CM Immigration queuing system!

[DavidOxon]

Morning all....

what's the current system for 'early'

queuing at CM Immigration?

I have to do my marriage extension and missed my online booking 'chink' (hardly a window)

Last time I was there at 5 am to get 1st position in 'the book'.... but what's the system now?

thanks

david

[DavidOxon]

Really? No one?

They used to have a book that you signed on arrival but I heard they did away with that, what's the process now?

What time do I need to get there to guarantee an appointment?

thanks

[Sparkles]

I think they have gone to a number card system with an 8am start handing them out.Might be best to give them a call.

having said that I am sure people are still waiting there as the sun comes up.

[worgeordie]

Its too late this time for you David, but everyone should invest in a wall

calender,a big one, and put it where you see it everyday and mark the

days off.

On this calender mark down future dates of renewing visa"s, date of

doing your 90 day reporting,and on returning from doing a report

write down the next date,only takes a couple of minutes,but could save

you hours of wasted time,and expense if you go over the 90 days.

For a few hundred baht its the best investment you will make.

regards worgeordie

[Sparkles]

Its too late this time for you David, but everyone should invest in a wall

calender,a big one, and put it where you see it everyday and mark the

days off.

On this calender mark down future dates of renewing visa"s, date of

doing your 90 day reporting,and on returning from doing a report

write down the next date,only takes a couple of minutes,but could save

you hours of wasted time,and expense if you go over the 90 days.

For a few hundred baht its the best investment you will make.

regards worgeordie

I do just that but don't spend a few hundred baht, we get a calendar from the Bangkok Bank every year.....for free !

You forgot wedding anniversary and birthdays even more important.

[DavidOxon]

I need to mark 100 or so days before my visa extension renewal date for online booking... HOWEVER the number of days before had that you can book would appear to be random. I tried at 100 days to find it full, and the next day (103 days) and the next (104 days) - it was a Friday.... 90 days is never a problem, always in and out in less than half an hour....

[FredLee]

Its too late this time for you David, but everyone should invest in a wall

calender,a big one, and put it where you see it everyday and mark the

days off.

On this calender mark down future dates of renewing visa"s, date of

doing your 90 day reporting,and on returning from doing a report

write down the next date,only takes a couple of minutes,but could save

you hours of wasted time,and expense if you go over the 90 days.

For a few hundred baht its the best investment you will make.

regards worgeordie

Or better yet, use the calendar on your computer. Most have them. Mine even allows me to set alerts, so I get a nice pop-up window with the notification.

[DavidOxon]

Ok.... went this morning and now know the system....

Thanks for all your help guys, I too will keep it a secret

David

[uptheos]

Its too late this time for you David, but everyone should invest in a wall

calender,a big one, and put it where you see it everyday and mark the

days off.

On this calender mark down future dates of renewing visa"s, date of

doing your 90 day reporting,and on returning from doing a report

write down the next date,only takes a couple of minutes,but could save

you hours of wasted time,and expense if you go over the 90 days.

For a few hundred baht its the best investment you will make.

regards worgeordie

Or better yet, use the calendar on your computer. Most have them. Mine even allows me to set alerts, so I get a nice pop-up window with the notification.

I do too, but a lot of people don't have computers so for them a calendar works best.

[jaideeguy]

most, if not all cell phones now have calendars and will alert you...............if you program them right.

That on line queue system is always booked and I won't get up at 5 or 6AM to stand in line for a queue card. Looks like I'll bite the bullet and go with assistthaivisa @ 5,000thb

[worgeordie]

A paper calender does not need rebooting,does not crash or even get a virus,

sometimes the old ways are the best,have mine beside the breakfast table ,on

the wall, so a quick glance is all i need to see if anything important to do that day,

month, never miss a 90 day report,or failed to book a date for extension.

regards worgeordie

[Petey]

I went to Immigration today for a marriage extension, after being unable to book an appointment online. Got there at 6 :45 and there were about 30 people ahead of me. At 7:00 they handed out queue cards, I was #13 for marriage extensions and was told to come back at 13:00. My number came up at 13:30 and the interview took 30 minutes. Another hour waiting for my passport and receipt. For what it's worth....

[Sparkles]

The queue system seems to be gradually being overloaded to a point where its life span is winding down ,a bit like the bar code system, maybe its agents booking multiple spots or just too many newcomers.

The answer is simple of course bigger premises ,more staff.For Thailand's second biggest city it really is a joke and the excuse of no funding available like wise.

A month ago ,enquiring for a friend ,I was advised cards would be handed out at 8 am and a sign confirmed that,now its 7am. Next month who knows ?

[uptheos]

The queue system seems to be gradually being overloaded to a point where its life span is winding down ,a bit like the bar code system, maybe its agents booking multiple spots or just too many newcomers.

The answer is simple of course bigger premises ,more staff.For Thailand's second biggest city it really is a joke and the excuse of no funding available like wise.

A month ago ,enquiring for a friend ,I was advised cards would be handed out at 8 am and a sign confirmed that,now its 7am. Next month who knows ?

I agree and with the ever increasing number of foreigners living here, they should consider about 3 centres spread out to different locations. That one little place just isn't big enough to serve everyone.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Ok.... went this morning and now know the system....

Thanks for all your help guys, I too will keep it a secret

David

That sounds defeatist to me.

[WhiteCadillac]

How long does it take to make a residency paper for drivers license at the Immigration? Can I just walk in during the day?

[catmac]

The main problem with the online queue system is that it has just some 10 slots for the scores of us needing to renew our extensions each day. Last time I used it, by 2 am 100 days ahead there were just 2 slots still free, I grabbed one and by the time I'd finished the other slot had gone.

It shouldn't be too difficult to have a different set of slots available for each of the different extention catagories, giving 10 slots for retirement, 10 for marraige, and so on. If people had to click on the relevent catagory to start with, it would also weed out those using the system for 90 day reports, etc.

Of course, the underlying problem, as we all know, is that the office is just too small to cope, and the proceedures are excessively tedious and time consuming.

[Sparkles]

How long does it take to make a residency paper for drivers license at the Immigration? Can I just walk in during the day?

There is now a specific office for "residency letters" at the back of the main office.(More like a broom cupboard actually) but you can submit paperwork there and pick up the letter 7 days later.

Photo is required ,you should be able to download form if you don't have one.

[Awk]

Ok.... went this morning and now know the system....

Thanks for all your help guys, I too will keep it a secret

David

Thanks for sharing. That's the kind of posts that make this forum helpful.

Went there recently myself. The system appears to be as such:

1) Arrive before 07:30 and get in line I was there a little before 07, and there were about 25 people ahead of me in line. At this point, immigration is closed, but everyone was queueing politely.

2) At around 07:30, immigration doors open, ticket numbers are handed out to those in line, and you go inside.

3) At around 08:00, the immigration counters are manned, and they call out the number of each ticket. When your ticket is called, you go

to the counter, hand in your ticket number, show your passport, state your business, and get a new ticket number for that particular business.

4) You then wait for your new ticket number to be called, which is when your business will be dealt with.

You can of course arrive much later than 07:30 also, and take the chance that not all tickets for <your business> have been handed out, which most people do. I suspect lining up early is mostly for those doing something that takes a long time (e.g. one year extensions) with limited tickets available. Not for 90-day reports and the like.

[northernjohn]

The queue system seems to be gradually being overloaded to a point where its life span is winding down ,a bit like the bar code system, maybe its agents booking multiple spots or just too many newcomers.

The answer is simple of course bigger premises ,more staff.For Thailand's second biggest city it really is a joke and the excuse of no funding available like wise.

A month ago ,enquiring for a friend ,I was advised cards would be handed out at 8 am and a sign confirmed that,now its 7am. Next month who knows ?

I agree and with the ever increasing number of foreigners living here, they should consider about 3 centres spread out to different locations. That one little place just isn't big enough to serve everyone.

As it is they have the funding for 14 more staff. Just no room for them. Also Bangkok does the hiring and they are in no hurry for it. It is my understanding that they have one officer for marriage two for permission to remain and one for the appointments. What that one does when the 10 appointments are over I have no idea.

I think when people talk about the extensions here they tend to bunch them all together. Not the fact how ever as there is the ones for marriage who are in a different line. I believe that on an average day they figure 20 to 25 for the permission to stay in the morning and the same for the afternoon.. I see where one marriage was 13 and had to wait until 1:30 in the afternoon. I know that Monday's Fridays and holiday eve's and the days after them are not the best time to go. But is there a part of the year where there seems to be less extensions? Mine is early October and I have always got in before noon with only one exception.

One other thing I had heard was that when the door opens to hand out numbers there is quite a bit of pushing and shoving as late comers try to be the first in line.