90 Day Reporting - Comments & Experiences 2014

[sante]

Oscar2, a lot of people don't trust mail service. I know I don't which is why I waited so long to try that reporting option.

Many years ago, while going to school, I worked part time at the main San Francisco post office and after viewing the carelessness of workers there, I acquired a lifelong postal paranoia. I'm amazed any mail arrives at its intended destination.

Also, people may think it's just extra work if the documents don't arrive and then they'll have to wait at Immigration anyway. But as I discovered, as long as you have a registered mail receipt, you don't have to take a number and wait. At least that was my experience on Tuesday but procedure can change.

Edited August 28, 2014 by sante

[daoyai]

Total time and effort for me to go to post, get return envolope, register etc. and stopping by Imm. is about the same and the 90 day que/officers are not related to other Imm. services so use whatever method works for you.

[northernjohn]

Went for my 90 day reporting 10 days ago. 3 hour wait with 70 people ahead of me in the cue at 2:15pm on Friday. Absolutely the longest wait I've ever had in the 7 years I've lived here.

That many 90 day reports pretty much packed the building, not to mention all the other foreigners there for other immigration business. I don't blame CM Immigration. The 90 day desk was processing about 30 people an hour or one person every two minutes. They were busting their butts. Kudos.

3 hour wait??? is that for real? it's mind boggling that people actually drive to immigration for a 90-day when all you have to do is hand an envelope to your postman when he come round your house. what is wrong with some of you people? why not free up the queue so that people who actually need to go there (re-entry, visa extension, etc.) don't have to wait forever for people who can report by post? it makes no sense to me at all. help each other, man.

Go in there and learn. You make no sense the 90 day report personnel do not do the other services. They do 90 day reports

Does it make you feel superior to keep blowing your horn about how it is so easy for you to do with the mail?

[Oscar2]

3 hour wait??? is that for real? it's mind boggling that people actually drive to immigration for a 90-day when all you have to do is hand an envelope to your postman when he come round your house. what is wrong with some of you people? why not free up the queue so that people who actually need to go there (re-entry, visa extension, etc.) don't have to wait forever for people who can report by post? it makes no sense to me at all. help each other, man.

Go in there and learn. You make no sense the 90 day report personnel do not do the other services. They do 90 day reports

Does it make you feel superior to keep blowing your horn about how it is so easy for you to do with the mail?

you are obviously not the sharpest cookie in the jar!

[Diplomatico]

Went for my 90 day reporting 10 days ago. 3 hour wait with 70 people ahead of me in the cue at 2:15pm on Friday. Absolutely the longest wait I've ever had in the 7 years I've lived here.

That many 90 day reports pretty much packed the building, not to mention all the other foreigners there for other immigration business. I don't blame CM Immigration. The 90 day desk was processing about 30 people an hour or one person every two minutes. They were busting their butts. Kudos.

3 hour wait??? is that for real? it's mind boggling that people actually drive to immigration for a 90-day when all you have to do is hand an envelope to your postman when he come round your house. what is wrong with some of you people? why not free up the queue so that people who actually need to go there (re-entry, visa extension, etc.) don't have to wait forever for people who can report by post? it makes no sense to me at all. help each other, man.

Go in there and learn. You make no sense the 90 day report personnel do not do the other services. They do 90 day reports

Does it make you feel superior to keep blowing your horn about how it is so easy for you to do with the mail?

NJ, I don't agree with much of anything that Oscar2 posts on these boards but I gotta admit that the mail option does seem to be the most efficient way to complete the 90 day reporting requirement (and I'll make full disclosure here: I haven't had to do a 90 day report yet.)

Just from a time management perspective, seems to make sense to me based upon the hours and hours that most people seem to spend waiting at the office. Even better would be an online option.

[northernjohn]

Went for my 90 day reporting 10 days ago. 3 hour wait with 70 people ahead of me in the cue at 2:15pm on Friday. Absolutely the longest wait I've ever had in the 7 years I've lived here.

That many 90 day reports pretty much packed the building, not to mention all the other foreigners there for other immigration business. I don't blame CM Immigration. The 90 day desk was processing about 30 people an hour or one person every two minutes. They were busting their butts. Kudos.

3 hour wait??? is that for real? it's mind boggling that people actually drive to immigration for a 90-day when all you have to do is hand an envelope to your postman when he come round your house. what is wrong with some of you people? why not free up the queue so that people who actually need to go there (re-entry, visa extension, etc.) don't have to wait forever for people who can report by post? it makes no sense to me at all. help each other, man.

Go in there and learn. You make no sense the 90 day report personnel do not do the other services. They do 90 day reports

Does it make you feel superior to keep blowing your horn about how it is so easy for you to do with the mail?

NJ, I don't agree with much of anything that Oscar2 posts on these boards but I gotta admit that the mail option does seem to be the most efficient way to complete the 90 day reporting requirement (and I'll make full disclosure here: I haven't had to do a 90 day report yet.)

Just from a time management perspective, seems to make sense to me based upon the hours and hours that most people seem to spend waiting at the office. Even better would be an online option.

Yes you are right the mail in option is time wise generally more efficient. But you have been led down the garden path on the time spent in there to do 90 day reports. The longest I ever did was an hour and a half. and many in the 10 minute to half hour time period. It would seem that again the time is getting longer for the 90 day but I have only heard of one unreasonable time 3 hours. For myself I am retired and have the time. The wife and I generally make it an outing and go to the airport mall for a movie or a bit of shopping.

Now the yearly extensions they can take many hours. But you can not mail them in. I have heard for about 5,500 baht you can have it done for you but you still have to go in. The difference is you only have to go in for 5 minutes and you are told what time to come in. Or their is ten appointments a day you can get on line but that is only about 20% of the people they see in a day.

Even better would be doing away with it as it seems to serve no purpose.

[northernjohn]

3 hour wait??? is that for real? it's mind boggling that people actually drive to immigration for a 90-day when all you have to do is hand an envelope to your postman when he come round your house. what is wrong with some of you people? why not free up the queue so that people who actually need to go there (re-entry, visa extension, etc.) don't have to wait forever for people who can report by post? it makes no sense to me at all. help each other, man.

Go in there and learn. You make no sense the 90 day report personnel do not do the other services. They do 90 day reports

Does it make you feel superior to keep blowing your horn about how it is so easy for you to do with the mail?

you are obviously not the sharpest cookie in the jar!

Sharp enough to spot some one with a superiority attitude. As I mentioned earlier I am retired I am where you are trying to get to. It is no big deal to me to go in there and make the 90 day report. The longest I have ever spent was one and one half hours there. also I have met some very interesting people in there.

The yearly extensions are defiantly longer. the last one I got I went in at 9:30 in the morning and was told to come back at 3:00 in the afternoon. I still had to wait 45 minutes. There are two desks that do them and the man told me that they average 50 a day between the two of them. That day they did 61 of them. At any rate continue on feeling good about your self with all the time you have saved. When you get to where I am you will not be bothered by out of the ordinary things they can be fun.

Edited August 28, 2014 by northernjohn

[sante]

Northernjohn, I'm retired too and have plenty of time but do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" as you do. For me they are unpleasant and tedious experiences I try to avoid. Why do you find other people's preferences so hard to understand? Available time has nothing to do with it.

[elektrified]

Northernjohn, I'm retired too and have plenty of time but do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" as you do. For me they are unpleasant and tedious experiences I try to avoid. Why do you find other people's preferences so hard to understand? Available time has nothing to do with it.

I'm too young to be retired - maybe in about 18 years... But going to Immigration ranks number 1 of the most unpleasant things in life in Thailand. I too, do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" and I also do 90-day reports by post; have for years now. I dread annual extensions even though I'm usually in and out in an hour. I have friends who are retired and most of them use a visa agent to handle the visits for them.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm with you guys. I dread the yearly visit to extend my visa - especially if I can't get on the appointment list - and am not too happy about 90 day reports either.

[elektrified]

I'm with you guys. I dread the yearly visit to extend my visa - especially if I can't get on the appointment list - and am not too happy about 90 day reports either.

Why not get your staff to drop your 90-day reports in the post UG? Saves a lot of hassle and time. I'm with the others on this one 100%

[Ulysses G.]

We did for while, but then they stopped allowing it and the service got a lot better at Immigration. However, last time I went, it was back to waiting for two hours, but I'm hoping they just had an off day. If not, I'll try the mail again.

Edited August 30, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[Duvidl]

Recently did my annual retirement extension. Used an agent and it still took 3 hours. Even though the agent had a reserved slot, when we showed-up we were told to come back in 2 hours. Came back in 2 hours and still had to wait 45 minutes for them to process the extension. Let's face it, the Chiang Mai Immigration Office is way over-worked. Until they get more officers, I don't see the situation improving. As for me, next year I'll do it myself and save the money. (As well as the 2 trips to the agent's office.)

As far as 90-day reporting goes, It's never taken me more than 15 minutes.

[northernjohn]

Northernjohn, I'm retired too and have plenty of time but do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" as you do. For me they are unpleasant and tedious experiences I try to avoid. Why do you find other people's preferences so hard to understand? Available time has nothing to do with it.

I understand them perfectly. They prefer to use the mail or so some of them say. Sort back and you will find some of them talking about going in and doing their 90 day. I just don't like the attitude that some of them take about it. Like you are less than them if you waste time going in there.

Check back and see how many times they have come on with there I just mail it why do you waste time. I just got fed up with them and told it as I see it on a poster. He had one poster back him up no surprise there and one surprise.

Fair enough. I don't recall mentioning they were fun or interesting but I do recall saying I had met some interesting people there. Then again I am an outgoing type person. I know for a fact from reading post's that some have a fear of other people. If I did I sure as heck wouldn't go in there either.

Also they are just a part of a daily outing for the wife and I.

[evenstevens]

Northernjohn, I'm retired too and have plenty of time but do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" as you do. For me they are unpleasant and tedious experiences I try to avoid. Why do you find other people's preferences so hard to understand? Available time has nothing to do with it.

Also they are just a part of a daily outing for the wife and I.

gosh the sewer dept, part of a daily outing,..how exciting

[96tehtarp]

Northernjohn, I'm retired too and have plenty of time but do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" as you do. For me they are unpleasant and tedious experiences I try to avoid. Why do you find other people's preferences so hard to understand? Available time has nothing to do with it.

I'm too young to be retired - maybe in about 18 years... But going to Immigration ranks number 1 of the most unpleasant things in life in Thailand. I too, do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" and I also do 90-day reports by post; have for years now. I dread annual extensions even though I'm usually in and out in an hour. I have friends who are retired and most of them use a visa agent to handle the visits for them.

The 90 day reports are not really that bad. I usually hook them up with an excuse to head into the "big" city and spend some money.

The annual extensions are tedious. I always expect them to ask me to jump through some new hoops they just make up for the fun of it. The always do, and require an extra copy in the "proper" format of some never before required piece of useless paper .

Every time I experience this frustration I do remember also the frustration I had in my home country with the Ministry of Transport renewing a vehicle licence, or a parking permit, or drivers licence. They were the nastiest, rudest, most obnoxious, ugliest, miserable and inefficient evil meanies this planet has ever known. Thailand has nothing to compare to them.

Edited August 30, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[mania]

I am not too far from them on the scooter so I just start going a week or so ahead of due by date.

If I drive by & see a crowd outside I dont stop

Sometimes get it on the 1st try sometimes the 2nd or 3rd

Never had to do a 4th though.

It is amazing how crowded they are some days & yet the next quite calm

None outside & plenty of seats inside.

[Rimmer]

One flame has been reported and subsequently been removed

[Thailand]

In today at 1.20 pm left at 3.50 pm, 90 day report completed.

Did do 2 "retirement visas" as well.

And 2 re-entry permits.

[Mapguy]

Sounds about right, agrees with my experiences, but it seems others' mileage varies!

[LivinLOS]

OK went in today.. nearly 2pm for a 90 day report.. previously I have been in and out in 10 mins mid afternoon..

Queue number.. 640.. current queue 585..

I go away for nearly an hour.. come back just before 3... Number 603.. If they had taken an hour to do under 20 people I had a further 2 hour or so wait.. No time for that palaver..

Took the forms and just sent it for postal version..

[Myshkin]

LivinLOS, on 08 Sept 2014 - 18:11, said:

OK went in today.. nearly 2pm for a 90 day report.. previously I have been in and out in 10 mins mid afternoon..

Queue number.. 640.. current queue 585..

I go away for nearly an hour.. come back just before 3... Number 603.. If they had taken an hour to do under 20 people I had a further 2 hour or so wait.. No time for that palaver..

Took the forms and just sent it for postal version..

Similar experience, went in today at 2.35 pm for 90 days report, 2 previous reports were done within 10-20 minutes.

Got queue ticket 651, current queue was 598. During my first waiting hour they processed about 10 numbers with only 1 officer, then it got a little faster and reached nr. 645 at 5pm. After that, they called all remaining people to stand up and queue in front of the 90 days reporting office and they then processed about 15-20 people in 10 minutes with 3 officers.

Two and a half hours wasted on a beautiful sunny day, will try the mailing option next time.

[Tywais]

^^Same here. Parked at the airport and arrived at immigration at 3:00PM the time frame I always use and middle of the week. Last 90 day and all subsequent ones for ages there was usually either no one in the queue or just a couple of them. Picked up my queue number - 645 serving 610. It was moving very slow with some holdups for not having everything in order.

It's like someone flipped a switch and everybody decides to start reporting. I don't buy it being an influx of long term individuals either, it changed way too fast from a few minutes a few months ago and all prior 90 day reporting times I've done to scary queue numbers. I have to admit I left after 20-30 minutes for the hot walk back to the airport as I didn't have the time/patience today.

Never thought I would consider mail in but may be now.

[evenstevens]

^^Same here. Parked at the airport and arrived at immigration at 3:00PM the time frame I always use and middle of the week. Last 90 day and all subsequent ones for ages there was usually either no one in the queue or just a couple of them. Picked up my queue number - 645 serving 610. It was moving very slow with some holdups for not having everything in order.

It's like someone flipped a switch and everybody decides to start reporting. I don't buy it being an influx of long term individuals either, it changed way too fast from a few minutes a few months ago and all prior 90 day reporting times I've done to scary queue numbers. I have to admit I left after 20-30 minutes for the hot walk back to the airport as I didn't have the time/patience today.

Never thought I would consider mail in but may be now.

still tumbling in, like oranges

fellas do yourself a big favour get yourself a agent,

[Tywais]

^^Same here. Parked at the airport and arrived at immigration at 3:00PM the time frame I always use and middle of the week. Last 90 day and all subsequent ones for ages there was usually either no one in the queue or just a couple of them. Picked up my queue number - 645 serving 610. It was moving very slow with some holdups for not having everything in order.

It's like someone flipped a switch and everybody decides to start reporting. I don't buy it being an influx of long term individuals either, it changed way too fast from a few minutes a few months ago and all prior 90 day reporting times I've done to scary queue numbers. I have to admit I left after 20-30 minutes for the hot walk back to the airport as I didn't have the time/patience today.

Never thought I would consider mail in but may be now.

still tumbling in, like oranges

fellas do yourself a big favour get yourself a agent,

I did use one and it was great until I had to start making two trips and leave/pickup my passport. I just have issues with leaving my passport out of my possession for any amount of time.

[evenstevens]

^^Same here. Parked at the airport and arrived at immigration at 3:00PM the time frame I always use and middle of the week. Last 90 day and all subsequent ones for ages there was usually either no one in the queue or just a couple of them. Picked up my queue number - 645 serving 610. It was moving very slow with some holdups for not having everything in order.

It's like someone flipped a switch and everybody decides to start reporting. I don't buy it being an influx of long term individuals either, it changed way too fast from a few minutes a few months ago and all prior 90 day reporting times I've done to scary queue numbers. I have to admit I left after 20-30 minutes for the hot walk back to the airport as I didn't have the time/patience today.

Never thought I would consider mail in but may be now.

still tumbling in, like oranges

fellas do yourself a big favour get yourself a agent,

I did use one and it was great until I had to start making two trips and leave/pickup my passport. I just have issues with leaving my passport out of my possession for any amount of time.

i was under the same apprehension as u ,leaving my passport out my duke, until i met my super agent pom of o.s.visas. honestly cobber this outfit is outstanding for all visas related business

rate her as good as our cutie doc,skin clinic ram hospital,we both know how good she is, do it cobber

[masuk]

Northernjohn, I'm retired too and have plenty of time but do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" as you do. For me they are unpleasant and tedious experiences I try to avoid. Why do you find other people's preferences so hard to understand? Available time has nothing to do with it.

I'm too young to be retired - maybe in about 18 years... But going to Immigration ranks number 1 of the most unpleasant things in life in Thailand. I too, do not find Immigration visits "fun" or "interesting" and I also do 90-day reports by post; have for years now. I dread annual extensions even though I'm usually in and out in an hour. I have friends who are retired and most of them use a visa agent to handle the visits for them.

The 90 day reports are not really that bad. I usually hook them up with an excuse to head into the "big" city and spend some money.

The annual extensions are tedious. I always expect them to ask me to jump through some new hoops they just make up for the fun of it. The always do, and require an extra copy in the "proper" format of some never before required piece of useless paper .

Every time I experience this frustration I do remember also the frustration I had in my home country with the Ministry of Transport renewing a vehicle licence, or a parking permit, or drivers licence. They were the nastiest, rudest, most obnoxious, ugliest, miserable and inefficient evil meanies this planet has ever known. Thailand has nothing to compare to them.

You obviously have not been through Australian Quarantine and Customs. I always take great care not to bring back any foodstuffs or plant materials, but this last trip they decided to go through my Pharmacy pack, prescribed by my doctor here in Chiang Mai. All the chemical names were in English, but the common names in Thai. Oh dear! Next time I WILL take a copy of my prescription.

[Lancelot]

I did my last 90 Day Report in early August. Arrived around 2pm and got a que number, about 20 people ahead of me. The line didn't move for about 20 minutes, not one single number. Took me a bit over two hours.

I like Chiang Mai but the Immigration office is simply too small to service the number of aliens (Ha!) here. I've lived mostly in Thailand since 2003 but its time to hop on the big iron bird and seek new pastures. Maybe six months in the USA and six months in Mexico.

The tacos are calling me

[elektrified]

^^Same here. Parked at the airport and arrived at immigration at 3:00PM the time frame I always use and middle of the week. Last 90 day and all subsequent ones for ages there was usually either no one in the queue or just a couple of them. Picked up my queue number - 645 serving 610. It was moving very slow with some holdups for not having everything in order.

It's like someone flipped a switch and everybody decides to start reporting. I don't buy it being an influx of long term individuals either, it changed way too fast from a few minutes a few months ago and all prior 90 day reporting times I've done to scary queue numbers. I have to admit I left after 20-30 minutes for the hot walk back to the airport as I didn't have the time/patience today.

Never thought I would consider mail in but may be now.

still tumbling in, like oranges

fellas do yourself a big favour get yourself a agent,

No need to pay an agent. Pick yourself up some envelopes, stamps, photocopies, registered stickers....all the things most people have in their home office, and do it by post. Takes all of 5 minutes to put it all together and hand it to the postman or drop it at the post next time you go. Easy as can be and costs about 40 Baht or less in stamps.

Problem solved.

[Ulysses G.]

If you do it by make make sure that everything is done 100% correctly. They stopped before, because there were so many screw-ups.