How many hours at Immigration without appointment

[MrBrad]

I'm due to renew my annual retirement extension next month, and I see that all appointment times on the Immigration website are booked for the next 3 months or more.

Can anyone give an expected wait time if one shows up at Immigration without an appointment? What time of the day may be the best to arrive and get this accomplished in one visit there? Thanks.

[Tywais]

Recent reports indicate arriving before 7:00AM but of course lots of variables. Probably best between Tuesday and Thursday as holiday and weekend shoulder days are probably busier.

[daoyai]

Did mine 2 weeks ago, arrived 7:30, got pre-q # then Q# @ 8:AM ...told to return in afternoon, My # came up at about 2pm, pp returned @ 3:30...

[taotoo]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Tourist visa extension about 3 hours a few weeks ago.

[Thailand]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

Who would " my people" be?

[Awk]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

Who would " my people" be?

Jeeves, of course.

[MrBrad]

Thanks for the helpful answers.

[NancyL]

Different queue for doing tourist extensions vs. retirement extensions. Did retirement extension two weeks ago on a Wednesday. Arrived at 6:15, got in line by the door, joined the scrum when they opened the door at 7 am to hand out the pre-queue numbers. Saw the immigration officer by 9:30, out by 10:15 am.

A friend came at 6:45 am, joined the line which snaked way into the parking lot by that time and lot one of the last numbers for the day for a retirement extension. She was told to come back about 2 pm once she finally cleared the prequeue process about 9 am.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend arriving after 6:30 if you want to get a retirement extension. Once they hand out all the numbers for the day, they don't hand out numbers for the next day.

Or if you can spare 5000-7000 baht, have a visa agent do it for you. They'll tell you to show up at immigration at a specific time.

Edited March 24, 2014 by NancyL

[taotoo]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

Who would " my people" be?

An accountancy/visa firm of your choice.

[gmac]

Are there really that many more retires in Chiangmai Mail than Pattaya, or is the immigration office totally inefficient? Last 2/3 years in Pattaya it's been almost instant service, maybe a queue of 1or 2 and come back in an hour to collect the passport containing the bright shiny new extension.

[wales01]

Made a wrong booking on the 8 April. Might need to cancel it, will check with immigration if it can be used with different name

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[paulbrun]

Phuket is also very efficient, and straightforward. The expat 'helpers' tell you exactly what you need, and help you fill out the forms, and then you get a number. It still takes a couple of hours, but it's quite civilised, compared to up here. I needed a re-entry the other day, and it took about 2 hours.

[elektrified]

I thinks it's really just hit or miss. There is no formula. Only last year I could not get an on-line appointment for my June extension. I expected the worst and brought a good book. I got there later than I had hoped (mornings are difficult for me). I think it was about 7:45 and either a Tuesday or a Thursday when I got there and got my queue card. There was a lot of confusion when the doors opened and I just headed straight up the middle to the counter. There were maybe 5 people ahead of me while others were frantically pushing and shoving, not really sure where to go or what to do. I got the 2nd queue card and after the national anthem I sat down expecting I'd be there for some time. By about 9:45 they called my queue and I was told to go to the back desk to see the same officer who has done my extension each year for the past 6 or 7 years. He never says a single word to me - ever. After finishing my business with him I only had to wait about another 30 minutes to get my passport back. So basically I was there for about 2 hours and 45 minutes total. I was on my way by 10:30.

Who knows, had I gone the next day I might have been there all day. I guess it was just a matter of luck.

[NancyL]

About six months ago arrival at 7:30 for a retirement extension seemed to work OK -- not now. You'd think that "high" season would be cooling off, but when I was there two weeks ago, the pre-queue line was teeming with Chinese. Hadn't seen so many Chinese before. I wouldn't have thought they're getting retirement extensions, but somehow the wait has gotten longer for us old folks, too.

Never having been to Immigration in Phuket or Pattaya can't comment on whether it's the high number of customers in Chiang Mai or the inefficiency of the staff compared to those in Phuket and Pattaya. I do recall going to a public presentation several years ago by a head honcho from CM Immigration and he said that the CM office was the smallest in Thailand on the basis of customers served -- in other words, they served the greatest number of customers per square meter of office space of any office in Thailand. The next busiest office wasn't even close. That should tell you something.

Edited March 25, 2014 by NancyL

[MickeyMaow]

How about a tourist visa extension? Would that take long get?

[true blue]

Are there really that many more retires in Chiangmai Mail than Pattaya, or is the immigration office totally inefficient? Last 2/3 years in Pattaya it's been almost instant service, maybe a queue of 1or 2 and come back in an hour to collect the passport containing the bright shiny new extension.

just a thought do you have to do your extension of stay at the place(city)you live in or can you do it at any imm office in thailand

[gmac]

Are there really that many more retires in Chiangmai Mail than Pattaya, or is the immigration office totally inefficient? Last 2/3 years in Pattaya it's been almost instant service, maybe a queue of 1or 2 and come back in an hour to collect the passport containing the bright shiny new extension.

just a thought do you have to do your extension of stay at the place(city)you live in or can you do it at any imm office in thailand

Pretty sure you have to do it in the province where you live.

[Thailand]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

Who would " my people" be?

An accountancy/visa firm of your choice.

Waste of money. Plan it properly and it's relatively painless.

[northernjohn]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

Who would " my people" be?

An accountancy/visa firm of your choice.

Waste of money. Plan it properly and it's relatively painless.

How do you plan it properly when there is only 10 available appointments and 25 people planning properly?

[taotoo]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

Who would " my people" be?

An accountancy/visa firm of your choice.

Waste of money. Plan it properly and it's relatively painless.

I suppose it depends on how you value your time. And whether you mind early mornings or not.

My guys ask me to arrive at 8.30am. I tell them I'll be there at one. I go along, park in the always-available parking space, sit down at a table and sign some paperwork. At 1.10pm I'm led through the hoards of waity people, spend 10 minutes with the immigration officer, then leave, again passing the waity people on my way out.

Of course some people prefer to 'plan' arriving at 7am, queuing for two hours, then being told to return in the afternoon. You could do it that way I suppose.

[MrBrad]

Made a wrong booking on the 8 April. Might need to cancel it, will check with immigration if it can be used with different name

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

April 6 is my due date. Thanks just the same.

[NancyL]

To answer a few questions -- you have to go to the Immigration office where you live. For example -- they often ask Hubby for proof of address when he does his extension because they aren't used to seeing his face around the office -- I do his 90 day reports for him. (although I don't know why anyone in his right mind would use the CM office when he lived in another province)

Tourist extensions use a different "desk" than retirement and marriage extensions -- they have more queue numbers available each day and you can arrive later in the day and be assured of getting your tourist extension. Still, I wouldn't come after 9 am to get a tourist extension, but I must admit I don't pay much attention to the tourist extension counter, except to marvel at how they sail thru the queue numbers. Why can't they process retirement extensions that quickly?

About the on-line queue system -- you really have to be organized to snare an appointment. You can apply for an extension 30 days before expiration. So, get out a calendar and count 130 days ahead of the expiration of your extension. Note the date and start to go on-line four or five times daily on that day until you find an open slot. It may take 4 - 5 day, but eventually you'll find an open appointment. I've done this for a couple years and been able to get appointments. This system has never failed. Those who say they can't get appointments aren't starting to look 130 days ahead of their extension expiration.

Edited March 26, 2014 by NancyL

[sustento]

Have your people wait on your behalf, like any rational person does.

[taotoo]

[uptheos]

Made a wrong booking on the 8 April. Might need to cancel it, will check with immigration if it can be used with different name

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

April 6 is my due date. Thanks just the same.

You don't have to wait until April 6th, you can do it up to 30 days prior and it still will run from April 6th.

[northernjohn]

Made a wrong booking on the 8 April. Might need to cancel it, will check with immigration if it can be used with different name

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

April 6 is my due date. Thanks just the same.

You don't have to wait until April 6th, you can do it up to 30 days prior and it still will run from April 6th.

Or he can doo it on April 8 and pay a 2,000 baht fine.

Cheaper than the people paying 5,000 baht to have some one else do the paper work and make the time arrangement that they have to come in at.

[uptheos]

Made a wrong booking on the 8 April. Might need to cancel it, will check with immigration if it can be used with different name

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

April 6 is my due date. Thanks just the same.

You don't have to wait until April 6th, you can do it up to 30 days prior and it still will run from April 6th.

Or he can doo it on April 8 and pay a 2,000 baht fine.

Cheaper than the people paying 5,000 baht to have some one else do the paper work and make the time arrangement that they have to come in at.

I wouldn't pay for an annual extension, buy hey it's their money and if they are willing to pay and it lessens their stress, why not?

[northernjohn]

April 6 is my due date. Thanks just the same.

You don't have to wait until April 6th, you can do it up to 30 days prior and it still will run from April 6th.

Or he can doo it on April 8 and pay a 2,000 baht fine.

Cheaper than the people paying 5,000 baht to have some one else do the paper work and make the time arrangement that they have to come in at.

I wouldn't pay for an annual extension, buy hey it's their money and if they are willing to pay and it lessens their stress, why not?

Well I am not that infirm yet and would not pay it either.

I was just showing him he did have a choice. It is a 1,000 baht a day fine.

[MrBrad]

Just to follow up:

Without an appointment or having another person or agency do the waiting for me I got my one-year extension this morning.

I was up at 5:15, and arrived at Immigration a couple minutes after 6. Already there were 8-10 people there, quietly sitting in place, waiting outside the door. Position yourself as close to the door as possible, because there's a mad rush when the door opens. Also be aware that the mosquitoes in the area can be vicious; be sure to have some repellant.

At about 7 the door opened and everyone was given a large, laminated queue number as they entered. I got #8.

Now that I was inside, it was time to wait some more, but, having gotten this far, it seemed like things were progressing well. At about 7:30 they began calling numbers in order to "triage" those waiting. This process involved showing your passport and explaining what service was needed today. The clerk then assigned a new number indicating the desk and number at that desk. Mine was #202, i.e., desk 200, customer #2. Looking good.

At 8:30 the work day began. Queue numbers lighted up over the desks, and business was underway. My number was called at about 8:50. Papers were checked, a couple of my signatures were required, payment was made, and I was told to return to the waiting area until my name was called.

And finally at around 9:15 my passport containing the new one-year extension was back in my hands, and I was on my way to breakfast.

Show up early, though, to make sure you can pull it off in one day and with the least amount of hassle. Having to endure the slight inconvenience of getting there early was not as bad as I had anticipated. And for the 5,000 baht saved by doing it myself rather than employing an agent, I figure I can enjoy quite a few good breakfasts during the coming year.