pros and cons of leaving one's passport at a Thai Visa Agent's office.

[In Full Agreement]

 

Once more I nearly forgot about doing my 90 day report in a timely basis.    Turns  out I  casually and accidentally discovered my reporting was the following day.

 

Once at the agents office I asked them about leaving the passport with them and they said that'd be fine.    I wouldn't say I left it with purpose and intention but I just didn't go and pick it up the next day when it was ready.

 

What are the pros and cons of leaving the passport with them?

 

I always carry the  reduced credit card  sized  copy in my passport along with my MC and car license.

 

 

 

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

16 minutes ago, In Full Agreement said:

What are the pros and cons of leaving the passport with them?

Pro: You get your 90-day report done.

Con: If you got your passport back - none.

[Ben Zioner]

No "pro" would do such a thing, only "cons" would.

[richard_smith237]

Is the online 90 day report system not working ?

 

 

Cons: one massive one as we've read on numerous threads on this forum - Agents ghosting you after they've lost your passport. 

 

I guess much of this depends on how important your passport is to you...

 

With the regular amount of travel I do, the passport is the most single important document I have, I'd never trust it with an agent unless completely essential (i.e. work permit processing in the past).

 

 

[Gottfrid]

Huge risk involved with leaving passport with an agent. No benefits at all!

[novacova]

My pp stays locked up in the safe. And if not in my personal possession, then it’s in my proximity at the IO, bank or other formal business and never walk out the door without it.

[scubascuba3]

Schoolboy error getting an agent to do it, just do it online, takes 2 minutes, they even send an email reminder, but diarise it anyway

[claffey]

5 hours ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

Once more I nearly forgot about doing my 90 day report in a timely basis.    Turns  out I  casually and accidentally discovered my reporting was the following day.

 

Once at the agents office I asked them about leaving the passport with them and they said that'd be fine.    I wouldn't say I left it with purpose and intention but I just didn't go and pick it up the next day when it was ready.

 

What are the pros and cons of leaving the passport with them?

 

I always carry the  reduced credit card  sized  copy in my passport along with my MC and car license.

 

 

 

 

 

Rules number one upon leaving your own country: Never give your passport to anyone, ever. 

[WorriedNoodle]

6 hours ago, In Full Agreement said:

Once more I nearly forgot about doing my 90 day report in a timely basis.    Turns  out I  casually and accidentally discovered my reporting was the following day.

 

Once at the agents office I asked them about leaving the passport with them and they said that'd be fine.    I wouldn't say I left it with purpose and intention but I just didn't go and pick it up the next day when it was ready.

 

What are the pros and cons of leaving the passport with them?

 

You left your pp at an agents office because you cannot remember to do a 90 day report on time? Cons - leaving your pp with anyone risks getting it lost. Why not just do the reports yourself and keep your pp with you at all times like most people do?

[rwill]

You can do the 90 day up to 7 days late at the local immigration office.

 

Alternatively if you just blow it off you will have to pay a 2,000 baht fine next time.

 

The biggest cons of using an agent is paying for something that is free.  Also some people have lost their passports using agents.

Edited July 11 by rwill

[klauskunkel]

Pro-tip: use a calendar.

a physical one where you can mark your chores and appointments - you just have to make habit to look at it when you wake up

the one on your phone which can notify you on your things to do

 

also use 90 day website reporting as immigration will send you an email when your next report is due.

[2baht]

14 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Schoolboy error getting an agent to do it, just do it online, takes 2 minutes, they even send an email reminder, but diarise it anyway

That is too complicated for some! 1900thb seems too cheap for some so they engage agents who rip them blind for something they could do themselves if the had a bit of nouse.

[CharlieH]

Tell them to take a photocopy of the details and THEY can do it online for you and they don't need the physical passport. You will also get the email confirmation its done.

 

Unless the agency is handling a passport renewal, don't ever leave it anywhere.

 

[Caldera]

If I need my passport at short notice, trying to get it back from an agent (potentially out of business hours) would be unnecessarily stressful.

 

So no thanks, I'd rather make sure to take care of 90-day reports on time. 

[1FinickyOne]

I use a reputable agent in business for many years with an oft bustling office. They send me email reminders to come in and drop off my passport which they keep for not more than a day or so - sometimes along with my bank book... never had a problem and I am glad to have them take care of all the paperwork for a nominal fee... 

[Henryford]

Must be mad to leave your passport to avoid the "work" of doing a 90 day report. How much work would it be to replace a lost passport.

[Kinok Farang]

You think too much.

[Liverpool Lou]

17 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

No "pro" would do such a thing, only "cons" would.

No pro would do what?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Unless the agency is handling a passport renewal, don't ever leave it anywhere.

I don't think that leaving a passport with an agent for renewal is any safer than leaving it for a 90-day report or for an extension, is it?

Edited July 12 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I use a reputable agent in business for many years with an oft bustling office. They send me email reminders to come in and drop off my passport which they keep for not more than a day or so - sometimes along with my bank book... never had a problem and I am glad to have them take care of all the paperwork for a nominal fee... 

Absolutely agree...apart from the archaic "oft" bit!

[proton]

Only the lazy and broke even bother with agents

[CharlieH]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I don't think that leaving a passport with an agent for renewal is any safer than leaving it for a 90-day report or for an extension, is it?

Well they can't process the renewal for you without it can they. 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 minute ago, CharlieH said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I don't think that leaving a passport with an agent for renewal is any safer than leaving it for a 90-day report or for an extension, is it?

Well they can't process the renewal for you without it can they.

They can't process the 90-day report without it, either, can they?!  My point, Charlie, was that the security concern would be the same for both procedures.

[CharlieH]

12 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

They can't process the 90-day report without it, either, can they?!  My point, Charlie, was that the security concern would be the same for both procedures.

Yes your right in one sense, but yes they could process an online 90 day report without the actual passport, just the info. Whereas a pp renewal would have to be given to them no choice.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Is the online 90 day report system not working ?

 

 

Cons: one massive one as we've read on numerous threads on this forum - Agents ghosting you after they've lost your passport. 

 

I guess much of this depends on how important your passport is to you...

 

With the regular amount of travel I do, the passport is the most single important document I have, I'd never trust it with an agent unless completely essential (i.e. work permit processing in the past).

 

 

If you use the reliable well known agents like Manereet or the Wishing Well one in Soi Backawo you won't have a problem.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, rwill said:

You can do the 90 day up to 7 days late at the local immigration office.

 

Alternatively if you just blow it off you will have to pay a 2,000 baht fine next time.

 

The biggest cons of using an agent is paying for something that is free.  Also some people have lost their passports using agents.

Not any of the established well known ones.

[itsari]

I used an agent that did my 90 day reports for two years and there was no need to leave my passport with them.

When i stopped using them he sent the last receipt of notice in the post .

Only time I sent my passport was for the 12 month extension renewal.

Shop around 

[john donson]

20 hours ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

Once more I nearly forgot about doing my 90 day report in a timely basis.    Turns  out I  casually and accidentally discovered my reporting was the following day.

 

Once at the agents office I asked them about leaving the passport with them and they said that'd be fine.    I wouldn't say I left it with purpose and intention but I just didn't go and pick it up the next day when it was ready.

 

What are the pros and cons of leaving the passport with them?

 

I always carry the  reduced credit card  sized  copy in my passport along with my MC and car license.

 

 

 

 

 

 

don't you get a WARNING EMAIL ? that it is time to file ?

 

last online 90 day, was approved... THE SAME DAY

 

never happened before

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, john donson said:

don't you get a WARNING EMAIL ? that it is time to file ?

Usually it's a day after, unless they've changed it recently

[Toby1947]

Pros, live in a civilised country