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What should I do if my bank statement for a Thai visa application shows insufficient transactions?

Thai Visa ApplicationBank StatementsVisa DocumentationEmbassy ProceduresExpat AdviceSavings Account Issues
Sep 20, 2024
3 months ago
George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I just applied at the embassy in Hanoi, and the woman at the counter said my bank statements might not be accepted

She said other peoples bank statements show lots of transactions. But because my money was in a savings account for ages - and because I only get statements for that account every six months - the bank statement only showed when there was a transaction... which only happened once in august

I had to write a quick letter explaining that it was an official bank statement. And that the lack of activity is because it's not a current account

Just wondering if anyone else has had something similar? and what they did about it?

I got on the phone to my bank (halifax, UK) and they basically said there's nothing else they can provide other than the bank statement itself
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is facing issues with their Thai visa application at the Hanoi embassy due to insufficient bank statement activity, as their savings account only shows limited transactions. They seek advice on how to address this problem. Responses suggest including different bank accounts with more activity, submitting additional documentation to clarify the situation, and sharing experiences with various embassies and their unique document requirements, especially regarding financial proof.
Dan *******
I dumped money in my Barclays account from savings at it was fine. Though that was the London embassy
3 months ago
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Jane ***********
I had the same problem when I applied for a METV a while back. They said that statements from savings accounts were not valid. I got round it by transferring the required amount into my current account for a few months so it showed both transactions and overall balance.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jane **********
 okay, this is good to know. Hopefully I'll be able to work something out without having to wait a few extra months. Was this in Hanoi, too?
3 months ago
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Jane ***********
@George *****
 No, London. Different consulates apply rules with varying degrees of severity. It's worth sussing out which ones are the 'easiest'
3 months ago
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Jane ***********
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Shin *******
I think each Embassy is different, but I think the requirements should be the same across the board. This is exactly what I provided and was approved. You can only upload one bank statement, even if you have other accounts, wow!
3 months ago
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Ibrahim ******
Had similar when I applied they wanted to see more activity, so I re-submitted my current account and attached a statement for my savings (both separate) and I joined the together with a PDF app and also added an explanation that I don't keep my savings in current account. I did my application through Madrid. After this I got approved
3 months ago
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Pierre ********
They are stupid. Conclution
3 months ago
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David *******
What a nonsense..but I suppose it depends on which part of the visa you apply for ..IE remote work..but if it's any of the others ..liquid asset of 500k should surely be enough.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@David ******
 Well, unless you apply in Hanoi, you never have to see her at all, period. Secondly in 5 years from now, all consulates will be on the e-visa system, so chances are, this is the final year any of us will ever see a Thai Visa processing officer or employee in person ever again.

In fact, by the end of the year pretty much all remaining consulates will have switched over.

Regarding the 500K, Vietnam wants to see lots of transactions, regardless of the stream you're applying under. I don't think it makes a difference.

What can enhance your application for the workcation category is showing funds coming in from client invoices, that sort of thing. However, it's not expressly required.
3 months ago
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David *******
@Paul ******
 so you have applied in Vietnam Hanoi then ?...
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@David ******
 Fortunately no, because I read trip reports and have decided Hanoi isn't a good place to apply.

Embassies and consulates where I have applied for Thai visas in this region include: Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Savannakhet and Yangon.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David ******
 yes, apparently the woman at the counter is known for being difficult and moody. Hopefully the problem was with her and not the application
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@George *****
 Well, regardless of the outcome, you won't be seeing her ever again. That's because 1) I wouldn't recommend applying in Hanoi, there are much better consulates and 2) all consulates are moving to the e-visa system soon.

While Hanoi is switching later than HCMC, they're going to be on the e-visa system sooner rather than later.
3 months ago
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David *******
@George *****
 all I will say is don't antagonise them they have more power than you think..get past it and smile .you will never have to see her for 5 years...lol. best over luck
3 months ago
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David *******
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Farzad *******
Ridiculous. Why does that even matter. Surely you're not surviving on air. I only showed my savings at HCMC, it has very little activity. To be honest they didn't really check it with much scrutiny. I suspect the inspection happens later down the line.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Farzad ******
 yeah, made no sense to me. I think now maybe the lady read the statement wrong and was just trying to save face or something. but will find out in a few days if they ask for more details
3 months ago
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George ******
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John *******
I had heard several others mention this prior, that for some reason, some embassies want you to see transactions in/out. I supplied both my savings account (which has much more than 500K but no transactions) and then my checking account, which has hundreds of transactions but usually at max has 350K. - that worked for me, but different embsssy and not sure they cared
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@John ******
 My situation is similar. I will be supplying at least 3 statements - one with the 500K (and lots of transactions), a second with less than 500K but funds have been parked there for a long time and minimal transactions. Finally, a third account with funds coming in from clients, but not much in the account - just transfers, which are quickly used to pay bills and expenses.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ******
 okay that's good to know. if they get back to me saying it's a problem I'll just send over my other bank statement like you did

Appreciate the info and advise
3 months ago
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John *******
@George *****
 - It is worth a shot, but things seem to change at a whim, so more documents you have available, the better.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ******
 yeah, nowhere does pointless bureaucracy better than SE Asia
3 months ago
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George ******
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Neil ********
Transfer money from your savings to your regular account, then ask the bank to issue you a statement and provide that.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Neil *******
 they want proof of 6 months in Vietnam. so it's the big gap of about 5 months where I didn't touch that account that the lady had a problem with
3 months ago
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Neil ********
@George *****
 I transferred from my general investment account to main account and then produced statement and they were fine with that.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@George *****
 Makes sense. Yeah they want to see lots of transactions. On average, at least one transaction a week. Or 3-4 a month minimum. That's what they told me.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
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Tod *********
I think this is why most people use HCMC and NOT the consulate in Hanoi šŸ˜‰
3 months ago
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David ****************
@Tod ********
 I have good feedback from Hanoi . . but that was other types of VISAs.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David ***************
 that's good to know. fingers crossed it was just the Vietnamese lady at the desk and not the person who makes the final decisions
3 months ago
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Tod *********
@David ***************
 sometimes things go smoothly there, and other times it's just an ordeal, that's the main problem is there is no consistency
3 months ago
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Tod *********
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 yeah, i couldn't get a direct flight to HCMC before my visa ran out. Hopefully it's not too much of a problem. The lady at the counter doesn't actually have anything to do with the visa-accepting process except taking the application
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@George *****
 A bit strange you couldn't get a flight to Ho Chi Minh considering there are so many. Never really heard of flights to Saigon being completely full except during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

It's always possible to leave Thailand on time and get to where you want to go.

Not saying you did anything wrong.

However, what I would have done is to leave Thailand, enter Cambodia (by air or land) then continued onto HCMC.

A fairly stress free and relatively quick way of getting to HCMC is to fly to Phnom Penh then catching a 6 hour bus to HCMC.

Another option is flying into Phnom Penh and catching a flight from there to HCMC.

Or what you did, fly to Hanoi, then catch a connecting flight to HCMC.

Or fly to Danang, then connect to HCMC.

Or fly to Vientiane, then connecting flight via Phnom Penh to HCMC (on Vietnam Airlines). The stop in Phnom Penh is a technical stop; you can remain on the aircraft during the layover.

Anyway, just saying there are lots of options and if I had been in your situation, I'd have gotten myself to HCMC rather than Hanoi knowing it's a simpler process down there.
3 months ago
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Tod *********
@George *****
 nope, she's just cranky, BUT that is a famous consulate for stringing you along on "processing time" way past the 2 business day they usually do
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 oh, well. i have another 2 weeks before my flight back anyway. So hopefully it will work out fine

I'll leave a detailed account of how it all ends up on the page for anyone who is thinking of going there
3 months ago
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Tod *********
@George *****
 sincerely good luck with it, best wishes on the visa, enjoy Vietnam (y)
3 months ago
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Tod *********
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Upasaka ********
If you get problems like this, I would just include another bank account where you have lots of things going in and out and add that to your paperwork as well as your savings account. Give them as much people as possible to confuse themselves with.ļæ¼

At the end of the day they should only be looking for the amount or total amounts across the banks, and that you have sufficient evidence of liquid fundsļæ¼. Make sure you mention it is not a fixed term deposit interest accountļæ¼,
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@Upasaka *******
 I have multiple accounts.

I will present one statement which shows details of invoices being paid to my account, but it's not the one I am keeping the 500K.

The 500K is in one of my Thai accounts. It also has a lot of transactions, as I transfer money here because I don't withdraw funds from my foreign bank cards as it's too expensive.

I also have a long term savings account in a foreign bank. Funds parked there a long time (several) years, although less than 500K.

Funds are liquid - though when you make withdrawals, you have to wait until the next day to receive the funds in your linked bank account (this won't be mentioned on the statement) but I still think this qualifies as liquidity.

Putting all this together, I can show well above 500K. 500K in a Thai account, some extra funds in a foreign account and details of payments/client invoices in another one.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ******
 ok, cool. i can do a similar thing with my other bank accounts if necessary. I'll keep you updated with what happens. in case it's helpful to you
3 months ago
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Upasaka ********
Y
@Paul ******
 Yes, I donā€™t recall reading what Visa what are you applying for? Was it workation or a soft power?ļæ¼
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@Upasaka *******
 Workcation.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
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Upasaka ********
@Paul ******
 Yes, I donā€™t think you will have a problem because you definitely have the sufficient fundsļæ¼. Keep us posted how you get onļæ¼ - goodluck
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@Upasaka *******
 Thanks. I will definitely be sharing a report on how things go for me.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
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Upasaka ********
I think from what I have read a lot of people have submitted multiple statements that donā€™t have the correct amount in one bank but if you total them all up they doļæ¼
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Upasaka *******
 yeah, she asked me if i had another bank account. I said i did, but it didn't have the amount needed constantly in there. So seemed kind of pointless

If they say it's a problem I'll just do as you say. Give them statements from all my accounts
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@George *****
 Yes that's what you should do.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
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Andrew *******
I applied at a different embassy but I had the same, a savings account with 0 withdrawals. Mine went through, hope yours does
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@Andrew ******
 Good point. Yeah, I have one account back home with funds sitting for years. I would occasionally transfer some money to that account but almost never make a withdrawal. If I did, I would quickly return those funds sometimes as soon as the next day. That account is a high interest savings account with funds accessible almost instantly. You have to link it to your conventional account and once a withdrawal is made, the funds are accessible the next morning.

I think the transactions thing is something some bureaucrats at certain embassies make up on the spot.

Fortunately, I have multiple accounts I can show them, which satisfy their criteria.
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@Andrew ******
 What embassy? I think most are OK with such statements, but Vietnam wants to see lots of transactions. They told me that upfront.

Others, such as Laos want to see funds parked for long periods; 3 months minimum. They're not particularly interested in transactions.

Then you have Taipei - they would prefer to see a 6 month statement but like Ho Chi Minh, funds can be recently transferred. Although they don't say it, but it helps it you make lots of transactions as well (though I don't think they scrutinize them quite like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh do).
3 months ago
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Andrew *******
@Paul ******
 canā€™t understand why they would have any interest in multiple transactions if the funds are in a liquid account. But yeah, the account I used had funds sitting for years with only deposits and was approved faster than any METV vids Iā€™ve ever applied for, Ottawa Canada Embassy.

Canā€™t make any sense why they would want transactions when itā€™s supposed to be a crutch for money
3 months ago
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Andrew *******
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andrew ******
 ok, brilliant. That's good to know. I can't think of any legitimate reason it wouldn't be accepted. But the way the lady at the desk was acting got me worried
3 months ago
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Andrew *******
@George *****
 maybe she was just scrutinizing too much. Hope it works out for you.
3 months ago
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Andrew *******
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Ash ********
If itā€™s the same woman I encounter everytime I need to use Hanoi then she is a nightmare šŸ˜…
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ash *******
 Hey, how did you chase up your visa application with the consulate in hanoi?

they're a few days past the 2-3 day processing period and I haven't heard anything from them. Tried sending an email to the address at the bottom of the receipt, but no reply on that either. Did you have to go down there in person or something?
3 months ago
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Ash ********
@George *****
 I went there everyday sometimes twice and argued with the woman until there was another woman who actually checked for me
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ash *******
 ok, good to know
3 months ago
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George ******
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Paul *******
@Ash *******
 Aha. Probably Vietnamese I guess.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ash *******
 was it the middle aged lady? sort of thickset?
3 months ago
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Ash ********
@George *****
 sounds like her yes, incredibly cold toned too.
3 months ago
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George ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ash *******
 yeah, she wasn't the friendliest person I've ever met. that's for sure!
3 months ago
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George ******
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Tod *********
@Ash *******
 I think this is why people use HCMC not hanoi šŸ˜®
3 months ago
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Ash ********
@Tod ********
 never again, she got me stuck there for 8 extra days once
3 months ago
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Tod *********
@Ash *******
 that is the bad part, they just hang you out to dry with "extended processing" because they have your passport, it's like you're held hostage šŸ™
3 months ago
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Ash ********
@Tod ********
 exactly like that, actually there was a mistake on my paperwork and she missed it and submitted anyway leading to rejection. However, in the end she was made to apologise to me and the issued my visa with in 3 hours šŸ˜…
3 months ago
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Paul *******
@Ash *******
 Was she Vietnamese or Thai? What kind of visa, DTV or another type? It sounds like you've had prior experience applying in Hanoi and since the DTV is new I think you're referring to other visas as well.
3 months ago
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Ash ********
@Paul ******
 she was not Thai and yeah not DTV it was over a year ago
3 months ago
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Ash ********
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