Immigration and money in the bank

[robby hh]

Went to immigration today to renew my retirement visa armed with what I thought was all the correct paperwork only to be told that the money I have in a Thai bank does not count towards the required 800kb for a visa renewal.

This comes about because I have a fair proportion of my money in an interest bearing account and the balance for immediate use in a savings account. The interest bearing account is not a term investment but is available for use at any time and can be transferred to or from my savings account or withdrawn as cash, however because this has to be done in a bank and the money is not available through an ATM with a card they won’t count it towards the required 800kb. The reasoning is that in an emergency on a weekend or bank holiday I can’t access this money.

I now have transferred the interest bearing account money to my savings account but again this is no good as it has not been in that account for the required 3 months even though there is proof, with passbook and bank letter that it has been in a Thai bank, most of it for a year.

I have looked but can find nowhere that it states the 800kb must be in a savings account or that it should be immediately available but there is little use arguing with someone in authority.

But it is not all doom and gloom, well not quite. I have been told if I go back with the money in the savings account they will renew my visa for 90 days and after that if I maintain 800kb in that account for the 90 days they will give me another 9 months at no extra charge. OK a way out and no doubt more than they have to do, they could tell me ‘you have a week to leave.’

This however leaves me with the problem of maintaining 800kb in Thailand for 3 months which I haven’t planned on and as I have some big bills of unknown amount coming up it could prove the difference between being here or not.

I don’t write this as a whine rather as a warning to anyone who may get in the same situation with the hope that it will never happen to someone else. We all know there are problems with living in this country and knowledge of what can happen will help avoid some of them.

[lomuamart]

I've seen reports of certain accounts qualifying and others not. As I havn't done it myself, it's difficult to comment. It certainly seems as though you've been hard done by, but that there might be an "out" for you.
On the issue of the money being in a Thai bank account for 3 months prior to application, you say you went for a renewal of your retirement extension. Many Imm Offices are not applying that for renewals. It must be in the bank for that time period the first time round, but not subsequently. A balance of 800k in the bank at time of application suffices.
Again, HH seem to be taking the hard road, but they have been decent to you and given a "second chance".
Good luck.

[lomuamart]

BTW, here's the link to the Imm site. Clause 7:21 is the one you need. There dosn't seem to be any specific account mentioned.

[Nereus]

BTW, here's the link to the Imm site. Clause 7:21 is the one you need. There dosn't seem to be any specific account mentioned.

You forgot to add the link, Lomu, and I seem to have lost the record that I had.

What has been shown here by the OP is just another example of the bloody-minded attitude of HH Immgration. I have checked with my lawyer and he says that they are wrong: the regulation wording is "a Thai Bank Account" Their reasoning about the ATM card is just plain BS. I do not have an ATM card, and neither have I been ever asked for one.
You can get a long stay (1yr AO ) visa in your own country without ANY money in Thailand, never mind a savings account!
If it was me I would be waiting on the door in Bangkok tomorrow, with the same paperwork, and present it there. These people need to be pulled into line, and Bangkok is the place to do it.

A good post BTW.

[huahinsimon]

On the issue of the money being in a Thai bank account for 3 months prior to application, you say you went for a renewal of your retirement extension. Many Imm Offices are not applying that for renewals. It must be in the bank for that time period the first time round, but not subsequently. A balance of 800k in the bank at time of application suffices.
Again, HH seem to be taking the hard road, but they have been decent to you and given a "second chance".
Good luck.

The sweet lady is applying it here. I had the required amt 3 months ago, the made a withdrawl that put me under for two weeks till I got money sent over. Had the required amount for 6 weeks prior to renewing retirement extension. She went over bank book with fine tooth comb. spotted the two weeks under. Pulled out a copy of the regs she says are in force. 800k for 3 months.
However she was able to fix it for me.

[lomuamart]

Whoops, so I did.
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2n ... p606EN.pdf
Section 7:21 is the relevant one.

[HuaHinR]

For what it's worth, I've been getting my visas in Bangkok, just to avoid the local hassles I hear so much about. Never a problem, nor bribe, nor runaround.

[nevets]

my visa was done 4 march 08 in HH , a retiarment 1yr 800k in for 3 months in a Bangkok bank savings account i have had for about 5yrs got the letter from the bank and they copied all the book pages . In and out 30min no probs .

[SuperTonic]

If the retirement visa is ballache, and you've got 800k+ in the bank, there is an easier option. Return flight to the uk costs about 35000 baht, post your passport up to the embassy in Hull with £100, a week later you've got a nice shiny 12-month O visa, no questions asked. Total cost = 42k + transport and accomodation in the uk for a week. Total savings = one less heart attack!

[robby hh]

Wondering Simon what the fixing cost you?

I ask because last year I copied only the relevant pages of my passport not the old ones from way back and was told you need all pages copied.

OK I will go copy them, but no wait we can do it here. When I paid 3800b for multi entry I passed over 4 x 1000b notes got a receipt for 3800 and no change, thought she has helped me so did not complain.
This year before she discovered the 'no good bank' account she went through the passport pages (all) and gave me back the ones she had needed to copy last year 'dont need these' ?????????

[Pagey]

Not yet fortunate to be living in Thailand so never had the visa hassles yet, however, Supertonic suggests flying to the UK and sending your passport to Hull. My question is; do you have to be in the UK ? Can you not post it to a relative in the UK to post to Hull and they return it to you ?

[Chas]

When I applied for my retirement visa in Hua Hin, I presented evidence of investments (in Thai baht) with an investment company in Bangkok and they wouldn't even look at it. Not a bank and so not acceptable even though it is invested here in Thailand.

I have just decided to leave the required amount in my Siam Comm savings account and save the hassle. It does earn a little bit of interest and besides I am just not financially savvy enough to look about for other investments or to shift funds around with the object of making a few baht here and there.

[Randy Cornhole]

Very risky Pagey as you won't have an exit stamp. I believe this was tried a few years ago by a few people ie.. someone went home with a load of passports and sent them off then returned, but is it worth being refused entry for ever...

[lomuamart]

Correct, RC.
Basically, it's illegal for your passport to cross a border these days without you.
Many have fallen foul of the entry/exit stamps in Thailand. They've got a brand new visa, but no evidence of leaving or entering the country. Imm aren't stupid and there have been plenty of people arrested, imprisoned and deported for this.

[robby hh]

Emptied my investment account into my savings account yesterday and went back up the immigration goat track this morning, was given a 3 month extention, come back in September and we will give you the other 9 months provided I keep 800kb in the account for that time.
Even gave me back the correct change.
So sort of a happy ending