Possible New World Speed Record At Changwattana

[Tod Daniels]

Today I went out to do my 90 day reporting and as my yearly extension based on retirement was due to expire next month I also applied for another year’s extension too.

Unfortunately, the girl at the queue ticket counter didn't want to give me both tickets for two different tasks in two different areas, (but in the end she relented and did).

Walked past the extension area ('L', I think) and saw I was 3 numbers away from being called. Went to the 90 day reporting area ('C', I think) only to find out they'd already called my number. Walked up, jumped the queue, reported, and made my way back to the extension area to find out my number had been called as well. Went to the next open desk, told her I was in the bathroom and they'd called my number.

A scant 8 minutes later, I was in possession of another year's extension. (I'm currently waiting for confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records to see if I place in their books or not )

The immigrations officer was amused I already had the extra 3 'secret' documents they hand you to fill out after you apply for the retirement extension. One is concerning who is your guarantor (in this case myself), the second says that I will follow the rules of my visa, and the last one says that I will keep my money in a thai bank for the required amount of time before applying for the visa. (I put adobe scans of them up on another post a while back)

I had 3 other people with me who needed to get reentry permits and because they don't sell reentry permits at Suvarnabhumi anymore that area was a total cluster-<deleted> chock full of people . Luckily we were out before they closed at noon for lunch.

The up side is they have the automated queue number calling system in place at all the areas, so it's slightly more organized than when they were just shouting out the numbers. They still don't have the photo and index fingerprint taking equipment up and running, but I saw the machines sitting on the immigrations officers’ desks, so it'll probably be up and running soon I think.

All in all, it was a painless and trouble free trip out there. And no I didn't write this to gloat . I just wanted to comment if you have your ducks are in a row (and quacking in time too) the extension process at Changwattana is about as trouble free as a person could hope for dealing with thai bureaucracy. ..

[metisdead]

I went there last Thursday to do mine. It was a rather painless experience. Only hitch was I had to go downstairs and update my bank book (I had updated the previous day). Got there a little after 9:30 and out at noon.

[walailak]

did my 90 day reporting today, 20 minutes in and out including parking, got there at 1pm. Very efficient, reliable service, painless and trouble free trip out there. good on ya Thai immigration!!!!!!

[TaoNow]

metisdead: are you saying Immo would not accept your bank passbook as up-dated the previous day? In other words, are you saying they now only accept same-day passbook up-dates?

In the past, I always went to the bank the day before going to Immo. I would up-date my passbook at that time get the bank letter, photocopy the passbook pages, and then go to Immo early the next morning. There was never a problem that the passbook up-date was 24 hours old.

Please clarify.

[metisdead]

metisdead: are you saying Immo would not accept your bank passbook as up-dated the previous day? In other words, are you saying they now only accept same-day passbook up-dates?

In the past, I always went to the bank the day before going to Immo. I would up-date my passbook at that time get the bank letter, photocopy the passbook pages, and then go to Immo early the next morning. There was never a problem that the passbook up-date was 24 hours old.

Please clarify.

Last year the updated bank book from previous day worked. This year it didn't work. All the banks are represented in the basement so it wasn't a big deal.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

T-D

Could you please repost those "secret" documents? I must have missed them first go-round.

Thanks.

Mac

[TaoNow]

Thanks metisdead. That is useful info.

Final question: after up-dating your passbook at ground floor of Immo/Chaeng did you then have to make a photocopy of the pages to hand over with your extension application? If so, where is that done and at what cost per page?

[metisdead]

Thanks metisdead. That is useful info.

Final question: after up-dating your passbook at ground floor of Immo/Chaeng did you then have to make a photocopy of the pages to hand over with your extension application? If so, where is that done and at what cost per page?

There are copy places down there as well, 1 baht a page.

[jazzbo]

Walked up, jumped the queue...

A la Rosie Ruiz at the NYC Marathon in 1980 -- who breathlessly appeared at the finish line "and was initially credited as the first place female competitor, but was later stripped of her title when it was found that she had not run the entire course (Wikipedia)" -- queue jumpers cannot be world record holders... DQ

[phetaroi]

Last year the updated bank book from previous day worked. This year it didn't work. All the banks are represented in the basement so it wasn't a big deal.

HSBC is not represented, is it?

[Tod Daniels]

Walked up, jumped the queue...

As my queue number had already been called, technically I don't fall under the no queue jumping rule; I only arrived after my number was called.

Granted I could be splitting hares here (half a rabbit anyone? )

[metisdead]

Last year the updated bank book from previous day worked. This year it didn't work. All the banks are represented in the basement so it wasn't a big deal.

HSBC is not represented, is it?

I did not notice that one. I guess I should have said all the Thai banks are represented there. Sorry.