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

[sambum]

Just whereabouts were these "online complaints"? I have often felt like doing the same, but where does one post them where the "Big Boss" is likely to see them?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

Just whereabouts were these "online complaints"? I have often felt like doing the same, but where does one post them where the "Big Boss" is likely to see them?

 

I think most of what the police here pay attention to and see is on Facebook, and mostly seems to be in its Thai language content. That they seem to notice a lot, but other languages, apparently not so much.

 

There used to be an email comments form on the Immigration website, but last time I checked it a year or two ago, the email link on their website was dead/broken.

 

 

[spidermike007]

This time, they appointed the most incompetent man, they could possibly find, anywhere in the nation, to head the immigration. Congrats to Little P. He exceeded even his own typical level of incompetence this time.

[THE REVERAND]

The problem with Thailand Leaders is if there is a problem it is the fault of the  unknown Chinese  man "Sum One" who is in fact Peter Brady "THE INVISABLE MAN" .   

[stephenterry]

On 10/18/2018 at 10:54 PM, sappersrest said:

The staff at Chiang Mai immigration have always treated me with the utmost curtesy and respect, some times the waiting for 90 day and tm 30 can be a bit tedious, but that  may be improved  in the near future hopefully.

The frontline staff do a good job.

i agree. However, with only one qualified officer processing the retirement extension of stay it can become a tedious wait, particularily if there are applicants that don't have the necessary docs or info. This desk should have at least one more officer, or follow the morning system used in Jomtien where you call back in the afternoon to pick up yor passport. 

[elgenon]

So there will be separate numbers and queue for Chinese? But no additional officers?

Time to change nationalities. *_*

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

However, with only one qualified officer processing the retirement extension of stay it can become a tedious wait, particularily if there are applicants that don't have the necessary docs or info.

One person doesn't seem to have a problem at Suvannakhet.

One minute to check the documents, another 10 seconds to tell you to go and get xxxxx, next customer.

And as they process 10 customers in 15 minutes, the rejected ones hardly have to wait at all for their second chance.

 

Compare that to CM Immigration where every person gets 30 minutes, and the officer sits doing nothing while you go and get a photocopy of the different document you didn't have this year. I was once told to go to Airport Plaza and get a new bank letter (they didn't like the layout although it was exactly the same as the last year's format), and they sat doing nothing while I got it. Then the agent walks in and hands them 20 to process, which they manage in 15 minutes while the 'bumped' queue waits.

 

And if you're a repeat customer for the same VISA/extension, do they really need to check anything except this year's financials?

Edited October 20, 2018 by BritManToo

[bristolgeoff]

to be fair cm immigration is well known for problems.i know people who go 4 in the morning for 90 day reports and it could take all day or very quick.it has being like this for years.never being easy just ask any expat in cm and they will tell you a similar story or they use a visa service instead

[owl sees all]

Some of the TVForum posters are saying that they never have a problem whilst others are moaning about hours of waiting Chiang Mai (CM). Are they talking about the same office? Is there two offices, or maybe a little exaggerating going on!? 

 

I've never been to the CM office, only ever to Nong Khai or Udon. When Immigration was based at the airport it was, perhaps, the worst run office in Thailand. Recently - maybe due to having its office relocated near to the province prison - it is probably the best.

 

 

 

 

[Vacuum]

45 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

i know people who go 4 in the morning for 90 day reports and it could take all day

I just returned from the post office making my 90 day report, 2minutes and 69 Baht (EMS both ways).

[Jimdandy]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:37 PM, webfact said:

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

So is the USA when it comes to fairness.

[Mapguy]

Obviously, Immigration is still behind the curve in solving its capacity problem.  Furthermore, accurate Information disseminated by the Immigration Bureau is not easy to find, and when found, the presentation is often extraordinarily awkward or incomplete.  The bureau creates most of its own problems and creats unnecessary problems for clients.  Compared to other government services and necessary private businesses like banking, the senior management performance of the Immigration Bureau in Chiang Mai is abysmal.   This is a SENIOR MANAGEMENT problem in Chiang Mai, not a problem with junior staff with whom in over ten years working with them I have been impressed by their patience and polite service.  It's the bosses, definitely including Region V, and certainly in Bangkok on some important matters (like appropriate size and utilization of staff and the ridiculous planning and remaining undercapacity of the new building in Chiang Mai).  Sic 'em, "Big Joke!"

Edited October 20, 2018 by Mapguy

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, Mapguy said:

Obviously, Immigration is still behind the curve in solving its capacity problem.  Furthermore, accurate Information disseminated by the Immigration Bureau is not easy to find, and when found, the presentation is often extraordinarily awkward or incomplete.  The bureau creates most of its own problems and creats unnecessary problems for clients.  Compared to other government services and necessary private businesses like banking, the senior management performance of the Immigration Bureau in Chiang Mai is abysmal.   This is a SENIOR MANAGEMENT problem in Chiang Mai, not a problem with junior staff with whom in over ten years working with them I have been impressed by their patience and polite service.  It's the bosses, definitely including Region V, and certainly in Bangkok on some important matters (like appropriate staffing and the ridiculous undercapacity of the new building in CHiang Mai.  Sic 'em, "Big Joke!"

 

Never mind re the new building, there will be a new budget very soon to massively expand the current building but on completion it won't be big enough so another budget....

[EricTh]

On 10/18/2018 at 12:50 PM, 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 .

At least it is heard this time. Many complaints from other nationalities have fallen on deaf ears.

[EricTh]

On 10/18/2018 at 2:33 PM, scorecard said:

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 .....

 

 

If there are more staff, most of the connected agents will be forced to close down.

 

 

[EricTh]

On 10/18/2018 at 4:33 PM, ukrules said:

In Hua Hin you don't need any documents to do a 90 day report, just your passport.

 

They just scan the passport, print something out and you're done.

 

The 'connected' photocopy shop is going to lose out on a lot of revenue.

 

They were charging 20 cents per copy.

Edited October 22, 2018 by EricTh

[EricTh]

On 10/18/2018 at 7:25 PM, Leatherneck said:

 

PS. Also learned from my visa agent that Big Joke's name doesn't mean what I thought it meant. She said "joke" is a type of food, like porridge or congee, in Thai and doesn't connote the English meaning. Based on what I've read about Big Joke's work so far in CM and elsewhere, sounds like he's anything but a "joke".

It actually means Chinese porridge or congee and is a Chinese word, click below.

 

http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2018/02/thai-words-of-chinese-origin-part-1.html

Edited October 22, 2018 by EricTh

[EricTh]

On 10/18/2018 at 8:49 PM, balo said:

Interesting question.

I would think that he has asked others to translate some of the threads here. After all it's the most busy expat forum in Asia.  

So any real complaints from expats or illegal activities would keep him busy for a while. 

 

I doubt many can understand all the slangs in this forum, they must be at near-native level to understand all the nuances.

 

It is better if they have a complaints counter.

[sambum]

On 10/19/2018 at 9:07 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I think most of what the police here pay attention to and see is on Facebook, and mostly seems to be in its Thai language content. That they seem to notice a lot, but other languages, apparently not so much.

 

There used to be an email comments form on the Immigration website, but last time I checked it a year or two ago, the email link on their website was dead/broken.

 

 

"Complaint", "email comments" and "website dead/broken" - now there's a surprise!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, sambum said:

"Complaint", "email comments" and "website dead/broken" - now there's a surprise!

 

Well, there are two main websites as relates to Thai Immigration -- the national Immigration headquarters site, and the Bangkok division site. Both of them have comment submission forms in quasi English.

 

I tested the BKK division site's comment submission form tonight, and it appears to remain broken/non-working:

 

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=comment

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

The national Immigration website's comment form MAY be working. I tried to submit a comment there, but the on-screen message I received after clicking wasn't exactly clear that it was successfully sent/received.

 

Another difficulty on that particular site/interface (at least for non-Thai readers) is that it prompts you to select from one of about nine different subject topics (presumably to route the message to the right section) all written in Thai only, and formatted to not be translateable via Google Translate or even able to be copied, AFAICT.

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/contact_form

 

I perhaps sent one in tonight regarding the British Embassy and Income letters. Be interesting to see what if anything comes back from it.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[sambum]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Well, there are two main websites as relates to Thai Immigration -- the national Immigration headquarters site, and the Bangkok division site. Both of them have comment submission forms in quasi English.

 

I tested the BKK division site's comment submission form tonight, and it appears to remain broken/non-working:

 

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=comment

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

The national Immigration website's comment form MAY be working. I tried to submit a comment there, but the on-screen message I received after clicking wasn't exactly clear that it was successfully sent/received.

 

Another difficulty on that particular site/interface (at least for non-Thai readers) is that it prompts you to select from one of about nine different subject topics (presumably to route the message to the right section) all written in Thai only, and formatted to not be translateable via Google Translate or even able to be copied, AFAICT.

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/contact_form

 

I perhaps sent one in tonight regarding the British Embassy and Income letters. Be interesting to see what if anything comes back from it.

 

 

Thank you for your efforts!

[ChristianBlessing]

On 10/18/2018 at 1:43 PM, Thaiwrath said:

That answers the question.

Re-read the article.  The report states that ..."Thai media said on Facebook that complaints came form the foreigners including Chinese." 

[sambum]

On 10/23/2018 at 8:17 AM, ChristianBlessing said:

Re-read the article.  The report states that ..."Thai media said on Facebook that complaints came form the foreigners including Chinese." 

I think that what Tw is trying to say is that because some of the complaints were from the Chinese, the Immigration Chief immediately jumped in and took steps to resolve the problem. If there hadn't been any Chinese complaints I doubt that the reaction would have been so quick.

In actual fact why say "including Chinese" anyway, unless you are trying to provoke a reaction?  

Edited October 25, 2018 by sambum

[BernieOnTour]

IMO, all in all it is mainly a problem of the number of staff in CM and not comparable to e.g. Jomtien:

- when they decided to decentralize and set up the new, additional offices on the countryside, CM Immigration had to transfer senior staff to the new offices

- the CM district is totally overflooded with that "Digital Nomad" crap asking for short time visa or 30 day extensions, resulting in more work than for a 1-year-visa

- add in to that at least 40% of the applicants are Mainland Chinese -unprepared, often speaking only crap English - following the "Lost in Thailand"-hype or trying to set up business and wash their black money

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by BernieOnTour

[Saladin]

21 hours ago, BernieOnTour said:

IMO, all in all it is mainly a problem of the number of staff in CM and not comparable to e.g. Jomtien:

- when they decided to decentralize and set up the new, additional offices on the countryside, CM Immigration had to transfer senior staff to the new offices

- the CM district is totally overflooded with that "Digital Nomad" crap asking for short time visa or 30 day extensions, resulting in more work than for a 1-year-visa

- add in to that at least 40% of the applicants are Mainland Chinese -unprepared, often speaking only crap English - following the "Lost in Thailand"-hype or trying to set up business and wash their black money

 

There is an obvious need for the Thai government to drastically simplify their incomprehensible visa system  that is draining their manpower resources and causing unnecessary inconvenience for foreign residents and visitors. For example, a tourist visa should be for 3 months - not 2 months plus a trip to Immigration to extend it by a month, which serves no good purpose that I can see.

[DPKANKAN]

On 10/19/2018 at 11:25 AM, nickmondo said:

go to Hua Hin.

just show passport, job done

Did mine this morning. In/out just under a minute.

[rumak]

2 hours ago, DPKANKAN said:

Did mine this morning. In/out just under a minute.

if you look out your window tomorrow there is a caravan of 10,000 migrants from CM who will be arriving.

And the just displaced chief of imm at CM is also possibly headed that way.   Better get down there quick to get your queue number .

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 10/22/2018 at 8:48 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The national Immigration website's comment form MAY be working. I tried to submit a comment there, but the on-screen message I received after clicking wasn't exactly clear that it was successfully sent/received.

 

Another difficulty on that particular site/interface (at least for non-Thai readers) is that it prompts you to select from one of about nine different subject topics (presumably to route the message to the right section) all written in Thai only, and formatted to not be translateable via Google Translate or even able to be copied, AFAICT.

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/contact_form

 

I perhaps sent one in tonight regarding the British Embassy and Income letters. Be interesting to see what if anything comes back from it.

 

 

So, just a quick follow on the above post re trying to submit a comment to the Immigration Bureau HQs via their website comment form.

 

A week has now passed since my post above, and I've received nothing back from Immigration. So, either #1) their comment form isn't actually working (as I mentioned above, it wasn't clear the site actually accepted my message for sending), or #2), my message did get get sent and no one bothered to respond.

 

Either way, non-working or non-responsive, not very good.

 

[jak2002003]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 10:05 AM, owl sees all said:

Some of the TVForum posters are saying that they never have a problem whilst others are moaning about hours of waiting Chiang Mai (CM). Are they talking about the same office? Is there two offices, or maybe a little exaggerating going on!? 

I think the people who say they never had a problem at Chiang Mai immigration office are the people who are using visa agents, line sitters, or their Thai partner to do all the paperwork and waiting for them, talking to the staff etc.. and then they only have to turn up for their appointment time. OR, they have only been there a few times (perhaps they only come to Thailand for a few months a year etc).  

 

Its been my experience that people who try to do the immigration things themselves are the ones that often get the problems, for a variety of reasons.

 

I have used the CM immigration for 12 years now.  Most of the time its been fine (apart from the early mornings waiting).  However, I have had 2 instances where it was a total nightmare, and one time that there was a 'financial irregularity'.

 

Also it is true, if you are doing the paperwork on you own, you do have to go stupid early in the morning to get a number.  I had even gone there 4.30 to get a number for the late afternoon and was not finished until the place was closing up!! At one stage people were going at 1 or 2 am and climbing over the car park barrier to get in... crazy!!!

 

I now use a visa agent.... and have not found any problems.  

 

In the 'good old days' it run much faster and there was never a early morning que.  But, there were also a lot less aliens about.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by jak2002003

[sambum]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

I think the people who say they never had a problem at Chiang Mai immigration office are the people who are using visa agents, line sitters, or their Thai partner to do all the paperwork and waiting for them, talking to the staff etc.. and then they only have to turn up for their appointment time. OR, they have only been there a few times (perhaps they only come to Thailand for a few months a year etc).  

 

Its been my experience that people who try to do the immigration things themselves are the ones that often get the problems, for a variety of reasons.

 

I have used the CM immigration for 12 years now.  Most of the time its been fine (apart from the early mornings waiting).  However, I have had 2 instances where it was a total nightmare, and one time that there was a 'financial irregularity'.

 

Also it is true, if you are doing the paperwork on you own, you do have to go stupid early in the morning to get a number.  I had even gone there 4.30 to get a number for the late afternoon and was not finished until the place was closing up!! At one stage people were going at 1 or 2 am and climbing over the car park barrier to get in... crazy!!!

 

I now use a visa agent.... and have not found any problems.  

 

In the 'good old days' it run much faster and there was never a early morning que.  But, there were also a lot less aliens about.

 

 

 

 

"there was never a early morning que.  But, there were also a lot less aliens about."

 

????Sorry for laughing, but..............!!!