I went to Immigration CW to extend my. Visa for the fourteenth time on Wednesday, after waiting two and a half hours which was one and a half hours longer than immigration’s estimate.  My queue number was called to a document checking desk. I was handed papers to sign by a youngish plump girl not in uniform and asked to draw a map showing where I lived then directed to another desk. On examining the papers I saw that they were; a request from a third party to issue me an extension, the rules and conditions for a successful extension and others which I  glanced at and signed. I pointed out to the IO and the senior officer who was actually checking, that these papers were not necessary but they obviously knew this already.  I do think that when Immigration is required to employ ‘helpers’ to check before they check, they might try to find someone who is capable of assessing why the applicant is there before them. Had I been more aware I would have returned the papers as The ‘helper’ gave them to me. I do not need to draw a map because I did that a few years ago.  I am requesting an extension on my own behalf. The rules and conditions are being fulfilled as can be seen from the submissions I am making and the power of Immigration to kick me out of the country is not enhanced by me signing a piece of paper acknowledging that fact.  

Thank goodness it is only once a year! 

 

 

Edited January 17, 20206 yr by tgeezer

Did you get your extension ? and as you say its only once a year,

just go with the flow.

regards Worgeordie

Just now, worgeordie said:

Did you get your extension ? and as you say its only once a year,

just go with the flow.

regards Worgeordie

Yes there was no reason not to get it, they didn’t even screw with me for being a pain.  Go with the flow is to accept that Immigration is staffed with imbeciles and that I refuse to do because I know that they are not imbeciles. 

 

oh OP, to be someone who has never made a mistake!

 

i did my extension at CW a couple of weeks ago, i found the staff there, IOs and helpers, to be efficient, friendly and helpful. i was there three hours, hardly an onerous experience; i read my book, had a coffee, wandered around the shops, relaxed...

 

my advice, just chill and go with the flow, life is much easier, fulfilling and enjoyable that way

This topic just shorter due a cleanup I did to remove off topic inflammatory posts and replies to them. Time to start over and end the nonsense.

Did my extension of stay last week at CW and filled out the routine extra documents the young assistant gave me just like last year. These extra documents are just statements that the applicant is aware of rules and are of little consequence in the scheme of things. Every applicant gets these and the OP is no exception. Get a life. 

26 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

Did my extension of stay last week at CW and filled out the routine extra documents the young assistant gave me just like last year. These extra documents are just statements that the applicant is aware of rules and are of little consequence in the scheme of things. Every applicant gets these and the OP is no exception. Get a life. 

If that desk was there last year then I wasn’t required to use it. What does little consequence mean?  If it means that they need not exist then I agree with you.  

Do not tell me to “ Get a life” it was probably comments designed  to attain one-upmanship like that which shortened the thread earlier. 

Edited January 17, 20206 yr by tgeezer

3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

oh OP, to be someone who has never made a mistake!

 

i did my extension at CW a couple of weeks ago, i found the staff there, IOs and helpers, to be efficient, friendly and helpful. i was there three hours, hardly an onerous experience; i read my book, had a coffee, wandered around the shops, relaxed...

 

my advice, just chill and go with the flow, life is much easier, fulfilling and enjoyable that way

I think it's reasonable advice, and I also think it's fair to raise the "we all make mistakes card."

 

But I'm still fine with the OP complaining here. These aren't random mistakes in a chaotic and unpredictable world. These aren't stubby fingers making a typo. This is their job. If they're handing out irrelevant/useless/redundant forms as a daily routine, that's something worth calling attention to.

 

Would I have said it the same way the OP did? No. It's not my style. But to each their own. If you accept every little inconvenience in life, they pile up and nothing will ever improve. The people who point out what's not working do the world a service by raising attention to problems so they can be fixed. The people who "just chill and go with the flow" make things pleasant. You need a balance of both kinds.

Only 3 hours sounds like heavenly short to me, not sure why this is worth posting (and I do like to whine about immigration). Try CNX next year if you like to wait.

23 hours ago, tgeezer said:

by a youngish plump girl not in uniform

I guess that was the biggest problem for you. You got your yearly extension in about 3 hours. Why can´t that just be fine, without any complaints?

32 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

I guess that was the biggest problem for you. You got your yearly extension in about 3 hours. Why can´t that just be fine, without any complaints?

 

Of the 3 hours 2 1/2 was waiting even before the documents were submitted.  My experience at CW earlier this week was even worse.  It's not fine because it shows Immigration's complete contempt for its customers' time.  If they actually cared they'd resurrect the appointment booking system.

3 minutes ago, Oxx said:

It's not fine because it shows Immigration's complete contempt for its customers' time. 

I agree with your sentiment but I often feel that way many places in Thailand, ie my time is of no consequence. The bank makes me feel that way. 

11 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I agree with your sentiment but I often feel that way many places in Thailand, ie my time is of no consequence. The bank makes me feel that way. 

Clearly you haven't attended an AU bank.

On 1/17/2020 at 7:49 AM, tgeezer said:

I do not need to draw a map because I did that a few years ago.

Going to CW without an attitude usually helps me get through the day. I also always take a new map each year. Life's too short.

Of course there could have been something on the form that the OP hadn't of read before that could end up with him being throw out of the country next year. And he would then be blaming someone for not bringing it to his attention. 

Never my fault !!

On 1/17/2020 at 7:49 AM, tgeezer said:

I was handed papers to sign by a youngish plump girl not in uniform

That was a student in training. 

2 hours ago, Oxx said:

If they actually cared they'd resurrect the appointment booking system.

If you like staying in Thailand, you should also resurrect your positive side and learn to have some patience.

On 1/17/2020 at 11:49 AM, tgeezer said:

Thank goodness it is only once a year! 

It appears that we both had a stressful day, thank God it was Friday ????

 

Have a read of my day yesterday when trying to get my extension ????

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143898-marriage-extension-more-changes-to-the-usual-paperwork/?tab=comments#comment-14967055

 

2 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

Of the 3 hours 2 1/2 was waiting even before the documents were submitted.  My experience at CW earlier this week was even worse.  It's not fine because it shows Immigration's complete contempt for its customers' time.  If they actually cared they'd resurrect the appointment booking system.

Had a conversation with the IO at Sakon Nakhon yesterday when I submitted my docs, 5 years now. It was a 3 hour all up wait and collect, and I couldn't help but say to him that I noticed that all 3 IO's were very busy, and that they must LOVE their jobs....lol, he just smiled and I said to him, one day if I am still alive, I hope someone can come up with a simpler system for me to use, you know someone from immigration submitting their idea to the big boss, like how about we don't ask farangs to provide us with 100 pages (2 sets) of paperwork every year for their extensions, why not get them to just provide us with the covering application form with a photo, copy of bank book pages and that be the end of it, after all, immigration has everything already, he raised his eyebrows, turned and looked at me, then turned at looked around and then said, I HATE this job and smiled, I said, I bet you do ????

 

16 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

If you like staying in Thailand, you should also resurrect your positive side and learn to have some patience.

 

I don't feel positive about being treated really shoddily because of bureaucratic incompetence and inefficiency in any country of the world.  Thailand is no different in that respect.

2 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

Of the 3 hours 2 1/2 was waiting even before the documents were submitted.  My experience at CW earlier this week was even worse.  It's not fine because it shows Immigration's complete contempt for its customers' time.  If they actually cared they'd resurrect the appointment booking system.

Considering the fairly common reference by TV posters to the mass exodus of foreigners, maybe they felt the booking system wouldn't be needed.

On 1/17/2020 at 10:19 AM, tgeezer said:

If that desk was there last year then I wasn’t required to use it. What does little consequence mean?  If it means that they need not exist then I agree with you.  

Do not tell me to “ Get a life” it was probably comments designed  to attain one-upmanship like that which shortened the thread earlier. 

Repeat-get a life. 

34 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

I don't feel positive about being treated really shoddily because of bureaucratic incompetence and inefficiency in any country of the world.  Thailand is no different in that respect.

Incompetence arroding to you, right? If you ask the people that are working with this and the immigration is this specific case, then they will say that their system is working. They will neither want you to call them incompetent. 

What you are posting is exactly what people that can´t accept differences do. If it´s not working after your model and your way things should be done, then it´s an incompetent system. Just stop complaining and be happy where you are, or go back home to try and change everything you don´t like in your own little play pin.

You don't need to point out anything to Thai Immigration. They are employees working for their country, not yours. The helpers are trainees by the way. Calm down a bit.

11 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Only 3 hours sounds like heavenly short to me, not sure why this is worth posting (and I do like to whine about immigration). Try CNX next year if you like to wait.

My time at CNX was but 20 minutes for my annual retirement extention.  Helps to have all of the paperwork ready and at hand.  ????

On 1/17/2020 at 8:07 AM, tgeezer said:

Yes there was no reason not to get it, they didn’t even screw with me for being a pain.  Go with the flow is to accept that Immigration is staffed with imbeciles and that I refuse to do because I know that they are not imbeciles. 

yeah Geez..  with your Thai language abilities it should be a breeze... though things sometimes just take time... sounds like calling in to customer service and explaining your problem to someone who has no ability to help you but will just pass you along to another person to explain to again..

 

and this is not a Thai thing... similar or worse can be visited upon your house in my own home western country, even the embassy not staffed by the best and brightest...  

5 minutes ago, Oxx said:

Personally, my time is valuable, so wasting several hours waiting

Oh dear! Several hours, one time per year. ???????? You must believe that time is short.

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Clearly you haven't attended an AU bank.

Absolutely mate, one time in a Commonwealth bank, a teller with no customer, so i walked up and she screamed at me to wait behind the line, when she did serve me, i just replied i want to close my account NOW ! sorry drifted off subject.

On 1/17/2020 at 10:19 AM, tgeezer said:

If that desk was there last year then I wasn’t required to use it. What does little consequence mean?  If it means that they need not exist then I agree with you.  

Do not tell me to “ Get a life” it was probably comments designed  to attain one-upmanship like that which shortened the thread earlier. 

You started the thread with your complaints and one would think that you were expecting some response.  Well, I'm with the other poster who thinks you've just overreacted a bit.  So you have to go to Immigration for a couple of hours once a year......you'll survive.   As for you saying that you don't need to draw a map, yes you do if it's requested.  As for signing the paperwork that basically states the rules for non-compliance, most everyone else has to do that and, again, hardly a big deal or worth complaining about.

But I do remain puzzled as to why you felt it necessary to mention the girl paper-checker was "plump."  Does that have something to do with the price of tea in China?

When sorting my yearly extensions I always do exactly what the IO checking my docs says while being polite as possible and never talking back or "pointing out" that she's wrong. It's usually the same woman (I use One Stop Centre) and she always tells me to make copies of docs that I've already submitted. I don't even say "I already have those copies." I just go pay the 2 baht for another copy and let her see her own mistake without letting on that I know she made it. I play dumb, because that is what she prefers. The process has always gone very smoothly, eight years now on the same visa.

On the other hand, I saw another farang applying for extension with the same IO checking his docs, and he was getting into it with her, saying "I already showed you that" and "the rules don't say I need that" while giving her attitude. Well, she proceeded to make it all take much longer than normal for him, finding some tiny sticking point to make him "correct." 

There are true matters of principle that are worth fighting over, and then there are people being jobsworths over minor issues like photocopies. Thai immigration is full of jobsworths -- best to humor them and play dumb because it's simply not worth the hassle of resisting, in my opinion.