1st Visa Extension - What Time To Go? From Sansai

[julesdick]

Hi

Gotta gotta go for my first extension today after 16 months in LOS doing visa runs and one TV in KL. Can I turn up any time of day or should it be in the morning? When I got the 2 month visa in KL I got there early, nearly passed out with 30 mins queueing with no shade then had to wait hours to get to the desk (after i missed my place in the queue because I left my new passport pics in the shop down the road....) but I know that next time if I turn up there at 11am there'll be no queue.

Cheers

JD

[Ajarn]

I only go there once per year, but I'd say for you to do what you want. Shouldn't be any hassles at any time of the day, and the process seems fast to me.

Edited February 13, 2007 by Ajarn

[JuniorExPat]

Hi

Gotta gotta go for my first extension today after 16 months in LOS doing visa runs and one TV in KL. Can I turn up any time of day or should it be in the morning? When I got the 2 month visa in KL I got there early, nearly passed out with 30 mins queueing with no shade then had to wait hours to get to the desk (after i missed my place in the queue because I left my new passport pics in the shop down the road....) but I know that next time if I turn up there at 11am there'll be no queue.

Cheers

JD

The service at Chiang Mai immigration improves every time I visit them, they really do seem to be getting their act together. From my experience Ajarn is almost spot on, for your one year extension all you do is walk up to the furthest counter fill your name in the book and hand over your passport bobbing and curtseying poiltely all the time and then sit down and wait to be called up.

I said that Ajarn is almost spot on because you can get yourself to the top of the list by being there between 08:00 and 08:30 ready to sign your name into the book as soon as they open up. Do NOT make the mistake that I did - was the first to arrive and the counters were not ready for business so I popped to the food stall/copyshop/photographers at the back and settled in for 20 mins to check my paperwork and have some fried rice, by the time I got back to the counters there were 12 people signed up on the list before me! It still did not take too long to process.

There's plenty of shade there and a nice little coffee shop right in front of the counter area so you have no need to worry about passing out in a queue whatever time of day you turn up. If you really hate waiting around then get there first thing in the morning.

JxP

[mongoose]

Good advice above. I will add that they kindly told me that mid week was best because they have less people coming in then. Monday is more than twice as busy as Wednesday based on the amount of money they said they take in on those days. You can go a week or two early with no problem or loss of days.

[meadish_sweetball]

Last time I went was a Monday afternoon, and it was indeed quite busy.

[malcy]

i remember going there some years back , and they had no copy machine ,but the enterprising gas station across the road brought one and they also had a photographer in shop. i love the way they spot a nice little earner.