14 hours ago, phetchy said:

As he cannot complete the progress himself, he's previously relied on various agents acquainted with the system to obtain his retirement extension to help him out when his bank account was a bit low.  With yet another crackdown on improper visa procedure looming due to the appointment of the new Immigration supremo, "what if" my friend leaves it until there are less than the required 3 months for the required money to be on deposit in the bank prior to renewal, or he can't raise it and he can't find an agent willing to help him out as before due to a possible crackdown? 

If this is like the other "crackdowns" - assuming one materializes (not a sure-thing - so far only the Brit-embassy letter thing) - the only difference will likely be an increase in agent-fees - or possibly the same fees, with the resulting higher agent-volume satisfying the thirst. 

 

There is no way to know what will happen in the future, but this would follow the pattern from the past.

 

8 hours ago, phetchy said:

Unfortunately even though my old mate is as far removed from a gangster, money launderer, drug dealer, fraudster etc. as you can get, the bar seems be being set at the lowest level in order to catch the real villains at the expense of a few unfortunates who may well be expelled from the country due to their age and lack of cognisance of the consequences.

Those you listed would have money - so can fill up bank-accounts and/or pay lawyers/agents to handle it all.  It is poorer pensioners harming no one who would be at risk. 

To bust serious criminals, they will need to investigate and prosecute them for their crimes - not piddle-about with income-regs for extensions.  Let's hope they do get rid of the actual scumbags - not waste time/effort on harmless retirees.

On 10/8/2018 at 3:00 PM, GinBoy2 said:

Just musing here.
But if he's that old, wouldn't going back to the UK be a good idea?
If he doesn't have the money for visa, I'll make the leap that he doesn't have health insurance.
I wouldn't want to be old and infirm in Thailand. Now I'm not British, but I've read enough to know that at least he'd get free health care and somewhere to live in relative safety

Not only have some guys burned all boats, others have determined that they are never going back unless in a box. Where does the current changes leave the ones without sufficient funds for a lump sum? Applications through agents. Many doing so even before the latest Embassy withdrawal of letter news.

I think there should be special rules for elderly guys who"ve been here donkeys years, and have sunk millions of baht into the Thai economy. Unfortunately, that's not how it works - the newbie is in the same situation as the oldie. Of course, if you're still mobile and compus mentis it's not a problem; you'll find a way around it. But these old guys, maybe suffering from dementia, you shove them back to their homeland, a stranger in a foreign land; whilst everything that they love and loves them stays here; thst's just cruel. Personally, I have some plan to go back to the UK when my State Pension kicks in, mainly for the healthcare. Whether I can support two estates is anothet question, I'll be living on ramen. Ha!

On 10/8/2018 at 9:21 AM, phetchy said:

Any helpful tips would be much appreciated.

If he has a wife or children, he can stay.

If he's a renter, with no dependents, why not just move to Cambodia, Vietnam, or the Philippines?