What a rat-race. Went last week for a re-entry visa and couldnt even get a ticket and was told to come back today at 8am. Arrived promptly at this time and a short line . Ten minutes later I received my ticket and was no. 48 in line. Exactly 3 hours later I walked out with the visa.

What the heck is happening? I have lived here for 30 years and have never experienced anything like this.

Can anybody throw any light on this as it is sheer torture at the moment ?

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Just under 3 hours for me inspite of being there at 7:45 am to avoid the rush. Some of the departments (desks) went quickly - the 1 & 2 desks were painfully slow. You would think if a person was going to pay 3,800 baht for the privilege of leaving the country they would increase the efficiency somewhat? They claimed they only do 100 a day and I got ticket 40 at 8:07 am?. Get in early or leave dissappointed for re entry visas.

I'll bet the visa assistance companies are happy .

There is a phillopino lady with an office outside on the left, i think she can do most types of visa's for you - drop off all the paperwork, she calls you when it's done, it removes ALL the ball ache!

The entire system is FUBAR.

There is a phillopino lady with an office outside on the left, i think she can do most types of visa's for you - drop off all the paperwork, she calls you when it's done, it removes ALL the ball ache!

I think thats what the visa outfits and immigration wants. What is the fee for this service, I know they have payments to make?

Took me about 2 hrs 15 min today. I started in the afternoon. So while waiting I had a beer by the beach and then a cuppa (only 30 baht) at Simple Simon's on the same soi, near J Beach Rd. Looks like decent food there.

The line moves about 25 people an hour. I had 51 in front of me, though initially the girl at the ticket desk told me 100 people.

Same thing happened to me this week at Jomtien. Visit 1 on Monday, I arrived after lunch at 1:15. No dice. Visit No. 2 on Wednesday morning. Our favourite info officer wouldn't give me a ticket. Come back tomorrow at 8:30, he said. This is at 9:15 am! They impose this (ridiculous) re-entry permit system on us, then force us into an early morning lottery, with winners and losers. Absurd. And I need my re-entry permit by next Friday for a 2-week return trip home. You bet I'll be there tomorrow morning. Early. But there's no guarantee. Equally absurd.

Slightly off topic: I wouldn't need this permit if they'd transferred my perfectly valid (IMHO) multi-entry re-entry permit, with 7 more months on it, into my new passport along with the extension.

Maybe the mid- March rush is the 90-day reporting or extending or renewing or newbie or lost-and-clueless-and-just-milling-about crowd that arrived in LOS just before Christmas, when high-season kicked off? Now their 90-days are coming up and the scrum is on.

Maybe the mid- March rush is the 90-day reporting or extending or renewing or newbie or lost-and-clueless-and-just-milling-about crowd that arrived in LOS just before Christmas, when high-season kicked off? Now their 90-days are coming up and the scrum is on.

The 90-day and extending lines go relatively quickly, seemed to me. Big crunch seems to be the re-entry, yet they got 2 desks working on them. I did notice a high percentage of seniles taking up the officers' time, however.

Anybody notice the bales of forms in the left rear corner of the room? Wonder if they're old 90-day reporting forms. Just speculating, maybe they're blank forms for use out front.

Took me about 2 hrs 15 min today. I started in the afternoon. So while waiting I had a beer by the beach and then a cuppa (only 30 baht) at Simple Simon's on the same soi, near J Beach Rd. Looks like decent food there.

The line moves about 25 people an hour. I had 51 in front of me, though initially the girl at the ticket desk told me 100 people.

I estimate desk 1 & 2 must be finished the 100 per day entries cutoff number by 12 noon. I wonder if they give them the rest of the day off, have them round up illegal workers or provide extra services for the visa companies who seem to be able to do their business with immigration whenever they want.

Addition: Since we're on the topic of "what's going' on at Jomtien?" In my second visit (as above), I was able to get an affidavit of residence. I got out 200 baht, which is what I paid only a few months ago (400 bt for two affidavits) and has been repeated in posts, I was asked for 300 baht. I stumbled at that and got out another bill. Anyone else faced the same "inflation"?

Addition: Since we're on the topic of "what's going' on at Jomtien?" In my second visit (as above), I was able to get an affidavit of residence. I got out 200 baht, which is what I paid only a few months ago (400 bt for two affidavits) and has been repeated in posts, I was asked for 300 baht. I stumbled at that and got out another bill. Anyone else faced the same "inflation"?

Ouch! I suggest trying gentle resistance, suggesting 200.

Actually that service is worth about 50 baht. 300 is ridiculous.

Took me about 2 hrs 15 min today. I started in the afternoon. So while waiting I had a beer by the beach and then a cuppa (only 30 baht) at Simple Simon's on the same soi, near J Beach Rd. Looks like decent food there.

The line moves about 25 people an hour. I had 51 in front of me, though initially the girl at the ticket desk told me 100 people.

I estimate desk 1 & 2 must be finished the 100 per day entries cutoff number by 12 noon. I wonder if they give them the rest of the day off, have them round up illegal workers or provide extra services for the visa companies who seem to be able to do their business with immigration whenever they want.

I was number 176 and got out about 4:10. They kept going all day.

There is a phillopino lady with an office outside on the left, i think she can do most types of visa's for you - drop off all the paperwork, she calls you when it's done, it removes ALL the ball ache!

I think thats what the visa outfits and immigration wants. What is the fee for this service, I know they have payments to make?

800 baht - bargain!! girls name is Ruby i think - pm me if you want her number, speaks perfect English.

There is a phillopino lady with an office outside on the left, i think she can do most types of visa's for you - drop off all the paperwork, she calls you when it's done, it removes ALL the ball ache!

I think thats what the visa outfits and immigration wants. What is the fee for this service, I know they have payments to make?

800 baht - bargain!! girls name is Ruby i think - pm me if you want her number, speaks perfect English.

Thanks so much for the heads up on this.

There is a phillopino lady with an office outside on the left, i think she can do most types of visa's for you - drop off all the paperwork, she calls you when it's done, it removes ALL the ball ache!

I think thats what the visa outfits and immigration wants. What is the fee for this service, I know they have payments to make?

800 baht - bargain!! girls name is Ruby i think - pm me if you want her number, speaks perfect English.

200 baht would be a bargain, 800 is a rip-off! It's only 1000 baht for single re-entry permit. All she does is to push to the front of the queue with 20 passports and makes the already absurd queues worse for the rest of us.

Edited March 22, 201313 yr by gmac

Took me about 2 hrs 15 min today. I started in the afternoon. So while waiting I had a beer by the beach and then a cuppa (only 30 baht) at Simple Simon's on the same soi, near J Beach Rd. Looks like decent food there.

The line moves about 25 people an hour. I had 51 in front of me, though initially the girl at the ticket desk told me 100 people.

Took me about 2 hrs 15 min today. I started in the afternoon. So while waiting I had a beer by the beach and then a cuppa (only 30 baht) at Simple Simon's on the same soi, near J Beach Rd. Looks like decent food there.

The line moves about 25 people an hour. I had 51 in front of me, though initially the girl at the ticket desk told me 100 people.

I estimate desk 1 & 2 must be finished the 100 per day entries cutoff number by 12 noon. I wonder if they give them the rest of the day off, have them round up illegal workers or provide extra services for the visa companies who seem to be able to do their business with immigration whenever they want.

I was number 176 and got out about 4:10. They kept going all day.

Joe - I'm confused, you indicated in this earlier post that they only give 100 per day which is exactly what they told me when arriving in the early afternoon. Are they deliberately not telling the truth to get people to return at a later date?

Edited March 22, 201313 yr by gerry53

There is a phillopino lady with an office outside on the left, i think she can do most types of visa's for you - drop off all the paperwork, she calls you when it's done, it removes ALL the ball ache!

I think thats what the visa outfits and immigration wants. What is the fee for this service, I know they have payments to make?

800 baht - bargain!! girls name is Ruby i think - pm me if you want her number, speaks perfect English.

Where does it end though. When you need to get a retirement visa, a renewal, residency certificate, bank letter, re entry visa etc. you now head down to the visa office and pay extra money so somebody who you are "paying an addition fee" to do what should have been done efficiently by immigration in the first place. 2 sets of entrepreneurs reap the benefits, the visa companies and the immigration officers. People often leave little choice but it is not right. The longer these waits continue, the more people will be forced to use these "services". It seems this is what they want.

Edited March 22, 201313 yr by gerry53

Addition: Since we're on the topic of "what's going' on at Jomtien?" In my second visit (as above), I was able to get an affidavit of residence. I got out 200 baht, which is what I paid only a few months ago (400 bt for two affidavits) and has been repeated in posts, I was asked for 300 baht. I stumbled at that and got out another bill. Anyone else faced the same "inflation"?

You are at their whim. I had many residency certificates due to buying and selling some motor bikes ( you need one for each!). Usually if you want it quicker they ask for 300 baht though a few times they just ask for 300 and you get regular waiting times? Sometimes there is no consistency at the Jomtien immigration department.

Joe - I'm confused, you indicated in this earlier post that they only give 100 per day which is exactly what they told me when arriving in the early afternoon. Are they deliberately not telling the truth to get people to return at a later date?

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. When I first arrived, the girl at the desk told me it would be "long time" and that 100 people were ahead of me. Turned out when I got the ticket, only 51 were ahead. Dunno why she said that but it was discouraging. I did follow up with the question whether I'd get through "today," and she nodded yes. So I persisted in asking for my number and got it.

I think the girls are easier to deal w/ than the guy. He gets a lot of flak (justly so, according to some here). Even while I was standing and talking to the girl, some old farang yelled at him.

Seems like somebody above said something about only 100 per day. If so, that isn't correct based on my experience.

Edited March 22, 201313 yr by JSixpack

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Why would so many people now want a reentry permit, is this a loophole to abuse the system?

JSixpack - it was me who they told to come back in April as they only give 100 re entries a day. It was a young lady at the front desk. That was my second trip to immigration that day and I arrived the second time after lunch when the early rush thinned out and I thought I might get a ticket - I was refushed. There is no consistency.

I do agree the immigration guys get an earfull at times and the language issues are often an issue. I have also seen them get difficult and start yelling at customers.

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Why would so many people now want a reentry permit, is this a loophole to abuse the system?

It could just be the timing - 3 months from Christmas rush or it could be people wanting to vacate the area during the week long Songkan

Update with today's re-entry permit request: Arrived before 7:30 am and met a number of other refusal victims. Like me, two had tried and failed this week to get a service ticket. The lineup grew past the two-thirds point to the soi as the clock reached 8 am. Some credit to immigration, opening the doors a bit after 8.

Got number 112, starting from 100. While waiting about 20 minutes, a guy with number 174 sat beside me. So lesson is: if you want a re-entry permit, get there well before the doors open. For now anyway. From sitting down at about 8:10, I was out the door with my permit at 9:40 am.

Joe - I'm confused, you indicated in this earlier post that they only give 100 per day which is exactly what they told me when arriving in the early afternoon. Are they deliberately not telling the truth to get people to return at a later date?

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. When I first arrived, the girl at the desk told me it would be "long time" and that 100 people were ahead of me. Turned out when I got the ticket, only 51 were ahead. Dunno why she said that but it was discouraging. I did follow up with the question whether I'd get through "today," and she nodded yes. So I persisted in asking for my number and got it.

I think the girls are easier to deal w/ than the guy. He gets a lot of flak (justly so, according to some here). Even while I was standing and talking to the girl, some old farang yelled at him.

Seems like somebody above said something about only 100 per day. If so, that isn't correct based on my experience.

In defence of everyones' favourite official at the info desk, I went there yesterday for my 90 day report and whilst tolerating being abused by some other farang, he noticed the 90 day documents in my hand and passed me a number unasked!! I would have had a sit down to recover from the shock, only there wasn't a chair free!

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Why would so many people now want a reentry permit, is this a loophole to abuse the system?

I can only speculate that many are preparing to leave because they want to

• enjoy spring/summer in the northern hemisphere,
• avoid the hot season here, and
• escape Songkran.

Lines at the airport around this time of year confirm the exodus. Still, I've never waited so long for a re-entry permit. Maybe TAT isn't lying so much when it says the number of visitors to Thailand is up sharply.

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Why would so many people now want a reentry permit, is this a loophole to abuse the system?

I can only speculate that many are preparing to leave because they want to

• enjoy spring/summer in the northern hemisphere,
• avoid the hot season here, and
• escape Songkran.

Lines at the airport around this time of year confirm the exodus. Still, I've never waited so long for a re-entry permit. Maybe TAT isn't lying so much when it says the number of visitors to Thailand is up sharply.

Desk 1 and 2 deal with visa xtensions and re-entry.. most people are applying for an extension not a re-entry imo.

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Why would so many people now want a reentry permit, is this a loophole to abuse the system?

I can only speculate that many are preparing to leave because they want to

• enjoy spring/summer in the northern hemisphere,
• avoid the hot season here, and
• escape Songkran.

Lines at the airport around this time of year confirm the exodus. Still, I've never waited so long for a re-entry permit. Maybe TAT isn't lying so much when it says the number of visitors to Thailand is up sharply.

Desk 1 and 2 deal with visa xtensions and re-entry.. most people are applying for an extension not a re-entry imo.

Thank you, that makes it clear now.

I arrived at 7:30 am and was fifth in the queue outside the doors. By the time the doors were opened (well before opening time) the queue behind me stretched out into the road. The re-entry ticket I got was number 3 so I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes but in twelve years I have never seen the place so packed out. Perhaps it is time to have another building just for the Russians!

Why would so many people now want a reentry permit, is this a loophole to abuse the system?

I can only speculate that many are preparing to leave because they want to

• enjoy spring/summer in the northern hemisphere,
• avoid the hot season here, and
• escape Songkran.

Lines at the airport around this time of year confirm the exodus. Still, I've never waited so long for a re-entry permit. Maybe TAT isn't lying so much when it says the number of visitors to Thailand is up sharply.

The THIRD option makes huge sense. Songkran in Pattaya is 10 days of mayhem and the bulk of foreigners* want bugger all to do with it.

Even in Udon, some long-time resident farang business owners are planning getting out of town since they will be selling bugger all but rude locals wanting to use their pissers during the 2-days it lasts up there.

* That means that the greater majority of Pattaya's foreign population are not only clever but have a few bob as well. The Pattaya hater's are gonna love that!