@Nick ***********

I didn't say that anything was 'not possible' so you must have misread what i wrote.. i simply pointed out some of the potential pitfalls.. things that can go wrong without suggesting they always go wrong.. you pays your money you take your chances at the end of the day!

@John *******

That is not what i said at all.. i said that 'if' an agent obtains a visa for a client who doesn't qualify for it.. eg. by employing the services of immigration officials they 'work' with.. then there is a risk of the visa being withdrawn at a later date should the system be audited and irregularities come to light.. though i accept this may never happen it remains a risk that neither the applicant nor the agent can control.. in general, an agent has a fiduciary duty to act in good faith and in the best interests of the principal.. ie. his client.. and in accordance with the agency agreement at all times.. so this should protect the applicant from being accused of malfeasance in the event of any shenanigans by the agent.. meaning any misdeeds committed by the agent but unknown to the applicant.. however, if the applicant knows he/she did not meet the criteria at the time of the application.. eg. they did not satisfy the income or savings requirements and cannot prove it retrospectively.. then I'd suggest that is sufficient evidence for immigration to cancel a visa.. it would also infer collaboration between agent/applicant and that both parties had full knowledge of the intended deceit.. and in this scenario the applicant would be considered equally guilty.. and could potentially face equal punishment.. it's all very hypothetical i know.. but also very possible.. remember we are living in country where the immigration rules are not set in stone.. they are interpreted differently between different offices.. and even differently between different officers within the same office sometimes.. the point being they are both fluid and unpredictable.. the best advice is to play by the rules.. and if you want to ensure the best chance of staying here long term.. then don't take unnecessary risks.. otherwise be prepared to have to leave!

@Nick ***********

I neither seek nor need your approval my friend.. though you are entitled to your opinion as is everyone else.. but if you want to attack my opinion.. i politely suggest you offer a comment that is at least structured and rational in its construction.. labelling someone's opinion bs simply because you dont agree with it is not a credible response I'm afraid!

The argument surrounding 'use an agent' versus 'do-it-yourself' rages on.. the reality is that every individual has to weigh it up for themselves.. imo agents are expensive but if you can afford the convenience could be the right solution for you.. but if you don't meet the rules for the visa you want and use an agent to 'sweeten' the process.. then you will have obtained your visa through illicit means.. and if ever immigration here decides to cleanse it's ranks and investigate such visa issuance.. then people could find their visa invalidated.. or worse they could get banned from Thailand altogether.. if you are happy to think that will never happen then that is your choice.. but it remains a risk.. and if an agent has pulled strings to get you a visa then you must be willing to use them (and pay them) again at every renewal.. since only they will know how to repeat the process successfully.. meaning without raising red flags.. switching to the 'diy' option later could expose earlier short cuts.. as other people have found out for themselves.. there are many situations where engaging an agent makes sense.. but imo if you're applying for a non-o based on marriage or retirement and you meet the relevant criteria.. then an agent is completely unnecessary.. to use the figure of 30,000 baht per visa mentioned earlier.. that equates to 60,000 baht for a his and hers non-o visa.. if you prepare properly and go early (to give yourself time to correct any deficiencies) your application could be completed and submitted the same day.. and even if you have to return the next day you're looking at 2-days of graft at best.. I'd like to know where you can earn 60,000 baht for 2-days work.. which in reality is probably only 8-10 hours work.. unless you are an agent of course 😉

In order to apply for any type of visa or permit of stay based on marriage.. the Thai authorities will normally require (1) your original marriage certificate to be authenticated by the authorities in the country where you were married.. so assuming you were married in France.. this should be done in France before you travel.. or alternatively it can be done at the French Embassy in Thailand.. though the latter may be more difficult (logistically) depending on where you intend to be based in Thailand.. since an in-person visit to the Embassy is necessary.. for most people it would be easier and less costly to arrange this in their home country.. but in addition, they will also want you to produce (2) a translated copy of your marriage certificate (into the Thai language) and the translation will need to be authenticated by either the Thai Embassy in France.. or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Thailand.. if you leave everything until you get here you will quickly realise the process will be faster and less stressful if you engage an agent to handle it all.. since this removes any need for you to attend the Embassy/MoFA in person.. but the whole process could take around 1-month to complete and cost in the region of 5-6 thousand baht.. so you need to factor this delay into your application process.. which makes preparation of these documents in your home country a much better option.. assuming you have time to put arrangements in place before you travel.. speaking from personal experience of applying for a non-o (married) visa in CM last year.. but my understanding is that the requirements are the same for any application where a marriage certificate has to be included in the supporting documentation.. hope this helps your understanding.

Did you mean Thai Lion Air perhaps?

@Tony ****

Your reply just made me wonder whether my passport number appears on my pink card and yellow book.. so had to go and check.. and it doesn't.. so there's no need to update them after a passport renewal.. ie. after a change of passport number.. then i checked my Thai driving licenses.. and my passport number is stated on the front.. so this begs the question.. whether or not the LTO has to be advised of a change in one's passport number.. and whether revised licenses are issued as a result.. you may want to investigate this for yourself my friend.. and I'd be interested to know the answer 👍

Both documents are very useful when dealing with any Thai authority.. such as immigration, the LTO, or your local Amphur.. production will often eliminate the need for other evidentiary documentation.. but that wasn't the question that needed answering.. it related to a new passport.. and it's my belief that you only need to copy when making new applications.. meaning those authorities that may have a copy of the old passport on file don't need to be notified.. that is until you next deal with them and they request sight of your passport.. though it's best to produce both the old and new passport to evidence continuity when this occurs.. the one exception that springs to mind is your bank.. because your passport number might be recorded within their validation system.. meaning if you try to re-set your banking app (for example) it might ask for your passport number.. so it might be a good idea to ask them if they need to update your passport details or not.. especially since these things tend to occur when we are unprepared.. ie. at the most inconvenient time.. and you might not have easy access to your old passport.. so worth checking out.

Clearly this unused re-entry permit will allow you back into the country without invalidating your visa.. however you'd need to buy another one if you later decided to trip out of the country again.. ie. before your visa expires.. if you intend to travel regularly the multiple re-entry permit is a better option and should be considered when extending your visa.. it will sync with your visa expiry date and means you'll never screw up by flying without one!

I'm guessing it's not an exempt stamp since that stamp gives you 42 days 🤔