Extend Tourist Visa In Bangkok

[vespajw]

Hi, my first time around trying to get the 30 day extension to a double entry tourist visa. So, a couple of questions and I hope someone can help.

1) Other than my passport and 1900 baht, will I need to take anything with me such as photos?

2) What is the number of the form required? Is it the T.M. 8? (I'd just like to be able to check in case someone hands me the wrong one.)

3) How the heck do you get there? Immigration does have a map http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/ba...?page=location# but it doesn't seem all that accurate. Right angles? In Bangkok? I've tried comparing it to Google Earth, but... Looks like it could be west on Sathorn Tai, then a left onto Soi Sathorn 3 and keep going until it turns in Soi Suan Phlu, is that about right?

It looks walkable from Lumphini subway station, only about a mile (1.6km), but is it actually possible to do so, i.e. are there actual sidewalks if following the route above?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can clear up these details.

Edit: After playing "spot the L-shaped building" on Google Earth, based on what's on the Immy website, I think I found it, but can someone confirm it's the one about dead center and at the coordinates given on the lower left.

Edited January 23, 2009 by vespajw

[ubonjoe]

Photos, copies of passport photo page, visa, entry/permit to stay stamps, TM6 (departure card).

TM7 is the form number. You can download it from immigration website.

Never been there so can't help on the directions.

[vespajw]

Photos, copies of passport photo page, visa, entry/permit to stay stamps, TM6 (departure card).

TM7 is the form number. You can download it from immigration website.

Never been there so can't help on the directions.

Thanks, Joe! 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

How many photos, and how many copies of the photo page, visa page, stamps and TM6?

Could download the form but my printer's gone to God...

[ubonjoe]

One of everything.

[vespajw]

Well that was easy. Left On Nut BTS a few minutes past noon and got back there a few minutes past 3.

The building is exactly the same one in the center of the photo I posted. "West on Sathorn Tai, then a left onto Soi Sathorn 3 and keep going until it turns in Soi Suan Phlu" is exactly it and the Immigration Dept. building is opposite Suan Phlu Soi 7. Except I didn't go that way, going instead all the way down Sathorn Soi 1, then making a right, walking through the grounds of the Department of Civil Aviation, then a right on Soi Suan Phlu.

The walk I took is a little sketchy as along most of Sathorn Soi 1 the sidewalks are barely a foot wide. Not good to go if you have a slight mobility impairment or are otherwise insufficiently nimble. But it you were in a wheelchair, it would be the way to go as the traffic along Sathorn Tai Rd. and the sidewalks of upper Sathorn Soi 3 would be death-traps. If you want to ride, plenty of motorbike taxis at Lumphini subway Station (use exit 2).

Very easy process overall. If you've got all your papers ready to go (and I did stop at an internet cafe and preprint my TM.7) you see the guy or gal at the Information desk. If you don't have the application form, he or she will give you one. He checks over whatever documents you brought, and hands them back along with a wait-number slip and sends you into Room 102.

You have to watch the big "number being served board" and you'll get called up to counter 2. If you need to fill out your form, there's two counters where you can do that. Pens are in short supply but there's a few pots of glue to use to paste your photo to your application form. They're fine with 2 page application forms, they don't have to printed front and back on a single page.

I waited 5 minutes or so to get called even though there was no one at counter 2. Who knows why. My paperwork was good, I forked over 1900 baht. I got back a laminated card with another wait-number on it. There's a separate electronic signboard that shows numbers for people waiting to collect their passports at counter 3.

I was actually impressed by the speed of things. These two counters seem to do visa extensions exclusively, they processed 19 of them in 24 minutes. Not bad for a Friday afternoon or any time really in the Thai bureaucracy. FYI your receipt comes back with your passport when you pick it up at counter 3 and not when you pay at counter 2.

All in all, I don't think I spent more than 40 minutes in the building. The funniest wait was at the main Info desk. The guy in front of me seemed to speak perfect Thai, looked Thai, and was accompanied by Mare and Poor in their straight-out-of-Isaan goin'-to-town clothes... (You may recognize the up-country chic: Dad had on a natty beverage company promotional polo shirt over pinstriped trousers. and his charming bride sported a fetching blouse which appeared to be from the Sears catalog over a sarong.) He had a foreign passport and as far as I could understand he just couldn't get up to speed that even though he's Thai he still has to jump through all the "farang" hoops if he's not using a Thai passport. A 10 minute debate ensued, Mom and Pop both got involved, but it was just so charmingly Thai I really couldn't be bothered to get mad.