Visa Agents? Yay or Nay?

[Scott]

Inflammatory post reported and removed.

[Chris.B]

16 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

No need for an expensive dodgy agent.

So easy to do it yourself.

"So easy" ? It's not that easy and a retirement visa extension is easier.

 

[bobandyson]

14 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I assume you actually had the funds required in the bank yourself.

If I had the funds then there would be no need for an agent. I had the funds for a marriage ext but the retirement ext seemed so much easier and appealing but I just lacked the full 800,000k. (Two expensive hospital visits in the last 2 years cost me dearly). So I used an agent to help with the bank book and funds.

 

 

[Jonathan Swift]

On 1/17/2022 at 4:39 PM, FalangTingTong said:

I’m not an expert but I used an agent and was happy with the service.  For retirement I ended up paying about 1000€ all-in, and that got me 15 months, which I may or may not extend.

Totally safe and legal, for Asian definitions of both.

 

Only downside was I had to surrender my passport for several weeks, which I don’t think I’d be happy to do again just because of the risk: they’re not going to lose the thing but if you *must* go home before you get it back, you’re in for a whole lot of pain.  However that might not apply to you or your visa type.

 

At least go talk to a couple agents and ask about the details.

I've heard stories about "agents" losing passports, it may be rare, but I agree that surrendering it for any length of time is unnerving and should not be necessary. There was also a news story about a visa agent who was prosecuted for falsifying bank records when they made the 800,000/400,000 baht deposit conveniently appear and disappear when necessary. I expect he neglected his other "fees". I've learned to navigate the process relatively painlessly without any of those burdens, in particular the money paid for those services does me a whole lot more good when it stays in my bank to be used for far better things. I personally would never want to place any of my life affairs in the hands of someone I don't know unless I really needed a doctor or lawyer and whose credentials were established. 

[Jonathan Swift]

My understanding, and you all can correct me if I'm wrong, is that some of these services skate a fine line of legality when they are the ones who put up the 400,000/800,000 baht for appearances. I personally would not want to do that. You didn't mention your visa type, that would help. But when I was trying to figure out my non O retirement visa I consulted with Siam Legal. They gave me about 20 minutes for free and explained what I needed to do and how much they would charge, which was about $800 US dollars or so. So I suggest a free legal consultation so that you can be clear as to the requirements. I use the monthly income of 65,000 baht into BKK Bank method rather than keeping a small fortune tied up in the bank, and don't have any difficulty doing it all myself except for the occasional anal retentiveness of weary clerks, which I'm prepared to be patient with. I don't think it should be that difficult to do yourself, and if you can you will have learned valuable info and skills toward your future. Plus saving a nice big chunk of change. Lastly, you should be able to find the exact requirements on the Thai immigration page. There is usually a printable document which spells everything out quite clearly. You just have to make sure you get to the official government page and not the opportunistic profiteering imposters whose pages may be a year or more out of date. The most important thing is that your information be up to date as of 2021 - 2022. Good luck, chokdee

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Jonathan Swift

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I use an agent to  do my 90 day report when I don't want to queue at the IO.

when i used an agent before they do 90 day for free but it's 2 trips rather than 1 if i do it myself. Online is so easy now no need to go to immigration

[Tayaout]

I've been using a visa agent for my marriage extension since COVID started. Before that I was using multiple entry non-O. This year (the third extension) my wife decided she would get help from a friend who work for a visa agency and do the paperwork herself. Yesterday, she got a call from immigration and they want to know why my last stamp were from an office in a province where I didn't live. I didn't know this could be an issue... They want to interview me next week and make me sign a report. It might be nothing but it's stressful since I have two Thai childrens and a lot of stuff after all these years. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Tayaout

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Yesterday, she got a call from immigration and they want to know why my last stamp were from an office in a province where I didn't live. I didn't know this could be an issue... They want to interview me next week and make me sign a report.

Hopefully they are referring to a TM30 report.

Change your address from where stamps were obtained to province where you are having this extension processed. 

Did you provide funds in the bank for 2 previous extensions when you used an agent.

Are you using money in the bank for your current application? 

Which immigration office issued your stamps? 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by DrJack54

[Tayaout]

24 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Hopefully they are referring to a TM30 report.

Change your address from where stamps were obtained to province where you are having this extension processed. 

Did you provide funds in the bank for 2 previous extensions when you used an agent.

Are you using money in the bank for your current application? 

Which immigration office issued your stamps? 

 

Yes I have plenty of funds in the bank. At the time I was living 1.5h drive from the closest immigration office so I found an agency online that is pretty well known to make things easier. My tm30 are always up to date but I never lived in Khon Kaen where they processed my previous extension. Since then I moved to another province and we are closer to the immigration office. I thought I would give the money to my wife instead of the agent this year but I hope it wasn't a mistake. I just want to keep my interaction with immigration at a minimum and now thinking about doing 20 years elite visa next year if I'm still allowed in Thailand.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Tayaout

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

. I just want to keep my interaction with immigration at a minimum

First up, I think the imm office wants you to do change of address TM30 and can process your application.

 

For extensions marriage you cannot keep your dealings with immigration to a minimum.

Thinking your under 50 because if 50+ the agent would have suggested extension retirement.

 

Just go along to your immigration and find out what they require. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by DrJack54

[VocalNeal]

On 1/19/2022 at 7:51 AM, mtls2005 said:

Most in the L area doing marriage extensions seem to be agent-less; they are easy to identify obviously, lugging their massive photo albums. Oh, and the wife.

And are still there when you leave with your agent! 

 

It all depends on how much one's time is worth.

[ExpatDraco]

Was a few days late with 90-day reporting (> 7days). Normally fine is 2000THB. Agent fixed it for 300THB. Agents? Definitely yay.

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, ExpatDraco said:

Was a few days late with 90-day reporting (> 7days). Normally fine is 2000THB. Agent fixed it for 300THB. Agents? Definitely yay.

You mean that you were more than 7 days late. 

[ExpatDraco]

47 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You mean that you were more than 7 days late. 

What do you think '>7 days' mean?

 

<removed>

Edited January 20, 2022 by ubonjoe
baiting remark removed

[daveAustin]

Just out of interest, are Thai banks paying interest on 400/800k? 

[Tayaout]

22 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Just out of interest, are Thai banks paying interest on 400/800k? 

I use a fixed deposit account with Bangkok which pay next to nothing (I think it's around 0.45%) but I put 420K in it and forget about it. The 20K extra is a deposit so I can have a visa credit card which work better than the Mastercard debit card for online purchase.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Tayaout

[VocalNeal]

Islamic Bank of Thailand will give you 1%. If there is one near you.

[JimGant]

On 1/20/2022 at 1:22 AM, Jonathan Swift said:

But when I was trying to figure out my non O retirement visa I consulted with Siam Legal. They gave me about 20 minutes for free and explained what I needed to do and how much they would charge, which was about $800 US dollars or so

For $800, I presume Siam Legal is fronting your financial requirement with Immigration? Otherwise, paying that much makes no sense.

 

I have no problem with the financials, but just wish agents could do the 'wink wink, nod nod, brown envelope' trick with Immigration when it comes to the OA insurance requirement for retirement extensions. Of course, this would cost the TGIA mafia, so it looks like their corrupt muscle is larger than that of visa agents.....

[Neeranam]

On 1/17/2022 at 4:17 PM, Edward Abbott said:

a) Is it safe/legal?

b) What kind of price do they charge for a one-year extension based on marriage?

c) Do I need to have 400,000 in a Thai account, and if so how long should it have been sitting there?

Generally speaking, if an agent charges something like 15k baht, they are bribing immigration to bypass immigration regulations, which is of course, highly illegal. Is it safe? For the moment, pretty much so, but that could change very quickly. 

Legal agents charge maybe 3,000 baht and they just gather your documents. 

If an agent can get you a visa, without you having to appear in person, this is another sign of illegal activity. 

 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

On 1/17/2022 at 4:39 PM, ubonjoe said:

If is fairly easy do to it yourself.

We have a lot of foreign guests trying to check into our hotel without a passport. One of the common excuses for this (as they're shown the exit) is they had to leave their passport with a car or motorcycle hire company. I never understand why people are so goddamn stupid to leave such an important document with strangers. All things considered, and the general lack of professionalism across all industries in Thailand, I fail to see the logic in leaving your passport with a visa agent. They're all shady. I think your comment is the most important in this topic.

[scubascuba3]

21 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Generally speaking, if an agent charges something like 15k baht, they are bribing immigration to bypass immigration regulations, which is of course, highly illegal. Is it safe? For the moment, pretty much so, but that could change very quickly. 

Legal agents charge maybe 3,000 baht and they just gather your documents. 

If an agent can get you a visa, without you having to appear in person, this is another sign of illegal activity. 

 

3,000 is too low for an agent

[Skallywag]

On 1/19/2022 at 9:11 PM, Lemsta69 said:

I used an agent for my very first "retirement visa". why, because who in their right mind wants to tie up 800k in a Thai bank forever as opposed to wisely investing the funds and making stacks of money every year? but I guess that's why some people are constantly talking about the price of everything and the successful investors are sipping on champagne and eating caviar ????

You see the word "retirement"means you no longer need to invest, make money, etc...  You set this up during your previous 40-45 years of working with 401K, pensions, real estate etc...

Retirees who come here thinking they have to keep making more money are not truly retired IMO

If you really need to invest and make big interest on 800K or 400K baht each year then you are scraping by IMO.  Some people never have "enough" I realize, but some retirees do.   

Good Luck with your stacks of money and champagne sipping.... been there done that  555

Peace

 

 

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

3,000 is too low for an agent

I said legal agents charge that amount. 

[scubascuba3]

11 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I said legal agents charge that amount. 

doubt it, maybe someone else can confirm they only pay 3,000 for just paper processing

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, JimGant said:

For $800, I presume Siam Legal is fronting your financial requirement with Immigration? Otherwise, paying that much makes no sense.

 

I have no problem with the financials, but just wish agents could do the 'wink wink, nod nod, brown envelope' trick with Immigration when it comes to the OA insurance requirement for retirement extensions. Of course, this would cost the TGIA mafia, so it looks like their corrupt muscle is larger than that of visa agents.....

I extended my OA in 2021 using an agent. He sold me a 3,000 tbh Ins policy. 

[big dendrobenaes]

where do you live in Thailand....would be helpful to know

[RedArmy]

51 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I said legal agents charge that amount. 

I never heard about this "Legal Agent" before - I always assumed an Agent was an Agent ?

 

Where does one find such an upstanding member of the community here in Thailand ?

[1FinickyOne]

On 1/19/2022 at 8:57 PM, worgeordie said:

why anyone would need

to use an agent is beyond me

I qualify and still use an agent.. I did my own for many many years but now that I live in an area where there are agents who will fill out all the forms for me and make sure all is neat and proper, and whisk me in an out of Immigration, as the IO knows that all forms are properly prepared, since it is easily affordable for me, it is a service I choose to happily purchase... it takes all the anxiety out of the process... 

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

doubt it, maybe someone else can confirm they only pay 3,000 for just paper processing

That sounds about right... and not only paper processing but they send me notifications when I need to come in for both annual and 90 day... before it was sometimes in the back of my mind to be aware of when my time had come, now I don't have to think about it... part of the service. 

[1FinickyOne]

On 1/20/2022 at 1:52 PM, VocalNeal said:

It all depends on how much one's time is worth.

And in addition to that, how unpleasant the task might be...

 

I ran my own business and got tired of paperwork long ago..