congrats to the OP with such a quick visit to CW.  one for the record books !!  and i believe that was a monday afternoon ?  i mention that as i went on friday twice this year (once for extension, once for re-entry permit) and it was quicker than when i went on a tues and a thurs earlier in the year (these two days were for transfer of extension stamp, same desk/queue as for an exenstion, and transfer of the re-entry permit, again, same desk as getting the re-entry permit).  maybe the guidance over the years to avoid monday and friday have had the reverse effect ?

 

 

Best time for shortest wait?

About 50 years ago. 

Says on their web site they close at 4pm. So I got there around 3:30. Said I couldn't get a number, but just to wait till the last turn. Then when all was done, they refused to give me back my passport. Made me wait until they had finished all their stuff like counting the money. Just to punish me for something I didn't do wrong. I'm like, <deleted>, how about you just say you close at 3pm instead? This country is so <deleted> messed up.

 

 

Elderly, infirm and people with with walking aids were let in first at 8.30 am when I was there last month.

 

Maybe buy yourself a walking stick or some crutches and give it a go. Just don't give the game away by forgetting and leaving your props beside the official's table when you walk away!

14 minutes ago, tumama said:

Says on their web site they close at 4pm. So I got there around 3:30. Said I couldn't get a number, but just to wait till the last turn. 

 

Been the same since September of 2015.

Quote

Attention
Immigration Division 1 would like to announce the change of the Queue Cards’ timing at Government Complex branch from: 08.30–16.30hrs to 08.30–15.30hrs starting 1st September 2015.
Our service will be provided at normal office hours from 08.30–16.30hrs or until the last queue.

Source: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php

On 12 กรกฎาคม 2561 at 8:14 AM, heretostay said:

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.

Yes but do you use N-Section?

 

If you do maybe you finish by the next day

Sorry I was not totally clear.  I use the L section.  It's an extension based on retirement.

Last time I had to go there, I stayed over night one day ahead to be there quite early in the morning. So I was there around 07:30 am - my secretary even arrived earlier and we had position number 17. (People come early and place a kind of object / book / Magazine / dummy... in the line of Queue and come back when Immigration opens. Anybody who wish to do this walk to Canossa early is advised to check with the cleaning maids at that area (before opening hours, suggest around 07:00am). These smart ladies have their own dummy in line .... and sell this place (we paid 200.- B) and we were then number 3! Sure this only works BEFORE opening hours.

 

Previous time I went there around 10:30, had to follow their lunch break and finally at around 19:30 it was my turn... and one paper was missing - didn't anyone hear that atomic like explosion in May last year?