It is not illegal for agents to help people with their visas.

49 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

There is no political gain to crack down on this.

Could be instigated by Bank of Thailand as part of the money laundering crackdown such as they did with Bangkok Bank, could be via pressure from the US.

Govt could stop it overnight by having a 10,000 baht a year visa/extension for over 50s

Edited September 13Sep 13 by scubascuba3

27 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

It is not illegal for agents to help people with their visas.

But bribing officials is, getting extensions from provinces people do not live in is. Agents are not a professional body, anyone can call themselves an agent, they have no offical standards and are answerable to nobody. Some are not even registered businesses, a taxi driver could call himself an agent. If things go wrong with an agent you have nowhere to complain to.

24 minutes ago, visalady said:

But bribing officials is, getting extensions from provinces people do not live in is. Agents are not a professional body, anyone can call themselves an agent, they have no offical standards and are answerable to nobody. Some are not even registered businesses, a taxi driver could call himself an agent. If things go wrong with an agent you have nowhere to complain to.

One can have a business that helps people get visas and whatnot that is completely legal and does not require bribing anyone.

56 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Could be instigated by Bank of Thailand as part of the money laundering crackdown such as they did with Bangkok Bank, could be via pressure from the US.

Govt could stop it overnight by having a 10,000 baht a year visa/extension for over 50s

All it would take would be for a few employees that facilitate these activities to get burned and it will be all over.

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

It is not illegal for agents to help people with their visas.

This topic is not in any way about people that put in legit applications but pay a nit for a hand holding service.

It's my impression that some or even mostt agencies don't even want that kind of low fee business anyway.

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Govt could stop it overnight by having a 10,000 baht a year visa/extension for over 50s

That would drive even more to the agents!

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

That does not answer my question WRT the Chinese man and the guns!

But that's the only answer you are going to get.

22 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

This topic is not in any way about people that put in legit applications but pay a nit for a hand holding service.

It's my impression that some or even mostt agencies don't even want that kind of low fee business anyway.

I'm not sure that the fees for the handholding service are much, if at all, lower than with the agent sorting out the financial side of it.

8 minutes ago, Colonel_Mustard said:

I'm not sure that the fees for the handholding service are much, if at all, lower than with the agent sorting out the financial side of it.

When I was working, we paid B500 to an agency to provide a hand-holder. We only used them when the office staff was too busy.

10 minutes ago, Colonel_Mustard said:

I'm not sure that the fees for the handholding service are much, if at all, lower than with the agent sorting out the financial side of it.

That I don't know but an agent that specializes in the gift system might weaken their brand with immigration by having compliant clients.

24 minutes ago, JerryM said:

But that's the only answer you are going to get.

Which means you have no worthwhile answer, which is the same worth as your whole topic!

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That I don't know but an agent that specializes in the gift system might weaken their brand with immigration by having compliant clients.

When I contacted TVC five or six years ago, they were not accepting people that satisfied the financial requirement.

I would pay B1,000 to not have to go down there, but if you have to go anyway, what's the point.

17 minutes ago, Colonel_Mustard said:

I'm not sure that the fees for the handholding service are much, if at all, lower than with the agent sorting out the financial side of it.

My handholding is less than 8,000Baht!

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

Which means you have no worthwhile answer, which is the same worth as your whole topic!

The above is why I didn't answer.

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

Which means you have no worthwhile answer, which is the same worth as your whole topic!

The point the post was making was clear to me, and I assume most everyone but you.

Why go on and on about it brother?

Just now, scottiejohn said:

My handholding is less than 8,000Baht!

When I enquired with one of the well known visa agents, I was told it was exactly the same fee regardless of whether I had 800,000 in the bank. I guess each is different then.

2 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

The point the post was making was clear to me, and I assume most everyone but you.

Why go on and on about it brother?

Which post is clear to you?

Because there are two types of agents, legit hand holding and back door facilitators and he cannot or will not separate them!

Edited September 13Sep 13 by scottiejohn

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

Because there are two types of agents, legit hand holding and back door facilitators and he cannot or will not separate them!

And?

6 minutes ago, JerryM said:

The above is why I didn't answer.

So, you agree that your responses to the whole topic are not worthwhile!

Edited September 13Sep 13 by scottiejohn

Just now, scottiejohn said:

So, you agree that your whole topic is not worthwhile!

How is it his topic?

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

That's because you have made ignorant claims and have failed to support them, instead resorting to silly name-calling. What is your primary language anyway? 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Why do you not tell us who the big players are? Because you don't know who the big players are, yet you pretend TVC is not one of them. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

"Again she cried", that's a new one for you I bet... there is no 1 big player, certainly they gather in Pattaya and other expat areas Chang Mai, HKT and Bkk, but not your ol yankee pal who is no doubt ducking for cover. as mentioned prev. Ask him how big he is, he speaks boof American Im sure of that!

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

How is it his topic?

Sorry he has dominated the topic to such an extent that I thought it was his topic.

I have amended my comment to reflect your comment!

1 minute ago, Olmate said:

"Again she cried", that's a new one for you I bet... there is no 1 big player, certainly they gather in Pattaya and other expat areas Chang Mai, HKT and Bkk, but not your ol yankee pal who is no doubt ducking for cover. as mentioned prev. Ask him how big he is, he speaks boof American Im sure of that!

Okay, so there are not big players, and you were just bullsh*tting when you implied there were. You're a bullsh*tter, that explains a lot.

Incidentally, there are about twice as many foreigners living in Bangkok as in Pattaya. Of course, in Pattaya there are a lot more skint old-timers in bed-sits waiting for their next pension check that have to hire agents.

9 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Sorry he has dominated the topic to such an extent that I thought it was his topic.

I have amended my comment to reflect your comment!

Why do you continue to participate in a thread you claim is useless?

5 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Why do you continue to participate in a thread you claim is useless?

To try and get it back on a true track.

15 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

To try and get it back on a true track.

And what might the "true track" be?

10 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

And what might the "true track" be?

That despite the topic heading, agents are un-crackable.

10 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

And what might the "true track" be?

One that is not false and full of lies and half truths!

Just now, scottiejohn said:

One that is not false and full of lies and half truths!

So, you don't know. That makes sense.