I am going to extend my visa using my pension income as the financial requirement

However I have read in some posts that despite having an Embassy letter confirming the pension as sufficient Immigration sometimes ask to see bank books

My question is that my Thai wife and I have joint accounts would that be acceptable

I know if I was using the 800000 deposit the account would have to be in my name only

Edited December 20, 201411 yr by Rob5060

No problem, in case you apply on based of income they sometimes ask to see a bankbook to see that you have money to spend.

Thanks Mario and that bankbook being in joint names would be ok

Never been asked (to date at any rate) for the bank book on top of the Embassy letter at retirement extension of stay time myself.

In your case a joint account would be accepted.

Never been asked (to date at any rate) for the bank book on top of the Embassy letter at retirement extension of stay time myself.

It is not a requirement, but they do sometimes ask for it. Always best to prepare for it, but only show when asked for.

Think they would ask for proof of the amount you stated in the income letter from you embassy, Like pension statements.,etc. Not how much money you have in Thailand.

Think they would ask for proof of the amount you stated in the income letter from you embassy, Like pension statements.,etc. Not how much money you have in Thailand.

That would not be enough at most immigration offices if they were to ask for it. They want to see that you are bringing some money into the country.

A bank book with some incoming transfers is the best proof there is.

I can confirm a bank statement or copy of the bank book is now required, at least at Kap Choeng, Surin. I extended my visa based on retirement a couple of days ago and used the letter from the British Embassy to confirm income. I took with me a bank a statement for the past year. Bangkok Bank charge 200 THB for this service and it takes 3 or 4 working days to obtain. I understand a copy of the bank book will suffice if it is maintained up to date. I was not asked to show my bank book in addition to the annual bank statement.

The senior immigration officer looked at my paperwork with a big smile on her face and asked how I knew she would require a copy of the bank statement or bank book. She said it was a relatively new requirement and several people had been upset when they had been turned away and asked to furnish additional proof of funding to support the embassy letter. My visa extension was duly granted without any problems.

Last week one of the Immigration volunteers in Phuket told me that HKT Immi was asking for backup and that bank book is OK. Per U-Joe they want to see money flows, not very rigorous accounting.

Same in Si Racha, they want to see the money flow.

Never been asked (to date at any rate) for the bank book on top of the Embassy letter at retirement extension of stay time myself.

You perhaps need to be aware that (at the moment) immigration offices appear to have been instructed to check for evidence of withdrawal activity. Expats have supplied either bank statements showing a month or more withdrawals or ATM receipts.

This is in addition to the usual bank letter or embassy letter.

Think they would ask for proof of the amount you stated in the income letter from you embassy, Like pension statements.,etc. Not how much money you have in Thailand.

That would not be enough at most immigration offices if they were to ask for it. They want to see that you are bringing some money into the country.

A bank book with some incoming transfers is the best proof there is.

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Absolutely.

As I said before I've had a female immigration officer take my bank passbook, copy the pages, and then go through the monthly entries in the bankbook looking for that FTT (foreign funds transfer) code and then underlining in yellow each FTT entry.

What she was looking for was a MONTHLY foreign income entry, one for each month.

Fortunately, my bankbook showed that pattern of monthly foreign income entries she wanted.

So she put a check mark on top of the copy of my bankbook, wrote passed on the top, and some words in Thai.

Then she stapled all the paperwork and forms (including my embassy income statement) together, and told me to take it to the supervisor for his signature.

All this was done right in front of me, no attempt to hide anything.

But what got me the approval of that extension was that my monthly bank passbook entries and my income statement were both correct.

I had other proof of my pension to show if required, but it was never asked for it.

This was at Chaengwattana.

I always bring the bank books just in case but have never been asked and also know several people who don't even have thai banks accounts only use ATM/Debit and credit cards to obtain funds from their bank located in the home country.

Edited December 21, 201411 yr by pmarlin

I always bring the bank books just in case but have never been asked and also know several people who don't even have thai banks accounts only use ATM/Debit and credit cards to obtain funds from their bank located in the home country.

Not difficult to provide home country bank statements (internet) and/or ATM receipts. Immigration won't understand them but they can at least tick a box.

The warning is that this is a new requirement in some immigration offices and some people have been rejected.

Never been asked (to date at any rate) for the bank book on top of the Embassy letter at retirement extension of stay time myself.

You perhaps need to be aware that (at the moment) immigration offices appear to have been instructed to check for evidence of withdrawal activity. Expats have supplied either bank statements showing a month or more withdrawals or ATM receipts.

This is in addition to the usual bank letter or embassy letter.

I always update the passbook and take it along with me to Immigration (along with a whole raft of other documentation) at extension of stay time, just in case I'm asked for it.

Never been asked (to date at any rate) for the bank book on top of the Embassy letter at retirement extension of stay time myself.

You perhaps need to be aware that (at the moment) immigration offices appear to have been instructed to check for evidence of withdrawal activity. Expats have supplied either bank statements showing a month or more withdrawals or ATM receipts.

This is in addition to the usual bank letter or embassy letter.

I always update the passbook and take it along with me to Immigration (along with a whole raft of other documentation) at extension of stay time, just in case I'm asked for it.

For most of us that will be OK as it shows money being spent. I think this is what immigration are looking rather than just a fixed deposit or income letter