Immigration On-Line Queue System V.2

[CMNightRider]

I have a slot for 20th nov which was wrongly timed.

....I already have my retirement extension now.

When I look at the site I don't see any way to cancel, and their "contact us" seems to be a forum which has only EVER had one post so doubt it's looked at.

Any ideas what to do other than go past the office?

I feel it unfair....and maybe problematic....to pass on my appointment number, but it seems a shame the slot gets wasted.

I believe if you sign in on your assigned date and time with the code number you were provided, you will be able to cancel your appointment.

[cheeryble]

Thanks NR I cancelled it ok

[eljayess]

I would like to thank everyone for relieving me of my naivete`
when it comes to online-que reservations for the general public.

I have read all 91 comments and now feel illuminated, and sometimes
what is illuminated is not very pretty - like the Coyote joke.

I have burned enough midnight oil for three days watching the screen return fully reserved in minutes. I am going to join the economy class. A convenience has turned into an income stream for some.

My plan is to get there by 6AM and get a number, then go over to
the airport have a leisurely-long breakfast in the realm of
the Burger King or at that posh bistro called McDonalds, I think that is its name. I don't know if they require reservations. too.

I now know why my emails to the Contact person went unanswered.

When it gets fishy in Fishtown, it is just best to hold your nose.

P.S.--I feel sorry for the immigration staff who have to hold their
tongues, because they certainly know what is going down.

[cheeryble]

Your picture looks like a King Crimson cover

[eljayess]

Went to Immigration on-line que on Saturday morning at 10AM, out of force of habit,

and was surprised to see that all of the Feb. 23rd slots.

for Monday, were already reserved over the weekend.

If anyone planned on staying up to burn the midnight oil

to 'maybe' get a slot, forget it and get some beauty rest instead.

[eljayess]

After 67 attempts, was able to get a slot tonight at 0130 AM.

I use Firefox and it logs how many times the user visits each

site. I am sure there are folks out there who can or have beaten

that record, if anyone is keeping track.

Good luck to all those willing to try their patience and test

their tenacity. I feel like a lucky lottery winner now.

P.S.--There are 7 (!) slots still open for 26Feb. at 2AM.

Edited November 17, 2014 by eljayess

[vagabond48]

I strongly suspect that there are different demands for visa extensions through the year. This September I was getting up early for a while so decided to check out the site a couple of weeks + 100 days before I needed an appointment between 5:30- 6:30AM and for the 1st week of December, there were still a number of open slots. I did this for a few mornings. I finally was ready to schedule two appointments for me and my wife three weeks later. The 1st night I started a few minutes after midnight and puff, the slots were gone. The 2nd night, I was ready to do battle so promptly at 12 midnight. I brought up the site on to separate windows so I can quickly get two slots. I refreshed the screen and all times were a available. Working quickly and using my browser's memory I was able to get 2 consecutive slots for me and my wife. One minute later, all the times were gone.

To prove my original point, as of 8:52AM, February 26 still had 3 open slots. I bet the low season months have less demand.

Edited November 18, 2014 by vagabond48

[cheeryble]

I strongly suspect that there are different demands for visa extensions through the year. This September I was getting up early for a while so decided to check out the site a couple of weeks + 100 days before I needed an appointment between 5:30- 6:30AM and for the 1st week of December, there were still a number of open slots. I did this for a few mornings. I finally was ready to schedule two appointments for me and my wife three weeks later. The 1st night I started a few minutes after midnight and puff, the slots were gone. The 2nd night, I was ready to do battle so promptly at 12 midnight. I brought up the site on to separate windows so I can quickly get two slots. I refreshed the screen and all times were a available. Working quickly and using my browser's memory I was able to get 2 consecutive slots for me and my wife. One minute later, all the times were gone.

To prove my original point, as of 8:52AM, February 26 still had 3 open slots. I bet the low season months have less demand.

You're likely right Vagabond that somewhat more farang move here at high season, and immigration more burdened then.

There's a very easy way to ease this.

Stamp extensions for (say) 15 months instead of 12, you then get both less applicants and also stagger their times.

12 is arbitrary, it just happens to be a year....apart from that it's meaningless.

(I know....fat chance)

Edited November 18, 2014 by cheeryble

[vagabond48]

I strongly suspect that there are different demands for visa extensions through the year. This September I was getting up early for a while so decided to check out the site a couple of weeks + 100 days before I needed an appointment between 5:30- 6:30AM and for the 1st week of December, there were still a number of open slots. I did this for a few mornings. I finally was ready to schedule two appointments for me and my wife three weeks later. The 1st night I started a few minutes after midnight and puff, the slots were gone. The 2nd night, I was ready to do battle so promptly at 12 midnight. I brought up the site on to separate windows so I can quickly get two slots. I refreshed the screen and all times were a available. Working quickly and using my browser's memory I was able to get 2 consecutive slots for me and my wife. One minute later, all the times were gone.

To prove my original point, as of 8:52AM, February 26 still had 3 open slots. I bet the low season months have less demand.

You're likely right Vagabond that somewhat more farang move here at high season, and immigration more burdened then.

There's a very easy way to ease this.

Stamp extensions for (say) 15 months instead of 12, you then get both less applicants and also stagger their times.

12 is arbitrary, it just happens to be a year....apart from that it's meaningless.

(I know....fat chance)

Or like China where I had their one year Residency permit based on marriage for a couple of years. There, you can get a new permit anytime before it expires, not within 30 days as it is in Thailand.

[Thailand]

Currently 8 slots available for 27th February.

[binjalin]

get an agent to do it as I can't believe anyone actually GOES to Immigration these days

6am? are you nuts?

[Thailand]

get an agent to do it as I can't believe anyone actually GOES to Immigration these days

6am? are you nuts?

Can't believe people pay so much for so little but they do.

Lucky we have options and the chance to choose,some do,some don't.

[Dante99]

get an agent to do it as I can't believe anyone actually GOES to Immigration these days

6am? are you nuts?

Can't believe people pay so much for so little but they do.

It is not that they pay, it is rather that they are compelled to advertise it and are so pig big headed about it.

[lj cm]

Agree with Dante99; it's not that difficult to go by yourself.

Btw; how much does it cost for an Agent to do it.

I think they will move more functions to the new Immigration Office opposite Promenada.

[circusman]

Is there or will there be a new Imm office ?

[vagabond48]

get an agent to do it as I can't believe anyone actually GOES to Immigration these days

6am? are you nuts?

If you were online 8AM ish these past few days in the comfort of your home or anybody's home, you would have easily scored a slot without having to pay a ridiculous 5K fee.

[Tywais]

Removed several off topic and argumentative posts and the post where it started.

[Wuvu2]

All the online que spots seem full for the foreseeable future. Is there another way to get an appointment?

[eljayess]

Has anyone heard of someone who came up on their expiration-date on their retirement visa after

trying the on-line que, which is fully booked, and being turned away day-after-day (due to too many

'extenders' at once)? So far I have not heard of that happening to anyone, though las year

I got an online-appointment that was one day before my extension (drop-dead date) expired and

the woman who sits behind the 90-day counter told me to be sure to do this earlier next year.

I did start early this year and still ended up just two days before my visa expiration.

I guess the next best thing to do would be to get a 15-day visa extension, if that is a viable option,

and then try to get our visa extended that way.

I can even see the day when even the visa agents are resticted to how many client visas they can submit

due to the backlog that now exists, especially if more retirees can't get their visa extended even with

a running start of 100 days.

My wife just clued me in that for someone who had to get a visa-extension because they could not

get their retirement visa extended would also have to pay for the 15- or 30- day extension reques.

[uptheos]

I suspect the agents have folks signing up as soon as the slots are available, as it always takes a few days to get an appointment even when looking right at midnight.

Alternatively the slots might be pre-booked by someone with priority access.

If it's agents signing up then you are at least in a fair match and best man/woman wins.

[vagabond48]

Wow, out of curiosity, I just checked the online queue a 9:10AM and found March 9 still had 3 slots open and March 10, had 6 open. It looks like it's quite easy to get an online time slot during burning season.

Well, it least with the 5K you saved not getting an agent, you can go down South a get a 4 to 8 days free get-away (depending of your life style).

Edited November 30, 2014 by vagabond48

[Thailand]

Wow, out of curiosity, I just checked the online queue a 9:10AM and found March 9 still had 3 slots open and March 10, had 6 open. It looks like it's quite easy to get an online time slot during burning season.

Well, it least with the 5K you saved not getting an agent, you can go down South a get a 4 to 8 days free get-away (depending of your life style).

At 7.10am there were 6 slots available. The previous day, for 9th at 7am there were 8 slots available.

[lj cm]

Wow, out of curiosity, I just checked the online queue a 9:10AM and found March 9 still had 3 slots open and March 10, had 6 open. It looks like it's quite easy to get an online time slot during burning season.

Well, it least with the 5K you saved not getting an agent, you can go down South a get a 4 to 8 days free get-away (depending of your life style).

At 7.10am there were 6 slots available. The previous day, for 9th at 7am there were 8 slots available.

That's very good to hear. I was starting to get nervous, that I had to be ready at midnight multiple nights.

[Thailand]

Wow, out of curiosity, I just checked the online queue a 9:10AM and found March 9 still had 3 slots open and March 10, had 6 open. It looks like it's quite easy to get an online time slot during burning season.

Well, it least with the 5K you saved not getting an agent, you can go down South a get a 4 to 8 days free get-away (depending of your life style).

At 7.10am there were 6 slots available. The previous day, for 9th at 7am there were 8 slots available.

That's very good to hear. I was starting to get nervous, that I had to be ready at midnight multiple nights.

Doesn't happen everyday,so be aware.

[piewarmer]

Moving the motorbike parking next door was a good move.

What happened to the office outside processing the Burmese, (that used to be really busy too)

[Sparkles]

Moving the motorbike parking next door was a good move.

What happened to the office outside processing the Burmese, (that used to be really busy too)

Gone to Immigration Offic eopposite Promenada

[uptheos]

No agent can be so quick on the ball that they can type 10 sets of details in before anyone else, when the online form is ready after midnight.

I guess they get by with a little help from their friends.

[Danthai]

I will probably have users come out of the woodwork to disclaim what I'm about to say. I used an agent for the first time due to processing my district office divorce in the morning and changing my marriage extension to a retirement in the late aftternoon. I found, in my situation, that the visa service was well worth the price I paid. They even came out to the district office in pouring rain to pick up the dicorce document they needed in the afternoon at immigration.

I showed up at the appointed time, was told to wait and then called straight in to the guy doing the photos. I said where is my paperwork and when do I interview. The rep said i was all done and could wait an hour or hour and half for my passport or pick it up the following Monday morning as it was about 445 PM on a Friday.

The reason I said all this is from my observations, it is my sense that they have one or maybe two officers in the back, totally unrelated to the officers working in the front doing the visa service paperwork. I do not believe they have anything to do with the appointments at all, but have an agent working full time on processing the retirement visas, etc.

For what its worth.

[NancyL]

I will probably have users come out of the woodwork to disclaim what I'm about to say. I used an agent for the first time due to processing my district office divorce in the morning and changing my marriage extension to a retirement in the late aftternoon. I found, in my situation, that the visa service was well worth the price I paid. They even came out to the district office in pouring rain to pick up the dicorce document they needed in the afternoon at immigration.

I showed up at the appointed time, was told to wait and then called straight in to the guy doing the photos. I said where is my paperwork and when do I interview. The rep said i was all done and could wait an hour or hour and half for my passport or pick it up the following Monday morning as it was about 445 PM on a Friday.

The reason I said all this is from my observations, it is my sense that they have one or maybe two officers in the back, totally unrelated to the officers working in the front doing the visa service paperwork. I do not believe they have anything to do with the appointments at all, but have an agent working full time on processing the retirement visas, etc.

For what its worth.

I think you're right. So much for the assertions that the visa agents are somehow hogging queue appointments that should go to us "retail" customers

[uptheos]

I will probably have users come out of the woodwork to disclaim what I'm about to say. I used an agent for the first time due to processing my district office divorce in the morning and changing my marriage extension to a retirement in the late aftternoon. I found, in my situation, that the visa service was well worth the price I paid. They even came out to the district office in pouring rain to pick up the dicorce document they needed in the afternoon at immigration.

I showed up at the appointed time, was told to wait and then called straight in to the guy doing the photos. I said where is my paperwork and when do I interview. The rep said i was all done and could wait an hour or hour and half for my passport or pick it up the following Monday morning as it was about 445 PM on a Friday.

The reason I said all this is from my observations, it is my sense that they have one or maybe two officers in the back, totally unrelated to the officers working in the front doing the visa service paperwork. I do not believe they have anything to do with the appointments at all, but have an agent working full time on processing the retirement visas, etc.

For what its worth.

I think you're right. So much for the assertions that the visa agents are somehow hogging queue appointments that should go to us "retail" customers

And probably so much for the assertions that they can't get extra staff, (except for special duties).