Hua Hin Immigration Closes 20 March

[Lizard]

They want more farangs to live in Prachuabkhirkhan City so the place gets developed....But, This idea to shut down the immigration office sounds like a stupid plan since the Govt. is ready to group Pranburi, Hua Hin and Cha-am together..............

This will never be, Hua Hin and Pranburi are in the province of Prachuab Khiri Khan, Cha Am is in the province of Phetchaburi.

What you have heard or wishfull thinking on your part is baloney.

The version of this I head from a usually reliable Thai friend, Hua Hin will become a Changwat (not sure if Pran Buri is included). I can't see it including Cha am.

For those who live in Cha-Am, Petchaburi province, is there an office in Petchaburi???

[Lite Beer]

They want more farangs to live in Prachuabkhirkhan City so the place gets developed....But, This idea to shut down the immigration office sounds like a stupid plan since the Govt. is ready to group Pranburi, Hua Hin and Cha-am together..............

This will never be, Hua Hin and Pranburi are in the province of Prachuab Khiri Khan, Cha Am is in the province of Phetchaburi.

What you have heard or wishfull thinking on your part is baloney.

The version of this I head from a usually reliable Thai friend, Hua Hin will become a Changwat (not sure if Pran Buri is included). I can't see it including Cha am.

For those who live in Cha-Am, Petchaburi province, is there an office in Petchaburi???

No. You have to go to Singkhon.

[Lizard]

So after going on a vacation into say Vietnam, we have to check into that office 120 K's south for the 24 hour rule?

[wayfarer108]

Another reason to reconsider a long term stay in Hua Hin or in the rest of Thailand. It seems they are making it more and more difficult staying here.

For me this and other (new) regulations are a final push finding a new Country to live.

Interesting that just as you make your final push to leave Thailand, you choose to make your first post on ThaiVisa.com.

[stgrhe]

So after going on a vacation into say Vietnam, we have to check into that office 120 K's south for the 24 hour rule?

No, not needed! The 24 hour reporting can be done at the local police station.

[tominchaam]

So after going on a vacation into say Vietnam, we have to check into that office 120 K's south for the 24 hour rule?

No, not needed! The 24 hour reporting can be done at the local police station.

Good luck with that - but the police is likely to tell you something else.

[stgrhe]

So after going on a vacation into say Vietnam, we have to check into that office 120 K's south for the 24 hour rule?

No, not needed! The 24 hour reporting can be done at the local police station.

Good luck with that - but the police is likely to tell you something else.

I do that every time in Khon Kaen after I have been out of the country and do not have to go up to Nong Khai. Actually, when I for first time was going to make the 24 hour reporting I went all the way to the Immigration Office in Nong Khai and was told to go back to KK. I did my last reporting last week after a trip to KL.

[frostback]

As I understand it the current office (on Soi 102) has been rent free for the past 2 years..............the developer out there wanted to "show" falang his property and "gave" the building to the government to get that exposure.

If someone (I think almost ANYONE) were to step forward and offer up office space, I 'm told the immigration dept and staff would be thrilled.

I'm told they have "no money" for rent expenses, as unbelievable as that sounds.

Interesting how many folks jumped to their own biased (and wrong) conclusions.

[Lizard]

As I understand it the current office (on Soi 102) has been rent free for the past 2 years..............the developer out there wanted to "show" falang his property and "gave" the building to the government to get that exposure.

If someone (I think almost ANYONE) were to step forward and offer up office space, I 'm told the immigration dept and staff would be thrilled.

I'm told they have "no money" for rent expenses, as unbelievable as that sounds.

Interesting how many folks jumped to their own biased (and wrong) conclusions.

Yes I find that hard to believe, they have no money, with all the under the table goings on out there.

[Asbestos]

As I understand it the current office (on Soi 102) has been rent free for the past 2 years..............the developer out there wanted to "show" falang his property and "gave" the building to the government to get that exposure.

If someone (I think almost ANYONE) were to step forward and offer up office space, I 'm told the immigration dept and staff would be thrilled.

I'm told they have "no money" for rent expenses, as unbelievable as that sounds.

Interesting how many folks jumped to their own biased (and wrong) conclusions.

Yes I find that hard to believe, they have no money, with all the under the table goings on out there.

Do you have evidence of this, if so report it, if not remember you are a guest here in LOS.

See you in Khiri Khan, Hua Hin Immigration is closed now, so should this OP.

Edited February 21, 2009 by Asbestos

[PeaceBlondie]

The photo of the sign on the door says that the office closes March 20.

[Maestro]

An off-topic post and replies to it about the comparative quality of life in Pattaya and Hua Hin have been deleted. The two members concerned are kindly invited to take this discussion elsewhere, perhaps start a new topic on it in the Pattaya or Hua Hin forum. It might turn out to be an interesting discussion, for all I know.

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Maestro

[gsalet]

I am sure some will enjoy the trip to Singkon, but why the hel_l would they move the convenient HH immigration office where Thousands of foreigners live to go back to singkon in the middle of nowhere ?

Lease is finished ? can't get a new one with all the estates available around ? I bless the day they will introduce that E-report we talked about earlier on !

[jumnien]

Many local farang have been whining about the Hua Hin immigration office the last few years and no doubt many local farang will continue to whine about the Prachuab immigration office in the next few years. Getting the farang to stop whining is a useless enterprise. Really, if I heard a group of Mexicans in Ventura County complaining about driving to Los Angeles to take care of immigration details, I'd puke. You are either willing to put a little effort out for the privilege of living in another country or you are welcome to leave.

[PeaceBlondie]

The old love it or leave it brigade. But the vast majority of the public live in and around HHin. "So, Somchai, let's move as far away as we can, half a klick from damnable Buuuurma, so the farang can risk their lives on the highway...."

[PeaceBlondie]

I hesitated to let the post stand, but see no harm. I did modify the large font size and bolded text. Besides, we are free to critique the service and consider alternatives.

[The Vulcan]

Third, there is a strong move underway to keep the immigration office in Hua Hin, even if the associated leases have to be paid by foreign residents. It is being organized now (by the Swedish Society and others) and I am not sure how far this will go but people are serious about keeping them here as it is a major convenience to have a local office where most of the foreigners live.

Hope it comes off. Please keep us all posted - Thanks

[taxexile]

even if the associated leases have to be paid by foreign residents.

....... you mean a top up payment for everybody when renewing visas etc. sound like a good little earner for the boys and girls at immigration.

not a good precedent at all.

there are dozens of empty offices and commercial properties in hua hin , affordable to thai businesses etc.

there are even empty rooms in the tessaban building.

how come immigration cant find one.

[hhfarang]

even if the associated leases have to be paid by foreign residents.

....... you mean a top up payment for everybody when renewing visas etc. sound like a good little earner for the boys and girls at immigration.

not a good precedent at all.

there are dozens of empty offices and commercial properties in hua hin , affordable to thai businesses etc.

there are even empty rooms in the tessaban building.

how come immigration cant find one.

They can find plenty. The Thai Government in it's infinite wisdom has decided that they should not pay rent to have a second immigration office in the same province. They own the one in PKK so they want to close the one (where all the foreigners are who actually use it are!) in Hua Hin because they rent that space.

You are right that it is not a good precedent but the options are a 4 hour round trip by car, 6 hours by motorbike on a dangerous highway or paying some ripoff artist 900 baht to do something that shouldn't cost anything and should take less than ten minutes in the case of 90 day reporting.

Also, there is some confusion about the mail in 90 day option now because of the recent law change that all immigration business has to be done at your local office. All mail in 90 day reports used to have to be sent to the Soi Suan Plu office in Bangkok. Now, because of this new law it is unclear if they should still be sent to Bangkok or have to be sent to the local provincial office. I will post more as I find out what is really required in this respect.

[PeaceBlondie]

Several counter-insulting posts removed. Further violations will be punished.

[BigSnake]

Just a little change of venture, hope service will improve with the move.

[Maestro]

A spam post and the replies to it, including mine, have been deleted.

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Maestro

[cheshiremusicman]

I hesitated to let the post stand, but see no harm. I did modify the large font size and bolded text. Besides, we are free to critique the service and consider alternatives.

Would we all rather not pay say 50 Baht per visit for the sake of keeping an immigration office here in HH, or waste time, energy and life and limb travelling to PKK? Just consider that 100 people a day paid this paultry sum - equating to say 25000Baht over each week; more than enough to provide them with a really nice centrally located office in HH.

Would some lunatics rather spend half a day and waste fuel and risk the roads to travel to PKK - I think not. Let us hope that sanity prevails and the office remains here in HH, I for one would be only too pleased to contribute to the cost of the office. I dare say that there are many empty buildings at one of the many army camps around the area that would be ideal for the purpose and also huge areas to park in whilst visiting, which would cost nothing apart from the refurbisment.

[goonerthegooner]

I read a post from sbk,saying that Firefly Airlines,will be starting a new route from Hua Hin to Penang.

With this in mind,does it mean there might be an Immigration Office at Hua Hin Airport,for the arrivals??.

[darrendsd]

went to immi on soi 102 this morning

while i was there i was told you CAN DEFINTLEY do your 90 day retirement visa by post

all is needed is a copy of your passport the t-47 form [not sure if that is spelt correctly] and ensure that you put a pre paid sae in the envolope

the immigration officer also gave me the address of the new immi office which i will be happy to post on here if anyone needs it

[Maestro]

...while i was there i was told you CAN DEFINTLEY do your 90 day retirement visa by post...

the immigration officer also gave me the address of the new immi office which i will be happy to post on here if anyone needs it

Yes, please, post here the mailing address the immigration office gave you. This is for the 90-day address report (not the retirement visa).

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Maestro

[troopie]

Third, there is a strong move underway to keep the immigration office in Hua Hin, even if the associated leases have to be paid by foreign residents. It is being organized now (by the Swedish Society and others) and I am not sure how far this will go but people are serious about keeping them here as it is a major convenience to have a local office where most of the foreigners live.

Hope it comes off. Please keep us all posted - Thanks

Me too! I just did my re-entry thing at Soi 102 this morning & the staff are as pissed off as we are about the move. I for one wouldn't mind paying a foreign resident's tax to get some localised service (Immigration, work permits, etc.) here. Let's hope the Swedes manage to negotiate a deal!

(Oh, & did anyone notice that the poster who bitched about whining foreigners lists his home as Bangkok? If Bangkokians had to travel 120km to do Immigration, you'd hear them whining from here!)

[The Vulcan]

I've just returned from doing my 90 day and they have a petition going for all to sign. HOWEVER, it isn't openly on display and you need to ask to sign it!

Anyway, maybe all should run along and get thing filled up QUICK

[troopie]

I've just returned from doing my 90 day and they have a petition going for all to sign. HOWEVER, it isn't openly on display and you need to ask to sign it! :D

Anyway, maybe all should run along and get thing filled up QUICK

I wish I'd known that this morning. I spoke to the female officer (not the 'glamorous' one, the other one) about the move but she didn't mention it. If you get the chance, SIGN IT!!!

[jumnien]

They should be moving into a bldg. near the big Index store in Hua Hin. Don't fret!