Passport held by shady agent for 8 months - please help

[brianthainess]

7 hours ago, bobandyson said:

The above info is what I got from an agency in Pattaya. Hand over PP and pick up 2 weeks later? No thanks.

 

Jan 4th at CW I met an agent to get a retirement ext. First we went to photo copy pages in PP. Then to the bank to open account with 800,000b.

Then to immigration. No ticket, just walked straight in (Fast Track). A few signatures were needed. Had photo taken by them as usual so had to attend (and I preferred to anyway). PP stamped with ext. and then it was back to the bank to extract 800,000b.

 

The whole process took just over an hour and most of that was spent in the bank opening an account with signing forms and photo copies.

 

My agent had my PP almost all of the whole time from start to finish and not once was she ever out of my sight. 

So not a marriage extension then.

[Surasak]

11 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Same as retirement just more expensive- they pay under the table for people who do not have the funds in the bank

800K sat in a bank doesn't give much of a chance to use that money for more profitable purposes, either here or elsewhere. 

If someone chooses to make use of and pay for a service, I don't see a problem. If its a case of ethics, who's conscience does that sit on?

 

 

[brianthainess]

40 minutes ago, Tracyb said:

EIGHT MONTHS!?  Really?

Who goes on for eight months without a passport?

Best of luck, pal!

Some people just bury their head in the sand and hope their problems will just disappear. init 

[ifmu]

11 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Same as retirement just more expensive- they pay under the table for people who do not have the funds in the bank

i have a friend that want to know   .... who ?

[bobandyson]

36 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

So not a marriage extension then.

No. Just a response to Dr Jacks post.

 

 

[klauskunkel]

The older I get the more I realize that most problems are self-inflicted.

[gargamon]

8 hours ago, bobandyson said:

Then to the bank to open account with 800,000b.

Then to immigration. No ticket, just walked straight in (Fast Track). A few signatures were needed. Had photo taken by them as usual so had to attend (and I preferred to anyway). PP stamped with ext. and then it was back to the bank to extract 800,000b

A bit off topic, but since a new bank account is opened, and presumably closed at the withdrawal, could someone unable to open an account use this method to open one? Shady bank, shady agent...

[Pravda]

I was always wondering how can these agents in Thailand operate legally. You are absolutely under no circumstances supposed to give your passport to anyone. 

 

When you do file that police report and state you willingly gave away your passport, you may not get another one again.

[The Fugitive]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

I would contact the agent again, and tell them if it's not returned say within 7 days or less, you will have no choice than make a police report, because at the end of the day that is true, it just might make them take more effort in trying to find it. If they can.

Agree! Simplest course of action. Say you need your passport in order to travel.

[LosLobo]

6 minutes ago, gargamon said:

A bit off topic, but since a new bank account is opened, and presumably closed at the withdrawal, could someone unable to open an account use this method to open one? Shady bank, shady agent...

Most banks will let you open an account if you are referred by a "trusted" customer!

 

Savings Account (bangkokbank.com)

 

Opening a New Account

 

For foreigners

 

 2. Foreigner without work permit

 

A reference letter issued by one of the following institutes or organizations or required document

• Embassy located  in Thailand or a work permit.
• Document showing ownership of a fixed asset such as a condominium sale/purchase agreement (a condominium
• An overseas bank where the customer holds an account sent via SWIFT 
• Trusted individuals such as a Bangkok Bank staff member or customer, director of a private company, permanent residence in Thailand, government or private educational institutes located in Thailand trusted by the Bank
• Trusted companies, e.g., an employment letter from the company if the customer is in the process of applying for job

 

 

[bobandyson]

28 minutes ago, gargamon said:

A bit off topic, but since a new bank account is opened, and presumably closed at the withdrawal, could someone unable to open an account use this method to open one? Shady bank, shady agent...

The bank account wasn't closed. Just the 800,000b was withdrawn. I have the bank book and ATM card and can use it again next time if I so wish.

[chuang]

Right months. You don't seemed to care.. Simple minded person will cry Hell even for eight days.. your passport must been sold...

[Grusa]

3 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

I would expose her and make sure her name is on every website that deals with Thailand. You have a YouTube channel? If not might be a good time to take action so others won,t be harmed. After two weeks I would have been pounding on her day daily. Where's my damn passport?

Be careful. Defamation action could follow.

[Cake Monster]

14 hours ago, JackGats said:

The agent most probably lost the passport. How could you wait for 8 months? I get the jitters after 4 days when I leave my passport in the hand of strangers.

Waiting for so long to try and get your Passport back is not a good idea.

Your Passport, when living, or even visiting a Country that is not your own, is probably more important than Money.

Its your route out of misery sometimes.

[Thingamabob]

15 hours ago, JackGats said:

The agent most probably lost the passport. How could you wait for 8 months? I get the jitters after 4 days when I leave my passport in the hand of strangers.

I have never left my passport in the hands of strangers, nor will I.

[Thingamabob]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You’re between a rock and hard place. 

 

You can’t involve the police because you’ve been on overstay since August ’21 and you’ll get banned from re-entering Thailand for 5 years. 

 

Your options:

Wait it out with the Visa agent and hope they sort out the issue.

Or....

Report the passport stolen (or lost), get an Emergency travel document from your Embassy. 

Travel home, pay the overstay fine, accept a 1 year ban. 

 

 

Is it possible to go and meet the visa agent, actually see the passport itself ?.... see that its not lost etc

 

IF she still has ‘connections’ and can sort out your overstay issue this could be the best option still, but its a horrible gamble. 

This case highlights the dangers of dealing with agents. Doing so is against the law and means you cannot pursue your case through legal channels.

[malthebluff]

Go to the agent and ask to see the passport they may not have done anything with it yet due to covid. How are you doing your 9o day reports. Say you need the passport to do as cant do them online. Why have you waited so long 2 weeks without a passport and alarm bells should have been ringing 

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

A shady agent?

Surely not. they are all upstanding pillars of society and would never break the law.

I have used quite a few agents in Pattaya, had good honest service from them all, except one. He is definitely not to be recommended.

[Gottfrid]

11 hours ago, LoeiI said:

Wow bit of a gift to the agent bashers on the forum anyone smell a ???? ??

No, it´s probably only your nose.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

I would expose her and make sure her name is on every website that deals with Thailand. You have a YouTube channel? If not might be a good time to take action so others won,t be harmed. After two weeks I would have been pounding on her day daily. Where's my damn passport?

"I would expose her and make sure her name is on every website that deals with Thailand." There is one agent I would love to do that with, but there is the defamation law.

 

[transam]

15 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

And what exactly do the agents do for extensions marriage. Please outline

Charge more money..

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Defamation laws in Thailand???

What has defamation got to do with saying a certain agent has your passport and won't return it. I don't see how it can be defamation to mention the agents name in that case, whether it's on this forum or anywhere else.

[roo860]

28 minutes ago, malthebluff said:

Go to the agent and ask to see the passport they may not have done anything with it yet due to covid. How are you doing your 9o day reports. Say you need the passport to do as cant do them online. Why have you waited so long 2 weeks without a passport and alarm bells should have been ringing 

Deleted

Edited January 8, 2022 by roo860

[scorecard]

16 hours ago, dddave said:

Even worse but not outside of the realm of possibility: the agent could have "loaned" your passport to a roughly similar looking individual, perhaps somebody blacklisted.

 

If she won't return it immediately, you probably should report it lost with the details to your Embassy.  You will have to file a police report to get your old visas and permissions reinstated.

PART QUOTE:

 

"Even worse but not outside of the realm of possibility: the agent could have "loaned" your passport to a roughly similar looking individual, perhaps somebody blacklisted."

 

Or, using your passport in cahoots with a doctor or hospital staff to run a health insurance scam, or other insurance scams. 

 

 

[Denim]

You could try offering the agent a financial reward of say 10,000 baht for the prompt return of your passport. 

 

Of course , there is no reason why you should have to do this but you might learn something from her reaction.

 

If she shows absolutely no interest then you can take it that your passport is lost or at least , that you are unlikely to see it again.

 

If on the other hand she agrees , then you arrange a time and place for the exchange.  This might be useful to you since it suggests she still has the passport and it is not lost.

 

What you decide to do with this knowledge is up to you.

 

Either way, even if you get your passport back you are on overstay with the nasty consequences that involves.

[Nickelbeer]

12 hours ago, LoeiI said:

Wow bit of a gift to the agent bashers on the forum anyone smell a ???? ??

Agent bashers are just jealous because they decided to stand on western principle and refused to do things the "Thai way".  Immigration makes this possible by being completely duplicitous about the process. I just consider myself "grandfathered", since my income requirements were perfectly fine when I first moved here. An IO officer even told me that they didn't care WHERE my money was, as long as it was the required amount. Now, as then, my income is STILL above the requirements.  Now, I learn that they are considering upping the required income. My agent says not to worry. Judging by the welcome she got at Immigration during my last two extensions, I would trust her without reservation.  She also provides me with my condo rental.  The asinine "buying privilege" argument is just a way for some to feel superior. 

[The Hammer2021]

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, what assistance did you require for a marriage extension?

It's unusual for agents to assist with extensions marriage. They can deal with organization of docs etc. Not much else. 

Did you meet the financials.

What was the agent required to do. 

Don't just state "obtain the extension". 

Irrelevant

[The Hammer2021]

Your passport  is effectively  stolen. It might be used by criminals or terrorists. I always go with my agent to IO whenever  possible and would complain  after 48 hours if my passport disapeared..

[The Hammer2021]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

I have used quite a few agents in Pattaya, had good honest service from them all, except one. He is definitely not to be recommended.

Is that the one with a French word in the title?

[The Hammer2021]

4 hours ago, Pravda said:

I was always wondering how can these agents in Thailand operate legally. You are absolutely under no circumstances supposed to give your passport to anyone. 

 

When you do file that police report and state you willingly gave away your passport, you may not get another one again.

I have used agents all over the world and have often  submitted  my passport  to employers.  It's standard.