Extension of Stay - K-Bank Refuses to Update Passbook on Fixed Deposit Acct

[exppenang]

I have had a K-Bank passbook savings account in Phuket for three years, and this is the account I *planned* on using to keep the required THB 800,000/three months on deposit before I do my 2014 retirement extension at Phuket Immigration. Previously, I had used the monthly income method, where I had to go to BKK, visit my embassy and do an income affidavit. This year I decided to skip BKK and try the THB 800,000 on deposit for three months. I thought it would be easy.

I topped my account up to 800,000+ THB about two weeks before the required three months seasoning date, but I didn't take the passbook and do an update on it right then (December 2013).

About ten days ago I updated my passbook at the machine, but the machine only printed transactions going back for sixty days. So now I have only two and a half months of 800,000+ showing in the passbook. I went inside the branch and asked for the letter to take along with me. The bank representative (Asst Manager) spoke very little English, he printed a letter in Thai showing my current balance. Three days later, off to Immigration I went with 9 left days before my current extension expires.

Inside the immigration office, the volunteers (who are always very helpful to me), spotted the 'problem' - even though the 800,000 had been in the account for over three months - the savings passbook didn't show any entries for December. They suggested that I go to KBank and try to resolve the problem.

So I went to Phuket town KBank, and asked for print outs of my last three statements.

This is when they informed me that 'their system' (at the local branch) can only go back TWO MONTHS! After two months, the account records *go to Bangkok* and If I want a printout to go back any longer, I have to fill up a form and wait ten BUSINESS days. This would put me over my extension expiry date by about 5 days.

So those funny looking computer machine thingy's in the KBank branch can only go back two months, but on the internet at HOME, I can go back a full SIX MONTHS. Are you kidding me? After much wrangling, and hearing the *Customer Service* rep tell me I should have known Passbook Updates only go back two months, and I should have known to come earlier and ask for the printout like *everyone else* does, she said she would help me, even though this problem 'not her fault'.

So after paying 200THB, they will call BKK and have the statements faxed 'only this one time'. 'You come back tomorrow, and get your statements.'

+++Lesson(s) learned+++

1. After you top-up your account to the THB 800,000, make sure you do a passbook update as soon as possible. Do not wait more than 60 days after the deposit to do the update, as older records will be buried in Bangkok somewhere (for KBank).

2. Customer Service at KBank (or possibly any other major Thai bank) is 20 years outdated. I find customer service doesn't really exist here - Thai bank staff are taught to 'follow the rules', and the entire system is designed to serve them not the customer.

3. Phuket Immigration are not there to 'Serve the Public' or even make you feel human. The immigration officer told me 'problem, bye-bye' and waved me off with a hand flick. Every other visit I have made to the Phuket office in the past went great, when I was using the income affidavit method.

I know I shouldn't be surprised by any of this - and indeed I am not - just disgusted.

[Dah fahrang]

I have had a K-Bank passbook savings account in Phuket for three years, and this is the account I *planned* on using to keep the required THB 800,000/three months on deposit before I do my 2014 retirement extension at Phuket Immigration. Previously, I had used the monthly income method, where I had to go to BKK, visit my embassy and do an income affidavit. This year I decided to skip BKK and try the THB 800,000 on deposit for three months. I thought it would be easy.

I topped my account up to 800,000+ THB about two weeks before the required three months seasoning date, but I didn't take the passbook and do an update on it right then (December 2013).

About ten days ago I updated my passbook at the machine, but the machine only printed transactions going back for sixty days. So now I have only two and a half months of 800,000+ showing in the passbook. I went inside the branch and asked for the letter to take along with me. The bank representative (Asst Manager) spoke very little English, he printed a letter in Thai showing my current balance. Three days later, off to Immigration I went with 9 left days before my current extension expires.

Inside the immigration office, the volunteers (who are always very helpful to me), spotted the 'problem' - even though the 800,000 had been in the account for over three months - the savings passbook didn't show any entries for December. They suggested that I go to KBank and try to resolve the problem.

So I went to Phuket town KBank, and asked for print outs of my last three statements.

This is when they informed me that 'their system' (at the local branch) can only go back TWO MONTHS! After two months, the account records *go to Bangkok* and If I want a printout to go back any longer, I have to fill up a form and wait ten BUSINESS days. This would put me over my extension expiry date by about 5 days.

So those funny looking computer machine thingy's in the KBank branch can only go back two months, but on the internet at HOME, I can go back a full SIX MONTHS. Are you kidding me? After much wrangling, and hearing the *Customer Service* rep tell me I should have known Passbook Updates only go back two months, and I should have known to come earlier and ask for the printout like *everyone else* does, she said she would help me, even though this problem 'not her fault'.

So after paying 200THB, they will call BKK and have the statements faxed 'only this one time'. 'You come back tomorrow, and get your statements.'

+++Lesson(s) learned+++

1. After you top-up your account to the THB 800,000, make sure you do a passbook update as soon as possible. Do not wait more than 60 days after the deposit to do the update, as older records will be buried in Bangkok somewhere (for KBank).

2. Customer Service at KBank (or possibly any other major Thai bank) is 20 years outdated. I find customer service doesn't really exist here - Thai bank staff are taught to 'follow the rules', and the entire system is designed to serve them not the customer.

3. Phuket Immigration are not there to 'Serve the Public' or even make you feel human. The immigration officer told me 'problem, bye-bye' and waved me off with a hand flick. Every other visit I have made to the Phuket office in the past went great, when I was using the income affidavit method.

I know I shouldn't be surprised by any of this - and indeed I am not - just disgusted.

expenang:

A note of real thanks here.

Like you, I have dcided to 'forego' my British Embassy letter, and go the 800k banked for 90 days route.

I have made two transfers; the first shows the funds deposited. The second, I have not (as yet) updated my passbook.

The second batch of funds were transferred end of January, so its off to Kasikorn at 'sparrows fart' tomorrow to get the book updated before their 60 days are up.

I was totally unaware of this nonsense. So, a BIG thanks for the header.

[exppenang]

Fahrang,

Glad to hear you got some good out of my minor misfortune. Based on this experience, I wonder if the Phuket Town branch will actually have my statements for me when I go to pick them up. Then, will Immigration will accept my faxed bank statements? Or will they be stuck on my passbook which doesn't show what they want to see, regardless of whatever other proof I provide.

I am going to do a good luck mojo ritual just before I go to immigration. Luck, it seems, is sometimes what is reallly needed to get in and out of there with what you need, regardless of whether the money was actually in when it was supposed to be.

[Kan Win]

Phwee,

After reading up to page 4, I am very glad that I got my PR in 2002.

I am still with ThaiFamers Bank as is was know and now named KBank for their help and support for my Thai family and me.

Thank you K-bank

Win

[speedtripler]

So it sounds like your branch is just being awkward.

No kidding. The lady swung her monitor around so I could see it: "No transaction, no update!"

thats when u need to go over her head and call a manager

if they cant or wont update the book then they can print you out a statement

with todays date on it and use that to confirm your money is still in the bank

[allane]

1. Re: the OP's problem: Depositing or withdrawing B 1000 will give you an up to date bank book. At the risk of stating the obvious, if previous deposits had been withdrawn, that would have been shown in the bankbook. It goes without saying that fixed-term deposits are still on deposit.

2. I live in the Amnat Charoen Immigration District, and am using fixed-term deposits at K-bank for the " B 800,000" money in the bank method. Has anyone experience with this bank, in this District ? Is the bank willing to provide a letter ? Does Immigration understand what a fixed deposit is, and why it doesn't show the current date, when the deposit has not yet matured ? I am interested in actual experiences, not the letter of the law. The letter of the law doesn't help very much, if you can't make it work for you on the day you need it.

[exppenang]

Allane,

Although I am not an expert here, I have recently gone through what type of account does/does not qualify. From my research, it seems that some Immigration Offices accept certain types of FD accounts, while others do not. I would also like to keep the 800k on FD and get a bit better interest, but decided even the *potential* for a problem makes it not worth the risk.

For me, I would rather know what the current 'Gold Standard' is for acceptance. It seems that a passbook savings account, with bank chopped copies of monthly statements clearly showing a minimum deposit of no less than 800k for the entire period, along with a letter from the branch also signed and chopped.

Due to variations in the major Thai banks, Phuket Immigration seems to have taken a hard stance (at least when I went) as to what they will accept.

Good luck.

[Mario2008]

A fixed deposit is normally accepted if you can withdraw the money (but lose your intrest), not accepted if it is fixed in the sense that during the agreed period you cannot withdraw the money.