For those who use visa agents ... A heads up.

[ExpatDraco]

I wonder how agents can already announce such things, when nobody seems to know yet what will be the exact procedure of Thai Immigration to verify the balance history of our bank account... It's well possible that the procedure bring some serious difficulties for the bad agents (… and I hope so ).

That's because you don't know how to leave your Western thinking behind living in SE Asia.

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

The whole thing is quite entertaining, and while I understand that the idea was to stop agents putting through dodgy applications, and making money into the bargain, it does not seem to have achieved that.

I cannot believe this was ever the intention.  All they had to do was bust their IOs skipping seasoning-checks for the agents.

 

Quote

Talking to two agents I know today, they have already found a way around it, but guess what? They will now be charging more money than before, so the system seems set to continue as before, with the agents Big Joke was trying to put out of business, simply making more money, while causing major inconvenience to all the rest of us.

Makes sense, really.  The current system works because agent-apps don't need seasoning.  New apps will work because agent-apps won't need seasoning.   Whether IO's "waiving" seasoning, or fake bank-books, or whatever - this changes nothing in the equation.

 

But, alternative money-lenders won't be able to get close to agent-rates any more, as they could have before in the more expensive agent-jursidictions (Phuket at 30K Baht) etc.  There will be no more 3-mo loans or money-pooling between friends, as an alternative to agent fees.

 

2 hours ago, Orac said:

I would guess one issue they need to get round now is the second check on bank balance after 90 days.

We don't know how or if this will occur - or just check at the time of the next application.

 

Quote

At the moment it is down to one officer to waive or not check  on seasoning and he is compensated accordingly. 

He, and his boss, and his boss's boss, unless he wants to be on TV with the big-boss facing jail-time, for running independent-action on the side.

 

Quote

Under the new rules this process needs repeating again 90 days later with no guarantee that the same officer will be doing the checking requiring a second mug of tea and the applicant over a barrel already having already paid the first officer.

Agents are buddies with the heads of the offices where they work.  This is why they can waltz in with a stack of passports, go right by everyone else, etc.  Anything would be taken care of in a private meeting, or passed along to trusted-staff who know the score.

Edited February 4, 2019 by JackThompson

[elliss]

2 hours ago, Khaeng Mak said:

Or Thailand could freeze over in a flash ice age incident.

 

Both of these possibilities have about the same chance of eventuating.

  May  i add another ,  making prostitution illegal in the Kingdom .

    Hold  your breath on this one. 555

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by elliss

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, Orac said:

 

I would guess one issue they need to get round now is the second check on bank balance after 90 days. At the moment it is down to one officer to waive or not check  on seasoning and he is compensated accordingly. Under the new rules this process needs repeating again 90 days later with no guarantee that the same officer will be doing the checking requiring a second mug of tea and the applicant over a barrel already having already paid the first officer.

AFAIK there is no check on the bank balance for each 90 day report. The check happens when Immigration looks at a bank statement which details the transactions in the previous year.  Existing extensions will not be checked as the new rules come into force in March. The following extension will be.

[BritTim]

10 hours ago, JLCrab said:

10 hours ago, JLCrab said:

  10 hours ago, BritTim said:

As I understand it, senior immigration officials have discretion to waive seasoning requirements. This is within the rules

If so then the IMM Officer is entitled to the fee of 2000 baht per extension as noted on Page 38 of the Thai Immigration Act 2522 (1979). Anything more than the 2000 baht is a bribe.

 Page 38:

 (3) Application for extension of temporary stay in the Kingdom under Section 35, per person, each time 2,000 baht

Sure. If it was shown that the official was receiving tips for doing his job, that would clearly be illegal. I am sure nothing of that type is ever involved (or, at least, can be proven) The houses and cars owned by many Thai officials is a testament to their skill in managing their government salaries.

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, elliss said:

  May  i add another ,  making prostitution illegal in the Kingdom .

Prostitution has long been illegal in Thailand, and attempts to legalise it have failed multiple times. I am sure you must be mistaken if you believe prostitution occurs here.

[marcimarc]

I asked my agent and she told me that normally retirement visa can only be renewed 30 days before expiring. But as always there is an easy way to renew the visa up to three month before. After 1 March she cant yet garantee, but still is optimistic that the special service will go ok.

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

 in the next six months if a few IOs get busted for bribery in some of main offices all bets will be off...

If we do see something like that I will be quite pleased and will be doing more seasoning, on my hat before I eat it!

[Suradit69]

14 hours ago, darksidedog said:

 

And in answer to the OP, in Pattaya, you can apply 60 days prior to the last extensions expiry, so your mate can do his in time

30 days. They might allow a bit more for some compelling reason like conflicting travel plans, but that would an exception.

[Gashead]

I sent an email to Korat immigration a week ago and was told that I could do my extension 45 days before the actually renewal date.

[Suradit69]

12 hours ago, Khaeng Mak said:

This is just another example of what a mess the whole system is.

 

 You can't even get clarity on a simple question like:

You're blaming the system for a lack of clarity from Thai Visa posters?

 

its 30 days at Jomtien but they are somewhat flexible. I've done several extensions slightly more than 30 days early without a problem. Last December I went in 42 days early. I was told they'd accept it if there was a good reason such as travel plans but otherwise it would need to be closer to 30 days. 

 

Never heard of any office allowing 60 days.

 

Since most people use  the same office each year, all you need to know is what your office accepts. The fact that it may be different at other offices shouldn't really matter to you.

[notamember]

13 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

 in the next six months if a few IOs get busted for bribery in some of main offices all bets will be off...

hasn't that happened already,?

first one i saw was last year almost immediately after BJ appointment, nearly six months ago 

[notamember]

13 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Untrue.

30 days Pattaya.

unless you use an agent

[notamember]

12 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

I wonder how agents can already announce such things, when nobody seems to know yet what will be the exact procedure of Thai Immigration to verify the balance history of our bank account... It's well possible that the procedure bring some serious difficulties for the bad agents (… and I hope so ).

because agents have IO on speed dial

[notamember]

11 hours ago, JackThompson said:

I cannot believe this was ever the intention.  All they had to do was bust their IOs skipping seasoning-checks for the agents.

 

Makes sense, really.  The current system works because agent-apps don't need seasoning.  New apps will work because agent-apps won't need seasoning.   Whether IO's "waiving" seasoning, or fake bank-books, or whatever - this changes nothing in the equation.

 

But, alternative money-lenders won't be able to get close to agent-rates any more, as they could have before in the more expensive agent-jursidictions (Phuket at 30K Baht) etc.  There will be no more 3-mo loans or money-pooling between friends, as an alternative to agent fees.

 

We don't know how or if this will occur - or just check at the time of the next application.

 

He, and his boss, and his boss's boss, unless he wants to be on TV with the big-boss facing jail-time, for running independent-action on the side.

 

Agents are buddies with the heads of the offices where they work.  This is why they can waltz in with a stack of passports, go right by everyone else, etc.  Anything would be taken care of in a private meeting, or passed along to trusted-staff who know the score.

i am beginning to warm to you Jack

[alanrchase]

I have sympathy for the people who could not legally meet the previous financial requirements but they have now possibly buggered up people who could legally meet the old requirements but not the new ones.

[Centrum]

14 hours ago, grego49 said:

Went to my local IO this morning to enquire about these changes and was waved away by Mrs Grumpy and was told no change no change.so mabe the local offices are not going to play ball,

Ah, so you know the Thai word for 'seasoning', right?

[youreavinalaff]

13 hours ago, Khaeng Mak said:

I just did my last extension 40 days early.  At my office they allow 45.

 

Heard some offices offer 30.

 

Never (until reading the comments in this thread) heard of 60 days early.

 

This is just another example of what a mess the whole system is.

 

You can't even get clarity on a simple question like:

 

How early can I do my application?

 

Also please note that if you do apply early for your extension you will not lose any time of your old extension. That is, if you still have 1 month left on your current extension and you go to make a new application, the stamp you get will be dated 13 months into the future.

 

Regardless of how many days prior the application can be made, the new extension will be stamped starting from the expiry date of the existing extension. Surely if your renewal date is after the 1st March then your new extension will be issued under the new order.

[a977]

The sooner BJ cleans up his own Immigration officers and gets rid of the corruption the sooner we can all get on with our lives, it's not the agents that are solely at fault it's the system and the corruption that it has created

[lopburi3]

14 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

That's what I have been told at CW for the last 5 years - 30 days in advance, max.  Never heard of 40, 45 or 60 days before, ever.  

This from agents or people doing themselves?  I regularly extend more than 30 days early at Chiang Watanna and have never had it questioned and know many other do also - they are reported to allow up to 45 days early in countless posts here.

[offset]

19 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Regardless of how many days prior the application can be made, the new extension will be stamped starting from the expiry date of the existing extension. Surely if your renewal date is after the 1st March then your new extension will be issued under the new order.

It also has the date that the extension granted on the stamp so that should not be a problem

 

[Chassa]

Does anybody know of visa agents in Udon Thani?

[sometimewoodworker]

24 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Regardless of how many days prior the application can be made, the new extension will be stamped starting from the expiry date of the existing extension. Surely if your renewal date is after the 1st March then your new extension will be issued under the new order.

No. The rules that are in effect on the application date are the ones that apply to the extension.

[sjbrownderby]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Have your read the long topic about the recent changes to the rules for the 800k baht in the bank option that go into effect on March 1st.

Its intention was to stop the agents from being able to get those extensions that don't truly meet the requirements.

There are also IOs who will do this direct without agents involved. 

[Hoppyone]

1 hour ago, notamember said:

unless you use an agent

100% correct, agents have a 90 day window

[cmrichsw]

You can apply 45 days in advance for the 1 year visa extension in Chiang Mai the visa assist agent across from Chiang Mai Immigration. Lots of free parking available at the visa assist agency.

[Jumbo1968]

This is on well known agents website, not quite sure what to make of it.

NEW RETIREMENT INCOME RULES

 

• – NO MONEY IN BANK ?
• – NO INCOME LETTER ?
• – BANK STATEMENTS NOT ACCEPTED ?

 

THEN DONT HAVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS COME AND SEE US

[notamember]

21 minutes ago, Hoppyone said:

100% correct, agents have a 90 day window

60 normally

[Liverpudlian]

PM me any one strugg

46 minutes ago, Chassa said:

Does anybody know of visa agents in Udon Thani?

Have a person in patts just done mine PM me if you wish.

[Pattaya46]

11 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

This is on well known agents website, not quite sure what to make of it.

Just delete it. Red is bad for our eyes.