90 Days Reporting: How long does it take

[Sparkles]

EMS may well go to Lamphun but does not seem to have any effect on time. Have done 4 mails in and max delivery time, back in our letterbox, has been 3 working days.

Been using EMS and Registered mail here for 15 years, never had a problem

Why people are still going in to immigration, and then complaining about, it is beyond me

[neilrob]

EMS may well go to Lamphun but does not seem to have any effect on time. Have done 4 mails in and max delivery time, back in our letterbox, has been 3 working days.

Been using EMS and Registered mail here for 15 years, never had a problem

Why people are still going in to immigration, and then complaining about, it is beyond me

Maybe I can answer that. The last time I did 90 day by mail, immigration never even sent the receipt back. I did it by mail again today because the online system rejected me and Promenada is hopeless. It took more than one hour, with driving to the post office and waiting in line there (more than 30 minutes waiting behind people mailing vast numbers of parcels). An hour is more than it used to take, a couple of years ago, going to immigration in person. Half a dozen years ago they had a dedicated window at immigration and it took, quite literally, two minutes---much faster than doing it by mail. So now there is no real alternative, but it used to be easier and more certain in person. So I think people are right to complain about how very much service at immigration has deteriorated in the last several years.

[Beng]

I went in person today, to Promenada to do a 90 day report. I arrived at 13:00 and was too late. The staff advised an 08:00 arrival if you want to make a 90 day report. This is not an improvement on the old airport office where a 90 day report could be done late afternoon if you wished, as long as they were open. I asked why if it only tales 1 minute or so to process a 90 day report why 13:00 was too late? The lady said they don't use computers and everything is done on paper. They have a set limit now on how many 90 day reports they will accept on each day.

I see this as good news. Obviously THEY (Immigration) want people to submit 90-day reports by post and FREE UP THE QUEUE for other matters in which people need to be there.

There is no need to go in person for a 90-day report when post (and now Internet) reporting can be done. I mean this is 2015; not 1981!

Its the postal route for me from now on with the only problem the local Thai Post fail to deliver post to me at my current address. This is post that people have informed me they have sent. Water bills, electric bills and 3BB all arrive no problem. Doing the 90 day report by post may not free up any staff as the 2 minutes they spend with you when you do it in person must be the same 2 minutes that somebody must use to process the the reports that arrive by post?

I did get my 90 day report done today! Arrived at Prom at about 08:45 and the first 100 numbers had already been issued. Some staff were advising thats it, try again another day but one staff said wait as the numbers will be reissued as 90 day reports are processed. Half an hour later 3 or 4 number cards were returned and i was given one and told i wouldn't be called until after lunch. I went home and returned at 13:00. My number was called at 15:00 and efficient staff had my 90 day report done by 15:02!

This is the slowest 90 day report i have ever experienced. Longer than 6 hours and arriving at 08:45 put me in the last bunch of people who would have got one done that day. Plus i had made my first failed attempt the previous day when i arrived at 13:00. Just by moving from the airport to Promenada seems to have knocked back CM Immigrations service level significantly. Its pretty hot waiting outside their office even in the shade. Hot season will be a nightmare and as other posters have said not acceptable for the elderly. The only benefit is the shopping centre around you so coffee shops, restaurants, Rimping and shopping are all there to help you kill the time. You could watch more than one movie waiting for you number to be called.

This is no improvement at all.

No Toilets open early, waiting outside in the heat, no computers, 6 hrs for a 90 day report.

What's the point in moving to a new office that seems worse than the old one ?

[elektrified]

I love the complainers/whiners. Instead of complaining/whining, why not just do things in a way that is easy on yourself?

I spend 90-120 minutes one day a year at Immigration. I have no complaints whatsoever about the heat, the queue, the Immigration Officers, the parking, and don't use the toilets as I take care of those needs before leaving the house. I make sure to do things in a way that keeps me stress-free. Whether I have an appointment or not, I never spend more than about 90-120 minutes getting my annual extension, and I never get there before 8:30. A.M. I always have all of my papers in order with nothing missing and the exact change for the fees attached to the documents. I get my Re-entry Permit at the same to avoid having to go back, and that way it's good for one full year. I do all my 90-day reports by post (have been doing so for many years). I hand my envelope to my postman/lady. Takes 30 seconds.

Easy. No complaints at all.

[daoyai]

Wow Elektrified you are so cool ! please share your secrets on how you can arrive at 8:30 with no extension appointment and be done by 10:30, I am sure i am not alone in wanting that info.

[CNXBKKMAN]

It seems the rest of the country has Immigration offices that function normally. Posters from outside Chiang Mai regularly post on these type of threads how they just pop in to the Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Rai office or wherever and are dealt with promptly. With the CM office barely functioning i think if anyone wants to complain and whine about the service its legit. The Chiang Mai Immigration Office Must rank as one of the worst institutions in the whole Thai government/civil service. All my interactions with the Police, Local Govt offices, Hospitals, Electric etc nothing seems to be as poor as Chiang Mai Immigration.

[elektrified]

It seems the rest of the country has Immigration offices that function normally. Posters from outside Chiang Mai regularly post on these type of threads how they just pop in to the Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Rai office or wherever and are dealt with promptly. With the CM office barely functioning i think if anyone wants to complain and whine about the service its legit. The Chiang Mai Immigration Office Must rank as one of the worst institutions in the whole Thai government/civil service. All my interactions with the Police, Local Govt offices, Hospitals, Electric etc nothing seems to be as poor as Chiang Mai Immigration.

Fair enough. But it is what it is. It won't change so we need to adapt ourselves to be able to deal with it.

And daoyai, sometimes if I pop my head in and it is much too crazy and crowded, I'll come back another day. I always give my self 15-20 days before my visa expires so I have plenty of time. (You can go as early as 45 days in advance). And it's not a matter of being "so cool". It's knowing what to do.

Edited August 8, 2015 by elektrified

[MESmith]

It seems the rest of the country has Immigration offices that function normally. Posters from outside Chiang Mai regularly post on these type of threads how they just pop in to the Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Rai office or wherever and are dealt with promptly. With the CM office barely functioning i think if anyone wants to complain and whine about the service its legit. The Chiang Mai Immigration Office Must rank as one of the worst institutions in the whole Thai government/civil service. All my interactions with the Police, Local Govt offices, Hospitals, Electric etc nothing seems to be as poor as Chiang Mai Immigration.

It wasn't always bad like it is now. I remember visits to immigration when there were only a handful of "customers". Only since the mass influx of retirees that conditions have deteriorated.

[delboy]

Always the farang's fault by being too many in number, never immigration's fault.

A few ways to improve things:

Employ more immigration officers

Abolish the meaningless 90 day report

Introduce 3 and 5 year visa extensions

Can't see any of those being introduced, more likely the amount required in the bank increased to 1.5 Million baht with no grandfathering. Possibly, with Thai logic, if there are too many applicants, abolish long term visa extensions, and force everyone to leave the country after 30 days.