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What are the current visa extension requirements and issues for expats in Thailand, particularly regarding bank statements?

Mar 25, 2025
6 days ago
Marta *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Just wanted to share my failed experience of applying for an extension of stay. Tried applying in Chiang Mai today March 25th. Got rejected because Wise is not considered a real bank. Same goes for Revolut. You gotta provide a bank statement from a "real" bank is what I'm told. This + all the original docs you used to apply for the DTV + rental agreement here in Thailand + certificate of bank account ownership + proof that I've been paying rent here in Thailand.

Hope this helps!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user shares their experience of having their application for an extension of stay in Thailand rejected due to using a Wise account, which is not recognized as a legitimate bank by Thai immigration officials. They were informed that a bank statement from a traditional bank is mandatory. The comments section includes discussions about the varying acceptance of Wise accounts among expats, concerns about the integrity of using non-traditional banks like Wise and Revolut, and possible alternative solutions like border runs for visa extensions.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Lewis ********
Why would you even bother. Go have a a cheap weekend away in a neighbouring country ✈️
Felipe *********
Revolut’s Banking Status in Europe

Licensed Bank in the EU: Revolut holds a European banking license from the Bank of Lithuania. This allows it to operate as a bank in several EEA (European Economic Area) countries, offering deposit protection under the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme (up to €100,000).

EMI in Some Countries: In other parts of Europe, Revolut still operates as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) rather than a full-fledged bank.

UK Status: Revolut is not yet a bank in the UK. It operates under an EMI license regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) but has applied for a UK banking license.
Luit *****************
@Felipe ********
In Netherlands Revolut also has a banking licence, in the past it was only in Lithuania, resulting in Lithianian IBAN number, but now I have Dutch BIC/SWIFT plus IBAN. Wise is indeed not a bank.
Felipe *********
@Luit ****************
same in Ireland
Michael ********
Each office is making up the rules as they go along. There isn't anything out there that is written that they must follow.
Tyefia *******
Steve *******
Sounds like you dealt with an ignorant Immigration officer.

Of course they should be accepted for a visa application, as your money is with them.

But this is Thailand, things will never make sense here. Just fly up to Luang Prabang for a weekend instead 🤷‍♂️
Colin *******
@Steve ******
no Steve, it is not a bank. Wise themselves state this.
Brad *********
Revolut has a European banking license:
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Werner ************
Best to leave and re-enter, even then they are pulling DTV holders aside for review
Johnny ********
Do you not have a bank account in your home country?
Mika ********
bank account ownership is wild since most banks arent accepting people with DTV according to all the posts
Lee ***********
@Mika *******
could be a bank account in your home country
Elías ********
@Lee **********
it seems for the extension in country, some Immigration offices mandate Thai bank accounts. Which makes no sense, and is neither necessary, as a flight in and out would grant 180 fresh days, anyways.
Mika ********
@Lee **********
oh the way it was phrased i thought they meant a thai bank
Sitt ************
Thailand immigration officers are really checking Bank Statements. Other documents are not that important. They only care about whether there is money in the bank. The bank statement must be authentic.
Michael ********
Unfortunate… Dang. Well, as someone else on DTV in chiang mai nearing the 6 month part, thank you for sharing this information. Very useful! Border run definitely seems to be the way. Good luck!
Luit *****************
@Michael *******
or just transfer the money from Wise to your bank account before you visit immigration. When no valuta conversion Wise does not charge for that.
Michael ********
@Luit ****************
well another issue is having to hold the funds in one single bank account and maintain a 500k baht balance for a month. For many people here that have investments and multiple accounts that’s not the most desirable option.
Luit *****************
@Michael *******
I don't see any reason why 500K on a Wise account is a more desirable option than 500K in a bank account.
Michael ********
@Luit ****************
not sure where you are getting 500k in a wise account? I never said that, and I in fact recommend NOT keeping funds in wise. Nowhere in our discussion here have I mentioned anything about keeping money in wise. Like I said, most people have multiple accounts for different purposes, and investments, so 500k left in a SINGLE account is not desirable.
Luke ****
Sorry you have to face this, they should let ppl open Thai bank accounts then
Biff *******
Luke you seem to think that there’s a connection between immigration and banks. There is no ‘they’ that can change bank policy to match what people on a certain kind of visa would like.

Thai banks aren’t interested in your difficulties at immigration.
Greg ********
@Biff ******
: Exactly this. Banks are looking at complying with 1) Banking regulations as per the Bank of Thailand and 2) commercially profitable/viable accounts. The new banking regulations effect number 2 ie CRS reporting etc.
Dany ********
oh, i thaught it was established knowledge that Wise is not accepted as a bank by many authorities. i am quite surprised that people even got their DTV approved with it. i remember seeing many posts where people were not accepted with it in the past. get a real bank account. having that kind of money in Wise screams for problems. havent you read all the stories of Wise or Revolut locking your account overnight? its happening all the time and you need weeks or months to gain access again. daily reports about this…
Luit *****************
@Dany *******
Revolut is just a real bank in a lot of countries, Wise isn't.
Dany ********
@Luit ****************
yes thats true. but i would still not put substantial sums of money into it. too many horror stories
Luit *****************
@Dany *******
I have the same feeling, have Wise and Revolut, but normally not over 1000 euro on each, no bad experiences myself.
Jason *******
I recently had my Wise account locked and shut down. No crypto related transactions whatsoever. I would be very careful about leaving large amounts on there.
Wannikea *********
@Dany *******
11 million Wise users following the rules, a few crypto kids playing fast and loose whine when the plug is pulled and they can't get instant gratification.
Dany ********
@Wannikea ********
most stories i read are digital nomads / freelancer that use wise for their banking. customers / companies paying them on that account. and then they get locked out. happening all the time… its a pretty dumb idea to have large sums in a service that isnt a real bank. Wise is great for transfers, but not for holding money.
Ivan ************
@Dany *******
these are generally KYC issues. Exact same thing can happen with a "real" bank account, many expats/retirees from places like the US or UK have had their real bank (or brokerage) accounts closed on them.
Marta *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Dany *******
I've never had or heard of anyone having any issues with Wise/Revolut 😦
Felipe *********
Revolut’s Banking Status in Europe

Licensed Bank in the EU: Revolut holds a European banking license from the Bank of Lithuania. This allows it to operate as a bank in several EEA (European Economic Area) countries, offering deposit protection under the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme (up to €100,000).

EMI in Some Countries: In other parts of Europe, Revolut still operates as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) rather than a full-fledged bank.

UK Status: Revolut is not yet a bank in the UK. It operates under an EMI license regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) but has applied for a UK banking license.
Felipe *********
@Marta ************
got my account frozen at revolut with 10k euro on it, had to wait about a week after a lot of emails trying to explain everything.
Luit *****************
@Felipe ********
When this happens in a country where Revolut is a real bank, I think you should report this to the National Bank who handed them the bank license.
Michael ********
@Marta ************
sharing for you also -

I don’t recall any specific cases but there have been reports of wise not being safe for keeping funds. It’s great for transferring but not a great idea to keep money IN the wise account. I don’t know about revolut.
Dany ********
@Marta ************
Several users have reported sudden account closures and difficulties accessing their funds with Wise. Here are some discussions detailing their experiences:

• “Wise account got closed. What happens with my money?”

A Reddit user shares their experience of Wise closing their account and the subsequent challenges in retrieving their funds.

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• “Wise closed my account, I sent my friend’s IBAN for the refund, and now he says he never received the money. What should I do?”

This thread discusses issues faced when attempting to retrieve funds after an account closure.

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• “Wise deactivated my account. Anyone dealt with this?”

A user describes their Wise account deactivation and seeks advice from others who might have faced similar issues.

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• “Wise/TransferWise Sudden Account Closure”

Discussion about unexpected account closures by Wise and the potential reasons behind them.

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• “WISE lost my money. Here’s how I got them to send it back.”

A user details their experience with a frozen transfer and the steps they took to recover their funds.

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• “Nomads Beware: Wise Blocked My Account with €14,000 – No Resolution”

An account of a Wise user whose account was blocked with a significant amount of money and the challenges faced in resolving the issue.

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• “Account closed”

A user narrates their experience of their Wise account being closed shortly after creation.

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• “Warning to Wise Users - random suspension of account”

A cautionary tale about unexpected account suspension and the subsequent challenges faced.

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• “Wise closed my account and doesn’t let other people with a Wise account send to my bank account”

Discussion on issues faced after Wise account closure and restrictions on receiving funds.

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• “Transferwise/Wise closed my account for no obvious reason”

A user shares their experience of account closure without clear explanation and seeks alternatives.

********************************************************************************************************
Aaron *********
@Dany *******
that story has been deleted. Do you have any other examples?
Michael ********
@Aaron ********
I don’t know any specific cases but there have been reports of wise not being safe for keeping funds. It’s great for transferring but not a great idea to keep money IN the wise account. I don’t know about revolut.
Dany ********
@Aaron ********
?? open my reply and you will find plenty
Dany ********
@Marta ************
follow the digital nomad groups, especially on Reddit. Or revolut, wise, etc… there is so many reports.
John **********
Wise is not a bank so not very surprising
Ivan ************
@Jo**
you'd think if it's accepted for the visa it would be accepted for the extension. It may be at other offices.
Alessandro ***********
@Iv**
or they changed their policies in between said person getting the visa and applying for extension… would be my bet.
Ivan ************
@Aless*****
I don't think it's a policy change. Just that immigration and the embassies are independent and each can do it whichever way they want. For that matter there isn't consistency between each immigration office / embassy, they each interpret the rules their own way.
Lee ***********
John **********
@Ivan ***********
why? Some embassies accept it some don't. Some immigration offices might accept it (unlikely in my view) some might not. You are supposed to show money in a bank account and Wise most certainly isn't
Ivan ************
@Jo**
I know embassies and each immigration office have their own rules but there's no logical or consistent reason for this. The money in Wise is immediately liquid and available, which you'd think would be enough. Don't see why there's a material difference from the likes of N26, Revolut, Bunq or Monzo. Being a bank means they can lend customer funds, why that matters to Thai immigration I don't know.

Like I said, I accept it's like this. But it doesn't make sense.
John **********
@Ivan ***********
seems pretty straightforward to me. The rules state you must show money in a bank account. We agree Wise is not a bank account. The question is more why do some embassies treat it as if it was. I could have money down the back of my sofa, it's immediately liquid and available, should I be able to show a photo of it?
Ivan ************
@Jo**
it effectively functions as a bank account. You could have a bank account from a fat more dodgy regulatory jurisdiction which would be a "bank account" in that sense but higher chance of losing your money. A lot of nomads use it and this is a nomad visa. I understand the position, I'm just saying it doesn't make sense for the stated purpose of ensuring you have 500k liquid. I know a lot of Thai visa stuff makes no sense. Not arguing that.
Luit *****************
@Ivan ***********
A bank just has to comply with more requirements and is controlled by other institutes. You can say Wise effectively functions as a bank, but that does not make it a bank. I also can function effectively as a bank to you when you hand me over your money and I promise to give it back immediately when you ask for it, but it seems obvious to me that it is not the same for visa approval.
Ivan ************
@Luit ****************
Wise has a substantially lower risk of default then many banks in developing countries, some of which have been basic bank regulation and low or no deposit guarantee schemes.
Luit *****************
@Ivan ***********
I think that is not the point, Wise is not a bank and that means you have to do research to decide about risks, it does not have a license as a bank issued by a national bank, so without doing research you cannot say anything about reliability. If you accept Wise, you should accept any company that keeps money on an account.

I do not say Wise is not OK, I use it myself very often, but there is no independent criterium to check reliability of Wise.
John **********
@Ivan ***********
it may function like a bank but that doesn't make it a bank. Wise clearly states it is not a bank. The requirements require a bank
James *******
Border bounce all the way, extensions are a pain in the chuff.
Andrew ********
Don’t do extensions. Just border bounce
Sean ***************
@Andrew *******
can you just do the visa run every 180 days for the next 5 years? Would that cause an issue?
Andrew ********
@Sean **************
nope. This is the way.
Ibrahim ******
What a pain in the butt. Me and the missus were approved with Wise accounts 😅. So strange they're not accept g it for the extension. All the best with a border hop, will you go anywhere in particular?
Luit *****************
@Ibrahim *****
It is more strange they accepted a Wise account when you were approved, Wise just is not a bank.
Sean ***************
@Ibrahim *****
just like everything else... Every employee is different. One person will say one thing and another employee may say the complete opposite.
Marta *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ibrahim *****
thinking KL
James ********
@Ibrahim *****
that's a difference between the Thai Foreign Ministry which governs Thai Embassy or Consulate worldwide and the 80+ Thai Immigration offices under the Royal Thai Police in Thailand. Different requirements for a Thai Visa and or extension.
Todd *********
@James *******
exactly this
Greg ********
@Ibrahim *****
It might just be the Chiang Mai office. Not seen anything elsewhere.
Dom ********
That is unfortunate 🙏 is your visa now cancelled or just not extended?
Winston ************
@Dom *******
not "cancelled". If an extension is refused you're allowed to just exit and renter, no questions asked. Source: that MFA guy on YouTube.
Todd *********
@Winston ***********
oh there may be plenty of questions asked
Andi ***********
@Dom *******
She is looking for flights to do a border run.
Dom ********
@Andi **********
definitely seems like the safe option
Greg ********
This is 3rd rejection I have seen in Chiang Mai where the bank was not Thai. Seems a pattern is emerging at this office.
Anonymous ******************
@Greg *******
soon to be widespread. They want the money in Thailand and Thai accounts.
Moniquee *******
Anonymous participant 193 This is a strange prediction as they don’t allow DTV holders to have Thai bank accounts
Greg ********
@Moniquee ******
They want wealthy Thais to repatriate money first and foremost.
Greg ******
@Greg *******
Yep.
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Greg ********
@Greg *****
That is a good idea. I know a Thai clinical research professional just returned from China. I bet she is pi55ed off she has missed out on that. There are others I know in Belgium and UK. This is a good deal for them.
Greg ********
Anonymous participant 193 Agree. They changed the tax rules in late 2023 for 2024 regarding tax on foreign income remitted to Thailand. This was aimed at wealthy Thais, but other tax residents could be caught up too. This has resulted in a lot less money coming into the country last year. They are already talking about rescinding the changes as the foreign currency coming in is worth more than the marginal taxes they gained. However, there is still the issue of those on non-long term visas not being able to open bank accounts easily
Jack ********
@Greg *******
Good. I hope so. I have a lot of $$$ to being to Thailand but it's going to Malaysia now until Thailand straightens this mess out
Ibrahim ******
@Greg *******
so strange, and DTV holders are not able to open Thai bank accounts by what I understand for the moment.
Greg ********
@Ibrahim *****
Totally agree it's is strange. I spoke to an agent about an extension (Not DTV) in Chiang Mai 2 weeks ago. She said they would like a local bank account in Chiang Mai rather than my Bangkok or Pattaya accounts. No logic or rationale behind it
Michael ********
@Greg *******
do you think an “official” western bank (ie. Charles Schwab?) would qualify?

I do have a local bank account but don’t exactly want to keep 500k baht sitting in it…

Anyways I’ve already decided to do the border run but this is interesting discussion.
Greg ********
@Michael *******
Just going from one post I saw they Immigration in Chiang Mai wanted some kind of official statement from a guy with USA bank. As I said I talked to agent the other week about extension in Chiang Mai and she said they want to see a Chiang Mai branch account. She grumbled about extra work obtaining the paperwork from my Bangkok or Pattaya accounts. I am just going to miss out Chiang Mai Immigration for now
Michael ********
@Greg *******
so yeah about my friend he now needs to fly up to chiang mai just to do something basic with a bank lol. Wild.
Greg ********
@Michael *******
I am going to use my extension to have a weekend in Bangkok with pals including free flow buffet on the Sunday as Monday is public holiday. Go to Pattaya and have a few days with pals there.
Michael ********
@Greg *******
My friend moved from chiang mai to bangkok and he needs something from his bank, some documents or update card I don’t remember. Anyways despite it being the same bank he has to “go back to the original bank branch that it was done at.” wtf?

Again I love Thailand and living here but this is another reason I don’t want to conduct local business and am happy to keep my business and work and professional life online “in” (from) America.

So weird… it’s the same bank too. In USA I moved across the country several states away and no issues conducting business at the same bank different branch…
Elías ********
Why don't you just go in and out?
Winston ************
@Elías *******
I swear some folks just prefer complicated things
Dany ********
@Winston ***********
its not complicated if you know what you need. and now thats very well documented by the people who extended ;)
Michael ********
@Dany *******
and extensions also didn’t use to be complicated… I remember back in 2019 tourist visa extension was like 1-2 hours. I think I recorded 40 minutes once. These days on the DTV it seems to be a whole or multi day ordeal to document collect and wait so even just time wise it seems faster to fly for a quick vacation in Malaysia, Vietnam, etc
Andi ***********
@Elías *******
She is now.
Christopher *********
Was it a soft DTV or hard DTV extension?
Marta *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Christopher ********
DTV workation
Christopher *********
@Marta ************
interesting. Yeah it seems like you have to leave the country every 6 months. Many people have complained about extensions
Andi ***********
Many applicants have been approved via Wise and Revolt, strange you were not given an extension due to having a Wise account. So you will do a border run ?
Marta *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andi **********
exactly. I got the DTV based on my Wise bank statement. I called the CNX immigration and was told to bring all the same documents I used when applying for the visa but just updated. Yeah looking at flights now 🥲
Luit *****************
@Marta ************
Wise cannot give bank statements, as long as it does not have a bank license, but it is strange that the Wise account is accepted when you apply and not when you extend. Obviously immigration here is more strict than MFA. But it also means transferring the money to a real bank account before extending and transferring back to Wise afterwards should work. Wise normally does this within seconds, so you can show during visit immigration.
Andi ***********
@Marta ************
Weird contradiction but at least you can just do a border run and get a fresh 6 mth stamp.
Greg ********
@Andi **********
Chiang Mai seems to want to see a Thai Bank. I was even told by one agent it must be a Thai Bank in Chiang Mai for my extension. My bank accounts in Bangkok and Pattaya would need the agent authorised to get the required documents FFS
Tae'lur ********
@Greg *******
that’s kinda crazy that they’re requiring a Thai bank account when so many of us are having a hard time even getting one
Greg ********
@Tae'lur *******
Totally agree.
Andi ***********
@Greg *******
ok so different rules for different districts.
Greg ********
@Andi **********
Yeah. They make it up as they go along lol
Andi ***********
@Greg *******
i recall a crackdown on accounts with mismatching addresses and phone numbers . Your case a response to that .
Greg ********
@Andi **********
Those are bank rules. Not immigration who would have no sight of that. The agent I mentioned to you earlier said open another account here with TTB. Need residence certificate and other normal docs etc.