First 90-Day Report At Chiang Mai Immigration

[Baloo22]

Did my first 90-day report at the Chiang Mai Immigration office yesterday. I had done them previously at Jomtien Immigration. Got there about 1330 and it took a little over two hours. Did not seem to have the same organization as the Jomtien office. To be fair, they did seem swamped with customers and perhaps do not have the staff to handle those numbers. Also it seems that Jomtien has a bigger and newer building.

A few items for those going for their first time. When you go through the gate and enter the parking lot, take a look to your left. You will probably see a large crowd of people in multiple lines trying to get in that building. DO NOT GO THERE! It is some sort of special operation for Burmese people. I don't know the specifics. What you want to do is go another 10-20 meters into the parking lot and then look to your right. You will see another building with a blue sign "Re-entry, Extension, 90 Day". That's your building.

Go in that door and go to your right. There will be a ticket type machine there. It was covered with a sign saying that counters ### have no tickets, but there was a lady there handing out number tickets. You get different numbers for Re-entry and 90-day reporting (turns out I did not need a re-entry permit). After that, you wait and wait. The guy sitting next to me was renewing his retirement visa. He said that he had been there since 0830. Once my number was called, it was a 10 minute operation. Then a quick walk up to the Airport Plaza Mall for a bite to eat.

[Maestro]

Did the immigration officer give you the regular "Receipt of Notification", ie the bottom part of form TM.47, or did he put a bar code sticker in your passport?

[moe666]

He didn't go on line and make a reservation a couple of months ago.

[Baloo22]

Did the immigration officer give you the regular "Receipt of Notification", ie the bottom part of form TM.47, or did he put a bar code sticker in your passport?

The regular Receipt of Notification. No barcode sticker.

[Maestro]

Thanks. I appears, then, that the use of a barcode was an experiment that has been interrupted or abandoned.

[MYKTHEMIN]

Thanks. I appears, then, that the use of a barcode was an experiment that has been interrupted or abandoned.

Did my 90 day report last week at chiang khan loei and they still are using the bar code system, took 5 mins and no more photo copies required just signed the form that they printed out for me having scanned my previous bar code, excellent system.

[Semper]

Thanks. I appears, then, that the use of a barcode was an experiment that has been interrupted or abandoned.

I was there two weeks ago and they gave me both.

[Baloo22]

Thanks. I appears, then, that the use of a barcode was an experiment that has been interrupted or abandoned.

I was there two weeks ago and they gave me both.

OK. I just rechecked my passport page by page. On the inside of the back cover there is a barcode sticker. It has my passport number on it. I have no idea when or how it got there. In fact, there are two barcodes on the inside back cover. One does not appear to be a sticker but rather looks like it printed on the passport. It has a number that does not match the passport or any of the visa's in my passport.

[Tywais]

In fact, there are two barcodes on the inside back cover. One does not appear to be a sticker but rather looks like it printed on the passport. It has a number that does not match the passport or any of the visa's in my passport.

The other is part of the passport itself and is an identifier code. Nothing to do with immigration.

[Maestro]

Therefore, the barcode experiment continues.

[Badbanker]

Sounds to me like it is typical fiefdom thing, with commanders in each Immigration Police region making arbitrary and mandatory decisions, which may not be based on anything other than some personal whim.

As I reported in the other 90 day thread posting, I spoke to the reporting officer in Thai for about 15 mins on other issues and she did seem a little exasperated by the ruling as it now means they have to enter all the info from a hand written form into the computer by hand every time for every person.

Some mention was made in our discussions that people who had a form with an address on it, would be lazy and not change it to a new address, thus causing immigration to potentially lose track of people making 90 day reports!

Edited April 15, 2012 by Badbanker