Report: Successful retirement extension using monthly income, no consul letter

[JackThompson 4,477]

4 hours ago, Moonlover said:

...

So it would appear that the banks are not required to trawl through all the deposits in order to prove that they are from abroad after all. I always envisaged a problem with that anyway, given that some deposit methods, notably pensions and TransferWise do not flag up as international anyway.

 

So after numerous topics, hundreds of pages and thousands of postings it was, in words of William Shakespeare, all: 'Much ado About Nothing'. (No, I haven't read or seen it either!)

 

Thanks again Lawrence.

The OP's transfers on his bank-statement were all "FTT" foreign transfers (Bangkok bank's international code), so the assumption that one does not have to prove the transfers "are from abroad" is not supported by this report.

 

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

So at ones 6 month mark one could go to the bank and get an official first 6 month statement then at renewal time the second six month statement... Would this be doable?... I would worry immigration might balk at the first 6 month statement as it is technically 6 months old...

Others have reported their banks tell them it will take a couple weeks to get a 12-mo statement.  The OP's IO accepted his older 6-mo statement - yours may not.

I would suggest folks apply for a 12-mo statement in-advance of their extension - just to be on the safe-side with whatever IO/office you are forced to deal with, based on where you happen to live. 

[Kadilo 4,173]

1 minute ago, Nyezhov said:

Im dying to know how they are going to handle part timers. Im going to leave March/April and come back October with an expiration in January 2020. Im not going to put any money into my Thai bank account for those months. I guess I can just toss up to 800K in when I arrive if I want to mess with a year extension again.

Seems the easy option for the likes of yourself. Still got time for the seasoning so no need to worry. 

[scubascuba3 2,194]

The default is either it shows up on your bank statement as an international transfer or it does not.

Yes i know, so still outstanding whether IO will accept it with backup which is the same for all 12 months

[Psimbo 3,351]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The new rules state you must show 12 monthly transfers into the country equal to or greater than 65k baht to apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement if you do not have proof of income from your embassy which you can no longer get from the Australian embassy.

You need statements to prove statements to prove the transfers and letter from the bank confirming you account is valid.

What about people who have ring fenced the money in the past? Is having the 800k in the bank no longer valid?

 

Also the law came into effect this month. With a renewal in Jul that would still only be 7 monthly transfers.

[JackThompson 4,477]

4 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

What about people who have ring fenced the money in the past? Is having the 800k in the bank no longer valid? 

That method is still valid.  No change.

 

4 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

Also the law came into effect this month. With a renewal in Jul that would still only be 7 monthly transfers.

Correct - and the new rules state they will be flexible in the 1st year, so 7 mo of monthly international-transfer history should be plenty.

[Psimbo 3,351]

2 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

That method is still valid.  No change.

 

Correct - and the new rules state they will be flexible in the 1st year, so 7 mo of monthly international-transfer history should be plenty.

Thanks for that- I like to keep the 800k ring fenced and bring in a lump sum once a year for living expenses. I bring it in on that account then on to my 'working' account just to show some activity.

[jacko45k 7,554]

14 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

Thanks for that- I like to keep the 800k ring fenced and bring in a lump sum once a year for living expenses. I bring it in on that account then on to my 'working' account just to show some activity.

Carry on sir. No changes,

[SheungWan 5,407]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

The default is either it shows up on your bank statement as an international transfer or it does not.

Yes i know, so still outstanding whether IO will accept it with backup which is the same for all 12 months

You can hope, but I think the default is no. It isn't actually an international transfer.

[CMBob 869]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That is good news.

Just the letter from the bank confirming your account is valid and a statement or bank books are what I have been predicting is all they will want.

I'm curious as to exactly what the OP's "bank letter" said.  You've indicated that it only said the OP's account was currently valid but the OP's comments were a bit unclear on that.

OP, if you kept a copy of the bank letter, could you post a copy (blocking, of course, name and account number)?  

[ubonjoe 27,567]

2 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I'm curious as to exactly what the OP's "bank letter" said.  You've indicated that it only said the OP's account was currently valid but the OP's comments were a bit unclear on that.

First he asked for one to verify his income by showing the transfers into the country. Then immigration told him to get the standard letter used to verify his account.  That is the same standard letter used for the 400k or 800k baht in the bank for that option.

[OJAS 1,896]

10 minutes ago, CMBob said:

OP, if you kept a copy of the bank letter, could you post a copy (blocking, of course, name and account number)?  

Attached is a specimen example of what I believe to be the current version of the letter issued by Bangkok Bank (with acknowledgements to @KhunBENQ)

BKKB letter example.pdf

[Pib 10,786]

43 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I'm curious as to exactly what the OP's "bank letter" said.  You've indicated that it only said the OP's account was currently valid but the OP's comments were a bit unclear on that.

OP, if you kept a copy of the bank letter, could you post a copy (blocking, of course, name and account number)?  

I've gotten the letters from both Bangkok Bank and Krungsri Bank....they are short & simple letters that just basically say you have an account with them, account number XYZ, on the date of the letter you had X-amount on deposit with them, etc.   It includes your name, account number, etc.  All very basic stuff. 

 

It does not say the money was seasoned for X-months, talk about individual transactions, etc. 

 

The bank statement/passbook attached to that letter shows all the individual transaction info--that's really the important document.  The letter is really just fresh validation you do indeed have an account with them, the attached statement/passbook is recent, etc.

 

I still had an old from 2016 for Krungsri Bank....see below...it's more wordy than the Bangkok Bank version that if I remember right was only one paragraph one.  Short and sweet the letters are are.

 

Edited January 16 by Pib

[robertson468 1,124]

The amendment to the Retirement extension was only published in January 2019 under Police Order 2.18 (I think).  I did my last extension in October and obviously the amendment had not been published at that stage, however, I did deposit 40K (married to Thai Lady) monthly for November and December 2018, but it was not transfered in to Thailand.  I had made ATM withdrawals in the absence of any direction.  Went to Samui Immigration (with Thai Wife) to confirm exactly what they wanted come October 2019.  They said I had to prove 400,000 in Bank and when I questioned about 40K monthly and quoted the Police Order, the Officer didn't have a clue.  We asked her to check it out with her Superior and phone us back.  So far, no response, so come early next week we will be going back again to get clarification, also the issue of (in my case) Non-overseas deposits for November and December.  Will report back folks!

[DogNo1 976]

Ubonjoe mentioned an easy alternative to a bank statement - copies of the bank book countersigned by the bank.  To my mind, this plus a bank letter is the easiest proof.  My understanding is that the bank letter must be dated on the day that the application is made.  I assume (hope) that the bank book copies could be countersigned at an earlier date in the month of application provided that they showed  a transfer deposit for that month.

 

It turns out that several financial institutions in the US offer free SWIFT wire transfers.   Check with your institution.

 

People who have been using a domestic ACH transfer to Bangkok Bank will longer be able to do so after June 1st (someone here said April 1st but I think it is June.).   My bank didn't even know what an International ACH is, so I am sending SWIFT wires.  They show up in my bank book coded FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer.)

[Pib 10,786]

12 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

People who have been using a domestic ACH transfer to Bangkok Bank will longer be able to do so after June 1st (someone here said April 1st but I think it is June.).   My bank didn't even know what an International ACH is, so I am sending SWIFT wires.  They show up in my bank book coded FTT (Foreign Telegraphic Transfer.)

 

Per Bangkok Bank....1 Apr 19

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Other-Services/Transfers/Transferring-Into-Thailand/Transfer-money-from-US-to-Thailand-via-Bangkok-Bank-NewYork-branch

Quote

With effective from April 1, 2019, New York branch only process ACH with appropriate IAT format and all non-IAT transactions will be returned.