connda

Not everyone has been mailing in as the old office could process a 90 day report any time you showed up almost with a turnaround of 1-2 hours. For some people who live close to the old office this was acceptable. Only since the move to Promenada has it become an all day job. I expect everyone will be mailing from now on. I have had no personal mail delivered for one and half years, only bills arrive. I may post and have to visit in person when nothing is posted back? A few other posters have problems with the post. This is why visiting the old office was no problem for some people. Most people have been caught out by believing the move to Prom was going to improve CM Immigration performance. No warnings were issued that the new office would struggle to handle 90 day reports.

I don't think immigration was given any warning of the influx of people doing the 90 day in person. Maybe when the people have seen the new office they will go back to mailing in reports.

Why would you think "immigration needed a warning of the influx of people doing the 90 day in person." This is what these people do for a living. Immigration officers are well aware of how many expats are residing in Chiang Mai. Immigration requires foreigners to show up at their office every 90 days, and once a year for the yearly visa, and they aren't prepared???

According to immigration officers that were present during their presentation at the CM Expat club, once they moved to their new location at Promenada, they would have addition staff to vastly improve their services.

When I showed up at the Promenada immigration office, I was really taken back at the staff shortage and how all foreigners are required to sit outside while immigration officers are sitting in an air-conditioned office, woefully unprepared to process the people they require to report to this office. You just can't make stuff like this up.

According to immigration officers that were present during their presentation at the CM Expat club, once they moved to their new location at Promenada, they would have addition staff to vastly improve their services.

Believe that and I have a bridge that crosses the Ping River that I can sell you cheap. They've been saying their getting additional staff for so long, it's like the boy who cried, "Wolf". I believe nothing, I generally doubt things are going to work out well, and I'm virtually never disappointed.

Went and did my 90 day reporting this morning. Got to immigration about 10.15. Was out by 11.05. I was one of the last. I think if I had gone at 1 pm, there would have been zero wait. Only a few people waiting for other extensions, but no long ques. Annual Retirement renewal she said they do only 20 a day, so for the annual renewal you need to get there very early, get an agent, or have an appointment.

What appointment. No appointment system anymore. Figure out that stupidity here in the 15th year of the 21st century.

Here is one other option for 90 day reporting.

If you happen to be out of town, say Pattaya/Jomtien, anywhere with a more efficient system, you can do your 90 days at the local imm office using your hotel, guesthouse, whatever, as your address.

It worked for me. Amazingly quick and easy.

I repeat, it works. I have since done it at CM office.

Sound like it's time to book a trip to Pattaya.

Where can I buy organic wheat bread and flour in CM?

Where does the Wheat for Wheat Bread made in Thailand come from?

How do you know it's not GMO that been shipped in from the US?

How do you know it's not been sprayed down with glyphosate prior to harvesting?

Do any companies here in Thailand sell guaranteed organic Whole Wheat breads and products, including flour.

The chance of lightening striking the same place twice is about nil. If I was going to visit BKK, Erawn Center would be on my 'safe' list.

Of course not.

Hungry people do hungry things. Like ignore the lard-buckets in seats of power.

What's wrong with fish and chips?

Ubonjoe, I've got a question for you.

According to how I read the rules, I can use the online system between 15 to 7 days before the expiration of my current 90 day report.

So let's say I submit an online report 15 days prior. However, let's say I have issues, browser problems or perhaps I don't get confirmation back in a timely manner. Or, after a week I check the status and it still has not been processed. I don't want to have to drive the 140 km round trip to CM Immigration, so if the online system seems like its not going to work, can I still attempt to send the 90 day report in by mail? I've read the your suppose to send mail-in prior to 15 days before your expiration date, but my mail-in reports show up in CM in 1 day, usually are processed on the same or next day, and I get my 90 report back via mail within 5 to 7 days.

Your thoughts? Thanks!

You could try doing the 90 day report by mail as long as it got there 7 day before the report date. If you had got through and got a pending application and did not get the approval I would send a print out of the application pending page.

Thanks much

Money talks, BS walks.

The databases are not connected, I believe.

Wanting them to be connected to make a non-citizen's life easier is probably not going to make it happen.

We're in agreement!!!

What does a Yellow House Book have to do with Immigration?

2100 posts and you don't know?

They want to know your current address. A Yellow House Book is the official Thai document listing your current address. The TM47 is simply redundant, non-nonsensical paper-pushing. It wouldn't be rocket science for the Thai Immigration system to be able to access the house book databases.

I could have sworn the reason that was given for immigration wanting 90 day reports was because foreigners may commit criminal acts and they need to know where to find them.

Well, using the same logic, all 76 million Thais may commit criminal acts and should be submitting 90 day reports. Why don't they? They have Tabian Baan (Blue House Books). Blue for Thai natives. Yellow for foreigner. So Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, that system should work for both Thais and foreigners. I'm in their Tabian Baan database! They know where I live!

I support the death penalty.

That must make the Indonesians feel better. They were starting to feel real alone there for awhile. Whew!!! "One more on our side." Now, who's up next as a drug smuggling bullet catcher?

I've worked in the timber industry. It isn't rocket science to stay out of the way of a falling tree. When you start dropping 50 to 80 meter cedars and redwoods trees, different story. Strange things happen with the monster trees. Backyard coconut trees? It was just somebody's time to go. RIP and condolences to your wife.

I'm still trying to understand how a Thai making 9000 THB/mo can afford a 750K THB sedan that's the size of a shoebox on wheels.

More new regulations imposed on the proletariat by the Thai Tzars.

What fun is wielding power if you're unable to impose it on the masses.

Next step in political correctness: Burkas for cars!

No First Amendment type rights in the LOS. That's good to know and file away.

I've gone through rolfing. Doesn't compare.

However you do it, it's gonna be hit or miss. Personally I've found that many of the older women 50+ have very good technique, although it helps to be as specific as possible about the muscle groups that you wish to have worked on and the level of pressure. And I suggestion oil massage, as they will be more in line with Western massage technique. If you are patient and are willing to try 10 or so different women (or men) who provide massage, you may eventually find one you really like and one you use as a backup.

The whole 90 reporting idea has always seemed crazy to me and useful only for creating (unnecessary) work within the immigration system. To my knowledge, I've never had anyone check that the address I've provided on my 90 day form is genuine, and since our movements within the country aren't seriously monitored (not yet, anyway) with many people spending time traveling, the usefulness of the information as a way to contact the person concerned in an emergency is highly questionable.

Why not simply require the holder of an annual visa extension to report a change of the address on their original application within say, ten days of moving, and set a significant enough penalty to motivate compliance? Notification of a change of address could be done in the same way as a current 90 report resulting in less stress and congestion all round. How many people move home four times a year?

Since landlords are required (theoretically, at least) to notify the immigration department when an foreigner moves into a rented property, there is a fairly simple way of policing the system and fines could be levied when/if a new extension is applied for. Most long stayers do not want to jeopardise their extension application and so I would predict that the system would work at least as well as the the current mess.

Sadly, this system is very unlikely to be considered because it hasn't been conceived locally.

Take it one step further: Why does someone marriaged to a Thai and who is in possession of a Tabian Baan (Yellow House Book) need to report their address ever 90 days. I'm already in the system with the Tabian Baan.

Maybe something that would be useful is if they would put a notice in the window how to do 90 day mail in and 90 day online reporting though the latter is hit and miss. Perhaps add the QR code to the 90 day report pinned topic.

90 Day QR Code.jpg

Hello, the OP shows a picture of people unable to use the postage system. They're going to now get QR codes?

Right. And again I'm not being callous towards the elderly, but how difficult is it to put those same papers that they are holding while waiting in the queue, into an envelope and hand it to the postman/lady when they pass by their homes each day?

I don't do my 90 day report by mail because I have never had piece of mail delivered in over 5 years I have lived here. I gave up several years ago and got a mail box which works well, never any missing mail. But I don't think immigration will accept a mail box as an address, they want to reply to an actual address. It is some sort of proof that you live there, I suppose.

I just had my last 90 day sent to my PO Box in Southern Lamphun province. No problem.

Captcha doesn't work! It doesn't take on to second stage. I have used Safari with IE explorer agent and tried with latest firefox updated browser

What IE version did you use with the agent switcher?

Did you try installing the IE Tab extension for Firefox.?

Ubonjoe, I've got a question for you.

According to how I read the rules, I can use the online system between 15 to 7 days before the expiration of my current 90 day report.

So let's say I submit an online report 15 days prior. However, let's say I have issues, browser problems or perhaps I don't get confirmation back in a timely manner. Or, after a week I check the status and it still has not been processed. I don't want to have to drive the 140 km round trip to CM Immigration, so if the online system seems like its not going to work, can I still attempt to send the 90 day report in by mail? I've read the your suppose to send mail-in prior to 15 days before your expiration date, but my mail-in reports show up in CM in 1 day, usually are processed on the same or next day, and I get my 90 report back via mail within 5 to 7 days.

Your thoughts? Thanks!

So none of you see the potential for corruption? A handful maybe.

Individuals are given queue numbers but some are allow to skip the queue system. They just walk up front, And the I/Os don't say a word. Nothing like, "Sorry your number is 22 and we are now serving number 10." Read the posts - this is happening!

Or, someone simply walks in and are served without a number: Read the posts - this is happening!

Or after all the queue numbers are handed out, your told you can get serviced if you go to the Visa Service next door. Read the posts - this is happening!

So where does the line between impropriety, "under that table payoffs", favoritism, and out-right graft begin and end. This is a rhetorical question - I am making no accusations. Just hypothetical constructs.

Some of the most blinded, sheep-mentality individuals I've ever encountered are - TV members and Expats associated within a local 'community' of like minded - sheep. There are some that see the actual reality. Few and far between, and none too vocal about it. But there are some out there. And if you are out there, stop cringing in fear and speak up. Buttttttt......

Why do I believe this probably will not change? One word: "Baaaaaaaa".

Connda, this forum and this thread in particular is serving as an important means of documenting the conditions and practices. I'm glad that Assist Thai Visa (an agent) has chosen to join, so they can post photos of the early morning situation. To say that the situation isn't being noticed is incorrect. This thread is, to my knowledge, the main way of communicating what's going on.

If you're so proud of your moral compass, perhaps you'd like to take it upon yourself to come to Immigration early -- like at 6 am to observe the process every day. Much like the U.N. sends out people to watch elections in third world countries. I've been there twice a week since they opened. How about you? Assist Thai Visa probably has people there nearly every day.

If you came every day, you could document what's going on and perhaps quietly and politely challenge when you see the sort of abuses you read about here. That's a bold thing to do at the scene. Even just documenting is bold. I've had Immigration officials glaring at me when I'm taking photos and I don't dare take photos inside the office. How about you?

Slowly, we're trying to figure out how best to approach Immigration officials. It may appear that nothing is happening. That's not the case.

Dear Nancy. I offered to help. The offer was declined. I appreciate what you're doing Nancy, If asked, I would have been right out there with you and any others seeking to find a solution to this mess. However, I believe that working as a coherent group is much more effective than just a bunch of disparate individuals acting without a specific goal or focal point. And I'd still be willing to come out, but as a group of concerned individuals who have brain-stormed the problems and issues, and have come up with specific goals. I've heard some good stuff here. Example: Start talking with the 90 day reporting group and provide handout regarding mail-in and on-line reporting; start filming and documenting how the queue system is working, and not working. Get some video documentation from individuals going through the process. Start listing what's working and what is not in the opinion of CM Immigration clients, i.e., exit polling.

So Nancy, I appreciate what you've done up to this point, but I clearly believe that a focused group of individuals with specific goals, could work more effectively together, and have a hell of a lot more clout.

United we Stand; Divided we Fall - There is a ton of truth to that statement.

If the Hi-So Big Power people aren't involved the case is lucky to see the light of day to start with.

I think all Hi-Sos are issued a "Get Out of Jail Free" card like in Monopoly, it's just that occasionally their personally secretaries misfile the cards, and when they can't be found they end up in the 'clink' until family members can sow the fields of justice with the appropriate amount of money to permanently bury the issue.

9 replies and no one has mentioned an injustice in America that makes everything ok?

It plays like this: Cops get to shoot anyone they want in the US; The prosecutor forms a Grand Jury; 99%+ are cleared and charges are never filed, because Grand Juries are a one-sided affair run by the prosecutor.

Now, if they'd do away with Grand juries and go straight to criminal trial and then civil trial, it might be a different ballgame. But the show is completely controlled by the prosecutor who is always on the side of the cops. Anyone who watched Dick Wolf's Law & Order should know that. Lol

<queue Law & Order music>