"Non-O" visa issue

[canaydn]

I recently obtained a Non-O retirement visa here in Pattaya.  The visa agency I used failed to advise me to renew my passport which was valid only up until July 2017.  When I got the visa back from the agency, it was only good until July (expiration of passport date) not for the usual 15 months for the initial visa.  I have since obtained a new passport good for another five years.  When I went to Jomtien immigration to transfer the visa to the new passport they issued it valid until July 2017, just like the old passport.  I went back to the agency for advice and they told me that I will have to start the whole process again from scratch and buy another Non-O visa in July, a cost of another 26,000 baht! I'm wondering if I'm being scammed or is this legit?  Has anyone ever had this problem? If so, how to best deal with it?   

[glegolo]

If you are being scammed?? Yes and mostly NO... It is merely YOU that scam Thailand, by using this agency and pay 26.000 baht to obtain an extension of stay (NOT a VISA by the way).....

 

The Immigration did the correct thing in all this, it is your own responsibility to have controll on these things with expiration date of passport and so on... You better pay again 26.000 baht smile and be happy when you get screwed over by this agency..

 

Glegolo

[ubonjoe]

Certainly not a scam other the 26k baht fee. It only costs 1900 baht for an extension if you do it yourself.

You have to apply for a new extension of stay (it is not a visa)  based upon retirement in July. Immigration will only do an extension to the date your passport expires if it is less than one year.

[glegolo]

UbonJoe, you write to contradict my post,, saying that this is not a scam..... I thought when these VISA-companies pay off their contacts at the Immigration, who in turn then lie about the seasoning of the money involved, doing the whole procedure in just 1-2 days instead of 2-3 months.... is that not a scam, so what is a scam really????

 

Just asking??

Glegolo

Edited February 12, 2017 by glegolo

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, glegolo said:

UbonJoe, you write to contradict my post,, saying that this is not a scam.....

I wrote this thinking he meant immigration scamming him.

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Certainly not a scam other the 26k baht fee.

 

[Lovethailandelite]

5 minutes ago, glegolo said:

UbonJoe, you write to contradict my post,, saying that this is not a scam..... I thought when these VISA-companies pay off their contacts at the Immigration, who in turn then lie about the seasoning of the money involved, doing the whole procedure in just 1-2 days instead of 2-3 months.... is that not a scam, so what is a scam really????

 

Just asking??

Glegolo

The OP hasn't been scammed by the visa company. They acquired for him exactly what they promised. He failed to check his passport expiry date  
The 26000 was expensive though. 18000 is more the going rate.

[Lite Beer]

4 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

The OP hasn't been scammed by the visa company. They acquired for him exactly what they promised. He failed to check his passport expiry date  
The 26000 was expensive though. 18000 is more the going rate.

Or 1,900 Baht if you do this very simple process yourself.

As said, Immigration will only issue an extension of stay up to the expiry date of your Passsport if less than a year.

When you apply in July you will get 12 months.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Lite Beer

[Lovethailandelite]

Just now, Lite Beer said:

Or 1,900 Baht if you do this very simple process yourself.

As said, Immigration will only issue an extension of stay up to the expiry date of your Passsport if less than a year.

When you apply in you will get 12 months.

Not if you haven't the required funds to do it isn't. Why do think people pay 26000 Baht to an agent?

[Lite Beer]

1 minute ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Not if you haven't the required funds to do it isn't. Why do think people pay 26000 Baht to an agent?

Discussing illegal activities is against Forum Rules.

[glegolo]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I wrote this thinking he meant immigration scamming him.

 

So again then... the QUICK seasoning of the money 1-2 days,,,, instead of the correct 2 months,,,, and then all is OK,,, THAT is not a scam.... It is not a scam to bribe an immigration official??

 

OK I think we sees it differently, I see that Thailand are being scammed by both the guy who pays them off,,,,, as well as the VISA-companies.

 

Glegolo

[Lovethailandelite]

Just now, Lite Beer said:

Discussing illegal activities is against Forum Rules.

That takes about 50% of topics out then. Is it illegal when banks and immigration quite openly do it? There are certain people involved that you wouldn't want to tell them it's illegal  And is discussing it anymore illegal than advice to use consulates for marriage extensions in other country's who are to lapse to check if the person applying actually has the funds and the discussing of using fake airline tickets to obtain tourist visas?

[Lite Beer]

Yes it is illegal.

Providing false information , even with the connivance of an Immigration Officer could get one in big trouble.

You sign the application form.

[Lovethailandelite]

Just now, Lite Beer said:

Yes it is illegal.

Providing false information , even with the connivance of an Immigration Officer could get one in big trouble.

You sign the application form.

If you say so. Maybe go and tell all the agents, some directly opposite immigration openly advertising the fact. There are millions and millions of Baht involved. Do you think anybody really cares? The only time anybody would care is if it was stopped! Why do think that once your using an agent and attempt to do it yourself, your told by immigration, 'Use your agent'? It will never be stopped, it's how it is. Not discussing it isn't stopping it. As I said, if it's so illegal why are the banks and immigration happy for it to continue?

[Doiger]

8 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Yes it is illegal.

Providing false information , even with the connivance of an Immigration Officer could get one in big trouble.

You sign the application form.

since when was using agents illegal, nothing was mentioned to say whether the OP had the necessary funds (seasoned or not) or was using false information, a lot of people prefer to use agents because they find it easier and if they wish to pay extra for a service then it is certainly not illegal.

i agree a lot of people use agents to their advantage but while agents are around people are going to use them whether. it's right or not

[elviajero]

It's not a scam, but the agent should have told you that immigration will not give you a full year.

 

Agents are expensive and unnecessary.

[tgeezer]

I recently obtained a Non-O retirement visa here in Pattaya.  The visa agency I used failed to advise me to renew my passport which was valid only up until July 2017.  When I got the visa back from the agency, it was only good until July (expiration of passport date) not for the usual 15 months for the initial visa.  I have since obtained a new passport good for another five years.  When I went to Jomtien immigration to transfer the visa to the new passport they issued it valid until July 2017, just like the old passport.  I went back to the agency for advice and they told me that I will have to start the whole process again from scratch and buy another Non-O visa in July, a cost of another 26,000 baht! I'm wondering if I'm being scammed or is this legit?  Has anyone ever had this problem? If so, how to best deal with it?   

I think I understand.
What visa did you use to enter the country. If it was a tourist or transit visa it can only be extended for 30 or 90 days with your status is tourist. If you changed your status to long stay, retirement is a long stay status, it would be valid for 90 days, extendable by application if you meet the criteria, for one year. you need to report to Immigration every ninety days and the visa can be extended under the same conditions annually.

You appear to have been told that the agent can obtain a stay of fifteen months, that would appear to be the first 90 days plus the year. It appears this was successful but owing to your passport expiring you got only three months of the retirement status.
So the problem is you paid too much. If any criteria have been waived, then to have them waived again will need an agent, but one would assume that since 25000 was the price for the package and now you have the status, then you may be able to negotiate to get the next extension price down.

Note: My view is this and I would welcome comment and correction.

The status of aliens is laid down by Royal Commissions in what we call The Immigratioin Act, implementation of The Act is done at a Senior level of the Police Department, they set the conditions and costs. The income from aliens among other things is what provides the budget for Immigration. Application is made to them, so they can amend the rules as they think fit. There is nothing illegal in this, many departments of government are run this way. It would be illegal if a junior officer exceeded his authority but I doubt that happens also if whoever is responsible allowed you an extension for one year as a tourist, something not provided for in The Act, this is why they upgrade your status to 'long-stay' first, why should they do that for nothing?

[SaintLouisBlues]

2 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Why do think people pay 26000 Baht to an agent?

Because they are the sort of folk who struggle to fill out their tax return back home, so pay someone else to do it

[Lovethailandelite]

2 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

Because they are the sort of folk who struggle to fill out their tax return back home, so pay someone else to do it

Along with not having the money to pay the Tax bill 

[SaintLouisBlues]

10 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Along with not having the money to pay the Tax bill 

The two are entirely unrelated in my experience

[Lovethailandelite]

7 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

The two are entirely unrelated in my experience

Not really. That's why people use accountants. Tax avoidance isn't illegal. Tax evasion is. I look at agents as accountants.

[SaintLouisBlues]

12 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Not really. That's why people use accountants. Tax avoidance isn't illegal. Tax evasion is. I look at agents as accountants.

The evidence is that tax returns generally terrify people so they use accountants/tax agents. It has nothing to do with either evasion nor avoidance. H&R Block have built an entire business model around it

Edited February 12, 2017 by SaintLouisBlues

[Lovethailandelite]

Just now, SaintLouisBlues said:

The evidence is that tax returns generally terrify people so they use accountants/tax agents. It has nothing to do with either evasion nor avoidance

I know of nobody in the UK that would use an accountant to file a tax return other than for the sole reason of saving you money. Very few people other than self employed get a tax return to file in the UK anyway. Maybe different in the US, I have no idea.

[Deepinthailand]

2 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

I know of nobody in the UK that would use an accountant to file a tax return other than for the sole reason of saving you money. Very few people other than self employed get a tax return to file in the UK anyway. Maybe different in the US, I have no idea.

You know one now when I payed tax in the UK I always used an accountant saves lots of time lots of hassle and they know the system back to front on what's legal and what's not. Or in simpler terms what I could write off against work and what I couldn't.