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08/29/2024 at 9:59 am #14110DebraGuest
10 years ago I had a student visa in Thailand when it was easy to get those, I only went to class sometimes and it was kind of expensive. I have thought about trying to get some visa from an agent again, but not sure it’s worth it due to crackdown on many visa types.
08/29/2024 at 10:00 am #14111KennethGuestP.S. I don’t mean only student visas, but whatever other is easy, I can’t do the retirement visa :)
08/29/2024 at 10:03 am #14112AlexanderGuest@OP
you’re not wrong, Thai gov. has gotten strict about volunteer and student visas, because so many people were abusing those. Never going to class, or never volunteering, it was essentially paying off Immigration officers for fake visas and keeping a lot of riff-raff backpackers in the country who did not contribute much to the economy. but you might check the new DTV visa schedule, which are 5 years.
It can be used for Thai culture studies and also freelancers, digital nomads etc and no need for buying sketchy visas from visa agents.
08/29/2024 at 11:02 am #14113PaulGuestgiving money to any visa agency in Thailand is essentially bribes to corrupt police.
it can be like express service, but they usually cannot qualify you to any visa that you do not already qualify.
08/29/2024 at 11:05 am #14114LindaGuestare worth using?
Define “worth” using. Are you in immediate danger of being deported? Does your family or friend have an emergency you must find any solution possible to remain in Thailand for a short while? If yes, maybe a visa agent is worth contacting.
But most of the time, it’s a big risk of mixing your name and passport history with fraudulent paperwork.
In worst cases you can be blacklisted from returning to Thailand for years!
In really worst cases, you got scammed out of your money…
08/29/2024 at 11:05 am #1411508/29/2024 at 12:07 pm #14116GabrielGuestNo, don’t use agents. Go to the Immigration office or thaievisa.go.th if you are in your home country!
08/29/2024 at 12:57 pm #14117ScottGuest08/29/2024 at 12:59 pm #14118DanielGuestThere are some okay visa agents. But they are usually in small towns. Not Tourist hot spots like Phuket or Pattaya, which are usually just mafia or organized bribery. Bangkok is a mix, some of real attorneys, some of real paperwork assistance. And some criminals. 🤷♂️
08/29/2024 at 1:00 pm #1411908/29/2024 at 7:29 pm #14121GloriaGuestSo many horror stories and people get scammed out of their money from visa agencies….
08/30/2024 at 7:05 pm #14122AlexisGuestfuck no.
do you trust princes from Nigeria?
08/31/2024 at 5:22 pm #14123CynthiaGuest🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
09/09/2024 at 5:30 am #14149ChristinaGuest01/27/2025 at 7:52 am #14814JeanGuestThere’s several immigration lawyers in Bangkok with a solid reputation and better than using a visa agency imo.
But if you insist, stick with one of the established drama-free agents like Thai Visa Expert in Bangkok or Thai Visa Express in Pattaya.
02/01/2025 at 5:28 pm #1486302/05/2025 at 4:14 pm #14908AnnaGuestNOT WORTH IT.
What do visa agents do and do they help
byu/Bushido-Bashir inThailand02/08/2025 at 1:13 pm #15143GloriaGuestlol @ the top comment on the Reddit where the guy says he has a criminal record and that’s why he needed to pay agents to help him…. the other comment is way more accurate for what most expats feel
They can do either one of two things:
just help you to fill the paperwork, in which case their value is nothing but convenience
or they can help you bribe your way through Thai bureaucracy to secure a visa. That’s what most language schools or umbrella companies do for instance.
or
If you clearly qualify for a specific visa/extension type, I see no value in using an agent in Thailand.
However, if you don’t qualify and need to take shortcuts (e.g. retirement visa without the 800k or ED visa without attending classes), an agent is essential. However, this might come to bite you back. Thailand still corrupt, but no longer a free for all it once was.
more risk than reward these days.
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