New Visa Extension Rules dated 25 Nov 2008

New rules for extensions of visa have been issued. I don't know if they are being enforced yet.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a70477-.html

Houra...

No more proof of income for me...
No more running to the embassy...

400.000 in the bank and immigration will be happy again...

Section 2.18 covers marriage extension.

Section 2.22 covers retirement extension.

UdonExpat wrote:New rules for extensions of visa have been issued. I don't know if they are being enforced yet.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a70477-.html

Link doesn't seem to want to work.

Works for me.

Try cutting and pasting.

I will be happy to email it to anybody who requests same via pm.

Page opens but it denies access either by clicking link or cutting and pasting.

It worked O.K. for me ??

I know it has been kicked around a lot. But i ask, I thought that my notorised 1200 bhat letter from the embassy stateing pension amount of over 40K bhat a month was enough to show "sufficient funds." I recieved my first extension on a 90 day visa, based on marriage ,with under 2000 bhat in the bank. A) if I show 400k bhat in the bank,then why did I have to fly to the embassy in bangkok to get a notorised letter from the embassy? Pisses me off, I have been in and out of Thailand for over 20 years and have yet to meet anyone who makes 40k a month.
Also where is the best spot to keep 400k bhat and maybe get some interest on it.Nothing stopping one from sending it back to where it came from the day after one gets the visa ,correct. This is no time to be pulling 400k bhat out of the banks at home.

This is a new rule as of 25 Nov. Until then only income could be used to satisfy the marriage extension financial requirements, bank deposits weren't a qualifying factor.

To obtain my recent extension I needed not only the letter from the embassy, but also a letter from my bank detailing my international transfers to Thailand. I also had to provide a copy of every page of my bank book. The officer wanted to verify that I was actually bringing enough money into the country to meet the 40k a month requirement.

Now, we have the option of having 400k on deposit for 2 months prior to the extension request. I believe this could be a time deposit in order to earn more interest than a regular savings account. I keep baht in a money market account linked to my savings account and can transfer via the internet with a one day delay. I do not believe the money in the money market account will satisfy the deposit requirement because it is not a bank, nor is it local. It is in Bangkok.

It does not appear that the marriage extension offers the option of combining income and the bank deposit to meet the financial requirement as that language is not included under 2.18. It is included for the retirement extension in 2.22.

I don't understand your statement that no one makes 40k a month. Everyone who got a marriage extension for the past few years made at least that much.

UdonExpat wrote:This is a new rule as of 25 Nov. Until then only income could be used to satisfy the marriage extension financial requirements, bank deposits weren't a qualifying factor.

To obtain my recent extension I needed not only the letter from the embassy, but also a letter from my bank detailing my international transfers to Thailand. I also had to provide a copy of every page of my bank book. The officer wanted to verify that I was actually bringing enough money into the country to meet the 40k a month requirement.

Now, we have the option of having 400k on deposit for 2 months prior to the extension request. I believe this could be a time deposit in order to earn more interest than a regular savings account. I keep baht in a money market account linked to my savings account and can transfer via the internet with a one day delay. I do not believe the money in the money market account will satisfy the deposit requirement because it is not a bank, nor is it local. It is in Bangkok.

It does not appear that the marriage extension offers the option of combining income and the bank deposit to meet the financial requirement as that language is not included under 2.18. It is included for the retirement extension in 2.22.

I don't understand your statement that no one makes 40k a month. Everyone who got a marriage extension for the past few years made at least that much.

just want to add one thing.
Not long ago a teacher from Korat told me that he got a visit from sales people from the Kasikorn Bank.
They told him that soon it will be possible for foreigners to open an account in Thailand in US$ or Euro.
Minimum deposit would be +/- 3000 US$.
I still didn't check it out with my bank, but it would be interesting to deposit the 400.000 in Euro or US$...
or perhaps they were just Thai crooks that presented themselves as salespeople from the Kasikorn Bank (TIT ) ????

bangkok bank do a sterling account , im pretty sure . so a dollar or euro account seems reasonable to me . i dont think it would satisfy immagration though .

saint wrote:bangkok bank do a sterling account , im pretty sure . so a dollar or euro account seems reasonable to me . i dont think it would satisfy immagration though .

I have a US$ account in a Singapore bank and they certainly wouldn't accept that, but did tell me if I transferred it to Thailand they would. I never really verified whether they meant changed to Baht or not.

trubrit wrote:

saint wrote:bangkok bank do a sterling account , im pretty sure . so a dollar or euro account seems reasonable to me . i dont think it would satisfy immagration though .

I have a US$ account in a Singapore bank and they certainly wouldn't accept that, but did tell me if I transferred it to Thailand they would. I never really verified whether they meant changed to Baht or not.

That's what I am talking about.
A US$ or a euro account in Thailand with a Thai Bank,
I wonder if Immigration can refuse that, but TIT

Maybe immigration will use the exchange rate of 40 baht to 1 US Dollar as they appeared to do,from old postings,when calculating if the Yanks have enough monthly pension monies to cover their retirement visa's.
Whoever is next visiting Nong Khai immigration can they ask Khun Sabai.
If you are brave enough,imply that 36 is a better exchange rate to use

just want to add one thing.
Not long ago a teacher from Korat told me that he got a visit from sales people from the Kasikorn Bank.
They told him that soon it will be possible for foreigners to open an account in Thailand in US$ or Euro.
Minimum deposit would be +/- 3000 US$.
I still didn't check it out with my bank, but it would be interesting to deposit the 400.000 in Euro or US$...
or perhaps they were just Thai crooks that presented themselves as salespeople from the Kasikorn Bank (TIT ) ????[/quote]

Here in Laos you can have an account in Kip, Baht, US dollars or, (if you bank with the ANZ), an account in Pacific Pesos - Aussie dollars.