Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand Back to
Integrity Legal

Legal Services & Resources 

Up to date legal information pertaining to Thai, American, & International Law.

Contact us: +66 2-266 3698

info@integrity-legal.com

ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawThailand Immigration LawThai Bank Books in the Context of Marriage Visas

Thai Bank Books in the Context of Marriage Visas

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing these; bank books.

What are bank books? Well those who have done any banking in the United States in the last couple of decades probably don’t know what this is. These are pretty antiquated by American Banking standards. When I first got to Thailand, I was Like “oh, neat!”  I haven’t seen these in a long time. These were quite frequent in the past; now not so much.  They maintain one's balance. There is a balance notated in here. One maintains their bank account. It has their name and everything on it. I hope I am not giving too much away with that. 

A bankbook basically is becoming increasingly necessary with respect to marriage visa extensions due to the recent rule changes associated therewith.  For those who are unaware, there are other videos on this channel, most notably regarding a changes to the rule regarding Income Affidavits.  American, UK and Australian Embassies will no longer issue Income Affidavits in order to support an application for a marriage visa in Thailand.  This has resulted in a situation where an applicant for a visa extension based on marriage is going to need to go ahead and show a minimum balance of 400,000 baht in a Thai bank account or a minimum income of 40,000 baht.

Now it has been made abundantly clear that the income issue will depend on circumstances, especially if ones maintaining a work permit in the Kingdom. We have other videos on this channel discussing that but for those who are maintaining a lump-sum in a Thai bank account this is going to be a necessary because an Affidavit is no longer going to suffice to meet the income requirements; you are going to have to go ahead and show that you have got money in the account. So bank books are going to become an increasingly integral component to the marriage visa extension application. 

Moving forward I think it's going to be one of those things that is just sort of the given. I don't think there's a context, I have been looking at the new rules, I don't think there's a context in which one's going to be able to obtain a marriage visa extension without having a bank book although that being said there are possibly certain exceptions with respect to those who have a Thai work permit and a marriage visa here in the Kingdom.