Chiang Rai Immigration Office

[frodo77]

Just a heads up, but I have been noticing that they are being more and more difficult to deal with, except for 90 day reporting. I myself had to jump through hoops earlier this week. Its sad.

[kevvy]

I completely disagree, every time I go there they are so curious and helpful , and have a smile as well.

[frodo77]

You are basing it just on your own experience. I have been speaking with several people and my comment is not based just on my own experience.

[elcaro]

I think the older lady is always a bit bitchy, but have not had any issues so far. Here is hoping to that you are wrong.

 

What kind of hoops did you have to jump through, just out of interest.

[XJ650]

I am very happy with our Immigration office here in Chiang Rai. I have never had any problems. I did my visa 1 year renew two weeks ago and no problem.  Sometimes the queue is long because of foreign students but that is not IO fault.  

[KC 71]

They are always nice with me
My wife deals with them,and they fill in the forms for me[emoji106]


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[JAG]

I've always found them most helpful.

 

Mind you, I think the youngish chap with spectacles is a fake - he is the only man in Thailand I have ever seen wearing a uniform without para wings!

 

????

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by JAG

[OneZero]

Not easy to get the para wings.  To qualify you have to jump off a chair. 

[sceadugenga]

Remind me again, what days are new visa applications accepted?

Tuesdays and Thursdays?

 

[villagefarang]

7 minutes ago, sceadugenga said:

Remind me again, what days are new visa applications accepted?

Tuesdays and Thursdays?

 

Monday and Wednesday for retirement, not sure what you mean by new visa.

[damascase]

10 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

Monday and Wednesday for retirement, not sure what you mean by new visa.

If you mean extensions based on marriage or retirement: Monday and Wednesday. But you can also apply at the Mae Sai office (not the border station!) 5 days a week.

Edited September 16, 2019 by damascase

[sceadugenga]

Retirement renewal, thanks guys.

[villagefarang]

1 hour ago, damascase said:

If you mean extensions based on marriage or retirement: Monday and Wednesday. But you can also apply at the Mae Sai office (not the border station!) 5 days a week.

It has always been my understanding that marriage could be done any day of the week because the paperwork has to be sent off to Bangkok, anyway, for approval.  Retirement is limited to Monday and Wednesday because those are the two days the IO required to approve and sign the renewal is present at the Chiang Rai office.

[damascase]

6 hours ago, villagefarang said:

It has always been my understanding that marriage could be done any day of the week because the paperwork has to be sent off to Bangkok, anyway, for approval.  Retirement is limited to Monday and Wednesday because those are the two days the IO required to approve and sign the renewal is present at the Chiang Rai office.

You could very well be right. I was absolutely sure about the retirement based one and assumed - most likely incorrectly - that the same would be valid for a marriage extension; I wasn’t aware of the approval having to be granted by Bangkok.

By the way, I meant to quote the opening post instead of yours, sorry.

[Rivo]

Ive had only positive experience from CR IMMG office ......................was there on wednesday last-week at about 2pm, not one customer in the office, just the 6 x immigration personnel, I thought maybe they are not open today, my first words why you not have customer, most had a chuckle and the girl at information says, we wait you ????....................got my Cert of Residency in about 5 min, paid the 300 baht and I was gone with my Certificate ????

[damascase]

17 hours ago, Rivo said:

Ive had only positive experience from CR IMMG office ......................was there on wednesday last-week at about 2pm, not one customer in the office, just the 6 x immigration personnel, I thought maybe they are not open today, my first words why you not have customer, most had a chuckle and the girl at information says, we wait you ????....................got my Cert of Residency in about 5 min, paid the 300 baht and I was gone with my Certificate ????

But you do realize that such a certificate is free, don’t you? Not that I am complaining, many immigration offices are a lot worse in this respect.

[Rivo]

4 minutes ago, damascase said:

But you do realize that such a certificate is free, don’t you? Not that I am complaining, many immigration offices are a lot worse in this respect.

 

I have been told that before, and ive also been told some offices take a full month to get you a Certificate, ive had to get I think 3 x certificates of residency and everytime I have been charged 300 baht, and ive got them immediately, all in Chiang Rai so I have no experience in any other provinces.

[damascase]

1 hour ago, Rivo said:

 

I have been told that before, and ive also been told some offices take a full month to get you a Certificate, ive had to get I think 3 x certificates of residency and everytime I have been charged 300 baht, and ive got them immediately, all in Chiang Rai so I have no experience in any other provinces.

As I said, I am not complaining. I also happily paid 300 baht at the CR office for this certificate, which was issued immediately. Especially knowing that at some places it takes 3 - 4 weeks!

[sceadugenga]

Only minutes spent in immigration today as we were the only customers.

Decided to test the new Western ring road/bypass and it took less than 15 minutes in pouring rain from 1211 to the Airport turn off.

[EricTh]

On 5/1/2019 at 4:51 PM, frodo77 said:

You are basing it just on your own experience. I have been speaking with several people and my comment is not based just on my own experience.

How do you compare Chiang Rai with Chiang Mai immigration?

 

I have never been to Chiang Rai immigration but Chiang Mai immigration was hellish in the past. We used to queue early in the morning at 5 am. 

 

We still need to wait a few hours for certain transactions.

 

The crowd at CM immigration is huge.

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by EricTh

[EricTh]

On 9/30/2019 at 11:51 AM, Rivo said:

 

I have been told that before, and ive also been told some offices take a full month to get you a Certificate, ive had to get I think 3 x certificates of residency and everytime I have been charged 300 baht, and ive got them immediately, all in Chiang Rai so I have no experience in any other provinces.

In Chiang Mai, you have to wait 1 month for a free cert.

[Gweiloman]

In Chiang Mai, you have to wait 1 month for a free cert.

Nothing that a bit of forward planning can’t overcome. I have to renew my driving licenses in Dec so will apply for my RC in November.


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[Tuvoc]

How does Chiang Rai immigration compare to Mae Sai ? 

[KC 71]

Cant tell you
All i know is that Mai Sai are good for me
(12 miles away) very polite and professional [emoji106]


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[Tuvoc]

I will be able to go to either but Mae Sai is probably closer and I suspect parking may be easier. More like 20 miles from us I think

[frodo77]

On 9/29/2019 at 6:02 PM, Rivo said:

Ive had only positive experience from CR IMMG office ......................was there on wednesday last-week at about 2pm, not one customer in the office, just the 6 x immigration personnel, I thought maybe they are not open today, my first words why you not have customer, most had a chuckle and the girl at information says, we wait you ????....................got my Cert of Residency in about 5 min, paid the 300 baht and I was gone with my Certificate ????

I was in today for my 90 day, took all of 2 minutes. While I was there, I asked for the Certificate of Residency form as I will be renewing my driving license soon. I was told they do not have. So did you use the one downloaded from the main site?

[villagefarang]

I went into Chiangrai Immigration this morning feeling very confident, with all my forms printed out same as last year, from copies saved on my computer.  First thing I was told was to redo everything by hand because that is the new rule.  Later I got an explanation that it had to do with trying to deter agents and there was a reference to problems in Chiangmai.  The agent thing is not an issue here but the rule is being applied across the board, it seems.

 

All things considered, it was not a long wait and the IO was very quick and efficient.  I did have to come back later as the person who signs things was out of the office but we had plenty of other things to do in town today.  Good to go for another year and I got a multiple-reentry so don't think I will be visiting the office anytime soon.????

[sceadugenga]

Arrived at 9.15am to do my 90 Day, staff outnumbered customers, I never even had to take a ticket.

Stamped, stapled, finished.

 

 

 

[frodo77]

18 hours ago, sceadugenga said:

Arrived at 9.15am to do my 90 Day, staff outnumbered customers, I never even had to take a ticket.

Stamped, stapled, finished.

 

 

 

I had the same experience on 25th Feb. Hoping to have a good experience doing my retirement extension in May.

[YetAnother]

On 10/21/2019 at 2:10 PM, Tuvoc said:

I will be able to go to either but Mae Sai is probably closer and I suspect parking may be easier. More like 20 miles from us I think

here in chiang saen we can only use the local office or chiang khong, that is our 'immigration district'; we cant use mae sai,tried it, or cr city