I’ve been hearing mixed things about visa extensions done through agents, so thought I’d ask.

Are they actually fully legal? or is it more of a grey area where things just get “handled” behind the scenes?

I get that agents save time and hassle, but I’m wondering what’s really happening in the background and will it comeback to bite me in the ass. Is it just paperwork being done properly, or are they relying on connections to push things through?

Also curious if anyone’s had any issues later on after using an agent — renewals, re-entry, or anything flagged down the line?

Would be good to hear real experiences

Thanks

Immigration love it if you use an agent, they oil the cogs for everyone else, you get treated like a VIP unlike if you DIY, i DIY but originally used an agent, the difference is massive

50 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Immigration love it if you use an agent, they oil the cogs for everyone else, you get treated like a VIP unlike if you DIY, i DIY but originally used an agent, the difference is massive

Exactly! My agent’s brown paper bag is like a VIP pass—while the DIYers are still waiting in line, I’m sipping a coffee with a ‘reserved’ sign on my seat. They call it ‘greasing the wheels,’ but I call it ‘winning the immigration lottery’!

1 hour ago, MikeWill said:

I’ve been hearing mixed things about visa extensions done through agents, so thought I’d ask.

What's the reason for using an agent.

Some want to avoid retaining funds in Thai bank

For others reasons can be health/mobility etc.

Literally 1000,s of expats use an agent.

Also depends on where you live.

That was not mentioned.

1 hour ago, MikeWill said:

Are they actually fully legal? or is it more of a grey area where things just get “handled” behind the scenes?

Yes, it's legal to use an agent.

1 hour ago, MikeWill said:

I get that agents save time and hassle, but I’m wondering what’s really happening in the background and will it comeback to bite me in the ass. Is it just paperwork being done properly, or are they relying on connections to push things through?

I did my first 2 retirement extensions in Jomtien myself, but when I moved to Bangkok, I didn't want to deal with having to wait in long lines at IM, so I started using an agent. I also switched to marriage extensions which required more paperwork. I had my own money in the bank, so all was legal. The agent did all the paperwork. We just showed up at IM about 10:00 am, signed all the papers, went into the IO's office for pics, then left. It took about 15 to 20 mins. The agent went back in 30 days to get the final stamp & multiple reentry permit. I only had to make one trip to IM.

2 hours ago, MikeWill said:

Also curious if anyone’s had any issues later on after using an agent — renewals, re-entry, or anything flagged down the line?

I never had any issues with renewals, and I never had a home visit.

10 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

I never had any issues with renewals, and I never had a home visit.

What you outline is agent for hand holding service.

You covered the financial requirements and simply used agent to assist with process time etc

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

What you outline is agent for hand holding service.

You covered the financial requirements and simply used agent to assist with process time etc

That's correct. The agent printed & filled out all the forms, printed the pics of me and the wife, and made copies of all the docs. He came to our condo and picked up my passport, passport pics, bank book, bank certificate & statement. He also updated my bank book the day of IM, so I didn't have to go to the bank. The main reason I used him was for the convenience, and so I wouldn't have to wait in line at IM. I had the money in the bank.

2 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

. I had the money in the bank

That's the service I will be after at some point. Maintain financial requirements and hopefully have agent do as much as possible.

All be it mine is retirement so straight forward.

Let's get this out of the way first; visas/extensions that are agent gotten (even ones where they bank the funds for you for a matter of minutes) are REAL immigration stamps, from REAL immigration offices by REAL immigration officers and they are indeed valid..

Now to answer the question, do people have issues later with agent/gotten stamps. That is not as easy to answer. If you use an agent to bank the funds for you and have no problem using an agent year after year, no, you'll be fine

HOWEVER with that being said

If you ever wanna jump off the slippery slope of agent gotten visa/extensions and 'push your own paper' (get your own extension) you can indeed find 'issues'.

First if an agent banked the funds for you for the extension you're on, EVEN if you start transferring in 65K baht a month each month every month for the next 12 months, OR decide to bank your own money a couple months before your next extension comes due you will run into problems. That's because most all immigration offices are now requiring you to provide a year transaction detail report printed by the bank <- and that shows the balance of the account for every transaction done the previous year. It's this report that will show your agent banked the money for just a matter of hours and you did NOT meet the required seasoning <- which is keeping the 800K in the account for 3 months after the extension is granted and then never letting the balance get below 400K for the rest of the year..

That's what catches people out

Obviously if you bank your own money and just use an agent to get the extension you'd be in a better position to do your own extension the following year

Another issue that comes up is agents that do those "one-&-done" visa/extensions all in one day <- where you go, get the 90 day Non-O issued and then immediately get the year extension issued the same day (usually done at Chaengwattana Bangkok). That is a GIANT red flag to any immigration office in the country and it's 100% a tip off that you used an agent because you (as a "normal human being) couldn't show up and pull that off. You'd have to show up, apply for the Non-O, pay the 2000 baht, come back 2 weeks later, get it inked into your passport then wait until you had 30 days or less left on that 90 day stamp before you applied for the year extension.

I know people who did the one-&-done, and then the following year tried to push their own paper at the immigration office and were denied being told go talk to the person who helped you last year..

Another issue that people have is those "no go/no show" extensions <-that's where you just give your passport / bank book to the agent and it comes back with the year extension in it. Usually those stamps come from some back water out of the way immigration office. From a province you have never lived in, set foot in and most likely you couldn't find on a map of thailand if the provinces were labeled. Even filing a new TM30 at your immigration office, once you got that extension filing 90 day reports at your office doesn't guarantee that you'd be able to push your own paper the following year..

The above 'issues' are the reason the Pattaya agents are the best to deal with. They HOLD your passport so that the Non-O, then the year extension stamps are spread out so it is not immediately apparent to anyone looking at the stamps that they were agent gotten. AND not to mention the high number of foreigners who live/stay in Pattaya so those stamps are NOT always indicative of having used an agent.

As far as using "shepherd" <- someone to "herd" you thru the process with you meeting the financial requirements on your own. As a rule those "Hand Holders" are usually okay, and the following year if you don't wanna use them it's not an issue pushing your own paper.

Sorry this was a long response. Hope this was somewhat helpful.

9 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

That's the service I will be after at some point. Maintain financial requirements and hopefully have agent do as much as possible.

All be it mine is retirement so straight forward.

Obviously, it can ONLY be retirement via an agent.

For those who didn't know IO's can only approve retirement extensions locally; marriage based extensions get sent up the line for approval.

5 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Obviously, it can ONLY be retirement via an agent.

Agents can do hand holding exercise for extension marriage.

Retirement best option if frail

17 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

For those who didn't know IO's can only approve retirement extensions locally; marriage based extensions get sent up the line for approval.

For those doing their extensions at Chaengwattana in Bangkok, agents can assist with both retirement and marriage extensions.

34 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

For those doing their extensions at Chaengwattana in Bangkok, agents can assist with both retirement and marriage extensions.

Thanks. That's interesting, I wasn't aware of that.

1 minute ago, hotandsticky said:

Thanks. That's interesting, I wasn't aware of that.

You're welcome. Chaengwattana is IM headquarters, so I assume that's where all the local offices send their marriage extensions for approval. I used an agent for five years after moving to Bangkok for my marriage extensions. I had the money in the bank, so I used the agent for convenience, to do all the paperwork, and so I wouldn't have to wait in lines.

36 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

You're welcome. Chaengwattana is IM headquarters, so I assume that's where all the local offices send their marriage extensions for approval.

Marriage extensions are sent to regional immigration division headquarters for approval, not to Chaeng Watthana.

Immigration headquarters for the whole of Thailand was and still is located in Suan Phlu in Central Bangkok (Sathorn). Chaeng Watthana is just the main frontline immigration office for Bangkok / the main immigration division 1 office.

41 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

I had the money in the bank, so I used the agent for convenience, to do all the paperwork, and so I wouldn't have to wait in lines.

Agent can assist with marriage extension if you maintain financial compliance.

Referred to as "hand holding"

That's the service you used

To be frank, given the number of people who use agents and the scarcity of reports of subsequent problems...

20 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Immigration headquarters for the whole of Thailand was and still is located in Suan Phlu in Central Bangkok (Sathorn). Chaeng Watthana is just the main frontline immigration office for Bangkok / the main immigration division 1 office.

When I goggled the main Immigration headquaters in Thailand, Chaengwattana came up. That's where I did my yearly extensions before swtiching to the LTR visa. Now I go to One Bangkok. It also says the old Suanplu Rd office is no longer the main center. See snippets below:

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Agent can assist with marriage extension if you maintain financial compliance.

Referred to as "hand holding"

That's the service you used

Am I right in saying agents can ONLY help on money in the bank basis.

I can confirm that Maneerat certainly don't do anything on a monthly income basis.

5 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Am I right in saying agents can ONLY help on money in the bank basis.

For extension marriage surprisingly some offices don't accept income method.

Not aware of reason.

In any event if you wish to maintain financial compliance then money in bank would be best option.

On unrelated point the thread asks for any issue to DIY after using agent.

For those using agent to cover financials for extension retirement then best option is to exit Thailand without reentry to kill off the non O.

In other words start over.

Of course most opting to use agent see it as ongoing use of agent.

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

For extension marriage surprisingly some offices don't accept income method.

Not aware of reason.

In any event if you wish to maintain financial compliance then money in bank would be best option.

On unrelated point the thread asks for any issue to DIY after using agent.

For those using agent to cover financials for extension retirement then best option is to exit Thailand without reentry to kill off the non O.

In other words start over.

Of course most opting to use agent see it as ongoing use of agent.

I am living proof of your comments.

I have previously used an agent, twice with my own funds and once without. I am not prepared to pay the costs of the latter (and I don't want to bring 800k into Thailand) so I am going DIY and changing to marriage, monthly income.

My issue is not money (other than not wanting to keep lots here) but timing. In recent years I have always been away on my extension expiry date (and the 45 days beforehand).

So, I shall depart on 10 May and return in 17th July with a new single entry non-imm 'O' visa. I married last December so I shall now take the marriage route. 400k has been on deposit and will remain so until I get my new extension. 40k has been transferred in on the 1st of every month (lots more separately) and that will continue.

4 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

I am not prepared to pay the costs of the latter (and I don't want to bring 800k into Thailand) so I am going DIY and changing to marriage, monthly income.

That makes sense however for those using income method I'm surprised people don't opt for retirement.

I transfer over 65k a month and surprised if someone can live on less than that.

If I was married I would still do extension retirement.

The paperwork is far less. The wife does not need attend and there is no under consideration period just to name 3..

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That makes sense however for those using income method I'm surprised people don't opt for retirement.

I transfer over 65k a month and surprised if someone can live on less than that.

If I was married I would still do extension retirement.

The paperwork is far less. The wife does not need attend and there is no under consideration period just to name 3..

Easy for people to live on less than 65k if they aren't funding a wife or girlfriend

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Easy for people to live on less than 65k if they aren't funding a wife or girlfriend

It's a chit chat boring topic of how little someone can live on per month.. Won't exchange on that.

Fact is I'm frugal and spend well over 65k.

Fact is if married the requirement is min 40k. Try living on that with wife and perhaps a child on 40k

6 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

Let's get this out of the way first; visas/extensions that are agent gotten (even ones where they bank the funds for you for a matter of minutes) are REAL immigration stamps, from REAL immigration offices by REAL immigration officers and they are indeed valid..

Now to answer the question, do people have issues later with agent/gotten stamps. That is not as easy to answer. If you use an agent to bank the funds for you and have no problem using an agent year after year, no, you'll be fine

HOWEVER with that being said

If you ever wanna jump off the slippery slope of agent gotten visa/extensions and 'push your own paper' (get your own extension) you can indeed find 'issues'.

First if an agent banked the funds for you for the extension you're on, EVEN if you start transferring in 65K baht a month each month every month for the next 12 months, OR decide to bank your own money a couple months before your next extension comes due you will run into problems. That's because most all immigration offices are now requiring you to provide a year transaction detail report printed by the bank <- and that shows the balance of the account for every transaction done the previous year. It's this report that will show your agent banked the money for just a matter of hours and you did NOT meet the required seasoning <- which is keeping the 800K in the account for 3 months after the extension is granted and then never letting the balance get below 400K for the rest of the year..

That's what catches people out

Obviously if you bank your own money and just use an agent to get the extension you'd be in a better position to do your own extension the following year

Another issue that comes up is agents that do those "one-&-done" visa/extensions all in one day <- where you go, get the 90 day Non-O issued and then immediately get the year extension issued the same day (usually done at Chaengwattana Bangkok). That is a GIANT red flag to any immigration office in the country and it's 100% a tip off that you used an agent because you (as a "normal human being) couldn't show up and pull that off. You'd have to show up, apply for the Non-O, pay the 2000 baht, come back 2 weeks later, get it inked into your passport then wait until you had 30 days or less left on that 90 day stamp before you applied for the year extension.

I know people who did the one-&-done, and then the following year tried to push their own paper at the immigration office and were denied being told go talk to the person who helped you last year..

Another issue that people have is those "no go/no show" extensions <-that's where you just give your passport / bank book to the agent and it comes back with the year extension in it. Usually those stamps come from some back water out of the way immigration office. From a province you have never lived in, set foot in and most likely you couldn't find on a map of thailand if the provinces were labeled. Even filing a new TM30 at your immigration office, once you got that extension filing 90 day reports at your office doesn't guarantee that you'd be able to push your own paper the following year..

The above 'issues' are the reason the Pattaya agents are the best to deal with. They HOLD your passport so that the Non-O, then the year extension stamps are spread out so it is not immediately apparent to anyone looking at the stamps that they were agent gotten. AND not to mention the high number of foreigners who live/stay in Pattaya so those stamps are NOT always indicative of having used an agent.

As far as using "shepherd" <- someone to "herd" you thru the process with you meeting the financial requirements on your own. As a rule those "Hand Holders" are usually okay, and the following year if you don't wanna use them it's not an issue pushing your own paper.

Sorry this was a long response. Hope this was somewhat helpful.

the way around it which u left out
IF you use an agent for 1, 2, 5 years of extensions and than decide ( for whatever reason) (you have inherited the 800,000 an want do it on ur own
Leave the country without a re entry permit..... ur extension is killed off
Get a NEW non o visa in Laos, Cambodia, USA, UK ...anywhere showing ur 800,000 in the bank
Come back, open an account in Thailand ( if you dont have already have one)
Put ur 800000, in it an apply for ur 1 year extension after 2 months
hope this helps

6 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

Let's get this out of the way first; visas/extensions that are agent gotten (even ones where they bank the funds for you for a matter of minutes) are REAL immigration stamps, from REAL immigration offices by REAL immigration officers and they are indeed valid..

Now to answer the question, do people have issues later with agent/gotten stamps. That is not as easy to answer. If you use an agent to bank the funds for you and have no problem using an agent year after year, no, you'll be fine

HOWEVER with that being said

If you ever wanna jump off the slippery slope of agent gotten visa/extensions and 'push your own paper' (get your own extension) you can indeed find 'issues'.

First if an agent banked the funds for you for the extension you're on, EVEN if you start transferring in 65K baht a month each month every month for the next 12 months, OR decide to bank your own money a couple months before your next extension comes due you will run into problems. That's because most all immigration offices are now requiring you to provide a year transaction detail report printed by the bank <- and that shows the balance of the account for every transaction done the previous year. It's this report that will show your agent banked the money for just a matter of hours and you did NOT meet the required seasoning <- which is keeping the 800K in the account for 3 months after the extension is granted and then never letting the balance get below 400K for the rest of the year..

That's what catches people out

Obviously if you bank your own money and just use an agent to get the extension you'd be in a better position to do your own extension the following year

Another issue that comes up is agents that do those "one-&-done" visa/extensions all in one day <- where you go, get the 90 day Non-O issued and then immediately get the year extension issued the same day (usually done at Chaengwattana Bangkok). That is a GIANT red flag to any immigration office in the country and it's 100% a tip off that you used an agent because you (as a "normal human being) couldn't show up and pull that off. You'd have to show up, apply for the Non-O, pay the 2000 baht, come back 2 weeks later, get it inked into your passport then wait until you had 30 days or less left on that 90 day stamp before you applied for the year extension.

I know people who did the one-&-done, and then the following year tried to push their own paper at the immigration office and were denied being told go talk to the person who helped you last year..

Another issue that people have is those "no go/no show" extensions <-that's where you just give your passport / bank book to the agent and it comes back with the year extension in it. Usually those stamps come from some back water out of the way immigration office. From a province you have never lived in, set foot in and most likely you couldn't find on a map of thailand if the provinces were labeled. Even filing a new TM30 at your immigration office, once you got that extension filing 90 day reports at your office doesn't guarantee that you'd be able to push your own paper the following year..

The above 'issues' are the reason the Pattaya agents are the best to deal with. They HOLD your passport so that the Non-O, then the year extension stamps are spread out so it is not immediately apparent to anyone looking at the stamps that they were agent gotten. AND not to mention the high number of foreigners who live/stay in Pattaya so those stamps are NOT always indicative of having used an agent.

As far as using "shepherd" <- someone to "herd" you thru the process with you meeting the financial requirements on your own. As a rule those "Hand Holders" are usually okay, and the following year if you don't wanna use them it's not an issue pushing your own paper.

Sorry this was a long response. Hope this was somewhat helpful.

Just need to have 12-13 months financials if switching away from agent, worked for me

23 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Just need to have 12-13 months financials if switching away from agent, worked for me

Can be hit and miss. Immigration can tell if previous extension was obtained via agent.

Suggest the bullet proof way to switch to DIY after using an agent is to "start over"

I outlined earlier. Exit and obtain a new Non O

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Can be hit and miss. Immigration can tell if previous extension was obtained via agent.

Suggest the bullet proof way to switch to DIY after using an agent is to "start over"

I outlined earlier. Exit and obtain a new Non O

Who failed after providing 12-13 months of financials? I haven't seen one post

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Who failed after providing 12-13 months of financials? I haven't seen one post

Read my first post in this thread and reply after that.

Edit : that link does not work

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Read my first post in this thread and reply after that.

Edit : that link does not work

Nor does that one