Whats happening at CM Immigration?

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, stament said:

No Germans & beach towels on the chairs? ????

No, only the visa agents and the unseen ghosts were there waiting.

[jonwilly]

And the Sick Lot. who quote #Need a Holding Hand #

 

Gents I don't mind admitting 

I do need a holding hand.

 

john

[jeffandgop]

20 hours ago, LawrenceN said:

Similar story, I was there last week for a re-entry permit. I sat for over two hours. Used to take ten minutes. 

I was there last week for a re-entry permit. It took no more than 1 hour. I arrived at 1:30PM, received my question no. within 5 minutes, with 7 persons in the que in front of me.

[eyecatcher]

12 hours ago, stament said:

No Germans & beach towels on the chairs? ????

No but i was once 4th in the marriage queue behind a bottle of water on chair 1, a book and a teeshirt on chair 2, and what looked like someones bra and pants from thr day before on chair 3.

 

Really didnt expect an elderly bloke to come back to reclaim chair 3

[sanemax]

Went to extend a visa exempt today 

Got there at 2 PM, straight in and out and no waiting and was out within 30 minutes , got my PP back with extension fave minutes after handing it in 

 

[Kelsall]

On 2/25/2020 at 6:42 PM, JimGant said:

Ditto for me. Did all my paperwork (I arrived at their office with completed paperwork, but they redid most to comply with what they knew Immigration wanted (margins and such)). Also, my photo didn't have enough blue background, so they took another photo with their dark blue background. Thus, package ready for inspection at Immigration.

 

I and my agent were driven to Immigration by an agency car, dropped off at the entrance, and commenced the extension drill (thus avoiding any parking problem, which often occurs). Lines weren't long (this Aug 2019), so don't know if "queue jumping" might have been part of the package, since no jumping required with this short line. Extension obtained in a short time, then re-entry permit (which requires photocopies of latest extension, but which agent readily accomplishes) also accomplished with little waiting. Next, agent calls driver, we're picked up in front of Immigration, and returned to the agency headquarters (and my car, which had plenty of parking available at my earlier arrival).

 

The agent is "Best Friends."  https://www.bestfriendvisa.com/17018405/contact-us

Really nice, competent folks. This was the original agency at Promenada, then called G4T. Then, superseded in the 3rd floor location by Tiana -- a ruder, more expensive agency.

 

I used Best Friends in Aug of 2018 and Aug 2019 -- their service prices were the same: 3000 baht for the extension and I believe another 500 baht for the multiple re-entry permit (but no more than 500 baht). This may have covered 90 day reports, but why would I drive to their office 4 times per year for something I can do online or by post.....?

 

I almost hate to post this, as they may now get overrun with new customers. But probably not, based on the grousing seen on this forum about agents by the cheap charlies, you know, the folks with screwed up paperwork that slow down the line...

That's who I used.  My experience in Jan 2019 and before was the same as yours.  In Jan 2020 the only difference was I went into a small room, as opposed to the front counter, where I had my picture taken. Best Friend Visa fee was 3000 Baht for the service.  Best Friend Visa also gave me a heads up on the 12 month bank statement required for this year. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Kelsall

[EricTh]

On 2/27/2020 at 6:28 AM, Kelsall said:

That's who I used.  My experience in Jan 2019 and before was the same as yours.  In Jan 2020 the only difference was I went into a small room, as opposed to the front counter, where I had my picture taken. Best Friend Visa fee was 3000 Baht for the service.  Best Friend Visa also gave me a heads up on the 12 month bank statement required for this year. 

 

Don't support visa agents, you're only feeding the corruption.

 

I noticed that some of these officers deliberately work slower so that people are forced to use agents in which they get a cut out of the fees paid.

 

After Big Joke came into immigration to stamp out corruption, then suddenly the processes became much more efficient and we don't have to queue up at 6 am in the morning.

Edited February 28, 2020 by EricTh

[EricTh]

On 2/23/2020 at 10:28 AM, sharktooth said:

Did the Cert of Residence place ever move from Promenada? Where is it now...

It is now at main CM immigration.

 

By right, it should move to Promenada because it is considered non-essential. It is also tied to TM30, without TM30 you can't get cert of residence.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by EricTh

[jackdd]

On 2/25/2020 at 7:31 PM, roo860 said:

People on long stay visas/extensions usually live a outside the city center, for many of them it is easier to go to Promenada than to the immigration office in the city. They also usually have their own transport and don't have to rely on public transport. The car parking spaces at the Immigration office are always rare, would be no problem at Promenada.

Tourists usually stay in the city center, close to the immigration office, going to Promenada is way more difficult for them because they usually have to rely on public transport.

It would have been logical to do the tourist stuff in the city and the long term stuff at Promenada. Who had the great idea to do it the other way around?

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by jackdd

[stament]

7 hours ago, jackdd said:

People on long stay visas/extensions usually live a outside the city center, for many of them it is easier to go to Promenada than to the immigration office in the city. They also usually have their own transport and don't have to rely on public transport. The car parking spaces at the Immigration office are always rare, would be no problem at Promenada.

Tourists usually stay in the city center, close to the immigration office, going to Promenada is way more difficult for them because they usually have to rely on public transport.

It would have been logical to do the tourist stuff in the city and the long term stuff at Promenada. Who had the great idea to do it the other way around?

 

Promenada opens at 9 but I thought I read Airport Immigration opened at 8.

 

Wonder if Promenada will also open at weekends for TM30 reporting like the current one does.

Edited February 29, 2020 by stament

[sharktooth]

8 hours ago, EricTh said:

It is now at main CM immigration.

 

By right, it should move to Promenada because it is considered non-essential. It is also tied to TM30, without TM30 you can't get cert of residence.

 

 

I wonder if there will be an agent there who can expediate the process like they had there before

[Yorkshire Tea]

8 hours ago, jackdd said:

 

It would have been logical to do the tourist stuff in the city and the long term stuff at Promenada. Who had the great idea to do it the other way around?

 

That would go against their policy of making life difficult for foreigners ????

(sarcasm alert)

[Peter Denis]

If they were smart they would set up a Help Desk with information and support for those interested in doing their TM30 and 90-day reports on-line.

If they were smart...

[stament]

4 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

If they were smart they would set up a Help Desk with information and support for those interested in doing their TM30 and 90-day reports on-line.

If they were smart...

No agent fees then....????

[cnxgary]

So, 90 day reports will be at Prom. anyone know of the mailing address?

[stament]

14 minutes ago, cnxgary said:

So, 90 day reports will be at Prom. anyone know of the mailing address?

Opens Monday so maybe get some answers after that. I'm going Friday so will ask them if nobody's responded by then.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, cnxgary said:

So, 90 day reports will be at Prom. anyone know of the mailing address?

The in-person reports are done there, doesn't mean that you have to mail them there.

I guess you can continue mailing them to the immigration office.

[EricTh]

12 hours ago, sharktooth said:

I wonder if there will be an agent there who can expediate the process like they had there before

Wherever there's sugar, you can find ants. 

 

Wherever there's corruption, you can find agents.

 

Why do you need an agent to do simple tasks? There is an agency just a few doors away from Kad Suan Kaew.

Edited February 29, 2020 by EricTh

[sharktooth]

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

Wherever there's sugar, you can find ants. 

 

Wherever there's corruption, you can find agents.

 

Why do you need an agent to do simple tasks? There is an agency just a few doors away from Kad Suan Kaew.

Because without an agent you can’t get it in 24 hours.

[dcnx]

On 2/29/2020 at 5:06 AM, EricTh said:

Why do you need an agent to do simple tasks?

Because I have better things to do than deal with Somchai.

[dingdongrb]

On 2/29/2020 at 9:10 PM, sharktooth said:

Because without an agent you can’t get it in 24 hours.

I call BS to that....  Been doing it now for nearly 10 years without an agent and it's never taken 24 hrs.... Matter of fact, I think the longest it has ever taken me was perhaps 7 hrs..... and that was due to the ONE TIME I had to return after lunch to continue.

 

NOTE: The 7 hrs I eluded to includes driving to Immigration, parking the car, and all the queues....up until the time I received my passport back with the extension stamp.

[stament]

What was the first day like at Promenada following the reopening? Any news?

[Thailand]

On 2/29/2020 at 8:32 AM, cnxgary said:

So, 90 day reports will be at Prom. anyone know of the mailing address?

Probably the same as it was before when immigration moved to Prom.

 

Just sent one in to original address at Moo 3 and it has been delivered.

Edited March 3, 2020 by Thailand

[sharktooth]

1 hour ago, dingdongrb said:

I call BS to that....  Been doing it now for nearly 10 years without an agent and it's never taken 24 hrs.... Matter of fact, I think the longest it has ever taken me was perhaps 7 hrs..... and that was due to the ONE TIME I had to return after lunch to continue.

 

NOTE: The 7 hrs I eluded to includes driving to Immigration, parking the car, and all the queues....up until the time I received my passport back with the extension stamp.

You can get Resident Cert direct from immigration same day now at no extra charge?

[opalred]

how hard is it to lick a stamp and post it?

maybe frighten of getting a virus from the stamp

[Rancid]

On 2/19/2020 at 10:35 AM, NeeNoon said:

They don't just have interns checking the paper, they have the actual officers.  ....  This is what is going on and its pathetic.  I am sure there will be some posters here that will try to spin this to say it was our fault somehow. 

Yeah, used to get all that when I lived there, always another document required, usually took 3 times. Of course its all 100% deliberate, and for those that can't figure out why, then you really don't understand this place.

[terminatorchiangmai]

I went back on Monday to finally get my Non B extension. Good news was i got que number 25, bad news was only 2 counters working very very very slowly on long term. Finally at 13:10 it was my turn and after checking my papers for one hour the IO decided that i needed the have 3 extra letters explaining why i not have accounting of February complete.

What ? Last week i was  there with all complete papers and they did not have the Captain for Non B working because she had family circumstances. Anyway back to home to print out 3 more papers and delivered them after another hour wait. finished at 4 pm , the lady with que no 89 was still sitting there as they were handling no 40 that time.

She will not get helped this day so why give this que number anyway and let people wait for nothing?

This was the first day that 90 day , etc moved over to Promenada , so lack of staff at Airport right away. 

Happy i am done now for another year. This was the worst ever in 12 years.

[NeeNoon]

19 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

I went back on Monday to finally get my Non B extension. Good news was i got que number 25, bad news was only 2 counters working very very very slowly on long term. Finally at 13:10 it was my turn and after checking my papers for one hour the IO decided that i needed the have 3 extra letters explaining why i not have accounting of February complete.

What ? Last week i was  there with all complete papers and they did not have the Captain for Non B working because she had family circumstances. Anyway back to home to print out 3 more papers and delivered them after another hour wait. finished at 4 pm , the lady with que no 89 was still sitting there as they were handling no 40 that time.

She will not get helped this day so why give this que number anyway and let people wait for nothing?

This was the first day that 90 day , etc moved over to Promenada , so lack of staff at Airport right away. 

Happy i am done now for another year. This was the worst ever in 12 years.

Yep, I feel ya.  As I stated, they don't want competent people doing their own extensions, and have been instructed to make it as difficult as they can.  

[ramrod711]

On 2/14/2020 at 10:08 PM, ChaiyaTH said:

Difficult to say, last time I been there for a non-o extension they only processed 6 people from the morning opening until 2:45PM in the afternoon, when it was finally my turn. That way you easily cause all seats to be occupied and make one think there is masses of tourists and expats. 

Hope this is temporary, else I will not even bother to extend but do a Mae Sai trip and new Non-o in Vietnam afterwards.
Half a day and longer waiting with a wife and young kid is just a nightmare, a full day trip to Mae Sai is fun compared to that.

Exactly why I didn't change to the marriage visa. When I did my renewal of my O-A extension in August there were several families waiting and the line wasn't moving for marriage visas. I bought insurance with Pacific Cross instead, kept the O-A, at least until they change requirements again.

[sharktooth]

On 3/3/2020 at 6:29 AM, dingdongrb said:

I call BS to that....  Been doing it now for nearly 10 years without an agent and it's never taken 24 hrs.... Matter of fact, I think the longest it has ever taken me was perhaps 7 hrs..... and that was due to the ONE TIME I had to return after lunch to continue.

 

NOTE: The 7 hrs I eluded to includes driving to Immigration, parking the car, and all the queues....up until the time I received my passport back with the extension stamp.

I see your BS and raise you talking bo11ocks