Visa Agents Days Are Numbered?

[EricTh]

17 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

The time of year makes a big difference, peak low season in say April means there's very little tourist traffic at Immi.

That maybe true for tourist extension but not for retirement or other yearly extensions.

 

They are after all on different queues.

Edited November 7, 2018 by EricTh

[NancyL]

2 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I am not disputing the fact that things have changed after Big Jok at the new building just this month.

 

I am disputing the fact at Promenada where the maximum number of people in retirement queue was about 25 per day. This has been well documented by many forummers in the past. I have also ask the officer regarding this limit.

 

You can go read all those posts in the previous Promenada thread for long time forummers here. Unless you say those forummers and I are all lying.

 

Yes, it's well-known that for a long time the quota at Promenada was set at 25 retirement extensions a day for the "retail" customers.  Those handled by visa agents had a different channel for service.  

 

Usually, but not always, all 25 queue tickets were distributed at opening.  It's very possible that someone could have an annual visa extension date during a slow time of the year when there aren't 25 applicants a day.  It's also possible, too, that someone can come later in the afternoon, be nice and pleasant and catch the retirement extension I/O in a good mood, all caught up with work and willing to process an extra application. 

 

I have a friend, a cheery, grandmotherly woman who comes across as slightly confused who pulls this off every year, smiling pleasantly and knowing she's working the system by coming at 3 pm and saying she's just checking everything out to ask what time she could come the next day to queue and if the officer could look at her papers to see if she forgot anything.  Of course, if he's going to "look at the papers", he just goes ahead and processes her application because she actually has everything in perfect order.

[simoh1490]

14 minutes ago, EricTh said:

That maybe true for tourist extension but not for retirement or other yearly extensions.

 

They are after all on different queues.

It's certainly true of my retirement visa extension in late April.

[EricTh]

13 minutes ago, NancyL said:

 

Usually, but not always, all 25 queue tickets were distributed at opening.  It's very possible that someone could have an annual visa extension date during a slow time of the year when there aren't 25 applicants a day. 

 

From my own experience in the past at Promenada, usually the number of queuers were already 15 or more at opening time.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by EricTh

[elektrified]

8 minutes ago, NancyL said:

Yes, it's well-known that for a long time the quota at Promenada was set at 25 retirement extensions a day for the "retail" customers.  Those handled by visa agents had a different channel for service.  

 

Usually, but not always, all 25 queue tickets were distributed at opening.  It's very possible that someone could have an annual visa extension date during a slow time of the year when there aren't 25 applicants a day.  It's also possible, too, that someone can come later in the afternoon, be nice and pleasant and catch the retirement extension I/O in a good mood, all caught up with work and willing to process an extra application. 

 

I have a friend, a cheery, grandmotherly woman who comes across as slightly confused who pulls this off every year, smiling pleasantly and knowing she's working the system by coming at 3 pm and saying she's just checking everything out to ask what time she could come the next day to queue and if the officer could look at her papers to see if she forgot anything.  Of course, if he's going to "look at the papers", he just goes ahead and processes her application because she actually has everything in perfect order.

Bingo.

[EricTh]

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

It's certainly true of my retirement visa extension in late April.

Ok. Point taken.

 

At least you are more civilized than a certain forummer who accuse me of lying (by saying the word rubbish) because I did my visa extension in November. 

[metisdead]

Inflammatory or insulting posts and the replies have been removed. 

[Sparkles]

For people on retirement extensions there is no high or low season.Sometimes just a matter of luck. Avoiding Mondays and Fridays and days after public holidays helps

[NancyL]

23 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

For people on retirement extensions there is no high or low season.Sometimes just a matter of luck. Avoiding Mondays and Fridays and days after public holidays helps

There very definitely are high and low seasons in the world of retiree participation in expat life in Chiang Mai.  As former president of CEC, I can tell you that there is seasonality in attendance at meetings which would indicate that people enter into Thailand for the first time during certain times of the year and thus their annual visa extension dates fall during certain times of the year.

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, elektrified said:

Bingo.

So you go in the afternoon dressed as a dithery little old lady and plead the sympathy route?

[elektrified]

41 minutes ago, Thailand said:

So you go in the afternoon dressed as a dithery little old lady and plead the sympathy route?

No, I go in the afternoon.

[simoh1490]

If it means I can save 5,500 Baht in agency fees I'll go dressed as the Pillsbury Doughboy and plead complete and total lunacy.

[moontang]

It appears that a high percentage of the agent clients, were not doing it to save time, but perhaps, for protection against being required to show supporting docs with their liar letter.  

[BobBKK]

On 10/27/2018 at 8:11 PM, EricTh said:

There's nothing wrong with people who hire agents but agents should only have one queue ticket number per queue position.

 

It wouldn't be fair if they have 50 passports in hand and just have to queue at one position.

 

If there are 10 agents with 50 passports each (total 500 passports per day), you can imagine why the system was abused with more and more people going to agents.

 

Agents now have to work hard for their money. They should stagger their visits if they don't have enough staff.

 

Those 500 passports save 500 people in the QUEUE. Posters should be careful what they wish for.

[Trujillo]

"For people on retirement extensions there is no high or low season."

 

Try renewing your retirement visa at the end of January. It's swamped. When I go at other times of the year for the 90-day sham, I hardly see anyone. 

[Dante99]

3 hours ago, Thailand said:

So you go in the afternoon dressed as a dithery little old lady and plead the sympathy route?

Sure why put on something special.

[simoh1490]

3 hours ago, Sparkles said:

For people on retirement extensions there is no high or low season.Sometimes just a matter of luck. Avoiding Mondays and Fridays and days after public holidays helps

Not at all true, it's far easier and much quicker at certain times of the year simply because the demand on Immigration staff is lower and that means officers can be diverted to other visa types - I've seen this repeatedly over the years and I have a retirement visa.

[Sparkles]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

Not at all true, it's far easier and much quicker at certain times of the year simply because the demand on Immigration staff is lower and that means officers can be diverted to other visa types - I've seen this repeatedly over the years and I have a retirement visa.

Well thats your opinion so will agree to disagree.During 11 retirement extensions here in CM have seen very little examples of multi tasking amongst Imm staff and you dont have a great choice what month you go through the ritual do you.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Sparkles

[scottiejohn]

3 hours ago, moontang said:

 It appears that a high percentage of the agent clients, were not doing it to save time, but perhaps, for protection against being required to show supporting docs with their liar letter. 

Please substantiate that scurrilous comment re; "liar letter". 

 

I would suggest that any "lair letters" may have been from those who made affidavits via an Embassy etc, as opposed to us agent customers who use legitimate agents for convenience and nothing else.

Edited November 7, 2018 by scottiejohn

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

Please substantiate that scurrilous comment.

 

I would suggest that any "lair letters" may have been from those who made affidavits via an Embassy etc, as opposed to us agent customers who use legitimate agents for convenience and nothing else.

How about sometimes both?!?

It's obvious that some people have made false claims for income letters and it's ALSO obvious that some agents are selling services that allow extensions without actually meeting the financial requirements.

The percentage of "fraud" for each of those is impossible to determine. 

[scottiejohn]

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

So you go in the afternoon dressed as a dithery little old lady and plead the sympathy route?

Are we talking about Immigration or Loi Kroh/Thapae Gate at night?

[simoh1490]

24 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

Well thats your opinion so will agree to disagree.During 11 retirement extensions here in CM have seen very little examples of multi tasking amongst Imm staff and you dont have a great choice what month you go through the ritual do you.

I have no choice in that my renewal is due in April, but I contrast the activity of what I read in this forum during other months which seems nightmarish by comparison.

[sfokevin]

21 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Are we talking about Immigration or Loi Kroh/Thapae Gate at night?

I think my odds would be better at 2am rather than 2pm...

Just sayin...

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by sfokevin

[scottiejohn]

8 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

I think my odds would be better at 2am rather than 2pm...

Just sayin...

 

What for?

At Immigration or …….. just sayin

Edited November 7, 2018 by scottiejohn

[Genericnic]

Hi all.

 

Went in this week to set up my extension of permit to stay and ME permit with my favorite visa service - the original one that was at Promenada and is now over near Big C.

I gave them my passport, income certificate from the US Consulate, and print out from my condo where they had done the TM30 report for me. After looking through the paperwork, they said they needed additional proof of income. I asked if printouts from my last three banks statements showing my Social Security and pension income would be sufficient. They said yes. Dropped those off today and will swing my to drop off my passport Friday afternoon while I am out riding. I meet up with them at 3:00 p.m. on Monday and if past performance is any guide, will be on my with by 3:30 p.m. with the extension and reentry permit. Total cost including the immigration fees is 9,200 baht or just over 25 baht per day for the year. 

 

As a note, this was the first time in the years I have been using them that they have needed additional income verification. 

 

David

Hi all.

 

Went in this week to set up my extension of permit to stay and ME permit with my favorite visa service - the original one that was at Promenada and is now over near Big C.

I gave them my passport, income certificate from the US Consulate, and print out from my condo where they had done the TM30 report for me. After looking through the paperwork, they said they needed additional proof of income. I asked if printouts from my last three banks statements showing my Social Security and pension income would be sufficient. They said yes. Dropped those off today and will swing my to drop off my passport Friday afternoon while I am out riding. I meet up with them at 3:00 p.m. on Monday and if past performance is any guide, will be on my with by 3:30 p.m. with the extension and reentry permit. Total cost including the immigration fees is 9,200 baht or just over 25 baht per day for the year. 

 

As a note, this was the first time in the years I have been using them that they have needed additional income verification. 

 

David

[sfokevin]

1 hour ago, Genericnic said:

I asked if printouts from my last three banks statements showing my Social Security and pension income would be sufficient.

David, would this be bank statements from a Thai or home country bank?

 

So the 9,200 fee included the 1,900 extension fee and 3,800 multiple entry would make the agent fee 3,500 baht... Correct?

[Genericnic]

3 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

David, would this be bank statements from a Thai or home country bank?

 

So the 9,200 fee included the 1,900 extension fee and 3,800 multiple entry would make the agent fee 3,500 baht... Correct?

Home country bank.

 

Yes, the 9,200 included both of those fees.

[dcnx]

Nonsense. My agent just went to immigration for me, as they always do. They said when this stuff started that it was just news and not to worry about it, they were right.

 

Perhap agents without good connections will have to change but the right agents are still operating as normal.

[Thailand]

2 hours ago, dcnx said:

Nonsense. My agent just went to immigration for me, as they always do. They said when this stuff started that it was just news and not to worry about it, they were right.

 

Perhap agents without good connections will have to change but the right agents are still operating as normal.

Went to immigration today around 10.45am helping a friend with a minor problem. Able to park in the immigration lot and a few more spaces available.

Just for info asked about doing a "retirement"  extension of stay and they said I could have a ticket to return in the afternoon. Second time in the last 7 days as a friend actually did it last week.

Looks like if you are capable of doing your own paperwork it's a money saver and no hassle-caveat-at the moment!

Just seems such a turnaround in so short a time one tends to be a little skeptic, or even a big skeptic. ????

[JanPeder]

Today my friend went to the bank for paper of financial requirements. 800 000 bath. He is worried that the officer will not accept his document because he go to early (4 days) to the bank. He will show up on tuesday. We cant find the rules for that?

Tuesday 13 date. 6.00. He will go to IO. Does he get a ticket at that time? And what time do the process start?