Chiang Mai Immigration On-line Queue Survey

[Tywais]

Chiang Mai Immigration On-line Queue Survey - please answer a few questions in the survey here - Chiang Mai Immigration On-line Queue Survey

As many of you know, the on-line queue for annual extensions has been unavailable for a few weeks now and there is no indication when or even if it will be restarted. At least one member has reported that an immigration officer informed him it was permanent.

This survey is to get some information that may be used to present to immigration as to the problems and the interest of the CM expat community in reestablishing it.

If you use another immigration office, does it support an online appointment system for extensions? If so, which office. If not, would you like to see it implemented?

Please keep comments on topic and though we realize the frustration of the situation try to be constructive and caution with overly aggressive comments about immigration. Posts will be removed without notice that fails to heed my notice.

[Tywais]

Questions in the survey:

1. Have you used the Chiang Mai Immigration On-line Queue in the past?
2. If you answered "Yes" to Question No. 1, what was your reason for making an appointment at Immigration? Multiple answers accepted.
3. If you answered "No" to Question No. 1, why haven't you used the Chiang Mai Immigration on-line queue in the past? Multiple answers accepted.
4. When you're waiting at Immigration with a queue number you got in the early morning, does it bother you to see the Immigration officer assist someone who arrived after you because they had an appointment they'd secured via the On-line Queue?
5. During the next 12 months would you like to use the Chiang Mai Immigration on-line queue?
6. If you answered "Yes" to Question No. 5, what service are you likely to request from Chiang Mai Immigration when you make an on-line queue reservation during the next 12 months? Multiple answers accepted.
7. If you answered "No" to Question No. 5, why don't you anticipate making an on-line queue reservation at Chiang Mai Immigration during the next 12 months? Multiple answers accepted.
8. What can be done to improve the Immigration on-line queue? Multiple answers accepted
9. Do you have any comments you'd like to share with Chiang Mai Immigration?
10. If the Immigration office in your province doesn't offer an online queue system would you like to have it?

Edited August 16, 2015 by Tywais
Added additional question to survey #10

[Thailand]

Done, perhaps all members of the Chiangmai forum could be pm'd or some form of contact.

A recent problem that needed to be resolved would not have been considered if we had not got 500+ signatures. It was resolved, in the best possible way. And that was because a large number of people got together, organised themselves in to an effective force and achieved their objectives.

[Tywais]

Done, perhaps all members of the Chiangmai forum could be pm'd or some form of contact.

News letter for the topic going out tomorrow.

[kaptainrob]

Sounds good TW, yell if you need a hand.

[MESmith]

The majority of appointments should be made in advance, either on line, by phone or in person (ie visit immigration to make an appointment).

Wont hold my breath, even hospitals expect everyone to arrive before the doctor to wait....

[circusman]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

[naboo]

The majority of appointments should be made in advance, either on line, by phone or in person (ie visit immigration to make an appointment).

Wont hold my breath, even hospitals expect everyone to arrive before the doctor to wait....

Stated on the survey. Suggested they copy the VFS appointment service, something I am sure many of them have experienced when obtaining visas for overseas travel.

[personchester]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

[Thailand]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

Yes

[brommers]

I would even be willing to pay a service fee of say 100 baht to be able to book online. That way they can raise funds to cover the salary of an additional staff member.

It is getting the point that the abuse put onto users of C.M Immigration is increasing my serious consideration of leaving Thailand.

[MESmith]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

20 applicants per day times number of days immigration is open = ?

How many retirees in Chiang Mai province

[worgeordie]

What will happen if we go to immigration with all our paperwork in order,

and cannot get a place for 2/3 days or longer,this is with respect to the

bank letter and bank book update,which before was required to be

done a day or two before going to the offices.

The only people this is going to help is the Visa agents,and what excuse

was made for stopping advanced booking ?

regards worgeordie

[naboo]

A very simple solution would be to hand out ticket numbers for the next day, or further in advance if needed. Could then turn up, collect date and time, return when you will be seen. Leave people the option of waiting and seeing if an officer is free.

This would stop the mad night time queue immediately.

[worgeordie]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

20 applicants per day times number of days immigration is open = ?

How many retirees in Chiang Mai province

Yes, with holidays the queue is just going to snowball, the 10 spots on the advanced booking,

went in minutes,so how many applicants are there a day,a lot more than 20 I would suspect,

just hope they do a U-turn ,like they do with many things,when they realize it will not work.

regards worgeordie

[Sparkles]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

At approx 15 minutes to process each application that number is woefull.What happened to the extra staff ? seems there are even less.

No one I know, living in all parts of Thailand has the problem that CM have,we might ask why ?...punishment or they just don't care or both.

[ronwparker]

We have just heard (15/08/2017) from the police that I have to pay a fine when just 6 days ago I paid 1900 baht and was told

to come back on 09/09/2015 to Chiang Mai immigration to get a final stamp for a family visa.(at no extra cost)

This is very unjust and we will fight it if we can.WE were in immigration from 5.45-4 pm .

And then to just get this phone call is really sickening!

[ronwparker]

When are immigration going going to realize this is making people many people leave Thailand!

[MESmith]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

20 applicants per day times number of days immigration is open = ?

How many retirees in Chiang Mai province

Yes, with holidays the queue is just going to snowball, the 10 spots on the advanced booking,

went in minutes,so how many applicants are there a day,a lot more than 20 I would suspect,

just hope they do a U-turn ,like they do with many things,when they realize it will not work.

regards worgeordie

Obviously, Immigration haven't done the maths

[Johnsy]

I am sick of coming down from a regional town as many others are and having to stay in Chiang Mai for 2 or 3 days to do any immigration business. Getting up at 5am, queuing for hours in all weather, waiting in over crowded rooms only to be told to come back tomorrow or you now need this paper or that etc etc. CM immigration needs a serious shake up, as a number of members have already said it is becoming a major reason to leave Thailand.

[phmeunr]

I let a Thai friend call the Chiang Mai immigration office last week. He was told that the queue-on-line was closed temporary. They were working to re-design the website in Bangkok. They did not know when it will be ready...

[koolkarl]

There are many countries that are much more foreinger friendly without the degradation of

renewing an annual visa, which is nothing more than an extended tourist visa.

If the online queue isn't re-instated, and proper staff put in place, I will not hesitate to

leave Thailand permanmently.

I feel like a convict out on parole.

[menzies233]

There are many countries that are much more foreinger friendly without the degradation of

renewing an annual visa, which is nothing more than an extended tourist visa.

If the online queue isn't re-instated, and proper staff put in place, I will not hesitate to

leave Thailand permanmently.

I feel like a convict out on parole.

I understand totally, I have lived here for 12 years, I have a wife and a Thai / Brit son, when I was first here you could do the extension by simply walking in off the street during the immigration hours. Now it is a humiliation and a complete shit fight trying to get a slot 100 days in advance for their Queue Online or camp out at 3 in the morning. Disgusting way of treating people that are simply trying to comply with their laws.

I think a lot of the problems are that they simply do not give a rats arse whether we stay go live or die here, they just could not care less, up to you!

Maybe if we all announced we are Lesbian, Gay, Bi Sexual, Transgender, Blacks or some other minority being discriminated against we might get a voice, seems to work as a priority in Europe and the USA? (Wouldn't hold my breath here though)

Edited August 15, 2015 by menzies233

[elgordo38]

I would even be willing to pay a service fee of say 100 baht to be able to book online. That way they can raise funds to cover the salary of an additional staff member.

It is getting the point that the abuse put onto users of C.M Immigration is increasing my serious consideration of leaving Thailand.

This is why I never invest in real estate condo's, g/f's property, vehicles etc. Be ready to go at a moments notice but then I have shot myself in the foot having formed an attachment to a g/f that I would not consider leaving. I agree with your first statement a service fee of 100 bahts but over time this could open a floodgate of abuse by you know who. Even if they upped the annual fee to 2500 bahts and hired more staff I could live with that. At least immigration gets the money not visa brokers. I can live with 90 day mail in forms but the annual extension under present conditions is an old man's worst nightmare. Thank God I can slip by this year with an online appointment. I like Tywse's statement that we could maybe present the survey to the powers that be. That would be a start to open a line of communications with somebody but possibly difficult as all decisions large and small are made by BKK. As Thai culture seems to respect/revere the elderly I could not believe the photo posted on TV of the endless row of plastic chairs with elderly people on them sitting in the open sun for hours. I/we are all consumed by rumors but nothing comes out in a factual manner even on the immigration website. We should have better relations with immigration but it takes two to tango. The expats telegraph system is not the way to go and rumors are rife there.

[GlobalCtzn]

Took a friend to do a 30 day extension of a tourist visa yesterday. Arrived at 7:15 and got in the right line (there are at least 4 distinct lines now). He got #10. We were finished at 11:00. It took them from 8:30 to 11:00 to process 10 tourist visa extensions. You arrive at immigration in Bangkok or Chiang Mai at the airpot and they can process a person every 2 or 3 minutes or so. But for an extension they cannot? One page of the most basic data and a scan of your passport and look at your immigration history. What the hell can they possibly be doing down there?????????????

[elgordo38]

What will happen if we go to immigration with all our paperwork in order,

and cannot get a place for 2/3 days or longer,this is with respect to the

bank letter and bank book update,which before was required to be

done a day or two before going to the offices.

The only people this is going to help is the Visa agents,and what excuse

was made for stopping advanced booking ?

regards worgeordie

Bank letters are good for 7 days. The reason/rumor given for the discontinuation of the online process was that to many people were complaining about not being able to get a queue number so as a result we all must suffer. Adding slots seemed out of the question even though ex-pat numbers are increasing daily(I see this first hand in my condo) Seems like a hard handed answer if true. I find Immigration much like the general Thai population(my g/f included) they dislike complainers and unlike the general population they have the power.

[elgordo38]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

20 applicants per day times number of days immigration is open = ?

How many retirees in Chiang Mai province

Yes, with holidays the queue is just going to snowball, the 10 spots on the advanced booking,

went in minutes,so how many applicants are there a day,a lot more than 20 I would suspect,

just hope they do a U-turn ,like they do with many things,when they realize it will not work.

regards worgeordie

U turn? hmm I hope your right. A slippery slope seems to describe the present here and now.

[elgordo38]

I'm wondering if my appointment for Aug.27 is still valid.

The C.M. Immigration office has informed that the Queue Online application will not available, and stated that the annual visa application can now be made at the office 45 days before the end of the current visa..

They suggested that visa applicants should arrive early in the morning at about 7 AM, the office will open at

8. A.M and will take 20 applicants to finalize their visa application..

At approx 15 minutes to process each application that number is woefull.What happened to the extra staff ? seems there are even less.

No one I know, living in all parts of Thailand has the problem that CM have,we might ask why ?...punishment or they just don't care or both.

I lean towards the punishment part we are definitely in the dog house/bad books here. Both hmm you could be right on that score to. Chiang Mai's location is in the far north would that have a bearing?

[thai006]

Please bring back online i dont want take my child at 6 am and wait all days long there with him

[northernjohn]

In my opinion the online appointment is not the problem. It is the lack of personal. The last time I made mine I was number 60 out of that 60 50 were in the line. It was only 10 people who got the appointment.

It was an unusual lot that day the officer told me they generally do 50 a day. That was when they had two officers doing the job. What they needed was three. Now they have one. Reinstate the online appointment and you will stillll have the same line up. When this group approaches immigration they best find a way to do it in such a way as not to indicate immigration is doing it wrong.

One other thing I would like to point out. We are carrying on here like they have completed there plan. Maybe they are still working on it. I hope that is the case.