Friendly Immigration Offices

[ouagadougou]

I'm usually in Southern Thailand but happy to travel anywhere in search of an Immigration Office that has a better chance of assisting with a regular 30 day extension.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

[Matzzon]

The thoughts are like every place is the same. One day there is one officer there, and another it´s Dr Evil.

[ouagadougou]

57 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

The thoughts are like every place is the same. One day there is one officer there, and another it´s Dr Evil.

There is a lot of truth there.

 

That said, I have come across some offices that are no go's.... Hat Yai and Mukdahan.

 

"Friendly" offices.... Lopburi and surprisingly Phuket Town (but maybe I've been lucky there).

 

 

 

[Matzzon]

17 minutes ago, ouagadougou said:

There is a lot of truth there.

 

That said, I have come across some offices that are no go's.... Hat Yai and Mukdahan.

 

"Friendly" offices.... Lopburi and surprisingly Phuket Town (but maybe I've been lucky there).

 

 

 

Mukdahan was bad like 5-6 years ago, but out of what I´ve heard it has been better since. Might be wrong, of course. Just hearsay. Out of what I´ve heard too, is that Sri Racha is horrible, but never tried myself there either.

[edwardandtubs]

The thing to do is just phone around and ask whether they'll give you the extension you need. Once you've found one, go there and see if you can get it. Report back if successful because there are a lot of people who want an answer to your question!

[Puchaiyank]

Are you suggesting that all immigration offices do not operate the same?  Immigration rules are published and made public for all to see.  

 

Surely, you must be mistaken.  ????

[blanes2007]

Hua Hin Imm office used to be much more visitor-friendly and well-organized than Chiang Mai office now

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, blanes2007 said:

Hua Hin Imm office used to be much more visitor-friendly and well-organized than Chiang Mai office now

That would be the perfect option. I could have a bit of a holiday in Hua Hin and get my visa extended while I'm there. Just waiting for someone else to do it first and confirm...

[fxe1200]

22 hours ago, ouagadougou said:

There is a lot of truth there.

 

That said, I have come across some offices that are no go's.... Hat Yai and Mukdahan.

 

"Friendly" offices.... Lopburi and surprisingly Phuket Town (but maybe I've been lucky there).

 

 

 

Well, I live now 16 years in Hat Yai, and I made solely positive experiences at the Hat Yai immigration. Towards me they were always very obliging, courteous, friendly or whatever positive adjective you might want to choose. Even when the waiting room was full, I received a "service with a smile" The ❤️Hat Yai immigration❤️ is another reason for me not to move from Hat Yai. Once at the immigration in Kota Bharu, they treated some other tourists not so very nice. But they appeared with a tank top and shorts. Well, I believe, appearance and manners has something to do with it.

[vandeventer]

22 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

The thing to do is just phone around and ask whether they'll give you the extension you need. Once you've found one, go there and see if you can get it. Report back if successful because there are a lot of people who want an answer to your question!

Yea right?If they were friendly they would have told us about the amnesty by now

instead of waiting to the last moment. This kind of power can be for good or for our pain

the choice is theirs.

[Tony45]

Yasothon is excellent.

[blanes2007]

17 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

That would be the perfect option. I could have a bit of a holiday in Hua Hin and get my visa extended while I'm there. Just waiting for someone else to do it first and confirm...

Once I needed Residence Certificate for a vehicle registration, 2 weeks and a lot of hussle in Chiang Mai . I just went to Hua Hin, checked in a hotel, took the letter from the hotel stuff ("Mr N is registered...") and headed to the Imm office => 30 min / 500 bht + friendly attitide

 

Also I've heard many good things about Chiang rai office

[worrab]

17 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

That would be the perfect option. I could have a bit of a holiday in Hua Hin and get my visa extended while I'm there. Just waiting for someone else to do it first and confirm...

Reading posts from over the years and using Hua Hin myself, it is probably the most friendly Immigration Office there is. Always polite and willing to help.

[NoshowJones]

On 9/2/2020 at 2:52 PM, Matzzon said:

The thoughts are like every place is the same. One day there is one officer there, and another it´s Dr Evil.

Staff at IOs change all the time, this weeks friendly office could be next weeks hostile office. They all have their own different interpretation of the rules.

[Peter Denis]

Hi OP, since you are looking for a friendly office to handle the regular 30-days extension of stay, you did not yet use from your Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa (with expired permission to stay and now on the Amnesty), the attached link will be of interest for you.

> https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1180274-i-got-my-30-days-extension-denied-today/?do=findComment&comment=15774394

Successful application yesterday at Ubon Ratchathani IO.

I also posted a step-by-step instruction to do the Ubon application for someone in need of an office that would handle his regular 30-day extension of stay, after being BS-ed about it at Nonthaburi IO.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1179669-new-from-us-embassy-official-extension-stamp-to-change-to-long-term-visa/?do=findComment&comment=15776119

[Pilotman]

I have never has any problem with the Jomtien Office. always efficient and mainly stick by the known rules.  

[wtfracing]

21 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

Are you suggesting that all immigration offices do not operate the same?  Immigration rules are published and made public for all to see.  

 

Surely, you must be mistaken.  ????

In a perfect world they would be but unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world 

[thecaveman]

On 9/2/2020 at 3:53 PM, ouagadougou said:

That said, I have come across some offices that are no go's.... Hat Yai and Mukdahan.

Don't know about Hat Yai but can't confirm this about Mukdahan at all. Mukdahan sometimes was a bit difficult to deal with in the old days (before they moved to the new office near the bridge), but that all changed after the new office was opened more than a decade ago. 

 

I have been dealing with the Mukdahan office for more than 15 years and never had a reason to complain or even the smallest issue. Everything went and is going fine and smoothly there and the IOs have always been friendly and helpful in any way. 

 

Also the office is not a very busy one. So most of the time there is almost no waiting time. 90 days reports are usually done within 5 minutes, one year extensions (Non Imm O, retired) usually don't take more than 20 minutes. 

 

I am very happy with the Mukdahan office.   

[Surelynot]

Long way to travel, but Chaiyaphum is fantastic.....also very rarely busy....often the only person in there.

[nongsung]

14 minutes ago, thecaveman said:

Don't know about Hat Yai but can't confirm this about Mukdahan at all. Mukdahan sometimes was a bit difficult to deal with in the old days (before they moved to the new office near the bridge), but that all changed after the new office was opened more than a decade ago. 

 

I have been dealing with the Mukdahan office for more than 15 years and never had a reason to complain or even the smallest issue. Everything went and is going fine and smoothly there and the IOs have always been friendly and helpful in any way. 

 

Also the office is not a very busy one. So most of the time there is almost no waiting time. 90 days reports are usually done within 5 minutes, one year extensions (Non Imm O, retired) usually don't take more than 20 minutes. 

 

I am very happy with the Mukdahan office.   

Must be me then... I have found the female staff dufficult (and a bit hostile) to deal with, maybe they did not like my face... Funny though, as soon as my bank details are checked they became much friendlier. Maybe I'm not the bum they initially thought I was.  Always dress nice, always greet them but no, I can't say I like the female staff that much. In the olden days Mukdahan was a breeze when (now the Boss) handled my stuff. Friendly, funny & fast.

[edwardandtubs]

A few people have jumped into this thread without reading the OP. He's not interested in their general level of customer service but specifically whether they are currently extending tourist visas in the normal way.

[G950]

18 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

A few people have jumped into this thread without reading the OP. He's not interested in their general level of customer service but specifically whether they are currently extending tourist visas in the normal way.

Amen - topic is getting a little off topic.

 

I personally would love to hear of any successful extensions IE after granted 30 or 60 permision to stay from tourist visa - then extended it by 30 days after amnesty started. 

 

Anybody out there that has done it besides the execellent post that stated a 30 day extension was granted by Ubon Ratchathani ?

[bangkokbonecollector]

Samut Sakhon are super nice, the boss there is really really cool and speaks perfect English with an excellent slight Britsh accent. 

[Peter Denis]

20 minutes ago, G950 said:

Amen - topic is getting a little off topic.

 

I personally would love to hear of any successful extensions IE after granted 30 or 60 permision to stay from tourist visa - then extended it by 30 days after amnesty started. 

 

Anybody out there that has done it besides the execellent post that stated a 30 day extension was granted by Ubon Ratchathani ?

Hi G950,

For your info > That 30-day extension granted by Ubon Ratchathani IO to an applicant on a Tourist Visa with expired permission to stay was the 'regular' one-time 30-day extension everyone that entered Thailand on a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry, is entitled to.

But there are some IOs that are now - incorrectly - refusing such 'regular' 30-day extension applications with bogus-excuses.  So it is good to know that there are still some offices (like Ubon Ratchathani IO) where the normal procedures are still applicable (as they should be). 

 

Also be aware that when applying for the special 30-day extension of stay based on an Amnesty letter, that it is not sure that such application - when granted -  would allow you later on to apply for a 1-year extension of stay.  So using that special extension to 'buy you time' to season the funds for a 1-year extension of stay, might actually turn out to be blocking you for such application later on.  It is therefore recommended if you plan to use the Amnesty letter supported special extension as a spring-board for your later 1-year extension of stay, to enquire beforehand at your local IO whether they would be OK with that.

 

It are crazy times with no consistency in how IOs handle applications because of widely varying interpretations of the Amnesty measures.

 

[problemfarang]

I dont know the friendlies but stay away from nonthaburi, sri racha IOs

[userabcd]

Chaeng Wattana, friendly and efficient.

[jacko45k]

On 9/3/2020 at 5:18 PM, Pilotman said:

I have never has any problem with the Jomtien Office. always efficient and mainly stick by the known rules.  

Always fine for my retirement extension and 90 day reports b4 I started doing them online. The COR lady can be a bit difficult and moody, I hear of a dragon lady on marriage extensions and there was the Rottweiler misery guy used to give out q-tickets. 

Edited September 7, 2020 by jacko45k

[melovethai]

went to my local today and was rejected due to no brown paper bag, short summary????