Chiang Mai Immigration Q & A - Info and reports. (2020)

[Konini]

90 day reports time and we've been doing them online for a year now with no problem.  I did them online over the weekend as they were due yesterday and both of them were rejected. 

 

Mr K went to Promenada to do them in person, the girls there were mystified as they weren't on the system, they actually looked up from their phones and tried more than expected to find out why they weren't on the system. He took the Approved printouts from the last report to prove we were there then.  When I go to check my status, it shows 4 approved and the latest one rejected.

 

So, not working properly every time but no real hardship.  Will have to wait until next time to see if it's sorted itself out.

[EricTh]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

That day had came around again, "Retirement Extension day,"

first off to the Bank,to get Bank book updated and copies of it,

how long does it take to copy 4 pages of the bank book, nearly

15 mins it seems, OK bank stuff done,

 

I had copies of everything Immigration could possibly  ask for,

signed and dated, when I arrived it was much busier than I

expected it to be, the room was chok- a -blok , but my number

was the next one to be called, so everything done in less than

1 hour, Agents. ????.....the best 3000 Thb, I have never spent,

regards Worgeordie

 

 

 

 

 

So there weren't anybody waiting for the retirement extension except you....

 

 

[worgeordie]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

So there weren't anybody waiting for the retirement extension except you....

 

 

That's what it seemed like, as my number came up in about 10 mins

of getting papers checked , but the room was full of people,no idea

what kind of visas they were getting.

regards worgeordie

[Raindancer]

Just thought I would add my experience today of renewing my annual retirement extension for those interested.

 

I did my renewal within the 45 days allowed prior to visa expiring.  Actually, day 44.

 

1.   Arrived at 0645am.  Sat outside under cover.

2.  0700 am passed through covid temperature check and given a ticket number 0002 and waited outside in the covered area.

3.   0745 am Female sgt checked my papers. And handed me the two acceptance forms to complete.

4.   0800 moved inside to have documents checked by front desk Sgt Major and handed new ticket number 002

5.  0830 called forward to desk and handed everything over.  Only 7 or 8 people there at that time.

 

0915.   Handed passport with new extension until 2022.

 

Just a footnote:  The couple behind us were doing a marriage extension renewal.  His bank book was updated yesterday.  But he was told to go and get it updated today.

 

I thought that it had 7 days grace, in the same way it is for retirement extension.  But I stand to be corrected.

 

 

[deej]

Did my 90 day report to morning at Cmai Immgr Dept,s  drive in /outservice

at 9AM

Done and Dusted inside 3 mins ,with a smile too????

 

 

 

[Genericnic]

Report:

 

I'm on a Non-O retirement extension using the 800,000 baht deposit method and went to the Chiang Mai immigration office today to do my next extension.

 

Here is the process at Chiang Mai (at least as of today ????):

 

After you come through the Covid-19 screening, go to the left to the tent. If you have all your paperwork and copies already, the IO will check them over. (If you need other copies, there is a copy center around back.) If you have everything in order, the IO will give you a numbered card. Take it and go to window 3 inside the main building.

At window 3 they will check all the paperwork again and if it is in order, they will give you a queue number.

When your number is called, go to to the appropriate window and hand in your documents. You will then be taken inside to the IO. He will check your documents and if they are in order he will stamp your passport with the extension. He will collect the fee (1900 baht) and you go out and wait. Shortly you will be called back to the window and get your stamped passport and a receipt for your payment (and any change). The woman at the window will most likely confirm the extension date and also the date of your next 90-day report. You are finished.

 

Here are the documents you need for a Non-O retirement extension (as of today):

 

TM7

Photo (to go on the TM7)

Passport - 1 copy all relevant pages, signed

TM6 copy

TM30 copy

Copy of bank book (updated)

Copy of past 12 month bank statements

Bank letter

Acknowledgement of overstay penalties

Some other acknowledgement form (I don't remember what it was for - COVID-19 related. All it needs is a signature)

 

Some notes:

The photo should already be attached to the TM7 when you get to the tent.

 

Your TM7 should have your telephone number on it (I put mine directly below my signature) and the GPS location of where you stay - this is a relatively new requirement. You can find it easily using Google. This link shows how if you need it (https://www.lifewire.com/latitude-longitude-coordinates-google-maps-1683398) (I put mine right under my address at the top of the back page). In my case the IO did not see it and looked it up on his phone before I could point it out to him.

 

The last two documents listed above - the acknowledgements - are available at the back of the tent next to the building.

 

This should be your first thing to do when getting ready for your extension. At least a week before you go for the extension, order your 12 month bank statements from your bank. I don't know if all banks are the same but I use Bangkok Bank and it took 8 days to get them.

 

Hopefully this will be of some help.

[electsub]

Just my story for today.

Went to Immigration with one question for them to answer (after coming from the bank). After not getting the answer I wanted I think they told me from today visa's are extended  2 months (although he did not mark my passport to this affect), but he did say ''2 months'. The person who said this is the man outside checking paperwork and his English skills not all that. He took me inside and had me stand then we went outside again and I waited as he again went inside with my bankbook and passport. When he came out he made this blurb to me 'from today 2 months visa.' Remember I had no paperwork to process only a question. 

 

Before going to immigration as mentioned above I first went to bank because my non-o visa expires May 5th. Reading one of these informative post in this forum, it was stated that 12 month of bank records may take the bank a long time to get, and they were right. The Bank said maybe 8 days or more (gave 200 bht), they said call back in 8 days. Remember my Visa expires 5th of May and the letter won't come till many days after that.

 

Note the banks are closed Monday and Tuesday for Labor day, they say.

 

Here's the rub, after leaving immigration went to the white building across the street. Got photos and made copies and aske them if it's a fact that there is a 2 month extension for everyone due to COVID, they did not know or care. 

Went home with knowing less then when I started but the wife said she thinks (Thinks!) immigration was correct and then I really worried.  

 

PS my 'unanswered' question for immigration was will i incur penalties due to the late bank report. 

[NancyL]

1 hour ago, electsub said:

Just my story for today.

Went to Immigration with one question for them to answer (after coming from the bank). After not getting the answer I wanted I think they told me from today visa's are extended  2 months (although he did not mark my passport to this affect), but he did say ''2 months'. The person who said this is the man outside checking paperwork and his English skills not all that. He took me inside and had me stand then we went outside again and I waited as he again went inside with my bankbook and passport. When he came out he made this blurb to me 'from today 2 months visa.' Remember I had no paperwork to process only a question. 

 

Before going to immigration as mentioned above I first went to bank because my non-o visa expires May 5th. Reading one of these informative post in this forum, it was stated that 12 month of bank records may take the bank a long time to get, and they were right. The Bank said maybe 8 days or more (gave 200 bht), they said call back in 8 days. Remember my Visa expires 5th of May and the letter won't come till many days after that.

 

Note the banks are closed Monday and Tuesday for Labor day, they say.

 

Here's the rub, after leaving immigration went to the white building across the street. Got photos and made copies and aske them if it's a fact that there is a 2 month extension for everyone due to COVID, they did not know or care. 

Went home with knowing less then when I started but the wife said she thinks (Thinks!) immigration was correct and then I really worried.  

 

PS my 'unanswered' question for immigration was will i incur penalties due to the late bank report. 

The two month extension is for tourist visas, not one-year retirement or marriage extensions.  You could have applied for that type of extension well in advance of expiration.  Rather than assuming you have an automatic two month extension, it would be wise to go to Immigration as soon as you get your bank letter to apply for your one year extension, knowing it's past May 5 by a few days.

 

I think you'll discover that they'll grant it, but claim you're on a overstay since May 5 and you'll have to pay 500 baht/day for each day past May 5.  They'll be doing you a favor.

[electsub]

13 minutes ago, NancyL said:

The two month extension is for tourist visas, not one-year retirement or marriage extensions.  You could have applied for that type of extension well in advance of expiration.  Rather than assuming you have an automatic two month extension, it would be wise to go to Immigration as soon as you get your bank letter to apply for your one year extension, knowing it's past May 5 by a few days.

 

I think you'll discover that they'll grant it, but claim you're on a overstay since May 5 and you'll have to pay 500 baht/day for each day past May 5.  They'll be doing you a favor.

Thank you. I will wait for the bank 12 month report and immediately apply for the extension. 

[stament]

On 4/27/2021 at 3:30 PM, Konini said:

90 day reports time and we've been doing them online for a year now with no problem.  I did them online over the weekend as they were due yesterday and both of them were rejected. 

 

Mr K went to Promenada to do them in person, the girls there were mystified as they weren't on the system, they actually looked up from their phones and tried more than expected to find out why they weren't on the system. He took the Approved printouts from the last report to prove we were there then.  When I go to check my status, it shows 4 approved and the latest one rejected.

 

So, not working properly every time but no real hardship.  Will have to wait until next time to see if it's sorted itself out.

I

I'm hoping to do mine online later this month for the first time (I initially did the in-person reporting).  Hopefully it will work.

 

 

[canthai55]

Got mine on LINE yesterday

[NotEinstein]

1 hour ago, canthai55 said:

Got mine on LINE yesterday

Via the online system, or through the LINE app?

[canthai55]

LINE app

[EricTh]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:44 PM, Genericnic said:

Some notes:

The photo should already be attached to the TM7 when you get to the tent.

 

Your TM7 should have your telephone number on it (I put mine directly below my signature) and the GPS location of where you stay - this is a relatively new requirement. You can find it easily using Google. This link shows how if you n week before you go for the extension, order your 12 month bank statements from your bank. I don't know if all banks are the same but I use Bangkok Bank and it took 8 days to get them.

 

 

 

 

They come up with new and new requirements every year. I wonder what they do with the tons of photocopies every year?

 

[Konini]

8 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

 

They come up with new and new requirements every year. I wonder what they do with the tons of photocopies every year?

 

They reuse them.  Three or four times over the years we've had things printed off from them with someone else's passport or Thai id card on the other side.  It's a privacy nightmare if you're that way inclined.

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, Konini said:

They reuse them.  Three or four times over the years we've had things printed off from them with someone else's passport or Thai id card on the other side.  It's a privacy nightmare if you're that way inclined.

 

Thaivisa should really have an 'angry' emoticon. In most countries, the particulars of others is of utmost privacy.

 

[Barley]

I want to apply for my first Non-O visa next week sometime Tuesday or Wednesday in the afternoon. 

 

Can (should?) I go to Promenada or the main IO office close to the airport? 

 

Are there some tips or some peculiarities of CM immigration that I should know about? 

[stament]

On 5/1/2021 at 1:34 PM, canthai55 said:

LINE app

You mean you submit via the LINE app?  If so, how do I do that please.  Thanks

[canthai55]

1 hour ago, stament said:

You mean you submit via the LINE app?  If so, how do I do that please.  Thanks

My agent does the 90 day report. Sends the foto to me on LINE for my records

[stament]

 

I did my online report yesterday, do we now how long it takes to be processed on average.  Guessing it's all manual rather than validated and approved automatically based on the info submitted.

[Raindancer]

2 hours ago, stament said:

 

I did my online report yesterday, do we now how long it takes to be processed on average.  Guessing it's all manual rather than validated and approved automatically based on the info submitted.

If you submitted your online application yesterday ( Saturday) it will not be dealt with until Monday.

Whenever, I have submitted mine ( Monday to Friday) I have been fortunate enough to receive confirmation within 30 minutes or so.

 

Hope that helps.

[Raindancer]

19 hours ago, stament said:

You mean you submit via the LINE app?  If so, how do I do that please.  Thanks

There is no such thing as a line app for immigration.  However, there is an immigration app on play store that you could also use to complete 90 day reporting on line.

But I find the computer link is quicker.

[stament]

21 hours ago, Raindancer said:

If you submitted your online application yesterday ( Saturday) it will not be dealt with until Monday.

Whenever, I have submitted mine ( Monday to Friday) I have been fortunate enough to receive confirmation within 30 minutes or so.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks, I checked online just now and it's still pending.  I will check again later today or tomorrow.

 

[Yorkshire Tea]

4 hours ago, stament said:

 

Thanks, I checked online just now and it's still pending.  I will check again later today or tomorrow.

 

I did mine last week, & confirmed within half an hour.

[stament]

7 hours ago, stament said:

 

Thanks, I checked online just now and it's still pending.  I will check again later today or tomorrow.

 

checked mid-morning today and it was magically approved ????

[silverhawk_usa]

I don't want to quote the lengthy posts above, so I will just throw the question out there.  Some state they used the 800,000 baht deposit method for their retirement visa and along with the required bank letter they submitted a years bank statement.
In my 18 years of retirement visa's using the 800k deposit, I have never been asked for a statement, only the bank letter. It has been my experience, and friends, that the statements are only required if you use the monthly deposit method.  Comments??  (@Genericnic ?)

[deej]

 ^^^^  Ditto ????

[JimGant]

5 hours ago, silverhawk_usa said:

In my 18 years of retirement visa's using the 800k deposit, I have never been asked for a statement, only the bank letter. It has been my experience, and friends, that the statements are only required if you use the monthly deposit method.  Comments?

Nope. As of the Oct 2019 police order requiring the 800k to remain in the bank for 3 months after application (and to never go below 400k during the year), they want both a bank letter with the latest balance, and a bank letter summarizing the last 12 months of activity. Why? Because if you don't update your passbook at all during the year, the last update will normally be consolidated, thus if you went below the 800/400 constraints, but then came back up, that would only show up in a 12 month bank letter summary.

Anyway, my 'hand holding' agent (Best Friends) gave me a handout last year for my bank, Bangkok Bank, with instructions for obtaining the bank letters, like, ask for the 12 month letter 7 days in advance of when needed. No questions asked, as they're being paid, by me, to know the drill.

You'll see other reports on this forum where the 12 month letter was not required by some Imm offices. But CM does -- or at least some of the IOs ask for them. Thus, best go prepared.

[silverhawk_usa]

3 hours ago, JimGant said:

Nope. As of the Oct 2019 police order requiring the 800k to remain in the bank for 3 months after application (and to never go below 400k during the year), they want both a bank letter with the latest balance, and a bank letter summarizing the last 12 months of activity. Why? Because if you don't update your passbook at all during the year, the last update will normally be consolidated, thus if you went below the 800/400 constraints, but then came back up, that would only show up in a 12 month bank letter summary.

Anyway, my 'hand holding' agent (Best Friends) gave me a handout last year for my bank, Bangkok Bank, with instructions for obtaining the bank letters, like, ask for the 12 month letter 7 days in advance of when needed. No questions asked, as they're being paid, by me, to know the drill.

You'll see other reports on this forum where the 12 month letter was not required by some Imm offices. But CM does -- or at least some of the IOs ask for them. Thus, best go prepared.

Nope. Oct 2019 and 2020, (and since 2002) it was not required from me. No hand holding agents, The volunteer outside said I needed it, but I went in anyway and it was not asked for by the IO. However; I receive a monthly statement from Bangkok Bank in the mail for my Foreign Currency Account and I do take them with me just in case.  Only relating my CM experience, others may differ. 

[JimGant]

58 minutes ago, silverhawk_usa said:

The volunteer outside said I needed it, but I went in anyway and it was not asked for by the IO.

Yeah, Immigration is like a box of chocolates. I guess if you applied in the 30 to 45 day window, having to go back for a 7 day wait for a bank letter wouldn't be too terrible. Otherwise, an added 7 days to the process might be inconvenient. Not a big deal to get that letter, at least it wasn't for me at Bangkok Bank.