Pros and cons of visa agents

[Lacessit]

Just now, vogie said:

Do not consider my question rhetorical, it had a question mark at the end. Here is another question, not rhetorical, do you think the money is deposited for 3 months. All these questions are serious and I would like to know what you think.

I am not a lawyer, nor am I trying to trip you up.

Well, it's apodeictic the return would be better. Whether the money is deposited for three months or a couple of days presumably depends on how effective the agent's network is. Based on a couple of people I know who use this system, AFAIK the money was in their account for the whole three months. There may well be agents with very good contacts or relatives in Immigration who do it differently.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

I know expats who don't have any financials and use an agent for their extensions, same or next day.

I even know expats who entered on a VEE and 3 days later received a retirement extension.

Does this mean that you are "consorting with criminals"?

And are you condoning such action?

Edited August 4, 2018 by scottiejohn

[scottiejohn]

I cannot believe that how to carryout illegal immigration actions are being openly discussed on this. or any other forum in Thailand.

 

Do you think the BIB do not monitor things like this? (Immigration come under the BIB)!

 

 

Edited August 4, 2018 by scottiejohn

[Naam]

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

4 hours ago, Naam said:

yes there are other reasons similar to the reasons as specified hereafter:

 

-eating in a restaurant instead of preparing your food at home.

-employing a gardener instead of mowing the lawn and trimming the bushes/trees yourself.

-buying wild boar meat in Mako instead of hunting wild boar.

-having a maid to clean your home instead...

-renting a bar girl in lieu of masturbating.

Except for the wild boar hunting, you can achieve all the other requirements by getting a wife...

not every wife has the qualities of a good cook, bargirl or is able to trim trees. 

[ubonjoe]

A personal attack from a member of the grammar police has been removed.

[DJ54]

The first NO extension in BKK I used an agent because I didn’t know the

process neither did my wife. It was costly if I remember correctly 30,000 baht. 

 

The he next time with the help from the forum I did it myself in Udon Thani near where I live. Follow the advise given on the forum it was easy and painless. Paid the fee don’t remember what it was left a 200 baht tip all done. 

 

Now when I go for 90 check ins and another extension they remember me I’m polite leave a small tip 200 baht No problems l

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, DJ54 said:

The first NO extension in BKK I used an agent because I didn’t know the

process neither did my wife. It was costly if I remember correctly 30,000 baht. 

 

The he next time with the help from the forum I did it myself in Udon Thani near where I live. Follow the advise given on the forum it was easy and painless. Paid the fee don’t remember what it was left a 200 baht tip all done. 

 

Now when I go for 90 check ins and another extension they remember me I’m polite leave a small tip 200 baht No problems l

That agent ripped you off. I pay an agent 5500 baht each year for an extension and multiple re-entry permit. All up, about 11,300 baht.

I also pay them 1000 baht for the 90 day reports. I get 4 in a row for that. So you are saving 200 baht on that with the tips.

[Tanoshi]

14 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Let's say an agent deposits 800,000 baht in the account of a client for 3 months. He/she charges 20,000 baht for that service.

By my calculations, that's a 10% annualised return on the money. O my Buddha, my investments should do so well.

Let's say the agent has just two clients a week, renewing a retirement extension, and supplying the necessary funding of 800,000 baht for 3 months. That would be 20,800,000 capital required by the agent.

 

It would also be a high risk investment for the agent.

How would the agent recover his 800,000 if the client died,  was incapacitated, or did a runner.

 

The stark reality is that the funds are in your account only for the minimum time it takes to acquire the extension.

This a copy of an e-mail I accidentally received from an agent in Bangkok proving that point.

 

Here is what we offer in relation to retirement visa

For your retirement visa renewal
We charge 16,000 THB and if you wish to get a multiple entry is more 4,000 THB

We do NOT require bank balance
We do NOT require pension
We SPONSOR all your requirements
We only need passport + photos, we are agency, and can get it done.

We can process in 3-7 business days (case by case).
We also optionally offer FREE 90 day reporting on your behalf, we mail you back the confirmation slips. (you can still do reporting on your own)

We can service you in four ways for an extension

1) You come to our BKK office, and hand me your passport
2) If you are already in BKK we can send one of our couriers to pickup/drop off your passport.
3) You MAIL/EMS your passport to our BKK office
4) You go to your local immigration, and hand your passport to an immigration officer that works with us.

[notamember]

Question:  (maybe even a poll if i knew how to make one)

if you have had 800,000 baht or equivalent method ( using a combination of income and money in the bank or a pension or income only method with a embassy letter)  .to service your own annual extension for a number of years and you had made a life in Thailand with house, condo, cars, motorbikes, wife kids, etc 

what happens if you suddenly do not have the money, due to medical issues, money stolen by farangs or girls/wifes, lawyers fees fighting an action by BIB or others to try get your money, uninsured accidents you had to pay out for and any other reason you can imagine

 

Do you?

1 overstay

2 use an agent

3 Loan sharks

4 go back to home country

5 throw yourself on the mercy of Immigration

6 Kill yourself

 

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by notamember

[notamember]

5 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Let's say the agent has just two clients a week, renewing a retirement extension, and supplying the necessary funding of 800,000 baht for 3 months. That would be 20,800,000 capital required by the agent.

 

It would also be a high risk investment for the agent.

How would the agent recover his 800,000 if the client died,  was incapacitated, or did a runner.

 

The stark reality is that the funds are in your account only for the minimum time it takes to acquire the extension.

This a copy of an e-mail I accidentally received from an agent in Bangkok proving that point.

 

Here is what we offer in relation to retirement visa

For your retirement visa renewal
We charge 16,000 THB and if you wish to get a multiple entry is more 4,000 THB

We do NOT require bank balance
We do NOT require pension
We SPONSOR all your requirements
We only need passport + photos, we are agency, and can get it done.

We can process in 3-7 business days (case by case).
We also optionally offer FREE 90 day reporting on your behalf, we mail you back the confirmation slips. (you can still do reporting on your own)

We can service you in four ways for an extension

1) You come to our BKK office, and hand me your passport
2) If you are already in BKK we can send one of our couriers to pickup/drop off your passport.
3) You MAIL/EMS your passport to our BKK office
4) You go to your local immigration, and hand your passport to an immigration officer that works with us.

discussed over 8 long pages here:

do try to keep up

[notamember]

51 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

That agent ripped you off. I pay an agent 5500 baht each year for an extension and multiple re-entry permit. All up, about 11,300 baht.

I also pay them 1000 baht for the 90 day reports. I get 4 in a row for that. So you are saving 200 baht on that with the tips.

so you have the money and qualify to do it yourself but you pay them to do it for you

 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, notamember said:

if you have had 800,000 baht or equivalent method to service your own annual extension for a number of years and you had made a life in Thailand with house, condo, cars, motorbikes, wife kids, etc 

what happens if you suddenly do not have the money,

You left out the option of using a combination of income and money in the bank. I would guess most people would have some amount of income from a pension or other sources. 

For example if they had a gross annual income of 650k baht they would only need 150k baht in the bank.

[notamember]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You left out the option of using a combination of income and money in the bank. I would guess most people would have some amount of income from a pension or other sources. 

For example if they had a gross annual income of 650k baht they would only need 150k baht in the bank.

i thought i had covered it for experience thaivisa users when i said ''equivalent method''

 

now edited for clarity using your words

Edited August 5, 2018 by notamember

[vogie]

22 minutes ago, notamember said:

Question:  (maybe even a poll if i knew how to make one)

if you have had 800,000 baht or equivalent method ( using a combination of income and money in the bank or a pension or income only method with a embassy letter)  .to service your own annual extension for a number of years and you had made a life in Thailand with house, condo, cars, motorbikes, wife kids, etc 

what happens if you suddenly do not have the money, due to medical issues, money stolen by farangs or girls/wifes, lawyers fees fighting an action by BIB or others to try get your money, uninsured accidents you had to pay out for and any other reason you can imagine

 

Do you?

1 overstay

2 use an agent

3 Loan sharks

4 go back to home country

5 throw yourself on the mercy of Immigration

6 Kill yourself

 

 

Having read some of the replies on this topic, option 6 seems the obvious choice for me.

[notamember]

1 minute ago, vogie said:

Having read some of the replies on this topic, option 6 seems the obvious choice for me.

yes many hi fliers become hi fliers 

[KiChakayan]

Actually I'd be glad to pay up to 5000 Bahts a year for anyone who could limit my IO attendance  to the 10 or 15 minutes needed to sign the EoS papers. 5000 would be a lot less than the 50000 to 100000 a year some people pay for a Thailand Elite...

Unfortunately no such service is available in Buri Ram. The Chiang Mai folks should consider themselves lucky

[HAKAPALITA]

Those i know who use agents are just too lazy to go. Not to cheat the rules.

[KiChakayan]

1 minute ago, HAKAPALITA said:

Those i know who use agents are just too lazy to go. Not to cheat the rules.

I agree. I think someone who doesn't meet the financial requirement would have to be out of one's mind to pay a bribe to stay in a country where the cost of living is higher than Portugal or even countryside France. Places where he is (used to be for some) entitled to stay without visa.

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, notamember said:

if you have had 800,000 baht or equivalent method ( using a combination of income and money in the bank or a pension or income only method with a embassy letter)  .to service your own annual extension for a number of years and you had made a life in Thailand with house, condo, cars, motorbikes, wife kids, etc 

what happens if you suddenly do not have the money, due to medical issues, money stolen by farangs or girls/wifes, lawyers fees fighting an action by BIB or others to try get your money, uninsured accidents you had to pay out for and any other reason you can imagine

Be more selectful with who you choose as friends/wife/girlfriend.

Never lend money......a fool and his money are soon parted.

If you follow the above no need for BIB or lawyers.

Don't drive if you can't afford the Insurance.

Medical issues...……….marry a government official, preferably with her own house and insured transport and get free health cover.

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, HAKAPALITA said:

Those i know who use agents are just too lazy to go. Not to cheat the rules.

Guilty your honor. Retirement is the time I am supposed to relax and enjoy whatever time I have left. Why on earth would I want to spend it in an Immigration office queue?

[ubonjoe]

A personal attack on a member has been removed. A repeat of it will result in a formal warning.

[scottiejohn]

7 hours ago, HAKAPALITA said:

Those i know who use agents are just too lazy to go.

 Maybe the  people you know are lazy BUT In CM I am not prepared to waste 12 or more hours (if I am lucky and don't have to come back the next day) hanging around in a Shopping mall, where the Imm Office is.  It is MY choice to use an Agent Legally.

[scottiejohn]

7 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

The Chiang Mai folks should consider themselves lucky

Lucky for what?

Come up here and try it.  

[Tanoshi]

15 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Lucky for what?

Come up here and try it.  

Because you have agents in the CM Province.

 

There are no agents in the middle of Isaan.

Some of the expats here travel to agents in BKK or Pattaya to obtain their extensions.

Usually at least a 3 day trip.

[KiChakayan]

22 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Lucky for what?

Come up here and try it.  ts

Because you have several agents providing the service I'd be glad to have here.

[Naam]

5 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Be more selectful with who you choose as friends/wife/girlfriend.

Never lend money......a fool and his money are soon parted.

If you follow the above no need for BIB or lawyers.

Don't drive if you can't afford the Insurance.

Medical issues...……….marry a government official, preferably with her own house and insured transport and get free health cover.

try to marry a girl who owns or is heiress of a brewery.

[Vacuum]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Guilty your honor. Retirement is the time I am supposed to relax and enjoy whatever time I have left. Why on earth would I want to spend it in an Immigration office queue?

....one day per year, you must be very busy?

[JAZZDOG]

15 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

....one day per year, you must be very busy?

It's not only that. One of the main reasons I detest flying or Cruise ships is the fact you are confined with many people that likely carry germs and/or viruses. There is not a more ideal situation than being confined in a small immigration building for hours with hundreds of people from everywhere on the planet coming and going spreading contagious diseases. Airlines I cant avoid, Cruises I can and for a few thousand baht per year I will gladly avoid whatever disease farang are importing to Pattaya. Seems foolish to me to do otherwise.

[scottiejohn]

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

one day per year, you must be very busy?

No NOT busy, I spend my time enjoying myself and who says it is only one day per year?  

Come and try CM Immigration at the so called "shopping mall" and see how long each "process" takes.

I retired here to enjoy myself and not by wasting my time sitting on my a*se on a plastic chair for 12 or more hours surrounded by people I have no intention of communicating with. I will spend that time in a much more productive manner sitting on a chair or stool in a bar of my choice at the times of my choice talking with the company of my choice.   I will choose how I want to spend my time and money according to my own wishes.  Not at the whim of jumped up I/O's who change the "rule of the day" to suit themselves.  

My agent relieves me of all that stress etc for a mere pittance are far as I am concerned.

[scottiejohn]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

There are no agents in the middle of Isaan.

Why do you need agents in Isaan.  I thought, according to many posts on TV, that there was no need for them as there are no problems with the I/O's in that area.

Maybe I am wrong and the CM malaise is spreading!