1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I have paid bribes to immigration officers before for a visa extension. 

I haven't paid bribes in more than 20 years in Thailand and I have had no problems.

15 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

I turned up at the agency to be met by a tall Swede named Lars, who only needed my passport, as the only supporting document that were required was paper cash.

When my passport came back it had an entry/exit stamp for Brisbane, Australia, despite the fact that I have never been to Australia.

The agent went on to set up a website named ThaiVisa. ????

 

Is this even remotely serious?

Just now, NanaSomchai said:

Is this even remotely serious?

Please explain why my post should not be serious???????????????????????

 

1 minute ago, Bert got kinky said:

Please explain why my post should not be serious???????????????????????

 

That would imply this website was founded by a dodgy person forging documents and visas?

9 minutes ago, NanaSomchai said:

That would imply this website was founded by a dodgy person forging documents and visas?

 

Do you honestly not know the history of ThaiVisa?

And why would it matter who set up ThaiVisa, this website is Asean Now and The fopunder of ThaiVisa is no longer here and has not been a part of the ThiaVisa forum for a very long time and he has no part in the running of Asean Now.

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

And those that are happy to pay an agent a few thousand baht to not have to waste their time dealing with immigration themselves. ???? 

 

No bribes, no bypass of the rules. ???? 

 

 

Enjoy your next visit there instead of relaxing with your family. 

I pay agents. Either I pay them or waste my day and end up paying one way or another.

 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

I have 2 friends who use agents because they are to lazy to do it themselves, nothing to do with money

 

9 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

And those that are happy to pay an agent a few thousand baht to not have to waste their time dealing with immigration themselves. ???? 

 

No bribes, no bypass of the rules. ???? 

 

 

Enjoy your next visit there instead of relaxing with your family. 

I am one of those who did my visa extensions for 12 years in person at Chaengwattana. The last 3 years of the 12 were such a pain, taking me about 7 hours or more door to door, for an extension plus re-entry permit. This, on top of going to pick up the bank letter from my branch the day before.

 

After these increasingly irksome experiences I thought the services of a good agent, particularly during covid, (the first time was last year, the second this year), were an investment I was prepared to make. The service also takes care of my 90 day report, (either online if it works, or in person, if it doesn't, as with the last one). My visits to CW are now reduced to about 20 minutes face time with the IO.

 

Like so many things in Thailand, it is often better to have a gofer; I use different ones for picking up undelivered parcels from the post office/customs, getting me items for household maintenance, a personal shopper for groceries and mall items, and a tame motocy for pick up and delivery of various items. Some of these have become essential during Covid, and my desire to isolate as much as possible, until I get my second vax.

 

When in Rome...

All this 'leaking', video or otherwise, has got to stop. How can anyone do their job properly and show a bit of initiative or discretion now and then when the situation warrants it if they are open to such harassment? 

13 minutes ago, NanaSomchai said:

That would imply this website was founded by a dodgy person forging documents and visas?

 

And when you are able to understand that not everyone is 'Lilly white' and that I am not telling you a falsehood (why would I?), you can then delete the 'Confused' emojis that you have added to my post and change them to 'Like' emojis.

 

Of course, if you are still confused I will try to draw you a picture, for your better understanding. ????

 

 

2 hours ago, Blot said:

"Oh yes they are"

That is a blatant lie!

Some may well be illegal but NOT all of them.

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

My first visa when I got here was through an agent based in the Soi Cowboy area, which was advertised in the BP.

I turned up at the agency to be met by a tall Swede named Lars, who only needed my passport, as the only supporting document that were required was paper cash.

When my passport came back it had an entry/exit stamp for Brisbane, Australia, despite the fact that I have never been to Australia.

The agent went on to set up a website named ThaiVisa. ????

 

Express Service Sabai Co., Ltd. was the name. Dodgy visas were the game.

 

Never used them but I did use Vinny the Visa and The Wall pub in Silom in the late 90's/early 00's.

5 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Express Service Sabai Company, Ltd was the name. Dodgy visas were the game.

Thanks, couldn't remember the name.

I do remember Lars, despite some of the stories that floated around the web about him, he came across as being a decent chap (albeit a decent chap with dodgy visas). ????

 

Express Service Sabai Company, Ltd was such a long time ago and my memory fails with age, please remind me, wasn't the shop very near to The Crossbar?

 

If they issued receipts for monies paid that would be a starter there is no accounting method 500 baht for a letter confirming address no receipt 300 baht for photo copying  no receipt over stays no receipt the whole system stinks of corruption. I even had a friend who was taken to the ferry boat by a certain immigration officer

(now retired) via the atm and ended up paying the officer 10,000 so he could get his passport back and this was all done in front of my friends   Thai wife he told me on the ferry that the IO was demanding 20,000 I’d helped him with all his documents they were all 100% correct but my friend was a 70 year old vulnerable man .the same guy once tried to charge me 4,000 baht for a years 1,900 extension of stay but I told him very politely where to go 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

no stone will be left unturned in that endeavor.

Ha ha ha ha ha, breathe, ha ha ha ha ha... ????

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Do you honestly not know the history of ThaiVisa?

And why would it matter who set up ThaiVisa, this website is Asean Now and The fopunder of ThaiVisa is no longer here and has not been a part of the ThiaVisa forum for a very long time and he has no part in the running of Asean Now.

 

 

 

I'm afraid not; I do not know the history of every websites I visit on the internet; is that a crime? is that a sin?

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

And when you are able to understand that not everyone is 'Lilly white' and that I am not telling you a falsehood (why would I?), you can then delete the 'Confused' emojis that you have added to my post and change them to 'Like' emojis.

 

Of course, if you are still confused I will try to draw you a picture, for your better understanding. ????

 

 

I don't like your tone, I believe we are done.

And what about the bribe for confirmation of residence? Or what should a fee without receipt be called?

With all these nails being constantly hammered into the proverbial "reputation coffin" of the RTP one after another after another, that casket by now ought to look like a hedgehog. Not that it matters. With or without nails, we all - locals and foreigners alike - know exactly what is going on within Thailand's largest mafia organization.

An honest mistake / misunderstanding. Next case please.

4 hours ago, smedly said:

out of all the people I know that live here only two of them get their extensions without going through an agent and of those none of them have the funds in the bank and pay on average 15k for a 12 month extension - fact

That’s the problem on here people got nothing better to do than worry about what other people do and don’t do instead of worrying about their own business.

5 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Audio clips, CCTV clips. Those are the real problems they'll Address at the committee... 

CCTV did nothing for the Burmese 2, not only was facial recognition technology used by overseas investigators that said this person running from the scene was not a B2, nothing ever came of it, they said it looked more like the boy discovered in BK with a new haircut.

 

Ferrari Joe will plead self defense for  trying to enforce protective face mask rules for infection by masking with plastic.

He was only trying to protect his fellow officers and the public from Delta spreading.

He was probably hissing and spitting, would not listen and was warned several times before the face mask was applied.

27 minutes ago, NanaSomchai said:

I'm afraid not; I do not know the history of every websites I visit on the internet; is that a crime? is that a sin?

 

So you were spouting off about something that you know nothing about?

I stated an incident that happened to me and then you decide to try to tear down my statement without any proof or reason.

 

As for my tone, don't act all high and mighty and you might get treated with a little respect.

 

Now, jog on.

 

 

Because Thailand is the only country this happens in?
I think not. The main difference is, many in Thailand do it because they don't earn enough. In other countries, they do it to bolster what is already a healthy wage.
I'm, in no way, condoning their actions, but you'd think that Thailand is the only country it happens in.

 

4 hours ago, fangless said:

You have no way of knowing which of those passports is there from an agent who is doing a legitimate job or is bribing/breaking the rules. 

 Not all agency applications are fake.

Are there honest agents?  'An honest immigration agent', sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Isn't it strange that when a corruption story breaks -- whatever department -- the reaction is one of "amazement" and a statement that a full investigation will be made!

 

The entire population knows there is corruption in every government department! It is an accepted way of Thai life!  It is so rife in the police that every level obviously are aware of it -- and either condone it or are involved in it -- and it will NEVER be wiped out without the disbandment of entire units and loss of pensions to all -- and imprisonment of the high-rankers!

 

So, it will never happen!

5 hours ago, webfact said:

get to the truth

Do they even understand this concept? 

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I have 2 friends who use agents because they are to lazy to do it themselves, nothing to do with money

Sure, there are honest people who fulfil the requirements, but are too lazy to do it themselves.  But that doesn't mean that the agent they use isn't corrupt, they're simply not being corrupt on those occasions.  If it wasn't for corrupt agents, then 50% of the retirees here, wouldn't be here.  Just have a little wander down your local bar street, when they open again, legally and officially, and I'll bet the percentage rises to 90%.

5 hours ago, pegman said:

Shocking, 555!

double shocking, 555, 555!!

In 7 years at Hua Hin Immigration I have never had a problem or paid a bribe. The staff there, with one exception being a mean old woman, who deals mostly with the stacks of agent’s passports ( see previous posts about stacks of passports), is always professional and efficient. 

I have rarely left unimpressed 

7 minutes ago, Chiang Mai Will said:

Isn't it strange that when a corruption story breaks -- whatever department -- the reaction is one of "amazement" and a statement that a full investigation will be made!

 

The entire population knows there is corruption in every government department! It is an accepted way of Thai life!  It is so rife in the police that every level obviously are aware of it -- and either condone it or are involved in it -- and it will NEVER be wiped out without the disbandment of entire units and loss of pensions to all -- and imprisonment of the high-rankers!

 

So, it will never happen!

it's their way of life and they see nothing wrong with it at all. It will take a generation or two to change that mind set if the government ever have the appetite to go down that route..