For 5 years now have been living in Phrae.. Do 90 day reports and one year extension at Nan immigration.. 

Now thinking of moving up to CM.. The only problem is doing anything at CM immigration.. Do you still have to line up outside at 5am and then end up being there all day.. Or have things changed for the better.. 

If I went for my extension at 9am in the morning on a Wednesday or Thursday how long will I be in immigration ..I hope not all day.. 

Hope someone can give me an update on CM immigration.. 

Thanks for the help 

2 hours ago, Steveinphrae2 said:

Do you still have to line up outside at 5am and then end up being there all day.. Or have things changed for the better.. 

Things have changed for the better.  No more line up after Big Joke was put in charge and made a visit to the Chiang Mai Office.

 

"Also, posters on Thaivisa have been critical of Chiang Mai immigration in the past though since Big Joke's high profile appointment last year many have reported an improvement there."  

 

 

Two off topic posts have been removed.

Won't be as easy as Phrae and the "new" rules are still creating confusion.

Certainly better than it was in the past couple of years,hopefully will stay that way.

Plenty of agents that have the ability to smooth paths.

if you mean you will live in the "wee-ahng" of Chiangmai the answer is you no longer need to go early. 

but if by Chiangmai you mean, as most folks do, the areas outside the city of Chiangmai and not the city, then maybe you probably want to be very early, and 5AM sounds good to me.  at least it was, still, just this past March to be there at that time of day so that by mid morning we can get out of the "wee-ahng" as fast as we got there.  
 

Edited May 3, 20197 yr by WeekendRaider

7 hours ago, Steveinphrae2 said:

The only problem is doing anything at CM immigration.. Do you still have to line up outside at 5am and then end up being there all day.. Or have things changed for the better.. 

I live in ChiangMai and do all my VISA business in another country.

Because .............. Chiang Mai immigration are the most corrupt and obnoxious office in the country.

Make sure your landlord is totally happy with complying with the TM30 rule, every time you're away from the place.

Don't have your bank letter one word wrong, cos you'll be paying for it to be done again, then come back again.

 

 

9 hours ago, Steveinphrae2 said:

Do you still have to line up outside at 5am and then end up being there all day.

The way that worked, was you had to either camp out in the parking lot, or use an agent to skip the queue.  Fortunately, that scam was shut down.  From the reports I have read since the changes, some are getting services OK there now, but can still be difficult for others.

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I live in ChiangMai and do all my VISA business in another country.

Because .............. Chiang Mai immigration are the most corrupt and obnoxious office in the country.

Make sure your landlord is totally happy with complying with the TM30 rule, every time you're away from the place.

Don't have your bank letter one word wrong, cos you'll be paying for it to be done again, then come back again.

 

 

Interesting that you don't use the CM immigration but you are an expert about it.

 

If you used it, or at least cared to read the recent reports by people using it, you would find out that retirement extensions are a breeze nowadays, mostly thanks to Big Joke. Perfectly ok to arrive late in the morning. As for TM30 updates, last 2-3 times I never spent more than a few minutes. Corruption, maybe, I don't know, is there a national statistics? From my experience, I never witnessed it but maybe there is, or perhaps you mean paying extra fees when the applicant does not qualify in the first place?

Ah yes, there was a recent report of a guy who was asked 250B for parking, he refused.

 

I use an agent, they fill out all forms, and call with reminders of when to come in.... I just did my retirement renewal and was near effortless. I got my bank letter, dropped it off at the agent, signed a few papers - - came back on a scheduled appointment the next day - arrived at the agents office at 4 pm - they drove me to IMM and back and facilitated at IMM - I had to pose for a photo and sign one paper and everything was finished... drove me back to agents office and all RT in 30 minutes... I could not have spent 10 minutes at IMM... 

 

Well worth the agent fees for the convenience. 

In February and March I have been 3 times to CM Imm. Retirement extension, 90 day report and exit/re-entry and TM30 report.

TM 30 report at separate office upstairs ( no lift though) was mid morning and took 1 hour

The retirement of extension of stay was after lunch ( 1.00pm ) and took 1.5 hours

The 90 day report was also after lunch on another day and took 3 minutes. After that the exit/ re-entry stamp took another 30 minutes.

I always go mid week - the waiting area is air conditioned with plenty of seating and clean toilet facilities are available. Parking across the road costs 20 baht should the IMM car park be full.

 

The process now is much improved and the best it's been in the last 10 years. 

 

The actual requirements may be more difficult to meet , however, depending on the personal circumstances

Chiang Mai Immigration is now a good place quick and pleasant .????

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I live in ChiangMai and do all my VISA business in another country.

Because .............. Chiang Mai immigration are the most corrupt and obnoxious office in the country.

Make sure your landlord is totally happy with complying with the TM30 rule, every time you're away from the place.

Don't have your bank letter one word wrong, cos you'll be paying for it to be done again, then come back again.

 

 

I pay an agent to handle everything for 1) that very reason and 2) I simply have better things to do with my time than deal with Thai immigration bozos.

31 minutes ago, dcnx said:

I pay an agent to handle everything for 1) that very reason and 2) I simply have better things to do with my time than deal with Thai immigration bozos.

Which is exactly what they wanted all along.

I returned from Europe via Singapore on 24th April 2019, and my wife drove us to CNX Immigration straight from the airport. It took her 7 (seven) minutes to get the TM30 done. My last extension of stay based on retirement was done end of January 2019 in less than 30 minutes, and the officers were all friendly and smiling.

You are aware that there has been a new CM Immigration office in a new location since last September?

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Which is exactly what they wanted all along.

Well, that suits me having - in the past - to wait eons for any number of hold-ups at whatever IO desk owing to people not having the right documentation or the wrong documentation or any number of other things that resulted in long queues and waiting time. Now I use an agent and it's stress-free.

I have had no problems with CM immigration for the last 8 years, never had a problem with the service nor ask for any kind of tea money. The biggest fiasco was the move to Promanade and the early morning arrival but eventually that was eliminated. People here say the officers are corrupt but in anothe breath say they never use the CM immigration office I have to wonder how then do they know they are corrupt. I personnally have never had a problem with 90 day reports, extension of stay, tm30 or anything else I applied for. My last 90 day took less than 5 min. I was having breakfast 30 min after leaving my home.

20 hours ago, SEtonal said:

 

 

If only he were pointing at the cake, now that would be funny! ????

CM Immigration is in top form these days: back near the airport via the 20 baht big bus, walking distance to Airport Plaza, photocopy and visa pic services on site for cheap, and freindly enough very professional staff.

I just got through there so fast, the mall wasn't even open yet and I had to go find breakfast elsewhere, I arrived at 7:30 and by 9:30 I was done.

 

Maybe they expedite me. I do dress up for the occasion. They are really way into that respect thing, I've noticed...

 

1 hour ago, dcnx said:

I pay an agent to handle everything for 1) that very reason and 2) I simply have better things to do with my time than deal with Thai immigration bozos.

How much do you pay for someone to hold your hand? My time isn't worth much, so I would need to get an idea if it is a better than the cash in my pocket or not. 

3 hours ago, sirwilly said:

Chiang Mai Immigration is now a good place quick and pleasant .????

That's fine, but this is Thai immigration you are talking about, and things can change very quickly between different IOs and officers.

13 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

That's fine, but this is Thai immigration you are talking about, and things can change very quickly between different IOs and officers.

Or put more simply, revert to form now the initiator of change has gone.

2 hours ago, moe666 said:

I have had no problems with CM immigration for the last 8 years, never had a problem with the service nor ask for any kind of tea money. The biggest fiasco was the move to Promanade and the early morning arrival but eventually that was eliminated. People here say the officers are corrupt but in anothe breath say they never use the CM immigration office I have to wonder how then do they know they are corrupt. I personnally have never had a problem with 90 day reports, extension of stay, tm30 or anything else I applied for. My last 90 day took less than 5 min. I was having breakfast 30 min after leaving my home.

Maybe they stopped using CM IO after seeing how corrupt they are, could that be it …. ?

 

I lived in CM earlier but moved cause of smog and Immigration

 

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Or put more simply, revert to form now the initiator of change has gone.

Thai IOs and officers have been the same for years, making up their own interpretation of the rules.

It is the luck of the draw at any IO  you go to, unless of course you get the chance to know any of them.

Why anyone would need an agent to hold their hand now,is beyond me,

did my extension couple of weeks ago, 10.00 at bank to get letter,drove

to immigration,was processed and out the door by 11.30,it could not

get any easier..........but just hope now Big Jokes gone, it does not revert to its former ways.

regards worgeordie

Seems to be good so far at CM Imm. Need to wait to see for my next renewal.

I went in the other day right after lunch for a 90 day report because I was seeking a re-enry in a few days. 3 minutes done.