Thailand Visa question No. 034/23: Evidence showing what finances you live on in Thailand?
Questioner: Berry
I have a question about using the visa support letter, money in the account and the difference with a Belgian affidavit. A few days ago, the question was asked if additional proof must be provided if a Belgian uses an affididavit as proof of income.
To this, Lung Addie responded with:
launch copy:
it is true that, if you apply for an annual extension with an affidavit, you should not, in principle, have to provide proof of money in a Thai account. However, keep in mind that the immigration officer always 'MAY' ask, and has the right to do so, to show proof of cash withdrawals in Thailand and this on the basis of a Thai account, for example. This is because they want what you live on, after all you can't live without cash withdrawals. The amounts then play little or no role, as long as they are credible.
End copy.
I understand from this that if one uses a Belgian affidavit as proof of income, one will not ask for extra proof of 65 or 40 000 THB per month, but one can / will ask for extra proof of income to show what you live on. (In the beginning it will usually be “can”, but after a while most immi do a copy and paste with the result that it becomes a “will”.) My question now is, how is this with the Dutch visa support letter and/or money in a Thai bank account, usually a fixed account, for your extension?
For a visa support letter, you must prove the amount on your visa support letter to the embassy. But you don't have to prove that you actually use this money to live in Thailand. I have never heard from the Dutch and have never seen it myself that immigration requires proof of Thai bank transactions, as proof of your living expenses, in Thailand. My question is then: Is proof of cash withdrawals from a Thai bank account, proof of transactions that you live on a Thai bank account only valid for the Belgians and not for the Dutch? Do you have an idea of the order of magnitude people are asking for as “living money”?
You can also apply the same logic to money in a bank account. For example, if you have 400/800 000 thousand in a fixed account, can your extension also be refused if you cannot prove additionally that you deposit money in a Thai bank account and transact for a living? I can hardly imagine that only Belgians have to prepare to prove Thai bank transactions for maintenance and the Dutch do not. And why not ask Belgians with a fixed account, additionally give us the transactions of your Thai bank account that you live on? If requesting Thai bank transactions as proof of living may be necessary for Belgians to obtain an extension, I would also recommend the Dutch with a VOB or people with money in a fixed Thai bank account to provide additional proof for these transactions.
Or am I seeing something wrong?
Looking forward to the responses,
Reaction RonnyLatYa
Your nationality has nothing to do with it. Belgian, Dutch or whatever, the financial requirements are the same for everyone What Lung Addie means in his response is that an immigration officer can always ask for additional evidence if he/she deems it necessary. He happens to be responding to an Affidavit here now, but that could actually happen with any form of financial proof.
For example, someone can prove 800 Baht in a bank account, but that can also be the end of the game. There is no evidence that he/she still has money for normal day-to-day expenses. Sometimes people just want to see proof of that if they think there is a reason for it.
How much someone must earn each month is not an immigration requirement and there is therefore no minimum requirement on that amount. It is not because there is an income requirement of 65000/40000 Baht that you also have to collect that every month and then provide proof of it.
But most who stay here for a long time will have a bill for daily use I think. This can be the account for which the immigration amount is stated, or a separate account. That is sufficient if one wants to see such proof. If there is any movement.
But don't make it more than it is.
Spreading it at the daily/weekly drink as a “can” that will become a “will” that will be introduced soon is therefore unnecessary.
– Do you have a visa question for Ronny? Use it contact form.! -