Do I have to use an agent every year for my retirement visa in Thailand?

@Ant **********

thank you , u have answered the question that I asked. 😃

@Troels *****

My agent and her husband are friends. They live in the same building as me.

@David ******

Not really lazy and not entirely incompetent, as I think I have a pretty good handle on a quite satisfying lifestyle. I'm surprised how fast the days go by with my several projects underway each day. And because my office hours are based on US time, yes, I'm pretty busy throughout the night too!

@Trav *********

Here's my thinking: I make money while I'm sleeping thru my various income streams, which more than covers the Visa agent costs. On the other hand, I've never found a way to make time. So the money spent allows me to optimize my time; that's not throwing money away at all.

@Bill ********

after spending from 6:30 am til 5 pm at immigration for my kids education visa extensions… I’m 100% paying an agent if I have to to it again (planning on switching to an ltr once I have enough passive income)

Good for you champ

@Kim *********

yes right. But as long as I see, there is no clear boundary between legal and illegal. It is legal but tomorrow it will be illegal. it was illegal but today legal but tomorrow illegal again like this. And, legal means what is lawful or not clearly illegal too. And also illegal but death law. there are laws that are already dead. no enforcement and no practicing possible. no feasibility at all.. like this.. an example is, in public, you should not take off your shirts. But there are many without cover everywhere. Actually this is illegal but no one cares. It is not possible to enforce. and sometimes when too hot or too much sweating, it is recommended to take off clothes a while to cool down outside. yes, but officially this is illegal too according to the law. it is but, up to the Thai government. If they want enforcement, yes they can at any time. Well, life isnt go nicely.

@Kim *********

I hear ya... and agree. I procured a really excellent agent who facilitated setting up the bank account for me, where I then supplied my own funds. I've maintained the required balance fully on my own ever since. She also did help immensely with the time spent at immigration; most of it was setting in the coffee shop while she worked her magic. Thus I have nothing but positive experiences with the Visa agent method.

@Stan *********

it won't work because you need to keep a minimum of 800,000 THB in your Thai bank account for THREE months after being issued the extension. The agent but will have withdrawn the funds right after you got the extension stamped. This is the moment you are violating the rule. So which ever turn you make, even if you put your own funds into your account on the same day, you have already violated the rules at the very moment the agent took the money out. Understand?

@Stan *********

you have to maintain 800k balance for the first 3 months if your non 0 is based on age 50.

@Steve ******

Thanks Steve for your reply but as you see it and go with me. They see a passport with a stamp and how I had 800,000 baht In my account. So the new bank account is showing 65,000 baht for a year. Am I being too simple.

@Karl *****

You need to prove the 800k was in your bank account for 3 months after you received your extension and didn't drop below 400k for the whole year of your extension in order to get your new yearly extension based on 65k per month

@Steve ******

Thanks Steve.

@Stuart ********

and people want to know why bank accounts are being frozen ! CORRUPT “ AGENTS “

Believe that if you want.

@Paul *******

in that case I highly recommend you just do it yourself, it's pretty straightforward. Get the 90 day Non-O visa before you travel to Thailand. Get here and open a bank account in the first couple of weeks (you may need a residence certificate from immigration to do so) and transfer a minimum of 800k baht into it so it is there for 2 full calendar months before you need to apply for the 12 months extension of stay