Visa Agents & 3 Unhappy Customers
Last week’s column elicited an unusually high number of emails. There was nothing in last week’s column about free drinks. Nor was there anything about bargirls attending a special training course at the Hoover factory. What generated so much feedback was an innocuous paragraph about a friend who had used a visa agent. That response shows there’s much interest in this topic so I’ve put together a few thoughts about using visa agents.
Wherever there’s a sizeable expat community, there will inevitably be visa agents. And nowhere is that more so than Pattaya where it feels like there are dozens of agents with visa offices all over town.
In Bangkok, visa agents are much less visible. A few visa agents operate out of shops in the Trendy Building in soi 13, but most are much more low-key – and many don’t even have an office.
Visa agents in Thailand are not like Immigration advisers in Australia and New Zealand which must be licensed. And they’re not like a US Immigration lawyer who must have gone to law school. In Thailand, anyone can become a visa agent. A Patpong mamasan could call herself a visa agent and offer said services, if she so wished.
The services visa agents offer vary greatly. Some simply accompany you to Immigration, hold your hand and smooth the process. They check all forms are correctly filled out and you have all the required documentation for the visa you’re applying for. They may be able to get you to the front of the queue. They liaise between you and the Immigration officer. Many of these agents are former / retired Immigration officers. Some lawyers offer a similar service. Fees vary from a few thousand baht to tens of thousands of baht.
At the other extreme are agents who help you get a visa you don’t meet the requirements for. The most common example is a retiree who doesn’t meet the financial requirement. They may not have so much as a bank account, let alone show a balance of at least 800,000 baht for at least two months before applying. There are agents who can do everything from getting you a bank account in your name, to lending you the required 800K baht in to that account as well as various other add-on services. Their fees can run anything from less than 20,000 baht to over 100,000 baht. It should be noted that anyone holding the passport of a Western country will typically pay less while those from countries in the likes of Africa pay more. The visa may be issued at your local Immigration office, or they might utilise contacts elsewhere, sending your passport to a smaller Immigration office in a far-flung province to be processed. If this part sounds questionable, that’s because it is.
So how many people use visa agents? A lot!
Many (most?) Bangkok bar industry figures use an agent when their permission to stay needs to be renewed. The impression I get from expats in Pattaya is that the Immigration office down there is so busy and such a melee that many expats in Sin City use an agent so they can avoid visiting the Immigration office altogether.
A few of my friends in Bangkok use an agent and even some big names of the expat community use an agent. In other words, it’s not just dodgy folks and those who don’t qualify for a visa who use an agent. Quite the contrary, actually.
Personally, I wouldn’t use an agent. Why not? Because I have heard a few horror stories over the years from those who have used an agent and it all went pear-shaped. Let me tell you about a few.
First up is Dave The Rave. Dave had been using the same agent for years and handed over his passport and 25,000 baht, as he did each year. He never imagined that he would never see the agent again. A few weeks later, Dave received a phone call from the British Embassy saying that the Thai Police had handed in his passport to them and he should go to the embassy and collect it. The visa agent had been busted and all of the passports in the agent’s possession had been returned to their respective embassies. Everyone was out of pocket and some were now on overstay.
This story highlights something which might allay the concerns of anyone on the fence about using an agent. When agents are busted, people’s passports are returned to the embassy. While the agent may face charges, the passport holder typically does not. The customer loses the money they paid and may inadvertently end up on overstay, but does not face charges for using an agent who may have been offering a service that wasn’t legal.
The next story concerns Dave’s boss at the Nana Group. One of the biggest names in Bangkok’s bar industry at that time, he handed his passport and money to an agent – and would never see either again. He had to report his passport stolen, and go through the rigmarole of getting a new passport and then starting the process for a new visa.
In fairness, each of the two incidents happened years ago. That said, there have been many reports of people handing their passport to an agent and never seeing it again. There used to be a hole in the wall bar on Sathorn where readers handed their passports over for the visa to be renewed. It was busted. The founder of Thailand’s largest expat forum operated a visa agency on Sukhumvit soi 23 just up the road from Soi Cowboy which was also busted.
Sometimes the agency is busted, while others speculate that some passports are sold on the black market. True or not, who knows – but it’s certainly plausible. That’s why I would never hand my passport to an agent who will take it and get you a visa when you’re not present. If it were me, I’d much prefer to work with an agent who accompanied you to Immigration and your passport was never out of your sight.
Let’s fast-forward to the present and look at the experience of a Stickman reader who engaged the services of a long-running, well-known and once respected Bangkok visa agent.
Said reader visited this visa agent at their office not far from Asoke. His situation was a little unusual and he was told the cost to extend his visa (or, to be precise, for a new extension of stay) would be 50,000 baht. It would take 3 months. A few months later he contacted the agent to collect his passport. The agent put him off. A pattern developed where he called the agent and she kept putting him off. Each time he would try to make an appointment she would blow him off. This would go on for some time. She assured him it was all under control and that she was doing all his 90-day reports etc, he was still legal and there was nothing to worry about.
After one cancelled meeting too many, he demanded to know what was going on and where his passport was. The agent said the situation was complicated and she required another 70,000 baht to get it sorted. He had no choice but to pay. He’d now parted with 120,000 baht. But he still hadn’t got his passport back. This would go on for some time and a couple of years after he had first lodged his passport with her, he again demanded to know what was going on. A complicated case had now become super complicated, she explained – and another 250,000 baht was needed. Said fellow had not seen his passport and had no idea of his legal status. He was likely now on such a long overstay that it would result in deportation and him being banned from returning for 10 years. He had trusted the wrong agent. This is not a typical story but it shows what can happen.
In fairness to Pattaya’s sizeable visa agent industry, the horror stories I have outlined all concern Bangkok-based agents. With that said, I have heard plenty of horror stories from foreigners who hired a Pattaya-based visa agent to get a visa for their lady to visit them in Farangland – but that’s not what this article is about.
Visa agents provide a service that many value. That said, don’t overlook the fact that visa agents aren’t regulated. I get it that some prefer to use an agent to take away the uncertainty, while others may have to use a visa agent as they don’t actually qualify for a visa and they would not otherwise be able to stay in Thailand “legally”. Personally, I would never use a visa agent.
Mystery Photo

Where is it?
Last week’s photo was taken of the O-NES tower with the Nana skytrain station exit #2 stairway in the foreground. Very few people got it right which is curious given many people got the previous week’s photo right. Those two photos are virtually across the road from one another.
Stick’s Inbox – The Best Emails From The Past Week
Visa agent pricing.
Regarding using agents, “The total price was just under ฿40,000.” This could be reasonable if other services are included, such as supplying the 800K baht in the bank. For just a straight visa, it is way too much. I use an agent in Chiang Mai that charges 6K baht (plus the 1,900 baht visa cost), and includes doing all my 90-day reporting.
Visa agents, no thanks!
When considering using a visa agent it’s important to realise anyone with contacts can set up as one. They are not regulated and there are no professional standards or bodies safeguarding customers. If they disappear with your money and passport, which has happened, there is not a lot you can do about it. If you are paying as much as 40K baht for an extension based on retirement, that is for Immigration to overlook not having the required funds in the bank, or 65K a month income. While it is legal for an officer to do this, only looking the other way when paid to is certainly corrupt. Also, you might get in a pickle if the agent gets your extension from another province that you don’t live in due to not having a contact at your office. Having an extension from another province is definitely not legal. Not all use agents to bribe officers, some just use it for doing the paperwork, which only involves one form, a bank letter and a few photocopies – and cite the time and hassle saved. Nothing is more annoying than waiting in an Immigration office with your turn next when an agent arrives with a handful of passports and queue jumps. No tickets for them, it’s straight up to the window, often with their customers in tow.
Canadian gloats about the price of his visa.
Sitting at an expat bar or reading your column, it’s hard to believe how gullible or dumb some long-term expats can be. I have a retirement visa which I picked up in Phuket 4 years ago. I never keep more than 200,000 baht in my account which drains down to a few thousand and then I replenish with money from my overseas account. I use an agent as I prefer not to keep large amounts in my account making no interest when I make on average 9% yearly on my investments. And how much does this service cost me? 800 Canadian dollars. I show up at Immigration where I meet my long-term agent who chats with another who chats with another. Then I bypass everybody else, sit in front of an Immigration officer, sign a document, get my passport and bankbook back, which my agent had in hand, and I am done for another year. Anybody paying more than that needs to find a more reasonably-priced agent.
Visa agents are a waste of money.
I would never pay an agent to arrange my marriage extension for me (it is NOT a visa, as many like to call it). Once a year, I spend a few minutes filling in the form, gather the other things they need such as the letter from my bank, and my wife gets the Kor Ror 2 for 10 baht, confirming our marriage. As far as I know, an agent can’t get those documents. Then I go with the wife to the office, better after lunch as in Thailand everyone seems to want to do everything at sun-up and places are packed, whereas after lunch they’ve dispersed. It might take an hour, although I do appreciate that my particular office is relatively quiet, and many others can be like Mor Chit bus terminal at New Year. Getting a retirement visa is even more of a breeze. Those who spend many thousands of baht to ‘save time’ are, in my view, unable to complete a simple form, or might feel intimidated by the Immigration office environment, I suppose. That’s up to them but to me, using an agent is a complete waste of money.
More Readers’ Emails
Happy visa agent customer.
.
Bargain basement visa pricing in Pattaya.
You said that someone paid 40,000 baht for their retirement extensions. I think whoever told you that must be missing something out. I pay 16,000 baht in Pattaya for that every year.
Hotel prices.
I go to Bangkok multiple times a year and every time I go, hotel prices keep increasing. I am a Marriott member with platinum status so I always try to stay in Marriott-branded hotels. Typically, Aloft at Soi 11 is my go-to since it’s a decent hotel, not expensive, and in a fantastic location. But rates at this particular hotel went from mid 2,000 baht per day earlier this year to 4,000 baht per day, plus taxes and fees. And searching the website, it’s the cheapest Marriott hotel in the area. Even the worse Sheraton Four Points on Soi 15 is more expensive. Pretty incredible. Some higher-end Marriott hotels have some wild prices and higher taxes and fees. Not sure about hotel prices from other brands, but this is getting out of control. With the amount of money I spent on hotels this year I could have rented a decent condo for a whole year.
Bar owners and double lady drinks.
One criticism you have made many times is the double lady drink nonsense. You made the point that bars will lose money in the long run. Your comment: “This double lady drink nonsense is so short-sighted, and is pushing locals away forever as some bars develop a reputation for questionable lady drink policies.” Are you in contact with bar bosses and owners? Do you have the conversation that, while immediately making some money, in the long run this double lady drink nonsense is driving customers away? If so, what is their response?< Yes, I have raised this with some bar owners. The usual response is that many bars now charge for two lady drinks, most customers pay without complaining, so why shouldn’t they do it? – Stick>
This Week’s News, Views & Gossip
Bangkok’s newest gogo bar, Virgin X on Patpong soi 2, opened on Friday night. As is so typical when a group with multiple venues opens a new bar, Virgin X was mostly stocked with girls from its sister bar Virgin, next door. That’s not necessarily a bad thing in this case as the ladies in Virgin are known for their eager to please attitude. (And it should be noted that despite lending Virgin X some girls for opening night, the original Virgin still had a good line-up on Friday night.) Virgin X features Thai-style round tables and high stools in the centre of the bar, and sofa-style seating around the edges. One reader said the music was too loud. Let’s give them a couple of weeks to get in to a groove and revisit where they’re at.
An important correction to the information provided about Soi Cowboy’s newest bar, Bad Beach. It can be confirmed that some girls are now dancing in their birthday suit. I had written that the dancers were covered up, but things have loosened up somewhat since then.
If you try your best Thai language pick up lines with a sexy lady on or around Sukhumvit and she screws her face up, don’t take that to mean that your Thai is lousy. In fact, it’s quite possible that your Thai is better than hers. Sois 4 and 11 and a few hotspots have a troop of Vietnamese freelancers. Vietnamese freelancers have been a fixture on Soi Nana for a while, but only in relatively small numbers. Word is their number is increasing. You’ll find many Vietnamese ladies on Soi Nana and Soi 11 where Oskar is a popular spot for them. Mixx, the disco popular with freelancers in the InterContinental Hotel on Ploenchit Road, is another venue the Vietnamese ladies favour.

Bar D Mare, a new venue on Soi Nana, shows how the neighbourhood is changing.
And speaking of foreigners loitering, there has been no change to the situation of friendly African men checking in to see how you’re doing. The strip between Sukhumvit soi 5 and 13 is their favourite area. If you are really bothered by them, walk on the other side of the road where there are few.
Is Soi Nana moving more upmarket? Could it become the next Soi 11? Brand-name hotels are coming to Soi Nana and with venues like the Bar D Mare oyster and wine, a soi known for naughty nightlife continues to evolve. In addition to oysters and wine, Bar D Mare’s menu features steak, seafood and pasta. It’s open-air, similar to long-running Soi Nana bar and eatery Bus Stop, and there is a rooftop bar of sorts (just one level above ground!).
After being on the market for months, Private / Rainbow 69 in Nana Plaza has been sold. The buyer is the Russian boss of Kino, the former Essence / Whiskey A Gogo on the middle floor. The boss confirmed the sale Friday after other Nana owners advised him against buying the tiny corner spot next to the B-52 ladyboy bar. At only 68 square meters – smaller than Kino – it’s so small that turning a profit could be a challenge. Kino, however, is arguably in a worse location and the supposition is the Russian will sell Kino and only run 69, which will likely see a name change.
The October Full Moon parties mark the start of party season with lots of events planned over the next 2 ½ months. Next up? Halloween. Parties and costume contests are planned for Shark on Soi Cowboy, and Mandarin, Red Dragon, Tycoon, Angelwitch, Billboard and Butterflies in Nana Plaza. More details next week, but Shark’s offer of free food and prizes sets the standard for what a party should be.
Speaking of Angelwitch, manager Joe Delaney – an accomplished drummer – will be teaming up with internationally recognized bassist Billy Page Wednesday at Smalls in Sathorn for a special double-bill evening. The pair will share the stage with Thai jazz band Coffee Break Jazz. The music begins at 9 PM. Details can be found on Smalls’ event page.
The Friday following a public holiday usually has bar owners salivating, for good reason. So you can imagine the groans as rain fell across the capital (and Pattaya) Friday for more than 5 hours. The thunderous downpours began around 5 PM and umbrellas were needed until after 10 PM. The result was predictable. Girls didn’t show up to work and customers stayed away….until the rain stopped. When it did, however, waves of customers (not floods) washed into Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza. At Tycoon’s Full Moon Party, only a handful of girls showed up before 9:30 PM but they continued trickling in as late as 11 PM and the place was rocking when the body paint show began at 11:15. At midnight, Red Dragon’s Full Moon Party was full. Maybe it’s one reason why bar owners always push for later closing times.
The situation was the same on Soi Cowboy, where, after midnight, the street had few puddles but lots of foot traffic.
Cowboy’s newest bar Bad Beach is focusing on the customer experience. Like Crazy House, they pour a stiff drink. Unlike its sister bar, they’re served in heavy, crystal-cut tumblers and placed in a wood-cutout coaster that keeps all the condensation in place, instead of all over the table. It’s the little things…
Down in Pattaya, the Indian owner of the once-famous Penthouse Hotel on Soi Pattayaland 2 wants to reopen the gogo bar on the ground floor of the property. It should be noted that he is not new to the game and also owns a Walking Street nightspot.
Walking Street today has several bars with Russian girls. That begs the question: What is the total number of gogo bars on Walking Street these days? I don’t know the answer to that question, but it makes me wonder if one day there might be as many bars with Russian girls on Walking Street as there are gogo bars with Thai girls? Not likely, but just the fact that the question is being asked shows how much Walking Street has changed.

Signage above a Walking Street gogo bar.
What is it with ladies in the King’ Group bars in Patpong – particularly the two King’s Castle bars on the main Patpong soi – and tattoos? The ladies in those two bars appear to have fewer tattoos than you typically see on ladies in other gogo bars these days. How can that be explained?
Multiple times in this column I have mentioned how there are plenty of Thai ladies keen to meet a Western guy, and how some are increasingly choosy. I have previously talked about one particular lady who is close to my other half who will only date men with a salary of at least 100,000 baht. I was surprised (perhaps I shouldn’t have been?) that merely mentioning this resulted in some nasty comments. I guess some don’t like the idea that there are everyday Thai women who have standards that they don’t measure up to. I was giving this some thought this week and wondered whether a Western man should consider not just a Thai lady’s job, but her income when deciding whether to date her. All of the best relationships with Thai ladies I had were with professional ladies with a good job. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to turn this around for the budding suitor who has plenty to offer to limit the Thai women he dates to those with a salary of at least 100,000 baht / month? 100K baht is a good income in Thailand and anyone with such an income is most likely aspirational and hard-working. That wouldn’t be such a bad place to start.
Beggars in the Nana area sometimes have a puppy with them which seems to help elicit extra sympathy and donations. It’s a strategy that works. But have you ever seen a beggar with a cat rather than a dog? I don’t remember ever seeing a beggar with a cat but the image below taken on Sukhumvit Road by a reader this week shows just that.

On Sukhumvit Road, a beggar tries to elicit sympathy with cats.
I note that people are talking about Thailand’s supposedly sluggish economy. When I was in town, it felt to me like things were humming. People were out and about spending money and a lot of places struck me as busy. Many restaurants had people waiting outside, shops seemed busy and shopping mall car parks were full well before midday. The general consensus seems to be that inbound tourism is flourishing. As for other sectors of the economy, apparently there are question marks. Some foreigners with business interests insist that Thailand isn’t doing so well economically. The economy is growing at a slower rate than most other countries in the region. Is the strong baht partly to blame? I note that the Bank of Thailand cut the interest rate by .25% but whether that will have much effect, who knows? Exchange rates barely moved. Honestly, I have no idea what is going on but I mention this as people keep telling me that the economy is in trouble and there are dark clouds on the horizon. True or not, I have no idea – so you tell me!
The Bangkok Post reported this week that some hotels plan to increase rates. I used to always use booking sites like Booking.com and Agoda.com, but what I do now is book directly with the hotel. Check the price online for the dates you wish to stay, and then call the hotel directly and ask for a better rate. Note I said to make a telephone call and NOT email them as in my experience, that doesn’t seem to work as well. Speak with the reservations department and ask for their best rate. Make sure to have the best rate on hand that you can find online for the dates you wish to stay from reputable sites and ask them to beat this rate. I did this twice when I was in town recently and each time I saved almost 20% on the best online rate. The total amount saved was hundreds of dollars so it’s worthwhile.
If you thought the Bangkok expat fiction genre was dead, think again! There’s fantastic news for fans of expat fiction this week with two of the biggest names of the genre each announcing a new novel. First up is the granddaddy of expat fiction himself, Christopher G Moore. I really thought we’d seen the last of Vincent Calvino, Bangkok’s favourite private investigator, but Chris has reprised the character in his latest Calvino Novel, District #3. Here’s a short blurb about the book:
It’s the year 2036. Bangkok is divided into semi-autonomous districts. In District #3, Calvino works a case involving a reality show winner, the streets are overrun by crazies, freaks, and AI. An evangelical preacher is using the show to convert the Thais. Calvino and his crew work as a security detail in District #3 and on a superyacht where neo feudal lords gather to bid for a Thai bride. Calvino investigates the link between exclusive compounds in the Blue Zone and the new reality space of π.
District #3 can be ordered here from Amazon.
And for Calvino fans, you can find out more about the 17 earlier books in the series at the official Vincent Calvino website. A hint for those of you who love to reminisce and perhaps even pine for the Bangkok of old, A Killing Smile, originally published in 1991, is Chris’s first novel and a great read. It takes you back to the period many old Asia hands insist was Bangkok’s best.
Next up, Jake Needham announced his latest Inspector Samuel Tay novel. The Detective Gone Gray was published this week and is set almost entirely in Bangkok with several scenes in Nana Plaza and the big finish in Soi Cowboy.
Sometimes trouble follows a man. Sometimes a man has to go looking for it.
The Chinese foreign minister is speaking at a Bangkok university, and there’s a diplomatic reception for him before the speech. Like most diplomatic receptions, it’s an occasion that’s dull as dishwater. Until it isn’t.
The assembled diplomats discover the main doors of the reception hall have been locked. That’s when a masked gunman comes in through the back and opens up with a silenced MP5. It’s like shooting the proverbial fish in the proverbial barrel. Thirteen dead and nine wounded, including the British ambassador, the Korean ambassador, and the American deputy chief of mission.
The Thai police are overwhelmed, and they ask Interpol to send a homicide investigator to help them. Interpol doesn’t investigate homicides, so the regional office asks the Singapore police to lend them an experienced detective.
Inspector Samuel Tay was once a legendary investigator for Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department, but now he’s retired. It wasn’t exactly voluntary, of course, but that’s another story. When he’s asked to help the Thai police, he reluctantly agrees. Bangkok’s not his favorite place, and the Thai police aren’t his favorite people, but retirement is … well, dull.
Worse, he’s getting old and it’s a melancholy feeling to know he’s at the end of his career. Just maybe, he thinks, he’s got one more big case in him before it really is time to let it all go.
Maybe he does, but there are powerful forces out there that aren’t going to let it be this case. If he gets too close to the secret they’ve hidden behind the slaughter, they’ve already decided what they’ll do.
They’ll just kill Samuel Tay, too.
You can find The Detective Gone Grey at Amazon US, Amazon UK or Amazon Australia.
Thailand-Related News Articles
A young British female is arrested for shoplifting cosmetics from Central Mall in Lad Prao.
Bangkok-based American lawyer Benjamin Hart hit the ball out of the park with this video, Since When Did Any Thai Need Permission To Work?
A farang lawyer gives his opinion on the tax situation for foreigners resident in Thailand for more than 180 days / year. (Fast forward to the 3:00 minute mark for a 5-minute interview with the lawyer.)
The TM6 (arrival form) waiver will continue until the end of April.
It rained in Pattaya this week for an hour and, inevitably, Sin City flooded.
A British woman tourist’s ankle is hit by the propeller of a speedboat in Phangnga province.
.
.
Closing Comments
The number of emails responding to an innocuous comment about visa agents in last week’s column is proof yet again that it is not nightlife that elicits the most feedback and comments, but matters of critical importance to expats like visa rules. Speaking of things that affect expats, many of you have asked me about the new tax law and how (or even if) it will be enforced at the end of the calendar year. Honestly, I have no idea. My best guess is that at some point in time it will become a requirement for all expats staying in Thailand with a 12-month extension of stay to file a tax return – and provide proof of the completed tax return when they go to Immigration to extend their visa. My feeling is that this will happen and it’s a matter of when, not if. That said, I imagine it will be a few years away. Why do I think this will happen? Quite simply, this seems to be the way the world is going.
Your Bangkok commentator,
Stick
Stick can be contacted at : stickmanbangkok@gmail.com