. K bank has a branch there.

[jointedNose]

Did my retirement extension about 3 weeks ago at Samut Prakan immigration. That is a great office, always helpful, and this was no exception. Did the extension of stay first for 1900 baht -- used embassy form for income, TM7 and they pasted photo on for me, gave me back all my photocopies as not needed, and only needed my wife to complete a form saying I lived in our (her) house. Also, the officer gave me the normal receipt for a 90-day report without my asking. Quick and easy.

Then went for multiple-re-entry permit, and again no problems -- TM8 form with photo they pasted again, 3800 baht and done.

All totaled, 45 minutes and done.

1 year multi entry o from penang costs 550 myr or approx 5500 baht. with no reporting but mandatory 3 months exits (ie 90 days each time you enter.) so you are good for about 15 months if you do it right. need 800000 baht in account. just another option to consider.

Edited August 21, 2013 by jointedNose

[delgarcon]

TallguyJohn, after reading your post, I would like to recommend to you and anyone else who enjoyed your enthralling account, Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island". Read it and enjoy.

[nami]

Only the first extension of stay is regarded a 90 day report - once you start reporting only the TM.47 or entry into country is regarded as a report.

Thanks. Also when leaving the country with a reentry permit?

[lopburi3]

No exit is not a report - the entry portion of TM.6 is the report.

[nami]

Sorry lopburi3, I think I am slow :-P Does that mean that upon entry, next 90 day report should be done counting from that date?

I think I should open a new thread instead of hijacking this one, confused now after leaving and entering and then applying for the extension. I don't know anymore when I should report again ^^U