notamember

Just now, TunnelRat69 said:

Bribery most likely........it may not be illegal to use an agent, but it is dodgy - what if the 'agent' gets a bogus stamp??  The next time the passport holder applies for a extension -  he is found to be overstayed and risks a fine & five year ban from Thailand.........the agent has no such risk..........don't use them for a dodgy Extension of Stay..

last time anyone was reportedly done for ''bogus'' stamps was August 3rd 2007 when hundreds were caught out sending passports out for 30 days without them accompanying them.

they were stamped by an immigration stamp at the border by an official in on the process

immigration knew they were bogus as they had changed the stamp style on 1st august

so when anyone presented with an old style stamp after !st of augusat was known to have used that service

over 100 foreigners were fined and deported, the American agent in Chonburi region was arrested and deported too

the border official was suspended and later fired

shit can and does travel up and down

11 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Yes, I know at least 4 expats who obtained retirement extensions from CW, using 'agents' and the conversion process, TV > Non Imm > Ext.

 

In each case the Non Imm was issued without proof of funds coming from overseas and no seasoning of the 800,000 baht financial requirement as both were issued one day after the other.

That in itself is a clear breach of Police Orders.

 

Fees varied from 38,000 - 42,000 baht.

2,000 for the Non Imm, 1,900 for the extension.

If you believe the IO used his discretion under the below rule, forwarded it to the Commander for approval, because he was purely a good friend of the agent, or took pity on the expats plight, you paid to much for your rose tinted glasses.

 

Pray tell, what happens to the extra 35,000 - 40,000 fee paid.

The agent keeps it!

Pray tell, what happens to the extra 35,000 - 40,000 fee paid.

The agent keeps it!

if you are asking the question, then you do not know and it then follows that your answer to  your own question is pure speculation

2 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

One hour...

800,000 deposited at 2pm.

Withdrawn at 3pm.

Same day..

Ive actually seen the bank book when he got it back and he updated it. 

 

He has to deposit 500 baht of his own money. Kasikorn Bank. 

if he had to update the bank book then the return transfer was done via an ATM 

3 hours ago, balo said:

 

Using a recommended agent is completely safe and I would think around 25% of the retired people use them . They borrow the money for a short time so the agent can process the extension .  The normal agent fee for this is 15 to 20k thb. 

 

Most of my friends use an agent.   But I understand some provinces can be worse than others, Chonburi never been a problem . 

 

 

 

i know some people in Phuket who have the funds but pay an agent to do it in Chonburi to avoid going to Phuket immigration to do it themselves.

they say they are so hostile, one of them witnessed a lady being bawled out by an IO and was kicked out in floods of tears, to the horror of the waiting crowd

He went after her to offer comfort and she told him it was over a lack of one photocopy in herb applkication

she said she was never going back there

he saw her around town months later , she said she had used an agent in Chonburi who does her 90 days reports too

she said she will never go back to phuket immigration willingly even if she had to move to another area in Thailand

7 hours ago, rickudon said:

I have adequate income for a marriage extension so use that. The documentation required is onerous but cheaper than an agent. But i have at least 3 friends who have gone the 'agent' route. The agent has a contact at the bank (the K bank usually) who provides the letter - they only need a few days notice so the money isn't seasoned. Usual price 15,000 baht plus extension fee.

 

One risk of using the agent is that they do not always use the local immigration office. My brother-in-law did this and at his 90 day report the officer told him to pay 2000 baht AND give him a bottle of Johnny Walker next time - when he said no, the officer said OK, you go Chonburi to do 90 day report ..... which would have cost him about 2000 baht in travel costs and waste a day or two. He paid up.

 

Much better to go the legal route if you can.

TM28 & TM30 is for people to change address with

he should have done so

his fault, no one elses

10 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

They have?

yes on many similar threads as this one

i cannot be bothered to search for them for you

elvajeiro sums it up nicely on this page anyway

10 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

You sure about that?

yes

3 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

Yes , but the one who cops it when the brown stuff hits the fan is the applicant.

 

did anyone get arrested after the visit to Chonburi documented below?

no mention of it on Thaivisa in the archives

they have been again since then, it was so unremarkable it did not even make the paper this time.

shit + fan= a shitty fan

nothing more

3 hours ago, dallen52 said:

But who is the more dodgy?

 

The person who uses a agent?

 

The agent who charges 25k plus for providing the 800k for around one hour in your bank account?

 

Or the immigration officers who take a slice and make it all happening. 

With official stamps and signatures.?

or the citizens of countries who can get an income letter from their Embassy without any proof

They pay and say, embassy, writes it , prints it and stamps it

How many fudge the numbers to get the letter thats deliberately applied for to deceive immigration?

I would  bet not many Americans pay visa agents 25,000 for borrowing the 800,000 baht

The US embassy letter is as good as cash to immigration and is much cheaper at $25

4 hours ago, anchadian said:

Totally correct, follow the rules, otherwise all other methods to secure a retirement extension is illegal.

 

 

 

not its not, even the mods have said so

4 hours ago, anchadian said:

Totally correct, follow the rules, otherwise all other methods to secure a retirement extension is illegal.

 

 

 

no its not, how many times do you have to be told?, even the mods have said so

2 hours ago, Phuket Man said:

Yes , but the one who cops it when the brown stuff hits the fan is the applicant.

 

never happened yet

4 hours ago, stephenterry said:

Unless the law has changed (or immigration don't know their own rules), a mixture of bank deposit amount and income meeting the B800k for retirement needs no seasoning. So, for example, an income letter from the Embassy stating a monthly income of  B30k (B360k per annum) plus a bank deposit (that could have been made that day) of B440K, totalling B800k is sufficient. Obviously the income and deposit amounts could vary, but added together equals, or exceeds the requirement.

 

The same scenario could also apply to the marriage extension totalling B400k, but that needs checking.

marriage its either money or pension, no combo

48 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Only if his palm is adequately greased...….or you married his daughter.

Quite an accusation

if true then you have done it

making you a co conspirator and aiding and abetting a crime

if not, it’s soecuation and assumption and could be defamation 

as to marrying the daughtet?

best not go there

1 hour ago, allane said:

To say nothing of the fact that this is a thread for people who can't scrape together B 800,000. How are they going to provide twice that ?

Maybe a wife could get a bank loan on a land or house and deposit 1.6 + million in joint bank account and use that to support a renewal

38 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

It's Siam Legal and yes for the right amount they can dodge the system.

Yes I know put I did not want to defame a 7 office international law firm 

it appears that pucketman has no concerns about that 

he thinks that named firm is ‘dodgy’

he must have deep pockets

mat-be he will need an agent at some point...

48 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

What, he puts it in your bank 3 month before your extension is due.

It appears from some reports on here that’s exactly what they do

5 minutes ago, transam said:

We all know folk have got around it one way or another, but to me if it were "OK" then immigration would allow Joint bank accounts, but they don't, it has to be the farangs money, not Thai money..

I think joint account is allowed if there is more than double the 800,000 baht (1.6 million+)

so that if divided by the two holders each has more than the 800,000 required

it matters not if the two are a Thai national and foreigner as long as the division of funds for the foreigner is in excess of the 800,000 baht

12 minutes ago, Tacuisse said:

Actually, they do lend the money. I know a person in my condo who followed this route. The money was placed in his bank account for the required period, then withdrawn and paid back to the agent the day after his retirement extension came through. The agent charged interest of 30,000 baht, an annualized rate of 15%.

I don't know if that process is illegal or not, but it does happen.

Thank you 

thats 2 instances that scuttle the never happens naysayers speculations

9 minutes ago, anchadian said:

That would never happen and you know it.

 

Time to end this thread me thinks.

 

Simple really.

That’s the point you do not know 

and you are wrong 

it happened to me

Never is a long time

and scuttles your generalisation and speculation 

End the thread ?

why because you are wrong?

simple?

yes I would say so

37 minutes ago, colinneil said:

No point arguing with someone who has no idea, and is ignorant of the law.

yet you are the one who has made no attempt to answer to make your case and can only respond with a barbed withdrawal

yoi are right

no point

1 minute ago, anchadian said:

There is no question that the process of obtaining a retirement extension through an agent is illegal as the required seasoning is not adhered to.

 

Obtaining the required funds through a bank or a friend would give you ample time in which to season the funds, then that process would be legal.

 

Simple really.

 

 

Unless you have used every agent in Thailand then that is no more than speculation

a theory that’s easily scuttled in that an agent could also be a friend of applicant and loaned him the money for 2 or 3 months

what then ?

simple? Yes I would say so

18 minutes ago, Phuket Man said:

The money has to be in the bank for a period of 2 or 3 months before application.

The money is for expenses for a year.

 

Neither of these requirements will be met if some dodgy agent deposits the money in your bank for a few days.

Siam Law can do it for you

are you saying they a dodgy agent?

3 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Marriage/ retirement extensions require money seasoning in the bank.

No agent lends people money for 2/3 months,. they slip the immigration officer money to overlook it.

 

 

so how do you know that?

have you used every one of the thousands of agents in Thailand?

No? So its, just a generalization based on myth and rumor