Buying a Retirement Visa in Sin City

W

Wombat

Guest
My one year multi entry spouse visa is about to expire in late October, I know I will need to do a border run just prior to that date to get another 90 days then start the preperation for my extension based on marriage about 2 months before that permission expires.

I have a Swedish friend who has just done the extension about 4 months ago and he told me it was a lot of hard work and mucking around, I am legally entitled to the extension as I have marriage certificate, 2 kids, house book, and sufficient funds etc.

I have a few mates who live in Pattaya, some married who have paid certain Visa companies/people to just get a retirement visa. They did not even have to have the 800,000 odd baht in the bank, they just had to have a Kasikorn bank account and the funds were put in for about an hour or so then taken out. I know one guy who is married, runs a small mini mart (his wife's), lives here permanently who has never been to immigration in 6 years, he pays a visa shop around 20,000 p/y and has never been to immigration in that time, the agent does his 90 day checkins. I also know of a certain bar where the farang owner arranges it all, you drop off your passport one day and pick it up the next.

I am tempted to go this way and was wondering if anyone had an opinion about this. I am not sure about how I would do the 90 day report if I needed to, i could use a friends address in Pattaya.

Any advice?
 
You will understand that it is not "legal" and Got Lost will be on here soon with a very firm opinion that anyone buying such a visa is at great risk if the junta decide to crackdown.

It is a practice that has been going on for years and I have several friends who take this option. They will travel down to Pattaya and stay for couple of days while the visa gets sorted. The Queen Victoria (amongst others) openly publicise the service).

The minimum I have heard is 12,000 Baht and 20,000 Baht is at the top end. There was someone in Prakhonchai who arranged them and you didn't even have to go to Pattaya. He charged 22k to include his 10% cut.

If you seriously want to go that route I am sure that a contact number is available.
 
CO-CO said:
You will understand that it is not "legal" and Got Lost will be on here soon with a very firm opinion that anyone buying such a visa is at great risk if the junta decide to crackdown.

It is a practice that has been going on for years and I have several friends who take this option. They will travel down to Pattaya and stay for couple of days while the visa gets sorted. The Queen Victoria (amongst others) openly publicise the service).

The minimum I have heard is 12,000 Baht and 20,000 Baht is at the top end. There was someone in Prakhonchai who arranged them and you didn't even have to go to Pattaya. He charged 22k to include his 10% cut.


If you seriously want to go that route I am sure that a contact number is available.
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I thank you covered it..FWIW. Just a matter of time and you will hear lot of pigs squeal..boobs2boobs2
 
An acquaintance of mine came unstuck with this service. He bought one of those stolen KL visas. He quickly departed to PI where his passport accidentally landed up in his washing machine and subsequently had to get a new one.
Amazes me how all these visas were not flagged to a persons identity and he got away with it.

I beleive its all a matter of time, that the corrupt official that is behind your visa has a fall from grace. Then you land up sleeping on the damp cold cement floor in Suan Pru immigration jail for as long as they feel it necessary to teach you your lesson.
If you accept that risk go ahead. I know plenty of people that this has happened to.
 
I understand that it is "not legal" but it is, if you know what I mean. The stamp is official, it comes from the right office etc. It will take a huge shake up to stamp it out as their is obviously a lot at stake for the one's getting the money.

I believe the visas were "tested" recently when a few Aussies got busted for gambling in a bar on the nags in Australia, the Police told them that after they finished with them, they would be herded down to Immigration who would sort them out, apparently most of the Aussies had bought retirement visas and when they were taken to Immigration, the Police were told that Immigration were not interested in them as they all had legit visas.

Gotlost, I understand that the Army may get interested in this practice but when? They seem to have a lot on their plate.
 
Wombat said:
I understand that it is "not legal" but it is, if you know what I mean. The stamp is official, it comes from the right office etc. It will take a huge shake up to stamp it out as their is obviously a lot at stake for the one's getting the money.

I believe the visas were "tested" recently when a few Aussies got busted for gambling in a bar on the nags in Australia, the Police told them that after they finished with them, they would be herded down to Immigration who would sort them out, apparently most of the Aussies had bought retirement visas and when they were taken to Immigration, the Police were told that Immigration were not interested in them as they all had legit visas.

Gotlost, I understand that the Army may get interested in this practice but when? They seem to have a lot on their plate.
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One of these guys is the very acquatance I was talking about.
I ran into him last month and blatantly asked him about it. Talk about the look of shock on his face that I knew.
 
Wombat said:
I understand that it is "not legal" but it is, if you know what I mean. The stamp is official, it comes from the right office etc. It will take a huge shake up to stamp it out as their is obviously a lot at stake for the one's getting the money.

I believe the visas were "tested" recently when a few Aussies got busted for gambling in a bar on the nags in Australia, the Police told them that after they finished with them, they would be herded down to Immigration who would sort them out, apparently most of the Aussies had bought retirement visas and when they were taken to Immigration, the Police were told that Immigration were not interested in them as they all had legit visas.

Gotlost, I understand that the Army may get interested in this practice but when? They seem to have a lot on their plate.
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Wombat, this has been exactly my argument. The stamp is exactly the same one that a 'legitimate' retirement extension receives.

I am someone who likes to know what the rules are and ALSO what the other practical options are. I have seen so many situations in Thailand where the rule book says one thing and what actually happens is somewhat different.

This broader knowledge worked to my advantage (and others) this year when I (a) Obtained a retirement extension and (b) Traveled to/from Cambodia on what was supposedly a cancelled British passport.

There is a huge financial benefit to those involved in issuing these 'dodgy' extensions. This will not be limited to one or two immigration officials - the tea fund will extend a long way. Until the junta says "no more" I believe the practice will continue.
 
Wombat said:
I understand that it is "not legal" but it is, if you know what I mean. The stamp is official, it comes from the right office etc. It will take a huge shake up to stamp it out as their is obviously a lot at stake for the one's getting the money.

I believe the visas were "tested" recently when a few Aussies got busted for gambling in a bar on the nags in Australia, the Police told them that after they finished with them, they would be herded down to Immigration who would sort them out, apparently most of the Aussies had bought retirement visas and when they were taken to Immigration, the Police were told that Immigration were not interested in them as they all had legit visas.


Gotlost, I understand that the Army may get interested in this practice but when? They seem to have a lot on their plate.
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They all ready have in Phuket. They are continuously going into bars nightly, army and immigration doing cavity checks and if you don't have the correct docs your SOL. One of those correct doc's is a forum that you sign at immigration is stapled inside your passport that says you have reported and your correct address is noted and you live there. When that forum becomes national which I'm told it will how you going to pull this off living 400 km from where your Doge O says it came from. You can do a 90 day report at any immigration office but try and do it 3 or 4 times in a row at the same out of area office when your extension says issued by Jomtien Immigration even KCI will tell you to F/O. I do not buy the BS excuse of the paper work for a extension based on marriage. This is my 4th I'm on. Why ? Because I can. I also was on an O-multy based on marriage from KL. (Before Savanhket) Why because I got feed up with the nightmare at CNX immigration. 90 day border hops are not a problem even when in CNX its 260 km each way, great day out. Why jeopardize your standing with something that can bit you in the ass?
 
I understand all the pros and con's and will probably go the correct way as I am eligible for the spouse extension. Thanks for all the input.
 
Wombat, if you have the necessary funds for a visa extension based on marriage or retirement, a landlord who can verify where you live (the wife) and you have a recent mug shot too, why mess around going down the doggy visa extension route and at significant cost in time and money?

The preferred and easiest visa extension is the one based on retirement; 800K in the bank account for 2 months (first time around) or a Stat Dec from the Aussie Embassy stating that you have an income in excess of 65K per month or a combination of the two. As your visa is good until late October you have more than 2 months to season your money so why do another border run - do the visa extension and get it out the way? You Aussies and Americans have it made. All you have to do is visit your respective embassy and sign a statement in front of an embassy official that your income is XX,XXX baht per month. No proof required! The British Embassy requires all the necessary and original documents to prove one's income.

Necessary steps, and GL will amend/correct as necessary I'm sure, are as follows:

1. Obtain Stat Dec from Aussie Embassy Bangkok stating income more then 65,000 Baht/month.
2. Fill-in Immigration Form TM 7 and attach recent mug shot 4x6 cm. (one copy only)
3. Photocopy blue house book (tabien baan), wife's ID card and all relevant pages from your passport (if in doubt copy every page).
4. Turn up at Immigration within the last 30 days of current visa (October), pay 1900 baht and process your application.
5. If you intend to leave Thailand anytime within the following 12 months obtain either a single entry or multiple exit/re-entry stamp in passport at the same time.

What could be easier? You would still have to do most of that yourself if you were to hire someone to do it for you. Why give them 20K Baht when you can easily do it yourself? Think1
 
Do you have to do the proof of income every year? Say you have a lifetime superanuation that is just never going to stop. Do you have to get this authenticated at your embasy every year for your exstension. I am going to find this out very soon anyway. As I am going on to this method soon.

If I have to go to BKK every year for this letter I won't bother and stay on the bank account method.
 
Rice said:
Do you have to do the proof of income every year? Say you have a lifetime superanuation that is just never going to stop. Do you have to get this authenticated at your embasy every year for your exstension. I am going to find this out very soon anyway. As I am going on to this method soon.

If I have to go to BKK every year for this letter I won't bother and stay on the bank account method.
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You do need the letter annually. That is what I have been doing for the past 22 years.
 
65k per month or 800k in bank is ONLY for retirement. Its 40K per month or 400K in bank for marriage. And paper work for a marriage is somewhat different.
 
nomad97 said:
Wombat, if you have the necessary funds for a visa extension based on marriage or retirement, a landlord who can verify where you live (the wife) and you have a recent mug shot too, why mess around going down the doggy visa extension route and at significant cost in time and money?

The preferred and easiest visa extension is the one based on retirement; 800K in the bank account for 2 months (first time around) or a Stat Dec from the Aussie Embassy stating that you have an income in excess of 65K per month or a combination of the two. As your visa is good until late October you have more than 2 months to season your money so why do another border run - do the visa extension and get it out the way? You Aussies and Americans have it made. All you have to do is visit your respective embassy and sign a statement in front of an embassy official that your income is XX,XXX baht per month. No proof required! The British Embassy requires all the necessary and original documents to prove one's income.

Necessary steps, and GL will amend/correct as necessary I'm sure, are as follows:

1. Obtain Stat Dec from Aussie Embassy Bangkok stating income more then 65,000 Baht/month.
2. Fill-in Immigration Form TM 7 and attach recent mug shot 4x6 cm. (one copy only)
3. Photocopy blue house book (tabien baan), wife's ID card and all relevant pages from your passport (if in doubt copy every page).
4. Turn up at Immigration within the last 30 days of current visa (October), pay 1900 baht and process your application.
5. If you intend to leave Thailand anytime within the following 12 months obtain either a single entry or multiple exit/re-entry stamp in passport at the same time.

What could be easier? You would still have to do most of that yourself if you were to hire someone to do it for you. Why give them 20K Baht when you can easily do it yourself? Think1
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I agree 100% with nomad.

However, there are some people I know, who meet extension requirements, but they hate dealing with immigration. Whether it is because of a previous bad experience, or a perception that they are a bunch of wankers who's sole intention is to make your life difficult, I am not sure.

My experience is that if you can tick all the boxes for the IO you will have a pretty painless experience at the immigration office.
 
CO-CO said:
I agree 100% with nomad.

However, there are some people I know, who meet extension requirements, but they hate dealing with immigration. Whether it is because of a previous bad experience, or a perception that they are a bunch of wankers who's sole intention is to make your life difficult, I am not sure.

My experience is that if you can tick all the boxes for the IO you will have a pretty painless experience at the immigration office.
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The OP is asking about marriage so the above info is incorrect adds confusion for the OP. Marriage requirement are different and are never confused with a retirment.
 
An extension based on retirement is a lot easier than an extension based on marriage.

He is an Australian and he only needs to say he has more than 65K /month and the embassy will provide a stat dec to that effect.

Read between the lines GL.
 
Rice said:
Do you have to do the proof of income every year? Say you have a lifetime superanuation that is just never going to stop. Do you have to get this authenticated at your embasy every year for your exstension. I am going to find this out very soon anyway. As I am going on to this method soon.

If I have to go to BKK every year for this letter I won't bother and stay on the bank account method.
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Only if you are a Brit. Aussies and Americans only have to sign a stat dec - no proof of income required. And yes, if you go down the monthly income method this has to be done every year.

As a Brit I have to obtain a letter from the British Embassy every year. For this wonderful service I pay some 2400 Baht for the letter and postage. The extension to the visa is only 1900 Baht.
 
nomad97 said:
An extension based on retirement is a lot easier than an extension based on marriage.

He is an Australian and he only needs to say he has more than 65K /month and the embassy will provide a stat dec to that effect.

Read between the lines GL.
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"Read between the lines"? let GL get to grips with what is written ON the lines first! :smile:

The OP is actually entitled "Buying a RETIREMENT visa in Pattaya" - GL please note, that is a HEADLINE. Start with them, then headlines and then have a go at reading between the lines Moon2.

Comparing BUYING a retirement extension with getting a kosher retirement extension is perfectly reasonable.

No need to confuse it with marriage extensions. Expats should arguably go for the easiest extension that is available to them. Where possible that would put the retirement extension ahead of one based on marriage.
 
Rice said:
Do you have to do the proof of income every year? Say you have a lifetime superanuation that is just never going to stop. Do you have to get this authenticated at your embasy every year for your exstension. I am going to find this out very soon anyway. As I am going on to this method soon.

If I have to go to BKK every year for this letter I won't bother and stay on the bank account method.
Click to expand...


I imagine that, like us Brits, you can also apply by post.
 
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