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Is it common for visa agents in Thailand to hold your passport while you meet the $800k Baht requirement for a Non-O retirement visa?

Non-O retirement visa Thailand visa requirements Visa agents Passport handling Financial requirements Retirement income

May 3, 2025

18 hours ago

Albert ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hello, I have a question about the $800k Baht requirement for non O retirement visa. I have half the amount and about $108,000 TB($3200.00 USD)/month retirement income and around $10k USD in savings. The visa agent said he could help meet the $800k level but would hold my passport until my funds cover the full amount. Is this usual practice with visa agents ? I could more than likely fund this fully myself in about 5 months. He adked me how long I  would need to fund full amount. This is all new to me so i dont need any sarcastic comments. Just some real practical knowledge from anyone that has experience with this.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A user is seeking advice regarding a visa agent's practice of holding their passport until they can fulfill the $800,000 Baht requirement for a Non-O retirement visa. The user has half the needed amount and sufficient monthly retirement income. Responses from the community indicate that it is unusual for agents to hold passports for extended periods and advise finding a different agent, as passport retention in such a manner is seen as questionable and potentially illegal. Some comments mention that holding a passport briefly during processing is normal, but ongoing retention is concerning.

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Steve *******

Just be aware that an agent using their money to get the visa/extention of stay basically means you have a fraudulently obtained extention of stay and if the sh*t hits the fan you'll be covered in it!

16 hours ago

Colin *********

You can have half in a thai bank and half in pension i believe totaling 800,000 bauts plus

16 hours ago

Colin *********

Ok let's start again do you have a gov pension or a pension and is money in a thai account

16 hours ago

Jim ********

I would guess that you may have misunderstood. It is coming practice for them to deposit money into your account and hold your passport whilst doing so and obtaining a letter from the bank. Double check what they mean if you are unsure

17 hours ago

Paul *******

You are contemplating Undertaking a process which is illegal and if found out by Innigration, you face possible imprisonment and certainly expulsion from the country and you query whether the process is normal. If you do not have sufficient funds to stay legally in the country go home.

17 hours ago

Stuart *********

@Paul ******

FFS Cop on. Agents exist in this universe to make the process easier for a fee. Illegal? Possibly but very grey. Who would police that ? Immigration? They are the ones accepting the applications.

16 hours ago

Reply to

Stuart *********

Jamie **************

I have a agent at blue port that will not hold your visa but will charge you more to put enough money into your account temporarily while they issue your visa. I would never let anyone keep my passport more than a few hours or over night! Your pass port is your everything

17 hours ago

Johnny *********

@Jamie *************

Not to be sarcastic, but my girlfriend is my everything

16 hours ago

Reply to

Johnny *********

Tony ********

Something is wrong. Go to a different agency. They cost more money but they do it all for you. I’m older and needed an agent.

18 hours ago

Ben *********

My agent held my passport only for a short time while the visa was being processed, a few weeks. This was because my home was many hours away from their office. The agent will use their own money. That's why you pay them for the service.

18 hours ago

Stuart *********

@Ben ********

Sure that’s normal that the agent has your passport for the week or two that it takes to process the visa/extension, but an agent holding your passport over a barrel until you cough up enough funds to cover the amount is not an “agent”, just an extortionist.

18 hours ago

Reply to

Stuart *********

Not trying to be sarcastic in the least but you need a new agent.

WTF would an agent hold your passport until you have enough funds. An agent does what they need to do without you needing funds (which is why many people use agents).

Run away from them.

Talk to

@THAI *****************************

18 hours ago

Albert ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks for all the good advice. I talked with an agent in Hua Hin and she explained how things work. No need to surrender my passport she said. I wasn’t very comfortable with that scenario. Just on the off chance I’d have to go home and it was a weekend or holiday and couldn’t get my passport and to my instincts it just didn’t seem right so I asked here. Thanks for the help everyone!

16 hours ago

Albert ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Stuart ********

thanks for the advice. I’ve asked other agents and none of them asked to hold my passport until the funding was met with my money. Also, i hate tying up my money like that anywhere. I liken that to putting $50 on a Starbucks card and all you want is a $4 Americano. Use my money interest free to make money. 🤷🏽‍♂️ I don’t understand why they’d want my money sitting in one bank as opposed to spending it in the overall economy.

17 hours ago

Sean **********

@Albert *******

Thailand is trying to insure that you will not tap into the countries social services and become an expense to the country. Especially since you probably will not have medical insurance either

16 hours ago

Johnny *********

@Albert *******

Not to be sarcastic, but I would never buy anything from Starbucks

16 hours ago

Reply to

Johnny *********

John **********

@Stuart ********

I can only think that is because they are going to put the 800k baht into the account and leave it there until the person can cover it themselves

18 hours ago

Sean **********

@John *********

the agent will put the 800k in an account get a letter from the bank. And have you transfer the 800k back to them within minutes.

Get your cash assembled and renew with your funds the next year with your 800k which can then be left in the account to make you legal for the 3rd year

17 hours ago

Stuart *********

@John *********

And keep the passport until the guy coughs up the dough. Can’t see that ending well in any scenario.

18 hours ago

Reply to

Stuart *********

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