Big crowd at Immigration today.

[giddyup]

Had to do my yearly retirement renewal, so got there at 9.45 and was let in at 11.15 so a 90 minute queue. What makes no sense is that there was no one waiting at the retirement counter, so not sure what the other 100 or so people were there for. Fortunately I got seen to immediately and was out the door by 11.25 otherwise I would have had to wait while they lunched from 11.30 until 1.00. Surely they could make some kind of system where you queue in an appropriate line rather than make you wait unecessarily, or does that make too much sense?

[scubascuba3]

Rumour is the QueQ booking system works now

Edited July 19, 2022 by scubascuba3

[giddyup]

Next month I'm going to need to get a letter of residence. Does that mean I have to queue again for an hour or two, only to see someone immediately I walk in?

[BKKTRAVELER]

52 minutes ago, giddyup said:

not sure what the other 100 or so people were there for.

Trying to get Covid extensions I guess as the current deadline is next week.

[Gaccha]

All I could think was, in the voice of the Yorkshireman Monty Python set: "Luxury". 

 

If I don't pre-register online for Bangkok Immigration, then the wait is 6-8 hours for my "expert" work visa.

 

The only goodside is the wait is so long all the photocopy shops have closed and the Police have to do the photocopies themselves for any extra copies they request...

 

My last visa took a "mere" 2 hours because I registered in advance. 

 

"The youngsters of today, they won't believe you"

 

 

[bbko]

I can sort of understand tourist not using the QueQ appointment booking system, but for expats to not use it in a IO with a huge number of tourist is asking for a long wait in line. 

[Rimmer]

I renewed my one year resident visa last Tuesday the 12th, long queue!  

Was told to pick the passport up Monday 18th after 2pm, long queue again, but my wife snuck in the exit door,  in and out in under one minute ????

[topt]

48 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

but my wife snuck in the exit door,  in and out in under one minute

My understanding is you don't have to queue just to pick up your passport - I haven't last couple of years anyhow.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, Rimmer said:

I renewed my one year resident visa last Tuesday the 12th, long queue!  

Was told to pick the passport up Monday 18th after 2pm, long queue again, but my wife snuck in the exit door,  in and out in under one minute ????

That's what I'll be doing. No way I'm going to queue for 90 minutes just to pick up PP.

[jacko45k]

There have been a few holidays, just had one where people added the 15th to get the weekend added to 2 days off. Don't recall what immigration did but my Mrs complained the driving licence place on Hwy 36 were taking that Friday off too. (After she drove there.... can't get no damned sense off the phone she tells me). 

[Henryford]

It must vary a lot then. I did my annual extension a couple of weeks ago. No queue at all, got to the retirement desk and was out again within 15 minutes. I just walked in the exit doot to pick up my passport the next day.

[giddyup]

13 minutes ago, Henryford said:

It must vary a lot then. I did my annual extension a couple of weeks ago. No queue at all, got to the retirement desk and was out again within 15 minutes. I just walked in the exit doot to pick up my passport the next day.

I think it must have been because of the public holidays. Will know better next time. Still, it's all done for another year.

[kinyara]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I think it must have been because of the public holidays. Will know better next time. Still, it's all done for another year.

Yeah I think it was most likely the holiday factor you hit as it's not like there has been a huge surge of new arrivals who may need to pay a visit.

 

Looking ahead if the long haul masses do start arriving in November I can see it getting uncomfortable down there Dec/Jan. They most likely won't be geared up for the surge in tourist extensions until after it becomes an issue with queues snaking down the street again. 

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, kinyara said:

Yeah I think it was most likely the holiday factor you hit as it's not like there has been a huge surge of new arrivals who may need to pay a visit.

 

Looking ahead if the long haul masses do start arriving in November I can see it getting uncomfortable down there Dec/Jan. They most likely won't be geared up for the surge in tourist extensions until after it becomes an issue with queues snaking down the street again. 

Fortunately I only need to visit Immigration once a year now as I do my 90 day checks online. However, I did notice a booth for 90 days outside of Immigration, so maybe there's no need to queue for that.

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

There have been a few holidays, just had one where people added the 15th to get the weekend added to 2 days off. Don't recall what immigration did but my Mrs complained the driving licence place on Hwy 36 were taking that Friday off too. (After she drove there.... can't get no damned sense off the phone she tells me). 

Agreed. You have to be crafty around public holidays.

I went to Jomtien a few weeks back at 9.30 am (on a Wednesday) for a Proof of Residence letter. There was no queue and when I got in, my number was on the board. I did though have to go away for an hour while the letter was being processed.

 

The following Tuesday, I went to renew my 5 year driving licence. Whereas it used to take one visit of about 2-3 hours, this time it took two whole mornings for me to walk away with my new bits of plastic.

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Agreed. You have to be crafty around public holidays.

I went to Jomtien a few weeks back at 9.30 am (on a Wednesday) for a Proof of Residence letter. There was no queue and when I got in, my number was on the board. I did though have to go away for an hour while the letter was being processed.

 

The following Tuesday, I went to renew my 5 year driving licence. Whereas it used to take one visit of about 2-3 hours, this time it took two whole mornings for me to walk away with my new bits of plastic.

Did you have to take a doctors letter as well? How much do they charge for resident letter now?

Edited July 20, 2022 by giddyup

[Jaxxper]

I think the big queues this week were due to immigration being closed 3 days last week. I did my 90 day report on Monday PM, and saw the huge queue.

If Q Que is up and running again, that may help on busy days.

[kinyara]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Fortunately I only need to visit Immigration once a year now as I do my 90 day checks online. However, I did notice a booth for 90 days outside of Immigration, so maybe there's no need to queue for that.

Sensible, I'm down to only 2 visits a year now due to using the 90 day online, I find it a non-issue hassle wise if you just check the calendar and plan accordingly.

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, kinyara said:

Sensible, I'm down to only 2 visits a year now due to using the 90 day online, I find it a non-issue hassle wise if you just check the calendar and plan accordingly.

Why twice?

[kinyara]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Why twice?

They always give me the balance report form to appear 90 days after retirement to show the 800k is still there. It's no hassle done late in the day because they don't require you to take a queue ticket, just walk up and hover in front of the desk until they take the form.

[ikke1959]

Immigration is a burden for expats and tourists.. They feel that they are superior and that the expat is nothing. That is why they treat is this way.. Look at the airport.. Nobody smiles, hardly speak English as you have to learn the Thai language( in their minds), changing paperwork all the time, let you wait after lunchbreak to go to the toilet, play on the telephone, take some coffee and than they start working at 13.30 instead of 13.00.. There is a lot to improve.. They could start with scanning your papers in a digital file and stop ask all the same papers over and over again...

[giddyup]

17 minutes ago, kinyara said:

They always give me the balance report form to appear 90 days after retirement to show the 800k is still there. It's no hassle done late in the day because they don't require you to take a queue ticket, just walk up and hover in front of the desk until they take the form.

I have been doing the same thing, but have been told it's a total waste of time. For one, there's no record taken that you actually returned the form, and secondly they can see when you renew your visa that the money has remained in your bank book.

[kinyara]

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I have been doing the same thing, but have been told it's a total waste of time. For one, there's no record taken that you actually returned the form, and secondly they can see when you renew your visa that the money has remained in your bank book.

I think everyone would agree with you but until immigration decide it's a waste of time I will play along. Up to you as they say. 

[LikeItHot]

In Samui they do a long queue under the building.  I just took my completed retirement extension to the second floor and got a ticket immediately. 

[NanLaew]

12 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Immigration is a burden for expats and tourists.. They feel that they are superior and that the expat is nothing. That is why they treat is this way.. Look at the airport.. Nobody smiles, hardly speak English as you have to learn the Thai language( in their minds), changing paperwork all the time, let you wait after lunchbreak to go to the toilet, play on the telephone, take some coffee and than they start working at 13.30 instead of 13.00.. There is a lot to improve.. They could start with scanning your papers in a digital file and stop ask all the same papers over and over again...

Did you just get here then?

[XGM]

If you can choose a day, don't go on Mondays and don't go right after public holidays.

If you can't choose the day (for example going to receive a stamp after a period of 'in consideration", that must be done on a specific day), then don't go at the morning. Afternoons are better.

 

As for different queues for different functions, well the building just isn't big enough. Good thing they move the 90 days reporting outside, they should move out more services in the same way (for example, TM30 reporting), but who wants to work at 30+ degrees? The best solution of course would be to move to a bigger building.

[giddyup]

10 hours ago, XGM said:

If you can choose a day, don't go on Mondays and don't go right after public holidays.

If you can't choose the day (for example going to receive a stamp after a period of 'in consideration", that must be done on a specific day), then don't go at the morning. Afternoons are better.

 

As for different queues for different functions, well the building just isn't big enough. Good thing they move the 90 days reporting outside, they should move out more services in the same way (for example, TM30 reporting), but who wants to work at 30+ degrees? The best solution of course would be to move to a bigger building.

I was suggesting a different queue for the services that are less frequented. It seems a bit inconsiderate to make someone queue for 90 minutes only to walk in and see no one waiting at that counter. But as you say, no doubt I picked the wrong day, but it was still busy at 2 pm yesterday when I picked up my PP, so maybe there's still backlog from the long weekend.

[jacko45k]

16 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I was suggesting a different queue for the services that are less frequented. It seems a bit inconsiderate to make someone queue for 90 minutes only to walk in and see no one waiting at that counter. But as you say, no doubt I picked the wrong day, but it was still busy at 2 pm yesterday when I picked up my PP, so maybe there's still backlog from the long weekend.

That has always been the case hasn't it.... you may well be there for some service that is not busy, or even occupied, yet still had to join the scramble at the entrance desk and approach the sour faced Rottweiler guy to get a ticket for the right queue. Now we have another method.... is it improved? If you arrive to a queue that goes out of the gate dare you go to the front, people get <deleted> off. No wonder some use agents. 

[gk10012001]

There was an interesting article on a Thai News paper about a stampede of expats to immigration to convert various visas to Non imm O visas to get that visa that does not require Thai health insurance

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, gk10012001 said:

There was an interesting article on a Thai News paper about a stampede of expats to immigration to convert various visas to Non imm O visas to get that visa that does not require Thai health insurance

I heard it was being done at Jomtien. (or via agents)... but now land borders are open the old method, of simply leaving without a re-entry, and coming in on a Visa Exempt (or Tourist Visa) and then converting to a Non-Imm-O from that should be available. The old situation, a Permission from an O-A could not be converted directly. (But.........).