To day – my 1 year retirement extension experience using 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank

[KittenKong]

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Of course it can be updated, my FD book(s) can be. I put it in a Bangkok Bank machine and a line is printed showing balance and date. 

Mine cannot. There is nothing to update so nothing can be printed. The balance only changes at the beginning or end of the term and those are the only times when an update is possible.

[phuketrichard]

why take your wife?

as to all the other stuff from your wife, didn't u have a TM30 form in the back of your passport?

NO photo showing outside ur home?
No Map?

Edited March 21, 2019 by phuketrichard

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

 While I can think of some reasons, why would you have to show some activity?  If the funds were in a timed deposit account such as a CD, would that now not be accepted?  If one had activity, one might drop below the required 800k baht.  Of course if they want to see activity I guess one could take out some monies, being careful to always keep the balance above 800k.  Are the Thais not fishing to see that people actually use the funds in the account?

In the past, applicants were told they should have activity showing they were using the money to live here.  But now, we are not permitted to use the money for this, per the new rules. 

 

As with all things immigration, the current instructions are, "What they really always meant," and we were just exploiting a "loophole" to "get away" with doing precisely what they instructed, before. 

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, phuketrichard said:

why take your wife?

as to all the other stuff from your wife, didn't u have a TM30 form in the back of your passport?

NO photo showing outside ur home?
No Map?

Nothing wrong with taking your wife along. Many married couples do about everything together.

What is required varies by office. He was applying at the Korat immigration office not Phuket that requires those things.

 

12 hours ago, MrScratch said:

That same day I went to Korat immigration along with my Thai wife and submitted the following items

 

[PAWNEESE]

2 hours ago, KittenKong said:

It has never been required of me at Jomtien. My 800k is on time deposit anyway, so the idea of updating the book on the day makes no sense. The only times that there is anything to update are the beginning or end of the term.

Im confused. A few years ago Jomtien refused to accept my 800,000 in a Time Deposit. They waived me away .. saying not accepted. Luckily I still had time to go the income letter route.

 

Always renew as early allowed .. 30 days in Jomtien.

 

Or are there different types of Time Deposits ?????

 

I thought Time Deposits tied up the money so effectively its not available instantly. Thats why it was rejected. I actually had 1 million baht as I had a desire to be a millionaire. ????.

 

..... a requirement  (to be available instantly) before but NOW you cant spend it anyway. Your visa no longer valid.  Just thought of that this second ????????????.

 

Im going back to just leaving 800,000 in a virtually zero interest account permanently. I have discovered Im not psychologically able to forget about the constant need to remember to import monthly funds. Pathetic I know.   Put just over 800k in a seperate account from day to day funds account and FORGET. 

 

Year after year after year. ????????????.  Bliss after trying the moving in funds every month ... its on my mind toooooooo much.

 

Just over 800,000 so on the day of renewal I can withdraw 100 or so baht then get the book updated.

 

Possibly no need for the withdrawal to get an update but it dont hurt.

Edited March 21, 2019 by PAWNEESE

[KhunKenAP]

To have to do the Bank Letter and bank book update on the day you submit the application will mean longer lines at Immigration for Retirement Visa's. I have always done the day before so I can get one of the first numbers to submit my paperwork. Makes no sense, but then this is Thailand.

 

What about the 90 Day reports? Will you have to get a Bank Letter and do bank book update to same day as your 90 Day report as well? Getting harder and crazier by the day. Glad I do not have to renew until December.

 

However, by then they may want to see the 800,000 in cash in your hand.

Edited March 21, 2019 by KhunKenAP

[Psimbo]

'Fascinating' comments but this is about the experience in 'KORAT'.

 

Please keep this in mind as nearly ALL offices have different interpretations of the rules so its pointless commenting on elsewhere. it just clutters up a useful thread.

 

I could comment on MY local IO but it's completely irrelevant so I don't.

[hottrader77]

12 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So to summarize you needed to show activity on day of application, which is the norm. You were asked to bring bankbook with you and bank letter, on your next 90 day report?

Would have been good if you had asked that if you where  travelling outside los at that time what is required. 

It seems more and more apparant to me that immigration and the military government more and more are taking over our lives to move thailand more towards a miltary state and a dictatorship . with elections looming lets hope it changes and instead of us bowing and saying thank you to them , they will start to recognise they should be saying thank you to us for all the money and time we spend here . i have been coming to thailand for 24 years and NEVER had 1 day of overstay , i think i should be given a medal never mind a thank you , i had an experience of bullying by immigration officer at the Suvarnabhumi airport in bangkok , i got a 60 day visa in uk to come to thailand i extended that 30 days , went to jomtien immigration to get my extension and asked what do i do when that finishes i was told i had to go out of thailand and come back in and i would get 30 days so i went at the end of the extension to singapore for holiday for 2 nights came back and at airport was taken for interview by immigration and told i was doing illegal ( a complete lie ) as the jomtien immigration said i was allowed to get 30 days eventually i got a 30 day stamp but the immigration guy said LAST TIME ( another complete lie ) as you are allowed to go outside thailand 2 times and get 30 day stamp twice in a year , he also said a tourist can only stay in thailand 3 months a year ,(another lie ) i said to them at jomtien immigration best for me next time to only come to thailand for 3 months and then go somewhere else as i think now alot of tourists are thinking !

Edited March 21, 2019 by hottrader77

[Gazman1]

I am proposing to put 900,000 baht in a term deposit and let the interest just grow on this.  When I finish my time on earth the money can go to my wife or family.  Is this possible and what will I need to take to immigration in BKK to extend my retirement visa.  Up until now I have had income that covered me and now on a pension which at the current rate does not amount to the required 65,000 baht per month.  Can anyone tell me what sort fo account they keep their money in and what documentation is required at BKK Immigration, Thanks.

[Kasane]

At Udon Thani IM for immigration extension for Non-O, on application day, 800K in bank, same day  account guarantee verification letter, and same day updated bank book was needed for me. Transaction entry on same day of application was not a requirement. I guess each office has its own interpretation. Expected in a bureaucracy. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 hours ago, attrayant said:

 

At CW in Bangkok they are handing out an informational paper showing the new two-month-before (not three) rule, just FYI.  I got a copy of it.

 

Can you post a copy/photo of that document here in the thread????

[Lemonltr]

I had to laugh when I read this was Khorat (Dan Kwian) immigration. Years ago I renewed "retirement" extension and had income far over 65.000. Although not necessary I got a letter (then 2/3 days old and legal) to show I was not poverty stricken and had funds in the bank also. To be a really good boy I deposited 1.000 baht on my way to prove that the cash was still there. In spite of my not needing any money in the bank the officer screeched "money in bank not same letter" and made me travel many kilometers back to Khorat to get a new letter. Is it any wonder that now I'm sceptical. 

[mercman24]

re, place of habitation, i took my lease agreement to Jomtien, (first page) the rest was irrelevent, (so i thought) ie, if i smash a cup etc,etc. anyhow the old biddy wasnt happy, she wanted every page, so i came back to my condo (not far luckily) got the 3 totally irrelavent pages and returned to  immi, and she didnt even look at those pages. talk about a jobs worth.

[JackThompson]

34 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

was taken for interview by immigration and told i was doing illegal ( a complete lie )

They can refuse a visa-exempt, but that doesn't mean you did any thing illegal. 

 

34 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

as the jomtien immigration said i was allowed to get 30 days eventually i got a 30 day stamp but the immigration guy said LAST TIME ( another complete lie ) as you are allowed to go outside thailand 2 times and get 30 day stamp twice in a year ,

 

The 2x rule only applies at land-borders.  There is no official limit by air. 

 

34 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

he also said a tourist can only stay in thailand 3 months a year ,(another lie )

Sometimes they have said 180 days (a lie), and now told you 90-days (another lie).  There is no legal limit on how long you can be in the country as a tourist.  The only rules have to do with not working, having money to support yourself, and not breaking laws (real ones).

 

This is typical of the law-breaking IOs at the Bangkok Airports, who also deny people with valid Tourist Visas entry based on lies.  But, be aware, "visa-exempt" entries are at immigration's discretion, so it's even more risky to enter on those. 

 

You can get 2x visa-exempts per calendar-year at law-abiding land-borders (all except Poipet/Aranya) by simply following the rules (cash + flight-out + rental/hotel booking).  The Malaysian entry-points also demand a night out, but that comports with the "no out/in run" policy for visa-exempts.

 

If you plan to spend more than occasional time in Thailand as a tourist, you will need to get Tourist Visas, and then enter only at law-abiding land-borders, or risk being denied-entry.  One workaround is flying to Penang, entering by train, then flying on from Hat Yai.  If going to your passport-country regularly, a METV is a good choice to eliminate needing to shop around for Tourist Visas.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, KhunKenAP said:

I have always done the day before so I can get one of the first numbers to submit my paperwork.

I have had better results going a bit later, but obviously depends on which office. To get number one or two you might have to get there at 07.30 (Jomtiem), waiting until they open an hour later, at which time there will be a good queue! Those Brit old boys love getting up early to go stand in line. You might get out at about the time I am rolling up to the bank. 

[MrScratch]

I have always taken my Thai wife with me to the immigration office , when applying for a 1 year retirement extension , I feel that if there was a problem when applying for the extension ,I think that having the Thai wife sat beside me to translate and put my point of view / explanation to the IO in Thai seems a better option than attending alone.

 

When applying for the 1 year retirement extension I always take a brief case full of every thing I can think of that may be requested including my Thai wife’s Blue house book and her Thai ID card.  On this particular day when applying for my 1 year retirement extension the IO specifically asked for the wife’s Blue house book and her Thai ID card . I included my Yellow House book and its details were taken by the IO ,  but it was not originally requested at that time by the IO. 

 

I was not asked to produce any photographic evidence of where I live / photographs showing my self and Thai wife at home or provide a map showing directions to our house.

As we all know by now the immigration rules / requirements  may be interpreted in different ways depending at which immigration office your are attending and if the IO dealing with your application paperwork is in a good mood ????

 

As a side comment , I always seem  to get on better with a female IO officers than a male one ????

 

[steve187]

13 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

He is not applying at CW. 

no but lots of people do

[scubascuba3]

Those Brit old boys love getting up early to go stand in line. 

I think us Brits invented queues

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

27 minutes ago, MrScratch said:

When applying for the 1 year retirement extension I always take a brief case full of every thing I can think of that may be requested including my Thai wife’s Blue house book and her Thai ID card.  On this particular day when applying for my 1 year retirement extension the IO specifically asked for the wife’s Blue house book and her Thai ID card . I included my Yellow House book and its details were taken by the IO ,  but it was not originally requested at that time by the IO. 

 

Wonder if they were asking for the wife's house book just because she is your wife, or, because she's the owner/housemaster of the place where you live? I.e. landlord....

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, PAWNEESE said:

Im confused. A few years ago Jomtien refused to accept my 800,000 in a Time Deposit. They waived me away .. saying not accepted. Luckily I still had time to go the income letter route.

Always renew as early allowed .. 30 days in Jomtien.

Or are there different types of Time Deposits ?????

I thought Time Deposits tied up the money so effectively its not available instantly. Thats why it was rejected. I actually had 1 million baht as I had a desire to be a millionaire.

For many years it has never been an issue for me in Jomtien. I wonder if perhaps you had not respected the seasoning requirement?

 

As for the "instantly available" requirement, time deposits here are normally instantly available but you will lose all the interest if you withdraw early. I find it quite reassuring to have 800k on fixed deposit that pays interest (currently around 2.5%) but is still available to me with a small penalty should I urgently need it for medical bills etc.

[dotpoom]

15 hours ago, MrScratch said:

Account had to show it had at least 800,000 Baht that had been deposited in that account for at least 3 months prior to the application date .

I thought that was reduced to 2 months?

   A bit long, so didn't read much beyond that.

PS...did see a bit about wife's blue book. Am wondering what she has to do with the application if you were using the 800,000 Bt. method?

Edited March 21, 2019 by dotpoom

[marcusarelus]

3 hours ago, KittenKong said:

It has never been required of me at Jomtien. As I pointed out, my time deposit bank book can never be updated anyway apart from at the end or beginning of a deposit term.

Stick the FD book in the machine and get today's date on the balance.  Bangkok bank.  Mine printed. 

Edited March 21, 2019 by marcusarelus

[marcusarelus]

20 years of retirement visas and only had problems one time - when I took my wife.  The Imm guy wanted a lease from my rented condo.  Since I rented month to month didn't have one. 

 

Now I never take wife and never speak Thai.  No problems.  Your mileage may vary.  I go 30 days before so any problems I can solve in a timely manner. 

[KittenKong]

9 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Stick the FD book in the machine and get today's date on the balance.  Bangkok bank.  Mine printed. 

I doubt that sticking my CIMB time deposit passbook into a Bangkok Bank machine would achieve very much. Even the branch cant update my book unless there is some sort of movement on it, and that only happens at the beginning and end of a deposit term as I have pointed out.

 

This is not a problem for me as the Jomtien immigration office has never required me to have the book updated on the day.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, MrScratch said:

I have always taken my Thai wife with me to the immigration office , when applying for a 1 year retirement extension

My Mrs refuses, the absolute opposite to my neighbour whose wife goes with him for extension renewal and does his 90 days for him. Not sure if she would be help or hindrance. More amusing is some of the accompanying ladies in Pattaya Imm who leave you in no doubt as to their source of income.

Edited March 21, 2019 by jacko45k

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, KittenKong said:

I doubt that sticking my CIMB time deposit passbook into a Bangkok Bank machine would achieve very much. Even the branch cant update my book unless there is some sort of movement on it, and that only happens at the beginning and end of a deposit term as I have pointed out.

 

This is not a problem for me as the Jomtien immigration office has never required me to have the book updated on the day.

I didn't mean that.  I meant that I had a Bangkok Bank account and the lady updates my savings account and my FD account in her printer.  I also have a CIMB account that updates but don't know the specifics.  I'd have to look.  

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

This is not a problem for me as the Jomtien immigration office has never required me to have the book updated on the day.

That seems so contradictory when an updated book is very much specified as required, along with copies. If your FD is long-term (2 years did you say once?), it would very much outdated if CIMB has not printed in there for 23 months!

[crazykopite]

Here on Koh Samui the requirements are different in that we have to provide a medical certificate , google map of property as well as hand drawn map of how to get to the property the whole thing is a nightmare and no don’t come next year thing will be even more stricter this will be my last extension of stay I will either go to pastures green or get a multi entry and take a mini break every 90 days . It was only last month that I received a text from my SCB bank telling me that my bank had closed and that my account had been transferred to another SCB 10 KM further than my last one trouble is I cannot move or change to another bank as no doubt immigration would turn me down as I had switched from one bank to another ☹️☹️☹️

[scubascuba3]

 

 

 

More amusing is some of the accompanying ladies in Pattaya Imm who leave you in no doubt as to their source of income.

Just need to look at the age gap, that tells you everything

 

 

[KittenKong]

36 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

That seems so contradictory when an updated book is very much specified as required, along with copies. If your FD is long-term (2 years did you say once?), it would very much outdated if CIMB has not printed in there for 23 months!

This is my point. A recently updated book is not a requirement for me and never has been. The accompanying letter indicates that the bank book is accurate and up to date, and this seems to satisfy the immigration officials that I have dealt with.

 

My CIMB TD book is updated only when there is movement in the form of a fixed deposit being started or maturing. This usually means once or twice a year.