Questioner: Theo
I have been using the 1 Baht scheme for the extension of my stay based on retirement visa O for 800.000 year. Last year I always transferred money through my Dutch bank and it came to my account here and the bank was able to make a statement and see that the money came from a foreign account.
This year I have always transferred money with Transferwise and now I am afraid that my Thai bank can no longer see that the money comes from a foreign account, because TransferWise uses the Bangkok bank. What should I do to get a statement from my Thai bank?
Do you have any advice or solution for this problem?
Reaction RonnyLatYa
If you use a bank amount of at least 800 Baht for your annual extension, you do not have to prove that this comes from abroad. You only have to be able to prove that an amount of 000 Baht has been accumulated for at least three months after the grant was awarded and that it has been accumulated again 800 months before the application (be careful here because some requirements are still three months). In between you must not have gone below 000 2 Baht.
If you use monthly deposits to meet the financial requirements, you must demonstrate that this comes from abroad every month. The bank can see whether money comes from abroad. If you then ask for proof that the money comes from abroad, they can provide that proof.
Even if the transfers were made via Transferwise. That is why when transferring (since last year I thought) via Transferwise, you can now also indicate “Longstay in Thailand” (or something like that) as the reason. The amount will therefore be marked on your account as a foreign transfer, even though it is actually a local transfer.
By the way, I thought that Transferwise no longer only works with the Bangkok Bank as a bank to transfer the money to the various accounts in Thailand. They now have bank accounts in multiple banks I believe and use the bank that corresponds to your bank.
If I open the "Transfer details" and then go to "Paid out from", I now see that when I transfer money to my Bangkok Bank account, it says "Banking partner" Bangkok Bank. If I transfer money to my Kasikorn account, it says "Banking partner" Kasikorn. Before that it always said Bangkok Bank, whatever bank account I used in Thailand.
Regards,
RonnyLatYa
At TW you can also request a statement when you are logged in, easy to see what you have transferred
I also have a Non O reterment visa and have my money transferred via Transferwise.
But I do not use Transferwise statements for the Immigration Service.
You go to your benefits agency via Digit and print out the monthly amount. You take this copy with you to the
Dutch embassy that confirms the monthly amount in English.
You give this original document to the Immigration Service, after which they will calculate the annual amount.
Depending on the exchange rate, the annual amount must be above 800000 bth.
Last year they used an exchange rate of 33.5 bht with me.
Keep a close eye on the Euro exchange rate used and calculate the annual amount yourself.
Because they made a mistake by applying the dollar exchange rate to me, so that my annual amount would not be sufficient.
1. You do not have a 'Non o reterment visa', but a period of stay that you obtained with a Non-immigrant O visa. You extend that period of stay annually on the basis of “Retirement”.
2. If you use a monthly amount, this actually has nothing to do with 800 Baht in total.
800 000 Baht is only if you use a bank amount, or if you use the combination method.
If you only use a monthly amount, this must be at least 65 Baht. Not 000 800 Baht on an annual basis. But if your immigration office doesn't know the difference between Dollar and Euro, it shouldn't be surprising that they get it wrong there too...
There are several who go wrong when determining monthly amounts. Also embassies and consulates. To determine monthly amounts, they use the annual income and divide it by 12. But that is actually not correct. It should be officially at least 65 000 Baht per month. One month 70 Baht and the next month 000 Baht is officially insufficient. But most of the time people will not fall over it and will accept it.
3. In addition, there are immigration offices for which the proof from the embassy (visa support letter or Income affidavit) is insufficient. They also want to see proof of actual monthly deposits into a Thai account. This must then come from a foreign account and every month around the same period. In addition to proof of those monthly payments, your bank will also have to provide proof that the money comes from abroad. There is no guarantee at all that Transferwise statements will suffice, although I know Bangkok has accepted them in the past. Nowadays, however, that is no longer a problem, because money transferred with Transferwise is now also visible everywhere as an international transfer at your bank. This was not the case before because these are local transfers. That was only visible at the time at Bangkok Bank.
4. Only the exchange rate used by immigration counts. Your calculation is not taken into account by anyone. Usually they use that of a local bank. With one that will be Kasikorn, with the other Bangkok Bank, TMB, or…. If you know which bank they use as a reference, you can see if you meet the 65 Baht monthly amount. Otherwise you take the worst possible course. You always sit well, but it is no longer as a reference for yourself.
5. Anyway, if you, like the questioner, use a bank amount of 800 Baht, then you do not have to prove that this comes from abroad and he does not have to prove monthly income either….
Why transfer that amount every year, I thought this was only once. People who are in retirement transfer the amount or let them know what they receive per month from the FPS pensions in Belgium. Apparently that's okay too.
That's what I said in the comment. You should not transfer a bank amount of 800 Baht annually.
Other rules apply.
“If you use a bank amount of at least 800 Baht for your annual extension, you do not have to prove that this comes from abroad. You only have to be able to prove that an amount of 000 Baht has been accumulated for at least three months after the grant was awarded and that it has been accumulated again 800 months before the application (be careful here because some requirements are still three months). In between, you must not have gone below 000 Baht.”
If you opt for a monthly amount, you must prove this with a 'Visa Support Letter', 'Income Affidavit' or a “Proof of Income”. Just “informing” to immigration what your income is from “FPS Finance” is not accepted.
On top of that, there are also immigration offices that actually want to see transfers. Even if you have “Visa Support Letter”, “Income Affidavit” or a “Proof of Income”.
By the way, you should not transfer that amount of 800 Baht once. You can also build up over the years until you reach that 000 Baht and then use it for your annual extension.
As long as the amount is only 2 months before the application.
RonnyLatYa, in NongKhai 3 baht for 800.000 months before you go for renewal. After that you can freely dispose of your money for 9 months. Until you are 3 months before your extension.
Not every immigration office has the same rules.
So from the moment you start living or immigrating to Thailand you have to pay that 800.000 baht every year, I thought that was a one-off but apparently you have to do that every year. And what do they do with that? That's a lot of money, at least for me. Is that also the case in all other Southeast Asian that they ask people to come and live in their country. Then think how easy it is for the people who try to get in with us. I think if our government asked a new resident of our country who does not yet have a nationality or will never receive so much money every year, there would soon be criticism.
But no. Where do you get that nonsense from?
How many times has that been explained already….
For the umpteenth time
“Only once and you only have to be able to prove that an amount of 800 Baht has been accrued for at least three months after being awarded and that it was accrued again 000 months before the application (be careful here because some requirements are still three months). In between, you must not have gone below 2 Baht.”
If you use part of that 800 Baht during the year, you must see that you supplement that amount in time so that the full 000 Baht will be on your next application in time, ie 800 months before that.
What you use monthly for yourself, you transfer when you want. Is outside the 800 Baht for your annual extension.
By the way, the 800 Baht is not for immigration. It always remains yours.