I was advised by a visa agent today in Phuket there is no need to have the minimum 400K required for applying for extension of stay if you have an account with Bangkok Bank, can anyone clarify this ? Seems very odd how this can be an exception.

Run !!!

 

Maybe they have an ‘in’ with Immigration and can get their ‘clients’ extensions without the requirement and the Bangkok Bank thing is lost in translation. 

 

Otherwise, if what you are saying is exactly as the agent said it, I’d say they are absolutely full of it and you risk taking terrible advice which could compromise your longevity in Thailand. 

 

 

Sounds like the agent has a bank insider who manages to overlook the 400K for a fee and a stamp. 

7 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Sounds like the agent has a bank insider who manages to overlook the 400K for a fee and a stamp. 

Does the bank insider work for Immigration also?

 

Your assumption is totally incorrect

2 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

Does the bank insider work for Immigration also?

 

Your assumption is totally incorrect

......and  yours is illlegal  whether thousands do it or not. 

1 hour ago, Kadilo said:

......and  yours is illlegal  whether thousands do it or not. 

Of course it's illegal but very likely exactly how this transaction transpires.

Does this 400k apply to tourist visa extensions? Im confused as there are daily changes nowadays in LOS

 

I DO have a BoB acct but maybe 200 bt in there! ..just to keep it active when I leave LOS

There are many agents who arrange extensions without financial proof. The extensions, when granted are valid. However, the agent is making a fraudulent application on your behalf using friendly officials. This is all very typical third world corruption through an intermediary, and you need to decide whether to go with it or not.

8 minutes ago, BritTim said:

There are many agents who arrange extensions without financial proof. The extensions, when granted are valid. However, the agent is making a fraudulent application on your behalf using friendly officials.

I think you will find the head of the immigration department is using his authority to grant you a 'special dispensation', as is his right.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I think you will find the head of the immigration department is using his authority to grant you a 'special dispensation', as is his right.

A senior official has discretion in certain respects, for instance being allowed to waive funds seasoning when otherwise convinced it is the applicant's own money. The official is not supposed to use his discretion to assist fraudulent applications. This abuse of discretion is rarely punished, but is certainly improper.

 

Also, the discretion is not unlimited. There are certain conditions that only the Minister has the right to waive.

8 hours ago, Kadilo said:

......and  yours is illlegal  whether thousands do it or not. 

It's actually not however believe that it is if it makes you happy ????

 

 

8 hours ago, Kadilo said:

......and  yours is illlegal  whether thousands do it or not. 

So, you are saying that the individual power of discretion does not exist?

If you deny that, then it will not be illegal.

Sorry, but regarding the position I just put you in, you have no option but to deny.

Of course you do not need money in any Bank, that is why the cost is high to pay off the IO to ignore the money in the bank rule. However, all the ones I looked into could not do the extension at my own office, the ones they use all seem to be up country or the Chonburi area. So if you use that route i imagine you will be stuck with it and what happens if your agent closes down? Illegal or not is not really the problem, going back to your real immigration office after getting extension from offices in areas you do not live in is when the sxxx will hit the fan. It's tempting to fork out around 15k to free up your money but I think you are probably making problems for yourself somewhere down the line.

A post describing an illegal procedure has been removed

24 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

So, you are saying that the individual power of discretion does not exist?

If you deny that, then it will not be illegal.

Sorry, but regarding the position I just put you in, you have no option but to deny.

Power of discretion isn't unlimited and certainly doesn't extend to discretion based on bribery.

 

In fact as soon as bribery and a fraudulent application is involved it renders all future sanctioning void as well. Very unlikely to ever have real life consequences though unless the applicant draws attention to himself for the wrong reasons.

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

There are many agents who arrange extensions without financial proof. The extensions, when granted are valid. However, the agent is making a fraudulent application on your behalf using friendly officials. This is all very typical third world corruption through an intermediary, and you need to decide whether to go with it or not.

and you need to decide whether to go with it or not......And IF You have NO Other Choice !!!

Your agent has an insider in Bangkok Bank that will help him produce the fraudulent paperwork you require to get your fraudulent visa.

54 minutes ago, Satcommlee said:

Your agent has an insider in Bangkok Bank that will help him produce the fraudulent paperwork you require to get your fraudulent visa.

My feeling is the same however, this agent openly advertises this in a document which they send out to people at the 1st point of contact. Not saying this makes it legitimate of course.

 

 

15 hours ago, darrendsd said:

Does the bank insider work for Immigration also?

 

Your assumption is totally incorrect

My assumption is he means the person who works at the immigration desks which checks and reviews the bank accounts not the bank itself?

15 hours ago, Kadilo said:

......and  yours is illlegal  whether thousands do it or not. 

You are arguing with Darrendsd because you clearly stated a reference to a "bank manager", which is what Darrendsd responded to.

 

So you were implying that somebody in the bank was creating a fraudulent document that was then presented to immigration as proof of funds. This manager most certainly does not have a right to commit fraud. 

 

Darrendsd was pointing out that it's more likely that the agent is persuading somebody in immigration to overlook the lack of funds. The IO authority may have such discretion. 

 

It was not necessary or likely that both were occurring. 

 

Why can't you just admit that you mistated your intent or that your comment was illogical? 

 

Being a jerk about his reply was your second mistake. 

There was a case recently where someone got their extention last year but dipped below the minimum amount within the time period where the money had to stay untouched in the account. When they went to renew this year, they were told their visa was invalid from the day the funds were short. In effect they were on overstay. What I'm getting at is, if someone decides to look back on the applicant's finances then those who never had sufficient funds in the first place might have some answering to do.

 

PS, as I read this again I wonder how they got through their 90 day reporting if the visa was null and void. Anyway, I read the original story on here so don't blame me.

Don't believe it.

Is there a possibility that they were referring to the income method?  Many people have said the Bangkok Bank was the best bank for getting the [proper overseas coding.  

2 hours ago, a10ams said:

There was a case recently where someone got their extention last year but dipped below the minimum amount within the time period where the money had to stay untouched in the account. When they went to renew this year, they were told their visa was invalid from the day the funds were short. In effect they were on overstay. What I'm getting at is, if someone decides to look back on the applicant's finances then those who never had sufficient funds in the first place might have some answering to do.

 

PS, as I read this again I wonder how they got through their 90 day reporting if the visa was null and void. Anyway, I read the original story on here so don't blame me.

 

Getting past the morality of participating in the national sport of corruption, those are the real questions. 

 

Is it possible, how much will it cost, what are the potential consequences if I do get caught out, and what are the odds of that happening?

 

I'd contend that hiring a dodgy (or not) agent to expedite your visa is like buying sausage.  I don't really want to know the exact process.  I just want to know if I'll be happy with the end result.  And am I likely to regret eating the sausage.

 

 

3 hours ago, RocketDog said:

You are arguing with Darrendsd because you clearly stated a reference to a "bank manager", which is what Darrendsd responded to.

 

So you were implying that somebody in the bank was creating a fraudulent document that was then presented to immigration as proof of funds. This manager most certainly does not have a right to commit fraud. 

 

Darrendsd was pointing out that it's more likely that the agent is persuading somebody in immigration to overlook the lack of funds. The IO authority may have such discretion. 

 

It was not necessary or likely that both were occurring. 

 

Why can't you just admit that you mistated your intent or that your comment was illogical? 

 

Being a jerk about his reply was your second mistake. 

There is no persuading involved - it's actively encouraged by Immigration and you don't need to be a member of Mensa to know why

 

 

 

21 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Sounds like the agent has a bank insider who manages to overlook the 400K for a fee and a stamp. 

It doesn't work like that. The agent pays immigration to get rid of the financial requirement. 

21 hours ago, Kadilo said:

......and  yours is illlegal  whether thousands do it or not. 

It's not illegal to use an agent. You don't have know how the agent does it. 

19 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

Of course it's illegal but very likely exactly how this transaction transpires.

It's not illegal to use an agent. 

While explaining how an agent could have an ‘inside’ line on immigration overlooking financial requirements, none of the discussion so far entertains how any of this could be specifically related to ‘Bangkok Bank’....

 

I have no idea how [the 400k omission could be related to Bangkok Bank] and can only assume its a clumsy ‘translation thing'... 

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

While explaining how an agent could have an ‘inside’ line on immigration overlooking financial requirements, none of the discussion so far entertains how any of this could be specifically related to ‘Bangkok Bank’....

 

I have no idea how [the 400k omission could be related to Bangkok Bank] and can only assume its a clumsy ‘translation thing'... 

Not just Phuket and not necessarily an agent. I heard it was specific to Bangkok Bank or Kasikorn, the fee is 15K.

I know someone who does it, the stupid thing being he doesn't have to, can't be bothered with doing it himself. This is not new but probably brought to the surface by the amnesty, the more visible the more likely there will be problems in due course.