10 Hours - For 4 "Services"

[ccarbaugh]

Hello, Yesterday, June 4th,  I went to the Immigration Office, (Chaeng Watanna, Bangkok,) because I had 4 items on my "to-do list."  1.  Since I just received a new Passport, I needed my retirement stamp transferred.  2.   I wanted to get my 1-year extension.  3.   a re-entry permit and  4.  Do my 90-Day address report.  I accomplished all 4 but it took 10 grueling hours in a crowded-beyond-capacity office-building.  The employees, (clerks,) stayed busy doing their jobs and were for the most part pleasant.  The problem lies with the 'Government-Mandated' regulations that the employees have to impose on us "Aliens."  It is quite obvious that the "Powers-That-Be" are quite "Anti-Farang" and any way possible to milk as much money as possible from them is the over-shadowing policy.  I learned my lesson and decided that, (after 11 consecutive years of residence,)  at the expiration of my current 1-year Retirement Extension, I will be located outside of Thailand.   

[Chazar]

My Wife  has  spoken to a few  immigration officers about the rules and they have all said its ridiculous  and they dont want to do it  but they have to keep the govt perks for them and their families as  well as their  job.

[lamyai3]

30 minutes ago, ccarbaugh said:

I accomplished all 4 but it took 10 grueling hours in a crowded-beyond-capacity office-building.

Worth mentioning that you did this first day after the long weekend (3rd was a public holiday, queen's birthday).

 

Otherwise though, I wholeheartedly agree with your post, ten hours is insane. How on earth can they not have better systems after all these years, after pocketing so much tourist and expat money? Your post doesn't even mention the recent TM30 issue, which is a horse of a different colour, and could have easily derailed any of the four things you went there to do. 

[ccarbaugh]

2 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

Worth mentioning that you did this first day after the long weekend (3rd was a public holiday, queen's birthday).

 

Otherwise though, I wholeheartedly agree with your post, ten hours is insane. How on earth can they not have better systems after all these years, after pocketing so much tourist and expat money? Your post doesn't even mention the recent TM30 issue, which is a horse of a different colour, and could have easily derailed any of the four things you went there to do. 

Yes, after living in the same apartment straight up the street from the Immigration Office for 7 1/2 years, they sprung the urgent TM30 Issue on me!  (Fortunately, my apartment manager emailed then my 'Rental Contract' and it worked - just took-up another 2 hours!  

[mtls2005]

9 minutes ago, ccarbaugh said:

they sprung the urgent TM30 Issue on me! 

 

So it sounds like you actually accomplished five tasks, with the TM30 being the fifth, and that one took two hours.

 

If you wanted to share any details that would be great.

 

I'm guessing you did the stamp transfer first? Did you get flagged for the TM30 there, and have to sort that out first. How long did the stamp transfer take? Busy? Any fee for that? And any fine for the TM30?

 

 

[ccarbaugh]

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

So it sounds like you actually accomplished five tasks, with the TM30 being the fifth, and that one took two hours.

 

If you wanted to share any details that would be great.

 

I'm guessing you did the stamp transfer first? Did you get flagged for the TM30 there, and have to sort that out first. How long did the stamp transfer take? Busy? Any fee for that? And any fine for the TM30?

 

 

...Yes, Stamp transfer first - no fee. then, 90 Address Report, (they warned me that they might ask me for 'Residence Verification' -but I didn't know what they were talking about.  While getting the 1-year extension, they informed me (in Thai,) of the required TM 30!

[mtls2005]

6 minutes ago, ccarbaugh said:

Stamp transfer first - no fee.

 

Do you remember how long that took?

 

I'm guessing the re-entry permit took the longest amount of time?

 

[ccarbaugh]

about 2 hours for the Stamp transfer.  The 1-year retirement extension took the most amount of time (by far.)  It was then that they kept telling me, (in Thai,) of the TM 30 requirement!  The Re-Entry Permit only took about an hour as it was past working hours and they were finishing-up all the remaining people.  ????

[ezzra]

1 hour ago, ccarbaugh said:

I accomplished all 4 but it took 10 grueling hours in a crowded-beyond-capacity office-building

And for those of us who used to do all of this in the Suan Plu Immigration center, old and small building that will suit a 7/11 shop, but nonetheless we had to endure the stuffy and tight facilities for many years that in comparison CW looks like a 5 star hotel... 

[MRToMRT]

I did all the same, sans the TM30, a month ago. Whilst it did not take me as long in CW as it did you,  I came to the same ultimate conclusion as you in the end as well. 

[mtls2005]

6 minutes ago, ccarbaugh said:

about 2 hours for the Stamp transfer.

 

Ouch, I was thinking this would take a few minutes.

 

Did you have to get a queue number for this service? What letter prefix, if you remember? What, if you could determine, led to such a wait time? Process, staffing, number of people queued?

 

 

[ccarbaugh]

Prefix was " K ."  I think all 3 led to such a wait time - Process, Staffing and # of people. ????

 

[mtls2005]

9 minutes ago, ccarbaugh said:

Prefix was " K ."  I think all 3 led to such a wait time - Process, Staffing and # of people. ????

 

 

Yeah, bad day to go figuring that the holiday, on a Monday to boot, probably led to ~ 25% increase in foreigners, along with some staff out for an extended weekend, and others getting back into the grind.

 

Off to check the holiday calendar again.

 

16 July (Tuesday) Asalha Bucha *

17 July (Wednesday) Khao Phansa (Start of Buddhist Lent) *

 

29 July (Monday) Substitute For King Vajiralongkorn’s Birthday

 

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by mtls2005

[gjoo888]

8 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Worth mentioning that you did this first day after the long weekend (3rd was a public holiday, queen's birthday).

 

Otherwise though, I wholeheartedly agree with your post, ten hours is insane. How on earth can they not have better systems after all these years, after pocketing so much tourist and expat money? Your post doesn't even mention the recent TM30 issue, which is a horse of a different colour, and could have easily derailed any of the four things you went there to do. 

I've been going to CW since it first opened, and was there a couple of weeks ago, I've never seen it so crowded. There wasn't an empty seat in the entire immigration office. I did get my extension done fairly quickly, after spending about 3 hours getting my TM30 done which they sprang on me at the extension desk.

[inThailand]

Guests? Who treats us like guests? Imo, police, taxis, national parks, temples, bars, restaurants, massage shops, markets, mini marts, repair shops. Do you normally try to scam or double charge your guests? 

 

We don't get treated like guests, more like dogs. 

[Geordie59]

I have transferred stamps to new passports twice at Jomtien. Each time I had to go back the next day to pick up my passport. The same every time I have done my retirement extension. 

Talk of money making schemes is out of order as the stamp transfer and 90 day report are free services. 

To achieve all that in 10 hours suddenly doesn't seem so bad to me.

By comparison, how long would it take you get a first tourist visa for your wife or girlfriend to visit your home country?

[Dumbastheycome]

30 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Guests? Who treats us like guests? Imo, police, taxis, national parks, temples, bars, restaurants, massage shops, markets, mini marts, repair shops. Do you normally try to scam or double charge your guests? 

 

We don't get treated like guests, more like dogs. 

Thai have to  jump through their own own obstacle  courses as well ! Bureaucrats in uniforms are not an exclusive experience for foreigners. Thai society is based on a dog pack structure ! Farang are just strays on the streets.????

[Nong Khai Man]

I Last got a New Passport in 2017,As I Had to go out of country to renew my Non-Imm " O " Visa, NO More pages left in the OLD Passport,So Armed with The Old & New Passports I Headed off down to Mukdahan Where a Beautiful Thai IO ( A Boss Lady Colonel ) Transferred my Stamps from the Old to the New Passports,it took her about 20 Minutes & She was very " Happy " to Help......Then Good to go over the border on the following day.....Thank You Ma'am.........

Edited June 5, 2019 by Nong Khai Man

[Andycoops]

Can't stand the heat, 

time to quit the kitchen. 

[buick]

9 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Ouch, I was thinking this would take a few minutes.

 

Did you have to get a queue number for this service? What letter prefix, if you remember? What, if you could determine, led to such a wait time? Process, staffing, number of people queued?

 

the stamp transfer service is processed at the desk that covers your permission to stay.  if you came in on an SETV, you'll go to desk J or K.  if doing extension based on retirement or marriage, it is the L desk.  so you are in line with everyone else, no quick way through.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Guests? Who treats us like guests? Imo, police, taxis, national parks, temples, bars, restaurants, massage shops, markets, mini marts, repair shops. Do you normally try to scam or double charge your guests? 

 

We don't get treated like guests, more like dogs. 

Hey, I think you were replying to my post.  It is gone now.  Wow, TV really is a "snowflake trigger zone"  555.  Good bye snowflakes!  Signing off!

[buick]

as noted by others, the big mistake here was going on a day after a holiday.  i've been going to CW since it opened and it was 6 or 7 years before i went on a day before/after a holiday.  i had no idea it could be so bad - i learned the hard way.  now i plan my visit very carefully.  for me, a monday holiday (which is the most common) knocks out the previous thurs and fri.  plus tues and wed of the holiday week.  so i'd choose the wed before the mon holiday or the thurs after the holiday.

 

 

[DogNo1]

I have been mailing in my 90-day report for several years now.  It takes 30 minutes to prepare maximum.  I give it to the front desk with mailing instructions about 15 days before it is due and get the report slip back 3-4 weeks later, then staple it in the back of my passport.  It’s good to schedule the day that you go to immigration carefully because some days it really is crowded.  My technique is to go just when lunch is over and get a queue ticket for the “L” line.  I always find that people with some queue numbers have left which speeds things up a bit.  If you can somehow manage to get a re-entry queue number early, it will also help speed things.  It’s good to know exactly where the photocopy shop is so you can rush down to get your new extension photocopied.  Be sure to get your queue ticket before you get the photocopy.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Guests? Who treats us like guests? Imo, police, taxis, national parks, temples, bars, restaurants, massage shops, markets, mini marts, repair shops. Do you normally try to scam or double charge your guests? 

 

We don't get treated like guests, more like dogs. 

 

 

You face all these issues ???? really ???...  I think you've exaggerated to try and dress up a really rubbish point... 

 

But I do agree with one point - you / we are not guests here, we are just people who are treated with the same degree of indifference Thai's treat each other. So when someone attempts to charge us more, they'd do the same to a Thai they perceive could pay more - the only difference is that you don't see this.... the same everywhere else... 

 

Its like the guys who cry that they have been treated unfairly and those who say all farangs get blamed in an accident etc... they don't...  the police will just try and blame whoever they think they can make the most money from and who will make the least fuss, be it Thai or Westerner or anyone else... they are indiscriminate in their greed as are many people here and around the world. 

 

You may think you are targeted, but really, in doing so you're just being a bit of a princess. 

 

[Orton Rd]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Guests? Who treats us like guests? Imo, police, taxis, national parks, temples, bars, restaurants, massage shops, markets, mini marts, repair shops. Do you normally try to scam or double charge your guests? 

 

We don't get treated like guests, more like dogs. 

Had a surprise at the bank today going in for an extension letter, they now stop tax on an MTD account at Krungsri Bank, that has always been tax free. The eventual expatiation was 'now for foreigner' Even the Mrs says she is getting sick of the way we get treated.

[crazykopite]

I live on an island the IMO is on the next island so my wife and I have to get a ferry to get there , for the past two years we have presented all our completed applications for extension of stay have then sat down for an hour or two before being called back to the desk to tell us all our documents are in order only problem is they then tell us to come back in 4/5 days time to collect our passport with the new extension of stay stamp in it so it costs us in the region of 1,800 baht I’d travelling expenses plus the cost of the E of S and re- entry stamps it’s an absolute pain as they insist that we both have to come back to collect our individual passports yet on a 90 day report as they don’t have an online system I can take both passports over . Have to say it’s a pain in the @$$ ????

[NoshowJones]

11 hours ago, Chazar said:

My Wife  has  spoken to a few  immigration officers about the rules and they have all said its ridiculous  and they dont want to do it  but they have to keep the govt perks for them and their families as  well as their  job.

The IOs who work serving the people I believe for the most part are pleasant enough, I have found after 13 years here that as most farangs say, the ordinary Thai people are very non confrontational.

It's the IOs that have the fancy ranks you have to beware of, I still believe the big wigs of the Thai government and immigration have no compassion at all.

[NoshowJones]

10 hours ago, ccarbaugh said:

about 2 hours for the Stamp transfer.  The 1-year retirement extension took the most amount of time (by far.)  It was then that they kept telling me, (in Thai,) of the TM 30 requirement!  The Re-Entry Permit only took about an hour as it was past working hours and they were finishing-up all the remaining people.  ????

Why should the re entry permit take an hour? Any re entry permit I have asked for took no more than 15 mins.

[flexomike]

26 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Had a surprise at the bank today going in for an extension letter, they now stop tax on an MTD account at Krungsri Bank, that has always been tax free. The eventual expatiation was 'now for foreigner' Even the Mrs says she is getting sick of the way we get treated.

Wow,  that is the only reason I opened and account there I guess I will have to move it to a fixed account now, are they taking the tax out every month or only when you hit a certain level 

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, inThailand said:

Guests? Who treats us like guests? Imo, police, taxis, national parks, temples, bars, restaurants, massage shops, markets, mini marts, repair shops. Do you normally try to scam or double charge your guests? 

 

We don't get treated like guests, more like dogs. 

and criminals.