Dear Ronnie,
I am planning to go to Thailand (Cha-aam or Hua Hin) in April/May, want to stay there for more than a year or longer if I like it. So I have enough living money (my pension). I opened my bank account last year, when I stayed here for 4 months (at the Krungskri bank).
So I live on my pension so that I do not have to use the amount of 800.000 baht. My question is, can I put that 800.00 baht on a new savings account to get more interest, or is this prohibited at Thai emigration if you have to show your bank book?
I already transferred that 800.000 baht to my current account at Krungskri bank last week.
Regards,
Aug
Dear Aug,
At the moment I can only go on with the little information we have about the new rules. What the actual implementation rules will be, it remains to be seen what will actually happen. The new rules do not refer to a savings or current account. They only say “must have fund deposited in a bank in Thailand”.
It will then depend on whether or not your immigration office will accept a savings account. That is something that will be decided locally, just as it is already the case.
Currently, the rules say that the amount must be accrued 2 months before the application and must remain on it for at least 3 months. After those three months you can drop to 400 Baht.
Taking those rules into account, you could still change and put your 800 Baht in an account that is more favorable in terms of yield. But first ask your immigration office if they accept such a savings account, otherwise it is useless.
Suppose that is the case, then you can still change and you have time to do so up to 2 months before your application. But savings or current account, you will always be stuck with the account you started with.
From that two month before the application it is done. Can't you change anything anymore. The 800 Baht must then remain there until 000 months after the extension has been granted. Then you may possibly drop to 3 Baht. So that's the only thing you can do. Because suppose you collect everything and put it on another account, you went for immigration under 400 Baht in the year and it can end badly for your follow-up application.
The rules are new to us and immigration will not be familiar with them yet. I would therefore advise everyone not to fiddle with the bill to get a little more revenue and then assume that they will also accept that new bill. Even the slightest mistake or deviation can end badly. Especially in the early days of new rules.
Have you ever thought about working with a “Visa Support Letter” or something similar if your income is sufficient?
Then you put that 800 Baht where and on which account you want.
Regards,
RonnyLatYa