Bank Letter to renew Visa

[sunoco27]

I need to get a letter from Bangkok Bank showing that I have at least 800,000 baht in my bank account.

How many days is the letter good for until my appointment to renew my annual 1 year retirement visa?

Thank You

[chiang mai]

The letter needs to be dated within one, or at the very most two days of your visa renewal appointment.

[Thailand]

To be on the safe side. Day before at the most.

[mania]

Couple days is ok if your appointment is Monday & you need to get it Friday

Also go a day early as some banks only send it from Bangkok & takes a day for some odd reason

Make sure you get your bankbook updated at the same time & then do nothing

with that account till after your interview.

Sometimes they get sticky if book & letter are not exactly the same

Even if book reads more than letter

Edited March 17, 2014 by mania

[jayceenik]

The day before going to Immigration for the one-year visa extension I make a withdrawal and then ask the bank for the letter.

Like that the bankbook is updated with the withdrawal.

Nevertheless I've been asked twice at CW to trot down to my bank's branch in the basement and deposit 100 baht to "update" latest latest my bank book...

And then, of course, I have to trot to the photocopy shop and get my bankbook's last photocopy page updated too...

Much ado for nothing but it's their game and it gives me some walking exercise...

[Suradit69]

"...my appointment to renew my annual 1 year retirement visa?"

The letter needs to be dated within one, or at the very most two days of your visa renewal appointment.

"...two days of your visa renewal appointment."

You can't renew a visa. It's an annual extension of stay. Embassies/consulates issue visas. Immigrations grants extensions of stay. Not the same thing.

[chiang mai]

"...my appointment to renew my annual 1 year retirement visa?"

The letter needs to be dated within one, or at the very most two days of your visa renewal appointment.

"...two days of your visa renewal appointment."

You can't renew a visa. It's an annual extension of stay. Embassies/consulates issue visas. Immigrations grants extensions of stay. Not the same thing.

Yes Suradit, we know Suradit, thank you Suradit!

[Beetlejuice]

7 days prior to the visa extension applicat9ion date is acceptable at Immigration.

[jayceenik]

7 days prior to the visa extension applicat9ion date is acceptable at Immigration.

Yes, the 7-day prior bank letter could be acceptable at some Immigration offices.

Like this one :

http://pathumthani.immigration.go.th/Documents%20for%20visa%20extension.html

But see what happened to this guy here at CW :

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/immigration-update.asp

It's not me but like I said before same thing has happened to me twice already at CW.

And, yes, I dress nice with much more than the required 800k on my bank book...

The last time it happened (NOV13) the officer had a look at my previous-day updated bankbook and bank letter and said " Oh but your bank book must be updated as of today"... and there I went to my bank's branch LOL

[chiang mai]

Good luck anywhere in Thailand trying to use a 7 day old bank letter for visa renewal purposes!

[khwaibah]

Good luck anywhere in Thailand trying to use a 7 day old bank letter for visa renewal purposes!

Have a very good friend I personally know and was with when he presented a bank letter from SCB to immigration for an extension to stay based on retirement that was 7 days old and it was accepted.

[jayceenik]

Good luck anywhere in Thailand trying to use a 7 day old bank letter for visa renewal purposes!

Have a very good friend I personally know and was with when he presented a bank letter from SCB to immigration for an extension to stay based on retirement that was 7 days old and it was accepted.

Back in the old days at SuanPhlu I never had any problems with bank letters/bankbooks which, as far as I remember, were always dated a few days earlier.

[uptheos]

Good luck anywhere in Thailand trying to use a 7 day old bank letter for visa renewal purposes!

In Chiang Mai the previous day at the latest, unless your appointment is 9am Monday, in which case Friday should be OK (it was for me). Bangkok Bank put a 24 hold on funds & immigration know this.

I certainly wouldn't turn up at CMI with a 7 day old letter and an un-updated bank book (they both should match).

[ajnamoon]

Hi there

i was down at immigration office last week to enquire about retirement visa,as just changed my tourist visa to O visa and was told by one of the officers there that i would require a letter from my bank to state that i had the 800k in my account and also last 3 months paper statements from bank as well ,though bangkok bank said i only needed letter confusing !!!

[uptheos]

Hi there

i was down at immigration office last week to enquire about retirement visa,as just changed my tourist visa to O visa and was told by one of the officers there that i would require a letter from my bank to state that i had the 800k in my account and also last 3 months paper statements from bank as well ,though bangkok bank said i only needed letter confusing !!!

I would imagine they meant they wanted to see that you had the money in the bank for the required 3 months (2 months new applicant). In which case your bank book would be the proof.

They often get confused.

[chiang mai]

Hi there

i was down at immigration office last week to enquire about retirement visa,as just changed my tourist visa to O visa and was told by one of the officers there that i would require a letter from my bank to state that i had the 800k in my account and also last 3 months paper statements from bank as well ,though bangkok bank said i only needed letter confusing !!!

It's usually acceptable for the bank letter to show your account balance for each of the past three months, statements are not always required.

[jaideeguy]

Just did mine and the bank [bangkok Bank] said the letter was good for 7 days, but it had to be sent to BKK for processing and returned to CM..............-2 or 3 days in the mail. The 7 day clock starts ticking upon application.

[Baerboxer]

Hi there

i was down at immigration office last week to enquire about retirement visa,as just changed my tourist visa to O visa and was told by one of the officers there that i would require a letter from my bank to state that i had the 800k in my account and also last 3 months paper statements from bank as well ,though bangkok bank said i only needed letter confusing !!!

It's usually acceptable for the bank letter to show your account balance for each of the past three months, statements are not always required.

Pathumthani require the stamped bank letter, which they will accept being a few days old, but certainly no more than 7 days. They also require a copy of your bank book which you must update the same day you apply for the extension. The officer counts back 3 months and highlights a transaction near to that date on the copy of the book. She/he then reads through to make sure you do not go below the required balance amount. She/he also checks the balance on the letter is the same as that shown in the book, for the same day if the letter is a few days old.

I have never been asked to provide copies of the monthly bank statements as well.

[PostmanPat]

Just did mine and the bank [bangkok Bank] said the letter was good for 7 days, but it had to be sent to BKK for processing and returned to CM..............-2 or 3 days in the mail. The 7 day clock starts ticking upon application.

Surely not? If you go to the branch of Bangkok Bank where your account is held they have always issued my letter there and then in about five minutes?

[mania]

Just did mine and the bank [bangkok Bank] said the letter was good for 7 days, but it had to be sent to BKK for processing and returned to CM..............-2 or 3 days in the mail. The 7 day clock starts ticking upon application.

Surely not? If you go to the branch of Bangkok Bank where your account is held they have always issued my letter there and then in about five minutes?

I think it varies by branch.

I know when i use my Ayudhya account for renewal it is 1 day notice I need to give them

because theirs also comes from Bangkok.

So Ayudya is not using mail but perhaps Fax or email.

In any case works so I am happy

Edited March 18, 2014 by mania

[luther]

Here's a plan. Log in online. Print your last 3 months bank statements. Take them to the bank. Update your bank book. Ask the bank to write the letter and hand them the 3 months of statement while they make a copy of the updated bank book. Pick them up the next day all stamped by the bank. I retrieve these from the bank the day before, not the day of an immigration appointment.

[Beetlejuice]

Just did mine and the bank [bangkok Bank] said the letter was good for 7 days, but it had to be sent to BKK for processing and returned to CM..............-2 or 3 days in the mail. The 7 day clock starts ticking upon application.

Dating back to medieval times here in Chiang Mai, I have changed my Bangkok Bank branches a few times and each time I have just walked into my branch, asked for a bank balance statement letter, waited a few minutes, then paid the 100 baht fee and done. Never have I heard of the said letter ever having to go via Bangkok for professing, never. Unless your account is something out of the ordinary and not a regular resident fixed period or savings account?

The same applies to all the other banks I have accounts with. Never had a problem. To be on the safe side, I usually obtain my letter about 2 or 3 days prior to the visa extension application, but 7 days is perfectly acceptable. Of course I can only refer to the Chiang Mai Immigration Department, Immigration Departments in other areas may have different rules and policies.

[jaideeguy]

Just did mine and the bank [bangkok Bank] said the letter was good for 7 days, but it had to be sent to BKK for processing and returned to CM..............-2 or 3 days in the mail. The 7 day clock starts ticking upon application.

Dating back to medieval times here in Chiang Mai, I have changed my Bangkok Bank branches a few times and each time I have just walked into my branch, asked for a bank balance statement letter, waited a few minutes, then paid the 100 baht fee and done. Never have I heard of the said letter ever having to go via Bangkok for professing, never. Unless your account is something out of the ordinary and not a regular resident fixed period or savings account?

The same applies to all the other banks I have accounts with. Never had a problem. To be on the safe side, I usually obtain my letter about 2 or 3 days prior to the visa extension application, but 7 days is perfectly acceptable. Of course I can only refer to the Chiang Mai Immigration Department, Immigration Departments in other areas may have different rules and policies.

I was told by my friendly bank manager that if you changed your account, which I did when they had a higher interest promotion, that it had to go to BKK for approval. If you maintain the same account that has already been approved by BKK, then they can issue you the letter at your local bank.