SaintLouisBlues Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 (edited) A friend of mine uses a well-known legal firm in Bangkok to handle all his immigration matters as it gives him, he says, "peace of mind". I think he's being scammed, not because he's using an agent so much as what they ask him to do. Initially they took his passport to CW each year with all the paperwork and returned it with an extension For the past two years the company has told him, before the renewal, that he will have to accompany them to CW as Immigration need to see that he "is still alive". (I thought one of the main reasons to use such companies was to avoid going to CW!) For this they are charging him an extra handling fee because, they assert, CW may now ask not only for proof of residence but also the physical presence of the landlord at the renewal process. In order to remove this risk they have my friend use the address of one of their employees as his address because, as the employee is in attendance at the Immigration office, the risk of CW asking for the landlord's presence is thereby mitigated Not only does this seem to be a scam to me, but my friend is also making a false declaration on his application as to his address. I know that bureaucrats love pieces of paper for their own sake, but if he ever did his 90-day report himself, and disclosed his actual address, there's an extremely remote chance that they'd cross-reference it to his extension application. Needless to say, the same legal firm also handles his 90-day reports, so goodness knows what they report as his address. He says he trusts them implicitly; they have given him no reason to doubt them As far as the third point goes, has anyone on ThaiVisa in Bangkok ever been asked to produce their landlord in the flesh for their visa extension? If it is a scam, I assume (TIT) there are no channels to report the perpetrators? Edited August 12, 2016 by SaintLouisBlues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post elviajero Posted August 12, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted August 12, 2016 I don't see a scam. It's straightforward fraud on the part of your friend and his agent. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLouisBlues Posted August 12, 2016 Author Share Posted August 12, 2016 Just now, elviajero said: I don't see a scam. It's straightforward fraud on the part of your friend and his agent. The scam is in charging an extra handling fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinneil Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 I think it is a scam, please get your friend to do it himself, agents are only interested in money. Be careful about the address, my wife does my immigration visits, due to me bbeing paraplegic. 1 time she made a mistake put the wrong house number (her old address ) immigration picked it up and made a bit of a fuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLouisBlues Posted August 12, 2016 Author Share Posted August 12, 2016 (edited) 3 minutes ago, colinneil said: I think it is a scam, please get your friend to do it himself, agents are only interested in money. Be careful about the address, my wife does my immigration visits, due to me bbeing paraplegic. 1 time she made a mistake put the wrong house number (her old address ) immigration picked it up and made a bit of a fuss. Had you read my post carefully you would have seen that the agent's interest in money is irrelevant to my friend if they are otherwise behaving legally. As you say, your wife does your visits, so you too are using an agent, you're just not paying her Edited August 12, 2016 by SaintLouisBlues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Reporting a false address is obviously not legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoorSucker Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 They want the landlord present so they can fine him for not filing a T.M 30 form informing immigration about your presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 I suspect he is using a phony address because he not living in Bangkok and the agent cannot do the extension at any other office than Chaeng Wattana. It seems immigration is getting wise to what some agents are doing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Some rude and inflammatory posts have been removed. A repeat of them will result in a formal warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 If the OP's friend doesn't live in Bangkok, then he shouldn't be using an agent in Bangkok. Yes, now since the coup, someone does have to show up in person at the Immigration office for an extension and a photo is taken there for proof. And yes, someone's landlord does have to file a TM30 form for their tenants. Basically, the OP's may have thought he was using the agent "for convenience" and not having to go to Immigration himself. The agent was committing fraud on his behalf by using a false address -- your friend would have had to sign a TM7 form with the false address, incidentally. But now that Immigration is cracking down on this practice, it's become more expensive for agents to continue to operate this way. Your friend needs to find an agent in the province where he lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Actually in all but overloaded Chiang Mai Province an agent is probably a huge waste of time (and best) and an invitation for later issues (if any irregularity is involved) - it is your signature on that form. For most people there is no need for any agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLouisBlues Posted August 12, 2016 Author Share Posted August 12, 2016 (edited) 10 hours ago, NancyL said: If the OP's friend doesn't live in Bangkok, then he shouldn't be using an agent in Bangkok. Yes, now since the coup, someone does have to show up in person at the Immigration office for an extension and a photo is taken there for proof. And yes, someone's landlord does have to file a TM30 form for their tenants. Basically, the OP's may have thought he was using the agent "for convenience" and not having to go to Immigration himself. The agent was committing fraud on his behalf by using a false address -- your friend would have had to sign a TM7 form with the false address, incidentally. But now that Immigration is cracking down on this practice, it's become more expensive for agents to continue to operate this way. Your friend needs to find an agent in the province where he lives. My friend lives in central Bangkok. There is no suggestion in my post of anything otherwise. The question "Has anyone else in Bangkok ..." should have been sufficient indication of that. Edited August 12, 2016 by SaintLouisBlues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 (edited) If OP's friend has to go to the Immigration Office now what's the point of an agent the retirement process is easier enough why not just get it done himself the staff are very helpful unless there's another reason for him wanting to use an agent. Edited August 13, 2016 by Kwasaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLouisBlues Posted August 13, 2016 Author Share Posted August 13, 2016 So, separating the sizzle from the sausage in these replies, no Bangkok-based member has ever been asked to produce their landlord at CW as part of their visa extension? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgemandm Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Can't understand it way he dose not do it him self. it is very easy to do . like me I do it all my self and the same goes for partner visas I do it , why pay some one 25,000 thai bht to do it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partington Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 1 hour ago, SaintLouisBlues said: So, separating the sizzle from the sausage in these replies, no Bangkok-based member has ever been asked to produce their landlord at CW as part of their visa extension? I have done five extensions at CW and never been asked for the landlord to come, or even for a TM30. Sounds like this is either a made up requirement for the agent to make money, or there is some complicating issue or problem that your friend is not mentioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLouisBlues Posted August 13, 2016 Author Share Posted August 13, 2016 Just now, partington said: I have done five extensions at CW and never been asked for the landlord to come, or even for a TM30. Sounds like this is either a made up requirement for the agent to make money, or there is some complicating issue or problem that your friend is not mentioning. At last!! Someone who agrees with me that this is a made-up requirement for the agent to make money ie. a scam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benmart Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 (edited) I like to read first hand, personal experiences from the OP. Edited August 13, 2016 by Benmart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquorice Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 On 12/08/2016 at 2:16 PM, SaintLouisBlues said: A friend of mine uses a well-known legal firm in Bangkok to handle all his immigration matters as it gives him, he says, "peace of mind". I think he's being scammed, not because he's using an agent so much as what they ask him to do. Is it you, or your friend who's complaining about the situation? If he's content to commit fraud, that's his business. Otherwise help him yourself, if your a friend, but don't forget to complete a TM28 and TM 30 first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfaroukh Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 According to my experience the only people who go to agent for visa are those either have no idea how to do things on their own, they do not understand Thai or English, and those who are not entitle to get that visa but they pay much extra to get it illegally. Why should a person give 25000 Baht for an extension when himself can get it for couple thousands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLouisBlues Posted August 13, 2016 Author Share Posted August 13, 2016 6 hours ago, Faz said: Is it you, or your friend who's complaining about the situation? If he's content to commit fraud, that's his business. Otherwise help him yourself, if your a friend, but don't forget to complete a TM28 and TM 30 first. Who's complaining? I seek confirmation of my superior understanding so I can quietly sit back and enjoy watching the drama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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