Thread: Income Verification Affidavits

Some in these forums have asked whether Income Verification Affidavits, obtained and processed at many Embassies, are still accepted by Thai Immigration authorities for the purpose of verifying income in the O-A Visa process. The definitive answer at this time is "Yes." (See below)

For those who may not know: it's often difficult for some expats, such as myself, to come up with official, notarized documents verifying income. The easy alternative is to download the Affidavit online (the U.S. document is HERE:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/th...t_template.pdf

Make an appointment at your local Embassy to have it notarized. Other documents, such as Social Security income verification letters, which you may download from the Social Security website (The United States Social Security Administration) if you have registered with the "My Social Security" program, often need to be notarized - a simple process in the U.S. but it may be impossible in Thailand. The answer to this problem is a BLANK affidavit obtained and notarized at the Embassy.

I wrote to American Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy, Bangkok YESTERDAY and they provided this very clear and unequivocal response TODAY:

Hello Mr. ,

Thank you for contacting American Citizen Services (ACS) at the U.S. Embassy Bangkok.

1.) We confirmed with Thai Immigration headquarters just last week that they still accept the U.S. Embassy income affidavit form.

2.) We do offer notarial services by appointment for a fee of $50 per notarial seal. However, there are limits on the types of documents that we can notarize (see below).

CAN ACS AUTHENTICATE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE ISSUED IN THE USA?

U.S. Consular Officers overseas are not empowered to authenticate public documents that were issued in the United States because they don’t have access to the records of the issuing offices or the seals of the custodians of these records.

The official process for authenticating vital records issued in the United States for use in Thailand is available on our website and here. It is extremely labor intensive.

In practice, many people come to ACS and complete a blank affidavit on which they attest to the truthfulness of a public record. We can notarize the blank affidavit by appointment for a fee of $50 or 1,700 TBH, payable by cash or credit card. The blank affidavit may or may not satisfy the Thai requirement for U.S. Embassy “certification.” Please confirm with the end recipient in advance.

Kind Regards,

American Citizen Services │U.S. Embassy Bangkok │ 95 Wireless Road │Bangkok, Thailand 10330
Phone: 02-205-4049 (inside Thailand); +66-2-205-4049 (outside Thailand)
Fax: 02-205-4103 (inside Thailand); +66-2-205-4103 (outside Thailand)
Email: [email protected] │Website: U.S. Citizen Services | Bangkok, Thailand - Embassy of the United States │Twitter: @acsbkk
Enroll with us to receive emergency messages and information for U.S. Citizens: www.step.state.gov

Well, yes they accept them but they also ask for current bank statements that show that you meet the income requirements.

Originally Posted by Humbert

Well, yes they accept them but they also ask for current bank statements that show that you meet the income requirements.

Depends on the office. Never asked for anything but income verification and med cert where I go.

There are I think 5 or 6 countries embassies here in Bangkok which will let you fill out a "verification of income from abroad", called a Stat Dec at the Oz embassy, with NO proof of what you're putting on that letter. They don't notarize that anything is correct ONLY that your name is at the top and you signed it in their presence. END OF STORY.

Now Brits, used to be able to go to their embassy, supply documentation showing proof of income and the embassy would write the letter for them.. Now it's all done by mail only, and you still need to either show pension papers, bank statements etc BEFORE they'll do it for you.

All the experience I have with using notary letters from a LOT of embassies are ONLY out at Chaengwattana. On yearly extensions of stay (contrary to Humbert's assertion) here in Bangkok they don't ask for ANYTHING ELSE, not bank statements, not nothing.

Personally I've used the US Embassy notary letter for EVERY yearly extension of stay I've gotten here and NEVER, as in not even a single time, been asked to show proof that the amount I put on the letter was backed up by anything. I always take proof with me (just in case), but I've never turned in anything to them except the US Embassy letter. Christ I don't even have a bank account in this country!

One thing you should know, seeing as I was out there last week with an American who used that letter, the exchange rate the officer used was 32.5/1US dollar, NOT the nearly 36 that it really is.. So be warned about that..

NOW the same does not hold true when applying for your Non-Immigrant Type-O visa in thailand, IF you are using the embassy letter, that section at Immigration's wants to see bank statements, S/S summary, pension letter as proof it's real money..

ALSO: in case you are asked for proof by an immigration officer, there is NO need to have anything else notarized, your year end S/S summary, pension statements, online print outs of your bank in the US showing monthly deposits etc are totally fine.

You should also know that some of those satellite immigration offices especially Nong Khai (and a few others too), in addition to taking the Embassy letter those offices want you to show you're transferring in 65K baht a month into your thai bank. Or at least that you're using your ATM and pulling out that much money from your country a month..

It is totally a made up rule as there's NOT a single thing written in the rules that says I need to transfer in even a baht IF I use the embassy letter.

That's all I know about it, but I'm pretty sure my info is fairly accurate.

Oh, one more thing, the fee for the notary at the US embassy used to be 1650 baht but it's now 1800..

Originally Posted by toddaniels

All the experience I have with using notary letters from a LOT of embassies are ONLY out at Chaengwattana. On yearly extensions of stay (contrary to Humbert's assertion) here in Bangkok they don't ask for ANYTHING ELSE, not bank statements, not nothing.

First time I got my retirement visa it was at Chaengwattana and they asked for bank statements in addition to the letter. At Kap Cheong where I go now they ask for both.

Well, (mostly because I'm a correct terminology sorta guy) you never got a retirement visa at Chaengwattana.. There is NO such animal retirement visa (no matter what clueless immigration officers & foreigners call it) AND no matter what they stamp in your passport in engrish either)! You MIGHT have applied for a yearly extension of stay based on being over 50. Of course, you don't 'renew' visas here, nor a extensions of stay either. You apply for a NEW extension of stay every time.

Be that as it may,

As I said, IF you were going from a tourist visa or a 30 day visa exempt stamp to a 90 day Non-Immigrant Type-O visa inside the country (a requirement to then apply for a yearly extension of stay), then YEP, you show that embassy letter is backed up by something..

Otherwise, I'm sticking with what I said, I've personally used the embassy letter for 6 years now and I've shepherded more acquaintances than I can count thru the process out at Chaengwattana with letters from their embassies, yet NEVER been asked for a shred of proof.

Don't get me started on those (half-, dim- nit- fuck- (select your prefix for) 'wits' at KCI. They are a kingdom unto themselves (for now). They make up stuff to suit them.. Like their new half-assed "30 day under consideration" rule for yearly extensions based on being over 50. I heard they have an 'expedited service" where you get it the same day. <-- funny how that works.

Originally Posted by toddaniels

It is totally a made up rule as there's NOT a single thing written in the rules that says I need to transfer in even a baht IF I use the embassy letter.

That's the problem here; they can pull rules out of their asses for reasons that defy all logic. Different clerk, different day, different rules. Kind of like getting married in Kentucky.

Of course the whole uncertainty principle of the little perver asians allows the opportunity for a sweeteener, I believe that is the whole plan from on high, you may be lucky and meet honest no nonsense officer as fortunately found after trying a few offices

Originally Posted by david44

Of course the whole uncertainty principle of the little perver asians allows the opportunity for a sweeteener, I believe that is the whole plan from on high, you may be lucky and meet honest no nonsense officer as fortunately found after trying a few offices

I'd much prefer to pay a few grand extra than run around trying to obtain documents that are nearly impossible to get from here.

Westerners love to complain about so called corruption, be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.

Bank statements are a great example; I don't get bank statements. I can print them off the internet, does that count? Same for the US form 1099 (which is my statement of income).

But then they still talk about having a return airplane "ticket" and there is no such thing as an airline ticket any longer.