Thai Retirement Visa Agencies

[BrianBkyn]

My USA friend has gotten himself into a mess because he just didn't know about all these changes that have taken place since he last extended. His retirement visa expires on the 13th of this month. He doesn't have the 800k in the bank or the time to get his pension sent over here into a Thai bank acct. So he is sort of screwed. I know using these agencies to do this for you at a fee is not on the up and up but at this point he doesn't have many options that I can think of. Today he went to one place and they quoted him a fee of 46,000 baht and that he would have to go to Pattaya along with this guy to get it done. That sounds way higher than any fee I have heard about and I never heard that you had to go with them. That seems a little crazy to me. 

 

Can anyone tell me if this sounds kosher and if not can they recommend some other agencies to deal with?

 

Also, if this all falls apart, to start his retirement visa all over again, does he have to go back home or can he do it from here. His backup plan is to go to Vietnam and get a 2-month visa there - extend it for 30 days and then do it again. And hope that he has been able to sell his apartment back home and has the 800k to put in the bank. But if he doesn't, I expect at some point they may not let him back in.

 

Thanks

 

Brian

[Mister T]

Nothing has changed, he would have needed 800k in the bank the last time he extended.

[phuketrichard]

seems everyone has gotten an email from a visa service that quoted the price of 14,000 baht>,  Otherwise i have heard prices of under 24,000 for Phuket and Pattaya

otherwise> go to any embassy, apply for a single entry NON O for being over 50,

come back to thailand and after 2-4 weeks put the 800,000 in the bank,(so the money is in the bank 2 months) apply for the extension.

 

Not the end of the world

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, Mister T said:

Nothing has changed, he would have needed 800k in the bank the last time he extended.

Not if he used an Embassy letter. Plenty has changed.

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Not if he used an Embassy letter. Plenty has changed.

It costs less now because he only has to get a bank statement showing the same thing (actually) that the letter showed.  

[jacko45k]

He has left it late, another reason he is being screwed with that silly price. (He has got 2 days for heaven's sake). He does not need to go home to start again. Simply obtain a Non-Imm O Visa, or convert a Tourist Visa or Visa waiver entry into a Non-Imm O Entry, then take it from there. 

[ubonjoe]

If he could start transferring at least 65k baht into a Thai bank account from abroad for a few months he could get a new-o visa and apply for a extension. Only one or two months are needed to apply for the first extension of a new visa entry.

He could go out and get a single entry tourist visa and apply for a change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration. He would only need one transfer into the country to do the application. Then apply for a extension of stay during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry from the visa.

[BrianBkyn]

Yes he has always used the letter from the Embassy. The issue right now is that he would like to extend his visa if possible without leaving the country - and he will not have the 800k until he sells his apartment and who knows how long that could take. Depending on the exchange rate, his pension either just makes or just misses the amount needed. Right now though he just wants to see if he can go to an agency tomorrow and get this all taken care of and then he has a year to get his finances in order to do it properly next year.  Thx for the responses.

[fishtank]

28 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

It costs less now because he only has to get a bank statement showing the same thing (actually) that the letter showed.  

Not the same thing at all.

[BrianBkyn]

I should mention he lives in Bangkok.

 

Thx for the responses.

[onera1961]

I wonder why it is always the friend not the person who needs help posts agent related questions? Is the person who needs help is unable, bedridden, illiterate, or not interested in participating in this forum? What is the  deal? There is nothing to be ashamed of using agents. I like agents. I would not have moved to the dump called Thailand if there were no agents or you cant bribe your way out of a difficult situation. 

[BrianBkyn]

Because he is not familiar with thaivisa and I told him I would help him out. Simple as that.

[BritTim]

I have heard that visa agents have trouble using Bangkok for extensions right now, if you cannot meet the requirements, so being informed that the extension would be processed through Pataaya makes sense. Some agents, apparently, rather than attending in person, will arrange the extensions based on having a good photograph (which they use to mock up the required photo on the computer that confirms your presence) but I do not recommend any extension where you are not present to ensure it is being processed normally. The quoted price is way over the top.

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, BrianBkyn said:

Yes he has always used the letter from the Embassy. The issue right now is that he would like to extend his visa if possible without leaving the country - and he will not have the 800k until he sells his apartment and who knows how long that could take. Depending on the exchange rate, his pension either just makes or just misses the amount needed. Right now though he just wants to see if he can go to an agency tomorrow and get this all taken care of and then he has a year to get his finances in order to do it properly next year.  Thx for the responses.

well, regardless of the changes, and his inability to meet the new 800k baht "seasoning" requirements of a few months before extension renewal, it sounds like he does not have the 800k available for his new extension anyway.  And why is it always "a friend" and not the friend posting?