So Fed Up With New Bangkok Immigration Location

[CWMcMurray]

I also agree with many that the new immigration center is much better than the old one....

It may take me a few more minutes to get there, but just knowing that I will be able to find a parking spot makes up for that. It used to be a complete nightmare finding parking at the old place. I am sure that if I added in the time spent looking for a parking spot once I arrived it would take about the same time door to door (or maybe even a little bit less).

Not mention that sometimes after fighting traffic and spending nearly 20 min (sometimes) trying to find a parking space, I was usually frustrated and miserable by the time I even walked through the doors.

Add that to the long lines, bad a/c system, inadequate seating and longer processing times.... every trip to Suan Phlu was a complete nightmare.

At the new place, there is always plenty of parking, it is spacious, with plenty of seating and clean. The bathrooms are clean and do not smell (used to have to hold my breathe when using the ones at the old place) and working A/C. Not to mention the fact that it seems like the officers are able to process things much faster. This could be due to better systems or more officers or it could even that based upon better working conditions, peoples productivity may have increased.

Even if you get stuck during the lunch break, there are numerous restaurants and food courts to go to. All-in-all the new place is 1000x time better.

[Tod Daniels]

To the O/P; I'm sure you made quite the impression on the young(ish), friendly, and for the most part quite the good level of english speaking staff which mans the 'info desk' when you first enter the place before you go and get a number at the equally friendly queue number area.

What an inconvenience having to make your way out there a whole 4 times a year! The incredible injustice of it all is just too much for me to even fathom. ..

An intelligent person might be lead to ask you several questions which have already been asked & answered, so I wont waste my time posting them.

IMHO: After having gone to both the old and the new immigrations locations many, many, many times; even on its worst day (like after a long holiday when they're busiest) Changwattana is about a MILLION times better than Suan Plu was on its best day (of which they were few and far between). At Suan Plu air con sucked, there was no organization or design for efficient thru-put flow of customers; toilets, amenities, etc were sorely lacking. It really was a dump which was WAY past its 'use by date' given the sheer volume of foreigners they dealt with on a daily basis.

Conversely, Changwattana is a breath of proverbial fresh air; tonz of parking, open building design, cool, nicely laid out, adequate seating, and clearly delineated areas for different functions. The entire basement of that building has more copy shops, photo shops, coffee shops, fast food places, bank branches, not one but TWO thai food courts and even a 7/11 than you could ever find around the old immigrations at Suan Plu. You can access them all without ever leaving the air con, instead of slogging around on the street like before. I give them two thumbs up for moving it, and in its design.

When you mention the location, did you bother to look at the buildings in the immediate area when you went down Changwattana Soi 7? That area has nearly ALL the governmental main offices are out there. Perhaps you noticed the catchy name for the new building housing Thai Immigrations? I guess they got it right calling it something like the Changwattana Governmental Complex . Once they finish the construction on Changwattana, with the flyover(s) and the traffic light on Soi 7, itll have a LOT better access too.

As far as friendliness goes; most of their staff is the same people who were at Suan Plu. In all honesty, I don't know how pleasant I'd be after a long day of dealing with the; kine (cattle), obstinacy (buffaloes), band (gorillas), mischief (mice), tribe (monkeys), scurry (squirrels), gang (weasels), wisdom (wombats) or insert your catchy classifier for groups of animals in regards to the horde of foreigners which descend on that place every single day; day in, day out, from opening to closing.

FWIW: having sat out there for hours and hours, as well as making over 100 trips there this year alone, it's most definitely a tough row to hoe being a worker there. It must be truly mind numbing job to do on a daily basis! If I even had a single baht every time I overheard a foreigner say to an immigrations officer But, my situation a special one , Id be a millionaire (at least in thai baht, ).

The things Ive heard foreigners spout off out there has made my mind literally wobble . The O/Ps complaint included. Sometimes it almost makes ashamed to be a foreigner living here, (as I said, almost ).

To the people who question the rules as to why foreigners are compelled to report their address every 90 days, why is the extension process the way it is, why is blah, blah, blah. Last time I checked, (which I do periodically for my own state of mind ), were in the glorious Land O Thais, its their country, and that might possibly give them the right to make up ANY rules in regards to foreigners living here. I guess "we ain't in Kansas anymore Toto".

Conversely the O/P could always go to Bumrungrad Hospital and shell out the 500 baht they charge as a fee to report for you. Then again thats probably too far a slog for him too. ..

Edited December 2, 2010 by tod-daniels

[PoorSucker]

Solution: Get a Burmese passport and you can use Suan Plu.

[ljerams]

Suan Plu was always a nightmare place to go to especially since they made the 90 days reporting obligatory..

This morning there were 57 people waiting before me but I was in and out within 1 hour.

Personally, I think if one is married to a Thai it shouldn't be necessary.

[GarryP]

I have no complaints about going out there four times a year and in fact quite enjoy the trips. I like the place, the set up and the speed of service. I have no complaints about that at all. My question was about the necessity of the 90 day reports. A couple of posters have mentioned the obvious, which is par for the course, but I already I know it is Thailand, I know they set the rules, I know we have to accept what those rules say, and I know that we have to follow those rules. No argument about any of that. I would just like to know why the 90 day reports are needed in the first place, regardless how or where the reports are made. It does not seem to have a true purpose. Perhaps, Mr. Daniels hit the nail on the head when he said "make up ANY rules", the operative words being "make up". Perhaps there is no real reason for it. I am sure I don't know.

I do agree with some of the other comments though. I have also heard a few weird and mind boggling explanations, requests and demands made by foreigners at Immigration over the years. Some behave as if a visa extension is their god given right and treat the officers with such disdain it is embarrassing.

[FarangBuddha]

Its not our country and if we want to live here we have to accept the rules, whatever we may think of them, and reporting once in three months is no big deal.

Except that it is! It makes no sense and is completely idiotic...as well as environmentally unfriendly (dead trees piling-up in the back offices of immigration offices throughout the country plus the carbon emissions of the people traveling to these offices). The information on the 90-day reports is provided when anyone who wants to stay in the country for an extended period applies for the appropriate visa extension. WHY PROVIDE THE SAME INFORMATION AGAIN 3 MORE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR...AND A FIFTH TIME WHEN THE VISA EXTENSION IS RENEWED???

If one changes their address, it could be required that notification be made to the appropriate immigration office within an appropriate time-frame.

[jazzbo]

I find the explanation for filing the TM47 Non-IMM Visa 'Staying Longer Than 90 days' report quite simple: Otherwise you would have to leave Thailand every 90 days and that would be more environmentally unfriendly.

[richard_smith237]

The Op is complaining about 200 bhat ? If that extra cost really is an issue it really makes me wonder how he can survive in this country.

I live in central Bangkok. The out of town location is easy to drive to, easy to park, comfortable and cool in the waiting area - All in all a more modern, convenient and efficient location. It is also located next to many of the other government offices i.e. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Having all of this in the same location makes sense.

[Pib]

No, no, no, Chaeng Wattana is much better than the SuanPlu. I live in western Bangkok and the drive time for me to either location is about the same, except the Chaeng Wattana setup is so much more efficient, nicer, and the drive to Chaeng Wattana less of a traffic jam pain for me. Plus, I can park right at Chaeng Wattana where I could only park semi close to SuanPlu and then take a taxi or walk the remaining way. SuanPlu was a like a third world overcrowded bus station at the end of a small soi.

Now I will admit I wish they would allow a person to go to other/the nearest immigration office as in my case the Nonthaburi Immigration Office is only about a 10 minute drive from my Bangkok residence....I drive by the soi leading to the Nonthaburi office while doing my 40 minute drive to Chaeng Wattana.

[Moonrakers]

I want to be able do my extension at 7/11

[neverdie]

:violin: Op, these emoticons are playing just for you

[neverdie]

I want to be able do my extension at 7/11

What sort of extension are you talking about?

[Pib]

I want to be able do my extension at 7/11

Man, wouldn't that be great...and I wouldn't complain even if they charged a 10 baht service like they do on utility bill payments.

[Hans Brix]

I agree with the OP. The old immi office was tip top. Easy enough for people who live close to the new one to say how easy it is

[Gaccha]

The alternative is not SuanPlu. The alternative is the One Stop Shop that was directly linked to the MRT. From getting off the air-conditioned train you directly enter the One Stop Shop building, wait for 10 minutes and then leave. Upon leaving you are in central bangkok. Silom is 5 minutes away. Sukhumwit is 10 minutes away. The whole episode perhaps takes 1 hour out of your day. The new experience routinely destroys the whole day.

Let us compare the old with the new grand folly. If there is a tropical rainstorm, everyone and their aunt jessie are hunting for taxis. Since there is no public transpoart around you are trapped in the building for the 3 or 4 hours that the rain shower continues. You compete with the thousands of staff for the tiny number of taxis.

If you want to eat, the new grand folly does have facilities, but at the One Stop Shop you are within 10 minutes of any of the centre of Bangkok, no matter that it is rush hour.

I do accept that those living on the outskirts in the north have obviously got things better. I also accept that those who were too ignorant to know about the One Stop Shop must also be quite pleased. But for everyone else, stick those complaint forms into the Suggestion Box. The staff were surprisingly eager to know what I was complaining about. They were all smiles about it. "Not my department, right?" said the staff member at the 'Help' counter in the main room, while smiling away.

Let's think:

Put it in the post-- too risky. I don't want my passport vanishing

Only 4 days a year-- invariably the 4 times don't coincide with the one year visa renewal. So I end up going twice in 10 days... now that is annoying. Just let me do the 90 day renewal early for goodness sake.

TIT-- a simple regulation by one department does not a culture make. The immigration department already have a online service for hotels etc. to report your presence. It would not be hard to extend the website facility for individuals.

I do get the feeling that most of the posters are grumpy old men driving their old bangers around outside of rush hour with plenty of time on their hands.

[Guest]

I do get the feeling that most of the posters are grumpy old men driving their old bangers around outside of rush hour with plenty of time on their hands.

I think we know who the grumpy old man is...

[snakestick]

The new location is total unequivocal trash. anyone who says otherwise must live next door to it. I applaud the OP for his complaint and he has my 100% backing. ludicrous to have that location

[Guest]

The new location is total unequivocal trash. anyone who says otherwise must live next door to it. I applaud the OP for his complaint and he has my 100% backing. ludicrous to have that location

More whingeing. As someone has already pointed out, it is just one of many government offices located in the new government center, and while it may be a while before its completed, a railway is just starting construction and there will be a station outside the complex. I don't live next door, but I am close, but I can't use it, and I'm not complaining about the trip I have to make to the Nonthaburi office which is a lot further than most of those griping here like children.

As an aside, there is a parallel with London, where the immigration office is located in the outer suburb of Croydon.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Guest

[metisdead]

The alternative is not SuanPlu. The alternative is the One Stop Shop that was directly linked to the MRT. From getting off the air-conditioned train you directly enter the One Stop Shop building, wait for 10 minutes and then leave. Upon leaving you are in central bangkok. Silom is 5 minutes away. Sukhumwit is 10 minutes away. The whole episode perhaps takes 1 hour out of your day. The new experience routinely destroys the whole day.

Let us compare the old with the new grand folly. If there is a tropical rainstorm, everyone and their aunt jessie are hunting for taxis. Since there is no public transpoart around you are trapped in the building for the 3 or 4 hours that the rain shower continues. You compete with the thousands of staff for the tiny number of taxis.

If you want to eat, the new grand folly does have facilities, but at the One Stop Shop you are within 10 minutes of any of the centre of Bangkok, no matter that it is rush hour.

I do accept that those living on the outskirts in the north have obviously got things better. I also accept that those who were too ignorant to know about the One Stop Shop must also be quite pleased. But for everyone else, stick those complaint forms into the Suggestion Box. The staff were surprisingly eager to know what I was complaining about. They were all smiles about it. "Not my department, right?" said the staff member at the 'Help' counter in the main room, while smiling away.

Let's think:

Put it in the post-- too risky. I don't want my passport vanishing

Only 4 days a year-- invariably the 4 times don't coincide with the one year visa renewal. So I end up going twice in 10 days... now that is annoying. Just let me do the 90 day renewal early for goodness sake.

TIT-- a simple regulation by one department does not a culture make. The immigration department already have a online service for hotels etc. to report your presence. It would not be hard to extend the website facility for individuals.

I do get the feeling that most of the posters are grumpy old men driving their old bangers around outside of rush hour with plenty of time on their hands.

Put it in the post-- too risky. I don't want my passport vanishing

You do not submit your passport when doing the 90-day report by mail, you send copies:

Notification by registered mail

1.Copy of all passport pages (up to the latest arrival stamp in the Kingdom or latest visa stamp)

2.Copy of arrival/departure card TM.6 (front and back)

3.Previous notifications of staying over 90 days (if any)

4.Completely filled in and signed notification form TM.47

5.Envelope with 5 Baht stamp affixed and return address of foreigner for the officer in charge to send back the lower part of form TM. 47 after having received the notification. This part must be kept for reference and for future notifications of staying over 90 days.

6.The above mentioned documents must be sent by registered mail and the receipt of the registration kept by the foreigner.

Send the mail before the renewal date 7 days to

90 DAYS REGISTRATION,

IMMIGRATION DIVISION 1

120 MOO 3, CHAENGWATTANA ROAD,SOI 7,

LAKSI, BANGKOK. 10210

[GarryP]

To those complaining about the location, is Swampy inconvenient for you too, the nearest exit ramp on the expressway, the local 7/11? How about the Southern Bus station, the traffic can be pretty bad there too. How dare they locate these places without consulting you first?

[WarpSpeed]

No problem with the location even though it takes me three times longer to get there on a good day. It is so much better than Suan Plu. Service is quicker, but not friendlier as one poster seems to think. The officer who did my yearly extension was so cold she made ice seem hot, which is very different to my experiences at Suan Plu. Probably just caught her on a bad day though (give her the benefit of the doubt).

I much more appreciate the current location it is only 15 minutes from my house and the other day I was in and out in 15 minutes including locating a parking space to report where as the previous location I wouldn't even drive there as parking was impossible and I used to park in one of the hotel garages and take a taxi the rest of the way and that was a pain with the whole family.. My recent report above referenced I mentioned the day was my birthday and the three desk agents sang Happy birthday to me and we were all in stitches, it was at the end of the day too so I'd say the attitude is much better for them too..

My only peeve is that being immigration, it is targeted for foreigners most of which speak English and yet the signage for parking areas and directions are sorely lacking or in a too small print..

[jazzbo]

For many years I had to travel 3 hours each way by train to get to the Nong Khai Immigration office ... such hardship now for you Bangkok guys.

[jazzbo]

OOPS ... and that was when the train was on time.

Edited December 3, 2010 by jazzbo

[edgarfriendly]

OP loses!!

new immigration has 2 food courts! and a chesters grill! and hong kong noodles(paeng!) and a BUNCH of other reasons to shut ur whinge hole...

agree the staff are still as they were, but whats to be expected, new attitude simply by relocating?? get real!!

(OP - Noooooooo.....etc)

it still took 4+ hrs to get an extension stamp, but at least theres a/c wandering/eatery/drinkypoo coffee-ing possible.

the end....?

ef

edit2add - relocate BACK to suan plu??? are u drunk? or just 'special'?

Edited June 4, 2011 by edgarfriendly