questions about renewing retirement visa

[danadaddee]

An American friend of mine who lives in Bangkok got his retirement visa through a law firm, paid 30K baht, has not had to report in or anything, it expires at the end of January.  Can he renew on his own in Jomtien?  The original visa was done in Chonburi, I assume it is the same office...

 

What would he need to do?  Can he use his Bangkok address?

 

Thanks in advance.

[ubonjoe]

If he is living in Bangkok in will that to apply for his extension of stay (it is not a visa) there at Chaeng Wattana immigration.

He will need to meet the financial proof requirements to apply.

[Munotlaw]

The mentioned price of 30k suggests that the agent provided also the financial requirements. In that case he needs the agent again, price will be lower and Immigration Pattaya will issue. 

Munotlaw 

[danadaddee]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

if he is living in Bangkok in will that to apply for his extension of stay (it is not a visa) there at Chaeng Wattana immigration.

He will need to meet the financial proof requirements to apply.

 

Thanks Ubonjoe, 

Since he is renewing an existing one year retirement visa that was done originally in Chonburi, if he uses an address in Pattaya this would take care of the requirement to apply at Chaeng Wattana, yes?

[danadaddee]

7 minutes ago, Munotlaw said:

The mentioned price of 30k suggests that the agent provided also the financial requirements. In that case he needs the agent again, price will be lower and Immigration Pattaya will issue. 

Munotlaw 

Thanks Munotlaw,

 

Americans don't need this, I recently did mine with only the notarized affidavit of income provided by my embassy.  Hence his interest in doing it himself now...

I will recommend he discuss with the lawyer to see what he wants to charge before taking the next step I guess... but if he lied to him a year ago, how can you trust his advice???

 

 

[IMA_FARANG]

A reirement visa extension or an annual  renewal can be done without an agent by a person of average inteligence, even an American.

I am not being sarcastic, as i am an American living in Bangkok, and betwen 2010 and 2013 I did 3 of them.

Why pay an agent 30K Baht for something you can handle yourself at the cost of a 200 Baht taxi fee to immigrtion?

Just neet the financial requireents, take half  a day in immigration and do it once a year.

The fact that your friend gas not yet heard anything from the Agency is like a red waening flag to me.

i hope i am wrong about that.

 

[NanLaew]

4 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

Why pay an agent 30K Baht for something you can handle yourself at the cost of a 200 Baht taxi fee to immigrtion?

Just neet the financial requireents, take half  a day in immigration and do it once a year.

Maybe the OP's American friend doesn't have the required financial fortitude.

 

15 minutes ago, danadaddee said:

Americans don't need this, I recently did mine with only the notarized affidavit of income provided by my embassy.  Hence his interest in doing it himself now...

Maybe the OP's American friend is similarly unfazed by making potentially perjurious statements to a government official.

[danadaddee]

4 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

A reirement visa extension or an annual  renewal can be done without an agent by a person of average inteligence, even an American.

I am not being sarcastic, as i am an American living in Bangkok, and betwen 2010 and 2013 I did 3 of them.

Why pay an agent 30K Baht for something you can handle yourself at the cost of a 200 Baht taxi fee to immigrtion?

Just neet the financial requireents, take half  a day in immigration and do it once a year.

The fact that your friend gas not yet heard anything from the Agency is like a red waening flag to me.

i hope i am wrong about that.

 

Thanks Ima Farang...

 

I agree, he made a mistake in using the agency.  I found it quite simple to do the OA visa in Vientiane, then the change to retirement here in Jomtien, all by myself.

 

Yes, good point, he should have heard from the agency by now,  one month before his current visa or extension or whatever you want to call it  needs to be renewed.

 

He was told he had to prove the financial stuff, which is true for some, but not for Americans.  

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, danadaddee said:

Thanks Ubonjoe, 

Since he is renewing an existing one year retirement visa that was done originally in Chonburi, if he uses an address in Pattaya this would take care of the requirement to apply at Chaeng Wattana, yes?

Why does he want to go to Pattaya to apply for the extension (not a visa). He would probably find it easier to do it in Bangkok than Pattaya.

He would just need to prove an address in Bangkok.

[danadaddee]

Just now, NanLaew said:

Maybe the OP's American friend doesn't have the required financial fortitude.

 

Maybe the OP's American friend is similarly unfazed by making potentially perjurious statements to a government official.

thanks for your input, NanLaew.

 

not really.   lol.

 

[lopburi3]

16 minutes ago, danadaddee said:

Thanks Munotlaw,

 

Americans don't need this, I recently did mine with only the notarized affidavit of income provided by my embassy.  Hence his interest in doing it himself now...

I will recommend he discuss with the lawyer to see what he wants to charge before taking the next step I guess... but if he lied to him a year ago, how can you trust his advice???

 

 

Americans must meet the same requirements as anyone else.  Any nationality can use income letter rather than bank deposit.  Some Embassies require paperwork to prove and others the signature of applicant - but in any case your signature is under oath and in the case of USA a U.S. Federal Offence if not true and make the signer subject to US laws and to US imprisonment. 

[danadaddee]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

Why does he want to go to Pattaya to apply for the extension (not a visa). He would probably find it easier to do it in Bangkok than Pattaya.

He would just need to prove an address in Bangkok.

yes I agree,  he was thinking of combining a little getaway to the beach and also the existing visa is from here... but I think he'd be best served to handle it in bkk.

 

he will need a change of address form, a health certificate, and an affidavit of income, correct?

 

I am passing on this advice to him, thanks again.

[danadaddee]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

Americans must meet the same requirements as anyone else.  Any nationality can use income letter rather than bank deposit.  Some Embassies require paperwork to prove and others the signature of applicant - but in any case your signature is under oath and in the case of USA a U.S. Federal Offence if not true and make the signer subject to US laws and to US imprisonment. 

good to know, I was under the impression other folks had to produce bank statements... that there was no option to do otherwise.

 

thanks lobburi3

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, danadaddee said:

he will need a change of address form, a health certificate, and an affidavit of income, correct?

Just a change of address form with proof of residence and the income affidavit. No health certificate is required.

 

[danadaddee]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

Just a change of address form and proof of residence and the income affidavit. No health certificate is required.

 

thanks again, nice to be able to get good advice from folks here, appreciate it very much!

 

 

[beachproperty]

".....has not had to report in or anything, "

 

You mean he has not done his 90 day report?

 

[glegolo]

Yeah this seems on several points to be a strange OP,s posting.... First like you mention; no 90 day reports..... I wonder what will happen when he shows up,,, will he be thrown out of Thailand....

 

And secondly OP went to Laos and get a Non Immigrant O-A???? Is that really true???? is it possible to get an O-A in a country where you are NOT living??

 

Strange

Glegolo

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Yeah this seems on several points to be a strange OP,s posting.... First like you mention; no 90 day reports..... I wonder what will happen when he shows up,,, will he be thrown out of Thailand....

Just 2000 baht fine. Certainly no deportation.

[glegolo]

26 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Just 2000 baht fine. Certainly no deportation.

Yes, but together with a questionable extension of stay, made out by a "law-firm" in Thailand, smell big problem here...  if it is true of course

 

Glegolo

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Yes, but together with a questionable extension of stay, made out by a "law-firm" in Thailand, smell big problem here...  if it is true of course

Not likely since it is would have real stamps from an immigration office. It is done all the time. Many people have gotten their retirement extensions that way.

[xylophone]

Hmmm, what sprang to my mind when I saw the figure of 30k baht was that perhaps this was one of those "law firms" which advertises that they will get you an extension based on retirement for that sort of money, and the applicant doesn't have to have any money in the bank whatsoever, or visit an immigration office, because "it's all taken care of by the law firm" – – if you see what I mean?

[jpinx]

I seem to remember someone getting into trouble for having stamps in his passport which an agency had procured, by making their own stamps!

[glegolo]

Yes I see your point, and that was also exactly my point when posting above here. It is a scam of course, and it is NOT OK at all... But hopefully it wil NOT cast a shadow on the rest of us... But is does, it does, and it does....

 

We have to live in lala-land if we dont undrstand that..... cheeters always leaves a trail to others to suffer in the end....

 

Glegolo

[sirmud63]

7 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Hmmm, what sprang to my mind when I saw the figure of 30k baht was that perhaps this was one of those "law firms" which advertises that they will get you an extension based on retirement for that sort of money, and the applicant doesn't have to have any money in the bank whatsoever, or visit an immigration office, because "it's all taken care of by the law firm" – – if you see what I mean?

thats exactly what i have done for the last 3 years . but it only costs me 23kthb and a trip to bkk immigration . to easy .

[Munotlaw]

thats exactly what i have done for the last 3 years . but it only costs me 23kthb and a trip to bkk immigration . to easy

 

I agree fully, Immigration people likes you even more than ordinary applicants, because they can get a little tea money. 

Munotlaw

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Munotlaw said:

thats exactly what i have done for the last 3 years . but it only costs me 23kthb and a trip to bkk immigration . to easy

 

I agree fully, Immigration people likes you even more than ordinary applicants, because they can get a little tea money. 

Munotlaw

That is not the impression I get from the officers themselves - and most spoke to wife in negatives about such people/expediters.  

[danadaddee]

3 hours ago, beachproperty said:

".....has not had to report in or anything, "

 

You mean he has not done his 90 day report?

 

my assumption is the agency he paid has been handling this, but I don't know.

[overherebc]

1 minute ago, danadaddee said:

my assumption is the agency he paid has been handling this, but I don't know.

 

How long ago did he get the original?

Has he been giving the agent his passport every 90 days?

[danadaddee]

3 hours ago, glegolo said:

Yeah this seems on several points to be a strange OP,s posting.... First like you mention; no 90 day reports..... I wonder what will happen when he shows up,,, will he be thrown out of Thailand....

 

And secondly OP went to Laos and get a Non Immigrant O-A???? Is that really true???? is it possible to get an O-A in a country where you are NOT living??

 

Strange

Glegolo

 

he will either be fined or the agency has been handling the check ins, I guess...

 

 

 

I did Vientiane after coming to thailand, applied for and got my OA visa there.  not sure what my friend did.  so yes, you can apply for an OA at any Thai embassy apparently...

 

many people were doing the same thing there...

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, danadaddee said:

I did Vientiane after coming to thailand, applied for and got my OA visa there.

Vientiane issued you a single entry non-o visa not a OA visa.

They only issue OA visas to Laotians and legal residents of Laos.