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[RogerL]

I went out to Chiangmai Immigration Office this afternoon. I needed to get a Letter of Residency to apply for my 5 year Thai drivers license.

The countertop area is no longer there and the number dispensing machine was shut down. There appear to be a number of different desks set up to manually sign in depending on what you need done. I did not see anything about Letter of Residency so asked. I was told "no have computers and not issue today - maybe issue tomorrow- maybe issue Friday - maybe issue ??" So, probably need to be prepared for a longer wait and a little more confusion than normal.

[uptheos]

It's all part of immigration's new personal customer service.

[gotlost]

I avoid immigration like the plaque after a holiday. Never, never go the first day after they have been closed for 4 days.

[bikerjoy]

this certificate of residence used to be free of charge.

like it is still free in the chiang rai district....

but now they want 500 baht "under the table"....check it out!

cheers,

P.

[gotlost]

this certificate of residence used to be free of charge.

like it is still free in the chiang rai district....

but now they want 500 baht "under the table"....check it out!

cheers,

P.

It has not been free for three years at Chiang Mai Immigration. 500 Baht and a receipt.

[thaimiller]

I got a certificate for my bike licence last month, don't bother with a ticket just go to the furthest window away from the door (the far right if you use the door nearest the cafe) and queue there. I paid my 500 thb and was told to come back in an hour, it was pretty straight forward as long as you have the right paperwor.

[uptheos]

I got a certificate for my bike licence last month, don't bother with a ticket just go to the furthest window away from the door (the far right if you use the door nearest the cafe) and queue there. I paid my 500 thb and was told to come back in an hour, it was pretty straight forward as long as you have the right paperwor.

The OP said "The countertop area is no longer there"

Is there a window furthest away from the door, in that case?

Or have they just removed the counter and left the glass?

Edited July 28, 2010 by uptheos

[Ulysses G.]

Did he get there before they turned the machines on? I was there several days ago and you had to sign in if you got there before they turned on the machines, but at 8:30 they switched to tickets.

[jayjay0]

A friend of mine was there today. She said confusion ruled. Her Thai partner said they are in the process of changing. I won't go this close to a holiday myself.

[RogerL]

To clarify: There was no counter. There was no glass. They were not using the number assignment machine. They were not producing letters of residence. That was as of 1330 hours this afternoon.

[jackr]

Her Thai partner said they are in the process of changing.

Into what? Moth, Transformer?

[uptheos]

To clarify: There was no counter. There was no glass. They were not using the number assignment machine. They were not producing letters of residence. That was as of 1330 hours this afternoon.

Sounds like they are really making a great leap forward.

[Thakkar]

I was there this morning because I had a fixed date appointment for a visa renewal. While there, I also applied for and got a re-entry visa. Took a little over an hour in all, tad longer than usual.

The queue number dispensing machine was out of order and people had to write their names on a list and wait to be called. Looked a bit of a circus at first blush, but if one sat back and watched quietly, there was a definite method to the madness. I had arrived at 9:15 and by the time I left at 10:30 a good one third of the cases had been cleared.

There seems to be some kind of renovation underway as well.

[SoloFlyer]

what paper work is required for the letter of residency??

[sarahsbloke]

what paper work is required for the letter of residency??

Copy of rental contract (signed photocopy of owners ID card and the Tabien Ban book if you can get it), last months rent receipt, photocopy of your passport ID page, arrival card page, current stamp page, 2 passport photos, 500bht (at CM).

Edited July 29, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[naammanow]

I was there this morning because I had a fixed date appointment for a visa renewal. While there, I also applied for and got a re-entry visa. Took a little over an hour in all, tad longer than usual.

The queue number dispensing machine was out of order and people had to write their names on a list and wait to be called. Looked a bit of a circus at first blush, but if one sat back and watched quietly, there was a definite method to the madness. I had arrived at 9:15 and by the time I left at 10:30 a good one third of the cases had been cleared.

There seems to be some kind of renovation underway as well.

How do you get a "fixed date appointment" re visa renewal? Sounds great, is it?

[uptheos]

I was there this morning because I had a fixed date appointment for a visa renewal. While there, I also applied for and got a re-entry visa. Took a little over an hour in all, tad longer than usual.

The queue number dispensing machine was out of order and people had to write their names on a list and wait to be called. Looked a bit of a circus at first blush, but if one sat back and watched quietly, there was a definite method to the madness. I had arrived at 9:15 and by the time I left at 10:30 a good one third of the cases had been cleared.

There seems to be some kind of renovation underway as well.

How do you get a "fixed date appointment" re visa renewal? Sounds great, is it?

Sounds excellent, I too wouldn't mind knowing how to get a fixed date (and time?) appointment.

[Thakkar]

I was there this morning because I had a fixed date appointment for a visa renewal. While there, I also applied for and got a re-entry visa. Took a little over an hour in all, tad longer than usual.

The queue number dispensing machine was out of order and people had to write their names on a list and wait to be called. Looked a bit of a circus at first blush, but if one sat back and watched quietly, there was a definite method to the madness. I had arrived at 9:15 and by the time I left at 10:30 a good one third of the cases had been cleared.

There seems to be some kind of renovation underway as well.

How do you get a "fixed date appointment" re visa renewal? Sounds great, is it?

Mrs. T handles all this and I just show up and sign the paperwork, but here's what transpired (and transpires every year): My one year visa was expiring on June 28. Three weeks prior to expiry we went with the necessary paperwork, they gave me a one month extension till July 28 and asked me to return on July 28th. I showed up on July 28 and they chopped my passport. If not for the confusion caused by the broken queue machine and the fact that I arrived at 9:15 instead of earlier, I would've been out of there in 15-20 minutes. The first year we tried showing up a week or so early and they just told us to return on the specified date.

In June, when we went for the initial application, there was one new requirement this year: they wanted a picture of us, the happy couple, preferably in front of our home with kids, car and the dogs. We didn't have one so the immigration officer took one pic of us in front of some plants to simulate a home behind us, printed it out and used that. 50 baht fee.

Edit: Oh and about the family pic, the officer showed us some examples. It could've been one of you guys! They were all taken outside the respective homes with kid(s), car and the family pet(s) in the frame.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Thakkar

[uptheos]

I was there this morning because I had a fixed date appointment for a visa renewal. While there, I also applied for and got a re-entry visa. Took a little over an hour in all, tad longer than usual.

The queue number dispensing machine was out of order and people had to write their names on a list and wait to be called. Looked a bit of a circus at first blush, but if one sat back and watched quietly, there was a definite method to the madness. I had arrived at 9:15 and by the time I left at 10:30 a good one third of the cases had been cleared.

There seems to be some kind of renovation underway as well.

How do you get a "fixed date appointment" re visa renewal? Sounds great, is it?

Mrs. T handles all this and I just show up and sign the paperwork, but here's what transpired (and transpires every year): My one year visa was expiring on June 28. Three weeks prior to expiry we went with the necessary paperwork, they gave me a one month extension till July 28 and asked me to return on July 28th. I showed up on July 28 and they chopped my passport. If not for the confusion caused by the broken queue machine and the fact that I arrived at 9:15 instead of earlier, I would've been out of there in 15-20 minutes. The first year we tried showing up a week or so early and they just told us to return on the specified date.

In June, when we went for the initial application, there was one new requirement this year: they wanted a picture of us, the happy couple, preferably in front of our home with kids, car and the dogs. We didn't have one so the immigration officer took one pic of us in front of some plants to simulate a home behind us, printed it out and used that. 50 baht fee.

Edit: Oh and about the family pic, the officer showed us some examples. It could've been one of you guys! They were all taken outside the respective homes with kid(s), car and the family pet(s) in the frame.

I thought you could renew it up to 30 days before, in case you want to leave the country during the period that you usually renew it.

[Yunnie]

Err are they changing or is the machine just broken and the maintenance guy hasnt shown up yet?

I was suppose to go in for my 90 day reporting, which was Tuesday ( the holiday), now I wish I had gone the week before... I'm gonna go tomorrow though :/

[NancyL]

Things were better today. Went in at 2 pm for 90 day report. Done by 2:40 pm -- a bit longer than before.

The number ticket machine was working. Some of the desks had computers and a couple guys looked like they were working on hooking up computers for the other desks. The window and counter system is gone. Now they have desks set up in the area that used to be the office behind the glass. The desks looked like they were arranged in side-by-side pairs with an assistant helping the immigration officer with all the forms and the the stapling. Of course, the immigration officers still control the all-important stamps. Maybe the new scheme is a plan to speed up service with each officer having an assistant by their side.

They were back to doing letters of residency, along with other services like 90 day reports, application for re-entry permits and visa extensions. Of course, by 2 pm all the numbers for the visa extension process were gone for the day, but that was no different than before.

As with yesterday, every seat in the waiting area was occupied and the signage was lacking. It looked like utter mayhem when you first arrived, but after sitting for a while I realized there indeed was a "system", but it wasn't obvious when you first entered the waiting area. The one saving grace is that the air conditioner continues to blast out cold air!

[Sparkles]

The current Immigration office is woefully inadequate in regard to space. The working conditions,for staff, are pretty horrendous. We're the lucky ones we are only there for a short time.I did ask an officer when were they going to build a new office ? He replied, with a smile "boss say no money" Really what would be the average income be there each day? This constant building walls ,moving the chairs ,tables doesn't realy solve the problem. There are many alternatives around CM where they could move arn't there ?

[uptheos]

I was there this morning because I had a fixed date appointment for a visa renewal. While there, I also applied for and got a re-entry visa. Took a little over an hour in all, tad longer than usual.

The queue number dispensing machine was out of order and people had to write their names on a list and wait to be called. Looked a bit of a circus at first blush, but if one sat back and watched quietly, there was a definite method to the madness. I had arrived at 9:15 and by the time I left at 10:30 a good one third of the cases had been cleared.

There seems to be some kind of renovation underway as well.

How do you get a "fixed date appointment" re visa renewal? Sounds great, is it?

Mrs. T handles all this and I just show up and sign the paperwork, but here's what transpired (and transpires every year): My one year visa was expiring on June 28. Three weeks prior to expiry we went with the necessary paperwork, they gave me a one month extension till July 28 and asked me to return on July 28th. I showed up on July 28 and they chopped my passport. If not for the confusion caused by the broken queue machine and the fact that I arrived at 9:15 instead of earlier, I would've been out of there in 15-20 minutes. The first year we tried showing up a week or so early and they just told us to return on the specified date.

In June, when we went for the initial application, there was one new requirement this year: they wanted a picture of us, the happy couple, preferably in front of our home with kids, car and the dogs. We didn't have one so the immigration officer took one pic of us in front of some plants to simulate a home behind us, printed it out and used that. 50 baht fee.

Edit: Oh and about the family pic, the officer showed us some examples. It could've been one of you guys! They were all taken outside the respective homes with kid(s), car and the family pet(s) in the frame.

I thought you could renew it up to 30 days before, in case you want to leave the country during the period that you usually renew it.

Can anyone verify this please?

[RogerL]

I wanted to follow-up on getting a certificate of residence at Chiangmai Immigration Office. My wife had to do a 90 day report this Thursday and checked to see if they were issuing the certificate and was told they were. So, went back out to immigration on Friday morning. I got there about 0820. There was a line going out of the parking lot side door to get numbers assigned from the machine. The machine has been moved from the left side of the door (on entry) to the back right corner from the door (if entering from the parking lot not the coffee shop entry).

I decided to get in line to see if a number was now required to get in que for certificate of residence - it was not when I got the certificate of residence last year. I was told by the immigration person at the machine a number was not required. He told me to go at 0830 to the far desk which is located by the exit door to the restrooms.

At 0830 took my paperwork to that desk which had two girl students handling the incoming paperwork. They took the paperwork for processing and about an hour later I had my certificate of residence in hand after parting with the required 500 baht for which I received a receipt.

When leaving I noted that all seats in the waiting area were full and a number of people were standing in the waiting area.

Got out to government motor license offfices at about 1015 and departed about 1120 with my five year automobile license after paying the required 655 baht for processsing. The videos they had playing of various actual car/motorcycle/pedestrian accidents makes one think about driving (in Thailand)!

Overall, a fairly good morning.

[Ulysses G.]

Everything seems to be operating pretty much the same at immigration. They have removed the windows at the front desk so it is one big air-con office. It seems more comfortable than before IMHO.

[cardinalblue]

I thought you could renew it up to 30 days before, in case you want to leave the country during the period that you usually renew it.

Can anyone verify this please?

I will be going through this as I leave the country on Sept 2nd (return the 30th) and my spousal visa expires on the 15th of Sept. I will go in on aug 16th and they will tell me they won't be able to do within one month so then they will need to extend my current visa 30 days from Sept 15th to Oct 15th. I will submit all the paperwork through prior to my departure so when I come back on the 30th, they will tell me ahead of time like come in on Oct 1st (give up passport) and return on Oct 14th. Those dates are my guesses. I went through this process last year so I am projecting on how they will handle it again. Obviously, I will need to get a re-entry stamp (late Aug) just before I depart on the 2nd of Sept. I will get the ball rolling 29 days within my Sept 15th expiration date as the ball will then be on their side of the net...Anything 30 days or greater, they just send you away..

CB

.

[uptheos]

I will be going through this as I leave the country on Sept 2nd (return the 30th) and my spousal visa expires on the 15th of Sept. I will go in on aug 16th and they will tell me they won't be able to do within one month so then they will need to extend my current visa 30 days from Sept 15th to Oct 15th. I will submit all the paperwork through prior to my departure so when I come back on the 30th, they will tell me ahead of time like come in on Oct 1st (give up passport) and return on Oct 14th. Those dates are my guesses. I went through this process last year so I am projecting on how they will handle it again. Obviously, I will need to get a re-entry stamp (late Aug) just before I depart on the 2nd of Sept. I will get the ball rolling 29 days within my Sept 15th expiration date as the ball will then be on their side of the net...Anything 30 days or greater, they just send you away..

CB

.

I don't know why they just can't renew it before the expiry date.

If someone wants to give up a few weeks, its extra money in the government coffers.

But I expect this is far too easy and far too complicated for them.