Immigration services at Cheang Wattana now suspended

[jayceenik]

Who is going to be the first one to report a successful visit to the re-opened CW ?

I'm not due there until October ...

[siamtwin]

Jay, you can always go before your due date just to stop in and say hello to the immigration officers.

[Dave8237]

Have just hear this correctly, on the one and only TV broadcast, that Cheangwattana is to reopen on the 2nd June 2014??

Hope so as I collect my 2nd extension ( Thai wife ) on the 9th June, so don't have to go back to Lad Phrao

[Mario2008]

No announcement yet on the immigration website, but would not surprise me if they would indeed open then, after having cleaned the building and getting reorganized again.

[KhunBENQ]

Well there is message from the National News Bureau promising Monday, 2nd of June:

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNPOL5705230010019

I assume it would iclude immigration offices.

Ambitious, stay tuned.

Edited May 24, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[jayceenik]

Well there is message from the National News Bureau promising Monday, 2nd of June:

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNPOL5705230010019

I assume it would iclude immigration offices.

Ambitious, stay tuned.

The Dpt of Consular Affairs is not our Immigration Offices and is a bit further down CW from where we have to go.

But, yes, I'd expect (hope !!) the Govt Center and its Immigration Offices to reopen at about the same time.

[siamtwin]

The imminent reopening of CW immigration is so thrilling that I can barely contain my excitement!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[KhunBENQ]

The imminent reopening of CW immigration is so thrilling that I can barely contain my excitement!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Silly and short sighted comment!

My wife's pasport needs to be renewed and thousands of Thais and foreigners had to suffer from the sabotage that has taken place in this country organized by a a so called "monk".

As soon as the situation normalizes we will be at the passport office.

Edited May 24, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[jayceenik]

The imminent reopening of CW immigration is so thrilling that I can barely contain my excitement!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Silly and short sighted comment!

My wife's pasport needs to be renewed and thousands of Thais and foreigners had to suffer from the sabotage that has taken place in this country organized by a a so called "monk".

As soon as the situation normalizes we will be at the passport office.

The reopening of the CW govt complex is indeed major news for Thailand particularly for the Thais who, like us all, need passports to travel for pleasure, business, work and the monk's occupation of the CW complex was a major disruption for the Thais who had to get one.

The resourceful Thais dispersed the CW Dpt of Consular Affairs personnel (which obligatorily checks streaming online all passport applications) but there was a net limitation on Thai passports that could be issued in the Kingdom during that monk's half-year camping blockade.

TGF works at the Pattaya Avenue Passport Office and expects that starting on 2 June everybody will work hard OT to fill the pent up demand.

And personally I'm glad I'll again be able to go to familiar CW Immigration Office when need be.

[Cuchulainn]

Once CW reopens, will Lad Prao and Major Hollywood still be open for immigration services? When I did my 90 days a few weeks ago, LP said you could still do your 90 days there when CW reopens, but I didn't ask about 'bigger' services like extensions.

[ubonjoe]

The only thing you will be able to do at the those offices is 90 day reports after CW reopens.

[MadMac]

Will be in BKK next week. Planning to go to Rat Burana (MH). Hope that will still be open for Extension. Pretty messy in the moment. So if I submit my application there they may send me to Chaeng Wattana for collection?

[Mario2008]

Might, there is no announcement yet as to when immigration will resume at CW-road. It will take a few days to organize things at CW-road before reopening.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just curious... has anyone heard anything about what's happened to people who had their marriage or retirement extension bank deposits held at any of the bank branches in the basement of CW, and then had their annual renewal come up during the time CW has been closed?

I always had the understanding that the Immigration bank letters are supposed to be issued just by the particular branch where one's account/deposit is held. But I'd presume, during these many months of closure at CW, that some other kind of arrangements had to be made. However, I don't think I've ever seen any mention here of what!

[MadMac]

No, any branch can do it. I think only a few people use a branch in the CW immigration, it's just completely inconvenient

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Actually, I had the opposite impression.

I've heard from quite a few members here who said they've placed their deposits at the various bank branches in the basement of CW because 1) the bank staff there are VERY familiar with quickly cranking out the Immigration letters in correct form, and 2) it's very convenient for getting the letter issued on the same day as one's Immigration visit, simply by stopping by the bank branch for a few minutes just before going upstairs to Immigration.

I didn't mean people here use the branches at CW for their general Thai banking needs -- just that they keep their deposit accounts to satisfy Immigration there.

[MadMac]

I can only tell from my personal experience, I have one SCB account I use for the visa stuff, which is based in Siam Paragon. No problem to walk down to the SCB branch in CW and get the letter for 200B. May be that different banks handle that differently though.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

From my checking on this in recent days...

The BKK Bank Branch in the basement of Siam Paragon has a foreign remittance desk separate from the tellers where the staff speak good English. In chatting with them the other day, they said they regularly handle Immigration letters. Said bring in their completed bank request form before 3 pm one day, and pick up the letter the next day after they open, which is later because they're a mall branch, I believe 10 am or so. They said the fee is 100 baht.

Went to the Standard Chartered branch in Central World. They used to have some English speaking staff there, but apparently no longer do. So my Thai wife ended up translating with the Thai CSR/new accounts officer we spoke with there. She seemed pretty unfamiliar with Immigration letters. And after checking with some back office staff, she returned to tell us that they could issue the Immigration letter, but it would take them 5 business days from submitting the request because, she claimed, the requests and resulting letters are routed/issued through Standard Chartered's Sathorn HQ branch. Fee was going to be 200 baht.

Regarding the Siam Commercial branch at Siam Paragon, my own experience with them, and the experience others have related to me, is that they're unwilling to open new accounts for farangs who do not have work permits (which presumably is going to account for most retirement extension folks). I ran into that a couple years ago with the SCB branch there, and ended up opening a new account instead at another SCB branch elsewhere. Friends more recently have related having the same experience with the SCB Paragon branch in terms of them requiring work permits for new accounts. But they do seem to do OK with English at their Paragon branch.

[thamteak]

The imminent reopening of CW immigration is so thrilling that I can barely contain my excitement!

Well I would certainly be happy.

I want to get a Cert. of Residence for a driving license and I am as ure as h3ll aren't going down to the Lad Phrao 4th Dimension office to get it.

Sooner I can get it at CW the better.

[MadMac]

This will become some headache, I can feel it. There appears to be no SCB branch nearby Major Hollywood. Just tried Streetview, however they have a UOB sign in front of the mall...

Will be going there on Tuesday, waiting for some days will not be an option, no time for this. Either have to drop by some other SCB branch or UOB. Anyone with experience for the bank letter for Rat Burana Immi?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Dunno about SCB branches' willingness to do Immi letters on the fly for people who hold accounts at other branches.

But.. it looks like there's one potential branch location before crossing over the bridge in the Rama III area.

And another branch not too far from MH on the other side of the river.

So says Google Maps, but you might also call SCB customer service ahead of time to confirm the branch locations and that they're still open there. SCB Easy Call Center, 02 777 7777.

Edited May 25, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[MadMac]

Thanks, I shall report back after Tuesday. Wouldn't be fun if too easy

[Jackie66]

I need to do my photocopies and picture taken can I do that at Major Hollywood before they open at 10:30?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Plenty of small photocopy shops inside, and I believe photo capability as well -- right in the same corridor across from Immigration.

I don't know exactly what time they open in the morning, but I'd bet it's somewhat earlier that Immigration.

[Cuchulainn]

Actually, I had the opposite impression.

I've heard from quite a few members here who said they've placed their deposits at the various bank branches in the basement of CW because 1) the bank staff there are VERY familiar with quickly cranking out the Immigration letters in correct form, and 2) it's very convenient for getting the letter issued on the same day as one's Immigration visit, simply by stopping by the bank branch for a few minutes just before going upstairs to Immigration.

I didn't mean people here use the branches at CW for their general Thai banking needs -- just that they keep their deposit accounts to satisfy Immigration there.

===================================================================================================

I can confirm that if you bank with Kasikorn bank, the branch nearly opposite Imperial World Lad Prao (cnr Lad Prao 90) will issue a certified bank letter ON THE SPOT. My K branch is also under Immigration at CW but was told that you can get it done at any main (not sub) branch on the day of application.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Cuchulainn

[MadMac]

Just a short update for SCB. I was this morning at the branch in Pracha Uthit. That's the closest to the Major Hollywood Immi.

Contrary to my fears it took them only 10 mins to figure out what I wanted. Luckily someone else asked for the same letter earlier and they found it after short search. Was then easy to use the template.

As a general recommendation, if you go to other bank branches, bring a copy of the bank letter to show them, what is meant. If they see it suddenly all problems disappear . 200B, 10 mins.

The Major Hollywood Immi then was a pretty positive experience. Of course we were too early as nobody expected them to start working so late (10:30). But they handled everything quite pragmatic, started 9:45 already and I was through with the new extension application and the 90 days after 90 mins.

Also they officially confirmed that Chaeng Wattana will open again on 2nd of June and the staff will move back to their main office.

Edited May 27, 2014 by MadMac

[ubonjoe]

Immigration At Chaeng Wattana Opening On June 2nd

No need for this topic now.