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400,000 marriage ext. question


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4 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

and another question if I may ask, can it be my savings account which I use to withdraw money from? (as long as it never dips below 400k)

Yes

But you need to be very careful that it never drops below 400k baht during for 2 months before you apply.

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1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no requirement that the 400k baht has to came from abroad.

Thanks. So they just look to see the number 400,000 (or above) for previous 60 days and that the account has not fallen below that amount? Then the bank will write a letter to confirm and then you update bank book day of application? 

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Could someone please detail specifically what bank information needs to be provided?  I've read that there needs to be a letter written by the bank on the day of the application and also the passbook needs to be updated on the day of the application.  Is this true?  Is anything else needed?  What is the letter referred to as?  If possible, the name in Thai would be most helpful.

Thank you.  Wish me luck, I'm applying tomorrow.

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41 minutes ago, homemade514 said:

Thanks. So they just look to see the number 400,000 (or above) for previous 60 days and that the account has not fallen below that amount? Then the bank will write a letter to confirm and then you update bank book day of application? 

It is 2 months not 60 days it has to be in the bank.

Correct for the bank letter bank book update to show it has been in the bank for 2 months.

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22 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Could someone please detail specifically what bank information needs to be provided?  I've read that there needs to be a letter written by the bank on the day of the application and also the passbook needs to be updated on the day of the application.  Is this true?  Is anything else needed?  What is the letter referred to as?  If possible, the name in Thai would be most helpful.

Not all offices want the letter done on the day you apply. Many will accept one done the day before. The bank book needs to be updated on the day you apply to prove the 400k baht has been in the bank for 2 months.

Sample letter from the bank. bank letter.pdf

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2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no requirement that the 400k baht has to came from abroad.

Not doubting you at all, UJ, but there was a lot of talk in TV about (in particular) Transferwise transactions and the need to ensure they get shown as foreign transfers. Does that stipulation not apply for marriage visas after all? I could have just borrowed 400K from a friend? [asking cos I'm doing the same process next week]

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In phuket they require 3 things:

1. Updated bank book

2. Letter from bank you got 400k+ on a certain date (max 7 days old at application)

3. Printouts of all transfers for the past 2 months (so they can see you didnt dip below 400k, your bank book doesnt show that if you update it only once a year)

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17 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Could someone please detail specifically what bank information needs to be provided?  I've read that there needs to be a letter written by the bank on the day of the application and also the passbook needs to be updated on the day of the application.  Is this true?  Is anything else needed?  What is the letter referred to as?  If possible, the name in Thai would be most helpful.

Thank you.  Wish me luck, I'm applying tomorrow.

The Bangkok Bank has a form they fill out for you.  This is a photo of what the IO wrote when I asked her what I needed.. the writing is hers.. Yes passbook updated on the day with the certificate...and she asked for a bank statement..  

1-P1280843.JPG

Edited by Laza 45
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17 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Could someone please detail specifically what bank information needs to be provided?  I've read that there needs to be a letter written by the bank on the day of the application and also the passbook needs to be updated on the day of the application.  Is this true?  Is anything else needed?  What is the letter referred to as?  If possible, the name in Thai would be most helpful.

Thank you.  Wish me luck, I'm applying tomorrow.

This following info is regarding retirement so may not apply to you. At CW when I do my extensions they always want to see "activity" on day of application. Easy at CW because most banks have branches there.

I obtain letter and deposit 100 baht into the account.

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3 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

The Bangkok Bank has a form they fill out for you.  This is a photo of what the IO wrote when I asked her what I needed.. the writing is hers.. Yes passbook updated on the day with the certificate...and she asked for a bank statement..  

1-P1280843.JPG

No bank statement is needed when you use the money in the bank method. Just the bank letter + the updated bank book and copies of the last 2 months as proof of having the 400k. 

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7 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

No bank statement is needed when you use the money in the bank method. Just the bank letter + the updated bank book and copies of the last 2 months as proof of having the 400k. 

Not at all offices. Some are wanting a bank statement with the bank book now.

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16 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

No bank statement is needed when you use the money in the bank method. Just the bank letter + the updated bank book and copies of the last 2 months as proof of having the 400k. 

...what you see there is what I was asked for by the IO (her writing).. it is what I provided.. it worked.. that is all I care about.. I was just letting the OP know what I was asked for.. 

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18 minutes ago, greeneking said:

My Immigration Office still says 3 months.

They are wrong. For extensions based upon marriage it has been 2 months since 2008. For being a parent of a Thai there no amount of time it has to be in the bank since 2014.

For retirement they changed it to 2 months last year.

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Would it be good policy to Deposit or Withdraw (say) ฿1,000 around that

time to show a recent activity in your bank account? Necessary or not?

 

I am not the 'brightest-bulb-in-the-hallway' where visas are concerned

therefore I have been handing over my passport to the same visa agent

for a number of years and they complete all the necessary paper work

for me – (for what I consider to be a reasonable fee). Everything's gone

like clockwork up until my last visit to the agent. There's two visa ladies

in the office and I get on very well with the more senior of the the pair.  

I had told her that I had got married and my first wedding anniversary is 

in August (next month). As far as the ฿800,000 is concerned in a seperate

account this remains unchanged. (I will not be taking advantage of the rule

where the necessary 800k drops down to 400k. The 'extra' 400k is what I call

'insurance money' . An English falang acquaintance of mine was married to a

Thai lady here in Thailand and she sadly passed away.

 

Am I correct in thinking that this very sad event will have put him back on to

'square one' – with him going back to requiring a ฿800,000 balance once again?

As stated earlier – I am no visa expert. Can someone confirm this is so? 

 

I know that this is a morbid thought – but if the same thing happened to me my

'goose-would-be-well-and-truly-cooked'. Getting kicked out of Thailand due to me

having insufficient funds to cover Thai Immigration rules & regulations returning to

the UK homeless and in my seventies doesn't bear thinking about .. .. .. .. ..

I told the (senior) visa lady that it may be a good idea to let Thai Immigration know

about the change to my 'personal circumstances' – but my balance will NOT be dropping

down to that of 400k.

(I now regret having this conversation).

So, that was on my penultimate visa office visit.

Here is what happened on my last (more recent) visa office visit .. .. .. .. ..

Have I been scammed out of ฿7,000?

Back to the visa office to collect my passport. Everything was (as usual) -'bob on'. 

In walks an orange jacketed mocy taxi driver. I am told by the (junior) visa lady that

the mocy taxi driver will take me to see Immigration – (and not to worry as it is free).

I didn't think twice about this, after all, they are the experts.

There was absolutely NO mention of any ฿7,000 having to be paid — 100% sure about this.

I saw the taxi guy hand the officer in Immigration a piece of paper *which turned out later

to be MY receipt for ฿7,000* My photograph was taken, I was handed the mentioned ฿7,000

receipt and the officer indicated for me to pay the ฿7,000. I am very suspicious. 

The receipt was written out by the visa lady in her office; she wrote her name on it.

Also – hand written on the face of the receipt the visa lady has written "1y" and this has me wondering what this "1y" could possibly stand for?

Does the visa agency expect me to pay them ฿7,000 every ("1y") 1 year? 

It is my intention to get to the bottom of all of this. I shall be returning to the agency and

I will have a list of polite questions that will be needing to be answered; but before I do this

I just thought that I would share my experience on this forum and ask for comments and

advice from those of you who are clued up and can format a helpful reply without mocking

me or attempting sarcasm. I read more (a lot more) than I post but I know that there are

'regular names' that come on here looking for "easy targets" to ridicule. (It needed saying).  

Please bear in mind that this post includes Thai Immigration —

— so that is 'squeaky-bum-time' for me!!! 

Thank you for taking the time

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Post Script:

I have done my own research on this topic and nowhere can I see any mention of

any money having to be paid out.

Just a shot in the dark but did the 7,000 buy me out of Police visits and having to 

provide the necessary photographs?

If this is the case then I was never asked if this was OK with me.

The RTP can come by at any time if it meant that I would be 7,000 the richer.

 

 

 

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43 minutes ago, Dooles said:

Hi Ubon Joe, is it true that after your non o visa visa based on marriage has expired, you can get a one year extension if you show 40,000 transfer for 2 months? For first time ext.? 

If you entered using a non-o visa and apply for your first extension you only need to show 2 months of 40k baht transfers from abroad.

If you have been on a multiple entry non-o some offices have refused 2 months because they think you have had enough time to show a year.

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In my case....

 

- non-o ME thai spouse expired April 13. 
- got 60 day thai family extension (pre amnesty) 

- went onto amnesty June 14

 

i didn’t have the funds, but today able to put 400,000 in my bank basically in hope (it’s a Hail Mary) that the amnesty will be extended two more months so I will have the funds seasoned two months then I can apply for the 1 year marriage extension.... correct? And if it’s not extended at least I tried. 

 

so technically as of this moment (July 16) I am needing to leave Thailand in 15 days. 

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3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They are wrong. For extensions based upon marriage it has been 2 months since 2008. For being a parent of a Thai there no amount of time it has to be in the bank since 2014.

For retirement they changed it to 2 months last year.

Pff, then CW IOs are just all wrong.

Father of two Thai boys. For the first extension several years ago they wanted money in the bank account for two months. For all further extensions it's three months BEFORE you submit documents + one month AFTER their "consideration period". So if during their consideration period the amount drops lower than 400k you are not getting an extension.

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15 minutes ago, Chaaang said:

Pff, then CW IOs are just all wrong.

I have never seen a report before of Chaeng Wattana not going by the written requirements before.

They ever show 2 months on their website.

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2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I have never seen a report before of Chaeng Wattana not going by the written requirements before.

They ever show 2 months on their website.

Well, that's my experience.

 

First extension, 2 months, everything fine.

 

Second extension 3 months before + 1 month after (have to make a passbook update) to show you still have 400k + TM30 that have never been asked before. So, basically, foreigner cannot touch that money.

 

Your extension is due in late March, early April. So, 3 months before + 1 month after you cannot touch the money. 4 months, and before the next extension it's the same thing, your cannot touch money for 4 months, even if you have an emergency situation. 8 months a year money are untouchable, if you, for some reason, use part of this money you have 1-4 months to refill the balance. If you cannot do that - you are out.

 

And their "picture requirements"... wow... Had a picture of a new born with mother and me sitting on a sofa. Wow-wow-wow, new born's toe was visible, 4 months old. IO told me it's unacceptable, a senior IO will be offended. That boy might be paying his pension and he's feeling so offended about a naked toe. This country is on a wrong way. In the last year I've got 5 new neighbors: 3 families from Pakistan and 2 from India. How are they better than me?

 

Also, did you know that Thailand pays Child Benefits? Yes, they do. Just out of curiosity tried to apply for it. The answer is no, the reason - father is a foreigner.

 

Kindergarten and school applications... You can make a movie about the rate of level of bribery that exists there.

 

I have met my wife in 2004, when I was 19 years old. We got married in 2007. Since then traveled the world working in China, UK, Italy. After having two children decided to come back to Bangkok. And now, my wife, native Thai, is willing to leave her country due to this BS. We just cannot stay here in peace, you always have to prove, report something. And at the same time, Thais abroad are not forced out, provided a proper visa/residence permit to stay with your family and kids etc. Only here it's all perverted...

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1 hour ago, Chaaang said:

Well, that's my experience.

 

First extension, 2 months, everything fine.

 

Second extension 3 months before + 1 month after (have to make a passbook update) to show you still have 400k + TM30 that have never been asked before. So, basically, foreigner cannot touch that money.

 

Your extension is due in late March, early April. So, 3 months before + 1 month after you cannot touch the money. 4 months, and before the next extension it's the same thing, your cannot touch money for 4 months, even if you have an emergency situation. 8 months a year money are untouchable, if you, for some reason, use part of this money you have 1-4 months to refill the balance. If you cannot do that - you are out.

 

...

2 months is was what I was told this past March (CW).  They didn't mention the month after "under consideration" - which can be 2 months, if they are "still considering" after the 1st month (rarely reported - but can happen).  So, you have your money for 8 or 9 months - though God forbid you need it for an emergency in the other months. 

 

The 3rd (+) month you are forced to leave the money untouched is against the rules, anyway.  Too bad there is no one holding anyone accountable, as it is clearly a way to push more to agents, which skips money seasoning entirely.  The official enforcing this should be doing five years in the slammer for each person who had to show their bankbook to get their final-stamp, with the underlings who "went along to get along" also doing serious time.

 

In any case, it is sick that you have to "prove money" to stay with your family in the first place, and that this only gets you a 1-year extension and the same rigamorole or worse every year thereafter.  Jumping hoops One Time, when you first get married, should be sufficient.

Edited by JackThompson
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7 hours ago, WildBillHiccup said:

An English falang acquaintance of mine was married to a

Thai lady here in Thailand and she sadly passed away.

 

Am I correct in thinking that this very sad event will have put him back on to

'square one' – with him going back to requiring a ฿800,000 balance once again?

As stated earlier – I am no visa expert. Can someone confirm this is so? 

Yes - though the extension he holds when she passes remains valid until the "permitted stay" date - then he needs to go to retirement w/ 800K (or timely mo-transfers of 65K+ baht/mo from a "source" of which immigration approves) if over 50 - or some other visa-scheme.

 

7 hours ago, WildBillHiccup said:

 

I saw the taxi guy hand the officer in Immigration a piece of paper *which turned out later

to be MY receipt for ฿7,000* My photograph was taken, I was handed the mentioned ฿7,000

receipt and the officer indicated for me to pay the ฿7,000. I am very suspicious. 

Interesting.  Usually, the money goes to the agent, who then hands most of it to immigration privately - not Imm taking the funds and then paying "commission" back to the agent.  Good thing you can prove you had the required money. 

 

"1Y" would be for "one year extension" - evidently what agent-service per-year costs at that location, if you "have your own money."  If the agent fakes the money, and the IO "forgets" to check the seasoning, it is about double that amount for retirement-based - or 5x+ for marriage-based.

 

6 hours ago, WildBillHiccup said:

Just a shot in the dark but did the 7,000 buy me out of Police visits and having to 

provide the necessary photographs?

... and whatever other "undocumented requirements."  Did you have to provide a rental-contract and copy of landlords ID card, signed by them?  Or, if you own your own condo, your proof of ownership?  These things vary by office.  I think it is Samui which punishes you with a medical exam, if you don't use an agent for retirement-based extensions.

Edited by JackThompson
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