Agents

[Mac98]

After 21 years of visits I'm considering using an agent for an extension based on retirement. A popular agent in Jomtien quoted a price of $1200 for a 15-month stamp, renewable for another 15 months for $800. B60,000 sounds quite high considering other posts on TV. Has anyone heard of 15-month extensions? My number one concern is reliability of the agent. Any suggestions for this Pattaya resident? (I say resident as I have a very affordable two-year lease I now use half the year. The other half it's a storage bin for my belongings.)

[ubonjoe]

The 15 months total stay is for those that have a tourist or visa exempt entry and includes the 90 day entry from a non immigrant visa application and the 12 month extension.

For a existing extension of stay it would only be 12 months.

[glegolo]

Why worry about USD 1.200:-....?  If you consider to buy something for USD 1200:- which you easily can do yourself to NO COST, then you pobably do not care too much about your USD 1200.-.. anyhow... Just do it and hope for the best...

 

glegolo

[Martyp]

Have you considered getting an O-A visa before coming here? Just check for the list of documents on the website of the Thai Consulate in your country. Where are you from by-the-way?

[jacko45k]

It is surprising the renewal is for a further 15 months, I would expect it to be an extension on an existing retirement extension and for 12 months.... 

Average price Pattaya area seems to be 15,000 baht for 12 months, so yours sounds expensive. People won't know your agent unless we see the name but your best approach is to talk to customers. For that price I would expect a multi-re-entry to be included. 

[Thailand]

With or without the 800K or 65K+ per month?

 

With should be much cheaper as little as 3500 baht from some agents in CM

 

Without the funds around 12-15K seems to be the norm.

[Toosetinmyways]

My friend was quoted the same price in Pattaya as in the OP. That was to go from VE to NON O to retirement extension. He did it in Bangkok for 14000 baht with no finance shown.

[yodsak]

Cambodia inter soi boo-cow 14,000 for renewal of retirement visa.  

if you're going from V-E or tourist to non-O to retirement its circa 21,000. gives you 15 months.

 

Tik tok services  15,000 and 25,000

[bkk6060]

3 hours ago, Thailand said:

 

 

Without the funds around 12-15K seems to be the norm.

No.

Mostly over 20k now.

[Thailand]

10 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

No.

Mostly over 20k now.

Wrong

[scubascuba3]

No.
Mostly over 20k now.

The guys i know are paying 12,500 in Pattaya

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

No.

Mostly over 20k now.

Hard to keep up to date on this but I have been told 13k and 15k still available. 

(Pattaya as per OP)

[wwest5829]

I have used an agency since retirement arrival in Chiang Mai on an O-A 8 years ago. This year a little rocky as they were not sure what I migration would do as one out of the 12 months required fell below the 65,000 baht. All went through OK for another year’s extension of stay. Just figure the agency deals with immigration every day and thus knows the twists and turns. This year 8000 baht without a re-entry permit (told them I was not going to pay for that should Thailand tell me I am unwanted). 

[berrec]

Paid 20,000 Baht for a recommended reliable agent (used by friends previously) to acquire a 12 month retirement visa at Pattaya, moved from a Non-O visa at CW Bangkok to a retirement visa at Pattaya this year.  Agent had fast track Thai immigration contacts at Pattaya.

[Tropicalevo]

19 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It is surprising the renewal is for a further 15 months, I would expect it to be an extension on an existing retirement extension and for 12 months.... 

 

I believe that if you leave the country and return just before the 12 months is up, on return you receive another 90 days. Hence the '15 months'.

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

I believe that if you leave the country and return just before the 12 months is up, on return you receive another 90 days. Hence the '15 months'.

That would only apply to a Non-Imm-O multiple Visa, whereas the OP did clearly state an Extension based on retirement. Any extension of that would only be for 12 months. It would be more practical to simply apply for another retirement Extension,  than to leave the country.  

[Deerculler]

If living in Surin or Buriram Provence is possible to use a agent in Pattaya or Bangkok for OA visa extension?

 And if so is it possible to do the same extension back in the provence the following year?

I hope I have worded that correctly.

[balo]

15k in Pattaya , KeyVisa one of the good ones to use. 

[Boon Mee]

21 hours ago, glegolo said:

Why worry about USD 1.200:-....?  If you consider to buy something for USD 1200:- which you easily can do yourself to NO COST, then you pobably do not care too much about your USD 1200.-.. anyhow... Just do it and hope for the best...

 

glegolo

Exactly. 

It's not rocket surgery. 

Bank letter 

Passbook showing the funds properly 'seasoned' 

 

Don't be lazy, man... ???? 

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

If living in Surin or Buriram Provence is possible to use a agent in Pattaya or Bangkok for OA visa extension?

 And if so is it possible to do the same extension back in the provence the following year?

I hope I have worded that correctly.

It depends where the agent submits the extension, a Pattaya agent is likely to be submitting it in Pattaya. It is supposed to be submitted in the area you are registered as resident. It can cause issues if you need further immigration services like a Re-Entry Permit,   certificate of residence or submitting a 90 day report. If you then tried to do an extension in your true area the following year, your address record should reflect that. 

A case I know of, the agent takes care of 'everything' and no attendance to an IO is envisaged.  I am inclined to believe he is going to need to use the same agent again next year. 

[geoffbezoz]

Anybody know of reliable agents in Udon Thani ?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Anybody know of reliable agents in Udon Thani ?

If you don't get any advice here just have a beer in "day night" bar area. Most of the guys that live there use agent. 

[scubascuba3]

15k in Pattaya , KeyVisa one of the good ones to use. 

2,500 baht too much there

[crazykopite]

 Do it at your peril ☹️

[The Fugitive]

Most experienced and friendly visa agent in Pattaya recommended to me when I first arrived. Non-O (over 50) and 12 month extension plus opening bank account for 20,000 baht. However, was conditional upon buying Bangkok Bank 'one off' annual accident insurance for 3,000. Renewals 13,000. Doesn't matter if you move, can be done via post. 

[dotpoom]

Strange that they charge in $....I would have thought an agency would prefer Thai money considering this is Thailand?

I wonder would they also accept €uro...or whatever currency one has back home?

[vision2014]

I rarely post and I obviously am not aware of your reasons to consider using an agent. I'll just mention I did my 7th annual retirement extension last week at Jomtien and the process took less than an hour including the visit on day 2 to obtain the multiple entry stamp. The DIY fee is less than 5700 Bhat (1900 Bhat single plus additional 3800 Bhat for multiple entry). Hard for me to rationalize paying an agent fee unless the applicant has difficult issues to be addressed.  

[ThaiBunny]

9 minutes ago, vision2014 said:

I rarely post and I obviously am not aware of your reasons to consider using an agent. I'll just mention I did my 7th annual retirement extension last week at Jomtien and the process took less than an hour including the visit on day 2 to obtain the multiple entry stamp. The DIY fee is less than 5700 Bhat (1900 Bhat single plus additional 3800 Bhat for multiple entry). Hard for me to rationalize paying an agent fee unless the applicant has difficult issues to be addressed.  

I was thinking about doing my own ironing the other day but then I thought, "Nah, f*** it, I'll pay someone else" - and I did

[BertM]

1 hour ago, vision2014 said:

I rarely post and I obviously am not aware of your reasons to consider using an agent. I'll just mention I did my 7th annual retirement extension last week at Jomtien and the process took less than an hour including the visit on day 2 to obtain the multiple entry stamp. The DIY fee is less than 5700 Bhat (1900 Bhat single plus additional 3800 Bhat for multiple entry). Hard for me to rationalize paying an agent fee unless the applicant has difficult issues to be addressed.  

Jomtien is easy... been there done that. CW in Bangkok is not. Try waiting all day in lines with 500+ people and you may change your mind. To each his own. For some, the extra cost of paying an agent to handle everything may be well worth not having to bother with all of those lines and taking up a whole day. No way I can sit up there all day. Nothing wrong with someone spending their money the way they want to. It's their money to spend and some people have lots of money.

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, vision2014 said:

Hard for me to rationalize paying an agent fee unless the applicant has difficult issues to be addressed.  

Some of them have 800,000 difficult issues unaddressed. The whiff of desperation envelopes the thread.