Strict Changes In Immigration Office Areas From February 15

[ubonjoe]

There seem to be some immigration offices/service areas missing from the PDF.

Specifically, I can't find an Ayutthaya immigration office or Nonthaburi/Pathumthani service area.

I have the same feeling, I can't find the Immigration Office in Hua Hin, or is this now closed ?

You have to look for the province not the city.

See the this post from page 3: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2528855

[Mario2008]

Does this affect tourists? I mean, if you're in the country on a tourist visa, presumably you don't "live" anywhere in the Kingdom at all. So surely you should be able to give the name of a hotel near the immigration office and use any office you please?

It does not affect tourists. Those on visa exempt entries, VOA's, non immigrant visas. tourist visas and etc. will not be tied to an office. They can go to the nearest office to where they are at when they need to do business with immigration.

It's primarily for those who are on long term extensions of stay.

Joe (or another Mod): May I ask what is the basis for this assertion? Is it somewhere in a published regulation or has it been confirmed with a phone call to Immigration?

Why would you have to go to any particular office if you are not living here?

Lets say your are on tourist visa and traveling around the country and you need to get a 30 day extension and you just happen to be in Phuket staying in a hotel. You would go to the Phuket office for your extension. The only address you have given immigration is the one you put on the TM 6 when you arrive. Do you think immigration would expect you to stay at that address the full time your are here.

People who have extensions have a file that immigration keeps at the immigration office where they applied for their extension. That is why they have to go to one particular office. Go back a few posts and you will find a post where it was mentioned that the Phibun immigration office had sent a letter telling a friend that they were sending his file to another office and he needed to go there for his next extension.

I fully agree with Joe.

[samran]

I suspect this may have to do with Suan Phlu being over loaded.

From what I glean from the board, a number of people who lived up country were coming to BKK (suan phlu), as they were getting the runaround with their local office (and fair enough too).

The result has been that the BKK office has been overwhelmed. My personal experience is after 4 years, my waiting time has gone from 1.5 hours on the first annual extension up to about 4 to 5 hours. Also had to wait another 3 hours to find out the 'result' of the exentsion of stay application.

No doubt this is not the only reason for BKK slowness, but it seems that the people in power think that this is a cause. Lets see if it works or not.

[ubonjoe]

I suspect this may have to do with Suan Phlu being over loaded.

From what I glean from the board, a number of people who lived up country were coming to BKK (suan phlu), as they were getting the runaround with their local office (and fair enough too).

The result has been that the BKK office has been overwhelmed. My personal experience is after 4 years, my waiting time has gone from 1.5 hours on the first annual extension up to about 4 to 5 hours. Also had to wait another 3 hours to find out the 'result' of the exentsion of stay application.

No doubt this is not the only reason for BKK slowness, but it seems that the people in power think that this is a cause. Lets see if it works or not.

There have been many reports from members that got an unwelcome suprise when they traveled all the way to Bangkok and were turned around and sent back to their local office.

This of course does not apply if you are not getting a long term extension of stay or have one already.

[isaanbrit]

Strict changes in Immigration office areas/locations from February 15

Foreigners living in Phatum Thani Province, Nonthaburi Province, Chainat Province, Lopburi Province, Saraburi province, Singburi province, Ayutthaya Province and Angtong province can visit either Ayutthaya Immigration, Chonburi Immigration or Nakhon Pathom Immigration offices.

Attachment:

But on the attached file it does not show that there is an office in Nakorn Phatom - What do we do ????

[davyboy]

Does this date of 15 Feb 2009 also apply to 90 day reporting, and does anyone know if all offices accept reporting by mail?

[Macclad]

What would happen with my 90 day address reporting due on May 3rd....

I fly to Bali in April,returning on a re-entry permit on 25th April.

Then I am holidaying in Jomtien for 2 weeks returning home on 9th May.

I live in Udon and do my 90 day address reporting in Nong Khai but this time when its due on May 3rd I will be in Jomtien.

I was going to use the Jomtien office on Soi 5 to report my address.Can I no longer do that ?

Presume I could put the hotel as my address.

[canopy]

You can still do 90 day reports by mail to Bangkok without a problem. That has not changed.

The mail in to Bangkok is meant for those that live far away from their office.

You are making an assumption about visa type here. I repeat: MY VISA REQUIRES ME TO GO EVERY 90 DAYS IN PERSON, NO EXCEPTIONS. Please take it offline with PM if you can't fathom this. So this new rule really hurts me quadruple more than people who have a visa like you are talking about.

14 hour drive, 4 times a year. Think of a 14 hour plane ride, that's a long way. These trips will be so wasteful in time and fuel, making me part of Thailand's traffic problem, feeling like an idiot mosying down the road that long for what? Navigating those mountain passes is hairy; you've got 10 wheel trucks doing 20 and pickups doing 120. Around the blind hairpins there is often someone in "your" lane. I am a careful driver, but I recognize this is a hazardous drive. In the US there is a law that truck drivers cannot drive more than 10 hours a day because it impairs judgement. It astonishes me we now we are asked to do 14 hours for this. I am sure there will be accidents due to so many people forced into these long trips into unfamiliar roads and people may die as a result. Some people get enjoyment out of road trips, I don't. I get enjoyment riding my bicycle to get around to have a more eco friendly footprint. Now I am forced to blow 1000km worth of diesel into the air, 4 times a year. Sorry if my assessment is harsh, but this is stupid.

Edited February 13, 2009 by canopy

[Putu94]

I wonder about 90 day reports. In the past Bangkok accept postal reports from around the country.

For me the same question ( in my case I send to Mukdahan)

And a other question

I live in Mahasarakham, have a contract for the house we rented is that enough to go to Mukdahan?

( the yellow book is still Khonkaen , house of my parents in law)

Thanks

[popshirt]

What's the definition of "where they live"?

How would this apply to someone just traveling around Thailand?

That's also the thing that strikes me. The world is becoming more mobile, people move around and travel all of the time. Seems very inflexible.

Yes, and I have two domiciles in Thailand, one in Bkk and another in Chonburi Province. I spend about 50% of my time at each place.

[ubonjoe]

Does this date of 15 Feb 2009 also apply to 90 day reporting, and does anyone know if all offices accept reporting by mail?

What would happen with my 90 day address reporting due on May 3rd....

I fly to Bali in April,returning on a re-entry permit on 25th April.

Then I am holidaying in Jomtien for 2 weeks returning home on 9th May.

I live in Udon and do my 90 day address reporting in Nong Khai but this time when its due on May 3rd I will be in Jomtien.

I was going to use the Jomtien office on Soi 5 to report my address.Can I no longer do that ?

Presume I could put the hotel as my address.

I wonder about 90 day reports. In the past Bangkok accept postal reports from around the country.

For me the same question ( in my case I send to Mukdahan)

And a other question

I live in Mahasarakham, have a contract for the house we rented is that enough to go to Mukdahan?

( the yellow book is still Khonkaen , house of my parents in law)

Thanks

Ninty day reporting to Bangkok by mail will still be accepted.

Bangkok is the main office to do mail in reports. Very few local offices do it.

Please go back a a page or two and you will find an a post I did with info.

[sabaijai]

What's the definition of "where they live"?

How would this apply to someone just traveling around Thailand?

That's also the thing that strikes me. The world is becoming more mobile, people move around and travel all of the time. Seems very inflexible.

Yes, and I have two domiciles in Thailand, one in Bkk and another in Chonburi Province. I spend about 50% of my time at each place.

You would go by whichever residence immigration has on record.

[blakegeee]

Not that it will affect me for a few years, since I moved back the U.S. in October, but I did have a retirement visa with my Thai wife and kept it for a few years while living in Chiang Mai because the offices in Chiang Mai issued retirement visas but not marriage visas (I would have had to go to Bangkok for one). Has this changed?

Chiang Mai issue every kind of extension.

NO, Chiang Mai can not change your visa to a Non-Immigrant marriage visa. This needs to be done in BKK at the Immigration Bureau, or better yet get it before you come to Thailand. Such a pain once you are here and need to do it. I need to go to BKK with my wife soon to do so but they said it "might" take about a week down there. What a joke! My wife has a business in Chiang Mai and we are supposed to go to BKK for a week over this. Unbeleivable!

ps: take things you read on here with a grain of salt. I asked on here about the process for getting married and atleast 90% of the info I got was totally incorrect. Call the correct gov't offices yourself to get the correct info, and they also have some confusing info online.

[easybullet3]

Is there any place in BKK besides Soi Suan Zoo to go to renew your non-immigrant O Thai wife visa?

have you ever sat in a passport office in your country back home? i think its the same as the one in bangkok!

every country in the world has the same 'zoo'-like qualities.

were you expecting a hotel lobby?

[Bluebell]

Not that it will affect me for a few years, since I moved back the U.S. in October, but I did have a retirement visa with my Thai wife and kept it for a few years while living in Chiang Mai because the offices in Chiang Mai issued retirement visas but not marriage visas (I would have had to go to Bangkok for one).  Has this changed?

Chiang Mai issue every kind of extension.

NO, Chiang Mai can not change your visa to a Non-Immigrant marriage visa. This needs to be done in BKK at the Immigration Bureau, or better yet get it before you come to Thailand. Such a pain once you are here and need to do it. I need to go to BKK with my wife soon to do so but they said it "might" take about a week down there. What a joke! My wife has a business in Chiang Mai and we are supposed to go to BKK for a week over this. Unbeleivable!ps: take things you read on here with a grain of salt. I asked on here about the process for getting married and atleast 90% of the info I got was totally incorrect. Call the correct gov't offices yourself to get the correct info, and they also have some confusing info online.

Same in Samui, they ask you to go to Bangkok for any visa changes, e.g. Tourist to Non-Immigrant, Non-O to Non-B etc as they are not authorised. What happens from Feb 15th?

If your local office does not process certain things can you still go to any other office that does?

Edited February 13, 2009 by Bluebell

[davyboy]

Does this date of 15 Feb 2009 also apply to 90 day reporting, and does anyone know if all offices accept reporting by mail?

What would happen with my 90 day address reporting due on May 3rd....

I fly to Bali in April,returning on a re-entry permit on 25th April.

Then I am holidaying in Jomtien for 2 weeks returning home on 9th May.

I live in Udon and do my 90 day address reporting in Nong Khai but this time when its due on May 3rd I will be in Jomtien.

I was going to use the Jomtien office on Soi 5 to report my address.Can I no longer do that ?

Presume I could put the hotel as my address.

I wonder about 90 day reports. In the past Bangkok accept postal reports from around the country.

For me the same question ( in my case I send to Mukdahan)

And a other question

I live in Mahasarakham, have a contract for the house we rented is that enough to go to Mukdahan?

( the yellow book is still Khonkaen , house of my parents in law)

Thanks

Ninty day reporting to Bangkok by mail will still be accepted.

Bangkok is the main office to do mail in reports. Very few local offices do it.

Please go back a a page or two and you will find an a post I did with info.

Thank you Joe.

[Peterchap]

You can still do 90 day reports by mail to Bangkok without a problem. That has not changed.

The mail in to Bangkok is meant for those that live far away from their office.

I live in Khon Kaen on a O-A (retirement) visa. I usually do my 90 day reporting by mail to Bangkok.

Under the new rules, can you please confirm that I can send my next report (due 14th April) to Bangkok and not Nong Khai.

Thanks.

Regards from

Peter.

[ubonjoe]

You can still do 90 day reports by mail to Bangkok without a problem. That has not changed.

The mail in to Bangkok is meant for those that live far away from their office.

I live in Khon Kaen on a O-A (retirement) visa. I usually do my 90 day reporting by mail to Bangkok.

Under the new rules, can you please confirm that I can send my next report (due 14th April) to Bangkok and not Nong Khai.

Thanks.

Regards from

Peter.

Continue mailing it to Bangkok.

There is no mention of 90 day reports in the memo from immigration. Only extensions and re-entry permits.

[cyborgx]

Anyone know where the Klong Toey office is?

From their website which is entirely in Thai.

ด่านตรวจคนเข้าเมืองท่าเรือกรุงเทพ : ถนนสุนทรโกษา แขวงคลองเตย เขตคลองเตย กรุงเทพมหานคร 10110 :

โทรศัพท์ 0-2249-0806-7 ,0-2249-4122 : โทรสาร 0-2249-0807

Edit: For translation and map see this post: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2507773

Thanks a lot mate.

Cy

[cyborgx]

Anyone know where the Klong Toey office is?

It's inside the Port. Hope it doesn't start to get busy now.

Thanks, I've been living near the port for about 13 years, but never been to that office. Hope it's quicker than Suan Plu. Went there this week, and there were about 80 people before me in the 90 days queue! Went home, came back about 3 hours later, and think my number probably came up after about 2 hours! I will say on my second visit they dealt with it very quickly and I got my passport back in about 10 minutes.

[HAL9000]

This is problematic. I live in Sukhothai and use the Bangkok office. The list assigns me to Tak.

Last year we called Tak before going to Bangkok because Tak is closer. We were informed that Tak could only offer me a retirement extension, not a Thai Wife extension.

The other issue is that I have to appear at the US Embassy to get my verification of income before going to Immigration. A previous topic has indicated that this is considered acceptable for an exception. Under the new rules it may not be.

And, thirdly, yes I do prefer Bangkok because, as observed in this topic, they have been professional and by the book. The last thing I need is to travel over to Tak and then be told that I need something else that Bangkok does not require.

[uncletom]

It was said by some poster that Immigration offices can do all extentions, but this is truly up to each and every offices own discretion. As I have recently written before, the CM office has a notice that reads only Extensions for Marriage or Retirement can be made or will be accpeted, thus eliminationg by their choice the Support of a Family member or child, REGARDLESS of the immigration law in effect.

Does leave things a little sticky if one cannot go elsewhere to another office to get the extension one requires.

Uncletom.You are the only one that has written that.

Are you sure you are not quoting it out of context.

What about extensions based upon employment. I don't think everbody in CM that needs an extension is going somewhere else.

From my most recent EXPERIENCES AND LEARNINGS at the CM immi (one of so so many over the years), no I am not taking it out of context. The sign says what the sign says to retard people from making an application for support. My immigration officer bent over backwords for us at the time, but all the meantime was complaining (IN THAI) about the amount of paper work and hours of wasted time she had to go and sift through. They simply don't appreciate one applicant taking up 2-3 hours of time, even 1 full hour, period. So this is why they have put the sign up, because 1- 2-3 hours for one person while 25 more are waiting hours to submit their application of extension for all other reasons except support. It is literally impossible for them to get to all the peopl who have signed in the registry. The most common extensions for the biggest moral majority of foreingers in CM are for retirement and marriage. There are so many old folks up here that on first sight you would think CM is a wordly geriaitrics center. Everyone I have spoken to and have seen in CM submitting the over 30 - 360 day applications of extension are for either retirement or marriage, but in years past this was different.. Yes other extensions can and will be processed, but not the support one if they can do anything to stop it. The employment extensions are not in a great majority and not a big concern for them, because people are not lining up in droves one after the other for these, and the paper work still isn't as huge or draining as the paper work required for support.

I dig pretty deep to get authentic answers, either by asking or by listening to what is said to me or around me being in either English or in Thai. I usually don't miss much when I am there, ALL EARS.

Other places are different, but I am plainly speaking about support extensions for CM....

Uncletom

[pipchatel]

Hi you all Long time not here. The Land of smiles is loosing the attraction for me, but back for a while

I cannot open/see the PDF file can any one help.

I am in Lampang and have been going to CM for years, will that one change?? But reading the posts its hard to see why every one is up in arms. Of course the system is Paper bound and there for it makes sense (well if your thai) to keep to the same office. Well As I say I will be well out of it next year.

[Mario2008]

This is problematic. I live in Sukhothai and use the Bangkok office. The list assigns me to Tak.

Last year we called Tak before going to Bangkok because Tak is closer. We were informed that Tak could only offer me a retirement extension, not a Thai Wife extension.

The other issue is that I have to appear at the US Embassy to get my verification of income before going to Immigration. A previous topic has indicated that this is considered acceptable for an exception. Under the new rules it may not be.

And, thirdly, yes I do prefer Bangkok because, as observed in this topic, they have been professional and by the book. The last thing I need is to travel over to Tak and then be told that I need something else that Bangkok does not require.

My experiences with "Tak" are very good. I now have to go to another office and regret that, as I never had any problem with Tak-immigration.

I don't know why they told you they do not do a marriage extension, it maybe that they prefered an extension based on retirement as that is much easier to do. They certainly do marriage extensions at that office.

I wouldn't worry if I where you.

[george]

I'm not 100% sure, but I *think* the Klong Toey office is only for the Bangkok Harbour port (people coming and leaving with vessels).

Anyone know where the Klong Toey office is?

It's inside the Port. Hope it doesn't start to get busy now.

Thanks, I've been living near the port for about 13 years, but never been to that office. Hope it's quicker than Suan Plu. Went there this week, and there were about 80 people before me in the 90 days queue! Went home, came back about 3 hours later, and think my number probably came up after about 2 hours! I will say on my second visit they dealt with it very quickly and I got my passport back in about 10 minutes.

[george]

I cannot open/see the PDF file can any one help.

Download this free PDF reader, install it and open the file with this program:

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader_2/down_reader.htm

[ubonjoe]

This is problematic. I live in Sukhothai and use the Bangkok office. The list assigns me to Tak.

Last year we called Tak before going to Bangkok because Tak is closer. We were informed that Tak could only offer me a retirement extension, not a Thai Wife extension.

The other issue is that I have to appear at the US Embassy to get my verification of income before going to Immigration. A previous topic has indicated that this is considered acceptable for an exception. Under the new rules it may not be.

And, thirdly, yes I do prefer Bangkok because, as observed in this topic, they have been professional and by the book. The last thing I need is to travel over to Tak and then be told that I need something else that Bangkok does not require.

Before this cam out they were already sending people back to their assigned office. Bangkok may of already sent your file to Tak.

Every office has to issue extesnions of all types according to immigrations main office,

I understand about having to go to Bangkok for the letter. Its almost 800 K for me. But this year I am thinking about making it a holiday trip by going to Chiang Mai instead of Bangkok.

Just go to the office with everything you can think of. Include a bank book in case they want to see that.

[pipchatel]

I cannot open/see the PDF file can any one help.

Download this free PDF reader, install it and open the file with this program:

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader_2/down_reader.htm

Thanks a lot I have that and see Lampang unchanged.

I really see things getting more difficult here in Thailand in The Democrates and all the old Rich and of course the ARMY keep a grip on things. They really could send us all home. It happened in Portugal in the 1970,s would you believe! Its certainly not the Same place I came to 20 years ago.

thanks again

Pipchatel

[ubonjoe]

I cannot open/see the PDF file can any one help.

Download this free PDF reader, install it and open the file with this program:

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader_2/down_reader.htm

George

I have the same problem and I have adobe installed.

I can't even get to the download page. All I get is a blank html page.

For me it appears to be the way that the Adobe document handler is started by TV's side of things.

I can open PDF's from other sites.

Joe

[george]

Try to download it from our Downloads section:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/List-Thailan...es-file625.html

Save it on disk, and then open it with Adobe.

I cannot open/see the PDF file can any one help.

Download this free PDF reader, install it and open the file with this program:

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader_2/down_reader.htm

George

I have the same problem and I have adobe installed.

I can't even get to the download page. All I get is a blank html page.

For me it appears to be the way that the Adobe document handler is started by TV's side of things.

I can open PDF's from other sites.

Joe