Report from a fellow expat is that the copy shop next to Jomtien IO is charging 10 thousand baht to "certify" your income documents. It's outrageous, but still cheaper than a "visa agency". Another place in Soi Bukhao called "Cambodia Inter, Tour and Travel" is offering this service at a price not yet disclosed. We need more competition to get the price down to a reasonable level.

It sounds a bit shady to me. Not sure how they could possibley do it and have it accepted by immigration.

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It sounds a bit shady to me. Not sure how they could possibley do it and have it accepted by immigration.

If you get a visa extension, does it make a difference?  OF COURSE it's "shady". Just about half of everything here is "shady". We call it bribery, they call it "business". 

i see there is even a farang guy advertising his business, *not got 800,000 ? no problem * i repeat i was offered an OFFICIAL  stamp for 16,000 baht 3 weeks ago by the immigration officer at the desk, when i went for my 90 day

33 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Another place in Soi Bukhao called "Cambodia Inter

Where did they move to ? last time I went looking they weren't where they used to be so assumed they had closed.

2 minutes ago, johng said:

Where did they move to ? last time I went looking they weren't where they used to be so assumed they had closed.

200 mtr further up. ,past nickys. towards pattaya thai.   cheap, can recommend.     google.   

The same shop has offered relatively high rates for other things.  They can get your "Non-O stamp" done, etc. 

 

I'm not sure why immigration would accept something that pays them less than the usual "agent sponsored" extension - but maybe they are creating a "middle-ground" for those who actually have the valid income, but will be locked-out of using it by the embassy-letter issue.

 

The Soi Bukow prices are usually reported as the lowest, but leeway to shave off the retail-price depends on how much of that quoted 10K must be passed to immigration in a brown-envelope.

Edited November 28, 20187 yr by JackThompson

41 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Report from a fellow expat is that the copy shop next to Jomtien IO is charging 10 thousand baht to "certify" your income documents.

What does it mean by certify? Who are they? Are they authorized by immigration to check your documents and certify? Is it acceptable to immigration (with other random backup proof of course, I guess). If it is acceptable to IO, and not approved by immigration, I guess anybody can certify and you can do a self-certification also. 

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It sounds a bit shady to me. Not sure how they could possibley do it and have it accepted by immigration.

They are perhaps the most on-the-take office in the country. That’s why visa agents in Pattaya don’t get bothered or even slow down during visa crackdowns. It’s always business as usual there if you’re using an agent who sends you directly to a certain person in the Jomtien office who handles whatever visa / stamp you need. They have quite a system going there.

 

 

1 hour ago, KhunFred said:

Report from a fellow expat is that the copy shop next to Jomtien IO is charging 10 thousand baht to "certify" your income documents. It's outrageous, but still cheaper than a "visa agency". Another place in Soi Bukhao called "Cambodia Inter, Tour and Travel" is offering this service at a price not yet disclosed. We need more competition to get the price down to a reasonable level.

 

A copy shop can now "certify" your income and immigration accepts it.

Its probably better not to post at all rather than this sort of rubbish.

 

It would be the same deal as any other agent, for a fee they deal with immigration and get you and extension. They are not certifying your income.

 

Edited November 28, 20187 yr by Peterw42

13 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

What does it mean by certify? Who are they? Are they authorized by immigration to check your documents and certify? Is it acceptable to immigration (with other random backup proof of course, I guess). If it is acceptable to IO, and not approved by immigration, I guess anybody can certify and you can do a self-certification also. 

The copy shop is OWNED by Immigration personnel. That is almost common knowledge. They drove several other shops out of the business of doing copies for Immigration. The continued pretense that everything done here is "legitimate", almost beggars belief. One shady door closes, another shady door opens. The magic of "tea money".

2 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

The copy shop is OWNED by Immigration personnel. That is almost common knowledge. They drove several other shops out of the business of doing copies for Immigration.

And yet there is an entirely official copy/photo stand inside Immigration that charges a lot less for copies etc. than the ones immediately outside do.

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

A copy shop can now "certify" your income and immigration accepts it.

Its probably better not to post at all rather than this sort of rubbish.

 

Perhaps you can influence a moderator to delete it. I was trying to be helpful, not post "rubbish". Again, the embarrassing pretense that everything done by Immigration is "legitimate".  The Embassies have not always done "income letters".  What was the standard procedure in those days???  People are making this more difficult by trying to think of "laws" in western terms. Codswallop.

I have been saying all along that you will have to go to an agent to get income verification.

TI no way no how is going thru the forensic examination of your financials.

Other agencies will soon follow suit.

So, there you go just more money to be spread around adding like I have always said there will never be an agent crackdown.  On the contrary more demand for them.

 

26 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

If you get a visa extension, does it make a difference?  OF COURSE it's "shady". Just about half of everything here is "shady". We call it bribery, they call it "business". 

Exactly. Foreigners love to call things shady or unethical here, but it’s just how they do business.

 

I read so many posts of guys struggling with their visa or whatever government thing they are dealing with and it’s always because they are trying to do things the proper way.

 

News flash, look around you, NOTHING is done the proper way here. Thais know this and and act accordingly. But for whatever reason many foreigners draw the line and refuse to participate in doing things the Thai way, while at the same time doing everything they can do be as Thai as possible.

 

Thais take short cuts. They bribe people. They cheat every chance they get. It’s the glue that holds this broken society together. The sooner people understand this and play their game by their rules, the easier their life will become. Or do it the hard way and swim upstream for the rest of your life. Up to you.

17 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

The same shop has offered relatively high rates for other things.  They can get your "Non-O stamp" done, etc. 

 

I'm not sure why immigration would accept something that pays them less than the usual "agent sponsored" extension - but maybe they are creating a "middle-ground" for those who actually have the valid income, but will be locked-out of using it by the embassy-letter issue.

 

The Soi Bukow prices are usually reported as the lowest, but leeway to shave off the retail-price depends on how much of that quoted 10K must be passed to immigration in a brown-envelope.

exempt or tourist visa,  convert to non-o then retirement, [15 mths stamp] 21,500.

  tick tock charges 25k for the same.  

retirement only 12,900.  or 15k @ tick tock

I will check about this new service,  good news if it exists,

HTH

25 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

What does it mean by certify? Who are they? Are they authorized by immigration to check your documents and certify? Is it acceptable to immigration (with other random backup proof of course, I guess). If it is acceptable to IO, and not approved by immigration, I guess anybody can certify and you can do a self-certification also. 

The Soi Bukhao shop and others always maintain that you do not pay unless you get your extension (or visa). That seems like a fairly good guarantee, considering this is Thailand.

4 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

The Embassies have not always done "income letters".  What was the standard procedure in those days???

Yes, what was the standard procedure in those days and when did embassies start issuing income letters?

1 minute ago, onera1961 said:

Yes, what was the standard procedure in those days and when did embassies start issuing income letters?

According to many oldtimers (I am not one) they simply took your word for it that you had enough income.

 

9 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

And yet there is an entirely official copy/photo stand inside Immigration that charges a lot less for copies etc. than the ones immediately outside do.

And yet the shop outside is full of people making copies (and taking photos). 

 

 

7 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

The copy shop is OWNED by Immigration personnel. That is almost common knowledge. They drove several other shops out of the business of doing copies for Immigration. The continued pretense that everything done here is "legitimate", almost beggars belief. One shady door closes, another shady door opens. The magic of "tea money".

If indeed the copy shop is owned by immigration, not much use calling for more competition and lower prices, A shop down the road wont be able to offer lower prices than an immigration owned shop.

51 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

If you get a visa extension, does it make a difference?  OF COURSE it's "shady". Just about half of everything here is "shady". We call it bribery, they call it "business". 

It matters IF a decision is made that all such derived extensions are deemed invalid and those in possession of them subject to proceedings! The loss of income verification from Embassies seems to be flushing a few to the surface.

Note big if!

Edited November 28, 20187 yr by jacko45k

Couldn't this turn around and bite you in the rear later if the copy shop and or immigration fall foul of each other? There would be no proper finance compliance documents on record of the Non Imm extension holder and other Imm officers might come knocking on your door? Besides losing the copy shops extortionate fee, it could get a lot worse for the extension holder? 

8 minutes ago, dcnx said:

And yet the shop outside is full of people making copies (and taking photos).

I thought you lived in Chiang Mai.  How do you see the people in Pattaya making copies? Is there a webcam on line?

Edited November 28, 20187 yr by marcusarelus

Sounds better than 25k some are charging


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33 minutes ago, dcnx said:

They are perhaps the most on-the-take office in the country. That’s why visa agents in Pattaya don’t get bothered or even slow down during visa crackdowns. It’s always business as usual there if you’re using an agent who sends you directly to a certain person in the Jomtien office who handles whatever visa / stamp you need. They have quite a system going there.

 

 

When you see the official police flow chart, is pussy on the top or the bottom.

OP, why not present this as, the copy shop, for a fee, can get you an extension, the same as many other agents.

 

Why make the ridiculous statement that they are certifying your income. They are not putting a magic certified stamp on documents and immigration then accepts the documents.

It would be the same service as any other agent, pay a fee and get an extension.

 

A dottering old pensioner will read your post and go to the shop to get his income "certified" and they will look at him like he has 3 heads. 

They are not certifying income they are getting extension for a fee.

Edited November 28, 20187 yr by Peterw42

Is Big Joke aware of this. He is the one to ask if this is legit or not. Anyone got his number?

23 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Exactly. Foreigners love to call things shady or unethical here, but it’s just how they do business.

 

I read so many posts of guys struggling with their visa or whatever government thing they are dealing with and it’s always because they are trying to do things the proper way.

 

News flash, look around you, NOTHING is done the proper way here. Thais know this and and act accordingly. But for whatever reason many foreigners draw the line and refuse to participate in doing things the Thai way, while at the same time doing everything they can do be as Thai as possible.

 

Thais take short cuts. They bribe people. They cheat every chance they get. It’s the glue that holds this broken society together. The sooner people understand this and play their game by their rules, the easier their life will become. Or do it the hard way and swim upstream for the rest of your life. Up to you.

Best post I have seen on this subject. You make more sense than ninety percent of what appears on this forum. There is no need to "certify" ANYTHING, assuming the IO official has the language proficiency to actually READ the documents from Social Security, Teacher's Retirement, annuity etc, etc.  

24 minutes ago, dcnx said:

I read so many posts of guys struggling with their visa or whatever government thing they are dealing with and it’s always because they are trying to do things the proper way.

At least for me for the last 15 years it has only been a few hours across a few days each year -- and it is a good enough feeling to be able to cheat the cheaters. Next year who knows but for many years I got the embassy income letter and the one-year extension at IMM on the same day within hours of each other.