Tell me your thoughts on the "emergency self defense" ED visa

[PadPrikKhing]

13 hours ago, TropicalGuy said:

Yes, providing agent proves visa is on Imm computer & 90 day reporting done with Imm office on passport stamp, you are fully legal & “ bullet proof”.

Thanks for this. It sounds like key info, exactly the kind of "intel" I'm seeking.

 

14 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

I dont think that its ever happened before .

They are legitimate retirement  visas issued by immigration 

I'm kind of famous for worrying about contingencies that have never happened before. It's just the way my mind works in order to sort through scenarios to get prepared for something. I probably should have had a career at a major insurance company inventing claim scenarios that the carrier can deny.

[Guest Isaanlife]

OP

 

Seriously, if you are so concerned and paranoid do it the right way by putting 800K in the bank.

 

The only person that wouldn't choose this option and go for a dodgy self defense ED VISA or use an agent, probably doesn't have 800K to put in the bank.

 

In the case you don't have the 800K in the bank and go the dodgy route, there is no guarantees.

 

However, many, many use agents and are still here.

 

Still? Dodgy is dodgy. 

 

Should you even be here at your age if you don't even have 800K saved up?

 

Do you meet the income method?

[BritTim]

14 minutes ago, PadPrikKhing said:

I'm kind of famous for worrying about contingencies that have never happened before. It's just the way my mind works in order to sort through scenarios to get prepared for something. I probably should have had a career at a major insurance company inventing claim scenarios that the carrier can deny.

Anyone who tells you that using a well established agent for an extension, without the requisite financial proof is absolutely zero risk is wrong. However, the risk is very, very low (about the same as being struck by lightning). The agent is dealing with pretty senior officials who have paid for their positions, and are tacitly expected to recoup their investment one way or another. Further, even if a political battle erupted (possible) that saw the friendly official (and through him) the agent in trouble, it most likely would not cause you undue difficulties. Your position is that you received legal stamps in your passport, and had no idea that there was anything improper in the application made by the agent on your behalf. If possible, those at the very top would want to avoid damaging the well established system that is especially lucrative for them.

[PadPrikKhing]

13 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Some schools are genuine schools there to teach , they have a reputation for teaching students and people who just enroll to get visas are frowned upon.

  Other schools may have a reputation for providing visas without educating their students  

In my case personally, I absolutely would attend the classes if I chose to go this route (except if I had diarrhea that day ????). I'd like to learn the skills. But from what I'm reading here about the non-O retirement, I think I'm going to go that way. It sounds like as long as I choose a well-connected, prominent agent with a good rep, it should go okay. 

[ubonjoe]

23 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Would not happen. 

 

5 hours ago, PadPrikKhing said:

You sound very confident of that... I like it.

Nobody will ask to see proof of the 800k baht other than at a immigration office when applying for a extension and etc.

But you have to remember you will be locked in with an agent for the next extension since you would be asked to prove the 800k baht was in the bank for 3 months after the extension is applied for and then 400k baht after that until the account is topped up to 800k baht for the next extension.

[Mikeheo]

On 2/4/2022 at 12:59 PM, Mac Mickmanus said:

You are required to attend classes on Ed Visas .

The school can cancel your visa if you don't and they wont give  refund .

Immigration often check up on schools to make sure pupils are attending 

Officially yes, but if you go to a school with decent connections to the MOE, they will alert you when you need to attend. My school told us the exact week we needed to attend due to an official coming in to check up.  Only happened once in a year.

[PadPrikKhing]

On 2/4/2022 at 5:30 PM, ubonjoe said:

 

Nobody will ask to see proof of the 800k baht other than at a immigration office when applying for a extension and etc.

But you have to remember you will be locked in with an agent for the next extension since you would be asked to prove the 800k baht was in the bank for 3 months after the extension is applied for and then 400k baht after that until the account is topped up to 800k baht for the next extension.

Good point. That's another aspect of this that I was going to get around to asking about. I was wondering how anyone meets the continuing balance requirement if they're working with an agent's money. Sounds like you have to commit to working with an agent long-term, which I have no problem with if that's what works. 

 

Here's another puzzle for me: looking at it from the agent's side, if the agent is putting 400k/800k of his/her money into the client's account and leaving it for months, how does the agent trust that the client won't abscond with it? I hope you don't say "by holding onto the client's passport," because I don't really want to be leaving my passport in an agent's or anyone else's possession. That would prevent me from going out of the country, plus you're supposed to have it in your possession all the time.

Edited February 7, 2022 by PadPrikKhing

[PadPrikKhing]

(continuing)

The only way I can imagine this working is that the agent somehow totally controls the bank account being used for this, and the client doesn't even have access to it throughout the year. Then when show-and-tell time comes, the agent gives temporary access (this is where the "bank book" comes in?) to the client—or maybe that's not even necessary—and then after the deal is done at the IO, the client goes back to not having access to that account. Is this how it works?

[ubonjoe]

52 minutes ago, PadPrikKhing said:

Here's another puzzle for me: looking at it from the agent's side, if the agent is putting 400k/800k of his/her money into the client's account and leaving it for months, how does the agent trust that the client won't abscond with it? I hope you don't say "by holding onto the client's passport," because I don't really want to be leaving my passport in an agent's or anyone else's possession. That would prevent me from going out of the country, plus you're supposed to have it in your possession all the time.

Most agents do not put any money in the bank. They arrange approval of the application with immigration.

I suspect the agent provides a unproven copy of a bank book and a letter from the bank in your name that is put in your file for the extension application in case there is a audit done in the future.

[PadPrikKhing]

On 2/6/2022 at 4:37 PM, ubonjoe said:

Most agents do not put any money in the bank. They arrange approval of the application with immigration.

I suspect the agent provides a unproven copy of a bank book and a letter from the bank in your name that is put in your file for the extension application in case there is a audit done in the future.

Thank you.