Pros and cons of visa agents

[JTXR]

For long-term (in BKK):

- Yearly extensions of permission to stay (based on original Non-Imm O-A visa)
- Yearly multiple reentry  permits

- 90-day reports

 

What are the pros and cons of hiring an agent?  For which of the above do you still need to go to Chaeng Wattana, or can the agent do it all?   In your experience, approximately what does it cost, and is it worth it?  How to find a honest, reliable one?

Thanks.

[chicowoodduck]

Oh my Buddha, Visa agents are the BIGGEST rip-off in Thailand.....just do the paperwork yourself.....it is easy peasy....????

[Phuket Man]

Total waste of money. Do it yourself.

It's easy, cheap and you know it is legal.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Phuket Man

[Tanoshi]

Pros do it themselves.

Cons use an agent.

[BritTim]

For the yearly extension of permission to stay, you need to attend at Chiang Wattana. However, many agents can arrange priority queuing, and will ferry you there and back. This means less time waiting around. A multiple re-entry permit can be quickly added by a good agent at the same time, though it is also easy to do at the airport on your next departure from Thailand.

 

Agents can complete 90-day reports for you without you needing to go to CW. However, there are also options for 90-day reports online or by mail. It is unclear that using an agent is of much value compared to those methods.

 

If you are really wealthy, and the cost is not a consideration, using an agent for the extension might be worth it.  For most people, it only saves a bit of time and hassle. It is likely not worth the money.

[Development at Khaoyai]

Do the paperwork yourself!

[JTXR]

Thanks for the responses.  You've confirmed my suspicions.

[a977]

8 minutes ago, Development at Khaoyai said:

Do the paperwork yourself!

Plus you will know it's LEGAL

[helloagain]

1 hour ago, chicowoodduck said:

Oh my Buddha, Visa agents are the BIGGEST rip-off in Thailand.....just do the paperwork yourself.....it is easy peasy....????

I quite agree they are parasites

Edited August 3, 2018 by helloagain
Spelling

[Tanoshi]

24 minutes ago, BritTim said:

For the yearly extension of permission to stay, you need to attend at Chiang Wattana.

Not necessarily true.

I have a friend who went to Hull for a Non Imm O Visa, but was issued a TV instead.

He could have got the Non Imm O at London but left it to late.

 

On entry to Thailand he panicked so contacted a well know legal firm in Bangkok.

Within 3 days he received his passport back, Non O stamp, 1 year extension and ME re-entry permit obtained at CW.

Other than visit the firms office 2 times, he never visited  an Immigration office.

He couldn't to this day tell you where CW Imm is located.

[bkk6060]

From what you listed I believe an agent will charge you about 20,000 b for a year of that service.

 

[vogie]

I think the people who use agents are the people without cash to use as the reserve of 800,000baht. The agent puts the money in your bank and gets the statement, then removes the cash. Illegal of course.

[scottiejohn]

6 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

From what you listed I believe an agent will charge you about 20,000 b for a year of that service.

 

Less than 10,000 Bht in CM.

FYI in CM some people have to report in the early hours of the morning if they want a same day ticket to get served.  I am more than capable of doing the paperwork myself but am dammed if I am hanging around some out of town shopping center for over 12 hours.

[scottiejohn]

1 minute ago, vogie said:

I think the people who use agents are the people without cash to use as the reserve of 800,000baht. The agent puts the money in your bank and gets the statement, then removes the cash. Illegal of course.

I think you mean "SOME" of the people.  We are not all criminals using illegal methods/agents.  I am just using the agent for convenience.  See my post above regarding CM.  I agree from what I have read on various TV forums that agents are NOT needed in most of Thailand.  Just CM!

[Tanoshi]

16 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Less than 10,000 Bht in CM.

Really!

 

Extension 1,900 baht.

ME re-entry permit 3,800 baht.

90 day reports, posted receipts to you.

 

For 10,000 baht!!!

[upu2]

I use an agent, have done for years. The one I use I have found to very good. Totally legit and very efficient

[scottiejohn]

3 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Really!

 

Extension 1,900 baht.

ME re-entry permit 3,800 baht.

90 day reports, posted receipts to you.

 

For 10,000 baht!!!

OOPS missed out the Multi entry, thought it said single,  12000baht max.

Basic 1 yr retirement extension plus 90day reports (e-mail reminders etc) plus car ride out to the IM office for the Photo for 1 yr extension all for 7,600Baht.  The longest I have spent at IMM in Promenada in CM with this agency is 11 minutes from stepping out of the car to getting back in.  I am not prepared to waste a full day at the I/O office(s) and then find some I/O wants a copy of something that is mot in the rules.

[hobobo]

27 minutes ago, vogie said:

I think the people who use agents are the people without cash to use as the reserve of 800,000baht. The agent puts the money in your bank and gets the statement, then removes the cash. Illegal of course.

Very true! I know a number of people who publicly say that they are too rich to bother saving 20,000 baht a year. In reality they can't get 800,000 to lock away for three months. Living on state pension from month to month.

[meechai]

Pro's= It greases the wheels & you slide right thru literally

 

Con's= The Thai cops at Imm get use to all the side money & then make it harder & harder on folks

who do not want to use agents because the corrupt gets use to the easy money

Look at Chiang Mai fully blown

[BoganInParasite]

I used an agent in Bangkok to smooth the way to open a bank account. Went well. Was going to use them to get the extension based on marriage in northern Thailand but they baled out, citing rubbish excuses. We are almost through that process ourselves and while it has been a little trying, it is far from impossible.

[hitext]

I love living in Thailand, but I hate dealing with the bureaucracy here. I have better things to do than sit around for hours in the immigration office, only to be sent away again to find some obscure document or other. So for that reason alone, I find using an agent much the better option. 

 

Speedy Visa in Pattaya have done my renewals for the last five years, and I have always been happy with the return on the additional investment. The renewal is done quickly (together with my multiple entry visa), without fuss, and I never have to set foot in an immigration office. That suits me just fine!

 

I came to Thailand for an easier life, and working with an efficient agent helps to smooth out the few remaining wrinkles. 

 

 

 

[jippytum]

Why skirt the law and pay 10, 12. up to  15000 baht plus plus to some dubious business operator when the actual cost is 1900 baht .

Get ready for the moaners who would not deposit the required amount in a Thai bank. The reality is the guarantees and interest rates plus refund of tax paid compares favorably with most offshore and European banks .For example the UK just raised interest rates yesterday from 0.25% to 0.75% the highest rate in a decade.

It's not rocket science to do the visa by yourself so give it a try and you will find after some research how easy it is .

[jippytum]

2 hours ago, upu2 said:

I use an agent, have done for years. The one I use I have found to very good. Totally legit and very efficient

If you don't use your own cash deposit in the bank to obtain the visa its not legit 

[Tanoshi]

35 minutes ago, hitext said:

I love living in Thailand, but I hate dealing with the bureaucracy here. I have better things to do than sit around for hours in the immigration office, only to be sent away again to find some obscure document or other. So for that reason alone, I find using an agent much the better option. 

The key to an easy life in Thailand is knowing what documents you need beforehand, then you don't have to sit around for hours or pay an agent to do a simple task.

[timendres]

I use an agent due to complexity. I am extending my stay based on a work permit, and the documentation required for that adds up to 50+ pages, many of which I cannot, and do not want to, understand. My agent puts me at the absolute front of the queue, which has value to me, and is very close to the immigration agents, which helps smooth other any rough patches. All worth the price.

 

For a retirement visa, you can absolutely do this on your own. However, I always recommend using an agent for your first time. This way you can get copies of all of the documents, and walk through the process with the professional who does this for a living. This allows you to ask questions about things you do not understand, and make notes. After the first time, you should have no difficulties performing the process on your own.

 

As others have stated, many of these agents are scum. So be sure to get a recommendation to ensure you are getting someone reputable.

[Tanoshi]

2 minutes ago, timendres said:

For a retirement visa, you can absolutely do this on your own. However, I always recommend using an agent for your first time. This way you can get copies of all of the documents, and walk through the process with the professional who does this for a living. This allows you to ask questions about things you do not understand, and make notes. After the first time, you should have no difficulties performing the process on your own.

 

Firstly you'd need to understand Immigration don't issue a Retirement Visa. Neither does a Thai Embassy or Consulate for that matter.

 

You need proof of address...………..well documented on TV.

You need proof of finances...……….well documented on TV.

Everything else should be in your passport for copying.

 

You need a professional to understand that!

[berybert]

10 minutes ago, timendres said:

I use an agent due to complexity. I am extending my stay based on a work permit, and the documentation required for that adds up to 50+ pages, many of which I cannot, and do not want to, understand. My agent puts me at the absolute front of the queue, which has value to me, and is very close to the immigration agents, which helps smooth other any rough patches. All worth the price.

 

For a retirement visa, you can absolutely do this on your own. However, I always recommend using an agent for your first time. This way you can get copies of all of the documents, and walk through the process with the professional who does this for a living. This allows you to ask questions about things you do not understand, and make notes. After the first time, you should have no difficulties performing the process on your own.

 

As others have stated, many of these agents are scum. So be sure to get a recommendation to ensure you are getting someone reputable.

And of course an agent is going to tell you 100% how everything is done properly so you will never need him again.

[vogie]

27 minutes ago, jippytum said:

Why skirt the law and pay 10, 12. up to  15000 baht plus plus to some dubious business operator when the actual cost is 1900 baht .

Get ready for the moaners who would not deposit the required amount in a Thai bank. The reality is the guarantees and interest rates plus refund of tax paid compares favorably with most offshore and European banks .For example the UK just raised interest rates yesterday from 0.25% to 0.75% the highest rate in a decade.

It's not rocket science to do the visa by yourself so give it a try and you will find after some research how easy it is .

Your question has been answered earlier in the topic, some people do not have the 800,000 baht needed to get a statement from the bank, so they have to use agents to deposit the cash fot them. We all know it's illegal but as long as the money is passed around there are many blind eyes.

[upu2]

31 minutes ago, jippytum said:

If you don't use your own cash deposit in the bank to obtain the visa its not legit 

I do use my own cash deposit in the bank, dont you?

[vogie]

5 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Firstly you'd need to understand Immigration don't issue a Retirement Visa. Neither does a Thai Embassy or Consulate for that matter.

 

You need proof of address...………..well documented on TV.

You need proof of finances...……….well documented on TV.

Everything else should be in your passport for copying.

 

You need a professional to understand that!

There is no such thing as a retirement visa, immigration issues extentions to your visa.