Interview about new Chiangmai Immigration office

[cyberfarang]

In the interview "published" in the OP, Col. Rutjapong said he intended to move all operations out of the old airport office and consolidate them at Promenada, with Education visas being the next, within 4 weeks. That interview was in mid-September and so far, there is no sign of ED visas moving to Prom. Marc, the Prom. mgr who I also interviewed was very keen on ED visas moving and the mall traffic that would generate. Since then, he's resigned from his position at Prom. and perhaps the new people don't care whether or not Imm. brings another 30 - 40 younger, potential customers to Prom. each day.

So, I don't know if Col. Rutjapong has changed the plan about consolidating operations at Prom. or not. As we see with the new indoor waiting area, the mall mgt, is willing to give over more space currently used for retail to Imm., so don't think that their operations are constrained by the current size of the Imm. office at Prom.

Sorry for my pessimism, I think it`s going to get worse and eventually almost impossible to use the immigration services by traditional methods. The great Shepard is leading us all into the pastures of the agents. If anyone doesn`t agree, why? Many things we want to know, but are afraid to ask, and will just go along with the herd like the good sheep we are.

[daoyai]

In the interview "published" in the OP, Col. Rutjapong said he intended to move all operations out of the old airport office and consolidate them at Promenada, with Education visas being the next, within 4 weeks. That interview was in mid-September and so far, there is no sign of ED visas moving to Prom. Marc, the Prom. mgr who I also interviewed was very keen on ED visas moving and the mall traffic that would generate. Since then, he's resigned from his position at Prom. and perhaps the new people don't care whether or not Imm. brings another 30 - 40 younger, potential customers to Prom. each day.

So, I don't know if Col. Rutjapong has changed the plan about consolidating operations at Prom. or not. As we see with the new indoor waiting area, the mall mgt, is willing to give over more space currently used for retail to Imm., so don't think that their operations are constrained by the current size of the Imm. office at Prom.

Sorry for my pessimism, I think it`s going to get worse and eventually almost impossible to use the immigration services by traditional methods. The great Shepard is leading us all into the pastures of the agents. If anyone doesn`t agree, why? Many things we want to know, but are afraid to ask, and will just go along with the herd like the good sheep we are.

Perhaps soon we will need to que up pre-dawn to get a number at the visa agents office?

[JaseTheBass]

The great Shepard is leading us all into the pastures of the agents.

Just as long as we don't use the one in Promenada.

[MadMac]

Perhaps soon we will need to que up pre-dawn to get a number at the visa agents office?

Not going to happen.

[DavidOxon]

OK..... online rejected my 90 day application so I need to go in person! What's the current daily timescale am/pm for 90 day reports?

thanks!

[worgeordie]

OK..... online rejected my 90 day application so I need to go in person! What's the current daily timescale am/pm for 90 day reports?

thanks!

Just do it by post ,quick,easy and cheap, see pinned topic on how to do it.

regards Worgeordie

[MESmith]

OK..... online rejected my 90 day application so I need to go in person! What's the current daily timescale am/pm for 90 day reports?

thanks!

Just do it by post ,quick,easy and cheap, see pinned topic on how to do it.

regards Worgeordie

And you can do the mail in report about a week from due date. That 15 day thing is BS.

[thai006]

i email 2 agent in chiang mai no one answer me for the cost

[DavidOxon]

Do it by post? Thanks a lot for your most unhelpful suggestion, guys but why not answer the question? I followed the instructions on online checkin but they sent me a message saying I had to report in person...

[worgeordie]

Do it by post? Thanks a lot for your most unhelpful suggestion, guys but why not answer the question? I followed the instructions on online checkin but they sent me a message saying I had to report in person...

OK, some people you cannot help,but I will try again,do it by post,read

the pinned advice at the beginning of this forum,how to do 90day report

by post.or take no notice of the help,and just go to Promenda,up to you.

regards Worgeordie

[MESmith]

Do it by post? Thanks a lot for your most unhelpful suggestion, guys but why not answer the question? I followed the instructions on online checkin but they sent me a message saying I had to report in person...

You're on your own from now on

[MadMac]

You are flagged in the system. They need to see you. Nothing a forum can help with,

[DavidOxon]

I know I need to go in person but at what time am/pm is a reasonable time to go and still be seen! I have done 30 plus 90 days in person including the last one at promendada which was a nightmare. I don't want to know what I could have done (ie post which is now too late as the due date is tomorrow) Just give me the info I asked for please!

[daoyai]

The official line from my experience is.. you must arrive at 7am to get a que number to submit your forms. or you can go to the agent office next to the copy shop and pay for the free requirement. ...... if they still have "face", they should lose it.

[happy Joe]

I know I need to go in person but at what time am/pm is a reasonable time to go and still be seen! I have done 30 plus 90 days in person including the last one at promendada which was a nightmare. I don't want to know what I could have done (ie post which is now too late as the due date is tomorrow) Just give me the info I asked for please!

My own experience at Promenada in late July and again in late October.

Arriving around 11 am with the required documents.

The desk person gave me a number with fairly accurate indication of waiting time. Overall between 1 and 2 hours add to 1 hour break lunch each time.

So you go quietly lunch there and eventually do some shopping, then you return to the specified time.

In October I was a little late with my number 92 while the 104 was called. A circumstance smile and I switched immediately.

I hope to have been pretty accurate.

[Thailand]

In the interview "published" in the OP, Col. Rutjapong said he intended to move all operations out of the old airport office and consolidate them at Promenada, with Education visas being the next, within 4 weeks. That interview was in mid-September and so far, there is no sign of ED visas moving to Prom. Marc, the Prom. mgr who I also interviewed was very keen on ED visas moving and the mall traffic that would generate. Since then, he's resigned from his position at Prom. and perhaps the new people don't care whether or not Imm. brings another 30 - 40 younger, potential customers to Prom. each day.

So, I don't know if Col. Rutjapong has changed the plan about consolidating operations at Prom. or not. As we see with the new indoor waiting area, the mall mgt, is willing to give over more space currently used for retail to Imm., so don't think that their operations are constrained by the current size of the Imm. office at Prom.

Sorry for my pessimism, I think it`s going to get worse and eventually almost impossible to use the immigration services by traditional methods. The great Shepard is leading us all into the pastures of the agents. If anyone doesn`t agree, why? Many things we want to know, but are afraid to ask, and will just go along with the herd like the good sheep we are.

Perhaps soon we will need to que up pre-dawn to get a number at the visa agents office?

No doubt immigration will provide a visa agent to provide that service also!

[DavidOxon]

Thankyou Joe!

if I go after lunch, what are the chances of being seen?

[daoyai]

Thankyou Joe!

if I go after lunch, what are the chances of being seen?

After careful caculation of wind direction, probability factors verses farang migration patterns etc. your chance of finding joy after lunch is 50/50.

[Bill97]

I know I need to go in person but at what time am/pm is a reasonable time to go and still be seen! I have done 30 plus 90 days in person including the last one at promendada which was a nightmare. I don't want to know what I could have done (ie post which is now too late as the due date is tomorrow) Just give me the info I asked for please!

You want to be sure to be seen then go at 5am, anything else is a crap shoot.

[thai006]

i think i will go to chiang mai at night and stay internet shop around tapae gate and around 4 am found taxi and go there 5555+

[NancyL]

There have been very recent reports of all queue tickets for 90 day reports being given out before lunch at Promenada.

[Puwa]

The US Consulate must have received a lot of complaints about CM Immigration at Promenada, because the Consul-General recently met the head of Immigration to find out what's going on out there. While Immigration recognizes the problems of long lines and slow service, they cite insufficient staffing, and apparently have no plan on the table to fix it yet.

[daoyai]

the problem is not insufficient staff, it is inefficient staff (or worse). ..but yea they are great at blaming others.

[Tywais]

Post removed making an accusation regarding immigration. Unless there is 100% verifiable proof then it is conjecture that could be construed as libel.

[DavidOxon]

Well well well, that was interesting!

[davidcnx]

If you believe that the Chiang Mai Immigration office is deliberately incompetent...as I do...for ulterior motives...then please complain about your difficulties to your consul or embassy. I know that many retirees are doing this now and that several consuls have been to Immigration to try to sort things out. There is also a move afoot by a group of embassies to get the queue online service back. It appears to have been allowed to collapse because it was too efficient. The preferred method seems to be to make the retirement visa renewal experience, starting about 4 a.m. so unpleasant and humiliating that the elderly are forced into the expensive embrace of the visa service companies, who get priority treatment....to the obvious benefit of ....!

Embassies have a great deal of influence, once they get annoyed about the mistreatment of their citizens; don't think that they won't or can't do something, if enough people complain formally. Whining about it on this website won't effect change, but the embassies will....if you encourage them!

[northernjohn]

If you believe that the Chiang Mai Immigration office is deliberately incompetent...as I do...for ulterior motives...then please complain about your difficulties to your consul or embassy. I know that many retirees are doing this now and that several consuls have been to Immigration to try to sort things out. There is also a move afoot by a group of embassies to get the queue online service back. It appears to have been allowed to collapse because it was too efficient. The preferred method seems to be to make the retirement visa renewal experience, starting about 4 a.m. so unpleasant and humiliating that the elderly are forced into the expensive embrace of the visa service companies, who get priority treatment....to the obvious benefit of ....!

Embassies have a great deal of influence, once they get annoyed about the mistreatment of their citizens; don't think that they won't or can't do something, if enough people complain formally. Whining about it on this website won't effect change, but the embassies will....if you encourage them!

Get a grip on reality. There is nothing efficient about an online queue registering system that only registers ten a day when they are seeing up to 50 plus a day.

As for the Embassies and conciliates talking to them they have what good has it done them or us? The problem is the same as it has been for many years now. Bangkok not supplying the funds or the man power plus the room needed to do the job properly.

Right now they are probably leaving it is as it is so they can read Thai Visa complaints and repeated adnausium solutions for their entertainment.

[fang37]

I emailed the Australian Embassy in BKK as suggested.

The reply was quick & predictable.

ie we don't generally attend to such matters but we will do our best.

What does this infer?

[NancyL]

If you believe that the Chiang Mai Immigration office is deliberately incompetent...as I do...for ulterior motives...then please complain about your difficulties to your consul or embassy. I know that many retirees are doing this now and that several consuls have been to Immigration to try to sort things out. There is also a move afoot by a group of embassies to get the queue online service back. It appears to have been allowed to collapse because it was too efficient. The preferred method seems to be to make the retirement visa renewal experience, starting about 4 a.m. so unpleasant and humiliating that the elderly are forced into the expensive embrace of the visa service companies, who get priority treatment....to the obvious benefit of ....!

Embassies have a great deal of influence, once they get annoyed about the mistreatment of their citizens; don't think that they won't or can't do something, if enough people complain formally. Whining about it on this website won't effect change, but the embassies will....if you encourage them!

Get a grip on reality. There is nothing efficient about an online queue registering system that only registers ten a day when they are seeing up to 50 plus a day.

As for the Embassies and conciliates talking to them they have what good has it done them or us? The problem is the same as it has been for many years now. Bangkok not supplying the funds or the man power plus the room needed to do the job properly.

Right now they are probably leaving it is as it is so they can read Thai Visa complaints and repeated adnausium solutions for their entertainment.

Actually, the "phenomenon" of Chiang Mai retirees contacting their Embassies with their concerns about the problems with the local Immigration office is rather new. The problem isn't just the elimination of the on-line queue. Yes, it just handled 10 appointments a day, but that 50% more than they're doing now for retirement extensions. Shortly after the move to Prom, three things happened that made the situation drastically worse for CM retirees:

1. elimination of on-line queue

2. reduction in personnel processing retirement extensions from 2 to 1 officer

3. no supervisor at Prom. Imm. authorized to approve applications. Instead, everyone waits for hours after their "interview" while the passports/documents are taken over to the old office for signature or they wait for a big boss to come out to Prom. to sign the day's work

These three changes have created a "perfect storm" of misery for CM retirees, combined with the fact that travel to Imm. Prom. is inconvenient for many, so they have to wait around the mall all day, rather than pay 400 baht for another round trip to return in the afternoon to pick up their passport, after their morning interview. For many, it's a wait of over 12 hours since they arrive at 5 am to be sure to get a queue number.

So, yes, the Embassies are noticing the increase in complaints in elder abuse and lack of equal access from their citizens. Retirees in other provinces are not treated this way. While you may receive a bland email of acknowledgement when you contact your Embassy, over time the individual emails will be noticed, just by their shear numbers.

So, yes, one person and one email can make a difference.

[masuk]

If you believe that the Chiang Mai Immigration office is deliberately incompetent...as I do...for ulterior motives...then please complain about your difficulties to your consul or embassy. I know that many retirees are doing this now and that several consuls have been to Immigration to try to sort things out. There is also a move afoot by a group of embassies to get the queue online service back. It appears to have been allowed to collapse because it was too efficient. The preferred method seems to be to make the retirement visa renewal experience, starting about 4 a.m. so unpleasant and humiliating that the elderly are forced into the expensive embrace of the visa service companies, who get priority treatment....to the obvious benefit of ....!

Embassies have a great deal of influence, once they get annoyed about the mistreatment of their citizens; don't think that they won't or can't do something, if enough people complain formally. Whining about it on this website won't effect change, but the embassies will....if you encourage them!

Get a grip on reality. There is nothing efficient about an online queue registering system that only registers ten a day when they are seeing up to 50 plus a day.

As for the Embassies and conciliates talking to them they have what good has it done them or us? The problem is the same as it has been for many years now. Bangkok not supplying the funds or the man power plus the room needed to do the job properly.

Right now they are probably leaving it is as it is so they can read Thai Visa complaints and repeated adnausium solutions for their entertainment.

Actually, the "phenomenon" of Chiang Mai retirees contacting their Embassies with their concerns about the problems with the local Immigration office is rather new. The problem isn't just the elimination of the on-line queue. Yes, it just handled 10 appointments a day, but that 50% more than they're doing now for retirement extensions. Shortly after the move to Prom, three things happened that made the situation drastically worse for CM retirees:

1. elimination of on-line queue

2. reduction in personnel processing retirement extensions from 2 to 1 officer

3. no supervisor at Prom. Imm. authorized to approve applications. Instead, everyone waits for hours after their "interview" while the passports/documents are taken over to the old office for signature or they wait for a big boss to come out to Prom. to sign the day's work

These three changes have created a "perfect storm" of misery for CM retirees, combined with the fact that travel to Imm. Prom. is inconvenient for many, so they have to wait around the mall all day, rather than pay 400 baht for another round trip to return in the afternoon to pick up their passport, after their morning interview. For many, it's a wait of over 12 hours since they arrive at 5 am to be sure to get a queue number.

So, yes, the Embassies are noticing the increase in complaints in elder abuse and lack of equal access from their citizens. Retirees in other provinces are not treated this way. While you may receive a bland email of acknowledgement when you contact your Embassy, over time the individual emails will be noticed, just by their shear numbers.

So, yes, one person and one email can make a difference.

It seems that a senior officer allowed to sign documents extends down to the humble Residency Certificate.

I needed such a certificate recently, and had everything processed in a matter of minutes: then I was advised to repeat my journey across the city next day to collect the paperwork, as the 'authorised signer' worked at the airport.

I still cost me 500baht!!