As an experiment and to compare with CW I found the online appointment site for Chiang Mai, and it has IMO clearer options for appointment selection, and also doesn't require email validation as a preliminary step. So I selected "Retirement Purpose" to find a date.

 

March is fully booked so I checked April, but it also had no available dates. Despite being greyed out I tried clicking on a day to confirm that's correct, and it displayed "There is no availability on this date" so that's in fact how it works.

 

So I clicked forward to May...no dates. Finally June, and it has one day the entire month available. Beyond June, you may not pass.

 

One day, in the next three months. So with 30 days and even a 30-day extension you'd be out of luck. I think there was a recent marriage visa thread about the appointment system, so online appointments and CM may not mix.

 

Has anybody here done the initial Non-O there recently? Are they reasonable with walk-ins, or is it an all-day or even "All full today, come back tomorrow" affair?

Agent time.  But then again, that's the point isn't it?

1 hour ago, avidorn said:

Has anybody here done the initial Non-O there recently

Don't really follow.

You currently have a thread obtaining non O at CW..

Perhaps forget the idea of obtaining appointment and do a walk in.

Be aware that you need to obtain 12 month extension same office where you obtain the Non O 

I have been going in for several years now. It’s a lot easier and quicker!

1-2 hours waiting including waiting for a ReEntry Permit.

1 hour ago, Tazmo said:

I have been going in for several years now. It’s a lot easier and quicker!

1-2 hours waiting including waiting for a ReEntry Permit.

 

Not too long, considering. Thanks, that's a good trip report!

The appointment system here in CM only goes out 90 days.  Have checked (for retirement purposes) a bit the last month or two and it seems that all time slots are filled except for the 90th day out and one or two slots a day or two before then..  Checked a few minutes ago and the only open slots were one on June 21st and four on June 24th (which will probably be taken within hours).  Reminds me of the prior online appointment system (which I think was 100 days) and one had to grab a time slot shortly after midnight 100 days out or even those last slots were filled in less than an hour. 

 

22 hours ago, avidorn said:

As an experiment and to compare with CW I found the online appointment site for Chiang Mai, and it has IMO clearer options for appointment selection, and also doesn't require email validation as a preliminary step. So I selected "Retirement Purpose" to find a date.

 

March is fully booked so I checked April, but it also had no available dates. Despite being greyed out I tried clicking on a day to confirm that's correct, and it displayed "There is no availability on this date" so that's in fact how it works.

 

So I clicked forward to May...no dates. Finally June, and it has one day the entire month available. Beyond June, you may not pass.

 

One day, in the next three months. So with 30 days and even a 30-day extension you'd be out of luck. I think there was a recent marriage visa thread about the appointment system, so online appointments and CM may not mix.

 

Has anybody here done the initial Non-O there recently? Are they reasonable with walk-ins, or is it an all-day or even "All full today, come back tomorrow" affair?

I found the same results as you last year when I was due for a renewal in May.  The only date (90 days before in checking) was the day before my due date!  I have always done my renewal 30 days in advance just in case something new was added and I needed that extra time to fix things.  But, in both of the last two years I just walked in, got my queue ticket, waited inside and never spent more than 90 minutes at immigration so since we used to have to wait hours in various queues, I see no real problem in not having an appointment - last year I was only in immigration for 45 minutes.

5 hours ago, CMBob said:

The appointment system here in CM only goes out 90 days.  Have checked (for retirement purposes) a bit the last month or two and it seems that all time slots are filled except for the 90th day out and one or two slots a day or two before then..  Checked a few minutes ago and the only open slots were one on June 21st and four on June 24th (which will probably be taken within hours).  Reminds me of the prior online appointment system (which I think was 100 days) and one had to grab a time slot shortly after midnight 100 days out or even those last slots were filled in less than an hour. 

 

 

5 hours ago, Presnock said:

I found the same results as you last year when I was due for a renewal in May.  The only date (90 days before in checking) was the day before my due date!  I have always done my renewal 30 days in advance just in case something new was added and I needed that extra time to fix things.  But, in both of the last two years I just walked in, got my queue ticket, waited inside and never spent more than 90 minutes at immigration so since we used to have to wait hours in various queues, I see no real problem in not having an appointment - last year I was only in immigration for 45 minutes.

 

More good info, thanks. It sounds like appointments aren't as important there.

 

Which is helpful, if you can't really get one. 😄