Visa Agent Catch

[NancyL]

BTW, Hubby and I each have our own 800,000 baht accounts for our retirement visas, yet we use an visa agent who charges something like 8000 baht, which includes the gov't fee for the extension and a re-entry permit.  Why -- we want to minimize our time at CM Immigration, esp in this time of Covid.  We're in and out in less than 5 minutes.  

 

The IO has a special room to serve agent customers and with my most recent extension, they'd installed a window between that room and the hallway.  So, you don't even have to sit across the desk from the IO, you just look through the window and take off your glasses when he points at the camera.  Easy-peasy.  Don't even have to look 'em in the eye or smell their somtam breath from lunch.

[rott]

On 3/31/2022 at 11:24 AM, Neeranam said:

No, it's a fake one and there are serious repercussions if found out, especially if the passport has been sent to another province.

 

No, if the stamp came from immigration it is legal. 

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, NancyL said:

Don't even have to look 'em in the eye or smell their somtam breath from lunch.

They probably had similar thoughts about disgusting farang smells when they installed the window. But hey, it works for both "sides". ????

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, rott said:

No, if the stamp came from immigration it is legal. 

It depends who looks at it. If you pray, you'll probably get away with it. 

[Guest truthman]

On 3/28/2022 at 11:51 AM, JimTripper said:

Well, I would be stuck without a visa at renewal and would need to use another agent and pay the hefty initial startup fee a second time. That's what I'm afraid of having to pay the 38k baht over and over if something went wrong.

You can shop around for agents. There are many in Pattaya. You can even get them at Chaeng Wattana, although you need to be sure your previous extensions was done at an immigration office CW accepts.

[Lite Beer]

5 hours ago, rott said:

No, if the stamp came from immigration it is legal. 

You sure about that?

[rott]

4 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

You sure about that?

If it is a stamp from immigration yes. 

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, rott said:

If it is a stamp from immigration yes. 

Just ignore. 

[JimTripper]

5 hours ago, rott said:

If it is a stamp from immigration yes. 

It should be. Anything can be twisted around, it just depends how far they want to go.

 

Someone could say it was issued under false pretenses so it does not get renewed, or look up your address and come get you for not having a valid visa. Grey area.

 

The main thing is to just keep off the radar as much as possible so you don't attract attention to yourself. Do things the right normal way unless you can't afford to or for some other serious reason.

 

Like someone mentioned above, a last resort, not something you would prefer to do. The less people your dealing with the better. Better to show up at immigration yourself rather then use an agent, less chances of a problem or misinterpretation.

 

Not attracting attention does not mean hiding behind an agent, it means hiding in plain sight and doing things normally.

[CartagenaWarlock]

On 3/27/2022 at 6:05 PM, steve187 said:

using an agent to fund the money is a back door way to obtain extension, could come back and bite you in the a*se, once you have used an sgent its hard to stop using them as the financials are never seasoned correctly ie 800 for 5 months 400 rest of the year.

Why care. 800K invested in US market will return you much more than what you pay to agents in perpetuity while compounding does it magic. You are already spending money in Thailand to help its economy. The spirit of the game is well orchestrated. 

[Onerak]

On 3/27/2022 at 4:09 PM, JimTripper said:

Current quote is 38k baht for 15 months,

OMG, so 38-15 = 23K for conversion? Can I get O in Hanoi, Vietnam? What are the requirements?. 15 K for extension is fine for me. I can afford 23 K but rather I want to make a trip to Hanoi and spend the money there. Never visited Hanoi.

[Onerak]

On 3/28/2022 at 12:14 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

There's no reason for an agent-supplied extension to bite you in the ar$e.  

That's the myth created in this forum to discourage people to apply through agent.

[sitta]

On 3/28/2022 at 3:50 PM, petermik said:

IF you must use an agent Maneerat on soi 13 is recommended by many.....me I do it the legit way.

So what is your fee for retirement visa, just flying in on a 30 day and convert to retirement visa?

[Onerak]

On 3/31/2022 at 12:22 AM, vidgra said:

For retirement and marriage are only useful if you don't have the money in the bank, I wonder why anybody would pay them for any other reason ?

It depends really. I used to stay 6-months in Thailand with O-A visa and things were going smooth. Then they imposed the insurance requirements and then Covid hit. I stayed two years in Thailand by paying agents and 2,500 for insurance fees. Every week I bring 500 USD  and occasionally I bring 100K USD (to lavishly give gifts and spend with my GF and daughter or decorate my GF's house) and for the two years I brought more than one million/year. I did not want to bother myself with all the inconveniences, though in the spirits I spent more than 800K USD in the two years that I obtained my visa through agent (I think 17K each time). I may have made more than that in S&P index fund (and compounding also). All my money is in S&P index fund in IRAs/Roth IRAs. I found bringing 500 USD is more convenient for me than dealing with all the hassle in the immigration office.  And I keep around 300K BHT in Thailand in case of emergency. NOw I am in USA for the last year and let my re-entry permit expire. Planning to visit Thailand in July. I will see what and how I will stay for 6-months in Thailand. May be I will opt for an agent or make a visa run to a neighboring country. 

[steve187]

2 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Why care. 800K invested in US market will return you much more than what you pay to agents in perpetuity while compounding does it magic. You are already spending money in Thailand to help its economy. The spirit of the game is well orchestrated. 

but what you are doing is illegal, and how does investing in the USA, help a UK resident, i would rather have my 400,000thb in a bank in Thialand and pay out 1,900thb legally once a year, then be here on a dodgy extension, costing 15-20,000thb, you can try and justify it all you want, but rules are rules, 

[CartagenaWarlock]

35 minutes ago, steve187 said:

but what you are doing is illegal,

I'm not doing it as I already have a elite card for 20 years. I think UK residents should have access to invest in S&P 500 also. I was just giving an example. I don't think it is illegal. I have never heard somebody got arrested for obtaining retirement extension through an agent. Read a few reports when an gent was using fake stamps, the agent got arrested. But he was using fake stamps. Not going through the proper channel to get immigration stamp from an immigration office. 

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, sitta said:

So what is your fee for retirement visa, just flying in on a 30 day and convert to retirement visa?

You possibly do not have a Thai bank account.

Enter Thailand visa exempt you would require the agent to 

1. Open bank account.

2. Obtain the non O.

3. Obtain 12 month extension based on retirement. 

Should cost approx 30k.

~ 5k of that is for the bank account.

If you have your own money to deposit (800k). 

Then it's just cost of non O and extension and agent can do the bank account.

Possibly might also need 30 day extension to your visa exempt to provide adequate time.

That path approx 12k

[Lite Beer]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

3. Obtain 12 month extension based on retirement. 

Should cost approx 30k.

 

Fee for all legal extensions is 1,900 Baht.

[clivebaxter]

17 hours ago, NancyL said:

BTW, Hubby and I each have our own 800,000 baht accounts for our retirement visas, yet we use an visa agent who charges something like 8000 baht, which includes the gov't fee for the extension and a re-entry permit.  Why -- we want to minimize our time at CM Immigration, esp in this time of Covid.  We're in and out in less than 5 minutes.  

 

The IO has a special room to serve agent customers and with my most recent extension, they'd installed a window between that room and the hallway.  So, you don't even have to sit across the desk from the IO, you just look through the window and take off your glasses when he points at the camera.  Easy-peasy.  Don't even have to look 'em in the eye or smell their somtam breath from lunch.

Serve agent customers- queue jumpers in other words forking out 6k to an agent to do just that!

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Fee for all legal extensions is 1,900 Baht.

He requires a bank account and a non O and an extension.

Also may require a 30 day extension to his visa exempt entry. 

1900 is for 12month extension.

2000 non O.

Bank a/c ~ 4000.

30 day extension (if required). 1900.

 

 I outlined that option. 

 

I have you on ignore. Play the broken record tune elsewhere.

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, JimTripper said:

It should be. Anything can be twisted around, it just depends how far they want to go.

 

Someone could say it was issued under false pretenses so it does not get renewed, or look up your address and come get you for not having a valid visa. Grey area.

 

The main thing is to just keep off the radar as much as possible so you don't attract attention to yourself. Do things the right normal way unless you can't afford to or for some other serious reason.

 

Like someone mentioned above, a last resort, not something you would prefer to do. The less people your dealing with the better. Better to show up at immigration yourself rather then use an agent, less chances of a problem or misinterpretation.

 

Not attracting attention does not mean hiding behind an agent, it means hiding in plain sight and doing things normally.

Every time I get the residence certificate I pay 500thb which get thrown in the top wood drawer with no receipt. There's a list of charges on the wall, what each service and visa costs, no where does it give a price for residence certificate. This is just an example of how business is done at Immigration.

 

Using an agent is just business as usual. You don't think the IO would rather make a few baht from the agent than deal with you personally and make nothing. The agent route is a win win for everyone concerned. If you choose to put 800K in a Thai Bank that's your choice. This is my first year of having my 100K/mo deposited in Thai bank and I'll try it myself but I'll give myself enough time to use an agent if need be.

[Lemsta69]

1 hour ago, clivebaxter said:

Serve agent customers- queue jumpers in other words forking out 6k to an agent to do just that!

ah so that's the real reason you don't like agents, you're jealous! ????

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, steve187 said:

but what you are doing is illegal, and how does investing in the USA, help a UK resident, i would rather have my 400,000thb in a bank in Thialand and pay out 1,900thb legally once a year, then be here on a dodgy extension, costing 15-20,000thb, you can try and justify it all you want, but rules are rules, 

nobody's forcing you to use an agent so why all the hate for those of us that do? jai yen yen bro ????

 

as for rules....TIT, rules are made to be broken.

[Tmoney]

On 3/28/2022 at 11:13 AM, clivebaxter said:

But there is no loophole around not getting the extension from the province you live in. All the ones I contacted can only get them from upcountry, I don't see how that can be legal. Then you are stuck doing the 90 day reports and re entry permits with the agent and paying over the odds there. OK if you are hard up, but foolish and risky if you have the funds anyway.

So, if you are using an agent, you can't do your 90 day reports on line then?

[EVENKEEL]

24 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

nobody's forcing you to use an agent so why all the hate for those of us that do? jai yen yen bro ????

 

as for rules....TIT, rules are made to be broken.

Rules are like hearts, they're made to be broken.

[Lite Beer]

16 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Rules are like hearts, they're made to be broken.

Until they decide to crack down on corruption and many find themselves deep in the brown stuff.

[sitta]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You possibly do not have a Thai bank account.

Enter Thailand visa exempt you would require the agent to 

1. Open bank account.

Correct, but prefer to open an account with City bank, so it would be easy for me transfer money from Aus.

Had TWO  account with Kasikorn bank before, but they may NOT active anymore!

[Lite Beer]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

He requires a bank account and a non O and an extension.

Also may require a 30 day extension to his visa exempt entry. 

1900 is for 12month extension.

2000 non O.

Bank a/c ~ 4000.

30 day extension (if required). 1900.

 

 I outlined that option. 

 

I have you on ignore. Play the broken record tune elsewhere.

 

 

I shall continue to call out illegal advise on this forum whever you like it or not.

 

[ubonjoe]

This topic like many others is now closed since it is mostly just bickering between a few members.

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