Can I renew my NON-O visa in Thailand without an agent after depositing 800,000 baht in the second year?

@Stuart *****

have the retirement extension many years and multiple bank accounts. And property. So no issues

@Stuart *****

so would your thai bank statements proving the deposits. Yes?

@Frank ****

yes mate. Plus your letter. Before they stopped UK citizen doing the letter from your embassy. The letter used to be enough, but need statement from bank to confirm going in. Not a major problem.

@Stuart *****

yes, I used to be able to get an affidavit of income from the US embassy, but no longer. I just keep the required funds in the bank.

@Frank ****

that's what I will do when I return next year, a separate bank account and not bother with it.

it’s no “you” — I’m not the one posting. I’m just answering.

oh I see. you got the record of money in and out clearly in your bank book. But in my case, I do not find anything in my bank book or bank statements with all transactions since opening my account. Mine is bangkok bank. It is very strange for me. My agent did not put any money into my account at all. At least not in the official record. how could they do it????

@Sean *********

yes I think so. However, there must be a record of this in my bank statement or bank book or app. You know that you can see all transactions history of your bank account. But there is nothing about this at all in my bank statement. Is it possible??? There is no record of this kind of transactions in my account. How could they get the letter from the bank??

@Yo***

strange because you also usually need to have your bank book available for the agent to review.

I can only imagine the agent paid straight off for the letter.

@Sean *********

you meant the agent give the cash 800,000 THB directly to the banker and get the letter from him? without records at all in bank book or statement???? and return it from the banker???? this is more odd for me. I think there might be something different we do not know?

@Yo***

no, I think it sounds like the agent did not give 800k at all and just paid some banker under the table to provide a letter.

I hope you put 800k in your account immediately and left it sit there to have a valid record for next years extension

@Sean *********

I don't think there will be a "next year" without same agent.

@Marc ******

Don't have to use same agent, just have to continue using an agent in most cases, but you can switch agents.

@Brandon ***********

Exactly, in most cases.

@Yo***

I think you ask too many questions 🤣

@Ron *****

I never asked you. dont worry 🤣

@Yo***

you missed the part when we started to say "use your own funds, don't need the agent" . . . or when we said, "you have no own funds, then use the agent to front them" . . . .

in the first case, you are fulfilling the first year's extension requirements which are that your own funds need to remain in your account for the full year.

However in the second case the agent just borrows you 800,000 THB and puts them into your Thai bank account for maybe 15 minutes, then withdraws them.

Which means that during the whole year of the first extension you don't have own funds sitting in your account, which further means you are theoretically in overstay, and further means you are not fulfilling the requirements, which require the funds to be remaining in your account during the year

@Yo***

I did mine with Thailand Visa Center - I was picked up at 0800 from my apartment and went to Krung Thai bank . Agent brought my paperwork/ passports etc and the Bank officer will check for my Non O 90 days stamp in the pp. when all is in order , my agent gave them a whole stack of Thai 1000 baht notes . It was machine counted showing 800K . When the passbook was returned to me , I could see a 800k entry credit . And another of a withdrawal of 800k

@Ian ******

I was hoping I can do that. Actually, I'm not in Australia any more, I'm heading to the Philippines next month to meet up with my daughter there. I wonder if I can liaise with the Thai Embassy in Manila whilst applying as I will be staying there temporarily and not going back to Australia

@Nimal ************

I can get 37.60 Philippine Pesos to the AUD. We're far better off over there, we get more bang for our buck so to speak.

@Nimal ************

New Zealand is understand 19.

@Les **********

that means NZ$ almost equal to AS$?

@Nimal ************

Less than the AUD.

@Les **********

I can remember around I got 30THB for 1 AS$

@Nimal ************

I was living here back then, I lived quite comfortably, but I must admit at the time I was here on a work permit and not the pension like I am now.

@Wannikea ********

this is why some thai banks closed foreigners accounts.. they are cracking down on non compliance of the rules

@Tommy *******

"to be honest im not sure. I don’t think so but don’t take my word for it." so please do not comment