@Pete ******

TM.87 is the form you will receive at immigration when applying for a Non-O visa in the country while on a visa exemption. The monthly income option is only available from the second year, after you have demonstrated twelve consecutive months of transfers of at least 65,000 baht per month, unless you provide only an income verification from your embassy in Bangkok.

@Pete ******

Sorry maybe this is better with the requirements you’ll need to meet.

@Pete ******

You’ll need 15 to 21 days remaining on your current stamp, depending on the immigration office, in order to apply with a TM.87. This should be quite straightforward since you already have a bank account with the required amount. Fee is 2000 baht.

There should be two possible ways to do this. Leave the country and cancel your stay based on your Non O-A visa and either (1) apply for a Non O at any embassy that accepts applications from foreigners, or (2) enter Thailand on a visa exemption if you are eligible for this and apply for a Non O at the immigration office in Thailand. Since you already have a bank account with the required amount, this should be completely unproblematic. Only a few smaller immigration offices in Thailand do not process Non O applications in-country.

@Steve *******

I believe there may have been variations between embassies regarding the basis on which they actually confirmed income, with some confirming income on far too weak a foundation. I also know that some immigration offices have refused to accept confirmations from certain countries for this reason. However, this is not the reason why the Norwegian embassy has chosen to stop issuing income confirmations; it is solely a matter of prioritizing the foreign service’s general worldwide operations, and it is politically directed from Norway. The Norwegian embassy only accepts your most recent tax assessment submitted to the Norwegian tax authorities, or the latest annual statement from your pension provider. They will not accept any income you simply declare yourself, and really, what more than documentation of the income you have actually paid tax on in your home country can reasonably be required as proof?

@Mikael *********

I see it a bit differently. I live in Norway and have at times kept significant amounts in a Thai bank account over the past twelve years. I still have not had any problems. But for many years, it has been far too easy to open a bank account in Thailand. In what other country could you open a bank account during just a 14-day holiday? Now the banking system has been abused by large groups involved in organized fraud and money laundering. It is really about time that a proper cleanup takes place. Of course, one can argue that things could have been handled differently and that better information could have been provided, but if you are on a long-term stay in Thailand and have everything in order regarding your finances, I also believe there is little reason for concern. No legal funds will disappear from your account.

It varies between immigration offices. Some immigration offices request to see an updated bank book at your first 90-day report after your extension, in order to confirm that the amount you had in the account when you applied for your extension still remains untouched in accordance with the requirement.

@Mikael *********

For our part, this represents a change in what the embassy considers to be its primary responsibilities, as documentation of finances is essentially a matter between the individual and Thai immigration. For most people already living in Thailand, it is straightforward to document twelve monthly transfers to their Thai bank, provided that they meet the income requirement each month. It is a bit more difficult during the first year of relocation, when one must document the entire first year with a lump sum in a bank account.

@John *********

I actually agree that in this overview it can be understood that way; in any case, it becomes inconsistent when it states bank certificate or income certificate. In the more comprehensive regulations from Bangkok, however, it is made clearer that an income confirmation is an independent alternative for documenting the required income for subsistence.

Formally, according to the regulations, a bankbook should not be required when you can present an income confirmation from the embassy. This is also stated in the handout you received from your immigration office. It is an “OR” rule. Nevertheless, we know that the immigration offices interpret and apply the regulations in their own way. You will not have problems opening a bank account on an extension of stay, and it is probably an advantage to simply prepare for this as well. We will lose the income confirmation from the Norwegian embassy in May next year, and as I understand it, it is likely that changes will eventually also be introduced at the Swedish embassy.