How to proceed if all online queue slots are reserved ?

[Beng]

Is it OK if I show up at immigration at 6:00 o'clock on the day my extension expires ?

Or could it happen that, if the place is too crowded, my extension cannot be processed and I end up on overstay ?

Any experiences?

[uptheos]

If you're showing up on the day it expires, I'd get there a lot earlier than 6am.......go for 4am to be safe.

[Beng]

If you're showing up on the day it expires, I'd get there a lot earlier than 6am.......go for 4am to be safe.

Thanks. But what happens if your application cannot be processed, Do they give you an appointment for the next day ?

[RED21]

If you're showing up on the day it expires, I'd get there a lot earlier than 6am.......go for 4am to be safe.

I agree... go there earlier just to be on the safe side. By 5:00AM there would already be a very long queue at the front door. By 6:00 some immigration officials will be giving out those big laminated numbers. Edited February 18, 2015 by RED21

[RED21]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

[Beng]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

[northernjohn]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

I through my own fault was 6 days late one year. I had to pay a 6,000 baht fine. Also my yearly extension started from the day I was in renewing and paying my 6,000 baht fine.

You can go in I believe it is up to 30 days early and your extension date will not change. I will never again leave it for the last minute.

[NancyL]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

I through my own fault was 6 days late one year. I had to pay a 6,000 baht fine. Also my yearly extension started from the day I was in renewing and paying my 6,000 baht fine.

You can go in I believe it is up to 30 days early and your extension date will not change. I will never again leave it for the last minute.

You were very fortunate that the Immigration officer let you pay a "fine" and didn't tell you to leave the country and pay the standard 500 baht/day overstay fine on your way out, return and start the entire retirement visa process over again.

6000 baht is not a standard fine for 6 days of overstay and I doubt you'd be able to do this today with everything being done "by the book" since the coup.

I was there last week and did witness some tourists being fined 500 baht/day for a few days overstay and still getting 30 day extensions for their tourist visas -- but, I sure wouldn't risk going on overstay for a one-year extension for something like a retirement or marriage extension.

As mentioned, either go very, very early (like 4 am) if you have to go on the exact day of expiration or go a few days early.

Edited February 18, 2015 by NancyL

[LivinLOS]

No one can answer for immigration as it will be officer dependent.. Its entirely possible they can say your extension has expired, leave the country, pay a fine, and go get another visa overseas and restart your process.

Go a few days in advance IMO.

[Beng]

Thanks for all your replies.

I will definetly go a few days earlier.

But what happens if my extension cannot be processed on that day due to overcrowding ? Will I get a number or an appointment for the next day ?

[Sparkles]

Thanks for all your replies.

I will definetly go a few days earlier.

But what happens if my extension cannot be processed on that day due to overcrowding ? Will I get a number or an appointment for the next day ?

Probably not.Just get there early as suggested and knock it off in one day.We don't make the rules up to them.

[NancyL]

Once they run out of queue tickets for the day, they don't start to hand them out for the next day -- they just tell you to come back earlier the next day.

If you get a queue ticket, you will be seen at day. The staff remains at the office and sees everyone who has a ticket. I've been there at 5:30 pm and they're still working on the last few people who were given queue tickets early in the morning.

[Beetlejuice]

The biggest problem with arriving at Immigration early to get a place in the queue is those who will insist on pushing in the queue, especially some of the old farangs who try to act oblivious, walk straight to the front of the line hoping no one will notice and hand their papers over to the officer. In many cases the officers don`t care and will process their paperwork without question. I have nearly come to blows in their with queue jumpers on several occasions.

Last month a friend arrived at 6.00am, was second place to join the queue outside Immigration. She said that when the doors opened at 8.00am it was like being on the Titanic sinking, every person for themselves. It resulted with her being 21st in the queue for her retirement visa and had to hang about all day not being seen until 2.15 in the afternoon.

All I can suggest is; that those who arrive there early is to guard their place in the queue as if their lives depended on it, otherwise they`ll cheat you out of a place.

[northernjohn]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

I through my own fault was 6 days late one year. I had to pay a 6,000 baht fine. Also my yearly extension started from the day I was in renewing and paying my 6,000 baht fine.

You can go in I believe it is up to 30 days early and your extension date will not change. I will never again leave it for the last minute.

You were very fortunate that the Immigration officer let you pay a "fine" and didn't tell you to leave the country and pay the standard 500 baht/day overstay fine on your way out, return and start the entire retirement visa process over again.

6000 baht is not a standard fine for 6 days of overstay and I doubt you'd be able to do this today with everything being done "by the book" since the coup.

I was there last week and did witness some tourists being fined 500 baht/day for a few days overstay and still getting 30 day extensions for their tourist visas -- but, I sure wouldn't risk going on overstay for a one-year extension for something like a retirement or marriage extension.

As mentioned, either go very, very early (like 4 am) if you have to go on the exact day of expiration or go a few days early.

Actually it was kind of funny. The fellow didn't want to give me credit for the six days. He wanted to keep my renewal date the same. I mentioned it to him. He said no he was right and I agreed not wanting to antagonize him. He then passed it to the fellow in the back room who looked at it for a while went out and got the original interviewer brought him back and had a discussion with him about it. After studying it for about five minutes he stamped it a couple of times called me over and pointed to the new renewal date. He had given me credit for the 6,000 baht and that day was my new renewal date.

[dotpoom]

I cannot see which office you are talking about....In thirteen years I've never had to Q up before opening time at Soi 5, Jomtien?

[uptheos]

I cannot see which office you are talking about....In thirteen years I've never had to Q up before opening time at Soi 5, Jomtien?

Chiang Mai, it's like opening time at the Zoo.

Some people are there from 2am!!

[dotpoom]

I cannot see which office you are talking about....In thirteen years I've never had to Q up before opening time at Soi 5, Jomtien?

Chiang Mai, it's like opening time at the Zoo.

Some people are there from 2am!!

Thank you uptheos.

[Just1Voice]

I don't know where you are, but if in Chiang Mai, send me a pm and I can give you name and number of a guy who will go to Imm for you, get your queue number EARLY. I paid him 300 baht, got #1 queue number. Like you, all the online slots were filled. Once they opened, I was done in 10 minutes.

[NoshowJones]

The biggest problem with arriving at Immigration early to get a place in the queue is those who will insist on pushing in the queue, especially some of the old farangs who try to act oblivious, walk straight to the front of the line hoping no one will notice and hand their papers over to the officer. In many cases the officers don`t care and will process their paperwork without question. I have nearly come to blows in their with queue jumpers on several occasions.

Last month a friend arrived at 6.00am, was second place to join the queue outside Immigration. She said that when the doors opened at 8.00am it was like being on the Titanic sinking, every person for themselves. It resulted with her being 21st in the queue for her retirement visa and had to hang about all day not being seen until 2.15 in the afternoon.

All I can suggest is; that those who arrive there early is to guard their place in the queue as if their lives depended on it, otherwise they`ll cheat you out of a place.

You nearly came to blows?? You should have followed him outside and actually come to blows. I am not a violent person, but there are times when it is required.

[Tony125]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

I through my own fault was 6 days late one year. I had to pay a 6,000 baht fine. Also my yearly extension started from the day I was in renewing and paying my 6,000 baht fine.

You can go in I believe it is up to 30 days early and your extension date will not change. I will never again leave it for the last minute.

You were very fortunate that the Immigration officer let you pay a "fine" and didn't tell you to leave the country and pay the standard 500 baht/day overstay fine on your way out, return and start the entire retirement visa process over again.

6000 baht is not a standard fine for 6 days of overstay and I doubt you'd be able to do this today with everything being done "by the book" since the coup.

I was there last week and did witness some tourists being fined 500 baht/day for a few days overstay and still getting 30 day extensions for their tourist visas -- but, I sure wouldn't risk going on overstay for a one-year extension for something like a retirement or marriage extension.

As mentioned, either go very, very early (like 4 am) if you have to go on the exact day of expiration or go a few days early.

My expirance--went to CW Immigration Jan 16th with paperwork for retirement extension at 10:30 AM. Was 8 days over stay, gave officer my paperwork she sees the Overstay says "that's 4,000 baht for 8 days overstay " paid her , she checked off paperwork sent me to another officer to double check she hands back passport stamped with extension and said "see you next year" Was out of there at 1:30 PM.

[smotherb]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

I through my own fault was 6 days late one year. I had to pay a 6,000 baht fine. Also my yearly extension started from the day I was in renewing and paying my 6,000 baht fine.

You can go in I believe it is up to 30 days early and your extension date will not change. I will never again leave it for the last minute.

I regularly go in the early afternoon on the day the extension expires--have done so for at least six of the eight years. However, I live in an area not inundated with farangs. I don't think any transaction at immigration, other than perhaps the original application, has taken more than 30 minutes.

[femi fan]

Just be prepared to become an animal. It's much wose than the zoo.

Being an animal for one day is either too many times, or fine just for the one time a year.

But an animal you will have to be. People just arrive at the last minute before opening time and push in front of those who have been there since hours before.

Get an online appointment or be an animal. That's what's on offer. Shameful. And all because this country is yet to decentralise its budgets, meaning that chiang mai is in the lap of the Bangkok gods. Such a clearly understaffed place, yet bangkok refuse to allow CM immigration to expand.

That's the root of the problem. Meanwhile no online queue ticket, be an animal for one day. Push right in. If you don't others will. Don't stand on ceremony or you'll be bundled right over. Growl, push, shove, and put your paw out to get your valued number. Job done. Just pretend you're in an abbatoir trying to avoid being slaughtered for the day. You'll get by!!

Edited February 20, 2015 by femi fan

[NancyL]

Let's be very, very clear -- Tony125 in post #20 above claimed it's possible to pay the fine for 8 days overstay and get a retirement extension when coming into the immigration office at 10:30 am.

Read very, very carefully.

He said he did this at CW Immigration. CW, folks, is Chaeng Watthana -- BANGKOK. He's not talking about Chiang Mai.

This is very bad advice. Don't try this in Chiang Mai! Don't try coming to the office at 10:30 am and even being able to talk with an immigration officer. And don't expect to come in with 8 days of overstay, either, and being granted your retirement extension.

It's not a safe bet -- there's a good chance they'll tell you to leave the country and go get a new O visa to start the entire process again.

[NancyL]

It would probably depend on the mood of the official you are dealing with.

So if in bad mood, you could get on overstay. Can you still get an extension while being on overstay ?

I through my own fault was 6 days late one year. I had to pay a 6,000 baht fine. Also my yearly extension started from the day I was in renewing and paying my 6,000 baht fine.

You can go in I believe it is up to 30 days early and your extension date will not change. I will never again leave it for the last minute.

I regularly go in the early afternoon on the day the extension expires--have done so for at least six of the eight years. However, I live in an area not inundated with farangs. I don't think any transaction at immigration, other than perhaps the original application, has taken more than 30 minutes.

Please, this is the Chiang Mai forum and the question was asked how to deal with the CM office. Smotherb -- I doubt your little Immigration office even has an on-line queue. Your post only serves to confuse.