First Time at CM Immigration Process for ED Visa Extension

[kevindorian]

Hello all,

I just wanted to touch base to see if this all sounds correct

1. My first 3 months is almost up after getting a new ED Visa in Laos

2. My understanding is I have to go to CM Immigration and do two things

a. Extend my ED visa for another 3 months at the ED Visa Counter would be my first step

b. Then I need to go into another queue after that and do my 90 day reporting at another counter

A two step process correct? In Chon Buri where I did my last ED Visa I only had to go to one desk but I been told it is a two step process here in Chiang Mai

Any help on what I might expect at this office for a first timer?

a. I been told I should go super early to line up in the queue

b. Anything else I should be aware of, do I need to dress up, where a nice shirt or something

c. Any tips people can give me ??

d. has anyone done it recently?

e. is it still 1900 Baht? who gets the 1900 baht the ED Visa Counter?

Thanks all

[Dante99]

There is a Sikh guard at the door with a 12 gauge, give him the 1,900 Baht. Be sure not to shave, comb your hair or take a bath and wear old dirty clothes, it is the latest Thai style and stylish folks get respect and fast service.

You got everything else correct.

[kevindorian]

There is a Sikh guard at the door with a 12 gauge, give him the 1,900 Baht. Be sure not to shave, comb your hair or take a bath and wear old dirty clothes, it is the latest Thai style and stylish folks get respect and fast service.

You got everything else correct.

this work?

[naboo]

When I was there a few weeks back, I noticed a huge number of Ed Visa applicants, well, maybe 5, in discussions at the front counter at 8am. Spoke to one in the coffee shop, he said all were asked for more paperwork and to try again tomorrow. Either the language schools are not getting stuff together correctly or immigration are being difficult. Both equally likely.

[Robert24]

My experience:

1) go on a Monday if you can, usually less people

2) arrive early, around 6am

3) no problem with papers from my school.

4) no need to do seperate 90 day reporting. Only a one step process. Only additional step was to take a digital photo. (Not sure why, they took one 3 months ago already but seems to be the procedure).

take it easy, in any case you will wait a long time to get your extension done.

[krey]

My experience:

1) go on a Monday if you can, usually less people

2) arrive early, around 6am

3) no problem with papers from my school.

4) no need to do seperate 90 day reporting. Only a one step process. Only additional step was to take a digital photo. (Not sure why, they took one 3 months ago already but seems to be the procedure).

take it easy, in any case you will wait a long time to get your extension done.

digital photo at immigration or bring one with you

odd u say one step process as two of my classmates said they had to do two, when then did it last month.. guess i will find out:)

[Roda07]

Hello Guys

Meaning you can report at Immigration for the extension?.Is CM immigration is strict on extension for ED visa?

Thanks

[Robert24]

My experience:

1) go on a Monday if you can, usually less people

2) arrive early, around 6am

3) no problem with papers from my school.

4) no need to do seperate 90 day reporting. Only a one step process. Only additional step was to take a digital photo. (Not sure why, they took one 3 months ago already but seems to be the procedure).

take it easy, in any case you will wait a long time to get your extension done.

digital photo at immigration or bring one with you

odd u say one step process as two of my classmates said they had to do two, when then did it last month.. guess i will find out:)

In my case the school prepared all the papers including my passport photos. But in addition to those passport photos, immigration makes a digital photo themselves for their records. And they do it every 3 months.

So basically in the morning you get a queue number, then when your queue number is up you go inside to the immigration officer, he will check your passport, the school's papers, asks you whether you want multiple or single entry, you pay him the money and that's it. You go out again wait for being called for the digital photo taking and then wait again for your passport to be handed over. That's it. This whole process may take many hours depending on your queue number.

hope this helps. So far immigration officers have been very polite with me here in Chiang Mai, no issue at all.

[Roda07]

Thanks for the info Robert.Last question which counter your going to line up if you want to extend your ED visa?

Thanks

[Robert24]

Hello Guys

Meaning you can report at Immigration for the extension?.Is CM immigration is strict on extension for ED visa?

Thanks

yes to my knowledge only the immigration department of the government can approve an extension of stay for foreigners. Where else would you want to go?

I cannot answer your second question as I have no data/experience with other provinces. But from my limited experience in Chiang Mai, officers have been polite and I had no issues with the extensions for me.

[Robert24]

Thanks for the info Robert.Last question which counter your going to line up if you want to extend your ED visa?

Thanks

So when you arrive at 6am outside the immigration office, there are different lines. 1 for 90 day reporting, 1 for ED visas, 1 for tourist visas, 1 for retirements etc. Queue up for the ED visa. At around 7am you will then get a queue number. Then you can go inside the building. When your queue number is up, an officer will check your papers, just making sure your documents are complete (around 7:30am) and then you get the real queue number. The officer then will tell you whether the queue number is in the morning or afternoon. If it's afternoon then you can leave and come back at 1pm. If it's morning, I suggest you want to wait there until your queue number is up.

hope this helps. Don't worry so much and just bring a tablet/book to keep you busy while waiting. Either way you will wait a long time...

[charliebadenhop]

My new passport should arrive in about a week's time.

My current passport has my Ed visa in it.

When I get my new passport, can I get my Ed visa transferred to the new passport, or will I need to carry around two passports for a while?

IF I can get the visa entered into my new passport, will that require a separate line to stand in, or do I stand in the same Ed visa line?

TIA,

Charlie

[krey]

My new passport should arrive in about a week's time.

My current passport has my Ed visa in it.

When I get my new passport, can I get my Ed visa transferred to the new passport, or will I need to carry around two passports for a while?

IF I can get the visa entered into my new passport, will that require a separate line to stand in, or do I stand in the same Ed visa line?

TIA,

Charlie

I know for me a Canadian, they would not transfer visa from one passport to the other and yes I had to carry around two passports for a while

[charliebadenhop]

Thanks Kray.

[krey]

Thanks Kray.

i am not sure

today when my friend was in immigration

on the TELEVISIOn it stated a section to transfer visa from old to new passport

so perhaps they do it here, best bet is to ask, i just know they would not do it in Canada for me

but maybe here they will?

[Mapguy]

Best wishes to OP on getting an education visa or extension of stay --- if his purpose is legitimate. It could well be that more paperwork, et cetera is and will be required in the future by the Department of Immigration.

The reason for Immigration Department concern is the gross misuse of this kind of visa by foreigners to extend stays in Thailand beyond the intent of the law, meaning people who really have no genuine educational goal but simply wish an extended stay in Thailand with the least amount of hassle because of their personal reasons.

There has been a proliferation over the years of schools teaching Thai which are basically visa and extension-of-stay mills. They undermine the purpose of this visa (which is not an unusual aspect of immigration policy in a number of countries). In Thailand, some mills are very well advertised. They do not claim how fine their instruction is; just that the school will get a student a visa (and subsequent extensions of stay). Some are more clever at hiding how the game in played than others. You will have to shop around, if that is the sort of dodge or personal goal of a educational visa that you might have.

From time to time this situation comes up on the internet and in forums like this one. Some queries have been blatant attempts to circumvent Thai law.. Queries used to be thinly-disguised to find the "visa mills," those schools who don't care if a student is really studying or not. Such efforts on TV Chiang Mai seem to have diminished in the past several months, but the educational visa seeker jungle telegraph probably still functions somewhere.

If a person wants to live in Thailand, it should be reasonable to expect people to accept the laws and regulations of the place. If you don't agree, leave. Too often, unfortunately, self-interest seems to be paramount.

(Now, for some silly responses claiming how much expats add to the economy --- and other miscelaneous rationalizations!)

[Hisseho]

My experience:

1) go on a Monday if you can, usually less people

2) arrive early, around 6am

3) no problem with papers from my school.

4) no need to do seperate 90 day reporting. Only a one step process. Only additional step was to take a digital photo. (Not sure why, they took one 3 months ago already but seems to be the procedure).

take it easy, in any case you will wait a long time to get your extension done.

Everywhere, in every city and in every country on Monday is the worst day for paperwork. In Chiang Mai also 2 times more is expected on Monday.

On all forums is also recommended to come early, sometimes hours before opening. Second error, go to 15h and your waiting time will be much shorter.

[krey]

Went on Monday

1. Was number 20 in line at 5am in the morning

2. There was three lines

3. They had cards to read above each line to tell you where to go

4. You could not read the card on Queue three as they place it above a florescent light, could read it until the sunlight came out

Ended up being denied for extension that day cause of a missing document

Went back on Wednesday at 4am hoping to get a better position in the queue

1. Got there lots of Koreans beat me to it

2. Ended up being 20 in the queue again

3. Same issue with the card on the florescent light but i knew where I was going

4. This time however when they started giving out the queue numbers it was way more unorganized, people from the back of the line

started rushing up to the front and trying to listen and a few of them butted ahead of me, 3 guys got a head of me,

2 of the guys had got there at 7am and one at 630am manage to get in front of me farther up the line

5. I didnt cause a fuss but was cranky and saw one of the guys inside told him he was a jackass, he said it was his second time this week

and i said yeah well it was mine too, you should have went back to your position, thanks to those 3 losers I got out of immigration at 1230 instead of 1130, i know its only an hour

but when you are there at 4am an extra hour is a long time.

6. be nice if they had a camera to catch guys doing that and put them back to the end of the line, its more the principal for me, I know if I was in the same position i would have gone back to my position, its just my nature

to respect others, but I guess some people are just naturally line queue scumbags

anyway got the extension, its a bit of a zoo up here for immigration, the staff is nice, seem hard working, but the system seems to be out of wack

Edited November 5, 2014 by krey

[Robert24]

Thanks for.the update Krey. Just out of interest, what document were you missing on Monday? Is it something the school should have provided?

[krey]

an official Cancellation letter as needed from my old school was needed, even though I already had a new visa issued in Laos, they wanted to see it, still dont quite understand it

nor can I get a logical answer, but I got it and that was it

[Roda07]

wow!thanks Krey.My friend just enroll here in CM.And the school principal told her to bring the cancellation letter upon doing the extension.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[krey]

wow!thanks Krey.My friend just enroll here in CM.And the school principal told her to bring the cancellation letter upon doing the extension.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

no problem avoiding another day of queues I do not wish upon anyone

[kevindorian]

I documented the experience

http://learnthaireviews.com/first-extension-process-chiang-mai-immigration/