Non imm O marriage extension income

[mcswiggety]

I'm a US citizen and my wife is Thai. We married in Thailand 4 years ago, and have been living/traveling between Thailand and abroad for the last few years. I'd like to see if we can settle a little more permanently in Thailand, but I don't want to have to do visa runs every 90 days. I'd like to get a 1 year extension, but I don't have 400k in a Thai bank, though I easily make over the required 40k per months. The problem is, my income comes from online sources in the US (ad revenue and the like). Is there any possibility this would be acceptable to immigration? Obviously the US embassy will sign off on whatever amount I claim, but what other proof or questions about my income will be required by Thai immigration? What will they ask for? And what is acceptable? Anybody ever done anything similar?

[ubonjoe]

Only a few immigration offices might ask for back up proof for the income affidavit you will do at the US embassy. The best back up proof you could have would be a Thai bank book showing funds coming in on a regular basis. They are not concerned about how you earn the money as long as you can show it is coming from abroad.

[Gonsalviz]

Is this income affidavit the normal thing where you tell them everything is true and correct and then they approve it?

The reason I ask is my personal retirement is an account that I can withdraw as much or as little as I need. There is no fixed amount

[IMA_FARANG]

If you can do the 40,000 Bhat or more equivalent every month, put that on the U.S. embassy income statement.

Usually that will be accepted by Thai immigration.

As ubonjoe pointed out they will not usually question that statement.

As a backup, a good idea is to bring into country an amount that you are comfortable with and put it in a Thai Bank account each month for your living expenses.

Your Thai bankbook will show the dates, amounts (in Baht), and a bank code that indicates ​funds transferred from oversees.

That transfer code is added automatically by the computer when it prints the information in your passbook.

Though you may not need it, carry your bankbook with you, and if asked, show it to them.

Believe me, most of them know what the code means, and they can read it.

They know it means an incoming transfer of funds from a foreign source.

in my first immigration extension for a retirement visa/extension I was asked for my bank passbook.

The immigration officer (female) copied a couple of pages from my passbook, then went down the copy and underlined every monthly transfer coded as a incoming foreign funds transfer.

When she saw that I had brought funds into Thailand every moth just as I stated, she smiled, put a check mark on top of the copy from my passbook, then wrote the letters O.K. near the checkmark, and stapled the copy to my other paperwork.

She the handed me the application, and told me to take it to her supervisor for final approval.

I never forgot that, even though I was never been asked to do that again.

Edited July 28, 2016 by IMA_FARANG

[55Jay]

Not sure where the OP plans to live. I did the income affidavit the first 2 extensions but went over to the money in the bank method (400k) to cut out the trips down to Bangkok.

Closest Embassy Outreach city to me is KK, about 2 hours away, but wasn't one close to the time I needed it.

I also like having surplus cash onshore for emergencies, apart from the amount I bring in monthly for routine living expenses.

[ubonjoe]

Not sure where the OP plans to live. I did the income affidavit the first 2 extensions but went over to the money in the bank method (400k) to cut out the trips down to Bangkok.

Closest Embassy Outreach city to me is KK, about 2 hours away, but wasn't one close to the time I needed it.

I also like having surplus cash onshore for emergencies, apart from the amount I bring in monthly for routine living expenses.

Since immigration will now accept income proof from an embassy that is up to 6 months old it should not be a big problem to get one at an outreach or a planning trip to Bangkok at a convenient time.

[Gonsalviz]

If you can do the 40,000 Bhat or more equivalent every month, put that on the U.S. embassy income statement.

Usually that will be accepted by Thai immigration.

As ubonjoe pointed out they will not usually question that statement.

As a backup, a good idea is to bring into country an amount that you are comfortable with and put it in a Thai Bank account each month for your living expenses.

Your Thai bankbook will show the dates, amounts (in Baht), and a bank code that indicates ​funds transferred from oversees.

That transfer code is added automatically by the computer when it prints the information in your passbook.

Though you may not need it, carry your bankbook with you, and if asked, show it to them.

Believe me, most of them know what the code means, and they can read it.

They know it means an incoming transfer of funds from a foreign source.

in my first immigration extension for a retirement visa/extension I was asked for my bank passbook.

The immigration officer (female) copied a couple of pages from my passbook, then went down the copy and underlined every monthly transfer coded as a incoming foreign funds transfer.

When she saw that I had brought funds into Thailand every moth just as I stated, she smiled, put a check mark on top of the copy from my passbook, then wrote the letters O.K. near the checkmark, and stapled the copy to my other paperwork.

She the handed me the application, and told me to take it to her supervisor for final approval.

I never forgot that, even though I was never been asked to do that again.

I usually don't transfer monthly.To save on transfer fees, It is usually amounts of 9,000 USD every few months. So far I am having to transfer around 50,000 USD per year. Much more than required and much more than I really want to spend but that is the way it is.

[ubonjoe]

Is this income affidavit the normal thing where you tell them everything is true and correct and then they approve it?

The reason I ask is my personal retirement is an account that I can withdraw as much or as little as I need. There is no fixed amount

Yes you swear before a consular officer that it is true and correct.

I usually don't transfer monthly.To save on transfer fees, It is usually amounts of 9,000 USD every few months. So far I am having to transfer around 50,000 USD per year. Much more than required and much more than I really want to spend but that is the way it is.

You don't have to transfer your income in every month as long as you can show that what you are bringing in annually is equal to the monthly income requirement times 12.

[55Jay]

Not sure where the OP plans to live. I did the income affidavit the first 2 extensions but went over to the money in the bank method (400k) to cut out the trips down to Bangkok.

Closest Embassy Outreach city to me is KK, about 2 hours away, but wasn't one close to the time I needed it.

I also like having surplus cash onshore for emergencies, apart from the amount I bring in monthly for routine living expenses.

Since immigration will now accept income proof from an embassy that is up to 6 months old it should not be a big problem to get one at an outreach or a planning trip to Bangkok at a convenient time.

You are right, of course. Not a feasibility issue, just a personal preference at this point. Call bank day before for the letter, stop and pick it up the next morning on the way out to Immigration.