Extension Online "Faster & Easier" NO!

[Thjames]

We went to Jomtien Imm last friday to do 30d extension.  was "politely" told to come back on Wed" (we had a Dr appointment on Wed hence we tried to do it earlier)

 

While inline we saw a sign to do it online "faster and easier"

I went home and did, at a cost 1900 (same) plus 500 for "express service" (cheapest option i saw) which allows you to book an appointment time and day and we did at 10am on Wed... and here is what happened! 

 

1. its done via VFS (immigration farms out the document collection) but their "custormer service and support is far from good" im told not to state my honest opinion of VFS online in case they take you to police (read between the lines)

2. they asked for another photo of bio page, ok, but we CANNOT upload it to the system, and for 3 days i tried ( browers, devices, clearing caches and history, NOTHING), after 5 emails i finally get a reply 3 days later on Monday (maybe they dont work on weekend, thanks for telling us)  "we recieved docs and now in process" 2 full days to process, lots of time  but again NO

3. No approval received but we arrived on time for our appointment, and while INLINE they sent an approval (ie 5 min before appointment)and saying we had to print out 5 different docs (no point telling that at the very start  that would be no fun) so we had to do that first

4. then the "officer" at info desk said "nope had to do a new TM30" because ours was done online (i had a copy)  which was accepted online and i think she was wrong but you do as they say!!  (#1 rule at immigration dont argue with a person with a jacket on)

5.  After the tm30 side dance, we waited inline with no "special appointment" as advertised to get visa extension.  (we were like everyone else looking scared and stupid a tv screen waiting for 1A123456 blink or even get witin 30 numbers is a joy)

6. We got to the infamous Desk #1A  and she had NO idea what this was and had to call in the reserve army to help out. 

7. Four senior officers tried to figure it out which took about 30-40 mins, meanwhile 11 walkins were processed in same time.

8. Finally I got the new stamp (differnt than the regular stamp but does the same same), the only good news, it was given at the same time.  no wait or having to come back tomorrow.

9. We left after a 5 hour family fun trip to immigrations. 

 

BUT then as we were walking down the street and just before the heavens opened up an office ran after us and asked us to come back "to take photo with the inspector because we were the first online extention visa given" (im sure they thought they made a mistake and would rip the page out of passport but No)

 

We did the photo op and everyone was happy, and in some sick way we were too.  

 

FYI as the officers were trying to figure out this new system they told us "dont use the online system" hint hint  

 

Honestly the final 4 senior officers were nice and friendly, yes you heard me correctly and im not under the influence alcohol or under duress  as i wrote that.

 

In the end, it was more expensive  it "took longer and was harder"  something i dont say often 😁.  They need a new sign!!

Im no expert but maybe they should hire a different guy to design their websites, Url Wong at '404webdeigns' (a joke for the computer savy readers) is just not getting the jobs done.

 

[Mike Lister]

Why am I not surprised.

 

But thanks for the report, useful to know.

 

I'm doing my visa extension currently, this year, CM Immi wants my Fixed Deposit passbook showing the 400k, a letter from the bank confirming the 400k and account number, and a statement for the past three months showing the money in that Fixed Deposit wasn't secretly removed and replaced during that three months. Talk about belt and braces and an elastic waste band!

 

[proton]

At least that sign is in Englsih, much of the immigration output is in Thai only!

[bob smith]

22 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Why am I not surprised.

 

But thanks for the report, useful to know.

 

I'm doing my visa extension currently, this year, CM Immi wants my Fixed Deposit passbook showing the 400k, a letter from the bank confirming the 400k and account number, and a statement for the past three months showing the money in that Fixed Deposit wasn't secretly removed and replaced during that three months. Talk about belt and braces and an elastic waste band!

 

why do we put up with it is what I want to know?

 

i've already told mrs smith.

 

ANY hassle from the IO this year and I mean even the slightest bit of hostility, then i'm off to Laos/Cambodia and I will see her when I see her.

 

I just don't need the headache.

[NanLaew]

11 minutes ago, bob smith said:

why do we put up with it is what I want to know?

 

i've already told mrs smith.

 

ANY hassle from the IO this year and I mean even the slightest bit of hostility, then i'm off to Cambodia and I will see her when I see her.

 

I just don't need the headache.

 

Will you still be whining on here once you're over there (if you ever do go)?

[bob smith]

Just now, NanLaew said:

 

Will you still be whining on here once you're over there (if you ever do go)?

he's here again! you love me really don't you 😉 

[4MyEgo]

30 minutes ago, bob smith said:

ANY hassle from the IO this year and I mean even the slightest bit of hostility, then i'm off to Laos/Cambodia and I will see her when I see her.

 

We've all been there, done that, and to be honest it's expected, b-stards couldn't get me the last two years, paperwork in order, and anything extra they asked for on the spot, I had in my bag of more paperwork....LOL

 

Went to pick up the stamp on 1 March 2022 as advised, I/O, no have, we call you when come, oh, thanks for the 3 hour round trip that I just wasted, not to mention my petrol.

 

following year told to come 1 March 2023, so I went 2nd March, no have we call you when we have, no call, a week later, I call, yes we have been waiting for you to collect.

 

Mind you, I lodge the extension prior to Xmas as advised by them, i.e. it gets very busy apparently, so this time I will do it a week before it's due to expire, i.e. end January, and will ALWAYS call them before I go to collect it because they just waste my time and petrol and if they say that I should come in December before Xmas in future, I will just smile. 

[Crossy]

Thanks for the report.

 

I was at our local immigration (Pathum Thani) on Thursday to do our marriage extension in and out in 3 hours most of which was awaiting the arrival if the Super / Deputy-Super who eventually rolled up (the seating area is right next to their parking spaces).

 

That sign was in a prominent location, I may try it next year, by then the bugs may have been ironed out or it may just have faded into history.

 

[BenStark]

Unless something has changed, I will do my next extension in the same way I did it early this year.

 

Book an appointment at 2pm through the immigration website, not the vfsevisa system, so no prepayment involved.

 

Arrive there at 1:45pm, with all documents in hand which I had prepared at home, and allowed to pass the entire and extensive queue waiting outside on showing my appointment.

 

At 2:30pm I was outside and already at the revenue office on Jomtien second road

[Skeptic7]

23 hours ago, Thjames said:

"longer and was harder" something i dont say often 😁

[Skeptic7]

23 hours ago, bob smith said:

I just don't need the headache

Hell no you don't..especially with those daily self-induced ones❗🍻

[JayClay]

23 hours ago, bob smith said:

i've already told mrs smith.

 

ANY hassle from the IO this year and I mean even the slightest bit of hostility, then i'm off to Laos/Cambodia

 

I thought you were moving to the Philippines..?

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, bob smith said:

I just don't need the headache.

From Mrs S or immigration ?

[Caldera]

As it is, the "online" extension process is a joke, if for no other reason that you still need to attend immigration anyway.

 

Hopefully they'll improve that process, at least for a simple 30-day extension for a tourist where (almost) no supporting documents are required.

[MangoKorat]

On 11/2/2023 at 2:39 AM, Crossy said:

That sign was in a prominent location, I may try it next year, by then the bugs may have been ironed out or it may just have faded into history.

If VFS's handing of UK Visa applications is anything to go by, it will take them a lot longer than 1 year to get it working correctly.

[MangoKorat]

On 11/2/2023 at 1:42 AM, Thjames said:

1. its done via VFS (immigration farms out the document collection) but their "custormer service and support is far from good" im told not to state my honest opinion of VFS online in case they take you to police (read between the lines)

Well I'm not in Thailand so I can say what I really think.  Having dealt with VFS for many years - (since the UK stopped handling their own visa applications) all I can say is THEY ARE THE MOST USELESS OUTFIT I'VE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO DEAL WITH.

 

To be fair, with UK visa applications they have got better now but that's only if everything is straighforward.  The slightest glitch and everything goes to pot and trying to actually speak to them is impossible.  As a company that handles ousourced work, they actually outsource their customer service function and you end up in phone calls and e-mails to India where the staff know even less that VFS do. Their website used to crash when you were uploading documents or simply refuse to upload them.

[NanLaew]

On 11/2/2023 at 9:08 AM, bob smith said:

On 11/2/2023 at 9:08 AM, NanLaew said:

 

Will you still be whining on here once you're over there (if you ever do go)?

he's here again! you love me really don't you

 

Now, now bob, don't get ahead of yourself. We haven't even been formally introduced yet.

 

You'll need a chaperone on our first date.

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Well I'm not in Thailand so I can say what I really think.  Having dealt with VFS for many years - (since the UK stopped handling their own visa applications) all I can say is THEY ARE THE MOST USELESS OUTFIT I'VE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO DEAL WITH.

 

To be fair, with UK visa applications they have got better now but that's only if everything is straighforward.  The slightest glitch and everything goes to pot and trying to actually speak to them is impossible.  As a company that handles ousourced work, they actually outsource their customer service function and you end up in phone calls and e-mails to India where the staff know even less that VFS do. Their website used to crash when you were uploading documents or simply refuse to upload them.

 

Are you sitting comfortably?

 

Let us begin...

 

Over the years, five successful visa applications at VFS at their original location, as well as a couple at Trendy.

 

Two successful passport renewals, received in a little over two weeks both times.

 

Two successful first passports for my dual-nationality children, took a little over three weeks each time.

 

My friend did a no-appointment, walk-in passport renewal application and subsequent collection at Trendy a couple of months back. Picked up the new one three weeks later.

 

If you have issues with tying shoelaces, you can always try slip-ons.

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Are you sitting comfortably?

 

Let us begin...

 

Over the years, five successful visa applications at VFS at their original location, as well as a couple at Trendy.

 

Two successful passport renewals, received in a little over two weeks both times.

 

Two successful first passports for my dual-nationality children, took a little over three weeks each time.

 

My friend did a no-appointment, walk-in passport renewal application and subsequent collection at Trendy a couple of months back. Picked up the new one three weeks later.

 

If you have issues with tying shoelaces, you can always try slip-ons.

 

Still skipping up and down our soi in a state of unbridled ecstasy, fulsomely singing the praises of the With-It Tower Passport Renewal Experience to the highest heavens as being the very best thing since sliced bread, are we?

 

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Still skipping up and down our soi in a state of unbridled ecstasy, fulsomely singing the praises of the With-It Tower Passport Renewal Experience to the highest heavens as being the very best thing since sliced bread, are we?

 

 

Still thinking you're clever calling it 'With-It Tower' after all these years, are we?

 

BTW, I thought you had me on ignore already?

 

PS: Nice slip-on's.

[Ben Zioner]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:54 AM, bob smith said:

why do we put up with it is what I want to know?

 

i've already told mrs smith.

 

ANY hassle from the IO this year and I mean even the slightest bit of hostility, then i'm off to Laos/Cambodia and I will see her when I see her.

 

I just don't need the headache.

Love the way you treat your wife. Unlike me you must be a "real man"..

[MangoKorat]

11 hours ago, NanLaew said:

If you have issues with tying shoelaces, you can always try slip-ons.

Don't be an a s s - its not big and its not clever.  I can assure you that the problems I have experienced with VFS have been genuine.  They've been OK on some occasions and absoutely useless on others - mainly problems with their webitse refusing to accept documents. On each occasion I have eventually received an apology but at the time, the call centre customer service staff were unaware of the problems.  One called me back and said he would 'walk me through the process' - I knew what the result would be but went along with him - as I suspected, the site refused to accept the documents to which the staffer said he'd have to get back to me and never did.

 

If you want to score points, I've made over 30  (yes 30) UK Visa applications mainly visitor visas but 2 settlement  - all successful although one, on the old system needed an e-mail to the embassy first.  At least 15 of those have been through VFS and I'd guess I had problems with around 5 of them, all with VFS.  Problems can occur in any situation and with any company, what matters is the ability of a company to deal with those problems.  Sorry but employing call centre staff that have no idea what they are doing and fail to call you back is not dealing with a problem at all.

[bigt3116]

On 11/3/2023 at 6:38 PM, MangoKorat said:

Having dealt with VFS for many years - (since the UK stopped handling their own visa applications) all I can say is THEY ARE THE MOST USELESS OUTFIT I'VE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO DEAL WITH.

 

To be fair, with UK visa applications they have got better now but that's only if everything is straighforward. 

 

Are you on about visas to visit the UK? Looks like that is done by UKVI a government department?