Bank deposit requirements for extension of visa and other issues

[mydee]

My wife and I are holders of Australian passports and are staying in Thailand on Non-Immigration O-A M (Multiple Entry) visas. We wish to renew this visa which expires next April. I have a pension from my employer which meets the threshold for eligibility, however my wife although retired, has not yet received a pension.

Could anyone please explain the requirements in terms of minimum bank deposit require for her to extend under these circumstances? Does the full amount apply? Does the amount alter given that we are married?

The other issue is that my passport will expire before the required eighteen month validity period. I realize I can get a new one at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok (at an exorbitant price) but my concerns are just how is the present visa handled in the new passport for travel away from Thailand until the new visa is issued and even for the dreaded 90 day reporting.

Thank you for any assistance

[ubonjoe]

If you do an entry just before your visa expires you can get another onr year entry from it. Then get a re-entry permit if you want to travel. You can get almost 2 years of stay from a OA visa.

When you are ready to get an extension you can get one using your income and your wife can get an extension as your dependent with no additional financial proof needed.

[mydee]

Thank you for that response, obviously I don't want to transfer about AUD$35,000 from profitable investments into a Thai savings account. My wife is an Australian citizen but Thai by birth with a Thai ID card but we would prefer not to fall back on her citizenship as we are travelling on Australian passports

[lamyai3]

I am also interested in this question, sounds like it's possible to avoid the 90 day reporting altogether by repeatedly exiting before the 90 day date on a multiple re-entry permit?

[lamyai3]

Additional question not far off topic, similar to the op I would prefer to avoid sinking 800k into a Thai bank account - what would be considered acceptable as the 65000pm income by the UK embassy? Could this be money transferred from another bank account held by myself? In other words could I pay myself 65000pm from one UK bank account to another? I have the savings but would rather keep the money in the UK if possible.

[ubonjoe]

Thank you for that response, obviously I don't want to transfer about AUD$35,000 from profitable investments into a Thai savings account. My wife is an Australian citizen but Thai by birth with a Thai ID card but we would prefer not to fall back on her citizenship as we are travelling on Australian passports

Why not get her a Thai passport, No need for visas, extensions or 90 day reporting.

She could get her Thai while here and then leave on her Australian passport and use her Thai passport when she returns.

She can enter and leave Australia on her Australian passport and then enter Thailand on her Thai passport. Lots of people do it.

[ubonjoe]

I am also interested in this question, sounds like it's possible to avoid the 90 day reporting altogether by repeatedly exiting before the 90 day date on a multiple re-entry permit?

During the first year of a multiple entry OA visa you don't need a re-entry permit. You will get a one year entry every time you enter the country up until the date your visa expires. After that you would need a re-entry permit.

Additional question not far off topic - what would be considered acceptable as the 65000pm income by the UK embassy? Could this be money transferred from another bank account held by the same person? In other words could I avoid sinking 800k into a Thai bank account and instead pay myself 65000pm from one UK bank account to another? I have the savings but would rather keep the money in the UK if possible.

The UK embassy might do the letter doing it that way.

[lamyai3]

Thanks

[jmwpga]

Your wife should get a Thai passport. That would relieve her of all the Immigration expense and hassle. Enter and leaveTH on a Thai passport and enter and leave AU on her AU passport.

[mydee]

Thank you for all your helpful responses