cormanr7

Well, over 5 extensions I have never had one person handling everything. In fact I believe the staff at the regular L-counters are not even allowed to sign off on the stay permit, this is handled by the senior IO's sitting at the back. Finally, a trainee (?) or junior staff will hand your your passport and bank book.

IO said no problem about missing year statement, just bring it next year (she checked the balance going back one year from the bank book). I got the bank letter the day prior. I updated at Big C Chaeng Wattana this morning (pink line station right in front) , banks were closed but you can get into the building from 08.30 (possibly earlier) when the Big C opens. SCB has a bank book update machine outside the bank office. I made a 100 Baht withdrawal before updating. I have never provided a TM.30 or a lease in five extensions and people should not volunteer these, it might lead to an ever growing list of requirements. If they need something they will ask for it.

Did my yearly extension. Could have copied last year's text as experience was virtually identical . Had an on-line appointment, after document check at counter L1-27 (where they let you sign most of the paperwork) my number was called exactly on-time at L1-35. Only took 10 minutes here. Was then told to wait and less than 15 min later got my passport + bankbook back. Good for another year. Handed in: -Application form (TM.7) with pic. + 3 additional forms that you will get at the main reception -Passport + copy relevant pages -Bankbook + copy relevant pages -Bank letter -3 month account statement (IO said next time bring a one year statement) -Copy last 90 day-report -Hand-drawn map of apartment location -1,900 Baht

Yes, here in upper Ladphrao my apartment was shaking significantly (I am at the top -6th floor). Not really comforting considering the build 'quality' of buildings here.

Can you name a few with prices? Thanks.

Only a maximum of 14 slots/day so it fills up (too) rapidly.

The system of an 'electronic' exit rather than an exit stamp seems to get more prevalent. I left Japan (Tokyo-Narita) last December and it had a similar system. On entry you get the old stay permit glued in your passport but on exit you have to scan your passport and look in a sort of large mirror. I think a similar system has already operated in Singapore for quite some time.

I left for Europe mid November. I have a stay permit based on retirement and a re-entry permit. They just checked if I had a non-Thai passport and directed me to the 'foreigner' e-gates of which there were quite a few. Through in two minutes, In fact there were virtually no IO's in sight and there was only one manned counter. No problems/questions on re-entering Thailand. If the system works properly, the data are in the computer. As a back-up I had kept my outbound boarding pass.

I arrived Suvanabhumi early October. As noted by others. most of the IO's are now female. There were two couples in front of me. The woman in the first couple (with a EU passport) had a peculiar stamp in her passport - a black circle with black horizontal bar with some text. The IO noticed this and called for a senior offical. He asked the guy if he had a similar stamp; negative. There was a long discussion with the woman. Apparently this was a 'souvenir stamp' which is not allowed in some countries. Finally they let them through. The couple right in front of me was from Brazil. The IO asked them for a yellow fever certificate. They were unable to show this and were sent back to the health officals (which you pass going from the gate towards immigration, just before you turn into the long corridor in front of the immigration booths). Don't know how this ended. And yes, quite a few people were questioned, and some were required to show some paper/screen shot (onward ticket?). I had a permit to stay based on retirement and a re-entry permit. No questions, just the usual comple fingerprint business. Finished in no time.

I did retirement extension (800k bank method) at CW early May. Only handed in TM.7, bank letter, copy of bankbook pages covering previous 13 months or so (plus cover page), copy of last TM.47 and hand-drawn map of apartment location. Nothing else asked. So in my case no 12-month bank statement or TM.30 were required. May depend on your situation or even the person handling your application.

Yes.

I did a 90-day mid July (note: rules may have been changed since!) after having been abroad which made it not possible (at least for me) to report on-line. No TM30 was asked. I had made an on-line appoitment; exactly at the scheduled time my number came up and was in/out in less than two minutes.

A few years ago this also happened to the SCB bank office downstairs in the B Building. It was suddenly closed and people were advised to go the office in the Big C Chaeng Wattana building. This only opens at 10.30 am. Of course you could go to another office but some have no clue about the bank letter (even if shown an example). Anyway an hour between document check and return of passport with signed extension seems typical (at least in my experience) for on-line appointments.

Talking about China Eastern? You are joking right, as of May 03, 2024 they had 623 planes, including 14 parked. This accoring to planespotters.net which is usually quite accurate, though slightly behind the actual numbers. They also have hundreds of aircraft on order including more than 100 COMAC C919 (very similar to the A320NEO).

Surreal experience today. Had booked on-line (can only be done 3-5 weeks ahead and fills up quickly) but arrived ca 2.5 hours before the appointed time. Place was largely deserted with banks closed. Collected a TM.7 with attached forms (where you confirm your address, acknowledge the terrible things that will happen to you if you overstay or work, etc) from the front desk and filled in the forms. Trip to one of the copy shops downstairs. Decided to take a gamble and went to the que desk, showed my on-line appointment. A very friendly lady said no need to wait 2h, gave me a que number and send me to counter L-27 for the 'document check'. Just as last year this took only about a minute, they just seem to check if the main items are there and that you have filled in everything. Wrote a counter number on my TM.7 (not the one for the on-line appointment) and there I was helped immediately by a rather cheerfull IO. Here it took only 15-20 mins to check the papers, make 500 or so signatures , take a pic and pay the fee. After another 10 min got my passport back with the signed extension. From arriving at the que desk to walking out took exactly 30 min but obviously this was a rather unusual day. Handed in were: -TM.7 (application form) with one pic. -Passport and copies of relevant pages -Bank letter (one day old, they confirmed it can be up to 7 calender days old but you need to update your passbook at the day of application) -Bankbook and copies of front page and transactions going back 13 months or so. -Hand drawn map of apartment location (yes they kept this and had me sign it) -Copy of last 90-day report (TM.47) -1,900 B Now usually the bankletter came with an additional balance sheet for the previous 3 months but this time it only covered the past month. The IO outlined the transactions over the previous 3 months in red on the copy of my bankbook. Note that depending on your circumstances (maybe hiring from a private landlord, having a large number of transactions in your bankbook which are sometimes 'pooled' , etc..) they may ask for additional papers.