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Is it advisable to use a separate bank account for visa-related funds in Thailand?

visa renewalThailand visaB800kB400kretirement visabank account requirementsinternational transfersincome verificationexpat financial advice
Nov 3, 2020
4 years ago
Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
A question regarding visa renewal and the B800k/B400k malarkey.

Last time I did this I did the B65k/month route not the seasoned B800k. It was a painful experience so next time I will do the B800k then B400k for the year to make it simple.

My question how many use a separate bank account just to hold their visa money? Does it cause issues with the I/O keeping it away from your spending account and not seeing any transactions?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion revolves around the best practices for holding funds required for visa extensions in Thailand, specifically the B800k and B400k financial requirements. Many expats share their experiences of using separate bank accounts to maintain the necessary funds for their visas and advise that this method simplifies compliance with Thai immigration regulations. Participants also discuss the importance of documenting sources of income, especially for those transferring money internationally, noting that regular, verifiable income is often required for visa renewals.
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Adam ******
Its possible to get visa if i have monthly income around
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thb ??
4 years ago
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Steve **********
@Adam *****
 as long as its transfered from outside the country with an FFT

(foreign fund transfer) code .
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *********
 that’s what I thought too. But my IO would have none of it. It must be a regular accountable income and nothing else.
4 years ago
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Steve **********
@Robert *******
 think we're saying the same thing. A monthly income from abroad ( 65k or more ) deposited directly to your thai bank account
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *********
 no. That was my mistake. International transfers were not enough without proof of origin. Not a bank.
4 years ago
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Steve **********
@Robert *******
 when any one wires from abroad its coded FFT to your THAI BANK. It's your bank that does the coding.

Proof of origin is simply "foreign"
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *********
 yes I know that. I use Bangkok bank and TransferWise and all of my transfers are marked FFT. No problem. But tell me how the IO knows you are not money laundering? That was their issue. Don’t ask me why B800k is OK either as I don’t know. All my experience says you need proof of how it arrived in your U.K. bank not the Thai bank.
4 years ago
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Steve **********
@Robert *******
 What Province you filing in. In 17 years noone ever asked how or where my money came from in US.

Nor have I heard of it. You may just need to go to a different i/o official.

I never use the 800k way. just income.
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *********
 I am in Mukdahan. It was a surprise to me too. I said “nowhere does it say I need to prove where the money came from”. In the end they let me renew but I won’t do it again. Money in a foreign bank is no good for these people. B800k magically appearing in a Thai bank is Ok. Don’t ask me why.
4 years ago
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Steve **********
@Robert *******
 My favorite province. So clean and few farange. Great restraunts on river.

Mukdahan and Nan, cleanedt provinces of the 76.

Glad all worked out. I doubt ( know) there is no law requiring sources of funds to your home bank prior to wiring it here.
4 years ago
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Steve **********
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Adam *****
 yes B65K a month but they may ask you to prove it’s source from is from a pension or a salary.
4 years ago
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Adam ******
@Robert *******
 what if this is from cryptocurencies??
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Adam *****
 I would expect that to be a no.
4 years ago
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Adam ******
Even with confirmation on statements
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Adam *****
 my experience was they wanted a statement of origin monthly. You could have £1m in a U.K. bank or crypto and they don’t care. The claim it maybe laundering 😂 so want a pension statement or wage slips. That’s who I will do the
*******
this time as my money is in U.K. banks transferred with TransferWise.
4 years ago
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Adam ******
@Robert *******
 what if i will provide source from where i have my money ??
4 years ago
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Robert ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Adam *****
 it’s not where your money came from it is how it came to be there in the first place on a monthly basis.
4 years ago
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Robert ********
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Rob **********
No as long as your bank account has the required funds for the correct period, not a problem
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
I have used the monthly deposits for many annual extensions and never had a problem-- yes, there are documents to gather, but I'd rather have my 800,000 available for use, or invested at more than 1%.
4 years ago
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Simon *********
@Sammy ******
 do you need a tgai bank account in your name....could I show putting say
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baht into gf bank account each month
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
@Simon ********
 the money needs to be documented as international transfers into a Thai bank. this last extension, in cm, they also wanted documentation that the funds transferred came from a pension source.
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
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Simon *********
@Sammy ******
 how do you show / prove your
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income
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
@Simon ********
 at least 65,000 a month.
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
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John *******
That's for a type O retirement extension ....if your not in thailand forget about putting 65k monthly in the bank , cos that visa has been cancelled ....hope I get a rebate !!!!!
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
@John ******
 if ur not in Thailand u would apply for an OA, if u had an O, and left thailand, deapite the red flag warnings, and had transferred money monthly to an acct of yours here, that money is still yours in ur acct.
4 years ago
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John *******
@Sammy ******
 there were no red flag warnings , we didnt come home to oz for any reason other than to see our new arrival of a grandchild ...it was planned months prior to covid ...and yes , i know the money is quite safe in my thai bank ...cheers
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
@John ******
 you didnt see Vietnam close its borders? you weren't following the govt speculation in the bkk post, on Facebook?

no red flags??! lots of them -- if being in Thailand was important, then u should have hustled right back-- I know several friends who did that.
4 years ago
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John *******
@Sammy ******
 sorry , did I upset you ...our plans were to come home in March for the birth of a grandchild in june ...and stay until November...I didnt really care about what either Vietnam or Thailand were doing RED FLAG WISE ...really !!
4 years ago
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Sammy *******
@John ******
 not upset but not complain now that u cant get back-- u gambled and lost, and chose to ignore the obvious red flags.
4 years ago
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John *******
@Sammy ******
 who complaining ...I have a CURRENT type "O" visa retirement extension , that apparently according to some facebook experts like your self has been cancelled....I'm not concerned , I'm married to a thai who's in oz with me , I can easily obtain another visa , and return when I want , without spending days searching Facebook or reading the fuckn Bangkok post for red flags that have no effect on my decision making....ok , so just drop it , your comments have no bearing ...
4 years ago
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John *******
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Steve *******
@John ******
 It's not a visa it's an extention of stay and not cancelled if you bought a re-entry permit.
4 years ago
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John *******
@Steve ******
 well apparently from what people on this site are saying it is cancelled ...and I have exactly that , a 12 month extension of stay with a re-entry permit issued at Huahin on the 10th march 2020 , so expiring in 2021
4 years ago
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John *******
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Adrien **********
Can you send me info about this procedure? I never heard about that.
4 years ago
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Steve **********
I have a separate account. Occasionally (every 2 months or so) I’ll drop a few baht in there to update the book and keep it going. Other than that I don’t touch it.
4 years ago
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Stuart *********
Many people do exactly that, in that they have a completely separate bank account for the banked money requirement. It alleviates any issue of keeping the right amounts in for the required time and potentially having issues if they mistimed the required amount. Put it in. Forget about it and luxuriate in the 1% interest you’re earning each year.
4 years ago
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Brett *******
I have a separate account with minimal transactions for the 800 k.
4 years ago
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Brett *******
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