I am a temporary/long-term/kinda permanent, but not really, citizen of the Kingdom.  

 

I don't delude myself into thinking otherwise. 

 

If, for example, the Thai Gov offered me some kind of more permanent residence, I might feel more "settled down", so to speak. 

 

 

8 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Better make sure they do your corrupt extension at the office in your province then, otherwise it WILL get you in trouble. Some agents get them done elsewhere due to lower costs and easier to bribe at another office. You then turn up at your office and they want to know when you moved back and why no TM28.

So what did you tell them? And why turn up at the office anyway?

12 hours ago, Exploring Thailand said:

Do you happen to have a source for that statistic?

It's just an estimate, based on experience.
My mates in Pattaya and Bangkok , I know at least 15 retirees been using agents for many years, the latest reports I have are from September 2019.   
One popular agent in Pattaya alone do more than 500 visas in a year.

15-17k fees.  If you want his name you have to PM me. 

15 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

If I truly felt that way I would of departed long ago. Why would you stay in a country where you thought the people existed only to take advantage of you. I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror for being so untrue to myself because just the knowledge of that precludes any real attempt at 'settling down'. I would be living a lie.   

I am sorry to say I think you are missing seeing what is going on around you. It may not be as xenophobic as portrayed, but it is certainly going on. To the cash going over desks at immigration to the same in the police station and hand to hand in the streets. I have to say I was shocked how tourists are targeted here, where I am more familiar with countries giving them some leeway.

One learns to minimize it. I follow the rules, locals need not bother. 

1 hour ago, balo said:

It's just an estimate, based on experience.
My mates in Pattaya and Bangkok , I know at least 15 retirees been using agents for many years, the latest reports I have are from September 2019.   
One popular agent in Pattaya alone do more than 500 visas in a year.

15-17k fees.  If you want his name you have to PM me. 

10 per week? Suggest that’s way short of the mark.I sat with a mate in a small agents office last week ,the phone rang constantly with inquiries for extensions and replies in the affirmative given freely in response . The insurance development will only increase their business IMO.

One has think that if everyone used an agent and stopped trying to do it on the cheap with all the errors and omissions and wishing to communicate with immigration officials in a language which is not their own, then all this nonsense would go away instantly. 

 

Pay the money. Use the system that is already in place and live a happy life. 

This topic appears to of run its course since it is the same back and forth discussion as all the others about visa agents by mostly the same posters.

This topic now