Retirement Visa Extension and Wise (Transferwise)

[sateeb]

Dear Simpletom..Not all of us are married

[T.O.M.]

Dear Simpletom..Not all of us are married

My reply was to BB, who is married to a Thai national....

[handdrummer]

m
Dear Simpletom..Not all of us are married.

Can we have a ban on name calling? It's really unnecessary, rude and crude.

[handdrummer]

A marriage visa isn't simpler and requires a lot more paper work for both husband and wife. The only thing that is easier is you have to have 400,000 Bht, in the bank for 2 months prior to renewal and no proof of origin is needed. It can be withdrawn immediately after the visa is issued. If you go for the 40,000 Bht a month route than you have to have proof of a foreign pension fund and a bank statement showing the transfer.

[caller]

My annual letter from Civil Service Pensions detailing my payments for the next 12 months.

Thanks BB, that's very interesting. I get no such letter from my pension provider (local Govt) and in the past I have only provided information in arrears. I don't actually get any notification as such and have to access the Councils intranet service if I want to check or download my pension statements - usually when my pension goes up! I think I had three increases last year.

I'll take them along with me when I seek to renew as well as evidence of other income, as I always have, but previously they just relied on the Embassy letter and never retained anything.

Thanks again.

[HarryVardon]

I extended my retirement visa yesterday. Gave them them the TM7 with a few things I thought they needed and also the TM6 (Multiple re-entry) with the things I thought they would need. The immigration lady just looked at everything, never said a word, and started putting the stamps in my passport. Everything was ready in about 2 minutes without a word being said. This has never happened before, there have always been complaints about something (too many copies, too few copies, missing things, no transaction in my bankbook, etc.) but this time it was quick, efficient and without a hitch. Has something changed by immigration?

[Big Boy]

Yes, they are being extra lenient this year.

[lomuamart]

Yes, I was up there last week just checking out what they wanted for my extension next month (despite the fact that you've given very clear instructions for the income method, BB). They seemed pretty relaxed about things. I hope that continues through September!! I'm sure it will.

I had meant to ask you a couple of questions, BB and this thread starting up again has prompted me to do so. So, can you help with -

1. The credit advice from KBank that you uploaded before differs from the ones I got back in February. Only slightly in format. The information seems to be the same. I did show the officer the ones I already have and she took a cursory glance and said they were OK. However, did you have originals of yours or did they come by email attachment from BKK and you printed them out?

2. She said I also needed an annual statement which I take to mean probably a single sheet of paper simply stating that in Jan I transferred x amount, in Feb y amount etc. and then signed and dated off by the bank. Is that correct?

3. I also need a bank letter regarding my account. I take that to mean that they'll confirm that account number "ABC" is in my name and is an operational account. Is that right? Does it have to state the current balance? (I don't see why it should as I'm not doing things through savings).

If you can shed any light on the above, I'd be grateful.

[Scout]

Does anyone have experience with using the combination method ? (Pension less than 65,000 per month plus some amount less than 800,000 in savings account) ?

[Chazz14]

I went to SCB on Cha Am beach yesterday armed with the sample Credit Advice Receipt that someone previously uploaded to the Forum. Whilst the girl I spoke to was very helpful, she wasn't aware of the new requirement from Immi. After that she repeated the usual routine i.e. talk to all your colleagues and then ring HO.

She said that my pension payments from TFW (since Feb of this year) have come to SCB via three "Agent" Banks in Bangkok. They are BB, K/Korn and TMB. Also, SCB can only supply a Credit Advice Receipt for the last three months. I find this hard to believe as I assume that any data on their computer can be printed?

Agreed I will return to SCB and collect the three Credit Advice Receipts. Maybe she will have some further info for me. If not I will call SCB in BKK and have a chat.

In the meantime, has anybody spoken to SCB about this. If so, could you share what happened please?

P.S. Before the above, I'd pretty much decided to t/f my bank account to Kasikorn as they are one of TFW's "Agent" Banks and therefore my pension will not be transferred anywhere on arrival in Thailand.

[Big Boy]

Chazz, when I went in to order my advice for my latest transfer, I was told the same by HO. I think the girl sat opposite me saw I was about to explode, and grabbed the phone back off me. I've no idea what she said, but I received my Credit Advice in record time.

Whilst I'm with Kasikorn, and surviving with them at the moment, I'm reading and being told by friends that Bangkok Bank is the best way to go. I'm not with Bangkok Bank, so I can not confirm one way or another.

[huahinjim]

I too use TransferWise. My extension year starts mid July.
July I made a transfer to my Kasikorn bank. Went to Market Village branch for the credit advice. They rang HO Helpline who took details and emailed the advice within a day or 2.
August I made the next transfer and went to Market Village again. No they cannot provide an advice as payment fro TransferWise was via Bangkok Bank. I was told I would have to go to their International Banking Centre in Bangkok!!! After waiting a few days to calm down I sent an email to their Help Centre. Assistant said if I go to the branch again they would be able to contact the International Centre to get the advice. She did send details to the branch to be aware of the situation when I would be there. 2 days later I go to Market Village. Yes they had the notification from HO and they contacted the International Centre who replied they could do nothing. Advised to go to Bangkok Bank. After about 15 minutes in their Market Village branch I walked out with the necessary credit advice slip faxed from the HO!
September - transfer today and it is again via Bangkok Bank so I will see what happens this time.
I intend to write to TransferWise and ask if they can ensure transfers are made via Kasikorn bank to my Kasikorn account.

(At all times the Kasikorn staff at Market Village and their Helpline have been very helpful. As was the assistant at the Bangkok Bank.)

[lomuamart]

There seems to be something about 3 months and credit advices - pretty much no matter who you bank with. I'm with KBank and they've said since February this year that the previous 3 months would be free but going back further than that, I'd have to pay.

I've said before (maybe on another thread) that when I went to my bank about 3 weeks ago to get a year's worth of credit advices, they were trying to charge me between 4,500 and 6,000 THB (500 an advice depending on whether 3 months were free). Like BB, I was pretty angry and another lady "sorted it out" for nothing. I had the documents a few days later.

I don't know much about banking here but I believe that Bangkok Bank is the largest and they do seem to act as a correspondent bank in a lot of cases. I also have read that if you're with Bangkok Bank, transfers from abroad do show up as foreign transfers (the code) whereas other banks such as KBank show the arrival of funds as domestic as they've come through BKK Bank from BKK. It's as simple as that.

Whether Imm require these credit advices if you're with BKK Bank, I don't know. But if they don't and bank statements and/or bank books will suffice, then I think the other banks, such as KBank will suffer with transfers of accounts if they're trying to charge maybe 6,000 THB.

I don't know and hope the above makes some sense. But I do see a point in the future when the banks will start charging for this work/documents. My branch on Petchkasem Road did do a lot of time consuming work this year - for free. I'd be surprised if it was gratis next year.

[Big Boy]

Whether Imm require these credit advices if you're with BKK Bank, I don't know. But if they don't and bank statements and/or bank books will suffice, then I think the other banks, such as KBank will suffer with transfers of accounts if they're trying to charge maybe 6,000 THB.

Talking with friends, BKK Bank is easier until it isn't. Most months the process works fine, and you can automate the credit advice process. However, some months it goes wrong, and the credit advices don't get generated. If you don't notice, you are a month's credit advice missing.

I've seen friend's correspondence with Transferwise, and they say they will do their best, but if it goes wrong, it's just tough. I did consider switching banks until I saw the correspondence. At least with Kasikorn, it is a sort of manual process that I have to get involved with. If something goes wrong, I will definitely notice and will be able to act upon it.

[lomuamart]

OK, didn't know.

Why, oh why don't they accept, for instance, UK bank statements showing money being transferred to Thailand? Because we can forge them? Because we're all working illegally here? Because we're aliens, because we're criminals, because we're well whatever?

Probably for all of the above reasons. Let them get on with it.