Visa extension : overcrowd coming, or am I missing something?

[Hiane]

Hi,

It recently came to my attention that long-term visa extensions could now only be requested for 3 days prior to expiration date, supposedely to reduce congestion at Chaeng Watthana government complex (not sure how that works).

But with last year's exceptional visa exemption, which lasted until september the 26th, anyone who requested their 1-year extension between August (perhaps earlier) and september 26th 2020, received a permission to stay until september 26th 2021.

Apparently all of them - at least 2 months worth of visa extensions - will have to come to Chaeng Watthana in the same 3-days window.

 

Am I missing something or are we going to have a nice overcrowd these days?

Edited August 13, 2021 by Hiane
Grammar

[buick]

i was at CW last week.  i was doing a change visa, exempt to non O at the C desk but i did look at the L desk (non O one year extensions) and there were plenty of open seats in that area.  when i did my annual extension in may 2020 every seat was taken (except those that were blocked off).  this was at about 10:30am.

[Ajooma]

This is indeed a valid concern ...

 

Hopefully the appointment reservation system is up and running again or immigration at CW have rescinded this 3 day rule before this time or there will be a massive bottleneck of extensions congregating together at the same time.

[ezzra]

The immigration department with the rest of the country is in a shamble, where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, so the saying: Go with the flow is very appropriate to how do live with it for now...

[mokwit]

1 hour ago, Hiane said:

Am I missing something or are we going to have a nice overcrowd these days?

Maybe what you are missing is that there is an appointment system so there will just be a "comfortable" number of appointments per day with the number of people needing an appointment way exceeding this. If you can't get your visa extension appointment to extend your permission to stay you can always "go back your country"

Edited August 13, 2021 by mokwit

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Maybe what you are missing is that there is an appointment system so there will just be a "comfortable" number of appointments per day with the number of people needing an appointment way exceeding this.

It not working at this time. The site is gone.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/courses/we-will-closed-our/

[mokwit]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

It not working at this time. The site is gone.

See: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/courses/we-will-closed-our/

Thanks. Great news. Hope it stays closed forever.

[Hiane]

The appointment system is for short-term visa extensions

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Hiane said:

The appointment system is for short-term visa extensions

Wrong

It was for every type of extension, 90 day reports and etc for all the offices in Bangkok under division 1.

[Hiane]

Oh, I thought it was still available for Muang Thong Tani

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Hiane said:

Oh, I thought it was still available for Muang Thong Tani

It has not worked since June for any office in Bangkok.

[chilly07]

3 hours ago, Ajooma said:

This is indeed a valid concern ...

 

Hopefully the appointment reservation system is up and running again or immigration at CW have rescinded this 3 day rule before this time or there will be a massive bottleneck of extensions congregating together at the same time.

It's working very well in Jomtien last week. Using the ticket issued by the app under QueQ  having confirmed on the day I walked straight in at the confirmed time and up to the desk for family extensions and out in 15 mins. To my surprise my ticket nos showed up on their digital board. They seem to give you 1 week of slots in advance.

[BritTim]

17 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

It's working very well in Jomtien last week

Sure. The appointment reservation system being discussed is the one that was used for a while to book appointments in Bangkok.

[Misty]

To the OP - thanks for explaining why my NonB extension stamp is until 26 Sep. I can see this could be a real problem.

 

I had made an appointment back in June at CW before the system shut down. After reading on this forum that appointments were being honored, I called the Immigration hotline to confirm the appointment, and then went to Immigration at the appointed time. After several hours of waiting and discussion the IO said his boss said he couldn't process my paperwork and that I had to come back 3 days before 26 Sep.  It was really weird - the waiting area was empty, I had all my paperwork, but no luck.

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, Misty said:

It was really weird - the waiting area was empty, I had all my paperwork, but no luck.

It seems you were probably trying to apply for your extension more than 45 days early.

[Misty]

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It seems you were probably trying to apply for your extension more than 45 days early.

No, my appointment was made within the 45 day window. 

 

The IO did not disagree with that, only that the announcement said everyone needed to come within 3 days so Immigration would not honor the appointment.

[BritTim]

44 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It seems you were probably trying to apply for your extension more than 45 days early.

If the appointment was for yesterday, it would have been just within the 45-day window. More likely, the senior official wanted to leave work early. I wonder if the appointment was in the afternoon.

[John Drake]

10 hours ago, Misty said:

After several hours of waiting and discussion the IO said his boss said he couldn't process my paperwork and that I had to come back 3 days before 26 Sep. 

I hope people have looked at the calendar. The implication of your message is even worse than people think. If everyone must come back within three days of 26 September, then that means a one day crunch.  Why?  Because 26 September is a Sunday.  That will leave only 24 September, a Friday, for everyone with a 26 September expiration to get their extension. That also means everyone will need a bank letter on the same day.

Edited August 14, 2021 by John Drake

[John Drake]

20 hours ago, Hiane said:

Apparently all of them - at least 2 months worth of visa extensions - will have to come to Chaeng Watthana in the same 3-days window.

It's a one day window, because the 26th is a Sunday. Everyone will need to go on Friday the 24th.

[Misty]

36 minutes ago, BritTim said:

If the appointment was for yesterday, it would have been just within the 45-day window. More likely, the senior official wanted to leave work early. I wonder if the appointment was in the afternoon.

First thing in the afternoon and I was the first one in the door after lunch when the doors opened. 

 

 

[Misty]

6 minutes ago, John Drake said:

It's a one day window, because the 26th is a Sunday. Everyone will need to go on Friday the 24th.

I'm not sure how day counting works, but our accountant counts the 21st as the first day the crunch will begin.

 

Unless COVID situation improves immensely, I would think this could also be a 3 day super spreader event.  And forget parking.

[John Drake]

3 minutes ago, Misty said:

I'm not sure how day counting works, but our accountant counts the 21st as the first day the crunch will begin.

 

Unless COVID situation improves immensely, I would think this could also be a 3 day super spreader event.  And forget parking.

I'm just going by how Immigration usually counts things.  That is, the due day itself is day one, so that would make three days the 24th, 25th, and 26th. If that is the three days before everyone's expiration on the 26th, that is. What a fiasco! Now, we need to find out what their interpretation of "three days  before" means.

Edited August 14, 2021 by John Drake

[Misty]

1 minute ago, John Drake said:

I'm just going by how Immigration usually counts things.  That is, the due day itself is day one, so that would make three days the 24th, 25th, and 26th. If that is the three days before everyone's expiration on the 26th, that is.

It's a good point, and to be honest, this isn't an area I know much about - have just relied on our accounting firm since they prepare the company's paperwork. 

 

Ubonjoe could you confirm when the 3 days start for 26 Sep?

[OJAS]

19 hours ago, mokwit said:

If you can't get your visa extension appointment to extend your permission to stay you can always "go back your country"

An idiotic suggestion on a par with those on various other threads stating that we should go back to our home countries for our COVID-19 jabs, I think!

 

19 hours ago, mokwit said:

Thanks. Great news. Hope it stays closed forever.

So precisely what grudge do you have against those living in Bangkok who need to apply for annual extensions of stay?

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by OJAS

[Solinvictus]

I hope you stay safe. I'm so glad I don't have to be down there and although this doesn't help much to say what needs to be taken more seriously is how they gather people together like this continually. Even Thai people have to contemplate if waiting for a vaccine is worth it given the crowd of people compared to being isolated at home.

 

The government here is inept but I'd say most already know this. Money talks for these people just pay a service if you can.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Solinvictus

[Mike Teavee]

21 hours ago, Hiane said:

But with last year's exceptional visa exemption, which lasted until september the 26th, anyone who requested their 1-year extension between August (perhaps earlier) and september 26th 2020, received a permission to stay until september 26th 2021.

Apparently all of them - at least 2 months worth of visa extensions - will have to come to Chaeng Watthana in the same 3-days window.

Where did you hear that you can only extend your 1 year permission to stay 3 days in advance??? 

 

I went to CW yesterday to extend my permission to stay 44 days before it expires  (26th September) & despite it being a Friday & the day after a Public holiday it was very, very quiet so my advice is to do it early & avoid the guys extending their Covid permission to stay. 

 

 

Edit: So reading the rest of the replies it seems that this 3 day is "Real", It must have made a difference that I use an agent to assist with my extensions and he had no problem with my request to do it as early as possible as I'm leaving Bangkok next week (for 2nd vaccination) then moving out of Bangkok the week after so wanted it sorted before then. 

 

 

If anybody is interested in the details of my agent PM me, they will only deal with people who meet all of the financial requirements & charge 7,000 THB Service fee on top of the usual 1,900 Immigration fee (so 8,900 THB in all) 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by Mike Teavee

[Hiane]

The 3 days count doesn't include week-ends and holidays (so have I been told, and it seems logical ; what if Friday had been a day off?), so the application should be possible from september 22-24.

Still a small window...

[Misty]

Just now, Mike Teavee said:

Went to CW yesterday to extend my permission to stay 44 days before it expires  (26th September) & despite it being a Friday & the day after a Public holiday it was very, very quiet so my advice is to do it early & avoid the guys extending their Covid permission to stay. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, did you have any appointment? What type of extension?

 

I was there as well for NonImmB extension.  It was very, very quiet at the M counter. But the NonImmB desk would not honor the appointment.

[Hiane]

5 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Where did you hear that you can only extend your 1 year permission to stay 3 days in advance??? 

 

I went to CW yesterday to extend my permission to stay 44 days before it expires  (26th September) & despite it being a Friday & the day after a Public holiday it was very, very quiet so my advice is to do it early & avoid the guys extending their Covid permission to stay. 

 

 

 

I got it from 

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/important-announcement/

Was it a 1 year extension ? 

[Mike Teavee]

6 minutes ago, Misty said:

Thanks, did you have any appointment? What type of extension?

 

I was there as well for NonImmB extension.  It was very, very quiet at the M counter. But the NonImmB desk would not honor the appointment.

I didn't have an appointment (apparently the system is broken) but I do use an agent so they were there to assist me & spoke with the lady checking documents & the immigration officer. 

 

I was extending my Non-Imm O (> 50)