Qualifying For Retirement Visa Based On Bank Account

[Thaiquila]

I am going for retirement visa qualification based on transferring money into my Thai savings passbook account from a US bank account.

Some questions:

I: Certifying that funds came from outside Thailand

Do I need to get a document from the Thai bank stating the funds were transferred in from outside Thailand?

(or) Is this obvious from the code on the passbook?

(In other words, what does Thai immigration require to show this, or do they just communicate with the bank?)

II: Format of name on both foreign and Thai bank account

Is there going to be a problem if my US account has my middle name as one letter while my Thai bank account shows my middle name SPELLED OUT?

III: Other persons allowed to wire the money?

Assuming above is OK, does immigration require the person who WIRES the money be the same person as the applicant OR is the requirement only that the funds are coming in from outside Thailand? (I can imagine situations where I would need to send a check to a US friend, and then ask them to wire some money if my wiring agreement wasn't working.)

Edited August 9, 2006 by Thaiquila

[stoneman]

I just renewed my retirement visa for the 3rd time. i am retired in Bangkok and have a US passport. The procedures are very simple...Go to the American Embassy and get the notarized income statement from the American Citizen Services(ACS) section. This will serve as verification of your total retirement income. Go to your bank a couple of days before you are going to get the retirement visa and get a statement from them as to the balance in the account. My account has never had 800,000 baht in it at any one time. Instead I show a monthly transfer into that account that is equal to the amount that I have stated on my ACS paper. The total annual amount is mote than equal to the required 800,000 baht. These 2 documents, along with a copy of the latest 2 or 3 pages of your passbook are sufficient for the money verification...Or, at least, it has always been sufficient in my case...

[Maestro]

Some questions:

I: Yes.

(or): With the savings book of most banks: yes.

(in other words): If the Immigration Officer feels like it, he will ask for it.

(or): I should hope that my bank does not give out information about my bank account without a court order.

II: No.

III: Yes.

(assuming): No.

(or): Yes.

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Maestro

[Thaiquila]

Some questions:

I: Yes.

(or): With the savings book of most banks: yes.

(in other words): If the Immigration Officer feels like it, he will ask for it.

(or): I should hope that my bank does not give out information about my bank account without a court order.

II: No.

III: Yes.

(assuming): No.

(or): Yes.

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Maestro

Thanks very much, Maestro.

[briley]

To answer the OP's questions the funds show a code on the savings book (FTT for foreign telegraphic transfer) that immigration use to show it came from outside Thailand - it does not show nor does it have to show that it came from yourself. Thai immigration will show no interest in your US bank account - only that your Thai bank account is in your name and has money from overseas.

Mind as others say using the income letter from the US embassy is easier especially as the US embassy appears to be the easiest to get such a letter, ie no proof needed (others can correct this point).

[Sophon]

(or): I should hope that my bank does not give out information about my bank account without a court order.

I think you should expect the bank to give out any information the Immigration authorities ask for.

From what I have read here, it seems to be quite normal (in cases of extensions based on support of wife) for Immigration to call the bank, and get confirmation that the balance of the account is still over the 400,000 limit.

Sophon

[Maestro]

To answer the OP's questions the funds show a code on the savings book (FTT for foreign telegraphic transfer)

Not all banks use the same code, but the passbook usually has a legend explaining the codes being used.

The Immigration Officer can, and sometimes does, ask for the letter from the bank confirming that the money deposited into the savings account came from abroad.

Mind as others say using the income letter from the US embassy is easier especially as the US embassy appears to be the easiest to get such a letter, ie no proof needed

...and what was the OP’s question?

Whichever proof of financial means Thaiquila chooses (monthly income or lump sum), the money has to come from abroad and the Immigration Officer can ask to see proof of this. Exception: the applicant worked in Thailand and receives a pension from Thailand.

Financial Evidence:

1. Bank account pass-book, bank statement

2. Evidence showing reception of pension accompanied with Thai translation certified by the embassy or consulate of the country paying the pension

3. Evidence presenting other sources of income or evidence of money transferred from overseas

Source: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/ba...p?page=service#

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Maestro

[Maestro]

From what I have read here, it seems to be quite normal (in cases of extensions based on support of wife) for Immigration to call the bank, and get confirmation that the balance of the account is still over the 400,000 limit.

I remember reading several posts where the posters wondered aloud whether Immigration called the bank, several others where the posters assumed that Immigration would call the bank, one or two where the posters thought that Immigration called the bank, but none where the poster knew as a fact that Immigration did call the bank and received information about the applicant’s bank balance and/or the origin (whether from abroad) of the money in the account.

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Maestro

[Sophon]

From what I have read here, it seems to be quite normal (in cases of extensions based on support of wife) for Immigration to call the bank, and get confirmation that the balance of the account is still over the 400,000 limit.

I remember reading several posts where the posters wondered aloud whether Immigration called the bank, several others where the posters assumed that Immigration would call the bank, one or two where the posters thought that Immigration called the bank, but none where the poster knew as a fact that Immigration did call the bank and received information about the applicant’s bank balance and/or the origin (whether from abroad) of the money in the account.

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Maestro

I have read more than one post where the application was rejected because the money was taken out before the application was approved. I have no idea if these reports were true or not, but that was what was reported.

Sophon

[Maestro]

I have read more than one post where the application was rejected because the money was taken out before the application was approved. I have no idea if these reports were true or not, but that was what was reported.

I remember seeing such reports, but in these cases the reports said that the reduced account balance was evident from the passbook, i.e. not found out by the Immigration Officer with a call to the bank.

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Maestro