Why do retirees marry in Thailand ?

[Nuddy]

I do not understand the kerfuffle one has to go through with getting a certificate of balance on one's account for the immigration when going to immigration for extension.

Today I actually went to the bank branch several times to see if they were busy.

At 2.15 pm there was no one in the customer area.

I thought well they probably all had their lunch, no customers and in I went.

I asked the teller but she blanked me so I went over to the side counter where they do the in depth stuff.

The senior was there but she said she needed to have her lunch.

She said come back in 15 minutes

I suppose I reacted a bit grumpyly but really its a few minute job.

The form is on the computer.

They just type in your name and balance and the date.

Whats the big deal about it?

Why is it such a hassle?

They have your passport, your bank book, a pre recorded form on their computer and hell it would have taken longer to explain she wanted her lunch than it would to do the form.

I truly just do not understand it! This is every year I get this.

[ukrules]

Don't go to the bank at lunch time.

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Banking

[Nuddy]

Thanks ukrules but really is 2.15 lunch time mate? I mean I explained I checked the place out several times to make sure it was not busy and 2.15 is way way past a Thai lunch time.

Thanks CharlieH for moving it to Banking, i could not see how to set it that way myself.

Regards

R

[topt]

Two banks I have asked for this and each time they have said come back in 15 minutes to half an hour. No big deal just go and do something else or wait patiently. I agree one would think it should be easier but it is what it is

[Nuddy]

Thank you for agreeing with that part point

Regards

R

[Pib]

Takes me about 10 minutes to get one at the Bangkok Bank branch I use....but I always get it early in the morning/right at their opening time...then I'm off to immigration I go to renew my annual retirement extension of stay.

[KittenKong]

Don't go to the bank at lunch time.

2.15 is not a normal Thai office lunchtime, as far as I know.

[Pib]

Maybe the bank staff were referring to their afternoon snack and nap; not lunch. Simple Thai-English miscommunications.

[KittenKong]

I think the main problem is that probably only one person in the bank branch knows how to do it, and the others dont like to say "sorry, none of us have a clue what to do".

So they just tell you to come back when that one person who does know will be there.

I remember getting my form once in Kasikorn in Central Festival (probably one of the top 5 bank branches in Pattaya for the greatest number of farang customers) and they just told me to come back tomorrow. When I did go back the correct person was there and she did the letter in about 1 minute, as one would expect.

[Suradit69]

I think the main problem is that probably only one person in the bank branch knows how to do it, and the others dont like to say "sorry, none of us have a clue what to do".

So they just tell you to come back when that one person who does know will be there.

I remember getting my form once in Kasikorn in Central Festival (probably one of the top 5 bank branches in Pattaya for the greatest number of farang customers) and they just told me to come back tomorrow. When I did go back the correct person was there and she did the letter in about 1 minute, as one would expect.

"I think the main problem is that probably only one person in the bank branch knows how to do it, and the others dont like to say "sorry, none of us have a clue what to do".

In the absence of facts, just make up something and pretend it's a fact for future reference.

I'll make up a fact too. I think the person who deals with such things (and it makes perfect sense that only one person in a branch office would deal with letters for immigrations) had to work through her usual lunchtime, or possibly the bank gives staggered lunch times to staff rather than have everyone "down tools" at the same time, and that particular time was when she was able to eat.

Of course, I don't know that, but knowledge, or the lack of it, is never a hurdle here at TV.

I use a small sub-branch and, from experience, know that the letter at that office is produced by a lady who deals with foreign exchange. I ask for the letter, hand over my passbook and passport, and she usually has it back in a few minutes. On one or two occasions, it took 10 or 15 minutes, but I didn't feel that I had suffered a loss face because of it or that she was targeting me by making me wait longer than usual.

[Nuddy]

I have re-read what I wrote in the op.

Ok maybe I focussed too much on the lunch time aspect.

But really I was trying to make a point that the Bank staff (generally and not just on this occasion) look at the task and immediately seem to make out that its a big deal.

I suppose it is a big deal to us if you cannot get one but really its just a simple task.

A junior could make it out and a senior could check and sign it.

I was trying to say whats the big deal to them?

The bank branch earns 100 baht or more commission for a few minutes work.

Many thanks for all the responses.

A poster already said ..."it is what it is:"

Ok it is.

Regards

[KittenKong]

I think the main problem is that probably only one person in the bank branch knows how to do it, and the others dont like to say "sorry, none of us have a clue what to do".

So they just tell you to come back when that one person who does know will be there.

I remember getting my form once in Kasikorn in Central Festival (probably one of the top 5 bank branches in Pattaya for the greatest number of farang customers) and they just told me to come back tomorrow. When I did go back the correct person was there and she did the letter in about 1 minute, as one would expect.

"I think the main problem is that probably only one person in the bank branch knows how to do it, and the others dont like to say "sorry, none of us have a clue what to do".

In the absence of facts, just make up something and pretend it's a fact for future reference.

I'll make up a fact too. I think the person who deals with such things (and it makes perfect sense that only one person in a branch office would deal with letters for immigrations) had to work through her usual lunchtime, or possibly the bank gives staggered lunch times to staff rather than have everyone "down tools" at the same time, and that particular time was when she was able to eat.

Of course, I don't know that, but knowledge, or the lack of it, is never a hurdle here at TV.

I use a small sub-branch and, from experience, know that the letter at that office is produced by a lady who deals with foreign exchange. I ask for the letter, hand over my passbook and passport, and she usually has it back in a few minutes. On one or two occasions, it took 10 or 15 minutes, but I didn't feel that I had suffered a loss face because of it or that she was targeting me by making me wait longer than usual.

Sounds like you are saying exactly the same thing I did: only one person knows how to do the job and without that person they are all lost.

Happens often here.

[rwdrwdrwd]

In my experience at SCB, they literally type the entire letter out every time. I have no idea why they opt to do this, as it takes ten times as long as it could.

Perhaps it's simply a way of justifying the price.

Edited May 26, 2015 by rwdrwdrwd

[kannot]

I went into Kasikorn bank with the Wife and did this 2 months ago in Pranburi in n out 10 minutes

[Torrens54]

Never been a problem with Siam Commercial Bank either in CNX or Hang Dong. Suggest you change Banks.

[KittenKong]

In my experience at SCB, they literally type the entire letter out every time. I have no idea why they opt to do this, as it takes ten times as long as it could.

Perhaps it's simply a way of justifying the price.

More likely to justify their own job.

I'm always amazed by how long it takes my various Thai banks to produce the yearly withholding tax list for my tax refund, which is also generally done by hand. In the UK a bank computer emails me a link to it every May without me even asking for it.

Yet at the same time the Thai bank has a good, cheap and very efficient SMS warning for all movements on my account; something that my UK bank cant do at all. Strange.

[Gecko123]

10 years ago, my experience was similar to the OP's, with clerks digging through procedure manuals, huddling in conference, calling the head office, forcing me to wait forever, sometimes even requiring a return visit because only the branch manager could sign the letter.

But for many years now, things are very smooth, even though my Bangkok Bank branch is a small rural one. They keep a copy of my individual verification of funds letter on the computer, can update it within 15 minutes, and multiple employees have the authority to sign the letter on behalf of the bank manager. I usually bring a copy of last year's letter as an example of what I need, which also helps speed up the process.

[AyG]

I got one of these certificates last week at Krung Sri, in Chaeng Wattana. I think the first issue was that they're only available during a certain time period - 8:30 a.m. was too early, and they couldn't be produced until 9 a.m.. (There's also an early afternoon cut off - can't remember if it's 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m..) Something to do with poor computer systems, I understand, that can't guarantee an accurate balance outside these hours.

Whilst in other branches, and at other banks it's been a manual process of typing a letter. At Chaeng Wattana the process is automated. However, it's not that speedy. The bank manager showed me on his computer screen that the document was still queued to be produced at 9:10 a.m.. I eventually got it at 9:20 a.m. - just short of 50 minutes after I submitted by request.

Edit: Wrong bank named initially.

Edited May 27, 2015 by AyG