What are the advantages of renewing my retirement visa compared to using visa exemptions in Thailand?

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

It was a complete misunderstanding

Who would have thought?

He mentioned having paid 70,000 THB to an agent for a “retirement extension”, so normally there is only one simple explanation for it

Everyone including Graham and me just had to come to the logical conclusion that he must have paid that sum for a "greased" Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa and the subsequent 1-year extension

Because if you use your own funds of a minimum of 800,000 THB, an agent would charge 12,500 to 15,000 THB maximum for such a service

His experience is so fully out of the normal. If he had made clear in his initial post that he used his own funds from the very beginning, this misunderstanding could have been avoided

@Chang *****

my friends are not backpackers- they are Canadian

@Joey ****

my daughter is 19 she's done 3 border runs so far no problems.

I must add she was waiting for he Ed visa which took forever.

@Joey ****

It was a misunderstanding. I was under the impression that you must have been on a "greased" extension when you mentioned the 70,000 THB. You used you own money and it still sits in your asccount, so no problem to apply for the next extension by yourself. Visit Immigration and ask them for the handout list of the requirements and documents they want to see

@Joey ****

when using your own money, and agent normally charges around .- to 15,000 THB for this service, plus 1000 THB for the single re-entry permit. 70,000 THB was a steal

@Tim ********

now he confirmed he had the 800,000 THB in his bank account for a full year (just keeps me wondering what he paid 70,000 THB for 🤓 ). So all is well, he can directly apply for the next 1-year Extension of Stay Permit based on Retirement

@Tim ********

Immigration knows that he bought the extension with tea money. It a BIG question if they allow him to apply for a new extension using his own money, of if they insist he pays an agent, again. I doubt that Joey can show he had a minimum of 800,000 for three months after being issued the first extension - as THIS is the requirement and Immigration can simply check this in his passbook . . . P.S.: He had own funds of +800,000 THB in his account for the whole year 😎 (just keeps me wondering what he paid 70,000 THB for)

@Nongnuch *******

Don't keep speculating based on zero reliable information. I'm sure you're not a loudmouth in person, but it makes you look that way on line

@Tim ********

It was a complete misunderstanding and I didn’t speculate on anything. My advice was indeed based on the "70,000 THB to an agent" information that normally would be reliable enough to come to a safe conclusion.

But who would have thought?

He mentioned having paid 70,000 THB to an agent for a “retirement extension”, so normally there is only one simple explanation for it

Everyone including Graham and me just had to come to the logical conclusion that he must have paid that sum for a "greased" Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa and the subsequent 1-year extension

Because if you use your own funds of a minimum of 800,000 THB, an agent would charge 12,500 to 15,000 THB maximum for such a service

His experience is so fully out of the normal. If he had made clear in his initial post that he used his own funds from the very beginning, this misunderstanding could have simply been avoided

@Nongnuch *******

Too many people offer advice based upon assumptions.. without spending any time to assimilate the facts.. you gave several people a hard time because they disagreed with your assessment.. and even claimed to be the superior authority in this regard.. when in reality you had completely misread the situation.. paying an agent a significant sum of money for his services conveys only one fact.. the OA could afford it and was persuaded this was the going rate for such a service.. other than that it doesn't mean jot.. people need to be more diligent before letting their belly rumble!

@Ally ***********

Thanks Ally. We may even all end up as friends 😏

@Nongnuch *******

fair comment

@Nongnuch *******

Indeed, if he had 800k last year he was well and truly robbed paying an agent 70k. That is the absolute top end of what agents charge for providing the proof of 800k for the extension.

@Graham *****

fair enough

@Joey ****

ah, okay. . . .that's good. I just did not understand what you paid 70,000 THB for if not for a "greased" Retirement Extension. Okay, so you actually fulfilled all requirements for the current extension. . . . This is a game changer. You fulfilled the "3-months after-never under 400,000 -two months before" rule, and Immigration will allow a new application to the next 1-year Extension of Stay Permit. All you need to do is get your ducks in a row: the "bank letter of guarantee" (rab roong thanakan) confirming the money has sat in your account for the recent 2 months, the updated on the same day bank's passbook, your passport, copies of passport detail page, copies of entry stamp, copies of your initial e-visa document, all copies signed in blue ink, 1900 THB in cash. Form TM47 you fill out on Immigration. And don't forget to buy a single re-entry permit for 1000.- THB for the new 1-year extension, as it will keep your 1-year stay permit alive should you exit Thailand for whatever reason.

@Nongnuch *******

nonsense. He can get any number of 12 month extensions to the same visa he arrived on, if he can comply with the financial requirements of his IO

@Tim ********

my first go around I used a agency and then the second year i funded my account and went to immigration and they approved it without me leaving the country and re-enter. Recently I had to leave for medical emergency while my visa expired and I used an agency and now with all the crack down on agency recently I am wondering about next year if the agency option for renewal will be available.

@Matthew ********

🤞🙏

@Tim ********

HE IS NOT ON A VISA he is on a "greased" 1-year extension he obtained without own money

@Tim ********

YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW THIS WORKS . . . . no he cannot get a new extension because he did not fulfill the financial requirements of the one he is on! Immigration will send him away. He needs to jump off the agent's hamster wheel, and the only way to do so, is by exiting and thus invalidating the current extension, and start the process again with a new initial 90-days Non-Imm-O visa

@Nongnuch *******

wow if only you were as clued up about how to behave in public, you'd be a half decent human being 😏

@Tim ********

stop whining and learn from a real visa- and Thailand related expert

@Tim ********

he doesn't have a 90-days visa, Joey Wim is already on the first year of an extension and paid the agent 70,000 THB for it to have the agent front the money. He needs to leave without a re-entry permit, invalidate his extension, re-enter visa-exempt and start the process again but this time without the agent. Apply for the in-country "change of visa type" to the 90-days Non-O visa, 2000.- THB, and 2 months later apply for the 1-year Extension for 1900.- THB

@Nongnuch *******

I've read the whole thread from front to back and back to front.. and i cannot see where the OA stated that he used an agent because he did not have the funds available to satisfy the financial requirements.. he does state that he has the funds in place to meet said requirement at renewal.. and he also states he has maintained a balance in excess of the minimum requirement for the whole year.. in which case it is highly likely that these funds were actually in his bank account to support the initial visa application.. it is extremely unlikely that he only opened the Thai bank account and made the requisite deposit on the day his last 12-month extension was granted.. hence he would not have needed an agent to 'fudge' the financial aspects as you have clearly assumed.. this is not the only reason people decide to use an agent.. and getting stung for 70k in fees is indeed outrageous.. but we all live and learn during our life in Thailand.. and no doubt the OA is better educated now.. or he wouldn't have opened this discussion in the forum.. so before proceeding to offer any advice whatsoever the key question to ask the OA is whether he evidenced the capital on deposit using his own bank account / funds last time or not.. only then can anyone offer a meaningful response.. and if he did then he should have no problems extending the current visa in country without having to do a border run!

@Nongnuch *******

nonsense again