Rob Tuck. My cousin didn't upset anyone, but got caught up in someone else's "upset".

He's talking about the Certificate of Residency. Nothing to do with visas. From memory they charged me 100 baht. There was no receipt, but I got the certificate about two weeks later.

Piero Colagrosso. Yes. This applies to ANY visa extension. In Thailand you buy an "extension of stay" which keeps you in the country. There is no such thing as a multiple entry extension of stay. The re-entry permit (ME or SE) is a totally seperate entity (and stamp)

The OA visa has the potential to last for two year's worth of entries, with the correct strategy.

Simone Barrile. ANY extension requires a ME or SE re-entry permit, which can be obtained at immigration or at the airport

Jim Flanagan. So you use the 65k per month method. Spend it as soon as you get it! Easy enough

Brandon Thurkettle. Yes. A one-off wouldn't hurt, but you're correct. You are "contracted" to the agent for ever after, until you leave the country and initiate your own "Great Reset"

Daniel Covrett. 10% of road deaths are caused by alcohol. Which means 90% are caused by inconsiderate assholes drinking water, tea and coffee. Drink beer and save lives!!!

Todd McGowan. How immigration get you is by requesting to see your bank book. That's why they stipulate the 800k for two months before, three months after, and 400k the rest of the time. This was brought in specifically to undermine agents if immigration choose to do so (which is rare). There's no court case. It's arrest on overstay (not because of the stamp in your passport, but because you failed to maintain the required funds). Following arrest it's IDC, pay up 20,000 overstay, deportation and ban. I do have first hand experience with a relative. I can see the nonsense of keeping 800k tied in a bank account, which is why I go the 65k per month method. I use 40-50k a month anyway (I like to "live" in Thailand, not "exist" on cheese toasties from 7-11!), so the surplus 15-25k I switch into a higher interest account, let it build up and splash out once a year on an overseas trip. That is best use of my money, and I sleep easy at night knowing I'm perfectly legal. All

@Stuart ********

is doing is giving correct advice. "Yes it works with agents, but........". It's sound advice.

As others have said it is illegal, as the agent is pushing your money to an immigration office. I would never do it, mainly because I've witnessed first hand the result of such a process. Cousin in Chiang Mai used an agent in Pattaya to grease the machine. My cousin got caught up in an investigation following a complaint about someone totally unrelated to him. Apparently about a hundred expats who dealt with this agent were marked for "follow up". It was simple. I was actually visiting him the night (10.30pm) they knocked on his door. The request was simple "can we see your bank book". Of course the bank book had no money in it. It was arrest, sent to IDC, and he was charged with "overstay", as his extension was null and void. Deportation followed and he got a five year ban. There was no fine (other than 20,000 baht overstay), but he said his three days in IDC were the "most inhumane conditions" he'd ever encountered (and he'd worked down the mines in Africa 30 years ago).

My advice is switch to the 65k a month method. It's yours to spend as soon as you get it. You need money to live on anyway, and any surplus you can put into a better interest account, let it build up and send it back to your own country once a year to a better account. And sleep easy at night.