Lancelot Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I just renewed my Retirement Visa (extension of stay) in Chiang Mai and they are so slow. I arrived around 0920 but my number was not called until 1530 (3:30 PM) Are they always so slow or was it just one of those days? PS-If you have an Icome Verification letter from your embassy, they do not require the certified bank balance letter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 You were lucky they got to you the same day. Most people that get there at that hour get a number for the next day. Normally you have to be there around 6:30 AM to stand in line to get a number to get a number..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnx355 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Thank you for the information Lancelot. I will bring a book to read when I go at CM Immigration ti renew in March. I wish they would adopt the way they do retirement extension at Chonburi Immigration. ( I was there last year ) They check that you have the proper paperwork , you pay the fee and then keep everything and your passport and give you a ticket number. Just take a few minutes per customer if you have everything in hand. You come back the next day and pick your passport with the extension. No waiting to pick-up your passport. A lot quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 A two day process rather than a couple of hours on one day is a plus? Perhaps in the area service (only a few km) it may seem so but for many people it is a days outing just to get to there immigration office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techno Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 The problems with renewing your retirement extention of stay at Chiang Mai Immigration have been there for a long time and the OP was lucky to be seen the same day. Normally all the numbers have been allocated for the day early in the morning and a next day visit is the norm. The officials do not seem to be able to introduce a system to reduce the waiting time to renew a retirement visa. I believe an appointment system may be better by giving you a date and time by application on the internet or telephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamini Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Things must have changed a lot since I left 4 years ago. It used to take always less than an hour. There must be a lot of people now wanting to retire to Chiangmai. Perhaps they are re-locating from crime ridden Pattaya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancelot Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 The problems with renewing your retirement extention of stay at Chiang Mai Immigration have been there for a long time and the OP was lucky to be seen the same day. Normally all the numbers have been allocated for the day early in the morning and a next day visit is the norm. The officials do not seem to be able to introduce a system to reduce the waiting time to renew a retirement visa. I believe an appointment system may be better by giving you a date and time by application on the internet or telephone Yes, you are correct; the only reason that I got a number was because a lady returned her ticket, complaining that she was sent to the wrong que. The clerk gave me her number with the comment "You lucky!" My number was 229 and at 0930 they had only advanced to 205. I talked to one retiree and he advised me to return later in the afternoon, about 1500 (3 pm.) As it turned out his advice was right on the money. I also asked one older Thai Immigration officer when I could expect to have my number called and he advised me to return at 1300 (1pm.) Well, I should have listened to the experienced retiree because when I returned at 1 pm, the numbers had only advance by 5, to 210. I cooled my heels for 2.5 hours and talked to a few other applicants and the general consensus was that CM Immigration was slower than in the past. I did notice many Visa Agents lugging multiple files and I suspect that was a major reason for slowing down the que... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProThaiExpat Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 There is another thread, about a month ago with very definitive information regarding the wait at CM Immigration for extensions. To summarize: All visa related work is centralized so 90 day and Residence Certificates are now handled in the same office with visa issues and thus longer waits. Numbers 201 to 220 are handled in the morning and numbers 220 to ? are handled in the afternoon. Some visa changes require a return visit, such as a change from tourist to non-immO. Staff assigned due to number of waiting for service, with extensions never getting more than two officers, many times only one if some out sick or on vacation. If you arrive before 8:00 am, when the waiting ticket machine is being operated by the greeter officer who scans your passport to see which line you need to be in, and you really need to get their around 7:30 am, make sure you pick up a number card from the counter on your left as you enter. This number establishes your position in line so when the greeter officer starts assigning machine numbers at 8am, your properly in that line. It is then that you will have the machine number beginning at 201 that determines when you will be serviced that day. Even though the greeter officer starts giving out machine numbers at 8am, extension officers don't start work until 9am. So whenever there is no greeter officer manning the ticket machine, look for a number from the counter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 unusual ive done 5 extensions of stay at chiang mai, and its never been more than 2 hrs to sort out,just wonder about validity of embassey letter if not sorted on the day????. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Embassy letter has never been required to be on the day of application at any location that I am aware of. Normally at least one to three months, if not more, are allowed. Perhaps you are thinking of Bank letters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancelot Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 Embassy letter has never been required to be on the day of application at any location that I am aware of. Normally at least one to three months, if not more, are allowed. Perhaps you are thinking of Bank letters? As originally posted, my embassy "Income Verification" letter was issued the same date that I applied for an extension of stay. The Immigration officer never requested a "Bank Balance" letter, though I did have one dated one day before I applied for extension of stay. The slow process was perhaps because of the alignment of the planets but it certainly was not because of my Income Letter date. Good luck with numbers 201 to 220 being handled in the morning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 My post was to the query directly above it asking about the validity of an Embassy letter if you were delayed and had to wait until the next day. IE it should not be an issue as they are often not done on the same day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepsel Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 It took me two and a half hours to get a residency certificate so I could renew my drivers license. There is one clerk that was doing them--and I watched the paperwork go over to his desk. He was busy talking and texting on his cell phone -- I finally walked over there and looked straight in his eyes and told him to get off the phone--he looked rather sheepishly at me and told me to sit and went back on the phone--I got up again--and then he got the message and did it. The completed paper went to the back office for verification and was returned almost instantaneously. I wish that there was some official that we could complain to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 (edited) Embassy letter has never been required to be on the day of application at any location that I am aware of. Normally at least one to three months, if not more, are allowed. Perhaps you are thinking of Bank letters? i understand not much lee way on bank letters,just presumed same with embassy prove of income letter,thanks for advice i will obtain embassy letter and go immigration at later date.instead of same day Edited February 19, 2011 by true blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grin Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I was informed by an immigration officer at the Chiang Mai office that the income verification letter is good for 30 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoBoy Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) If your income verification letter has enough income confirmed, then why worry about a bank letter unless your income verification letter does not have sufficiant income to meet your visa needs. You can use income, or bank deposit, or a combination of the two to meet the income requirement. Don't think a same day letter matters one way or another, as long as the letter is valid as of the date you submit it. Residency verification and other letters from a Thai Immigration office many times require the signature of a supervisor or senior immigration official. Most itmes you complete the application and have them send you the letter by EMS for the Postal fee of usually 100 baht or so. Or you can wait. Never a good idea to act rude with local officials. Especially when you are asking them to do something for you. Remember to plan, be patient, and the experience will be pretty much painless as long as you have your ducks in a row. Edited March 2, 2011 by TacoBoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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