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As the title of this videos suggests, we are discussing well, Business Visas but specifically we are discussing account balances, bank statements associated with Business Visas. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Bangkok Post, that is bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Driving out the gangs. Quoting directly: "A lack of inspection of bank statements by Immigration Bureau Officers also leaves room for some foreigners to window-dress their Bank accounts. Some even get help from Visa Agencies or IB Officers," (that is Immigration Bureau) ”Officers, such as the case in which 107 Immigration Officers helped more than 3,000 Chinese Nationals involved in "gray" businesses obtain visas in February, he said." So he being Surachate Hakparn, so-called "Big Joke", aka Big Joke. 

I think it is notable here, yeah they are talking about this in the context of Business Visas. Again and we discussed the Crackdown that happened with regard to the various officers that got involved in all that and it is still a little bit opaque as to how all that worked. It is a good idea, whatever type of business you are maintaining in Thailand, just make sure to meet the minimum requirements, make sure basically ongoing compliance, that is the name of the game; the business has to be legitimate. What we have seen a lot of especially since the so-called reopening of Thailand going back into October last year, a bunch of people have come in, they have set up companies and they have gotten their visas and everything in order and then they just abandon them. I have heard this from a number of officials within the Thai Government here, in different not just in Immigration, in fact Immigration probably is going to be the last to know about all of this, but what is sort of percolating up to the surface now is these folks that have not done the right thing with regard to setting up their companies and maintaining them, are now going to start having problems maintaining their long-term Business Visa and Work Permit status. When you take that and couple it with the fact if these remarks are being made by former Immigration Police Chief who is now the Deputy National Police Chief who seems to take Immigration matters rather seriously, it is time to sort of assess where you stand with regard to your Visa.

Now for folks that have their corporate setups done and they are maintaining compliance and paying their taxes and all that stuff, this is not a video that should worry you. But if you are somebody that is basically just sort of teetering on the brink with regard to your ongoing compliance or you have just completely let it lapse, it is probably a good idea to get those ducks in a row and get yourself sorted out before you need to deal with renewal of your Visa, specifically your Business Visa status.