Just returned from Nong Khai for my annual renewal of my Non-Immigrant "O" VISA. The following was a list of the things I was required to give to the Immigration Officer and he wasn't our favorite from AEK Udon:
1) Original of form TM. 7---Application for Extension of Temporary stay in
the Kingdom.
2) Copy of all pages in my Passport.
3) Copy of form TM. 6---Departure card.
4) Copy of every page of my Thai Bank Book.
5) Copy of Marriage Certificate.
6) Copy of my family Book.
7) Copy of wife's ID card.
8) Copy of wife's family book.
9) Copy of U.S.Embassy letter stating that I receive monies every month
from the U.S.Government and/or other sources and the amount I
receive.
10)Copy of letter from Thai bank stating that I make monthly transfers
from American bank to Thai bank giving account number and/or credit
card numbers of American bank. Letter should also state amount of
transfers and there should be a minimum of 12 transfers shown also
your ending balance, which must match the last line entry in your Thai
bank book.
Monthly transfer amounts should be as follows:
1)If your balance in Thai bank is between 500 Baht and 200,000 Baht you
will need to make 65,000 Baht per month transfers to your Thai bank.
2)Between 200,000 Baht and 300,000 Baht requires 50,000 Baht per
month transfers.
3)300,000 Baht and higher requires 40,000 Baht per month transfers.

I was not required to surrender my original notarized letter from the U.S.Embassy and was not required to submit a medical certificate.

Having just spoke to Diesel Daddy on the phone, he was not required to give copy's if his ATM cards either.

Monthly transfer amounts should be as follows:

1)If your balance in Thai bank is between 500 Baht and 200,000 Baht you
will need to make 65,000 Baht per month transfers to your Thai bank.

2)Between 200,000 Baht and 300,000 Baht requires 50,000 Baht per
month transfers.

3)300,000 Baht and higher requires 40,000 Baht per month transfers.


The above is a big change, (remember Diesel Daddy has a marriage visa)

In all honesty I was already told that major changes such a these were coming. I didn't post anything about it, because I didn't want to be the source of the rumor mill.

I won't go any further then that, simply because until immigration acts on it to me it is a rumor. But I would say this I honestly believe things are going to be made more dificult and it is important that we do our best to kee eah other informed.


I think is is also important to understand the information that I had before this was not generated in Nong Khia but in Bangkok. So I don't think the normal complaints as to Nong Khai fit this time.

So guys please a you renew now keep us informed as to specifics a deisel daddy did in this instance.

Thanks for a great heads up.

Ray, are you saying, that now, for a marriage visa, you have to show 40,000 per month income, PLUS 300,000 deposited in the bank?

No I'm not saying that that is what Deisel dady posted and what he was told today in immigration.

If you look at the break down, it certainly appears to be what they are saying which is a major change.

Before it was 400K in the bank or 40K a month for a marriage visa and you could qaulify either way.

Now what that is going to mean on a single visa I have no idea which is what I am on, for the moment.

It's interesting when I originally filed for my annual I was single I was told 800K in the bank and 65k a month I fought that and won. Qaulifying with my monthly income only.

Can it be challeneged again and won, got me I simply don't know we live in a much different world then five years ago. If I hadn't won that battle I would have returned to the states and went back to work.

So I think this may leave right where I started five years ago.

It would take me at least a year to get my licences back now, so that is no longer an option.

I think it is very important now to ducument our experiences and share them so we all know.

But I think it is better to direct questions to Diesledaddy since he was the one in the hot seat today.

I was only trying to point out some things I saw different then before and clear up the copies of the ATM cards issue as to Nong Khai.

Today was the fourth time I renewed my marriage Visa. Each time, including today, I never had the 400,000 Baht in the bank, but could always show 12 money transfers of 40,000 or more. I was told today that they will issue my VISA with a warning that next year I would be required to have 300,000 Baht in the bank plus show 40,000 Baht transfers.. I can't say what will be required of the next guy. All I know is I will find some way starting with my Dec. transfer to meet the criteria that was presented to me and just hope there isn't another surprise next year.

Diesel Daddy, thank you for the concise description of your experience. It is appreciated, and I agree with Ray, that is would be great if more would do the same on their return from Nong Khai Immigration, with any issue that they go there for.

I will be awaiting what is said when the next unmarried person goes for his Non-O, 1-year retirement visa.

Rumors should stay rumors, but facts and experiences is what we all want to read.

Agree with what you say Mainer.
And it was good that Nong Khai Immigration were 'reasonable' with this new ruling with DieselDaddy, whatever I have said about them in the past.
What is worrying is the sudden 62% increase (from 40K to 65K) in the monthly amount required if there is less than 200K in the bank. Ages ago I read that the value of join owned property & vehicles was going to be taken into account for marriage visa. If they introduced this (as on offset to 'money in the bank') then fair enough, as it stands this seems a little harsh to me...

40K is the monthly income required to support a Marriage visa and 65K is the amount required for a retirement visa based on monthly pension/income. Who or why someone should be cross pollinating the amounts, I don't know.

Though based on past experience NK do tend to do just that, - mix things up and around and make it up as they go along!!

(I am aware with the retirement (O/A) visa, there is a third option, - if one doesn't have either the full 800K in the bank, or the full monthly income of 65K baht - and that is a combination of the two, totalling 800k over the year, e.g. say 400K in the bank in Los and a monthly income of 32.5K (65K divided by 2). Perhaps they were trying to bring a permutation like that into the marriage visa!)

There used to be a system where you could get confirmation of your pension income from the British Embassy in Bangkok to statisfy the Immigration. Is that still the case? I think it used to be 1000pounds a month. I don't think you had to deposit it every month which is expensive on the Bacs system. This in place of having 800000bht for a single person. As stated there was a sliding scale of 400000 in the bank for 3 months prior to application and a reduced pension. Can anyone confirm if this is still the case

Not single, but waiting one more week to submit my paperwork to Los Angeles for my A/O visa.
I'm still going on the 65,000 a month for retirement.

I hope that is still what is is...

Arjay,
If you think I'm one of those that is "Cross Pollinating" the numbers, then you can kiss my rosy a--. The post I made was on my personal experience. I could care less what you think the requirements are. I personally will follow the instructions I was given and present all documentation that I was told to have when I renew next year. Maybe you should go back and read my second post on this thread. But before you do, I suggest some reading comprehension lessons so you can absorb all that I said.

Tch! tch!...a bit sensitive there Daddy.

Arjay's post talks about NK immigration, not you.

DD, i don't think he meant you, the immigrations personnel is doing the 'cross pollinating', sounds pretty kinky to me, does someone have a video

If he meant Immigration, I truly appologize.

Diesel Daddy, Indeed, a bit sensitive there aren't we??!!

Thanks, but I have no wish to kiss your rosy whatever. I don't use the Forum to have digs at people, simply to share knowledge. I have no chips on my shoulder or axes to grind.

The point I was making was that it seems like Immigration are changing the rules as they go along again. I quoted the rules as I know and understand them to be, and was not questionning your experiences.

I had a similar cross-pollinated (crossed wires) experience two years ago, when I asked in AEK about renewing my retirement visa. They saw my bank book and despite me telling them I had the required 65K a monthly income, they told me I had to show that I had 800K coming in over the year. He then handed me a proforma (sheet of paper) which listed the 3 choices, as stated in my earlier post, - 800K in the bank, 65K a month income (wherever) or if you couldn't meet those requirements - a combination of the two. And it said OR after each one. But he was trying to apply two of the requirements at the same time.

I renewed a week later in NK with only the proof of the 65K and a about 100K in my bank book.

I am not as conversant with the Marriage version of the visa, and would therefore bow to your greater knowledge and experience, but from many other previous posts on this Forum, I understood the requirement was now a minimum monthly income of 40K. (period)- I.e. that there wasn't a minimum bank balance required, unless one was "grandfathered" under the previous requirements which required a minimum of 400K in the bank here in LOS.

Thus my suggestion that someone was cross-pollinating the requirements, or maybe they have changed the rules again.