all dates are reserved on CM immigration website

[tyznd]

I wanted to make an appointment online to extend my retirement visa next February but found there was not one single time slot available in February. In fact, It looks like every single day going forward shows everything is already reserved. Anyone been able to make an appointment recently or is there a problem somewhere?

[Mario2008]

It seems to be the normal situation that a slot is filled as soon as it is available.

[Diplomatico]

Based upon what I've read here, most people start trying to make their appointments at the T-130 date. If your appointment needs to be in Feb then you may have waited too long to start searching for an appointment. Slots fill up so quickly that people start logging on at one minute past midnight to get onto the website as soon as a new calendar day becomes available.

[worgeordie]

Could it be Visa Agents taking the slots?

regards Worgeordie

[Sparkles]

Based upon what I've read here, most people start trying to make their appointments at the T-130 date. If your appointment needs to be in Feb then you may have waited too long to start searching for an appointment. Slots fill up so quickly that people start logging on at one minute past midnight to get onto the website as soon as a new calendar day becomes available.

I made an on line appointment for December many weeks ago.I logged on with printer ready to roll at 12.01 am.There were, from memory, 5 slots still available,within 10 minutes they had all gone.

Not going to get an easier until they fund a new Imm office and triple the staff

[mesquite]

OP, contact Assist Thai Visa and they can do it for you, for a fee of course.

[Konini]

Could it be Visa Agents taking the slots?

regards Worgeordie

I wondered this last month - husband converted from a tourist to non-o visa for retirement and used an agent and was able to go to immigration with them the following day with a couple of hours notice. They forgot to take a copy of our lease to immigration when he went, and they had to go again the following day. How else could you get 2 zero notice appointments? (I have to say I didn't think about it earlier and so didn't ask for an explanation). While we benefited from it this time, it's not at all fair for everyone else if indeed they are doing it, and more so as it's going to force everyone into either using an agent or getting there at silly o'clock.

[ehs818]

Went thru this same thing myself. The only way I know to get it done is to go to the Immigration office the day you want to do it all AT 5:00am and stand in line #201. Just bite the bullet and do it. It works out.... You'll be done before 11am. Good luck.

[Dante99]

Could it be Visa Agents taking the slots?

regards Worgeordie

Never seen or heard any evidence of this but have heard of them getting into the daily queue.

[mesquite]

Went thru this same thing myself. The only way I know to get it done is to go to the Immigration office the day you want to do it all AT 5:00am and stand in line #201. Just bite the bullet and do it. It works out.... You'll be done before 11am. Good luck.

There's another thread going on this, and apparently it can be quite an enjoyable day!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/773190-cheap-visa-extension-service/

[sharktooth]

Is immigration closed tomorrow?

[Ulysses G.]

I took an appointment almost a month before my actual date, because I was so surprised to find an open date. It is not like a few years ago when you could get the date and time that you wanted fairly easily Anything is better than going at 5 AM and waiting in line for hours IMO.

[mania]

OP, contact Assist Thai Visa and they can do it for you, for a fee of course.

Could be because they suck up every slot they can & use them if need/sold or throw them away if not.

I dont mean just assist but cumulatively all the visa agents

Much the same way travel agents reserve blocks of seats then dump them if not needed at the end

[Tywais]

Is immigration closed tomorrow?

It's open.

[Ulysses G.]

OP, contact Assist Thai Visa and they can do it for you, for a fee of course.

Could be because they suck up every slot they can & use them if need/sold or throw them away if not.

I dont mean just assist but cumulatively all the visa agents

Much the same way travel agents reserve blocks of seats then dump them if not needed at the end

I am very suspicious that you are right, but the places never get "dumped", because, as far as I know, there is no way to cancel a reservation.

[mania]

OP, contact Assist Thai Visa and they can do it for you, for a fee of course.

Could be because they suck up every slot they can & use them if need/sold or throw them away if not.

I dont mean just assist but cumulatively all the visa agents

Much the same way travel agents reserve blocks of seats then dump them if not needed at the end

I am very suspicious that you are right, but the places never get "dumped", because, as far as I know, there is no way to cancel a reservation.

I agree & thought the same about not being able to cancel which is why we do not see any show up suddenly

near expiration dates like cheap seats do on airlines.

But it could explain how folks can walk into an agents office near their expiration & get an appointment

[Thailand]

Could it be Visa Agents taking the slots?

regards Worgeordie

100% the visa agencies here follow these threads and to get new business! No doubt registered on TV.

When the question has been asked never once has anyone come to deny the practice so pretty much a given?

[MESmith]

Could it be Visa Agents taking the slots?

regards Worgeordie

100% the visa agencies here follow these threads and to get new business! No doubt registered on TV.

When the question has been asked never once has anyone come to deny the practice so pretty much a given?

When I did my extension a couple of months back, the people ahead of me with appointments were on their own. An agent turned up & headed to a different immigration officer. Either they arrive whenever they like & jump the public queue or the turn up & see an unassigned officer. Just my observation from about an hour spent in the room. How many thousands of foreigners living in CM now? And so few seem to post on TV.

[Dante99]

When the question has been asked never once has anyone come to deny the practice so pretty much a given?

Yes sir, anything not denied must be true. Oh wait a minute, does that really follow????? Hell no it does not.

Nobody has said no they don't but nobody has said yes they do, it has all been speculation and often based on poor logic. There have also been at least two reports of agents getting into the daily queue with all the others.

[Ulysses G.]

Not that it matters. but last time I had an on-line appointment, they were an hour late and I got the impression that the appointment had not been registered. Luckily, we had saved the printed out slip from the website, but two people with no reservations were seen before they got around to me, even though we reminded them a few times and showed them the printout.

[FolkGuitar]

I tend to doubt that the visa agents book up all the available slots. If that were the case, then all the folks here who have been touting using the appointment system would have not gotten their appointments to talk about. And we've certainly heard from quite a few of them about the ease and convenience of the booking system, haven't we.

Travel agents booking blocks of airline seats are a horse of a different color. There are thousands of travel agents for every airline. There are only 2-3 established visa agencies in Chiang Mai.

It seems far more logical to me that Immigration allots 'extra' room for visa agents, as they can be sure that all the necessary paperwork is don't, set out in the proper order for the most efficient processing, and they don't have to deal with unforeseen problems the way they might when dealing with regular applicants. One Immigration Officer can process 10 applicants through a visa agent in the time they would process one or two of us mere mortals, with a LOT less stress for themselves. It makes sense that they would reserve time 'outside the regular booking appointments' for established visa agents.

[Trujillo]

Not going to get an easier until they fund a new Imm office and triple the staff

The office across from Promenada which is used only for Burmese (although you can get a residence certificate there) is a giant building only 25% in use. They could move there and have, quite literally 50 times more room.

So, it would seem to me that there IS a place for them to relocate, should the will be there.

[Thailand]

When the question has been asked never once has anyone come to deny the practice so pretty much a given?

Yes sir, anything not denied must be true. Oh wait a minute, does that really follow????? Hell no it does not.

Nobody has said no they don't but nobody has said yes they do, it has all been speculation and often based on poor logic. There have also been at least two reports of agents getting into the daily queue with all the others.

Why did I expect this response!

Would this be sufficiently logical for you.

I am a visa agent in Chiangmai

I offer a service that allows me to arrange your visa with a pre arranged appointment.

A few ways I can do this. I can send staff to get an early morning number. I can book appointments online. I could have a friendly officer at immigration.

How would I source potential business. Apart from recommendations or advertising I would scour this forum for people requesting information about visas and pm them with my services or have a stooge recommend my services on the forum.

Just in case of confusion I am not actually a visa agent but I would certainly do all of the above and more if I was.

[evenstevens]

I tend to doubt that the visa agents book up all the available slots. If that were the case, then all the folks here who have been touting using the appointment system would have not gotten their appointments to talk about. And we've certainly heard from quite a few of them about the ease and convenience of the booking system, haven't we.

Travel agents booking blocks of airline seats are a horse of a different color. There are thousands of travel agents for every airline. There are only 2-3 established visa agencies in Chiang Mai.

It seems far more logical to me that Immigration allots 'extra' room for visa agents, as they can be sure that all the necessary paperwork is don't, set out in the proper order for the most efficient processing, and they don't have to deal with unforeseen problems the way they might when dealing with regular applicants. One Immigration Officer can process 10 applicants through a visa agent in the time they would process one or two of us mere mortals, with a LOT less stress for themselves. It makes sense that they would reserve time 'outside the regular booking appointments' for established visa agents.

at last a very true good contents post, bang on for mine

the visas agents bashers should take note,

just in addition from my obversation as a visa agent user, the agent lines all your ducks up ,prior to your visit to the immgr dept,then gets the green light to proceed

they do not place stooges in the early hrs morning pile up,

they do not jump queues,they do not book places on line....why should they???

when they have a amicable working arrangement with the immgr dept behind the scenes, for many reasons as f/g correctly pionted out, perhaps a small cough also

the client,v/agent and the immgr dept are very happy little vegimites

and to all v/.agents bashers,if u cant beat them ,join them

or take what ever pot luck comes your way as a D.I.Y at the c/mai immgr dept

a very nice evening to all

[mania]

Not that it matters. but last time I had an on-line appointment, they were an hour late and I got the impression that the appointment had not been registered. Luckily, we had saved the printed out slip from the website, but two people with no reservations were seen before they got around to me, even though we reminded them a few times and showed them the printout.

Same thing happened to my wife & I on my last ext in August

But the two in our time spot both had agents. Also we were the supposedly the 1st appointment of the day

Also to those who say if agents take all how can we see some here claim to get spots....

It is an online form. Even agents cannot fill more than one at a time....

I think if you read back you will see those of us that snagged one did so by staying up

till midnight the night before our date of choice became available.

Last time I did so it & got one.

But all were closed out before 12:40 am

Is what it is & I guess we just adjust for it.

But hopefully if it is in fact this type of deal Imm will get complaints & set the form

to require more pertinent info per user ruling out grabbing of slots by companies

[Dante99]

[quote name="FolkGuitar" post="8632799" timestamp="1415189274"

The Immigration Officer can process 10 applicants through a visa agent in the time they would process one or two of us mere mortals, with a LOT less stress for themselves.

(quote)

Perhaps but I have read many reports of folks sitting down with the Officer, handing them the papers, waiting for the Officer to prepare one sheet, signing it and being up and out front waiting for their passport within less than 10 minutes, often close to 5 as is my usual experience. No stress, just an occasional friendly comment or question.

There are of course other more time consuming types and I would not venture to guess the relative proportions.

[FolkGuitar]

[quote name="FolkGuitar" post="8632799" timestamp="1415189274"

The Immigration Officer can process 10 applicants through a visa agent in the time they would process one or two of us mere mortals, with a LOT less stress for themselves.

(quote)

Perhaps but I have read many reports of folks sitting down with the Officer, handing them the papers, waiting for the Officer to prepare one sheet, signing it and being up and out front waiting for their passport within less than 10 minutes, often close to 5 as is my usual experience. No stress, just an occasional friendly comment or question.

There are of course other more time consuming types and I would not venture to guess the relative proportions.

There certainly are exceptions on both sides of the rule.

[NancyL]

I booked an appointment for myself last week at about 1 am for a February time slot.

However, I forgot to book one for Hubby for his visa extension, which is due November 15. So on Tuesday morning, I joined the early morning queue at 5 am on his behalf. I saw at least one visa agent waiting in line on behalf of a Korean client who was seeking a marriage visa extension. There could have been others; I don't know every visa agent in town.

So there -- visa agents (or their employees) do join the morning line just like the rest of us.

[slapout]

The reserving of multiple time slots by agents (as it does appear to be happening) has screwed up a system that was working very well for those doing the 1 year extensions. I never spent over 15 minutes with the offical when I was able to make an appointment. (the first 2 or 3 years the slots did not fill so quickly)

I have seen officials (2) who handle the appointments for 1 year extension, take breaks, as the scheduled appointment was a no show. I am of the opinion that it was an agent want to be and they had no customers. This type of action is how people can screw up a good idea/system.and they have already made it inconvient for those it was set up to take care of.

To the agents, who have access to officials without a appointment, no complaint, but for one person to make numerous appointments every day is a abuse of the system and they are acting in a very selfish way.

[FolkGuitar]

The reserving of multiple time slots by agents (as it does appear to be happening) has screwed up a system that was working very well for those doing the 1 year extensions. I never spent over 15 minutes with the offical when I was able to make an appointment. (the first 2 or 3 years the slots did not fill so quickly)

I have seen officials (2) who handle the appointments for 1 year extension, take breaks, as the scheduled appointment was a no show. 1. I am of the opinion that it was an agent want to be and they had no customers. This type of action is how people can screw up a good idea/system.and they have already made it inconvient for those it was set up to take care of.

To the agents, who have access to officials without a appointment, no complaint, 2. but for one person to make numerous appointments every day is a abuse of the system and they are acting in a very selfish way.

Opinions and suppositions.

1. On what do you base this opinion? Why should a failed meeting imply a visa agent rather than someone who forgot the appointment, or was otherwise detained and unable to meet it?

2. Can you please show us where you got the information that leads to knowledge that this is being done. If you are correct, it is indeed an abuse of the system.