3 hours ago, LiamB80 said:

I think the Thai govt is purposely making it as miserable as possible for people in hopes they just say screw it and leave and pay an overstay fines the airport.

 

Or, say screw it, and pay an agent.  Cha-Ching.  

 

Some old geezer will have a heart attack and drop dead in that queue one day.  

 

 

3 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Or, say screw it, and pay an agent.  Cha-Ching.  

 

Some old geezer will have a heart attack and drop dead in that queue one day.  

 

 

That actually crossed my mind while I was standing there today. I thought someone could easily pass out from the heat. I’d also be willing to bet out of the hundreds of people there at least a few have covid also. It just doesn’t make sense at all. 

11 minutes ago, LiamB80 said:

That actually crossed my mind while I was standing there today. I thought someone could easily pass out from the heat. I’d also be willing to bet out of the hundreds of people there at least a few have covid also. It just doesn’t make sense at all. 

I think it will be worse if people are rejected CE.The cue in the airport will make it more dangerous.

25 minutes ago, stigar said:

I think it will be worse if people are rejected CE.The cue in the airport will make it more dangerous.

Or Maybe now the que's go start in front of the "Agents " offices ???? ????

39 minutes ago, LiamB80 said:

That actually crossed my mind while I was standing there today. I thought someone could easily pass out from the heat. I’d also be willing to bet out of the hundreds of people there at least a few have covid also. It just doesn’t make sense at all. 

 

Thailand is reactionary, not proactive. 

 

If / When someone dies in the queue, and it makes global news, then things MAY change. Until then, it's pay an agent, or continue to get treated like a fool.    

To hell with the TM30 if you have to queue like that.......

19 hours ago, scotsdude said:

To hell with the TM30 if you have to queue like that.......

I thought they had pretty much stopped checking on this one. I have never been asked about one for over 13 years. 

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I thought they had pretty much stopped checking on this one. I have never been asked about one for over 13 years. 

That was my view, too. Then back in 2020, as I wasn't able to travel home to get a new IDP as I have every year I've been living here, I decided it was finally time to bite the bullet and get a Thai driving licence. Given that the DLT office had not long reopened back then, and was packed out, I decided to use an agent. You need a residence certificate, no problem, I've had several of them before to buy cars and motorbikes and what have you, but she said that to get a residence certificate now you must have completed a TM30. I told her that in over 15 years here I'd never done a TM30 and nobody had ever asked for one, but she was adamant about it, and to be fair this is how she makes her living so she knows what's required far better than I do. She threw the TM30 in as part of the package, I was anyway quite happy to pay her 500 Baht to get the residence certificate for me and she did the TM30 as well. Might have charged me 500 Baht for it, I can't remember, but I didn't have to go near Soi 5. I gather from what she said that, for the driving licence renewal/extension later this year, that TM30 will also suffice, but I shall wait and see. It just shows that it's horses for courses in Immigration, I still got a one-year extension based on retirement without having been near a TM30, but apparently not a residence certificate at that time.

3 hours ago, Guderian said:

but she was adamant about it, and to be fair this is how she makes her living so she knows what's required far better than I do.

Not necessarily, she makes more than her living charging for something that should be free... also telling people they need 2 Residence Certificates for 2 driving licences, which is an outright BS... I only needed one. So I just told her I only had 1 licence.....

Actually, that time, a few years ago, no request nor mention of a TM30 either... maybe I took a utility bill just perchance. 

Anyone know if the lines at Jomtien immigration have reduced now that the covid extension deadline of last week has passed?

14 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Anyone know if the lines at immigration have reduced now that the covid extension deadline of last week has passed?

I went to the Nonthaburi immigration office this morning and there were very few people there. They gave me my final Covid extension after saying no a few times. Let’s hope the borders are truly open in both directions in 60ish days. 

3 minutes ago, TXTony said:

I went to the Nonthaburi immigration office this morning and there were very few people there. They gave me my final Covid extension after saying no a few times. Let’s hope the borders are truly open in both directions in 60ish days. 

Ok thanks, but that doesn't really help me as this is in the Pattaya forum ????

(have updated my post to mention Jomtien)

This monday morning I had to queue more than one hour before I could get in. When going back at 1.30pm to get my document, there were less than 10 people waiting outside. Not bad for a monday, my mistake to go early.

On 1/28/2022 at 10:48 PM, stigar said:

I think it will be worse if people are rejected CE.The cue in the airport will make it more dangerous.

CE?

11 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

CE?

CE=covid extension

12 minutes ago, stigar said:

CE=covid extension

ISHK

On 1/28/2022 at 10:48 PM, stigar said:

I think it will be worse if people are rejected CE.The cue in the airport will make it more dangerous.

Only if someone hits you over the head with it. 

Went to immigration this morning to get 30 day extension to visa exempt entry.

 

Arrived at 09:30, no queue for entry. Given form and number and asked to sit outside where I waited for an hour before being called inside. I waited another 15 minutes inside before my turn. They then took my money and passport and said come back at 10 am tomorrow to pick it up...

 

Note: entrance queue started to form around 10am, but only one row of the zig zag line

 

Live update: arrived 08:15, line of 4 queues already full so went and got some breakfast. Back at 09:20 and 2 queues, which took 50 minutes to get to front desk.

 

Asked for covid extension and she gave me the forms but wouldn't give me a queue number until forms completed. I snuck onto a corner and completed forms, hoping they weren't going to kick me out to line up again 

 

Got number #80 at 10:20 and told to wait outside as they are up to #36...this could be a really long day if not inside before 11:30 lunch

 

Does anyone know how I could have got the forms without lining up for nearly an hour?

 

On 1/17/2022 at 12:07 PM, wadman said:

Thank you for the info.  That is one thing in Thailand that absolutely baffles me: in situations with long lines, there are no clear signs posted as that what each line is for.  Same thing with the Covid vaccine lines at Central Festival mall.

It's because the Thais need to verbally confirm everything.

 

Think of the taxi driver on the way to your hotel from the airport pulling over to ask someone the smallest directions the whole trip, instead of looking at the GPS or map. Maybe having an extended conversation with another driver in Thai for no apparent reason.

 

If you do anything in writing, contracts, maps, etc. they get confused.

 

It's not dumb, just a different way of doing things.

 

My Thai landlord was a lawyer who did contracts and he was super highly regarded for his ability to do things in writing.