An agent claimed to be able to get me a non-o retirement visa without having to open a bank account? Is that to be believed? She said an account would be an additional charge?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion centers around whether it is possible to obtain a Non-O retirement visa in Thailand without opening a local bank account. Many comments suggest that while some agents may claim they can facilitate this without an account, typically some form of proof of funds is required, which usually necessitates having a bank account to show the required amount. Various users discuss how agents often facilitate opening a bank account as part of the visa process, and the complications that arise from not having a local account. Many participants caution against any fraudulent methods or shortcuts, stressing the importance of adhering to immigration laws to avoid future issues.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
it means because you don't have a bank account with 800,000 in for the extensions each year you are unable to satisfy the visa requirements and have to use the agent again.
It's worse than that though, as it is illegal, so if the Immigration Officer is investigated, they will cancel ALL of the visa that were approved without the required conditions satisfied. You would then be forced to leave the country. I have seen several posts from people complaining this has happened to them over the past few years, so it does happen. My advice would be to use an agent to help open a bank account for you and then deposit your own 800,000 and do everything else yourself as it is easy. Good luck.
the year after receiving your retirement visa you will not be able to satisfy immigration the following year because you need to show money in the bank for 3 months AFTER your visa date.
Obviously you cannot..so have to use an agent again..ad nauseum
can I use the visa to open a local account and deposit the money. The headache right now is getting an account on a tourist visa
Reply to
David ****
Reply
Paul ********
Perhaps a misunderstanding?
Some applicants for non-O retirement visas already have an appropriate Thai bank account, so there would be no need to open an additional one, and thus the agent could help get the visa without charging the additional fee for the bank account.
The visa and the bank account are two separate items, with separate fees.
ALi *****
If you don’t have 30k usd what are you thinking in the fist place. Stay in your home country there is support there.
why would you convert $30k USD to THB, pay transaction fees, lose on exchange rates to dump it in a Thai bank at 0% for life? Even at 5% it gives you income of $1500 USD/year for life. Can't make too many mistakes like that in life.
No big deal in my opinion. You pay for the service. Must be some hard up expats in Thailand if they can't afford around 800 baht a month based on 25,000 baht for a year.
Which is not such a bad thing. 800,000 in a Thai bank earning little to no interest meanwhile back in your own country even in a simple terms deposit you will make enough to cover your agent fees and have some money left over.
for another year or two this is true. USA will be back to 2-2.5% in two years. But yes interest rate are good and now now to cover agency. In three years everyone will ask how to not use an agent for renewal. For me it’s
We get around 5.25% in Australia without really shopping. But it also needs to be mentioned , the convenience of using an agent. Yes it's not too difficult to do yourself but moving to a new country has many challenges, why not make it easier the first year or two.
you don't need to keep your money in USA at all. Look further afield as so many do.Mexico for instance has 8% or better at present. And has for many years now
ok. Opening a bank account is a big pain in butt in Mexico. Yes, I think last year saw 9% in Mexico. Yes if you put money in Mexico during Covid years you would have made 9% plus another 20 or 30% on exchange over the last 3 years. Peso hit 25 to 1 in 2020 and this year and last year went down to 16.5. Big difference. I bought used car and had for 3 years and sold for more than I bought it because of exchange rate and inflation.
depends on which bank in Mexico. Intercam for instance is well known for assisting expats. Yes - during the Covid years at 9% and plus exchange rate was great. And now more like 8% and the peso sliding back.
There is always opportunity (like the car) and being well diversified internationally is the key.
This might be the case but at the moment they are 5.25% and that's without looking for the best deal.
Reply to
John **********
Reply
Todd *********
Yes - they definitely can do it. If you want a bank account (u likely do) , may need them to assist also
Dennis *********
why would anyone want to get a retirement visa, and not have a banking account locally?? doesn't even make sense, but yes, everything through an agent is going to cost you $$...
Geoffrey ******
Guess you didn't read the entire post. Continue. I don't transfer monthly.
lol. Oh Geoff... how much did you pay an agent to get your bank account? And do you have 400-800k sitting doing nothing in a thai bank after paying transaction fees and currency conversion loss? Smart. And just so you are aware, the 220 baht fee for a 30k withdrawal is 0.7%. Try not to panic
you get a 5% bank charge 😂😂😂 that’s hilarious.! I pay $0 for every foreign transaction. Like many people. Another thing you missed in class
Geoffrey ******
I stated, if you read correctly, which I am not sure you did, that when you use a non Thai issued ATM to with draw funds, you are hit with a 5% fee . This is in addition to the 220 baht. Was implemented by the banks here in November 2023. Pay attention.
Never paid an agent for anything. Did on my own. I don't transfer money monthly. Having
*****
sitting in an account is not an issue for me. At least I never have to be concerned about any potential problems in staying here. Getting $ 750 interest on the money in the states barely covers the cost of an agent. I pay $ 25. To transfer money, regardless of the amount. Use Thai ATM card and no 220 baht fee when withdraw. That might be classified as Smart. Certainly paying 220 for every withdrawal wouldn't.
so you're there living in Thailand, one day for whatever reason, you have an emergency, and need some instant $$. then for whatever reason, you can't get instant funds via Wise, or the amount is over the threshold, where you need to wait 3-4 days to clear, and you're in deep dodo. If someones going to live in Thailand, they really should have a local bank account.
you clearly haven’t used Wise much. You can store your money in your Wise acct and withdraw it from your account when desired using the physical card or e-card. Just like… your Thai bank account
I've used wide foe years. So ok let's do this again. You walk across the street and get hit by a car or bike. Hospital wants more than you can insta wise via your atm card. Hospital ok we'll wait until you can drag yourself to an atm every day for a few weeks until you have some funds. Get real your 1000s of miles from home and no local bank account..why!! That's just insane.
use your credit cared like everyone else. Sort yourself out. This is not complicated.
Reply to
Todd *********
Reply
Brandon ************
Anything is possible when your money is being used for bribes. But traditionally the agent would open a bank account for you, deposit the money long enough to obtain proof, then move the money out. That way they at least have a document with your name on it, and the bribe is for them to look the other way that it wasn't in the account long enough.
Conversion to non-O visa in Thailand requires proof of 800,000 in a Thai bank account in your name only. So you still need proof of funds. The only time you don't need proof of funds in Thailand is if you're applying at an embassy outside of Thailand, and then you can use a bank account that's not in Thailand.
THEY BOTH REQUIRE PROOF OF FUNDS. A non-O visa conversion requires proof of funds. An extension requires proof of funds. What is so difficult to understand?
Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Jim ********
Agents can do most things if they have the connections
Yes, they do. Shady agencies open an account in your name without giving you access and temporarily deposit 800k. Then they bribe the IO and basically you will need them every consecutive year to extend.
This is the most shady (and expensive) way to buy your way into Thailand.
until they ask why your balance from the year before was zeroed out on the day after you received the stamp…
Or they ask for the bank documents of that bank account, which you don’t have because your shady agent never gave you access…
We don’t care about your 12 subsequent income payments, Sir. Please first show us where your previous bank balance went and prove it never went below 400k.
if you walk into any of the well known agents you see literally hundreds of passports waiting to be picked up or waiting to go to immigration big money been going on as long as I know it’s not going to stop so go ahead and deposit your 800 k if your scared
Bob **********
Yes don’t think you would do well where ever that is
I'm just questioning whether or not they physically dump 800,000 baht into your personal account for the 3 months before and the 2 months after the application or whatever the rule is
they may open an account, that you never see, but I've never seen 800 in my bank and I've had a few of these. Has anyone physically seen 800 deposited into their account? Like I said it could be location specific but this is a completely new one to me. What is to stop one taking out the 800 and doing a runner? Truly at least a few people would try that? So I'm still not clear on this whole issue having done at least three of these in the past and a decade and a half of experience in Thailand
On top of that, if someone in Immigration figures out that your former application / visa was illegal you might get banned for a few years… Especially the guy who took the bribe a year earlier because he needs to protect his ‘business’.
Ppl are just paying a fee for others to not care about not having funds seasoned
Yes this is an illegal act being performed, however it can only be acted on when investigated properly
However eventually one day something may change especially when someone gets sick or injured and doesn’t have funds in their bank or insurance to pay hospital bills
I believe this is what caused embassies to stop issuing the financial letters
If somebody at immigration figured out it was ‘illegal’??? Peter, do you know where the stamps come from? Immigration officers. And it’s a legal stamp. Nobody is getting banned lol. Welcome to SE Asia. It’s how things work
Really? I would immediately report this shocking discovery to CNN. Surely you’ll get a honorary mention in their newsflash. They might even interrupt their show to go live with you! Wow! Amazing discovery!