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Do Immigration Offices in Thailand Concern Themselves with Outgoing Transactions for Retirement Visa Extensions?

Jun 6, 2025
a day ago
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
A question out of curiosity.

For the extension of stay based on retirement, using the monthly transfer method... Do the Immigration Offices care about international outgoing transactions?

The Norwegian Embassy is stopping with the affadavits confirming income from next year, and people who have been getting Non-O and extending their stays with the Affidavit as proof of income are now looking for alternatives. In particular this is about those who don't stay the entire year, but a lot of it. While there are other options, getting the extensions of stay based on their original Non-O would of course be preferable.

So I am wondering if people would be able to send the required 65k a month minimum TO Thailand, but send this amount BACK to a Norwegian account on the months where they are not staying in Thailand.

Or if this would raise some eyerbows at Immigration?

There's be 12 months of 65k going in, but some of those months would see the same amount transferred right back out.

Again, just a question out of curiosity, as trying to help find the best alternatives for the people affected by the Embassies decision.

Thank you
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion revolves around whether the Immigration Offices in Thailand scrutinize international outgoing transactions for retirees seeking to extend their stay based on retirement. With the Norwegian Embassy discontinuing affidavits confirming income, retirees are exploring alternative methods to meet the financial requirements. Participants indicate that Immigration primarily focuses on incoming transactions, suggesting that retirees can transfer the required monthly amount to Thailand and, if needed, send it back to their home country without raising suspicions, as long as the monthly requirement is formally met.
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Gardar ***************************
Takk
@Mari****
lurt på det samme når kommer vi flytter til Thailand og jeg lyst å forlenge pga av giftemål 😊
Pete *******
Recycling your 65k is a financial strategy for those who live on much less to satisfy the Immigration requirements. Your only expense is eating the transfer fees.
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pete ******
But it is a viable strategy?
Pete *******
@Marianne *******
absolutely fine and completely legal.
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pete ******
Splendid. A strategy to write down and suggest to the Norwegian community, then.

I bet eating the transfer-fees for a lot of people will beat spending money to head out and in and dealing with Immigration more than once ayear ( and 90 day reports )
Pete *******
@Marianne *******
you still need to do your 90 day reports.
Graham ******
@Pete ******
or take the 2000B fine with every new extension
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pete ******
of course. Badly worded on my part
Bob **********
I’ve an English friend that has been sending most of his 65k back for years but not a bad idea to let your bank balance build up in case of an emergency which can happen in a second
Jesper *******
Well maybe you should keep 2 accts let's say u use bkk bank for the 65k/mth statement for immigration then u transfer to another thai bank acct and send back to Norway at least it does not look so obvious to the immigration officer when u present your bkk bank statement
Wannikea *********
They only look at incoming transfers, that is all they are mandated to scrutinize in regards to visa/extension requirements.
Roy *********
I'm curious about this subject too.

Now I do my transfers from bank to bank.

Norwegian local bank to Bangkok Bank.

Planning to do and make sure it's minimum 65 000 every month. I don't know if these transactions needs to have a guarantee or something that it is my pension..

But sending back like that, I would think they would react to that 🤔
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Roy ********
They might just want proof that you are in fact able to do this monthly and that they don't care. But I am certainly interested in what people with more knowledge and experience think.
Roy *********
Gordon ************
I’m curious, if you’ve got an extension of stay, based on retirement, why are you not staying??? It defeats the object ✌️✌️✌️
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Gordon ***********
Because people have families and obligations back home?

They spend a lot of the winter months in Thailand, and back home in the summer.

Makes perfect sense. And continuing getting a extension is by far the easiest for the older folks at least, instead of hassling with going to Immigration multiple times during the winter months.
Gordon ************
@Marianne *******
It’s just reminded me of the Education Visa, where someone posted, that they wanted to “float back and forward” to their own country, and then someone reminded them, “how can you be in class, if you’re not here” Strange ✌️✌️✌️
Marianne ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Gordon ***********
There is very much a difference in retirement, tourist and educational visas.

But that is not a part of this discussion.
Gordon ************
@Marianne *******
I appreciate what you are saying, and on that note, I take me “leave” 🙏🙏🙏
Gordon ************
@Marianne *******
Oh, thanks for that. I thought the whole idea of the “retirement” thing, was you lived in Thailand and you weren’t going back 😉😉😉 So it’s just like floating back and forward, when is suits you, like a tourist visa 🙏🙏🙏
Ron ******
Once the funds are transferred in and show as an international transfer you can do what you like with them.
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