G4T Promenade Chiang Mai

[DGS1244]

Does anyone know if and what has happened to G4T at Promenade today, Monday. They have not opened today and all telephone lines seem not to be working???

[HullyGully]

I was in Prom this afternoon around 1500hrs and the G4T shop was open

 

No one inside and the  roller door half open

Edited November 6, 2017 by HullyGully
Typo

[cyberfarang]

I visited the G4T last Friday to do my 90 day report and it was closed. Shutter was down, no notice on window. Asked at immigration about G4T, no one knew anything.

[naboo]

Must have been a VIP in town.

[Dante99]

Nancy finally got'em. 

[NancyL]

Can't claim credit per se, but yes there are some important people in town right now.  Could be related.  Maybe they wanted to shop at Prom. 

[sfokevin]

Shop at Prom?!...

The place is bacically a great big Spirit House with an Immigration office in the basement... 

[NancyL]

7 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

Shop at Prom?!...

The place is bacically a great big Spirit House with an Immigration office in the basement... 

Oh, that's not nice.  The Duke's restaurant is good and as discussed in another thread the people at Chi Chang are wonderful.  I've bought several small appliances there and the staff fall all over themselves to serve you.  In fact, now that I think about it, I need both a re-entry permit and a new electric hair curler.  Maybe it's time for @Prom!

[Saraphee]

Nancy, I can believe the re-entry permit - but a hair curler?

[Mark1066]

I think they were closed on Friday for Yi Peng - that's what they said at least.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Mark1066

[naboo]

Just read there are VIPs in town all week.

 

In other news, G4T may be on holiday until the 13th.

[Lizard2010]

Its amazing that this probably only effects this company Not others

It does make you wonder  why they are still able to operate in Promenade

[NancyL]

14 hours ago, Saraphee said:

Nancy, I can believe the re-entry permit - but a hair curler?

They sell small appliances at Chi Chang, don't they?  Couldn't find what I wanted at Central KSK.

[Mark1066]

4 hours ago, Lizard2010 said:

Its amazing that this probably only effects this company Not others

It does make you wonder  why they are still able to operate in Promenade

A lot of conjecture in this thread. First you're assuming you know why they're closed and then going on to speculate on your assumption.

 

As far as agencies go, G4T seem quite respectable: they don't offer any of the financial shortcuts that some other agencies do, they simply help those who are eligible for the extensions they wish to obtain to obtain them a little faster. Not really sure why people get so worked up about them. Don't like them, don't use them - it's simple really. Im just happy that we have the option - not all of us are old-age pensioners who enjoy spending 4-10 hours hanging around an empty shopping mall.

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Shop at Prom?!...

The place is bacically a great big Spirit House with an Immigration office in the basement... 

I always shopped at Rimping when I went there.

Not shopping, but nothing wrong with the cinema either.

[DGS1244]

Visited G4T this afternoon and found it open sort of, apparently they are short staffed but expect to be back to normal after the 12th, what a surprise. They are opening in the afternoon around 1400 hrs for a limited service.

[lordblackader]

20 hours ago, NancyL said:

.  I've bought several small appliances there and the staff fall all over themselves to serve you. 

That's because you were likely their only customer for the week. You could fire a cannon inside upstairs at Promenada and never hit anyone most of the time. 

Edited November 7, 2017 by lordblackader
typo

[DGS1244]

Nope I was one of half a dozen people in there, and more came as I left.

[Thailand]

18 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

Visited G4T this afternoon and found it open sort of, apparently they are short staffed but expect to be back to normal after the 12th, what a surprise. They are opening in the afternoon around 1400 hrs for a limited service.

VIP's come and gone by then?

[BuddyDean]

The Heineken at Rimpang Prom are from before Songkran....and you could fire a cannon in there, too...might even smell better.

[NancyL]

Yeah, it's been a while since I've been @Prom.  Just looked at my schedule and realized Friday is open.  Think I'll head out for to watch the 8.30 am retirement queue check-in (from a respectful distance), then get a queue ticket for myself for a re-entry permit.  Probably won't have to wait long to actually receive service for the re-entry permit. 

 

After that, breakfast at Rim Ping and then head upstairs to relax on a bench and play with my smartphone for a time while waiting for Building B to open.  There are some nice benches outside the G4T office.  Maybe take care of some banking at Bangkok Bank.  I've been there just 4 or 5 times yet they remember me by name.  Nice.  Once Building B is open I can check out the films and buy a ticket.  If I have time to kill, I'll go to Chi Chang and look at their selection of electric hair frying, oops curling,  appliances.  Somewhere during the day, either before or after the movie, I'll have lunch at Ragu.  Nice change of pace from Dukes.  

 

Will finish the day by doing some shopping at Rim Ping.  Much better than the little "mini Rim Ping" at Maya Mall close to my home.  All-in-all a day @Prom looks like a nice outing.

[Rimmer]

Several off topic posts have been removed, topic is not about:

an exciting day,  posting on Thai Visa,  or smart phones.  Please stay on topic,  thank you

[gmmarvin]

G4T was closed this morning and there business was taken down.  13 Nov.

[Thailand]

44 minutes ago, gmmarvin said:

G4T was closed this morning and there business was taken down.  13 Nov.

                                                                                 

[bluweyze]

1 hour ago, gmmarvin said:

G4T was closed this morning and there business was taken down.  13 Nov.

That is bad news. They made visas as easy as it gets in Chiang Mai for a reasonable price

[Genericnic]

6 hours ago, bluweyze said:

That is bad news. They made visas as easy as it gets in Chiang Mai for a reasonable price

Looks like the do gooders and busy bodies may have succeeded. I hope it is only for a little while.

 

David

 

[jak2002003]

I thought that place was fantastic.  My 90 day reports were done in less than 30 minutes and the staff were really nice.  Took all the stress from reporting.. go alone any time of the day... they even photocopy what you need and fill in all the forms for you.  

 

Paying only about 300 baht was well worth it... I will pay that price for not having to go line up in the early hours of the morning and spend most of the day in that boring empty shopping mall.  

 

I hope it will re open once the 'important' people go back.  

 

As for the people who like to go there in the early hours and sit in darkness, waiting for a number, just to save a few hundred Baht... looks like you got your way for now, shame you force other people who don't want to waste a day of their lives at that place. 

 

Some people, I know you might find hard to believe, do not enjoy mooching around overpriced Rimping supermarket buying imported junk food, and stuffing their faces with unhealthy oversized giant American food portions in Dukes or sitting alone for hours playing with social media on their phone in an empty depressing shopping mall with a load of weird scruffy old farangs shuffling about looking miserable.  

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by jak2002003

[amexpat]

3 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

I thought that place was fantastic.  My 90 day reports were done in less than 30 minutes and the staff were really nice.  Took all the stress from reporting.. go alone any time of the day... they even photocopy what you need and fill in all the forms for you.  

 

Paying only about 300 baht was well worth it... I will pay that price for not having to go line up in the early hours of the morning and spend most of the day in that boring empty shopping mall.  

 

I hope it will re open once the 'important' people go back.  

 

As for the people who like to go there in the early hours and sit in darkness, waiting for a number, .........

 

 

 

 

As posted in the similar thread:

 

Do people still do this?  Even after reading CM forum?

 

On the rare occasions when I do it in person it's less than 20 minutes in the afternoon. Mail or online even better. 

But that's all been said many times and people still insist on doing things the hard way or paying someone to waste their time. 

 

Apparently, doing things the hard way and/or paying money for nothing is still popular.  And they are even smug and proud of it! 

 

 

 

[NancyL]

The shutdown of G4T could be related to the recent investigation of corruption within Immigration in Phuket.  According to one article, the military will soon be setting their sights on two other locations in Thailand with a high number of resident foreigners https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thai-police-round-foreigners-overstaying-visas-visa-bribe-ring-exposed-phuket/

G4T has a history of temporarily disappearing when the heat is on, for example a couple years ago when a scathing letter-to-the-editor was published in the Bangkok Post asking how it is that a visa agency could operate right next to Chiang Mai Immigration, with their employees being given the ability to get their customers into Imm. for immediate service.  A little time later, G4T moved to their most recent location upstairs in Prom.  

[evenstevens]

a  nice morning to all

very late    last friday afternoon   i received  word   DIRECT from G4T visa agency,   that they may be opening THIS  week  , so all is   not lost    yet

certainly hope so   as  they provided a  excellent  service  to C/mai Expats  who required a express service in case of a emergency etc etc or did not wish to spend hours    Lurking   (like some)  around the Immgr Dept,  and their fees to my knowledge  were the cheapest in town,   and  all staff   were a outstanding credit   in providing this Visa  service   to C/mai Expats   who were  VERY  happy  to pay    for such a attentive fast service    see how it progresses