Does Immigration make any provision for old people?

[Ombra]

I am 76 years of age and I am getting noticeably weaker by the year. Next month, I have to make a 260 km round trip to an immigration office, which is as much as I can drive in one day. As I shall apply for permission to continue living in retirement, it is likely to be a long day. Would they allow me to submit it one day and the return another day to collect it so that I can avoid sitting for two or three hours in the office? I am asking this question because there is no-one I can turn to for help. With thanks.

[ubonjoe]

They might agree to let you return the next day to pick up your passport with the extension stamp done in it.

There are a couple of immigration offices that have that as normal procedure rather than having people waiting the office for them.

[jackdd]

Doing two 260km round trips on consecutive days is less stress than doing one with a 3 hour wait?

Why don't you just spend a night in a hotel near the immigration office, then it's super relaxed?

[Ombra]

20 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Doing two 260km round trips on consecutive days is less stress than doing one with a 3 hour wait?

Why don't you just spend a night in a hotel near the immigration office, then it's super relaxed?

Thanks for the suggestion, but I was thinking of going on a Friday and returning on a Monday rather than travelling on consecutive days. My physical problem is poor blood circulation, so that I need to walk around a lot. I can stop when I am driving and do that, but it is not normal to get up and move around in the immigration office. As for hotels, I have tried that and just slept badly because people go to Hua Hin to have a good time, which generally involves making a fair bit of noise.

[bigupandchill]

I can promise you there is no one in Hua Hin having a good time at the moment.

 

If this is the office you have to go to I have always found them very helpful, so would be surprised if they wouldn't help you out if they could.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, Ombra said:

My physical problem is poor blood circulation, so that I need to walk around a lot. I can stop when I am driving and do that, but it is not normal to get up and move around in the immigration office.

Not sure how Hua Hin immigration is doing but at some offices you don't sit around in the immigration office since they have you wait outside due to covid 19 restrictions.

After they checked my documents at immigration they sent us outside to wait and then told us to come back after lunch which was over 2 hours later when they told us that.

[scubascuba3]

If you have time see an agent to see if they can make life easier in future, they usually do, VIP service, will cost 12,500 rather than 1,900 but you don't need the financials. I don't use it but i probably will over 70

[Ombra]

9 minutes ago, bigupandchill said:

I can promise you there is no one in Hua Hin having a good time at the moment.

 

If this is the office you have to go to I have always found them very helpful, so would be surprised if they wouldn't help you out if they could.

Thank you very much. I agree entirely about the helpful nature of the officers and about their professionalism. I should just speak to them, as you suggest.

[fertilizer]

I did my Non O extension at Hua Hin today  Arrived 10.20 and left with extension stamped into passport at 10.45. 

[Ombra]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure how Hua Hin immigration is doing but at some offices you don't sit around in the immigration office since they have you wait outside due to covid 19 restrictions.

After they checked my documents at immigration they sent us outside to wait and then told us to come back after lunch which was over 2 hours later when they told us that.

Thanks a lot. I hadn't thought about that. It is in the officers' interest to have few people in the office. Submitting my papers and returning later would suit me fine.

[Ombra]

1 minute ago, fertilizer said:

I did my Non O extension at Hua Hin today  Arrived 10.20 and left with extension stamped into passport at 10.45. 

That is amazing! And it is great to hear. Thank you very much. 

[Ombra]

12 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you have time see an agent to see if they can make life easier in future, they usually do, VIP service, will cost 12,500 rather than 1,900 but you don't need the financials. I don't use it but i probably will over 70

I will use an agent next time, but I have left it a bit late this year. I am in an isolated area and haven't searched for a local agent, but it is clearly necessary for the future. Thanks.

[jazzdog32095]

16 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you have time see an agent to see if they can make life easier in future, they usually do, VIP service, will cost 12,500 rather than 1,900 but you don't need the financials. I don't use it but i probably will over 70

Sound advise. I keep the funds in my investment account and make 60K / year. 

[EricTh]

29 minutes ago, Ombra said:

Thanks for the suggestion, but I was thinking of going on a Friday and returning on a Monday rather than travelling on consecutive days. My physical problem is poor blood circulation, so that I need to walk around a lot

 

After submitting your documents and the officer checked that all your documents are complete, just tell them that you are in poor health and would like to collect another day.

 

Ask your neighbour to write a Thai letter just in case the immigration officer can't understand English well enough.

 

I don't see why it can't be done, it's waiting for the officer to sign that takes a long time.

[Chris.B]

I don't understand? My visits to my local immigration office for retirement visa extension do not last more than 30 minutes. Is it very busy where you go? 

[Chris.B]

42 minutes ago, Ombra said:

As for hotels, I have tried that and just slept badly because people go to Hua Hin to have a good time, which generally involves making a fair bit of noise.

Sleep with ear plugs, I do.

 

[DrJack54]

It's only going to get worse. Use an agent. You can still maintain the financials if you wish. 

[Chris.B]

This is a problem many of us will have to face as we get older. ☹️

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by Chris.B

[Ombra]

29 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

After submitting your documents and the officer checked that all your documents are complete, just tell them that you are in poor health and would like to collect another day.

 

Ask your neighbour to write a Thai letter just in case the immigration officer can't understand English well enough.

 

I don't see why it can't be done, it's waiting for the officer to sign that takes a long time.

That is a good idea. I think that their English is very good, but a letter might be useful just in case. When they look at me, they won't need much persuading that I am in poor health.

[Ombra]

23 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Sleep with ear plugs, I do.

 

I buy wax ear plugs from Boots when I am in Bangkok, but even they are not enough to block the sounds of motorcycles or the bass sounds.

[mikebike]

1 hour ago, Ombra said:

it is not normal to get up and move around in the immigration office

My immigration office has not let anyone inside since covid. Walking around while waiting was what everyone was doing!!!

[Ombra]

27 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

I don't understand? My visits to my local immigration office for retirement visa extension do not last more than 30 minutes. Is it very busy where you go? 

Last year, I was in Nakhon Phanom and I waited for more than two hours in a quiet office. When I changed my address to Prachuap Khiri Khan, that took nearly two hours in Hua Hin. As someone said, what takes time is waiting for some senior person to sign off on the paperwork.

[Chris.B]

29 minutes ago, Ombra said:

Last year, I was in Nakhon Phanom and I waited for more than two hours in a quiet office. When I changed my address to Prachuap Khiri Khan, that took nearly two hours in Hua Hin. As someone said, what takes time is waiting for some senior person to sign off on the paperwork.

Do you avoid the lunch hour? Go say, mid-morning (10am) or mid afternoon (2pm).

 

If I was you, I would ask them if it will take long as you are feeling unwell. Don't volunteer to come back another day.

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by Chris.B

[Ombra]

5 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Do you avoid the lunch hour? Go say, mid-morning (10am) or mid afternoon (2pm).

 

If I was you, I would ask them if it will take long as you are felling unwell. Don't volunteer to come back another day.

 

I have about a two-hour drive and I am hoping to be at the bank by 9 a.m. and then at Immigration by 10. I did think about leaving later and submitting my application in the afternoon. Perhaps 2 p.m. would be better.

[Presnock]

ChiangMai immigration used to have a sign on the front door that over 70's could move ahead of others waiting by going to the information desk and proving they were old. I have seen the IO's help these people out usually but not always.  Again like other efforts, depends on the IO.

 

[clivebaxter]

14 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you have time see an agent to see if they can make life easier in future, they usually do, VIP service, will cost 12,500 rather than 1,900 but you don't need the financials. I don't use it but i probably will over 70

That's the cheapest rate I have seen, who does it for that?

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, Ombra said:

I am 76 years of age and I am getting noticeably weaker by the year. Next month, I have to make a 260 km round trip to an immigration office, which is as much as I can drive in one day. As I shall apply for permission to continue living in retirement, it is likely to be a long day. Would they allow me to submit it one day and the return another day to collect it so that I can avoid sitting for two or three hours in the office? I am asking this question because there is no-one I can turn to for help. With thanks.

I am sure an office has the ability to allow you to pick-up the next day if requested, but if you can't sit and wait 2-3 hours is the 260 km round trip a 2nd time not worse?

[Ombra]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I am sure an office has the ability to allow you to pick-up the next day if requested, but if you can't sit and wait 2-3 hours is the 260 km round trip a 2nd time not worse?

You might think it is worse, but when I am driving I can stop and walk around and get my circulation going. I can also lie on the back seat and raise my legs for a while, which is something that doctors recommend as a way of avoiding blood clots.

[thailand49]

If you got to wait as noted make an outing out of it, whenever I have to go to the U.S. Embassy I could drive but I enjoy taking the bus from Pattaya, once done, I go for two or three hours massages ( good for the circulation ) especially it if ends happy????  in your situation then go back and pick up your passport you be surprise time fly's if the 1st time it ended happy get yourself a cheap room, take a shower, a nice dinner, and repeat the next morning you are fresh to do the drive.

 

As you noted you got no one if even you do?  you got a build in excuse you are old, tired, why rush home enjoy yourself it works for me.

[yankyoakum]

I was quite concerned as I did my first extension in Jomtien without and agent, did I have everything, what's missing??? The photo copy people right outside Immigration office ask why you here, took my passport and made the required copies, think 30 baht.. Got inside and IO was so helpful, very nice and the whole process was quite easy.  They did send me back to BKK Bank (around the corner) with a note in Thai of what they needed. Returned the next day and picked up passport..