A Heads Up on Long Waits At Phuket Immigration

[AmySukwan]

Hello,

I was in Phuket Immigration yesterday at Sapan Him to try to get my marriage visa straightened out. The last two times I have been there pretty early (eg around 10 AM) and the sign said there were no more tickets for any type of long stay visa. I asked the woman at the information counter and she says that a line forms at around 8:00 AM for Phuket Immigration's 8:30 Am opening and that all tickets are gone by around 9:00 AM. THis is just a heads up on anyone trying to renew or make any type of long stay visa. Start early!

Are there any other offices in Phuket that process these? 

[Mises]

I expect all the tickets are taken by agents getting long stay educational visas for Russians.

 

Beware, if you go the next day you will have to get a new letter from the bank and account print out, a friend had his application turned down because they were from the day before.  This does not matter if you use an agent, all is designed to get you to use an agent.  It does make it easier all round but at a cost.

[RedCardinal]

Meanwhile they expect you to get your bank passbook updated on the same day, with many smaller local bank branches not opening until 10am.  Must have a line update the same day you apply.  No matter that you could clear out the account 10 minutes later.  

[Gandtee]

31 minutes ago, RedCardinal said:

Meanwhile they expect you to get your bank passbook updated on the same day, with many smaller local bank branches not opening until 10am.  Must have a line update the same day you apply.  No matter that you could clear out the account 10 minutes later.  

I don't know about marriage visas, but for a retirement visa half of the money must stay in the account for a period of at least three months.

[BritTim]

47 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

I don't know about marriage visas, but for a retirement visa half of the money must stay in the account for a period of at least three months.

For a retirement visa, you must have 800k baht in the bank for two months before and three months after the application. You need to keep half in the bank for the remainder of the year.

[aluc]

2 hours ago, Mises said:

I expect all the tickets are taken by agents getting long stay educational visas for Russians.

 

Beware, if you go the next day you will have to get a new letter from the bank and account print out, a friend had his application turned down because they were from the day before.  This does not matter if you use an agent, all is designed to get you to use an agent.  It does make it easier all round but at a cost.

Education visas are processed in another building.

 

About bank letter you are wrong. Bank letter and statements can be up to 7 days old. Only thing what needs to be updated in same day is bank book.

 

[Chalong circle]

Took an appointment via immigration site one month ago for visa extension (retirement). Appointement was for 11.10. One officer saw my printed appointment and told me to follow him at 11 AM. Everything went smoothly...

[skatewash]

General advice:  Mondays and Fridays are best avoided; better to go in the middle of the week.