samtam

Richard Barrow tweeted about it earlier:

https://twitter.com/ChrisG_BKK/status/434235769285124096/photo/1

Ihope it's only a weekend thing, as it's the one area I need to go to by car each week. Basically that whole area is now stuffed up.

There is no way that this government can, or will survive. Suthep can stop, but the courts won't. Yingluck still has to explain how she was either incompetent or crooked enough to let the rice scheme ruin the economy. Either way she is toast.

Or in her case, burnt rice.

Made my 90 day report this morning. Left Sathorn Tai by taxi at 10.20 am and was at Major Hollywood Suksawat at 10.35 am, (having gone via Narathiwat, Rama III, Bhumipol 1 bridge*. Located the LHS glassed office under a desk labelled "J" to have the passports and TM.47 checked. All OK, and given a ticket to wait at window B9 (B8-B12 I think are all 90 day) in the right hand glassed office. 5 people in front of me and in front of each of the 90 day report windows. Took about 20 minutes. Left Major Hollywood Suksawat at about 11.00 am by taxi back to Sathorn and base, arriving at 11.35 am. Traffic leading up to Narathiwat/Sathorn crossing was slow as usual, and this delayed the return journey. Taxi there THB91 baht, back THB125 baht plus tips. Based on others experience of it being a breeze, I would concur, except I think going in the afternoon may be quicker than in the morning; there were queues at thew windows and there was no favouritism to "whiteys", as one person experienced.

* as soon as you come off the bridge artery you can see the Major Hollywood building, and your driver needs to take the very first U-turn, which is feasible if the traffic isn't too heavy, which was the case.

Obviously not hugely onerous, but the mail-in facility when it resumes, will be the way I proceed in the future.

Thanks Tall Guy. Brilliant report. I will head there tomorrow, and drop a visit report too. Will be a good exercise to locate this location for when I have to do my Extension of Stay in mid May.....(I truly hope not, and that CW will have reopened).

Most immigration offices want the bank book to be updated on date you apply or as in your case a ATM slip will do.

Can you do the THB100 deposit before the Immigration officer meeting, rather than running off to an ATM in the middle of it. (I worry that the additional THB100 will not tally with the bank's letter of balance.)

anyone know?

Great. Can you confirm lunch time closing times after you've been. I plan to go tomorrow, and will go by taxi from Sathorn Tai, and I don't think it should take one hour by car, but I don't want to arrive and find it closed!

Is it soi 7 or soi 60 on Suksawat?

Rama IV at about midday today, on the walkway from U Chu Liang to Lumpini, with more barricades than previously.

The tent city within the park has grown, and every entry gate has PDRC guards, and all other green uniform (park?) guards seem to have removed themselves. Not many Bangkok residents taking the Sunday constitutional, and I felt uneasy, so we walked through to Benjakiti Park instead, which was pretty empty. Unfortunately the occupation of Lumpini means that much of the flora is suffering because the water tankers can't get around the whole place. Like all these protest sites, there is a lot of litter and general degradation of public property.

Thanks, and the photo I showed, (from Google) is the correct building?

Will go over next week to do my 90 day [probationary] report.

It is also worrisome that adverse effects on the economy have become apparent. The tourism industry, the country’s major industry, has been hit hard by the political unrest, with Thailand’s central bank revising downward this year’s projected national growth rate from 4.8 per cent to 3 per cent.

The tourism industry is NOT Thailand's "major" industry.

So presumably the crackdown went the way of all other (appropriately-named) crackdowns. Just remembered reading this post as I was about to be run over by a motocy on the pavement in Saladaeng, and as I dodged the motocy's jumping the red light on Sathorn yesterday afternoon. Plus ca change, plus ca change. Mind you, I suppose the RTP is very busy making sure that traffic flows more smoothly during this period of blockade, re-directing traffic etc etc, or whatever it is traffic police do.

OK, thanks. By the sound of it, I'd better do it myself.

Well in this very transparent society, these figures are bound to be true. Yingluck is only worth about USD20m. Are you kidding me? I'd add a zero.

Thanks. I was hoping that CW Imm might be opened today, but it would appear only the first building "A", which does not house IMM. However, the monk is negotiating, so maybe by tomorrow he will have devined the (correct) answer. Perhaps a bit of defrocking might make him make up his mind.

Yes, I know a tame one, who runs errands for our management office at the condo, and is trusted.

Thanks. I have have been using mail in to CW for years, and I understand the current moratorium, pending the re-opening of CW.

What I meant was, getting a motocy to take my passport and TM.47 to Suksawad, because I seemed to remember 90 day reports did not have to be in person, and/or doing one on behalf of a friend. But you are saying the Imm have said that they do [have to be in person] at the moment.

Thanks Joe, but if I can get a sensible taxi driver, I'll take it all the way from Sathorn. Getting to my nearest BTS at Saladaeng is a bit troublesome, with the closure of Silom, and the traffic that snarls up Saladaeng and Convent roads. Have only been walking to it recently, and that's been pleasant enough with the cooler weather, but of course will become less so as it heats up; no telling how long Silom will be closed, but it looks as though they're there for the long haul. Must be killing the normal businesses on Silom, but of course the market stalls are making whoopee.

Another Hollywood report. Reached Wongwian Yai at 11am, left Hollywood / Immigration office at 12:30. If you take a cab, you should watch for the big Major Hollywood sign on the right, and get off across the street. Note that this is _not_ the "Major Hollywood - Suksawat" Google Maps pin, but rather โรงภาพยนตร์ เมเจอร์ ฮอลลีวูด สาขาสุขสวัสดิ์

http://goo.gl/maps/dsPDq

Is the building you show in this Google photo the one that houses the Immigration office?

Is this the building where the Suksawat temporary immigration office is?

You should go the topic I posted a link to. There is some new info there.

Yes, saw that, thanks, and have been posting there too. Will wait until the miraculous re-opening scheduled for 6 February.

I am right in thinking 90 day report does not have to be done in person?

Can you confirm that you don't need to do 90 day report in person.

Separately, if you sent a mailed in 90 day report to CW now, surely it would be processed in the end? You wouldn't have proof of delivery, but you would of posting, and one assumes the service might reopen again 90 days from now?

I suppose their backlog will be substantial, I'm surprised they haven't suspended the 90 day reporting just now.

Thanks. I'm checking how to get to Suksawad. My break away to avoid the need for a 90 day report is looking less appealing as usual by the time I've done all the pre-travel planning.

I shall be watching this all to see if Chaengwattana is open for mail-ins asap.

Another Hollywood report. Reached Wongwian Yai at 11am, left Hollywood / Immigration office at 12:30. If you take a cab, you should watch for the big Major Hollywood sign on the right, and get off across the street. Note that this is _not_ the "Major Hollywood - Suksawat" Google Maps pin, but rather โรงภาพยนตร์ เมเจอร์ ฮอลลีวูด สาขาสุขสวัสดิ์

http://goo.gl/maps/dsPDq

Is the building you show in this Google photo the one that houses the Immigration office?

Thanks lopburi and TallGuy. I wonder why I never opted to use Chamchuri square for my extension of stay. Was that ever an option? Can one change from Chaeng Wattana to Chamchuri for future extension of stays, do you know?

As far as the 90 day report, I think I'll go away instead. It's not that Suksawad is difficult, (from what I've heard), it's just that I need a break from this ol' town, so I can kill two birds with one stone.

Sorry, found it. I'm in Sathorn, so I guess the Major Suksawad is the nearest. I have to get there over Rama IX bridge, right? Mine's due on 19th February, so I would normally mail today, but I can wait until next week, if I go in person. If CW re-opens by next week, then I suppose it would be too late to send by mail, (as it would be outside the new 2 weeks in advance requirement), or do you think in the circumstances, they might show some leeway?

Not looking good...

Been trying the 092 number for 90 Day reporting at Lad Prao all day, and it never even rings, just goes straight to a mobile phone unavailable recording.

Called the Govt Center hotline at 1111, and they gave me an alternate number at Lad Prao supposedly for 90 Day reporting also -- 089-777-6111. Called that number repeatedly. It rings, but no one answer it.

So finally, tried the main number for Lad Prao Immigration again, and got a different officer. Asked the same question about can I mail in a 90 day report to them. Without pausing, the officer replied in English, NO, cannot mail in. Must report in person.

If anyone can get a better or different answer, I'd be interested to hear. But right now, based on the two different officers at Lad Prao today telling me NOT to mail in 90 Day reports, I guess I'm going to be going in person to Lad Prao or Major Suksawad. Unless something changes, it's just not worth the hassle of trying to mail and potentially having it disappear, and then trying to fix the problem afterward.

Can you please advise the location for these two temporary offices. I think I've seen them posted, but I cannot find. Is Chamchuri Square still an option, or only these two places.