Need a visa.

[Smiles]

I know I asked, and thanks for the input. But you guys have made me want to continue on with the income letter option! And it includes at least one night of debauchery in Bangkok.

[Gaybutton]

I think the reason is that you cannot update the passbook if there hasn't been any transaction.

I suppose that's possible. I never thought of that. But since you would have to be talking with a bank officer, not a teller, to get the letter, that's who will update the passbook. If for some reason he can't update it without a transaction, he can take care of making the transaction.

With the withdrawal thing, here's a nice technicality for you - A person has exactly 800,000 baht in his account. He makes a 100 baht withdrawal to update his passbook on the same day he's going to apply for his visa. He realizes whoops, now I don't have 800,000. He redeposits the 100 baht. Now he has 800,000 baht in his account again and can update his passbook again.

What he doesn't realize is now he hasn't had 800,000 baht in his account for a minimum of 3 months . . .

[ceejay]

I believe that the reason a recent transaction is needed with a savings account is that you can withdraw money at an ATM without the book being updated, so the balance shown in the book may not be the balance in the account.
At Chiang Mai immigration you can use a fixed term deposit account. No recent transaction is required because the only way you can withdraw money is by closing the whole account early - and you have to present the book for cancellation for that.
For some time there was doubt as to whether CM immigration would accept these fixed deposit accounts but ultimately they confirmed they would. (the issue was whether money in a fixed term account, and therefore inaccessible could be counted as available for living expenses.) Other offices may have a different interpretation so the best advice, as with all things immigration, is to ask at your local office - and hope that the advice still holds good when you come to renew.

[2lz2p]

Pattaya Immigration will accept, but only if the money can be withdrawn at any time -- some banks offer higher interest rates if funds are kept on deposit for a specific period of time; but will allow withdrawals with the penalty being loss of the higher interest rate.

[windwalker]

What visa did you get rocket? A 60 day Tourist visa or ?

[windwalker]

What visa did you get rocket? A 60 day Tourist visa or what?

If a Tourist visa you would have to convert that to a Type O , Non-Immigrant visa when you are here and then request extension of stay for purpose of retirement.

[Alex]

Has to be a tourist visa, any other visa would cost more.

[windwalker]

Quite right, Alex. A Tourist visa @ $40.. I am unsure if a Tourist visa can now be converted to a Non-Immigrant visa at Jomtien Immigration. I went that route and had to make two trips to Immigration in Bangkok to do this conversion and considerable cost and time.

[Alex]

I'm not sure either, I think most immigration offices still cannot do the conversion and refer people to headquarters. I don't know about Jomtien specifically.

[Gaybutton]

Does anyone know if you go to the USA embassy in Bangkok, do you have to pay with a bank draft at the embassy or will the embassy still accept cash?

If you post that you know, please include how you know.