Has anyone faced issues with visa agents—what should I watch out for?

[MichaelJackson]

if anyone could suggest me a good visa agent or guide me on it 
I live in bangkok
Thanks

Edited August 20 by MichaelJackson

[DrJack54]

Where are you located 

[novacova]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Where are you located 

 

2 hours ago, MichaelJackson said:

I live in bangkok

 

[dingdongrb]

Why the need for an agent, can't you do it yourself?

[Rob Browder]

1 minute ago, dingdongrb said:

Why the need for an agent, can't you do it yourself?

Based on my experience at CW, those with agents walk in, their agent texts someone, they walk to a booth (no queue), walk back out ~1-minute later, and that's it. 

 

My experience, not using an agent, was more cumbersome.  That difference is one reason folks would use agents.

[DrJack54]

15 minutes ago, novacova said:

I live in bangkok

The OP edited post after my question.

For folk in Bangkok they have option of Bangkok agents such as ThaiVisaCentre etc.

The alternative is to use Pattaya agent that would require annual trip however MUCH cheaper. 

[timendres]

22 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

Based on my experience at CW, those with agents walk in, their agent texts someone, they walk to a booth (no queue), walk back out ~1-minute later, and that's it. 

 

That has been my experience for 10 years - 9 with a work permit extension and this year with retirement.

But it is an added expense that most do not want, or need, to pay.

[Mason45]

When I lived in Bangkok I made it a plan to go to Pattaya every 3 months. For my one year visa and 90 days reports. It worked out fine as my wife visited her 2 sisters and I used to get to meet my friends in certain bars. The only downside is what address would you declare as your permanent Pattaya residence. In my case I didn't have this problem as not only do I own my house in Bangkok but I also own my condo in Pattaya. Another thing what if the immigration cops pay your given address a visit.

[timendres]

2 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

Another thing what if the immigration cops pay your given address a visit.

 

I believe they will notify you before the visit.

But even if they do not, you are "traveling" to Bangkok, and you can arrange an appointment with them when you return to Pattaya.

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, timendres said:

 

I believe they will notify you before the visit.

But even if they do not, you are "traveling" to Bangkok, and you can arrange an appointment with them when you return to Pattaya.

The OP has provided very little information.

Asking about an agent would most often be about extensions based on retirement not marriage.

A home visit will not be necessary.

However there is no indication from OP what service is required 

[dingdongrb]

6 hours ago, Rob Browder said:

Based on my experience at CW, those with agents walk in, their agent texts someone, they walk to a booth (no queue), walk back out ~1-minute later, and that's it. 

Based on my 16 years of doing extensions for both marriage and retirement I have never had to endure more than 4 hours at an immigration office......and I have used 3 different ones, Chiang Mai, Nan, and Surin. 

NOTE: All the lengthy times were at the CM office back during their busier era (later years at the old building and at the Promenada) before the new building.

 

I've done extensions at Nan and Surin numerous times and it's never been more than an hour (process and queue times).

 

So in summary, four hours is hardly an issue when I've been stuck in BKK traffic that long before. What's an agent costs 20k-30k? No thanks, 4 hours (at the most) of my time in an immigration office is no big deal to me, I can surf on my phone to easily pass the time. Yes, I understand that I also use my valuable time getting all the paperwork completed.. It's not rocket science. 

[dingdongrb]

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

The OP has provided very little information.

Asking about an agent would most often be about extensions based on retirement not marriage.

A home visit will not be necessary.

However there is no indication from OP what service is required 

I have had home visits more than once, based on both, marriage and retirement extensions.

 

I think visits are different across all the different IOs.

[JeffersLos]

7 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

can't you do it yourself?

 

Cheap Charlies do it themselves. Desperate to only spend 1900 per year lol.

 

Those with money pay agents to waste their own time with such nonsense. 

 

[KhunLA]

38 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

 

Cheap Charlies do it themselves. Desperate to only spend 1900 per year lol.

 

Those with money pay agents to waste their own time with such nonsense. 

 

Don't know about CC, but why would I pay someone at least 5k to sit in a chair for about 1 hour, as that's all an agent would save me from doing.  I still am the one that needs to get the bank paperwork.

 

What does an agent do except give you fake financials if you can't show enough income yourself.   Am I missing something ?

 

Especially if I still need to go to the Imm office.  If so, then I can pay myself 5k or more, to read the internet on my phone for an hour, or less.

 

Although if I had to file at some of the horror story (that I don't believe) Imm offices, I might use an agent.

Edited August 20 by KhunLA

[timendres]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

What does an agent do except give you fake financials if you can't show enough income yourself.   Am I missing something ?

 

Well, in the case of my extension based on a work permit, the shear heft of the documents required, along with everything being in Thai, I was not about to even attempt such a task -- an agent is necessary. However, I did my first retirement extension on my own, as well as my marriage extension (with help from the wife). So, as you say, these do not require an agent, unless you just like having someone to hold your hand and do the talking for you.

[Mason45]

9 hours ago, timendres said:

 

I believe they will notify you before the visit.

But even if they do not, you are "traveling" to Bangkok, and you can arrange an appointment with them when you return to Pattaya.

Firstly I'm not sure they will notify you because they're out to see if you're breaking immigration rules or not. Secondly you're supposed to notify them if you're leaving your province for more than 24 hours. They will leave a card but that's not much good if you're a few hundred kilometers away. I've always used an agent so maybe that makes me exempt from visits to my registered address for visa purposes.

[bigt3116]

5 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

Secondly you're supposed to notify them if you're leaving your province for more than 24 hours

 

Do you have a link to this?

 

[Mason45]

I don't know the link as I've never completed a form but if you go to the home page of Asean Now you will see all the links pertaining to visas.

[PeachCH]

An agent make sense for retirement visa, when you don't want put 800,000 Baht into a bank account. 

 

[Lite Beer]

5 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

 

Cheap Charlies do it themselves. Desperate to only spend 1900 per year lol.

 

Those with money pay agents to waste their own time with such nonsense. 

 

Cheap Charlies do it themselves. Save money and know that their Immigration status is legal.

[RichardColeman]

95% of all the people i know in Pattaya use an agent. Actually they all use the same one. My advice find one recommended by many people. 

 

Personally I think at least 50-60% of retirees would be gone from thailand if the practice stopped - either that or i only know poor people 

[Lite Beer]

11 minutes ago, PeachCH said:

An agent make sense for retirement visa, when you don't want put 800,000 Baht into a bank account. 

 

Which is illegal.

[gravity101]

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Don't know about CC, but why would I pay someone at least 5k to sit in a chair for about 1 hour, as that's all an agent would save me from doing.  I still am the one that needs to get the bank paperwork.

 

What does an agent do except give you fake financials if you can't show enough income yourself.   Am I missing something ?

 

Especially if I still need to go to the Imm office.  If so, then I can pay myself 5k or more, to read the internet on my phone for an hour, or less.

 

Although if I had to file at some of the horror story (that I don't believe) Imm offices, I might use an agent.

Your missing a lot. The same reason folk get plumbers, electricians, maids, car washers, etc etc. To make your life easier. If your one of the lucky ones where IOs dont make your whole experience like a visit to a blind dentist for a tooth extraction, then ok, but to most us, the experience is worthy of getting someone else to do it.

 

[DrJack54]

The thread is not about legality of use of agents. Further posts will be removed. 

[mokwit]

Probably the greatest risk with visa agents is that Somchai the messenger rider decides he has enough of Bangkok and goes back upcountry with your passport under the seat.

 

 

[Skeptic7]

6 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

 

Cheap Charlies do it themselves. Desperate to only spend 1900 per year lol.

 

Those with money pay agents to waste their own time with such nonsense. 

 

Wrong...but still funny. 

[OneMoreFarang]

13 hours ago, Rob Browder said:

Based on my experience at CW, those with agents walk in, their agent texts someone, they walk to a booth (no queue), walk back out ~1-minute later, and that's it. 

That is also my experience, with an agent.

 

If your documents are all correct, and you need an agent only to help you to do things faster, then you should be able to easily find such agent, and not expensive.

 

However, some people would normally not be able to get a visa (extension) and they look for agents who make the impossible possible. Or in other words, they do illegal things to help you. They are by definition shady.

 

 

[AndreasHG]

I live in Bangkok, in the low Sukhumvit area, and I don't use an agency for the retirement VISA and for the 90 days reporting.

 

I make an appointment with the Immigration Division 1 online (previous registration). This is the link to the Thai Immigration Division 1: Immigration Division1 | กองบังคับการตรวจคนเข้าเมือง 1 – กองบังคับการตรวจคนเข้าเมือง 1, Immigration Division1, บก.ตม.1, ตม1.

I show up at the due time with the documents required, and everything is done in few minutes (a couple of hours for the multiple-entry retirement VISA).

 

Using the link above it is also possible to do the 90 days report online (previous registration) without visiting the immigration office, but only if I have been in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days. As a rule, the first 90 days report, after re-entering the Kingdom from any trip overseas, can only be done in person. 

 

An American friend living in my condo prefers to use the Business Center of the Bumrungrad Hospital which, for a very reasonable price (650 THB), ensures he complies with the 90 days report requirement. For more info on the Bumrungrad Hospital Business Center, this is the link: Business Center | Bumrungrad Hospital Bangkok Thailand.

 

Edited August 21 by AndreasHG

[steven100]

Why is it these Agent topics always turn into a p_ssing competition ?

 

I'll tell you all why  ....

 

Because the OP asked for any agent recommendation in BANGKOK -   which is fine.

 

Then,  some on here can't answer that but they want to know why he can't do it himself   !!   

well FFS ....  if he wanted to do it himself he wouldn't be asking ...   

 

 

 

 

Edited August 21 by steven100

[steven100]

17 hours ago, MichaelJackson said:

if anyone could suggest me a good visa agent or guide me on it 
I live in bangkok
Thanks

 

OP ..  If your still looking for a reliable agent for BKK you can PM me for some details.  

 

 

Edited August 21 by steven100