Hi All,

Just looking for any updates on how long a bank letter is good for after it is issued, when using it to show Immigration at Chaeng Wattana you've got THB800,000 in the bank (3 month-seasoned) for a retirement extension of stay. My bank manager has said the letter will be good for 5 business days from the date of issue but I've heard some expats say that Immigration wants to see one dated within one day of application or so. I realize I'll need to update my bank book on the day of application in any case, but my concern is the date of the letter. Any recent experiences on this?

Thanks in advance!

TG

CW prefers the letter be done on the date of application. But will accept one from the day before.

You can get your letter from one of the bank branches that are in the basement at CW. All the major banks have branchs there.

CW prefers the letter be done on the date of application. But will accept one from the day before.

You can get your letter from one of the bank branches that are in the basement at CW. All the major banks have branchs there.

Ubanjoe, thank you. Do you find that when you pick up the letter, it is dated the previous day? At my bank (Krungrsri) they've said in past years that they can't date the letter on the date they give it to me, it has to be dated one day earlier. So I end up going to Immigration with a letter dated the previous day. Apparently the reason is that the bank considers that when it says your balance is X on a certain day, that means the balance was X at the close of business on that day. So when I pick up the letter in the morning it's dated the previous day. Do other banks do the same?

As far as I know most banks date them on the date they are issued.

I have never needed to do one myself because I do my extensions with proof of income.

I've wondered about this as well.... because if the letter has to be dated the day you go to immigration, how do you get to immigration at 6am (talking about Chiang Mai) so that you have a fighting chance of getting a number for that day?

Chiang Mai does not ask for the letter to be dated on the same day you apply. As far as I know Chaeng Wattana is the only one that does.

But most immigration offices will want the bank book updated on the date you apply or at least a ATM slip showing your balance.

Don't know about CM.

In Khon Kaen they always accepted a letter from the day before.

Friend told me, that up to three days would be accepted.

Obviously yet another case of different handling at the offices.

Sure the letter is dated on the day/moment that the account balance is determined.

Advance dating would be forgery or documents.

The only time I got a same day letter for CW the officer did not like it and said it could be forged, no pleasing some of them. Never had a problem with the day before. In any case my bank now (Thanachart) will only issue a same day dated letter if you go 'after bank hours' that's after 4 PM which would then be impossible to get to CW.

Chiang Mai does not ask for the letter to be dated on the same day you apply. As far as I know Chaeng Wattana is the only one that does.

But most immigration offices will want the bank book updated on the date you apply or at least a ATM slip showing your balance.

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Chaeng Wattana may ask for a letter dated on the day of application simply because all the major banks have a branch down on the Ground floor.

With your passbook the bank branch there will often do your letter in 15 minutes for a cost of 100 or 200 Baht.

Just have your passbook, and your passport for I.D.

All done by computer

Can't be easier and faster than that.

If immigration wants verification of al ettet then can just call down to the Ground floor branch of your bank with their cellphone.

Edited January 6, 201511 yr by IMA_FARANG

They will often tell your to go to your own branch where you opened the account

They will often tell your to go to your own branch where you opened the account

The OP is asking about BKK.

At CW-road most banks have a branch office and these are equiped to issue the bank letter on the spot. But indeed, at other locations that is not always the case and one must use the own branch office.

Don't know about CM.

In Khon Kaen they always accepted a letter from the day before.

Friend told me, that up to three days would be accepted.

Obviously yet another case of different handling at the offices.

Sure the letter is dated on the day/moment that the account balance is determined.

Advance dating would be forgery or documents.

Thanks for the info. To be clear, there was no suggestion in the previous posts about advance dating a letter. My point (as OP) was that if you go to my bank, say on January 6, and ask for a letter stating your current balance on that day they will not give it to you that day. They will only give it to you, dated Jan.6, on Jan.7. If they gave it to you on Jan. 6 it would not be "advance dating" unless the letter states that the balance is "as of close of business" on Jan. 6. I see no reason why it has to say that (as an alternative, they could state the balance at an earlier specific time, such as 12:00 noon, on the date) but it may be that the banks as a matter of their internal practice do always use that "close of business" phrase in their letters, in which case it is understandable that they won't give it to you until the next day. I can't tell for sure whether my bank (Krungsri) uses that phrase because the letter is in Thai (and I guess all of them are) but I think that's what they have in mind by refusing to date the letter the day of issue.

They will often tell your to go to your own branch where you opened the account

The OP is asking about BKK.

At CW-road most banks have a branch office and these are equiped to issue the bank letter on the spot. But indeed, at other locations that is not always the case and one must use the own branch office.

I am referring to Bkk branches. I have tried to get letters at another branch in Bkk but have been sent back to the branch, in Bkk , where the account was opened. Same if you want to close an account they will only do it at the original branch. Tha'ts my bank anyway.

At other branches yes, but did you try the branch at CW-road? They are special regarding this.

They did not have my bank there last time I used it for an extension

It seems to depend on what immigration officer is handling your case and/or what extension you apply for. My wife, our daughter and I went to the ChaengWattana immigration office yesterday (22 Jan) with one letter each from the same bank (SCB) showing more than enough funds in our fixed deposit accounts (we have separate deposit accounts). Both letters were dated 21st January. My letter always gets accepted but hers got rejected for a second time (same happened 3 years ago).

I applied for a a retirement extension of stay whereas my wife applies for education extension of stay (being the guardian of our daughter who is studying at a well known international school).

We are aware that you can obtain a letter on the same day at the SCB bank in the immigration building but that means that you lose a lot of time as both immigration office and bank open at the same time (we always arrive well before the immigration office opens its doors). The bank also advised my wife to make another deposit on the same day so her bank book showed a transaction on the same day as well.

Another interesting one: it took me only 1 hr to get my retirement extension of stay and less than 1/2 hr to get the multiple entry where as my wife and daughter had to wait 5 hrs to get the education extension of stay and another 2 hrs to get the multiple entry. This was partly due to the fact that people (well connected agents??) jumped the queue with piles of passports while her application was being processed. The immigration officers were giving her a hard time by asking more (copies) of documents they did not need in the past so she had to run several times back and forward to the copy shop (as they don't have one in the immigration office). We can only guess that all this is because of the resent clampdown on education visas?

Needless to say we had a very bad experience once again at ChaengWattana. Situation seems to get worse every year.

​Any similar experiences at ChaengWattana?

Why is your wife getting an extension for being the parent of a child attending school?

She could be getting a dependent extension based upon your retirement extension. She would not need any financial proof to get it. Your daughter can also get an extension as your dependent she does not have to have a ED extension to attend school.

Not sure why they were so picky on your wife's extension.

ubonjoe, you are correct. In hindsight we should maybe have done this but there were other considerations at the time and perhaps there still are. We should still be able to make that switch in the future I guess.

Any recent exerience using Citibank (which does not have a branch in CW) to get bank letter confirming bank deposit 800,000 for extension based on retirement? Is letter dated previous day plus ATM slip dated day of immigration visit acceptable?

CW prefers the letter be done on the date of application. But will accept one from the day before.

You can get your letter from one of the bank branches that are in the basement at CW. All the major banks have branchs there.

Ubanjoe, thank you. Do you find that when you pick up the letter, it is dated the previous day? At my bank (Krungrsri) they've said in past years that they can't date the letter on the date they give it to me, it has to be dated one day earlier. So I end up going to Immigration with a letter dated the previous day. Apparently the reason is that the bank considers that when it says your balance is X on a certain day, that means the balance was X at the close of business on that day. So when I pick up the letter in the morning it's dated the previous day. Do other banks do the same?

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The only one I have personal experience with at CW is a letter from Bangkok Bank.

It takes about 15 minutes to get, costs 100 Baht, is done on a computer form letter, and is dated the same day as you have it done.

Just have your passport and your passbook with you.... as they will copy your passport for I.D. purposes and copy the amount from your updated passbook figures.

As I said it takes about 15 minutes to get, costs 100 Baht, and is dated the same day .