Retirement visa at Chaeng Wattana Tue 4th Dec

[khunken]

I renewed my annual 'retirement' visa at Chaeng Wattana on Tuesday 4th Dec, also doing the 90-day update.

I've done the B800k retirement visa 22 times & this was the worst experience of all even though, as usual, I had all the necessary documentation prepared including a hand-drawn map as advised in recent TV threads.

They've changed the system to a 4-step process taking hours to complete. Excluding getting the ticket.

 

Step 1: Number called and documents reviewed by a non-uniformed lady who handed out the 3 extra 'indemnity' forms that are not available beforehand. Instructions were to complete the forms and wait until my number was called again at unit L037.

 

Step 2: Number called and documents reviewed again by an uniformed officer - more closely. She noted that my passbook copies (I did them the previous day, ensuring no changes in the interim) hadn't got the '4-12-18 B/F' which came from the bank downstairs where I had the verification letter prepared earlier that day. Luckily she was helpful and took new copies of the last passbook pages using the Immigration copier. She also asked me about my 90-day report (a first at visa renewal) which I had done while waiting for the visa. She then took the 90-day slip and copied that too. Everything now ok, so to the next stage.

 

Step 3: The supervisor reviewed all the documents very closely & said everything is ok, so go and wait for passport & passbook return.

 

Step 4. An assistant hands out completed passports & the passbooks.

 

The whole process took over 6-hours & I left the place at around 17:50, right into the rush-hour traffic. I have no transport & there was a queue for taxis outside & when I got a taxi it took around an hour & a half to get to Morchit BTS even using the expressway. Total door-to-door time: 9 hours & 40 minutes, easily a record for me.

 

I suppose some of the delay could be because the next day is a government holiday and the Immigration place was jam-packed. When I left Immigration they were still calling out numbers for step 1 - looking like a very long day for the Immigration staff. I'm full of praise for those having to abide by the system and, in the main, remaining very helpful. But I would forcibly remove whoever designed this new system which seemed to me to have the hallmarks of a BJ excessive anti-expat bureaucratic nightmare.

BTW it didn't seem to matter what time one arrived at Immigration. I spoke with some other expats while waiting and two that arrived at 09:00 didn't leave until mid-afternoon. One was only getting his visa transferred from old to new passport - same amount of waiting.

[BertM]

Wow... sorry you had such a bad time... Last year (2017), I renewed in Jomtien even though I had already moved to BKK 6 mths earlier and it took under an hour at Immigration and they let me renew even though I had moved to BKK. This year (2018) in Sep, I decided to renew in CW instead of spending the extra money on trip to Jomtien, so I used an agent because I figured the wait times were longer in BKK. Using the agent, it took about 2 hrs total time. He got me the 1 yr extension, a multiple re-entry permit & did my 90-day report which I assume he had to do at different desks. I only had to go inside when it was time to take my pic. I signed all the papers outside with the agent. For me, it was well worth the money at least the first time. I was planning to do myself in 2019, but with all the changes & more scrutiny going on, I may just use the agent again or try Jomtien if I happen to be there when it's time to renew. I will legitimately use the 800k THB in bank method for 2019, so I would only be using the agent to expedite the process. Oh, the agent also took me there and took me home.

Edited December 5, 2018 by BertM

[jkthai]

Bert M, can I ask which agent ,

 

Understand if you want to PM in case putting names on here not allowed

[buick]

i've had the same experience (at CW) although i believe i went two days before the holiday.  arrived at 9am, left around 3:30pm.  using the L desk for extension of stay - retirement.  you have to avoid several days before and after the holiday to get a more normal type of processing day.  if there is a holiday on wednesday, i'd plan on going the following week or the previous week.  check the thai holiday calendar in advance so you can plan it out.  i do mine in May and in 2019 there is a holiday on May 1 and May 20 so i'll be doing mine on thursday the 9th or tuesday the 14th (avoiding mondays and fridays also).