Doing the Jomtien Immigration Dance

[chicowoodduck]

Silly me....was thinking a Thursday late morning trip to Immigration to do my 90 Day Reporting would be the easy go? ?

 

Wrong on so many different levels.....???

 

Arrived at the 10:00 am hour to find the line about 50 deep outside the front door....complete mess....got Number 430 and sat down.....somehow and someway my number was called after a few short minutes....handed in all my paperwork which was tossed to the side and received my blue slip of paper for my next Reporting date in April.....easy peasy.....and still in a bit of shock....in a happy way....and so glad I was not doing any other stuff or might still be sitting in that chair....lol....?????

[JackThompson]

There is a separate queue for each type of service.  Evidently, the 90-day report queue was short.  The first digit of the number is the "desk" (4, in your case), and the rest is the queue # (so you were the 30th person at that desk in that queue-batch).

 

The long lines you saw were likely composed mostly of people waiting to do TM-30 reporting and Tourist-type extensions.  Applicants must do a TM-30 before they will allow tourist or family extensions (and some other services - reports vary on these).

Edited January 5, 2018 by JackThompson

[Tanoshi]

As one door closes, another door opens.

Good start to your new year then.

[Suradit69]

6 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

handed in all my paperwork which was tossed to the side

Once you've done your first 90 day report at Jomtien, subsequent reports do not require any paperwork.

You just hand over your passport with the previous report stapled in it. They read the barcode on the old report and produce a new report confirmation to staple in your passport.

You can also send someone else, with your passport, to do the report for you. My driver does it for me and usually  is in and out and back with passport in hand quite quickly ... although aside from the occasional queue at the front door I've always found it to be a fast, painless process even if I do it myself.

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2018 by Suradit69

[dotpoom]

I got my yearly extention on Thursday, apart from them loseing my application form with my photo attached, all went well....just made out another one. Under the circumstances.. ie.,loads of Farangs milling all over the place like ants around a honey pot, I think the staff were remarkably tolerant and helpful with smiling faces all round. I even remarked to myself..would I be able to handle a situation like this as well are they are...I think not.

  I collected my passport today....still loads of people there....and the staff are still smiling....well done I say!

[Just Weird]

"Silly me....was thinking a Thursday late morning trip to Immigration to do my 90 Day Reporting would be the easy go? ?

Wrong on so many different levels.....???

Arrived at the 10:00 am hour...after a few short minutes...received my blue slip of paper for my next Reporting date in April.....easy peasy..."

 

You thought that it would be easy, you were done in a few minutes and you described it as easy peasy so what aspects were so "wrong on so many levels"?  

Edited January 5, 2018 by Just Weird

[yankee99]

i like to avoid the drive and did mine online about a week.  

[chicowoodduck]

16 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Once you've done your first 90 day report at Jomtien, subsequent reports do not require any paperwork.

You just hand over your passport with the previous report stapled in it. They read the barcode on the old report and produce a new report confirmation to staple in your passport.

You can also send someone else, with your passport, to do the report for you. My driver does it for me and usually  is in and out and back with passport in hand quite quickly ... although aside from the occasional queue at the front door I've always found it to be a fast, painless process even if I do it myself.

 

 

 

Well, that might be true if they had not taken out my last 90 day reporting slip the last time I went through Immigration at Suvarnabhumi.....because they did, it was back to square one and the need to do the paperwork and forms once again....lol...??

[chicowoodduck]

14 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"Silly me....was thinking a Thursday late morning trip to Immigration to do my 90 Day Reporting would be the easy go? ?

Wrong on so many different levels.....???

Arrived at the 10:00 am hour...after a few short minutes...received my blue slip of paper for my next Reporting date in April.....easy peasy..."

 

You thought that it would be easy, you were done in a few minutes and you described it as easy peasy so what aspects were so "wrong on so many levels"?  

The wrong on different levels was the fact that the place was packed, the numbers were not working, no place to sit.....but as I explained, the wait time was minimal and so easy peasy came into play.....??

[chicowoodduck]

16 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Once you've done your first 90 day report at Jomtien, subsequent reports do not require any paperwork.

You just hand over your passport with the previous report stapled in it. They read the barcode on the old report and produce a new report confirmation to staple in your passport.

You can also send someone else, with your passport, to do the report for you. My driver does it for me and usually  is in and out and back with passport in hand quite quickly ... although aside from the occasional queue at the front door I've always found it to be a fast, painless process even if I do it myself.

 

 

 

Yes, agree, but only IF you have the barcode paper in your passport?  ??

[chicowoodduck]

15 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I got my yearly extention on Thursday, apart from them loseing my application form with my photo attached, all went well....just made out another one. Under the circumstances.. ie.,loads of Farangs milling all over the place like ants around a honey pot, I think the staff were remarkably tolerant and helpful with smiling faces all round. I even remarked to myself..would I be able to handle a situation like this as well are they are...I think not.

  I collected my passport today....still loads of people there....and the staff are still smiling....well done I say!

Was thinking the same thing as I went out the front door....same shi*, different day.....not a Fun House having to look at all the long faces and hung-over folks who roll  in that joint on any given day of the week...???

[Suradit69]

3 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

Yes, agree, but only IF you have the barcode paper in your passport?  ??

According to you they tossed your paperwork to the side. 

 

Regardless, your information would be in the system and presumably could be brought up by the officer using your name and/or passport number.  They would not go back to square one with new paperwork. If you've done report(s) before, they'd have your information there to access.

 

Edited January 6, 2018 by Suradit69

[Suradit69]

3 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

Well, that might be true if they had not taken out my last 90 day reporting slip the last time I went through Immigration at Suvarnabhumi.....because they did, it was back to square one and the need to do the paperwork and forms once again....lol...??

What "need?" You said they tossed it to the side. Obviously it wasn't needed.

 

On 1/5/2018 at 7:39 AM, chicowoodduck said:

handed in all my paperwork which was tossed to the side

 

[Suradit69]

18 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I think the staff were remarkably tolerant and helpful with smiling faces all round. I even remarked to myself..would I be able to handle a situation like this as well are they are...I think not.

Agree. I recently did my annual extension renewal and it all went as quickly and easily as anyone (except the usual malcontents on TV) could reasonably expect. And, as you say, everyone there remains remarkably even-tempered and professional.

 

I have been using this office from the days when they were located in Pattaya town off a soi leading down to the beach and they have always been pleasant to deal with.

[OJAS]

4 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

Well, that might be true if they had not taken out my last 90 day reporting slip the last time I went through Immigration at Suvarnabhumi.....because they did, it was back to square one and the need to do the paperwork and forms once again....lol...??

Might be a good idea to remove the latest 90-day slip (along with the TM30 slip, if you have one) from your passport before your next trip out of LOS. I can confirm, on the basis of recent personal experience, that the IO's at BKK Departures don't bat an eyelid about them not being there (as neither do their BKK Arrivals counterparts upon your return).

 

But don't remove the TM6 Departure card, though!

 

EDIT: That said, Jomtien might well require a fresh TM47 for the first 90-day report after a foreign trip in any event, with details of your latest arrival date and TM6 Departure card number. Maybe other Jomtienites could indicate whether this is the case in practice?

Edited January 6, 2018 by OJAS

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Agree. I recently did my annual extension renewal and it all went as quickly and easily as anyone (except the usual malcontents on TV) could reasonably expect. And, as you say, everyone there remains remarkably even-tempered and professional.

 

I have been using this office from the days when they were located in Pattaya town off a soi leading down to the beach and they have always been pleasant to deal with.

... for retirement extensions, that seems to be the case.  I experienced no problems when making Tourist-Visa extensions (for years). 

 

But as soon as I got married, I discovered the (fill in expletive here) crew at 2 other desks, who have no desire to process the applications of honest people.  I'm using a Non-O multi now as a workaround (so must do visa-runs like a tourist), but looking at setting up in Bangkok for a month in the future, since they seem to still have an "honest path" to family-extensions at Chang Wattana.

[Suradit69]

2 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

... for retirement extensions, that seems to be the case.

Yes, admittedly for over a decade retirement extensions have been my only interaction with them. 

Doing 90 day reports has also been a quick and easy undertaking ...  especially when I send someone else to do that for me. 

[chicowoodduck]

20 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

According to you they tossed your paperwork to the side. 

 

Regardless, your information would be in the system and presumably could be brought up by the officer using your name and/or passport number.  They would not go back to square one with new paperwork. If you've done report(s) before, they'd have your information there to access.

 

Wow, you should work for the Immigration people you are so very smart....?

 

Yes, in the real world that should be the case but TIT = This Is Thailand.....since no blue paper in my passport, back to square on......lol...??

[OJAS]

20 hours ago, JackThompson said:

But as soon as I got married, I discovered the (fill in expletive here) crew at 2 other desks, who have no desire to process the applications of honest people.  I'm using a Non-O multi now as a workaround (so must do visa-runs like a tourist), but looking at setting up in Bangkok for a month in the future, since they seem to still have an "honest path" to family-extensions at Chang Wattana.

Don't forget, however, that you would then need to submit your 90-day reports at Chaengwattana. Could involve a time-consuming return trip each time you ever needed to do this in person.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Don't forget, however, that you would then need to submit your 90-day reports at Chaengwattana. Could involve a time-consuming return trip each time you ever needed to do this in person.

True - but just once, then online or by-mail after that.  Even if every time, it's closer and cheaper than having to cross a border every 90-days.

Edited January 7, 2018 by JackThompson

[dabhand]

On ‎06‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 3:37 AM, OJAS said:

Might be a good idea to remove the latest 90-day slip (along with the TM30 slip, if you have one) from your passport before your next trip out of LOS. I can confirm, on the basis of recent personal experience, that the IO's at BKK Departures don't bat an eyelid about them not being there (as neither do their BKK Arrivals counterparts upon your return).

 

But don't remove the TM6 Departure card, though!

 

EDIT: That said, Jomtien might well require a fresh TM47 for the first 90-day report after a foreign trip in any event, with details of your latest arrival date and TM6 Departure card number. Maybe other Jomtienites could indicate whether this is the case in practice?

My last 90 day report in Jomtien was after a foreign trip. I had mislaid my TM6, but still had the previous blue slip in my passport. Was expecting some hassle. But no problem as the IO, after looking at my arrival stamp presumably to check on the revised 90 day period validity as I was well outside the date noted on the old slip, just did the usual scan of the old slip and printed out the new slip and stuck it in my passport. No mention by the IO of the TM6 not being available. A couple of minutes and done.

 

Luckily I did find my TM6 afterwards and have stapled it into my passport so as not to lose it again.