Retirement Visa

[DennisF]

There were a couple of companies 2 or 3 years ago offering retirement visa assistance for those short of funds.

 

Does anyone know if they still operate?

 

Thanks in advance

[jacko45k]

Do you mean agents?

Yes they are still around. Plenty adverts to be seen, if in the Pattaya area a walk down soi Buakhao will show some, or Google.

 

From an agents website just now..

No Funds  No Problem – We can Help you meet the requirements – we offer a postal service, simply post your documents to us & we will do the rest guaranteed!

Edited January 14, 2019 by jacko45k

[MikeN]

There is one advertising on the top of this very page, although of course you may not be seeing the same ads as me.

[DennisF]

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Do you mean agents?

Yes they are still around. Plenty adverts to be seen, if in the Pattaya area a walk down soi Buakhao will show some, or Google.

 

From an agents website just now..

No Funds  No Problem – We can Help you meet the requirements – we offer a postal service, simply post your documents to us & we will do the rest guaranteed!

That sounds like the Patts guy I have used before.

A url to my inbox would be appreciated, if you have time

 

Thanks

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, DennisF said:

That sounds like the Patts guy I have used before.

A url to my inbox would be appreciated, if you have time

 

Thanks

Walk along soi bakau. Geezus there are several. 13k up

[D3030]

I was looking into back up plans for not getting that last chance income affidavit from the U.S. Embassy - And had no doubt in my mind I was screwed when it was time to get a one year extension.

 

So, this is what I can make if it.. They advertise a retirement visa, but it's basically a one year extension of stay?  

 

In fact, a visa agent actually said "It's almost like an OA visa" but it's a retirement extension.

 

He also said, he was using his money to cover the $$ requirement to get the extension.  I also read in this forum that it's not illegal or not in writing saying a business cannot cover the financial requirement to get this extension.

 

What I think "could" happen, is getting an extension from a visa service that is not located where you live.  At that time, a few weeks ago, all I could think of, was paying around 25K baht, get the extension, then when it was time to do the 90 day report, the IO in my area will tell me some crap this is no good, why, why, why.  She gave me a very hard time about getting a one year extension last year.

 

As luck or bad luck goes.... I'm going back to the States for family reasons, so I'm just applying for a new OA visa in the U.S.

[balo]

A friend of mine just received his passport with a new 1 year extension (retirement) , and the fee was 15000 baht. Agent did everything, he just had to show up with the passport and one picture. 

 

This was in Pattaya, maybe more difficult in other areas. 

 

 

 

[JackThompson]

11 hours ago, D3030 said:

What I think "could" happen, is getting an extension from a visa service that is not located where you live.  At that time, a few weeks ago, all I could think of, was paying around 25K baht, get the extension, then when it was time to do the 90 day report, the IO in my area will tell me some crap this is no good, why, why, why. 

Some agents offer "mail in" service (see above) - and I don't know how this could possibly work with 90-day reports when the applicant does not live in the service-area of the office where the agent has their connections.  A 3rd party can legally submit 90-day reports for you, but it is certainly not legal to report an incorrect-address on them. 

Is it "legal" for an IO to accept a 90-day report for a visitor reporting an address (correct address) which is not in the jurisdiction of their office?  I know they won't do it normally, but do they have the "discretion" in the law to process an "out of area" 90-day report?

[ubonjoe]

30 minutes ago, balo said:

A friend of mine just received his passport with a new 1 year extension (retirement) , and the fee was 15000 baht.

I got my new passport and extension for much less than 15k baht a few years ago and that included round trip airfare to Bangkok twice and proof of income during the 2nd trip to embassy.

[balo]

17 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 proof of income during the 2nd trip to embassy.

My friend does not have the required income (65k or 800k) so in his case the agent "borrowed" him 800k. 

 

Of course it's a grey area , but after all the recent changes I just wanted to confirm the agents still offer this "package". At least in Chonburi. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by balo

[Justin Side]

So your friend has an illegal permision to stay in his passport?

[JackThompson]

6 minutes ago, Justin Side said:

So your friend has an illegal permision to stay in his passport?

Not according to Thai immigration.  They support agent-applications - sometimes (some services in some offices) to the point of making an honest in-person application very difficult or even impossible.

Edited January 15, 2019 by JackThompson

[yodsak]

5 minutes ago, Justin Side said:

So your friend has an illegal permision to stay in his passport?

he's got the same stamp everyone else gets,  in the computer

[yodsak]

25 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I got my new passport and extension for much less than 15k baht a few years ago and that included round trip airfare to Bangkok twice and proof of income during the 2nd trip to embassy.

balo didn't mention a new passport.   15k for extension

[scubascuba3]

last time i looked they seem to quote approx 25k for first year and 13k for subsequent years, any idea why the first year is more expensive?

[JackThompson]

2 minutes ago, yodsak said:

balo didn't mention a new passport.   15k for extension

Point was - if you have what your local IO will accept (varies by office), then the cost is only 1900 Baht for the extension, plus the costs of any documents you need to support the application. 

If using the new system for income, those costs no longer include the embassy-letter / trip, but may include the costs of additional bank-transfers to create an acceptable paper/money-trail, plus the new type of bank-letter showing your monthly, international transfers of the minimum-required amount.

[JackThompson]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

last time i looked they seem to quote approx 25k for first year and 13k for subsequent years, any idea why the first year is more expensive?

"First Year" often includes the initial "Non-O Stamp" aka "conversion" from Tourist.  That desk, in Jomtien, is one of the most difficult and notorious in the country to get the service honestly and in-person. 

 

A few locations are reported to be worse - simply say "No such thing" - even when shown the official document from Bangkok - but still do it for agents, of course.

Edited January 15, 2019 by JackThompson

[scubascuba3]

"First Year" often includes the initial "Non-O Stamp" aka "conversion" from Tourist.  That desk, in Jomtien, is one of the most difficult and notorious in the country to get the service honestly and in-person. 
 
A few locations are reported to be worse - simply say "No such thing" - even when shown the official document from Bangkok - but still do it for agents, of course.

I'll look forward to that then

[balo]

8 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

A few locations are reported to be worse - simply say "No such thing" - even when shown the official document from Bangkok - but still do it for agents, of course.

I mentioned it because these type of extensions has been going on for years , and my friend has a monthly income just under 65k.

 

He could have borrowed the money in his home country just to meet the requirements for 3 months deposit in a Thai account. 

 

But instead he choose to use an agent in 2019 , after all the talk about new changes, and it's interesting to see it does not affect the agents , at least not yet.  

 

 

[JackThompson]

25 minutes ago, balo said:

my friend has a monthly income just under 65k.

He is much better off using an agent than lying on a govt-doc from his passport-country - so no change for him, unless he was doing something very unwise, before.

 

25 minutes ago, balo said:

after all the talk about new changes, and it's interesting to see it does not affect the agents , at least not yet.  

It affects them - just not in a bad way.  They should do very will with all those who do not easily fit into the new monthly-xfer system. 

Those living here full-time with a govt-benefit(s) distributed monthly which reaches the threshold have a better deal than before - no embassy-letter needed. 
But everyone else must now "regulate" their incoming-transfers into neat monthly increments, to conform with the new system.

Edited January 15, 2019 by JackThompson

[farangx]

Can one with a residence address in Hua Hin use an agent in Bangkok?

 

[jacko45k]

53 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

last time i looked they seem to quote approx 25k for first year and 13k for subsequent years, any idea why the first year is more expensive?

Perhaps the applicant hasn't got a Non-Imm-O?

[JackThompson]

11 minutes ago, farangx said:

Can one with a residence address in Hua Hin use an agent in Bangkok?

It is not clear to me how "out of area" agent-submitted applications (or 90-day reports following this) are handled legally. 

When I considered applying for a service in Bangkok, my plan was to move and live there during the entire process, then move back where I lived before, and file a TM-28 before submitting 90-day reports. 

Chiang Mai has been reported as rejecting TM-28s (reporting a move, to facilitate 90-day reporting in-area), in order to prevent applicants avoiding their local agent-money pipeline.

[farangx]

That is what I thought, especially since the same IO could be doing the extension over the years and then this oddity from another province showed up.  I don't think he will be happy.  Not that I will do it but ....????

 

[wgdanson]

22 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Do you mean agents?

Yes they are still around. Plenty adverts to be seen, if in the Pattaya area a walk down soi Buakhao will show some, or Google.

 

From an agents website just now..

No Funds  No Problem – We can Help you meet the requirements – we offer a postal service, simply post your documents to us & we will do the rest guaranteed!

Post your Passport to an unknown person ???????

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

Post your Passport to an unknown person ???????

Needs must. Although I personally do not need.

[phutoie2]

6 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Post your Passport to an unknown person ???????

Friend of mine up here (province east of yours) just been down to do it, a must apparently for first time. Cost just short of 13K BHT. He has explained all the process involved, simple enough. The only thing I didn't like the sound of was posting your passport down there for 90 day report.

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, phutoie2 said:

Friend of mine up here (province east of yours) just been down to do it, a must apparently for first time. Cost just short of 13K BHT. He has explained all the process involved, simple enough. The only thing I didn't like the sound of was posting your passport down there for 90 day report.

You can do the 90 day report online.

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, balo said:

I mentioned it because these type of extensions has been going on for years , and my friend has a monthly income just under 65k.

 

He could have borrowed the money in his home country just to meet the requirements for 3 months deposit in a Thai account. 

 

But instead he choose to use an agent in 2019 , after all the talk about new changes, and it's interesting to see it does not affect the agents , at least not yet.  

 

 

Your last 4 words (which I have taken the liberty of highlighting in bold) appear to me to be the crucial ones here.

 

All bets would, I think, be off were BJ to organise a shakedown.

[JackThompson]

57 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Your last 4 words (which I have taken the liberty of highlighting in bold) appear to me to be the crucial ones here.

 

All bets would, I think, be off were BJ to organise a shakedown.

When last asked about it, he claimed the agents "fool" the IOs with the loaned-money. 

 

How they manage to "fool" them to "forget" to check bank-money seasoning - but only when an agent submits the application - was not explained (nor asked by the reporter).