Best time for shortest wait at Bangkok Immigration

[TonyClifton]

I hate waking early, especially early enough to get to Bangkok Immigration when it opens.  I thought I might get there at 3:00 PM before the 3:30 PM cut off.  I'm not sure what time they close, but what's the likelyhood I'll spend less time there than if got there first thing in the morning for the usual rush?

[tingtongtourist]

Why make it such a pain in the butt for hardworking IOs by turning up at what really is on the closing time?

thats not very considerate you know.

 

If there are many ppl to go,  and they turn you away, then you have wasted all that time and must go again the next day, meaning double transport cost and double time wasted.

 

not to mention its much harder to get home from C.W at that time of night, especially if raining.

 

Many say to got early. i even here some will line up from 6 or 7am.

what idjiots!

a very ridiculous idea since they waste 2 hours of sleep and hanging about not even being in the system.

i dont understand this tactic at all i must say.

 

I have my own idea what time is bestest and quickest but if i tell you and then every other bugger follows, then my fastest time will soon be the slowest time.

 

therefor i must advise you:

go at 9am on a Monday or Friday.

 

Also If there is any public holiday to fall, then go on the day directly before or after that holiday

especially if its Songkran 

[TonyClifton]

I think if you say 9AM then you must mean 2PM.  

[theoldgit]

A mate of mine went to CW during the week, he always gets there fairly early, he told me that they are now handing out queue tickets in the foyer to get into the Immigration Office itself, they were then letting people inside in batches to collect their numbered ticket for the relevent department..

 

Seems there was a fight in the foyer recently following some queue jumping, and this new system was brought in as a result.

[mstevens]

Go AFTER lunch time i.e. arrive there after 1:00 PM.  Near 2:00 PM is probably about optimum in my opinion.

[overherebc]

The best time for the shortest wait is when there is no-one else there.

[berrec]

IMHO after many trips of agony to this place at various days and times there is really never a good time to go.

 

Its like a nightmare every time I prepare to take the journey.

 

My only advice is  take PC, Phone or some good reading material to at least make the time pass and reduce the pain of wasting hours of your life you will never get back.

[buick]

the quickest is most likely arriving early, say 7:30am.  and, as a poster noted, they do hand out queue numbers to early arrivals so it isn't a big scrum like it used to be.  i have not been part of the new system but went early once and enjoyed the scrum (never went early again !!).  if you arrive at 9-9:30am, you have risk of hitting the lunch hour break.  if you arrive early afternoon, the risk is getting a taxi out of there when you are done and/or traffic given the evening rush hour is beginning. 

 

a few years ago, i arrived about 8:45 for a tourist visa extension and i got #5, i couldn't believe it.  i was done so quick that i (my taxi) hit rush hour traffic back into bangkok.  it took me about 1.5 hrs to get to BTS mochit.

 

my preference is arriving after 9am and hope i get it done before the lunch hour.  not alot of traffic getting there (i come from mochit BTS) and not much getting back to the BTS.  obviously the door to door time is the real time to consider, not only the time spent at immigration.  as another poster mentioned, i always bring a tablet so i can read stuff on the internet.  and i kill time at the coffee shops downstairs, i don't sit and wait by the desk that is handling my extension.

[RayHaas]

I always go in as late as possible. I tried coming early at opening times but I would never be served till after lunch and out by 3PM. Now I just go at 2PM and out at 5PM.

[brewsterbudgen]

2 hours ago, RayHaas said:

I always go in as late as possible. I tried coming early at opening times but I would never be served till after lunch and out by 3PM. Now I just go at 2PM and out at 5PM.

But getting home after 5pm can be difficult as the traffic is dreadful.

[Nanaplaza666]

Get a motorbike taxi you know to go there 6am or even before that to pick up your nr and then you be there at 08:30 when they open you will be one of the first in line i've been there 06:00 in the morning to try to be one of the first but there are already some agents waiting in line to be the first 

[TonyClifton]

I'm inclined to show up at 2PM.  I'm not worried about getting out, as I can always call GRAB.  I usually go to IT Square instead of going home to avoid the Vibhavadi traffic.

[HerbalEd]

11 hours ago, overherebc said:

The best time for the shortest wait is when there is no-one else there.

Actually that's the longest wait.

[TonyClifton]

8 hours ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

Get a motorbike taxi

Seriously, if I was planning to die, I wouldn't bother wasting the time I had left going to immigration in the first place.

[janclaes47]

I would think the best time is right before they stop issuing queue tickets, because then at least you know the maximum time it will take.

[tingtongtourist]

22 hours ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

Get a motorbike taxi you know to go there 6am or even before that to pick up your nr and then you be there at 08:30 when they open you will be one of the first in line i've been there 06:00 in the morning to try to be one of the first but there are already some agents waiting in line to be the first 

i dont get this theory.

what to do for 3 hours wasted while you waiting for the office to open?

 

 may be you finish earlier, but no different to the guy who gets there at 9am and finish around 12

you still waited 3+ hours! 

 

 

[CGW]

On 7/7/2018 at 8:42 AM, mstevens said:

Go AFTER lunch time i.e. arrive there after 1:00 PM.  Near 2:00 PM is probably about optimum in my opinion.

I went last week at this time, everybody else there obviously had the same thoughts! It was full ? 

[TonyClifton]

I went to Monday (today) at 2:15 PM.  I was done by 2:45 PM . Roundtrip from home to immigration and back home was less than 2 hours.

[impulse]

Just out of curiosity, is it possible to pay an agency to do the 30 day extension for you?  Or do you have to show up yourself? 

 

And are there any funky paperwork requirements?  It's looking like I may have to do my first extension since some tasks are pushing me past my 30 day deadline for getting out of Dodge. 

 

I'd rather just pay someone to do it for me, but...

[mekko]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

Just out of curiosity, is it possible to pay an agency to do the 30 day extension for you?  Or do you have to show up yourself? 

 

And are there any funky paperwork requirements?  It's looking like I may have to do my first extension since some tasks are pushing me past my 30 day deadline for getting out of Dodge. 

 

I'd rather just pay someone to do it for me, but...

 

There are loads of agencies that do 90 day reporting for people with prices from 400baht to 1000baht Ive heard - asking any old timer in your area who he uses, however I've not heard about them doing the 30 day for TV extensions but may be available for extra $. 

 

[impulse]

15 minutes ago, mekko said:

There are loads of agencies that do 90 day reporting for people with prices from 400baht to 1000baht Ive heard - asking any old timer in your area who he uses, however I've not heard about them doing the 30 day for TV extensions but may be available for extra $. 

 

Filling out the TM7, it says "APPLICANT MUST SUBMIT THE APPLICATION IN PERSON"  To be honest, I'm not even sure the TM7 is the correct form.  I was on a WP for 6 years so I never had to deal with extensions.  This is my first, and hopefully my last, since I just need a little more time to pack up and repatriate.  And maybe get some dental work done here where they don't charge an arm and a leg like back home...

 

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, impulse said:

Filling out the TM7, it says "APPLICANT MUST SUBMIT THE APPLICATION IN PERSON"  To be honest, I'm not even sure the TM7 is the correct form. 

That is the only form used to apply for a extension of stay.

Immigration in some cases do allow agents to do the application.

[impulse]

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is the only form used to apply for a extension of stay.

Immigration in some cases do allow agents to do the application.

 

Just to be clear, is the 30 day extension I need considered an "extension of stay", and covered by TM7?

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Just to be clear, is the 30 day extension I need considered an "extension of stay", and covered by TM7?

Yes it is a extension of stay and you will use a TM7 form.

[BuckBee]

If you printed your own tm7 turn up 12:30-12:45 latest and get straight in queue for after lunch 1pm opening, could be out 3:30pm if know what you doing, all paperwork done/present and get to ticket counters quick .

If don't have a tm7 then need turn up 11:45 and get tm7 before close for lunch and go down basement and get passport copies (copy shops likely source of tm7, can download tm7.pdf, needs duplex printing) then use food hall or somewhere to sit and complete paperwork and go get good spot in queue for 1pm opening.

Going too late makes leaving commute super slow with potential for over hour wasted in traffic .

 

[TonyClifton]

2 minutes ago, BuckBee said:

If you printed your own tm7 turn up 12:30-12:45 latest and get straight in queue for after lunch 1pm opening, could be out 3:30pm if know what you doing, all paperwork done/present and get to ticket counters quick .

If don't have a tm7 then need turn up 11:45 and get tm7 before close for lunch and go down basement and get passport copies (copy shops likely source of tm7, can download tm7.pdf, needs duplex printing) then use food hall or somewhere to sit and complete paperwork and go get good spot in queue for 1pm opening.

Going too late makes leaving commute super slow with potential for over hour wasted in traffic .

 

Perhaps you didn't read that I went yesterday at 2:15 and was out by 2:45

 

[BuckBee]

^

That good result but not a daily repeatable occurrence ...

[TonyClifton]

On 7/10/2018 at 6:03 PM, BuckBee said:

^

That good result but not a daily repeatable occurrence ...

Perhaps not, but I've tried the other "sure thing" scenarios, that being get there first thing in the morning or first thing after lunch.  This is the first time I tried purposely showing up towards the end of the day and it was a success.  

[humbug]

if you going for 90 day reporting then i cant see the point going so early as its just luck and sometimes you can be in and out in 30 mins through the day or 1 hour + waiting

 

if its N-Section then forget it, unless you can beat the agents collecting all the number tickets. I dont mean before immigration opens but when you get tickets for sections inside. 

I have seen agents sitting at the back at N-Section with 40-50 tickets. Its a total mess and i have met guys who waited at 7.00am and didnt finish until 2pm all because of the agents messing around. 

 

I havent a clue about the other sections but if its anything like N-Section then it be faster flying out and in for an extension

[heretostay]

For my annual pilgrimage to CW, for the yearly extension of stay and re-entry permit, I go on a Tues, Wed, or Thurs, and book a slot in the afternoon for the re-entry permit online.  Midweek is less busy, I think, than Mon, Fri, and days before and after holidays, as mentioned above.

I arrive around 8:30 and, two years running now, I have been out well before the lunch break.  (The online re-entry permit officer doesn't seem to mind that the appointment is in the afternoon; just smile nicely and say how pleased you are that the extension of stay was issued quicker than expected.)

As long as there are queue numbers and you can see the progress of the queue, I'm good.  There is some interesting shopping to do in CW, and, yes, a book and the internet both help the time go by.

As a comparison, I used to spend an entire morning to get my annual "extension" in a certain Western European country, in a room with no queue numbers; just wait your turn!!!  Hats off to the Thais, who have managed to install queue systems nearly everywhere!

It ain't as bad as you think.  Deep breath.  We all came here for a reason.