Visa Agency IN Pattaya

[Orinoco]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well that one off fee, might be to use an agent, but without the need to 'fake' the 800k requirement. As I did, as I am too lazy to queue up at immigration. A really awkward Immigration official could do serious things to a person in this situation... 

Well done for your honesty. top marks. 

 

On threads like this, when I use the word Lazy about using agents,

Many posters, start uncontrollable puking over there keyboards.

and lying through there teeth. 

 

 

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, proton said:

The usual excuses are, they can't line up for 30 minutes as their time is too precious, or they don't trust Thai banks to keep the money in. Few admit to just being too skint to qualify being here legally. ????

Surely its a personal decision, some use an agent, pay for a service and get peace of mind, don't go to immigration and have to deal with sometimes difficult officers?

Some folks decide to go to immigration with their paperwork and take their chance?

Now most folk that do the latter have everything in order and things go well, but I have seen reports on AN where they haven't, possible ill prepared paperwork or a difficult officer, I don't know? If you live close to the IO, its usually not a problem, but some folks do live 4 hours plus away, then its a problem, if you need to get something?

Not all IO's are the same, there is inconsistency not just in the individual offices, but even individual officers?

[proton]

7 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Surely its a personal decision, some use an agent, pay for a service and get peace of mind, don't go to immigration and have to deal with sometimes difficult officers?

Some folks decide to go to immigration with their paperwork and take their chance?

Now most folk that do the latter have everything in order and things go well, but I have seen reports on AN where they haven't, possible ill prepared paperwork or a difficult officer, I don't know? If you live close to the IO, its usually not a problem, but some folks do live 4 hours plus away, then its a problem, if you need to get something?

Not all IO's are the same, there is inconsistency not just in the individual offices, but even individual officers?

You are only highlighting reasons to use an agent legally, most on here appear to be doing otherwise.

[blackshadow]

7 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Darren Died and they are now  not very good    best place is maneerat  soi yamato

 

it is not......

[Onerak]

5 hours ago, gargamon said:

Just did this myself. 800k in the bank for years.

2k for the NR-O and 1900 for the 1 year extension.

 

Only fools and destitutes need to use agents.

Wrong. Only fools spend their retirement years printing bank books, going to banks for bank letter, filling up forms, asking moronic question in this forum about document requirements, making copies and taking pics running around in scorching heat, waiting in immigration lines for hours and kowtowing to IOs if they demand something else and repeat the process, and then keep their 800K tied up in a low interest paying banks and all these for claiming their biggest achievement in life of getting a retirement visa. OMG, what a scene these old proud retirees printing their bank books every month in front  of bank machines. 

In contrast, a wise person uses an agent and handover his passport and 15K to an agent and sit in the beach drinking pinna colada while his 800K is earning at least 5% interest in a high yield investment back home. The 40K he gets pays for his pina colada and and his agent fees and also it helps agent families and IOs who are unfortunate not be born in a Western country. 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Onerak

[gargamon]

5 hours ago, Barley said:

If you had 800 k in the bank for years, what was the procedure to prove that the money came from outside of Thailand for your NR-O? 

I brought it over $5000(daily limit) at a time with ATM over the counter withdrawals. Never saw the cash, directly deposited into my account where it has remained the last 4 or 5 years. Nobody has ever asked to prove it came from outside.

[lanng khao]

2 hours ago, Onerak said:

Wrong. Only fools spend their retirement years printing bank books, going to banks for bank letter, filling up forms, asking moronic question in this forum about document requirements, making copies and taking pics running around in scorching heat, waiting in immigration lines for hours and kowtowing to IOs if they demand something else and repeat the process, and then keep their 800K tied up in a low interest paying banks and all these for claiming their biggest achievement in life of getting a retirement visa. OMG, what a scene these old proud retirees printing their bank books every month in front  of bank machines. 

In contrast, a wise person uses an agent and handover his passport and 15K to an agent and sit in the beach drinking pinna colada while his 800K is earning at least 5% interest in a high yield investment back home. The 40K he gets pays for his pina colada and and his agent fees and also it helps agent families and IOs who are unfortunate not be born in a Western country. 

Exactly what I've just done only in Bangkok, paid 14,000 handed passport, 3 photos and bankbook over no need to go to immigration, was in there office 10 minutes, il go back in a week and collect everything.

I only stay here a year at a time then back UK for work could <deleted> the 800,000 no problem if I wanted, but there's a situation where a visa agent comes up trumps..

[treetops]

10 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Darren Died and they are now  not very good    best place is maneerat  soi yamato

Soi Post Office.

[Mike Teavee]

19 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Darren Died and they are now  not very good    best place is maneerat  soi yamato

 

Close, but 1 Soi over… Soi Post Office (13/2) ???? 

 

[Mike Teavee]

16 hours ago, gargamon said:

Just did this myself. 800k in the bank for years.

2k for the NR-O and 1900 for the 1 year extension.

 

Only fools and destitutes need to use agents.

And I bet you mow your own lawn as well…

 

For the sake of approx. 20b per day, I let the experts handle my immigration needs & get on with enjoying life.

 

Not a fool & far from destitute, just know how to use my money to make my life easier/better.

 

To each his own…

 

 

Edit: Can’t prove I’m not a fool but apparently Bangkok Bank says I’m not destitute… 

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[aussiexpat]

12 hours ago, Onerak said:

Wrong. Only fools spend their retirement years printing bank books, going to banks for bank letter, filling up forms, asking moronic question in this forum about document requirements, making copies and taking pics running around in scorching heat, waiting in immigration lines for hours and kowtowing to IOs if they demand something else and repeat the process, and then keep their 800K tied up in a low interest paying banks and all these for claiming their biggest achievement in life of getting a retirement visa. OMG, what a scene these old proud retirees printing their bank books every month in front  of bank machines.

You make it sound like you just drop off your passport, pay the money and done.

 

This is what I don't get as my Mate just did his first time 15 month non imm o and 12 month extension package for 25,000 baht through a popular agent.

 

Thing is, he already had a bank account with 800k baht in it. So he had to provide agent with his passport, copies of his condo chanote, get a passport pic, copy of his TM30, go to the bank to get letter, go to immigration to get photo in front of building.

 

So what has he saved by using an agent instead of doing it himself? Maybe 2 hours in a queue in Jomtien immigration. Not worth the 25,000 baht for me when retired with plenty of time on my hands (plus agent took 4 weeks and had his passport whole time)

 

Note: he had the 800k baht in his account for 2 days when he applied at agent (which meets non-imm O requirement), agent gave him a letter to give to bank, and bank letter than confirmed 800k was in bank for 3 months, even though it wasn't. I can't see anyway that is not fraud (and why do when his 800k met imm requirements)

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by aussiexpat

[Onerak]

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

You make it sound like you just drop off your passport, pay the money and done.

 

This is what I don't get as my Mate just did his first time 15 month non imm o and 12 month extension package for 25,000 baht through a popular agent.

 

Thing is, he already had a bank account with 800k baht in it. So he had to provide agent with his passport, copies of his condo chanote, get a passport pic, copy of his TM30, go to the bank to get letter, go to immigration to get photo in front of building.

 

So what has he saved by using an agent instead of doing it himself? Maybe 2 hours in a queue in Jomtien immigration. Not worth the 25,000 baht for me when retired with plenty of time on my hands (plus agent took 4 weeks and had his passport whole time)

 

Note: he had the 800k baht in his account for 2 days when he applied at agent (which meets non-imm O requirement), agent gave him a letter to give to bank, and bank letter than confirmed 800k was in bank for 3 months, even though it wasn't. I can't see anyway that is not fraud (and why do when his 800k met imm requirements)

I don't know what agent you are talking about. I did it personally twice (20 and 21). Gave my passport and money. They took me to the immigration office and took pics, forms were ready and filled up. I singed the form and they took me back immediately Ito my condo. May be 10 minutes in immigration office. No need for anything else. Of course, I had my TM30 attached in my passport already that I got once earlier longtime ago. Collected my passport the following day. I was extending a Non-O so I did not need a conversion. Total cost 15K each each time. No money, no Chanute, no bank letter, nothing. 

[aussiexpat]

17 minutes ago, Onerak said:

I don't know what agent you are talking about. 

Don't want a Thai defamation suit coming my way but very popular agent who is reccomended often  on this forum as the go to agent in Pattaya (so I assume sets the standard of usual practice)

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by aussiexpat

[jacko45k]

27 minutes ago, Onerak said:

I don't know what agent you are talking about. I did it personally twice (20 and 21). Gave my passport and money.

Yes sounds like my experience.... stopped off at the bank and got the letter and update on the book.....straight to the agent and they copied the bankbook, took a photo, I gave them the bank letter and a photo I happened to have, paid the fee, and that was it.....oh they wanted my phone number as they called me the following afternoon to say passport ready for collection. Easy 

[aussiexpat]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes sounds like my experience.... stopped off at the bank and got the letter and update on the book.....straight to the agent and they copied the bankbook, took a photo, I gave them the bank letter and a photo I happened to have, paid the fee, and that was it.....oh they wanted my phone number as they called me the following afternoon to say passport ready for collection. Easy 

In Pattaya?

[jacko45k]

Just now, aussiexpat said:

In Pattaya?

Yes....

[aussiexpat]

21 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes sounds like my experience.... stopped off at the bank and got the letter and update on the book.....straight to the agent and they copied the bankbook, took a photo, I gave them the bank letter and a photo I happened to have, paid the fee, and that was it.....oh they wanted my phone number as they called me the following afterso noon to say passport ready for collection. Easy 

The post you replied to says drop passport and pay only, but you went to bank and got the required letter and passbook copies and you went and got a passport photo.  Was there no need to provide proof of residence or did you also give chanote or lease agreement to agent? (If not required by agent than likely not required by IO either as on 90 day reports)

 

Still dont know what agent does but fill in a form (that takes less than a minute) and photocopy some documents (5 baht per page elsewhere). Why not just give same documents to immigration and save 15000 baht for a 12 month extension?

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by aussiexpat

[jacko45k]

8 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

So you went to bank and got the required letter and passbook copies and you went and got a passport photo.  No need to provide proof of residence or did you also give chanote or lease agreement to agent?

No, you failed to read properly. I got the bank letter, yes,  and I updated the passbook while at the bank. The agent took the copies. I happened to have a passport photo and they took it, but it was not a requirement. I did not have to fill in  the TM7, nor supply the numerous passport and signed copies, no requirement of chanote or residence proof, like a utility bill. No TM 30 proof (always worried about that). But in reality, I simply wanted to avoid going to immigration and standing in line and getting irritated and hot.

Edited December 26, 2022 by jacko45k

[aussiexpat]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I happened to have a passport photo and they took it, but it was not a requirement. I did not have to fill in  the TM7...

Sorry but since the TM7 form requires a passport photo to be attached I don't see how a photo could ever not be required, plus surely you had to read and sign the TM7 they filled out for you, rather than didn't have to do a TM7

 

(probably saved one minute by not filling out TM7 yourself before signing, how hard is it write your name, date of birth, passport number and address of stay lol)

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by aussiexpat

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Sorry but since the TM7 form requires a passport photo to be attached I don't see how a photo could ever not be required, plus surely you had to read and sign the TM7 they filled out for you, rather than didn't have to do a TM7

 

(probably saved one minute by not filling out TM7 yourself before signing, how hard is it write your name, date of birth, passport number and address of stay lol)

 

You appear just to want to argue but making  points I already spoke of... I will humour you a little.

Firstly don't be sorry... we were discussing what an agency Extension required relative to going to immigration and doing it yourself...

The instruction was, bring a passport photo if you have one, the shop is quite capable of producing one.. I keep a few with my passport... so that photo to go with the application I supplied. . They do take a pic in the shop anyhow, which means there is no need to go to immigration later  I told you I did not fill out a TM7... did you miss that!? Nor did I read one. I saved more than a minute, I didn't even have a blank one! Read this again, perhaps twice.

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by jacko45k

[aussiexpat]

18 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You appear just to want to argue but making  points I already spoke of... I will humour you a little.

Firstly don't be sorry... we were discussing what an agency Extension required relative to going to immigration and doing it yourself...

The instruction was, bring a passport photo if you have one, the shop is quite capable of producing one.. I keep a few with my passport... so that photo to go with the application I supplied. . They do take a pic in the shop anyhow, which means there is no need to go to immigration later  I told you I did not fill out a TM7... did you miss that!? Nor did I read one. I saved more than a minute, I didn't even have a blank one! Read this again, perhaps twice.

 

 

 

Thank for confirming an agent submission is illegal as they don't care about the immigration rules

 

Me, I prefer to follow the rules and retirement visa is easy for 1900 baht, 2 hours in immigration is an acceptable downside when I have so much free time

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Thank for confirming an agent submission is illegal as they don't care about the immigration rules

 

Me, I prefer to follow the rules and retirement visa is easy for 1900 baht, 2 hours in immigration is an acceptable downside when I have so much free time

Do you get a 'Holier than thou' T-Shirt for idiotically standing out in the sun for ages?

When they started keeping people out of the building, and one day I saw  a long line down soi 5, I changed my ways. Stamp looks the same!