Hello All

This is my first post on TV and you could argue that it is done out of necessity. I tend to avoid forums like the plague due to an excessively high nutter count.

However I would be glad if you could bear with a newbie and convince me otherwise.

I have lived in Thailand since 2010 using retirement visa renewals handled by my normally efficient lawyer/visa agent. Yes,maybe I should do it myself but I am 68 and partially disabled.

In late November I was due for a 90 day checkin (November 29,2014) and a new retirement visa (expiry December 5,2014). All the relevant and required documents were handed to my lawyer in good time(letter of residence confirmation,bank letter confirming funds on hand for two months, photos,Thai bank book and passport).I received a signed and stamped invoice from my lawyer for the costs involved.

Unaccountably,I received a call from my lawyer asking for a new bank letter of funds confirmation on December 24. A new letter repeating the funds availability was secured the next day and passed to my lawyer.etc.

Since then I have received scant formation about progress from my lawyer,except stating that a new system was in place and would take time to settle in.Please be patient etc.etc. With hindsight I notice that my previous renewals have been done in Nonthaburi and Chachoengsao.I am resident in Bangkok.

It is now 2 months later and I am none the wiser.No sign of passport,visa nor bank book.My Thai bank funds remain secure and untouched by myself nor anyone else.

Now this what I have been hearing. Immigration under military guidance is trying to drive the lawyers and visa agents out of this business.As a result they are firing off passports and documents to less informed regional immigration offices before the new regs come to pass.

Quite obviously this is fraught with all sorts of dangers.Plus,sensible discussions with my lawyer seem to be increasingly difficult and sporadic.

At present,my inclination is to report my passport and bank book lost/stolen and apply and apply for a new British passport to start the process all over again.All kinds of hassles...delays due to lost passport investigation,the need to leave the Kingdom,and restart with a tourist visa,then non-Immi O,then retirement visa.In the meantime I dare not touch my Thai bank funds,which involves regular high cost transfers from the UK for living expenses.

I hope someone can give me some good advice in keeping with the culture and philosophy of the country I love (ie.not hi-aggression farang stuff).

I apologise for the long post.Thank you for reading.

This is only a suggestion, I would go to English speaking tourist police and have them call your lawyer as to the whereabouts of your passport.

Have you gone in to the lawyer for a face to find out what is going on? I think I would go there and pound on some desks.

The big problem you have now is that you are on an overstay at 500 baht a day unless they have done the extension. You are about to the max fine of 20k baht level now.

Reporting your passport lost or stolen should be your last resort. With a UK passport you could be without one for several weeks with the new system they have. It might be best to first get a emergency travel document first.

If you start all over again it would be best to make a trip to Vientiane Laos to get a single entry non-o visa instead of a tourist visa. All you would need is your passport to prove your age and your bank book showing 800k baht in the account.

Getting the non-o would allow you do the extension directly instead going through the change of visa status.

Also note for applications for annual retirement extensions using the 800K in bank method, the money seasoning requirement is two months only for the FIRST extension, and THREE months for all subsequent extensions. Dated from the date of application for the extension, rather than the permission to stay expiration date.

Call the lawyer's office and tell a white lie. Tell them you need your passport to take a trip abroad.

Something that has worked re slippery lawyers is to phone from an unfamiliar number posing as a new customer in order to secure an appointment, followed by a 'Rugby tackle' as soon as you're in the door.

HTH

Edited February 5, 201511 yr by evadgib

This won't help you but you have may helped others. The OP has just made the perfect argument not to use an agent and to do it yourself.

Why would a LEGIT service using legit documents use an immigration office other than the one they are supposed to use related to the applicants place of residence in Thailand?

I thought is was a legal requirement that you must use the local office associated with your residence.

Edited February 5, 201511 yr by Jingthing

Why would a LEGIT service using legit documents use an immigration office other than the one they are supposed to use related to the applicants place of residence in Thailand?

I thought is was a legal requirement that you must use the local office associated with your residence.

Because the office he should use will not allow them to do it for him.

It being done that way is causing people problems now because some offices are not allowing them to do 90 day reports where they live now. They are saying it has to be done where the extension was issued.

This is very sad and difficult to understand why the "lawyer"/visa agent wasn't using the proper immigration office if the OP indeed met all of the financial requirements for a retirement visa -- which it sounds like he does. Now perhaps they're caught in a trap because of the crackdown of 90 day reports needing to be done in the province where the extension was granted.

I wonder if the OP would be willing to share how much he was paying in annual fees for this "service"?