On 9/17/2026 at 1:25 PM, scottiejohn said:

I have no decision to make. I want proof from a reliable source what law is being broken and proof that it is being broken!

It's clearly illegal, of course they are not going to actually say in an ad it invoices bribing officials as you do not legally qualify for the extension. They don't say you might get an extension issued from a province you don't even live in, and they never inform customers that agents are not regulated and have no professional standards of service. Bribery of any sort to get something not entitled to IS illegal.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by visalady

I think the question needs to be asked, what is the benefit and to whom if they were to crack down vs leave the status quo in place. Agents do get busted from time to time, I assume that everyone who uses them is aware of the risks. I use the 65,000 baht per month income statement method so it's never a question or an issue for me, just pay my 1900 baht and done, once a year. I wonder how many people who use the 800,000 baht / agent method aren't aware of the 65,000 baht income option? I've seen quite a few newbies who ask about agents in forums and aren't aware of the income method. To the heart of your post, the current crackdown on real estate deals doesn't seem to have any overlapping agenda with any potential agent crackdowns, I don't see that there is anything to be gained, there are no crimes hiding behind the practice, and I'm sure the powers that be are well aware of the degree that cracking down on agents would disrupt a lot of people that are otherwise not causing any harm or breaking any laws, notwithstanding the fee cashflow which I'm sure many would like to leave in place. So unless it's done for public political posturing I don't see it being very likely. That said, my opinion is uninformed and really doesn't count for much, it's just my personal common sense talking.

26 minutes ago, visalady said:

It's clearly illegal, of course they are not going to actually say in an ad it invoices bribing officials as you do not legally qualify for the extension. They don't say you might get an extension issued from a province you don't even live in, and they never inform customers that agents are not regulated and have no professional standards of service. Bribery of any sort to get something not entitled to IS illegal.

I think it falls into the category of victimless crime. If there is no clear victim, or harm, what would be the motivation to crack down and create a big mess in the process? Some ambitious official who wants a medal for "fighting corruption"? If the agent is viewed as exploiting foreigners and gouging them for exorbitant fees for something they can do themselves for 1900 baht, maybe that's a form of victimization, but I think it's a stretch because people know what they're paying for. I think at the very least the visa holder should be aware that something illegal is taking place which could potentially put them at risk. Informed consent.

5 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

I think the question needs to be asked, what is the benefit and to whom if they were to crack down vs leave the status quo in place. Agents do get busted from time to time, I assume that everyone who uses them is aware of the risks. I use the 65,000 baht per month income statement method so it's never a question or an issue for me, just pay my 1900 baht and done, once a year. I wonder how many people who use the 800,000 baht / agent method aren't aware of the 65,000 baht income option? I've seen quite a few newbies who ask about agents in forums and aren't aware of the income method. To the heart of your post, the current crackdown on real estate deals doesn't seem to have any overlapping agenda with any potential agent crackdowns, I don't see that there is anything to be gained, there are no crimes hiding behind the practice, and I'm sure the powers that be are well aware of the degree that cracking down on agents would disrupt a lot of people that are otherwise not causing any harm or breaking any laws, notwithstanding the fee cashflow which I'm sure many would like to leave in place. So unless it's done for public political posturing I don't see it being very likely. That said, my opinion is uninformed and really doesn't count for much, it's just my personal common sense talking.

They don't need to do a crackdown, if they wanted to stop it just offer a 10k a year visa/extension, the end over night

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

They don't need to do a crackdown, if they wanted to stop it just offer a 10k a year visa/extension, the end over night

After amending the Thai Immigration Act Section 35

42 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

I think it falls into the category of victimless crime.

The the bribery and anti-corruption laws in Thailand view the State itself as the victim of bribery by public officials.

I am not looking at this matter as a police should arrest themselves issue but, per the Thailand Consumer Protection Act as is likely to undergo some overhaul,

Section 22 -- The following statements shall be regarded as those which are unfair to consumers or may cause adverse effect to the society as a whole:

(3) Statement which is directly or indirectly encouraging the commission of an unlawful

or immoral act, or which adversely affects the national culture;