Immigration At 5Am?

[ForumUsername]

Hey guys,

So it's time for me to renew my visa, but I'm a little unsure of when I should go to the immigration office. I have an Education visa, and I have to report every 90 days.

My school and other pupils from said school recommend that I get there at around 5:30am. They say if I get there any later than 7am the queues will be ridiculous. This seems a little extreme, since the place doesn't open till 8 and they don't think I'll be finished before 11am.

Then I read the 90 reporting experiences thread and there are people saying they turned up at 10 / 11 and were finished in 30 minutes.

I would have replied to that thread, but I'm worried nobody would see the response in time (I'm hoping to go tomorrow). Anyone still awake who has knowledge on this? What really is the best time to go to be there for as little time as possible?

Yes I should have asked earlier, but I guess I can do Friday / Monday if I have to

Thanks in advance!

[naboo]

Best join the other morning rush lunatics. Save the rest of the day for the rest of us.

Or turn up at 3pm. Up to you. I don't think I've ever waited more than 90 minutes for a 90 day, rarely more than 45 minutes and usually done within 20 minutes. But then I've never turned up at 5am.

[hellodolly]

I believe most of the reply's on the other thread are for people with a retirement visa.

I am absolutely clueless about other types of visas. There is Visa forum some where ere on Thai Visa. I am sure your question will be answered there.

[tolstoy]

Are you going to extend your visa or are you going to do a 90 day report? They are different.

If you are going to do the 90 day report, don't worry too much about it. I would still go around 7AM. Sign in, take off until 8:00 or whenever they turn on the machine. I thought it was 8:30. Get your number.

[ForumUsername]

Are you going to extend your visa or are you going to do a 90 day report? They are different.

If you are going to do the 90 day report, don't worry too much about it. I would still go around 7AM. Sign in, take off until 8:00 or whenever they turn on the machine. I thought it was 8:30. Get your number.

A 90-day report, but I have a "1 year education visa". School give me forms that I have to take with, as well as the 90-day reporting form.

Thanks, I'll go then

[ChiangMaiTiger]

This year I decided to be an early bird for my one year renewal. Got there at 7.10am and it was a packed madhouse already. I was number 38 on the list!

[CMSteve]

Sounds like you are doing a NON-IMM ED Extension. If that is the case, you should have made an appointment with their on-line que. Next best thing, and possibly the only option is to be there really really early in the AM. DO NOT go in the afternoon as they only process a certain number of ED extension daily. Be ready to spend a long day at immigration and possibly even have to come back after lunch.

Good Luck!

btw, you will be in the "200" que. If you get anything over 220(20th person doing en ED extension), go home until after lunch.

[ForumUsername]

Sounds like you are doing a NON-IMM ED Extension. If that is the case, you should have made an appointment with their on-line que. Next best thing, and possibly the only option is to be there really really early in the AM. DO NOT go in the afternoon as they only process a certain number of ED extension daily. Be ready to spend a long day at immigration and possibly even have to come back after lunch.

Good Luck!

btw, you will be in the "200" que. If you get anything over 220(20th person doing en ED extension), go home until after lunch.

Ah, I didn't realise I could use the online booking. Next time!

Looks like an early start for me.

Thanks to everyone for your info...

[naboo]

Ah, I didn't realise I could use the online booking. Next time!

Looks like an early start for me.

Thanks to everyone for your info...

No! Don't use the online booking for a 90 day, only extensions!

90 day (paper stapled in your passport at immigration has a date about to expire), roll in at any time, don't worry. If it is an extension (if you've previously been 'behind the desk' that was an extension), go early.

[ForumUsername]

I have only been "behind the desk" in Singapore. I've never done anything in Chiang Mai, yet

Either way, I'll go early just to be safe. Thanks again all

[hellodolly]

I have only been "behind the desk" in Singapore. I've never done anything in Chiang Mai, yet

Either way, I'll go early just to be safe. Thanks again all

Let us know how you make out. Time of arrival and time when your number comes up and how long to process it. I imagine if you have all your papers in order that won't take long.

[ForumUsername]

I have only been "behind the desk" in Singapore. I've never done anything in Chiang Mai, yet

Either way, I'll go early just to be safe. Thanks again all

Let us know how you make out. Time of arrival and time when your number comes up and how long to process it. I imagine if you have all your papers in order that won't take long.

Happy to

So I arrived at 6:40am, and was number 29 in the queue. Didn't know whether I could go home or not and come back (didn't want to miss anything after getting there so early) and waited until they opened about 7:40, and started the machine about 8:10. When my number was called up I was told to come back after 1pm...doh.

I'll see how it goes later today.

Next time what I'll do is wake up early around 5:30am to sign in, go back home for 2 hours (I live 5 minutes away) and then return for 8 so I can get seen before lunch.

[DowntownAl]

There's a 5:30 in the morning too! Who knew?

[chiang mai]

3/3:30pm is your best time, an hour before lunch break also works well, anytime before 10am is lunacy.

[Ricardo]

Parked across-the-road at 08.55 this morning, got given number 225 (count was then on 209) and went off to get my photocopies, returned and sat for 10 minutes before my number came up, was back in the car & on the road by 09.30.

There were 3 long queues for the photocopiers, an awful lot of people (many Burmese ?) waiting around, but I have to say it was a relative breeze this morning ! Well done, Thai Immigration Chiang Mai !

[true blue]

went yesterday for a residential letter,waited over 3 hours,queues for photo copier very long,advise you to get it done,before you arrive.

[ForumUsername]

Parked across-the-road at 08.55 this morning, got given number 225 (count was then on 209) and went off to get my photocopies, returned and sat for 10 minutes before my number came up, was back in the car & on the road by 09.30.

There were 3 long queues for the photocopiers, an awful lot of people (many Burmese ?) waiting around, but I have to say it was a relative breeze this morning ! Well done, Thai Immigration Chiang Mai !

I don't believe this for a second, and not just because I'm jealous. I personally saw who number 225 was, and know they signed shortly after me. Also I witnessed 225 being called out yesterday, and walking to take his seat with an officer (well after 1pm).

Maybe you wrote your number down wrong, but something doesn't add up...

[Ricardo]

Parked across-the-road at 08.55 this morning, got given number 225 (count was then on 209) and went off to get my photocopies, returned and sat for 10 minutes before my number came up, was back in the car & on the road by 09.30.

There were 3 long queues for the photocopiers, an awful lot of people (many Burmese ?) waiting around, but I have to say it was a relative breeze this morning ! Well done, Thai Immigration Chiang Mai !

I don't believe this for a second, and not just because I'm jealous. I personally saw who number 225 was, and know they signed shortly after me. Also I witnessed 225 being called out yesterday, and walking to take his seat with an officer (well after 1pm).

Maybe you wrote your number down wrong, but something doesn't add up...

Fine, if you say so, I must have mis-remembered my number, although that's what I recall. Perhaps 509 and 525 ?

"his seat with an officer" ? No, 90-day reporting was standing-at-the-counter, as usual.

Anyway, I may have got the number wrong, but the times were definitely correct.

In-and-out for a 90-day-reporting in about 30 minutes.

[hellodolly]

Parked across-the-road at 08.55 this morning, got given number 225 (count was then on 209) and went off to get my photocopies, returned and sat for 10 minutes before my number came up, was back in the car & on the road by 09.30.

There were 3 long queues for the photocopiers, an awful lot of people (many Burmese ?) waiting around, but I have to say it was a relative breeze this morning ! Well done, Thai Immigration Chiang Mai !

I don't believe this for a second, and not just because I'm jealous. I personally saw who number 225 was, and know they signed shortly after me. Also I witnessed 225 being called out yesterday, and walking to take his seat with an officer (well after 1pm).

Maybe you wrote your number down wrong, but something doesn't add up...

Fine, if you say so, I must have mis-remembered my number, although that's what I recall. Perhaps 509 and 525 ?

"his seat with an officer" ? No, 90-day reporting was standing-at-the-counter, as usual.

Anyway, I may have got the number wrong, but the times were definitely correct.

In-and-out for a 90-day-reporting in about 30 minutes.

Hard time figuring this one out. Have done many 90 day reports with out the long waits I think 45 minutes was the longest when I had number 17.

The origanal poster was on a different visa than the retirement."

"I have an Education visa, and I have to report every 90 days.

I don't think he realizes there is a difference. Wait until he has to renew it.

[chiang mai]

There are four (or is it three) possible queues and each has its own numbering systems hence the ticket machine has four buttons labelled 1 thu 4, clearly too complex for dumb farangs to work out which is why they have someone posted next to the machine on "push button and hand over ticket" duty. So, the 90 day report queue might be on say number 290 or 590 whilst visa extentions might be on say 25 or 45.

[Ricardo]

Hard time figuring this one out. Have done many 90 day reports with out the long waits I think 45 minutes was the longest when I had number 17.

The origanal poster was on a different visa than the retirement."

"I have an Education visa, and I have to report every 90 days.

I don't think he realizes there is a difference. Wait until he has to renew it.

Thanks hellodolly , I took it from the OP and other replies that he was doing a 90-day report, not an annual extension or anything. So probably my mistake.

Annual visit is always a bit of a nightmare ! I was trying to book an online-appointment, for my own annual-extension, but the earliest free-one was mid-October. Ye Gods !

[hellodolly]

Hard time figuring this one out. Have done many 90 day reports with out the long waits I think 45 minutes was the longest when I had number 17.

The origanal poster was on a different visa than the retirement."

"I have an Education visa, and I have to report every 90 days.

I don't think he realizes there is a difference. Wait until he has to renew it.

Thanks hellodolly , I took it from the OP and other replies that he was doing a 90-day report, not an annual extension or anything. So probably my mistake.

Annual visit is always a bit of a nightmare ! I was trying to book an online-appointment, for my own annual-extension, but the earliest free-one was mid-October. Ye Gods !

Well technically it was a 90day extension but not on a retirement visa.

On a education visa

Two different animals.

I have friends with some kind of business visa and they are good for apparently 15 months but they still have to leave the country every 90 days.

[bitewhentested]

hi i used to have an education visa myself and im afraid you will be in for a very very long wait the main problem is that you have to report to the same guy

that deals with ed visa teachers visa visiting monks and so on

the main issue is no matter how early you get there every now and then a guy will walk in no queuing walk straight over to the guy

and hand him 10 or 15 pass ports and papers belonging to teachers that he will processes before getting to the next person who as sat waiting all morning

i got there at 5.45 am left at 2.45 pm

hence i no longer have a ed visa and when i did finally got my pass port stamp i was polity shown a tip box this is not a joke

needless to say they did not get one

[uptheos]

hence i no longer have a ed visa and when i did finally got my pass port stamp i was polity shown a tip box this is not a joke

needless to say they did not get one

There has to be a joke in there somewhere............OK over to you.

[Ricardo]

hence i no longer have a ed visa and when i did finally got my pass port stamp i was polity shown a tip box this is not a joke

needless to say they did not get one

There has to be a joke in there somewhere............OK over to you.

"This is our new Fast-Track Priority-Appointment Reservation-System" ?

[uptheos]

hence i no longer have a ed visa and when i did finally got my pass port stamp i was polity shown a tip box this is not a joke

needless to say they did not get one

There has to be a joke in there somewhere............OK over to you.

"This is our new Fast-Track Priority-Appointment Reservation-System" ?

I sort of agree. Having a 'tip box' (if true) at immigration is just about as tacky as it gets.