Whats happening at Immigration?

Drove by yesterday at 10;00 AM and the que was al the way in the parking lot till the motorbike parking lines.

This morning did a check at 7:00 AM and it was full already inside.

They are handing out que tickets at 6:00 AM for the que tickets at 8 AM.

At 7:00 AM next ticket was number 87 , so 86 people waiting inside already.

I have to go there next week and last year i just walked in at 7:30 and got my normal que ticket.

Anyone have an update about waiting times?

 

Thanks

Probably due to >

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1148096-weird-goings-on-at-chiang-mai-police-station-naked-woman-who-speaks-only-english/?do=getNewComment

????

Rapidly moving back to the bad old days.

This has been reported, denied, deflected, reported again, repeat, for one month. most people assume they are indeed, going back to their bad old ways. 

Queue up semi anonymous posters who claim you should get a visa agency to do any activity here at the IO Chiang Mai. If you do not, you are a low life, skint, expat, backpack, begpacker type that should be run out of the kingdom.

And then just as quickly the anonymous posters will be gone. Until they’re needed again.
 

18 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Rapidly moving back to the bad old days.

I was there yesterday for 90 days report(I forgot mail in for the first time in 15 years) and it took 1,5 hours.It looked like chaos insite and outside.

Its been like that for the last 4 weeks at least 2 hours to do a 90 report a couple of weeks ago and grow a beard for a retirement visa by the look of it????

Small price to pay for the free smoke filled air...

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Queue up semi anonymous posters who claim you should get a visa agency to do any activity here at the IO Chiang Mai. If you do not, you are a low life, skint, expat, backpack, begpacker type that should be run out of the kingdom.

And then just as quickly the anonymous posters will be gone. Until they’re needed again.
 

Way over the top???? From posts i have read. It is

entirely one.s choice to be a D.I.Y. or engage a Visa Agent

for any Visa.s etc etc to be obtained at Chiangmai Immgr Dept

Can't say for sure, but probably something related to the coronavirus. Yesterday we drove past the Chinese Consulate and there was what appeared to be at least 100 or more Chinese in some kind of a panic; pushing and shoving and screaming and some appeared to be trying to push the huge metal gate. Several security personnel were trying to diffuse the situation. We could see the police approaching as we passed.

 

Something is going on.

Quote

About 200 to  300 Chinese tourists lined up to file their requests for visa extension per day last week.

 

5 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

And then just as quickly the anonymous posters will be gone. Until they’re needed again.

And of course you feel that your post was needed and helped us all. I assume (hope) that you will soon be one of those "anonymous posters".

There are many reports about Chinese (and others) not wishing to fly anywhere at the moment seeking extensions and this may be a reason for the queues!

There is a separate office on the right of the entrance dealing with extensions of stay based on the Covid-19 problem I believe.

 

The chaos at the front of the main office is all it's own!

18 minutes ago, Thailand said:

There is a separate office on the right of the entrance dealing with extensions of stay based on the Covid-19 problem I believe.

 

The chaos at the front of the main office is all it's own!

You state "I believe"!  

Do you have any factual information to substantiate that comment.  

Where is this so called "office on the right of the entrance dealing with extensions of stay based on the Covid-19 problem"?

Any unexpected influx of extra customers is going to have an impact on the IO operations thru ought Thailand IO's.  Even if the office exists where have the extra IO's come from to man it without affecting the normal pre virus  operations?

 

For those who were not here in the bad old days, and that was up until 16months ago.

The process was to set your alarm for 4am and try to be at the front of the queue for 5am.

There were 4,5,6 queues then depending on your requirement.

 

At 5am you would arrive and your heart would sink because each queue already had 22 people lined up. The head of the lines came straight from the bars the night before, it was well organised, most people brought their own camp chairs, dvd players, flasks of whiskey, knitting, headphones, football and tennis rackets. The 7/11 had not opened, no ptt, so no toilets, people slept in their cars and had someone stand in line. There were only a few chairs for the early arrivals. It was horrible but it was quite civilised. The worst day of the year easily.

But there was good news, they were going to build a new office to alleviate all the problems.

Ha,yes, it managed to run efficiently for just over a year.

 

59 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

You state "I believe"!  

Do you have any factual information to substantiate that comment.  

Where is this so called "office on the right of the entrance dealing with extensions of stay based on the Covid-19 problem"?

Any unexpected influx of extra customers is going to have an impact on the IO operations thru ought Thailand IO's.  Even if the office exists where have the extra IO's come from to man it without affecting the normal pre virus  operations?

 

Yes

9 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

Anyone have an update about waiting times?

Apparently it's all your own fault for not dressing smartly (polo shirt, cargo pants, white socks and sandals) and not showing the immigration officials enough respect.

 

You just need to wait a bit more.

Keep it civil please.

 

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

9 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

Anyone have an update about waiting times?

Yes. Ten minutes per year with a legal agent`

Then go to a bar or whatever and spend your time (and money) as you wish!!!

 

PS;  The interest from your fixed deposit account (800,000Bht) more than pays the legal agent's fees!!!!!

8 hours ago, dvg said:

I was there yesterday for 90 days report(I forgot mail in for the first time in 15 years) and it took 1,5 hours.It looked like chaos insite and outside.

90 day report st Jomtien a few weeks ago took 3 minutes...couldn't do with that lot you got up there

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

Yes

Yes to what?

Please tell us more! 

5 hours ago, elektrified said:

Can't say for sure, but probably something related to the coronavirus. Yesterday we drove past the Chinese Consulate and there was what appeared to be at least 100 or more Chinese in some kind of a panic; pushing and shoving and screaming and some appeared to be trying to push the huge metal gate. Several security personnel were trying to diffuse the situation. We could see the police approaching as we passed.

 

Something is going on

 

maybe they don't want to go back to china just yet

 

can't say i blame them

 

Is there any way of feeding back to the government the extent of the disaster that is Chiang Mai Immigration.

Serious question.

i don’t know enough about how the Thai system of government works.

In my country I’d write a letter of complaint to the Minister....and I’d get a reply from their office.

Its obvious that the current building and staff levels can’t cope.

I was there 2 weeks ago and it was entirely full with people spilling out (Many not wearing masks).
It was chaos.

The carpark was entirely full and backed up.

12 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Yes. Ten minutes per year with a legal agent`

Then go to a bar or whatever and spend your time (and money) as you wish!!!

 

PS;  The interest from your fixed deposit account (800,000Bht) more than pays the legal agent's fees!!!!!

We are not all on retirement visa's here.

For my Non B a visa agent wanted 40.000 for extension.

My assistant does it for 3.000 with all papers provided by my accountant.

Extensions should be a walk in the park without long waiting lines because of these "legal"agencies with their ridiculous fees.

It's an opium laden pipe-dream to think that any farang can exert any influence or pressure on Thai govt operations. 

Farangs are not paying customers, as in a hotel, but rather tolerated guests who must conform to Thai rules or find another, more welcoming, land to live in.

 

We may moan in public  over some aspects of life here which are not to the farang's liking, but there is no evidence of change.

Business as usual.

34 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Business as usual.

Not really. In fact it's an unusual situation. After the coronavirus passes, things should be back to normal. Everything was running quite smoothly from my experience for a good while now. In and out in a very short time, never a problem finding parking, etc. (since the opening of the new building).

20 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Everything was running quite smoothly from my experience for a good while now. In and out in a very short time

That was until the new boss arrived.

22 hours ago, dvg said:

I was there yesterday for 90 days report(I forgot mail in for the first time in 15 years) and it took 1,5 hours.It looked like chaos insite and 

 

22 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Its been like that for the last 4 weeks at least 2 hours to do a 90 report a couple of weeks ago and grow a beard for a retirement visa by the look of it????

Went last Wednesday to do one year extension and re entry permit, arrived at 6.30am, was given number 36 for docs check, checked at around 9am, given ticket number 35 for 1yr extension, passport stamped at 11.55am, after extensive scrutiny  on finances, 800,000bt deposit. 12pm-1pm lunch break, at 1pm handed in passport for re entry permit, took about 5 minutes to issue. At this time only about 6 people waiting in queue for docs check.

As I reported before, there is some Mickey Mouse Chinese fire drill going on at the opening of the "event," whereby the early ticket holders are supposed to be vetted first, but the people who have just arrived push in anyway, the official counting the numbers and monitoring fades away, and some people with early ticket numbers find themselves behind people who did not queue. Not only unfair, but unruly. 

 

In this case, the early bird will get the worm (arrive at 5am) since as I saw it, if you get the first, say, 15 early ticket slots, you will be served as you would expect. After that it's a clusterfluck free-for-all. 

 

The irony (perhaps) is that even with the new building, the most basic foundation of getting a number and being served in that order has broken down. 

It's a testament to the ineptitude of the administration that a simple queuing operation can't be successfully operated. 

3 hours ago, elektrified said:

Not really. In fact it's an unusual situation. After the coronavirus passes, things should be back to normal. Everything was running quite smoothly from my experience for a good while now. In and out in a very short time, never a problem finding parking, etc. (since the opening of the new building).

Its got nothing to do with the virus. I was there twice before Christmas and again mid January and all thtee visits were a nightmare.

The virus wasnt even news then