Extension of stay: Bank Account

[bradenroger]

Hi, guys, just wanted to share with you that today I went to Chonburi Immigration Office to submit my application for extension of stay for another year (I am retired here and this was my first extension request). I had all my documents in order (I thought) based on all the information that I could find from the various websites as well as this forum. However, to my surprise, there was one hitch. As I do not have the total monthly income required of 65,000 baht I have to supplement the shortfall by having the balance (needed to total 800,000 Bht.) on deposit in a bank account. I made all the calculations to ensure that the expected amount of money was in the bank and had both the letter from the bank as well as a copy of my passbook. Now the hitch was that my bank account is in my name but it is also in the name of my Thai friend/partner. According to them it should ONLY have my name.

Nevertheless, this time the senior officer ultimately agreed to my extension because I had on deposit double the supplement balance (mentioned above) required since two people's names are on the bank account. This seemed to be treated as a special case and he insisted that next time I should have my funds in an account with my name only. I am supposed to pick up my passport with extension stamp tomorrow. For the life of me I cannot figure out the logic of this requirement and worst of all, I have never heard anyone mention this requirement before now. I hope this information will be of use to others....Maybe I did not read the regulations carefully?

[KhunBENQ]

Unfortunately: yes you missed important information when browsing the forums.

It is not explicitely stated in the immigration order, but 100% clear:

the account must be in your name exclusively, no shared accounts.

[bradenroger]

Glad to know this. Many thanks.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Unfortunately: yes you missed important information when browsing the forums.

It is not explicitely stated in the immigration order, but 100% clear:

the account must be in your name exclusively, no shared accounts.

Yep...this fact has been mentioned many times on this forum and other places that discuss longterm living in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

Yes, it is not news. It is normal enforcement. Next year indeed you had BETTER have a qualifying account in your name only. You were lucky to get a pass this time and happy to hear that Thai immigration made an exception for you this one time. Cheers.

[merijn]

Phuket accept shared accounts as long it involves a married couple with marriage certificate and double amount of the required balance.

[thaiexpat21]

Phuket accept shared accounts as long it involves a married couple with marriage certificate and double amount of the required balance.

Really ?

Are you stating this from your own personal circumstance/ experience ?

[Satcommlee]

Makes perfect sense, otherwise you could have a joint account with 10 other pensioners all using the same 800K as a basis to extend their visa.

But good info nonetheless!

[Pib]

Yea, you got lucky...the requirement for the account to be in your name only is not new nor is news. Otherwise, they my say you only own half the money in the two person account...or maybe you are just riding off the funds of someone else who was nice enough to put your name on the account versus you having your own funds. Yea, you got lucky...everyone deserves some luck now and then.

[thonglorjimmy]

I can understand the requirement to have the cash in one persons name, for the reasons have been explained, but I can also see the sense in having the cash in joint accounts, if the main account holder should die, a partner couldn't access the funds.

Mind you that could possibly remove temptation, but for a genuine unmarried couple it could also create an problem if one should die.

[Mario2008]

Reason to get a proper will drafted.

Not sure about Thailand, but there is a difference between a joined account and an account where you also allow a different person to withdraw money from.

[asiaexpat]

Joint accounts are open to unacceptable risks, such as co-owner absconding with all the funds, as far as immigration is concerned.

[ubonjoe]

Phuket accept shared accounts as long it involves a married couple with marriage certificate and double amount of the required balance.

 

Really ?

 

Are you stating this from your own personal circumstance/ experience ?

There have been reports for retirement extensions of it being allowed. But only with 1.6 million baht or more in the bank.

For marriage it is not allowed.

[merijn]

Phuket accept shared accounts as long it involves a married couple with marriage certificate and double amount of the required balance.

Really ?

Are you stating this from your own personal circumstance/ experience ?

There have been reports for retirement extensions of it being allowed. But only with 1.6 million baht or more in the bank.

For marriage it is not allowed.

Yes from personal experience on a marriage extension.

But as said with double required balance and marriage certificate but it is a gamble as not all officers like it.

Therefore i opened a separate account this year for my visa extensions.

[BlackJack]

my retirement ext of stay is due in Jan 2014

i want to apply early (now) as i have had the cash sitting in the bank and want to use it for somthing else

if i apply now will immigration extend from the Jan 2014 a further 12 months or

will immigration extend from November 2013 a further 12 months?

[ubonjoe]

If they allowed you to it this early it would still be from January. Normal now is up to 45 days early.

[BlackJack]

i saw another thread that said could be 2 months - depends on the day and the officer at Jomtien

[ubonjoe]

At one time in Jomtien it was 60 but that changed to 30 days now it is 45 days.

[higgy01]

Is there going to be a problem , as to where the money comes from , if the poster now transfers that money into another account with his name only ???. when he extends next year ..... t i t .

[ubonjoe]

No problem.

[Jingthing]

At one time in Jomtien it was 60 but that changed to 30 days now it is 45 days.

Thanks for that factoid! I knew it had changed from 60 to 30 at Jomtien, and that it had changed to 45 at Bangkok, but this is the first I have heard of a change to 45 at Jomtien.

[ubonjoe]

At one time in Jomtien it was 60 but that changed to 30 days now it is 45 days.

Thanks for that factoid! I knew it had changed from 60 to 30 at Jomtien, and that it had changed to 45 at Bangkok, but this is the first I have heard of a change to 45 at Jomtien. 

There was a recent post from a member saying he was informed of that by them.

[BlackJack]

i will put on my biggest smile and go ask them just to clarify

thanks for the replies

[Pib]

Good to hear Bangkok now does 45 days (I hope it is indeed true as a standard policy versus by exception) as I always like to apply for my extension of stay well before the last few days of the current extension...I've been applying at Bangkok immigration around the 25 to 30 days before point each year...but I would prefer to apply as early as 45 days just to get it done & finished as far in advance of the expiration date as possible.