Chiang Mai Immigration visit

[stephenterry]

Today, after my one year visa renewal documentation had been collated and completed by Thai Visa Assist - it took one week - I was number 3 in the queue. Had it been like last year I would have been escorted to the photo booth the following day or two and my passport returned updated within minutes. 

 

But this year I was told by TVA that the one week prior was necessary as a NEW head Concho was in place, which had slowed down the process. (Yeah, we all know about that).

Just before 8.30 I presented my passport and documentation to the information desk to await a sign-off. Looking around, the inside was full of people seeking the same - some from the previous day's application that hadn't been processed. So I was back down the queue.

 

Half an hour passed, and then information desk returned my documentation to sit down and await a further inspection for God knows what, and for my photo to be taken  Another 15m and all was completed, except I had to wait for my passport to be signed off and returned by a Big Cheese who wasn't in the office right then.

 

I got out at 9.20, after my TVA helper said she would take my passport to my address after she finished work. Outside, there were a good hundred people queuing for visas. 

 

If it ain't broken don't fix it, came to mind.