For more than 3 decades I have lived in Thailand and not-so-patiently endured the trials of yearly visa renewal. Through the years I have had different kinds of visas and for the last several years my wife and I have been on retirement visas. I have always dreaded the experience of visa renewal and interacting with immigration offices. Depressing, frustrating and emotionally stressful.
But because I speak the language and I am a baht-pinching miser, I have always braved the mountains of paper work, waiting in long lines and large amounts of wasted time by doing it myself. No lawyers or visa agencies for this hard-headed farang! After all, when my number one concern is how much money I can save, 1,900 baht for a year long retirement visa is a sweet deal. (And yes, I do have to have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account, but at least that is still MY money.)
But recently I have begun to reconsider my miserly position toward visa renewal. Near the latter part of last year my youngest daughter returned to Thailand. (She is an adult who holds a USA passport.) She came into Thailand on a tourist visa intending to do “border runs” whenever she needed to extend her time in Thailand. But as you all know, the covid shut downs have put an end to border runs.
So to make a long story short, she decided to go with a visa agency in order to be able to stay long term in Thailand. She paid an agency 60,000 baht and received a 15 month visa. At first I thought that she had more money than good sense. But as I have looked at what was involved, I am beginning to change my mind.
The ONLY thing she had to do was give her passport and one photo to the visa agency. (Along with the 60,000 baht.) And after that, the agency did EVERYTHING. They did it quickly and very efficiently. No mountains of paper work. No running here and there trying to get the correct forms. No signing piles of papers over and over again. No waiting in any lines. No travel expense or wasted time. No stressful interaction with immigration officers. I never knew getting a visa could be so effortless Amazing.
I will most likely continue doing my visa renewals on my own and pay only 1,900 baht per year for my visa. But I will never again think that using a visa agency is a foolish or “not cost effective” idea. Of course it is a subjective call for each person to decide if it is “worth it” or not. But if you can easily afford the cost of a visa agency, you may end up saving yourself a world of hassle by doing it the “easy” way.
Just wanted to share my latest visa experience with all of you. Cheers.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the author's long-term experiences with visa renewals in Thailand, particularly focusing on the transition from DIY visa management to potentially using a visa agency. While the author has traditionally handled the paperwork alone to save money, the smooth and hassle-free experience of their daughter's use of a visa agency (for 60,000 baht for a 15-month Non-O visa) has prompted the author to reconsider their stance. Commenters share their own experiences, highlighting both the benefits and potential pitfalls of using agents, suggesting that it ultimately depends on individual circumstances and preferences.
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.
