Big Joke going after his own incompetent men: Chiang Mai immigration under fire

[webfact]

Big Joke going after his own incompetent men: Chiang Mai immigration under fire

 

Picture: Komchadluek

 

The new chief of immigration has responded to claims that Chiang Mai immigration is a mess. 

 

Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn was preparing to temporarily transfer the local immigration chief in the northern Thai city after online complaints, reported Thai media.

 

Many people on Thaivisa have said that the Maj-Gen, who took over the top job at immigration just over two weeks ago, should investigate what has been going on at the Chiang Mai office. 

 

Now they have a response from the new chief and his new broom of progress. 

 

 

People complained of having to arrive early in the morning and wait all day to be seen. 

 

Thai media said on Facebook that complaints came form the foreigners including Chinese. 

 

Some people were even left waiting overnight from "9pm to 3am".

 

Surachate intimated that the suspension may be just for two or three weeks and is not necessarily connected to any wrong doing. 

 

It may be just a case of training being needed to improve bad service.

 

He has been trying to improve services since his appointment and there have been transfers in the south too connected with delays experienced by tourists. 

 

Surachate - known as Big Joke in the media - also warned tourists about not making false claims for insurance in Thailand. 

 

He showed evidence that one young tourist - described as "just a student" - had bragged online about getting 20,000 baht holiday money by making a false claim to Lumpini police. The tourist said they had lost a camera in a taxi.

 

He produced evidence that showed the tourist had left a restaurant and not even got into a taxi with their friends. 

 

Big Joke stressed that most tourists were fine people and that he was only targeting the bad apples. 

 

Source: Komchadluek

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-18

 

[Just1Voice]

Well, this should be interesting, to say the least, for those of us in CM.

 

[Thaiwrath]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai media said on Facebook that complaints came form the foreigners including Chinese. 

That answers the question.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Thaiwrath

[keith101]

Is there any time when the Chinese don't complain and im not talking about just Thailand they are renowned for it all over the world .

[Thailand]

More IO's dealing with the visas or extensions of stay, the ones that take the time. Appointments system of some sort, other than those for agents.

Bit of a no brainer. 

[Just1Voice]

Went yesterday to do my 90 day.  Total confusion, with them turning over a dozen people away.  Went back this morning.  Got there at 8:05.  Got 1st cue number and out the door 2 minutes later.

 

[Vacuum]

Been waiting for this a long time.

[scorecard]

56 minutes ago, keith101 said:

Is there any time when the Chinese don't complain and im not talking about just Thailand they are renowned for it all over the world .

And farang never complain?

[Just1Voice]

In all honesty, in the 10 years I've been dealing with CM Imm, only once have I ever had a problem, and that was a minor one.  I've learned which are the best days and times to go for both my 90 day and yearly.  Yesterday I merely chalk up to new facility "jitters", but it was nothing serious.  And today, from the time I got out of the car, till the time I had my new 90 day, was less than 5 minutes. I have scanned color copies of my passport, 4 pages to a sheet of paper, as well as all relevant documents.  Once had a guy there tell me that if everyone did theirs the way I do mine, their job would be much easier, and faster.  But then, I've always been something of a fanatic for keeping things organized and neat. 

 

[trainman34014]

The new office may be more modern and clean but all the usual inherent problems are still there.  Radical change is needed for things to improve but 'Temporarily transferring Officers' will not cure a single problem.    'Big Joke' needs to put a Senior Officer in charge at Chiang Mai with the same sort of gusto as he displays himself when dealing with matters, someone who is fully committed to the job and not just there as an overpaid figurehead that everyone must bow and wai to.   He also needs to put a once and for all stop to the 'Agency Racket' that is putting large amounts of money into Immigration Officers pockets whilst the queue's just get longer for 'Customers' (because that is what we are) who do not wish to use services that cost money for a job that is supposed to be a 'Service' supplied by the Thai Government free of charge other than the displayed fees.

 

Putting up 'No Tip' signs is about as useful as a Chocolate Teapot !

[marko kok prong]

Not sure 100% but seem to have idea that they also close for lunch for an hour,seems they have never heard of staggered lunch breaks,like being back in the 1950's in Uk[not that i was born then but have heard stories,also the famous scene in Fawlty towers "oh,food,well the chef does stop at nine"

[scorecard]

36 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

In all honesty, in the 10 years I've been dealing with CM Imm, only once have I ever had a problem, and that was a minor one.  I've learned which are the best days and times to go for both my 90 day and yearly.  Yesterday I merely chalk up to new facility "jitters", but it was nothing serious.  And today, from the time I got out of the car, till the time I had my new 90 day, was less than 5 minutes. I have scanned color copies of my passport, 4 pages to a sheet of paper, as well as all relevant documents.  Once had a guy there tell me that if everyone did theirs the way I do mine, their job would be much easier, and faster.  But then, I've always been something of a fanatic for keeping things organized and neat. 

 

 

And roll on the day when it's in a database and you don't need new hard copies.

 

I've often wondered where all these documents are stored, how big the storage is and stored for how long.

 

seems to me the whole size would be a couple of major rice silos.

 

And what happens if old documents are needed for a court case or whatever? Is there a management system to find documents by dates / box numbers etc? Does the system work?

 

And finally i wonder what the annual cost of rental is for the storage facility / facilities?

 

Must be hundreds of millions of Baht.

Edited October 18, 2018 by scorecard

[sammieuk1]

Its a shambles top to bottom should open 16hrs a day 7 days a week with lunch cover now call me BJ job done. 

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

More IO's dealing with the visas or extensions of stay, the ones that take the time. Appointments system of some sort, other than those for agents.

Bit of a no brainer. 

They had a "appointment system" before, they 'have asked' for more funds for more IO's. The appointment system was canceled and 'no extra money' from BKK for more staff (according to the boss).

 

The reason for this are the agents.

[jesimps]

24 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

In all honesty, in the 10 years I've been dealing with CM Imm, only once have I ever had a problem, and that was a minor one.  I've learned which are the best days and times to go for both my 90 day and yearly.  Yesterday I merely chalk up to new facility "jitters", but it was nothing serious.  And today, from the time I got out of the car, till the time I had my new 90 day, was less than 5 minutes. I have scanned color copies of my passport, 4 pages to a sheet of paper, as well as all relevant documents.  Once had a guy there tell me that if everyone did theirs the way I do mine, their job would be much easier, and faster.  But then, I've always been something of a fanatic for keeping things organized and neat. 

 

Scuse me while I have a quick puke.

[unamazedloso]

36 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And farang never complain?

usually only about injustices. Thats a good thing ...

[scorecard]

15 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

They had a "appointment system" before, they 'have asked' for more funds for more IO's. The appointment system was canceled and 'no extra money' from BKK for more staff (according to the boss).

 

The reason for this are the agents.

So if the volume of transactions has increased a lot (seems it has) then there is a clear case for more staff or more efficiency or both.

 

I've noticed many comments over the last few years from the imm. boss in CM that he cannot get approval for more staff.

 

Why not? Maybe Bkk consider that the staff to transactions ratio is suitable as it is?

 

Or, has he received more funds but ......

 

 

[Vacuum]

3 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Why not? Maybe Bkk consider that the staff to transactions ratio is suitable as it is?

 

Or, has he received more funds but ......

Or he didn't even apply for any funds, just told us so.....

[cyberfarang]

1 hour ago, Just1Voice said:

In all honesty, in the 10 years I've been dealing with CM Imm, only once have I ever had a problem, and that was a minor one.  I've learned which are the best days and times to go for both my 90 day and yearly.  Yesterday I merely chalk up to new facility "jitters", but it was nothing serious.  And today, from the time I got out of the car, till the time I had my new 90 day, was less than 5 minutes. I have scanned color copies of my passport, 4 pages to a sheet of paper, as well as all relevant documents.  Once had a guy there tell me that if everyone did theirs the way I do mine, their job would be much easier, and faster.  But then, I've always been something of a fanatic for keeping things organized and neat. 

 

Then maybe you should apply for a management position at Chiang Mai immigration because for most of us the situation has turned into chaos.

 

At least BJ is listening and that`s one hell of a start, meaning those in Bangkok are now aware or acknowledging they are aware of the situation up here in Chiang Mai. So please don`t knock the guy.

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, Just1Voice said:

And today, from the time I got out of the car, till the time I had my new 90 day, was less than 5 minutes. I have scanned color copies of my passport, 4 pages to a sheet of paper, as well as all relevant documents.

 

55 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And roll on the day when it's in a database and you don't need new hard copies.

 

For a repeat 90-day report Jomtien has not required any document copies at all for a year or two. You just take the print-out from the previous report, show it, and they print out a new one and attach it to your passport. Takes seconds and often there is no queue at all.

Edited October 18, 2018 by KittenKong

[prism]

1 hour ago, Just1Voice said:

Went yesterday to do my 90 day.  Total confusion, with them turning over a dozen people away.  Went back this morning.  Got there at 8:05.  Got 1st cue number and out the door 2 minutes later.

 

Yesterday I arrived at 2pm to do my 90 day. 20 minutes just to get to the queue desk then it was another 2 hours before my number was called. They moved a bunch of us into the old building number 2 to be processed there. It was a mess. It used to be a 10 minute process at Promenanda if you came in the afternoon.    

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai media said on Facebook that complaints came form the foreigners including Chinese. 

 

I'm beginning to think that the only way anything gets done in this God-xxxxxxxx country is when some Chinese complain!!!  That, apparently, manages to spur the Thais into action.

[Vacuum]

4 minutes ago, prism said:

Yesterday I arrived at 2pm to do my 90 day. 20 minutes just to get to the queue desk then it was another 2 hours before my number was called. They moved a bunch of us into the old building number 2 to be processed there. It was a mess. It used to be a 10 minute process at Promenanda if you came in the afternoon.    

Do it on line or use the post office so the 'overworked' staff could deal with more important stuff.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Vacuum

[AlfonsV]

Congratulations! For this we wait since 15+ years - with or without the Chinese tourists.

[1337markus]

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

The new office may be more modern and clean but all the usual inherent problems are still there.  Radical change is needed for things to improve but 'Temporarily transferring Officers' will not cure a single problem.    'Big Joke' needs to put a Senior Officer in charge at Chiang Mai with the same sort of gusto as he displays himself when dealing with matters, someone who is fully committed to the job and not just there as an overpaid figurehead that everyone must bow and wai to.   He also needs to put a once and for all stop to the 'Agency Racket' that is putting large amounts of money into Immigration Officers pockets whilst the queue's just get longer for 'Customers' (because that is what we are) who do not wish to use services that cost money for a job that is supposed to be a 'Service' supplied by the Thai Government free of charge other than the displayed fees.

 

Putting up 'No Tip' signs is about as useful as a Chocolate Teapot !

Totally agree. Changing just man in charge is useless as it happens say every 2 years and it only gets worse. Only solution either change out the all IO's with ones who perceive to work say Jomtien. Needs a total culture and person change. Then model how a bank manages its customers. They need to understand their customers are the ones paying who give large financial support to the local economy.

[Suradit69]

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

Is there any time when the Chinese don't complain and im not talking about just Thailand they are renowned for it all over the world .

Quite right for you to complain about that.

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

They had a "appointment system" before, they 'have asked' for more funds for more IO's. The appointment system was canceled and 'no extra money' from BKK for more staff (according to the boss).

 

The reason for this are the agents.

The appointments system being cancelled coincided with the opening of a new agency.

 

Enough IO's to do the job and agencies would be redundant.We will see if BJ is just huff and puff which is probable.

[balo]

 
For a repeat 90-day report Jomtien has not required any document copies at all for a year or two. You just take the print-out from the previous report, show it, and they print out a new one and attach it to your passport. Takes seconds and often there is no queue at all.

Exactly , everything is easy in Chonburi. Why do they not understand this in CM ?

Are they doing it deliberately to make it chaotic so they can earn some extra baht ? That is the big question Big Joke needs to sort out.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Just1Voice said:

In all honesty, in the 10 years I've been dealing with CM Imm, only once have I ever had a problem, and that was a minor one.  I've learned which are the best days and times to go for both my 90 day and yearly.  Yesterday I merely chalk up to new facility "jitters", but it was nothing serious.  And today, from the time I got out of the car, till the time I had my new 90 day, was less than 5 minutes. I have scanned color copies of my passport, 4 pages to a sheet of paper, as well as all relevant documents.  Once had a guy there tell me that if everyone did theirs the way I do mine, their job would be much easier, and faster.  But then, I've always been something of a fanatic for keeping things organized and neat. 

 

Anal retentiveness rocks!

[Jonmarleesco]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Some people were even left waiting overnight from "9pm to 3am".

Err, what? I think someone needs to revisit the information.