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Do I need to use the same visa agent to renew my retirement visa in Thailand?

Retirement Visa ThailandVisa RenewalVisa AgentsImmigration in ThailandNON-O VisaExpat Advice
Jul 24, 2023
a year ago
Teresa ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
If I use a visa agent to get a retirement visa do I need to use the same agent in the same city to renew annually? Tia
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TLDR : Answer Summary
Using a visa agent for your initial retirement visa in Thailand does not obligate you to use the same agent for annual renewals. While many commenters suggest that you can switch agents after the initial application, others caution that your previous experience with an agent might affect your future dealings with immigration offices, especially if improper procedures were followed. Overall, it's advised that if you are comfortable with the requirements, you can choose to handle the renewal yourself or opt for a different agent.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
  • Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
  • For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
  • Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
  • Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
Teresa ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks for all the info everyone. Got what I needed.
a year ago
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Pawarisa ***********
No
a year ago
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John *******
My understanding is you use an agent now than you will use an agent every time because other IO will not deal with your case knowing how it was granted to you originally Chokh di with your adventure
a year ago
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David *******
@John ******
 Absolutely not true.
a year ago
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John *******
@David ******
 well it is as Brandon said and my experience and from others i know whom have been down this path in this matter it is true and they have had issues it's ok with me I don't care if this person takes your advice no skin of my nose if they don't receive a pass mark than iam not to blame Chokh di
a year ago
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John *******
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Ally ************
I would never advise anyone to use an agent.. unless you do not meet the criteria and cannot get a long term visa any other way.. but this assumes that money is no object for you and you don't intend to renew it.. ie. you are going to leave Thailand after 1-year.. otherwise I'd advise people to learn the rules and abide by them.. yes there are many hoops to jump through.. but you'll come out the other end in a much better position.. and will have the opportunity to live in Thailand for many years free of worry.. just my pennies worth ;)
a year ago
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Brandon ************
You probably won't need to use the same agent each year, but you will have to use an agent every year. No immigration office will work with you directly and you likely won't meet the requirements to do it yourself either way since you used an agent for the previous extension.
a year ago
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David *******
@Brandon ***********
 Sorry, that’s not true. I know several people that used an agent for the initial conversion to Non O and first Extension then did each subsequent extension themselves. No issues at all.
a year ago
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Brandon ************
@David ******
 If the agent gets a stamp from a different province then it's 100% not going to be possible to do it yourself next time.

Also if the agent is the one who did the money then it will also not be possible because next year they are going to ask for 12 months of bank statements to show you kept 800,000 in the bank for 3 months after the extension and never let the bank account drop below 400,000 the rest of the year. Not possible if you used an agent to avoid the money.

99% of the time when people use an agent it's one of the above and they will not be able to do it themselves next time.
a year ago
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David *******
@Brandon ***********
 I know plenty of people that have the money in the bank and use an agent as it’s far more convenient. Absolutely no problem if they decide to then do it themselves as the bank book shows sufficient funds. It’s a pretty usual thing to do. Everyone who uses an agent isn’t trying a dodge. Plenty do it for convenience.

It’s very unusual to do an out of province thing. 99% + of people that use agents do so where they reside.
a year ago
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Brandon ************
@David ******
 Many agents have their "connections" in a specific province. So if they have a customer from anywhere in Thailand, the passport will always go to that province. There's a few provinces that are widely known for this.
a year ago
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Brandon ************
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Sarick **********
Because your agent sends your passport along with the bribes to the immigration office without your presence, other IO such as those at Chang Wattana can check it instantly and will not deal with you at all. But you can travel thru the airport, no arresting, despite they also know you didn't get the retirement yourself. They may ask some questions tho.
a year ago
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David *******
@Sarick *********
 Not true. There’s a lot of nonsense posted on here about using agents - usually by people that have never used them and don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m not recommending anyone use an agent but at least as far as Retirement Visas are concerned there are no issues if you use a reliable agent.
a year ago
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David *******
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Robert ******
No
a year ago
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Kathalyn *******
No
a year ago
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Frank **********
@Kathalyn ******
 it depends on how it was obtained. If the agent put their own money into the account which is fraud and/or the agent paid off the immigration officer.
a year ago
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Frank **********
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Frank **********
What Steve said.
a year ago
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Steve ********
If you're using the agent as a go-between to pay a bribe to a government official, yes you are stuck with that agent forever.
a year ago
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James **************
@Steve *******
 unless you quit it, leave the country to start again DIY thats true.
a year ago
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Steve ********
@James *************
 Yes that's correct. The only way out of the cycle is to leave the country, re-enter and start again
a year ago
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Steve ********
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David *******
No.
a year ago
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Kim *********
@David ******
 there have been many answers that say the opposite of what you are saying previously
a year ago
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David *******
@Kim ********
 then they are wrong.
a year ago
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David *******
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