Is Immigration Office At Suan Plu Closed Or Closing Soon?

[funlovinkid]

I've heard from several of my farang friends that a rumor exists about the Thai Immigration office on Soi Suan Plu closing soon, and that the office we will need to use in the future is the one at Don Muang. Does anyone know anything about this?

And, in keeping with the requests made by the moderators, I should volunteer a little more information about myself: I'm American, on a "non-immigrant O" retirement visa, older than 50.

[lopburi3]

There is no office at Don Muang. There will be a new office next door to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Passport/legalization office near Don Muang. There is a new government office area there and Immigration will be in building B when the move is made.

Edited July 2, 2009 by lopburi3

[opalhort]

Last month when I did my extension my wife asked the officer when they will move and was told:

"certainly this year but most likely in August or September"

Let's wait and see......

opalhort

[CosmicSurfer]

And how does one get way out there if one doesn't have a private vehicle????

Just'a Wonderin'

CS

[samran]

And how does one get way out there if one doesn't have a private vehicle????

Just'a Wonderin'

CS

taxi. Everywhere in BKK, even out there.

[opalhort]

Apart from taxis and many buses there are also trains from Hua Lampong to Laksi station and then on by bus (3 or 4 stops) or by Tuk-Tuk.

opalhort

[jamesjdaly]

If you live in the Ramkhamhaeng/Lad Prao/Bangkapi area, you can get a No 97 minivan which passes the new place. It starts at Wat Thep Lila, goes up Ram Rd, past the Mall Bangkapi and along Lad Prao Rd. After that, I'm not sure.

[Firefan]

What a horrible location. To put big public offices so far away from efficient public transport (thinking BTS/MRT) is just plain silly. Well, at least we can all add more to the global warming/polution/traffic jams/taxis income and we can all waste more time.

Are we allowed to do 90 day report via mail if we live down town? Can we switch to Klongtoy immigration as now much nearer to me?

Cheers!

[funlovinkid]

Thanks, especially to Lopburi3. Good stuff, and always very helpful.

[sibeymai]

Can't wait as I live nearby. People be warned though, traffic on Chaeng Watthana Road near the soon to be occupied government complex is already horrendous. Will be much worse by year end when the complex is occupied. Best solution might be by taxi on the expressway to Chaeng Watthana Road exit then motorcycle from there.

[KhaoNiaw]

What a horrible location. To put big public offices so far away from efficient public transport (thinking BTS/MRT) is just plain silly. Well, at least we can all add more to the global warming/polution/traffic jams/taxis income and we can all waste more time.

Are we allowed to do 90 day report via mail if we live down town? Can we switch to Klongtoy immigration as now much nearer to me?

Cheers!

I've sometimes done my 90-day reports at Klongtoey but was told that this is no longer possible

(by the usually efficient and very well-informed lady at our office), so I didn't try it last time.

[CosmicSurfer]

Exactly... Out in the middle of Nowhere... and a VERY expensive Taxi ride from where I live...

Site must have been chosen by the same guy who put Impact in the sticks too.

But then again, isn't that Thai style... Build it and they will come....

and maybe in a few years they'll actually put some Public transport out to it to make it easier on the PEOPLE...

After all They do work for the PEOPLE... Don't they?

Or doesn't that matter?...

Ooops, answered my own question!

CS

Edited July 2, 2009 by CosmicSurfer

[madjbs]

Hope they move soon. Next to expresway and plenty of parking, much better than the old place.

[teddy_bare]

I am surprised no one has suggested it was purposely built out there to make it inconvenient for falang. Who I guess are the most likely people to be using it.

Traffic congestion is crazy at the moment cos they are still building a flyover.

[ignis]

I am surprised no one has suggested it was purposely built out there to make it inconvenient for falang. Who I guess are the most likely people to be using it.

Sorry for many it will be a lot more convenient......... Went to IT Seer Rangsit on Monday, the new road and flyover was open and so made the journey quicker.. Will be better and easier than going to Suan Plu + understand will no longer have to spend an hour or more trying to find a place to park

[CosmicSurfer]

I am surprised no one has suggested it was purposely built out there to make it inconvenient for falang. Who I guess are the most likely people to be using it.

Sorry for many it will be a lot more convenient......... Went to IT Seer Rangsit on Monday, the new road and flyover was open and so made the journey quicker.. Will be better and easier than going to Suan Plu + understand will no longer have to spend an hour or more trying to find a place to park

Sorry, but for most I do think it will be much less convenient... I'm willing to bet my Visa that far fewer farangs DON"T have their own car, then those that do.

Sure you have plenty of expats here on "Expat Packages" with company supplied cars and drivers, then are those with nice size savings and pensions that are retired here. But the vast majority don't have these luxeries... They are teachers, domestics, nannies, small business owners, labourers, etc... Just look around you when you visit immigration next... How many Westerners from America and Europe do you see? ... a definate minority.

For us, the majority of Farangs, traveling there, in a much less central location, will be Far more inconvenient then it is now.

CS

Edited July 3, 2009 by CosmicSurfer

[samran]

I am surprised no one has suggested it was purposely built out there to make it inconvenient for falang. Who I guess are the most likely people to be using it.

no all farang. Just you and all the other conspiracy theorists.

[ignis]

For us, the majority of Farangs, traveling there, in a much less central location, will be Far more inconvenient then it is now.

Cannot find the old post about this, last year I believe it was something like 55% said it was inconvenient, yet 45% said it was more convenient...

Also there was a Survey on where Farangs live, cannot remember if it was on here or another Board, there was something like 68% lived on the North side of Bangkok

[lopburi3]

Actually it is not a good location for the normal tourist to obtain there 30 day extensions. But it seems to be designed to serve upcountry provinces as well as Bangkok proper - and for them it will be a little better. Many cities in the world are trying to relocate government facilities outside of the downtown area so this is not that unique. It will make the Embassy to Immigration track a lot more difficult for most people. Let's hope that the facilities will make up for the location and that the working conditions improve for all.

[thaihome]

As Immigration is just a very small part of the new complex and the number of farangs going there is an extremely small percentage of the people working or visiting, it is doubtful they did it on purpose to piss any farangs off.

The new main building is massive, probably the biggest non-high rise office building I have ever seen.

TH

[paperwerks]

The move to the new location is insane.

Most expats live/work in the sukhumvit/satorn area and many live in nonthaburi. Suan plu is also loaded with Khao san road backpackers and Nigerians living in the Nana area or Bangkapi. Suan Plu is easily accessible for all these customers using public transport and the skytrain. Other falang coming from the provinces arrive by bus at Morchit/Ekami or train at Hualomphong and can get to Suan Plu easily.

The new location will be a total nuisance to get to and take up even more time and be expensive also. Maybe someone high up in Immigration lives in Rangsit and the new location will be convenient for him and this is the real reason for the move?

Next I am anticipating that the Thong Lor police station will be moved to a new location in Korat. Also, the Amphur in Prakanong will be relocated to Ayuthaya.

[madjbs]

Sooner the better. Who cares about people who can't afford a car anyway

[rgs2001uk]

I am surprised no one has suggested it was purposely built out there to make it inconvenient for falang. Who I guess are the most likely people to be using it.

Sorry for many it will be a lot more convenient......... Went to IT Seer Rangsit on Monday, the new road and flyover was open and so made the journey quicker.. Will be better and easier than going to Suan Plu + understand will no longer have to spend an hour or more trying to find a place to park

Why would anyone even bother trying to find a place to park at immigration.

Park right next door in the post office car park, or park up in the car park on soi 9.

[opalhort]

Park right next door in the post office car park, or park up in the car park on soi 9.

You are joking, right?

The last time (3 or 4 years ago - last time I went there by car) I did park at the post office and somebody double parked with the gear engaged. Owner was not found at the PO and I had to wait for almost two hours for the 'lady' to show up!!! Parking is a big issue in this area even in the sois nearby, this is why I now go there only by taxi.

For me the distance from home to Suan Plu is 12Km via Expressway (one way by taxi is about 150-160B incl. toll), whereas the new location is almost 40Km from home, most of it via Expressway. Yet I'm happy with it if parking is provided. The savings are obvious. And of course we all hope that the new location will be more spacious and provide a better and faster service which is just not possible at the current crammed location.

Though I do think it would make sense if IMM could maintain Suan Plu as something like a branch to serve short term extension requests for tourists and re-entry permits and 90 days reporting. Only force long term extension requests to the new location.

But I guess it is also a question of manpower.

Anybody on TV with links to the higher ranks within Imm to make suggestions of this kind?

opalhort

[samran]

how funny some people can be.

So desperate are they to bash Thailand about anything, they are willing to defend the nightmare which is Suan Phlu.

They'd prefer cramped office space which is designed to handle 20% of the people who are using it over a newer location with more room.

They chuck the 'discrimination' implication into their argument when infact they are being directed to a far more superior facility that half, if not most bangkok based Thai's get directed to for their passport and translation needs.

I guess there is simply no pleasing some people.

Edited July 3, 2009 by samran

[Artisi]

Just learn to live with it and stop bitch_ing, remember, some people who live outside of BKK and have hundreds of Km's round trips to do their immigration business.

[opalhort]

Traffic congestion is crazy at the moment cos they are still building a flyover.

Couldn't it be that the move, which was announced already last year but has been postponed, was delayed because they were waiting for the flyover to be completed first to make it more convenient for people to get there?

Thai authorities do take things like traffic into consideration but OK it does not always work out as planned due to political interference, but the move has certainly noting to do with anti foreigner attitudes by the Thai authorities. Quite the opposite, they want to make it easier for us foreigners!

Whether it works remains of course to be seen, but I'm optimistic.

opalhort

[davyboy]

Just learn to live with it and stop bitch_ing, remember, some people who live outside of BKK and have hundreds of Km's round trips to do their immigration business.

Too True!! Yesterday I did a 500km trip.

But I was in and out with my Retirement extension in less than 30 minutes!!

[RegularReader]

Some of you guys would whinge, even if they opened up next door to where you live.

This move has been on the cards for if I recall) about 5-6 years - maybe longer.

It was possible that when the plan to re-locate was originally devised, the new airport was still a swamp.

So it was thought, that by moving out there, it would be more convenient.

For me, as I live in Don Muang, it most certainly is.

I can also sympathise with those who live down the other side- particularly around Bang na and beyond - it is a long way.

As for transport and parking 1. If and when the new rail systems happen (yes, I know that might be longer than most of us will have either in Thailand, or anywhere) it will be nearly as close to a station (if not closer), as the present location - do some research before you complain.

2. Parking : there is more parking than you can poke a stick at.

Stop taking the "we Farangs are discriminated against" approach; open you minds and give credit, wher credit is due.

[geovalin]

I don't think we have to comment such a decision.

Anyway, it cannot be worst than Suan Phlu.

So: welcome Don Muang.

Edited July 5, 2009 by geovalin