Extension (pension based) - last 12 transfers or transfers covering 12 months prior to application?

[SooKee]

Not sure if this has cropped up before but a buddy of mine went to do his Retirement Extension (pension based) at CW recently. He has his pension transferred here about the 25th of each month and went with a statement showing the last 12 transfers.  He applied on or about 8th June and his statements covered 01/06/19 - 31/05/20 so it included the 25th May pension payment.

 

IO said he had to get another statement for 01-31/05/19 as she needed the transfers to show that applicants have qualified for the full 12 months preceding the application, excluding the month you apply. He explained that he thought he needed to show the last transfer and the 11 before but she said no, it's the transfers covering the preceding full 12 months, NOT the last 12 transfers and that the application month will be covered by his next application.

 

When I did mine I just assumed it was as the IO told him, given that otherwise you're showing 11 months and a few days of 'qualification' rather than the full 12 months.  I also figured that if I was wrong, and she did need the last transfer, it would be easy enough to go the CW Branch and get a 1 month statement printed out there and then for 100 baht and save a repeat trip the to bank HQ and CW!  IO was happy enough with bank book, updated that day, as that showed the transfer (if indeed she was looking for it).

 

My buddy had also tried to make life a bit easier by picking up 2 x 6 months statements from his local branch, one recently and one 6 months before, rather than ordering one from the HQ requiring 2 trips, order and pick up. IO said it needed to be one statement not more than 7 days old so he'd have had to go back to CW anyway.

Edited July 3, 2020 by SooKee
Typos / formatting

[JAS21]

Last year, the I O told me that he would need to see 13 months of transfers.

 

As Bangkok Bank takes some time to issue a 12 month one. I got one every six months, and finally the last month or so just before I went to extend.
 

it is very easy to put a reminder in your phones calendar, to go to the bank every six months to collect a statement.

 

This was at Nonthaburi

 

 

[SooKee]

34 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

Last year, the I O told me that he would need to see 13 months of transfers.

 

As Bangkok Bank takes some time to issue a 12 month one. I got one every six months, and finally the last month or so just before I went to extend.
 

it is very easy to put a reminder in your phones calendar, to go to the bank every six months to collect a statement.

 

 

Yeah I was planning to do that too this year (2x6 month), in fact I was due to go pick a 6 month up today.  My chum getting told that his two 6 month statements were not acceptable as they were over 7 days old has thrown me a bit.  Sure it will save time going to the HQ branch, but not if they're rejected which will be even more of a hassle with a visit to the Bank HQ, paying again, going to pick them up, and going back to CW.  Might pass on that idea for this year.  I've seen reference to the 7 day thing before but I've seen others mention they'd used 2 x 6 months statements.  Just not sure if this is a new policy or just one IO on the day.

 

Guessing I got lucky on the 13 month thing.  Either my IO wasn't bothered or was happy seeing the entry in the bank book.

Edited July 3, 2020 by SooKee

[JackThompson]

This seems insane, if you don't understand why it is being done:

 - You pay BKB for a 12 mo statement, but no, need a 13th month, which takes time to get, so you may run out of time before your current-extension lapses - gotcha!
 - You get statements ever 6 mo - no, the first statement is "too old" - as if what happened 6 - 12 month period in the past would have somehow changed in the interim? Takes time to get that 6+mo history from the bank - gotcha!

 

From what is described here, and in dozens of other posts, it's clearly the issue is not really about showing you actually have the qualifying income - it is about making it so difficult, that more will pay through their agent-buddy.   

Edited July 3, 2020 by JackThompson

[SooKee]

Yeah sadly while on face value the requirements look simple it's a case of having to establish how it's being interpreted and make sure you remove and potential hurdles before you get to the IO.  For me that's two things I'll adjust seeing as I'm just not prepared to take the risk of having to make multiple trips to the bank (or paying for the same document twice) or Immigration.

Firstly, make sure I have 13 months of statement coverage (not 12) and secondly, order one single statement covering the 12 months prior to application along with a further 1 month statement that I get printed out on the day I go to pick it and the bank letter up (I will ask though what the price is for a 13 month statement - I suspect 200 + 100 THB) rather than getting two statements (one at the 6 month period and one at the 12).

Neither might not even be an issue but, as they clearly were at least once, it's another two things for me to add to the 'Make sure that....' list ????  One of the reasons I do my application the full 45 days before it expires, time to fix any problems that might arise.

Edited July 3, 2020 by SooKee

[john terry1001]

15 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

This seems insane, if you don't understand why it is being done:

 - You pay BKB for a 12 mo statement, but no, need a 13th month, which takes time to get, so you may run out of time before your current-extension lapses - gotcha!
 - You get statements ever 6 mo - no, the first statement is "too old" - as if what happened 6 - 12 month period in the past would have somehow changed in the interim? Takes time to get that 6+mo history from the bank - gotcha!

 

From what is described here, and in dozens of other posts, it's clearly the issue is not really about showing you actually have the qualifying income - it is about making it so difficult, that more will pay through their agent-buddy.  

When I went to renew my marriage extension (due 17th March) in mid February this year the IO hadn't done a renewal using the new monthly income transfer system and didn't understand what was required. I had transferred twelve monthly transfers from the 1st February 2019 - 31st January 2020 and supplied a twelve month bank statement from Bangkok Bank. I used three UK pensions to cover the transfers but the IO (wrongly) thought I was only allowed to use one pension. Long story but I eventually got to see the 'boss lady' on the last day in February (28th) who agreed I was correct and could use more than one pension. The IO was annoyed when told to process my application and said, because it was now the end of February, I would need to supply a statement for the current month. The Bangkok Bank branch was local and the boss lady just said go and ask for a statement during the IO's lunch break. There was no delay in getting that statement, is was supplied within 15 minutes and the IO had to complete my application that same afternoon.

 

While there I also asked if I could supply two six month statements instead of one twelve month for next years application and was told yes I could.

 

Next year, as usual apply about four weeks early to give time to rectify any problems so, if there's a change and they won't accept six month statements I'll have plenty of time to get the twelve month version. and if they require a thirteen month statement, with the extra month needed at the beginning of the statement, I already have that from this year's application. 

[chilly07]

I collect credit advices for each month and then present them back to my bank for them to do the letter for Immigration. Immigration then don't want to see bank statements. It's easier that way. I include all advices from when I last applied 13 in all

[SooKee]

2 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

When I went to renew my marriage extension (due 17th March) in mid February this year the IO hadn't done a renewal using the new monthly income transfer system and didn't understand what was required. I had transferred twelve monthly transfers from the 1st February 2019 - 31st January 2020 and supplied a twelve month bank statement from Bangkok Bank. I used three UK pensions to cover the transfers but the IO (wrongly) thought I was only allowed to use one pension. Long story but I eventually got to see the 'boss lady' on the last day in February (28th) who agreed I was correct and could use more than one pension. The IO was annoyed when told to process my application and said, because it was now the end of February, I would need to supply a statement for the current month. The Bangkok Bank branch was local and the boss lady just said go and ask for a statement during the IO's lunch break. There was no delay in getting that statement, is was supplied within 15 minutes and the IO had to complete my application that same afternoon.

 

While there I also asked if I could supply two six month statements instead of one twelve month for next years application and was told yes I could.

 

Next year, as usual apply about four weeks early to give time to rectify any problems so, if there's a change and they won't accept six month statements I'll have plenty of time to get the twelve month version. and if they require a thirteen month statement, with the extra month needed at the beginning of the statement, I already have that from this year's application. 

 

Yeah I was tempted as I say with the two times 6 month statements.  But, on balance, it's 2 x 100 THB for the 6 month statements or 200 THB for one 12 month, the only difference being that I won't have to repeat the process again, pay again and take it all back to Immigration again if the 6 month statements get rejected, just not worth the risk in my case.

[DogNo1]

I completed my retirement extension in March.  I presented a bank letter produced on the day by the CW branch of Bangkok Bank and my bank book showing monthly transfers of over 65,000 for the past twelve months.  They were accepted for this year although the IO warned me that I would need a twelve month statement from the bank the next time because some transfers were printed out or order in the bank book.  The October transfer was printed before the April transfer due to a glitch with the bank book updating machine.  Since then, a machine has printed a transfer over the top of another so I will definitely need a twelve-month statement next year.  A teller at the Central World branch has told me that she can get me a 12-month statement with five days lead time.  I wonder whether she is correct. Other posters seem only able to get 6-month statements from their local branches.  Perhaps I'll test her ability to do that now.  Knowing what is possible will be worth the 200 Baht.  BTW, it is advisable to always get your bank book updated by a teller.  The updating machines don't work reliably.

[Presnock]

I did my yearly extension of stay in May (due in June).  I went to BKK bnk local at which I have a solo acct and asked how long would it take to get the bank letter and a letter of the 12 monthly deposits from overseas.  I had read on TVforum about the credit advises and asked the bank  agent who said for all that, it could be done by the day after my request.  I asked for all three, for the following week and picked them up after the bank opened at 0830...updated by bank book and went to immigration.  The female agent checking to make sure everything was okay before giving me a queue number, saw that I had 13 deposits (2 in one month but covering 12 months.  The extra deposit was for school tuition.  Another IO came over and asked her what was the problem and she showed him the 13 deposits (each for over 150000).  The IO laughed and said this guy is okay, give him a ticket now.  She did so but then asked that I go across the street and make a copy of my bank book (20baht).  I did so, and spent less than 40 minutes total at immigration getting the stamp of approval.  I only had 12 months of consecutive deposits and don't understand why your IO would insist that there be 13 mos.  As I mentioned above, I did the extension around May 22 and that is the same date that I do it each year even though it is due by 20 June.

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

Next year, as usual apply about four weeks early to give time to rectify any problems

Best advice - right there.  They do process many at "retail price" - the trick is making sure they don't get you over a barrel.  Starting early is the best way to prevent this.

 

And if using income, verify each transfer every month, with time and spare-cash overseas to send more money, if one gets messed-up somehow.

Edited July 3, 2020 by JackThompson

[Max69xl]

8 hours ago, JAS21 said:

Last year, the I O told me that he would need to see 13 months of transfers.

 

As Bangkok Bank takes some time to issue a 12 month one. I got one every six months, and finally the last month or so just before I went to extend.
 

it is very easy to put a reminder in your phones calendar, to go to the bank every six months to collect a statement.

 

This was at Nonthaburi

 

 

2x 6 months statements aren't allowed at every immigration office. My Bangkok Bank branch issues a 12 months bank statement on the spot. Cost: 200 baht. 

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

A teller at the Central World branch has told me that she can get me a 12-month statement with five days lead time.  I wonder whether she is correct.

She is correct - 3 to 5 days is normal within Bangkok according to my branch and believe mine was ready in 3 but did not pick up until day 5.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Presnock said:

I did my yearly extension of stay in May (due in June).  I went to BKK bnk local at which I have a solo acct and asked how long would it take to get the bank letter and a letter of the 12 monthly deposits from overseas.  I had read on TVforum about the credit advises and asked the bank  agent who said for all that, it could be done by the day after my request.  I asked for all three, for the following week and picked them up after the bank opened at 0830...updated by bank book and went to immigration.  The female agent checking to make sure everything was okay before giving me a queue number, saw that I had 13 deposits (2 in one month but covering 12 months.  The extra deposit was for school tuition.  Another IO came over and asked her what was the problem and she showed him the 13 deposits (each for over 150000).  The IO laughed and said this guy is okay, give him a ticket now.  She did so but then asked that I go across the street and make a copy of my bank book (20baht).  I did so, and spent less than 40 minutes total at immigration getting the stamp of approval.  I only had 12 months of consecutive deposits and don't understand why your IO would insist that there be 13 mos.  As I mentioned above, I did the extension around May 22 and that is the same date that I do it each year even though it is due by 20 June.

They will love me then. I do 3 transfers a month so they will need to read 39 plus the extra state pension.

[hotandsticky]

4 hours ago, chilly07 said:

I collect credit advices for each month and then present them back to my bank for them to do the letter for Immigration. Immigration then don't want to see bank statements. It's easier that way. I include all advices from when I last applied 13 in all

 

 

Not all banks do that; mine doesn't.

[hotandsticky]

Sorted out my extension based on retirement in less than an hour at Buriram iMobile office.

 

I had 12 months bank statements from Kasikorn (stamped and initialed) and the signed letter confirming that I held an account with a balance of XX Baht. (300 Baht charge in total). I printed off 12 Transferwise PDFs for 65,000 Baht each (minimum) and cross referenced them numerically to the bank statements.

 

The IO was happy with all that.

[john terry1001]

5 hours ago, SooKee said:

Yeah I was tempted as I say with the two times 6 month statements.  But, on balance, it's 2 x 100 THB for the 6 month statements or 200 THB for one 12 month, the only difference being that I won't have to repeat the process again, pay again and take it all back to Immigration again if the 6 month statements get rejected, just not worth the risk in my case.

A six month statement from Bangkok Bank is free (as was the one month statement I got from my local branch of the bank in about fifteen minutes). I've only had to pay for the twelve month statement.

 

The twelve month statement had to come from head office and took about a week to arrive. As well as being free, the six and one month statements were both supplied over the counter straight away.

[mtls2005]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

This will be my first full year of transfers - last year it was just Jan-Aug - so I'll plan to bring documentation for the -13th month.

 

Does the Bangkok Bank FTT summary letter need to include that -13th month? Last year, for me, this letter covered a time period, with a total amount, which along with the Credit Advice Receipts. Should the bank letter cover 12 or 13 transfers?

 

 

[joebrown]

My annual 'Married to Thai' extension expires 28th August. Last year my application was approved based on 6 months proof of UK Pensions and 6 months Thai bank statements for which I gave the IO sufficient Transferwise papers and FETs.

I was not aware Bangkok Bank issue a Summary FTT letter, and feel this will help a great deal since there is now a new 'Jobsworth' IO at my local office who has declined monthly bank transfer applications on a whim.

Can anyone PM me with a copy of the BB FTT Summary letter, so that I can request same from BB.

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, joebrown said:

Can anyone PM me with a copy of the BB FTT Summary letter, so that I can request same from BB.

No need for it to be sent by PM. Example-BankLetter-Monthly-Deposits.pdf

[SooKee]

11 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

A six month statement from Bangkok Bank is free (as was the one month statement I got from my local branch of the bank in about fifteen minutes). I've only had to pay for the twelve month statement.

 

The twelve month statement had to come from head office and took about a week to arrive. As well as being free, the six and one month statements were both supplied over the counter straight away.

Bloody strange.  I'm sure they make this stuff up as they go along, deciding on a branch by branch basis. I thought I'd seen other post that they were free, but they charged me 100 for a six month when I got one planning to use it for my last extension.

Edited July 4, 2020 by SooKee

[SooKee]

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Thanks for the heads up.

 

This will be my first full year of transfers - last year it was just Jan-Aug - so I'll plan to bring documentation for the -13th month.

 

Does the Bangkok Bank FTT summary letter need to include that -13th month? Last year, for me, this letter covered a time period, with a total amount, which along with the Credit Advice Receipts. Should the bank letter cover 12 or 13 transfers?

 

 

I went to the trouble of doing a BKK Bank FTT letter last time, this was in January (go to the head office, order it, pay, and go back to pick it up after 3 days).  They said the format had changed and that it was now no longer a summary one page letter in the format I originally copied from here, it's a letter with a bank print out attached with the transactions highlighted.  True to the ever changing policies here I just went with it and said "whatever".  This was at Bangkok Bank Silom.  It seems though that some branches are / were still issuing the old style letters.  I don't keep up to date with the format they use now, just can't be bothered, I just ask on the day.

I'd read a comment from Ubonjoe though that the FTT letters were no longer needed, just the account ownership letter, so when I applied at CW I didn't hand it over, kept it in my bag in case I was asked.  Submitted the 12 month statement, copies of my bank book and the account ownership letter and true enough, didn't get asked for the FTT letter.  I needn't have got it in hindsight obviously but Silom is far easier for me to get to than a repeat trek out to CW had they have asked for it.  I don't plan on getting one next year, just statement and bank book, unless I read on here that the FTT letter has now become the 'new normal' again.  I got away with just a 12 month statement last time but in light of what happened to my chum I plan to get another 12 month but then get a further single month statement printed out when I go to update the bank book at CW on the day I apply to provide the 13 months, again, should they ask.

Edited July 4, 2020 by SooKee

[lopburi3]

6 minutes ago, SooKee said:

 Submitted the 12 month statement, copies of my bank book and the account ownership letter

Indeed that is exactly what I submitted mid June to CW - was a computer sprocket print out of account for 12 months but did not have the account ownership letter and passbook was updated day before so went downstairs for letter/update which took about 5 minutes.

[joebrown]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

No need for it to be sent by PM. Example-BankLetter-Monthly-Deposits.pdf

Once again, thanks for your help.

[john terry1001]

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Thanks for the heads up.

 

This will be my first full year of transfers - last year it was just Jan-Aug - so I'll plan to bring documentation for the -13th month.

 

Does the Bangkok Bank FTT summary letter need to include that -13th month? Last year, for me, this letter covered a time period, with a total amount, which along with the Credit Advice Receipts. Should the bank letter cover 12 or 13 transfers?

 

3 hours ago, joebrown said:

My annual 'Married to Thai' extension expires 28th August. Last year my application was approved based on 6 months proof of UK Pensions and 6 months Thai bank statements for which I gave the IO sufficient Transferwise papers and FETs.

I was not aware Bangkok Bank issue a Summary FTT letter, and feel this will help a great deal since there is now a new 'Jobsworth' IO at my local office who has declined monthly bank transfer applications on a whim.

Can anyone PM me with a copy of the BB FTT Summary letter, so that I can request same from BB.

When I did my marriage extension in February  at Si Racha I didn't need a 'Bangkok Bank Summary FTT letter' showing twelve months international transfers. Instead the IO wanted another (attached) letter from the bank. The lady at Bangkok bank had been working there for years but had never heard of, or seen, this letter before so she actually phoned the IO and got her to dictate the letter over the phone to ensure it was written accurately. When she'd finished she suggested the IO was just being 'difficult' and laughed when I agreed and said I'd already been offered an 'easy passage' through the system for a 15k baht payment (which I refused).

 

To my knowledge nobody else has been asked for a similar letter.

 

What I did also do is make my own twelve month spreadsheet showing details of every foreign transfer I'd made which corresponded to the details of the Bangkok bank statement and bank book, all TW PDF'S, as well as the three pension transfers into my UK bank account every month, along with all original documents. This gave a complete paper pathway of my money transferred from the UK to Thailand.  bank income letter - draft.pdf

[JTXR]

On 7/3/2020 at 3:10 PM, chilly07 said:

I collect credit advices for each month and then present them back to my bank for them to do the letter for Immigration. Immigration then don't want to see bank statements. It's easier that way. I include all advices from when I last applied 13 in all

Do you need to go each month to your BB branch to collect the credit advice?

[JTXR]

I believe just as it depends on which IO you happen to get when you try to do the extension, it also depends on which BB branch you happen to use.

 

My last extension, the manager of my BB branch (in a Bangkok mall) didn't much know what was needed, but once I explained I wanted 1) a 12-month statement, 2) a letter of account ownership, and 3) credit advices for the last 12 monthly international transfers, she arranged to have all three ready to pick up the next day.  The day following that, I went to CW where the IO accepted everything without question.

[SooKee]

On 7/3/2020 at 4:32 PM, DogNo1 said:

I completed my retirement extension in March.  I presented a bank letter produced on the day by the CW branch of Bangkok Bank and my bank book showing monthly transfers of over 65,000 for the past twelve months.  They were accepted for this year although the IO warned me that I would need a twelve month statement from the bank the next time because some transfers were printed out or order in the bank book.  The October transfer was printed before the April transfer due to a glitch with the bank book updating machine.  Since then, a machine has printed a transfer over the top of another so I will definitely need a twelve-month statement next year.  A teller at the Central World branch has told me that she can get me a 12-month statement with five days lead time.  I wonder whether she is correct. Other posters seem only able to get 6-month statements from their local branches.  Perhaps I'll test her ability to do that now.  Knowing what is possible will be worth the 200 Baht.  BTW, it is advisable to always get your bank book updated by a teller.  The updating machines don't work reliably.

100% on the update machines! I will only EVER use the counter / teller now when updating a the bank book, ever since I had one of the bloody machines screw up and go all out of sync, printing all over the bloody place and over the top of entries on two pages that had already been printed ????  I dare say they're OK if you you aren't bothered and don't need it for immigration purposes but I'll never use one again.  

 

Getting a bit bored of it altogether really so I'm just waiting for the exchange rate to improve to switch to the deposit method, less bloody balls to juggle!