Interview about new Chiangmai Immigration office

[davidcnx]

Some interesting comments here, particularly the positive ones! I agree that the Chiang Mai Immigration office is getting worse, instead of better. The obvious strategy, if they wanted to be more efficient, would have been to extend the queue online appointments from 10 to 30 or 40 a day! Of course, they know that very well, themselves, but it's much more to their financial advantage to force the elderly into the arms of agents.

I know that the more people put pressure on their embassies, the more the embassies will put pressure on Immigration. The Australian Embassy, may have given just a short "diplomatic" reply, but I got a long and personal reply from a consul at one of the most important G8 embassies ( I wrote to several), telling me that they were well aware of the issue and planning to do all they can, including more meetings, in conjunction with other embassies in Bangkok and consulates here in Chiang Mai.

I was surprised to hear even the Thai staff at my own consulate here, also G8, openly criticise Immigration, so it's not just farang who feel that the Chiang Mai office is deliberately indecent in its treatment of the elderly.

Remember, we retirees are generally pretty well-off and bring a lot of purchasing power...and taxation revenue...when we come here to live longterm. Farang husbands in Isaan, for example, are a major boost to the local economy and I imagine that the positive effect on the Chiang Mai economy is also considerable.....and, if there's one thing Thais understand, it's the power of money!

If enough retirees continue to protest to their embassies and consulates about ill treatment at the Chiang Mai Immigration office, it will continue to put pressure on them to force Immigration to improve. It's human nature to do nothing for as long as you can get away with it and then give in when the pressure becomes too great and too constant and too embarrassing at a political level.

Finally, please remember, if you do nothing, you get nothing in return, as you deserve....or, to put it more positively, " The squeaky wheel gets the oil"!

By the way, if you're one of those sour old farang who prefer to whinge and whine, rather that do something proactive, please don't bother to reply!

[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.

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.

Nancy the old office had two officers and they were shooting for 50 applications a day. they took in far more than just retirement extensions. The on line Queue was being used for other than just the Retirement extensions As you well know there was only 5,250 of those last year 50 a day would be in the 11,000 appointments a year range while the 10 a day on line queue would be in the 3,000 a year range. Yes it is a new thing to complain to the Embassies and conciliates but as has been noted it has been done and they have done so. What good has it done us? Do people really think that Chiang Mai is that big a deal to the immigration people that they are going to let the Embassies and conciliates if some countries even have one here influence the way that one office is handled? It is not like it was a Thailand wide problem.

The only real harm done us has been the waiting for the official signature the rest is just the same. Apparently the Marriage are the same line up at 6:00 in the morning or earlier. Not sure who was using the two officers at the airport but less than half at 50 a day were using them for retirement extensions. People at the airport office were being told to come back tomorrow same as the Promenada. In short nothing has really changed other than location for certain services and as you said the wait for the signature. Well better waiting conditions and bathrooms at the new location. Oh yes they have not got a proper queue reader board system so you know where you are on the line up.

I would like to hear answers to questions like what happens when they have seen the 20 on the queue do they give more numbers. My experience there was at 1:30 in the afternoon and I was explicitly told they only give 20 a day. do they not keep in touch with the officer doing the applications to see if they can issue more numbers or is it like you said the one person was just wandering around on their own and happened to notice there was no one at the station and the officer was just sitting there so on there own they went up to him and he said sit down no problem.

Is that going in to the plans or are they going to leave it like it is?

Do you really think 10 out of 50 for an online appointment was an efficient system? I use the number 50 because that is what the fellow sitting at the back desk told me they tried for. That particular day I was number 60 and there was one more behind me for a total of 61 people served that day and only ten of them had appointments.

[NancyL]

NorthernJohn, at the old office, the supervisor was on-site. The supervisor was almost always available to approve retirement extensions, unless in a meeting. Yes, they had two officers and often they did more than just retirement extensions, depending on the workload. They don't have that flexibility at the new Imm. Prom office. They start out the day with 20 queue tickets and then when 20 are done for the day, that's it. It's just luck if someone comes in and they agree to process their application. But that person will have to come back the next day because the 20 applications for the day have probably already been sent over to the old office for approval.

If there was a supervisor with signature authority at the new office, then the officer processing applications would be able to take more applications if he had a "good day" and got done with the quota of 20 early. Also, all 20 people wouldn't have to wait until he was done processing everyone for the entire batch to be approved by the supervisor.

Right now, tourist visa extensions don't have to be approved by a higher authority. The officers at Prom. have the authority to approve a 30 day tourist visa extension and the tourists are in-and-out in a fairly short timeframe. It would be nice if the retirees were too.

Complaining to the Embassies is new and just starting to get their attention. I think you're wrong to discourage people from giving first-hand accounts of treatment they've received to their Embassies. It takes a number of reports to get the attention of the Embassies.

You're right -- it's not a Thailand-wide problem. That's the point. We're not receiving equal treatment here in Chiang Mai. Yet, various Thai gov't agencies are promoting Thailand as a retirement destination and Chiang Mai is consistently listed as one of the top retirement destinations in the world. Is there a "disconnect" here? Why is the Thai Ministry of Commerce, Tourist Authority, Province of Chiang Mai, Thai Chamber of Commerce and other organizations spending vast sums of money to encourage foreigners to retire to Thailand knowing the statistics about how many will come to Chiang Mai only to encounter what? Welcome to Thailand --- 14 hours at Imm Prom?

Our Embassies have the ear of the Thai officials who are trying to encourage people from their countries to retire to Thailand. Wouldn't it be good if they were asking "so what's going on at the Chiang Mai Immigration office?" How else are they going to know unless you write concise emails of your personal experiences. Don't flatter yourself that they read thru hundreds of posts of whines, cat-fights and conjuncture on this forum. They do read signed emails from their citizens.

[northernjohn]

NorthernJohn, at the old office, the supervisor was on-site. The supervisor was almost always available to approve retirement extensions, unless in a meeting. Yes, they had two officers and often they did more than just retirement extensions, depending on the workload. They don't have that flexibility at the new Imm. Prom office. They start out the day with 20 queue tickets and then when 20 are done for the day, that's it. It's just luck if someone comes in and they agree to process their application. But that person will have to come back the next day because the 20 applications for the day have probably already been sent over to the old office for approval.

If there was a supervisor with signature authority at the new office, then the officer processing applications would be able to take more applications if he had a "good day" and got done with the quota of 20 early. Also, all 20 people wouldn't have to wait until he was done processing everyone for the entire batch to be approved by the supervisor.

Right now, tourist visa extensions don't have to be approved by a higher authority. The officers at Prom. have the authority to approve a 30 day tourist visa extension and the tourists are in-and-out in a fairly short timeframe. It would be nice if the retirees were too.

Complaining to the Embassies is new and just starting to get their attention. I think you're wrong to discourage people from giving first-hand accounts of treatment they've received to their Embassies. It takes a number of reports to get the attention of the Embassies.

You're right -- it's not a Thailand-wide problem. That's the point. We're not receiving equal treatment here in Chiang Mai. Yet, various Thai gov't agencies are promoting Thailand as a retirement destination and Chiang Mai is consistently listed as one of the top retirement destinations in the world. Is there a "disconnect" here? Why is the Thai Ministry of Commerce, Tourist Authority, Province of Chiang Mai, Thai Chamber of Commerce and other organizations spending vast sums of money to encourage foreigners to retire to Thailand knowing the statistics about how many will come to Chiang Mai only to encounter what? Welcome to Thailand --- 14 hours at Imm Prom?

Our Embassies have the ear of the Thai officials who are trying to encourage people from their countries to retire to Thailand. Wouldn't it be good if they were asking "so what's going on at the Chiang Mai Immigration office?" How else are they going to know unless you write concise emails of your personal experiences. Don't flatter yourself that they read thru hundreds of posts of whines, cat-fights and conjuncture on this forum. They do read signed emails from their citizens.

I completely agreed with you on the signature. But I noticed you did not respond to the numbers I was given as to how many they were seeing a day. Using your number for retirement extension only they are just about the same as they were at the airport. Nothing has really changed in that respect. People were told to come back tomorrow at the airport and they are told to come back tomorrow at the Promenada. As I said the communication between the ones handing out the queue numbers and the officer doing the work could be improved. Also I notice you do not disagree with me on the number of on line appointments being inefficient at 10 when they are seeing 50 a day. I point these things out so people will know the facts. As it is we only here from a few and over and over and over again point out how smart they are to get an on line appointment.

As for promoting Chiang Ma as a place to retire to if the once a year extension is that bad don't come here there are lot's of places in Thailand that do not have this problem. Why Chiang Mai I have no idea. Being in the middle of Shinawatra land I would have thought these things would have been sorted out years ago.

As was mentioned on one of the earlier posts the American's have talked to immigration about it. Nothing changes we are not that big a deal to Thailand. It is not like every office was as bad off as we are. Why us I have no idea.

My only hope is that as time progresses and they learn through their own experience that they can do it a better way we will see changes. I don't know if many people have noticed but telling a Thai he is doing it wrong and here is how you do it is not a good idea.

Hopefully things will go back to normal and the once a month Saturday program you have set up will come back and help us out. I forget is that for every one or just CME members.

[thai006]

Last time at the old immigration got online meet at 1h30 pm. She take me at 1h15 pm and at 1h30 pm i was outside ... It was perfect. Next week i will go at 4h30 to be number one and finish early.

[Trujillo]

Residency Certificates can be obtained by any nationality at the huge building across from Promenada, where all the Burmese folks are processed. It is processed and returned the following day (no exceptions).

[Tywais]

Residency Certificates can be obtained by any nationality at the huge building across from Promenada, where all the Burmese folks are processed. It is processed and returned the following day (no exceptions).

Recent reports say it is now at Promenada also near the one stop service.

[NancyL]

Residency Certificates can be obtained by any nationality at the huge building across from Promenada, where all the Burmese folks are processed. It is processed and returned the following day (no exceptions).

They changed this recently where now Residency Certificates are done at the Promenada location. But you still have to return the next day to pick them up.

[Mapguy]

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!

You apparently have nothing but your personal dissatisfaction and hearsay to rely upon. You also are deluded about how consular services work and ambassadorial relations generally proceed with a host country.

[Mapguy]

Some interesting comments here, particularly the positive ones! I agree that the Chiang Mai Immigration office is getting worse, instead of better. The obvious strategy, if they wanted to be more efficient, would have been to extend the queue online appointments from 10 to 30 or 40 a day! Of course, they know that very well, themselves, but it's much more to their financial advantage to force the elderly into the arms of agents.

I know that the more people put pressure on their embassies, the more the embassies will put pressure on Immigration. The Australian Embassy, may have given just a short "diplomatic" reply, but I got a long and personal reply from a consul at one of the most important G8 embassies ( I wrote to several), telling me that they were well aware of the issue and planning to do all they can, including more meetings, in conjunction with other embassies in Bangkok and consulates here in Chiang Mai.

I was surprised to hear even the Thai staff at my own consulate here, also G8, openly criticise Immigration, so it's not just farang who feel that the Chiang Mai office is deliberately indecent in its treatment of the elderly.

Remember, we retirees are generally pretty well-off and bring a lot of purchasing power...and taxation revenue...when we come here to live longterm. Farang husbands in Isaan, for example, are a major boost to the local economy and I imagine that the positive effect on the Chiang Mai economy is also considerable.....and, if there's one thing Thais understand, it's the power of money!

If enough retirees continue to protest to their embassies and consulates about ill treatment at the Chiang Mai Immigration office, it will continue to put pressure on them to force Immigration to improve. It's human nature to do nothing for as long as you can get away with it and then give in when the pressure becomes too great and too constant and too embarrassing at a political level.

Finally, please remember, if you do nothing, you get nothing in return, as you deserve....or, to put it more positively, " The squeaky wheel gets the oil"!

By the way, if you're one of those sour old farang who prefer to whinge and whine, rather that do something proactive, please don't bother to reply!

Somehow, when I read your posts and consider what is going on in Eurasia these days I wonder about your sense of proportion.

[Mapguy]

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.

Sorry, NancyL, you apparently have not been around long enough to know that ambassadorial meetings with Immigration have been going on periodically for quite some time, even meetings in which a few consular representatives have met together with ministry officials.

[NancyL]

Mapguy, you are woefully out-of-the-loop these days. I think DavidCNX's posts are a much more accurate description of just what's going on right now.

Yes, of course, Ambassadorial meetings between Immigration, and more importantly higher level departments like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have been going on regularly for years. But, rarely do they get to the level of detail of discussing "so why is it that retirees in Chiang Mai have to arrive at 4 am to queue for retirement extensions and aren't done until 4 pm? Why is this problem limited to Chiang Mai and no other province?" or "Why was the on-line queue taken done rather than improved" But, I can assure you that some Ambassadors are beginning to notice due to emails and more will as more emails arrive.

[evenstevens]

the zoo has given the C.E.C. the cold shoulder,again

now they embark on another mission impossible, asking us to protest ( in writing ) through our embassys

if they kept their running noses out of the zoo,s business (,and most expat,s as well)

perhaps the zoo will engage a few more game keepers to handle the present day workload etc etc

but as most old timers would say ..wishful thinking

find other alternatives

a crisp beautiful morning to all

[NancyL]

I fail to understand your logic evenstevens. How is it that by leaving Immigration alone they will engage a few more, as you call them "game keepers"? What exactly has CEC or for that matter, the local Consuls done that have prevented them from hiring a few more "game keepers"?

And what other alternatives do you suggest when you said "find other alternatives" ?

Oh wait, I know! Is it to use visa agents?

Based on the descriptions in another thread of the chaos that surrounds the road show of your Australian Embassy visits to Chiang Mai, it's a wonder you aren't encouraging visa agents to get involved in that process.

[evenstevens]

Based on the descriptions in another thread of the chaos that surrounds the road show of your Australian Embassy visits to Chiang Mai, it's a wonder you aren't encouraging visa agents to get involved in that process.

chaos ??? a bit of a wait is the way i read it, but all done within one day

sure beats a return trip to bangkok to do the same,not too mention travelling expenses, does, nt it ????

our embassy will not allow visa agents to hold our hands at their road show, just illustrates your very poor knowledge in our part of the world, yet u can wrongly comment on it

keep them coming!!!!

[Lizard2010]

What i can nor understand with Immigratuin

They built a new Building to use for Burmese plus a few other matters

Then they started to use Promenada

With the Old Immigration still working

I am no genius

But why not have the One Stop At The New Building

What a Waste

Plus i bet that they only have 1 Supervisor to look after the 3 Sites

Unfortunately most of us think The Western Way

This is how we were taught

This is the Thailand way which causes these situations

Maybe One Day this may change

Might take a year or two

Just my thoughts on this matter

Edited November 8, 2015 by Lizard2010

[NancyL]

Based on the descriptions in another thread of the chaos that surrounds the road show of your Australian Embassy visits to Chiang Mai, it's a wonder you aren't encouraging visa agents to get involved in that process.

chaos ??? a bit of a wait is the way i read it, but all done within one day

sure beats a return trip to bangkok to do the same,not too mention travelling expenses, does, nt it ????

our embassy will not allow visa agents to hold our hands at their road show, just illustrates your very poor knowledge in our part of the world, yet u can wrongly comment on it

keep them coming!!!!

Just reporting what I read from your fellow countrymen:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/868499-australian-embassy-road-show-cmai-911/?p=10052197

And have a nice day, dearie!

[CMNightRider]

the zoo has given the C.E.C. the cold shoulder,again

now they embark on another mission impossible, asking us to protest ( in writing ) through our embassys

if they kept their running noses out of the zoo,s business (,and most expat,s as well)

perhaps the zoo will engage a few more game keepers to handle the present day workload etc etc

but as most old timers would say ..wishful thinking

find other alternatives

a crisp beautiful morning to all

If you are content with getting up at zero dark thirty to spend the day at immigration or having to hire a visa agent to get you into immigration without all the unnecessary drama, then relax. Most expats can see what should be a simple task of reporting to immigration at a reasonable time and being processed in a timely manner is being impeded for obvious reasons and has nothing to do with anyone in Bangkok. I believe it is a good idea to share negative immigration experiences with your consulates, and write about them on ThaiVisa.

[Trujillo]

Lizard2010 -- I don't think immigration built the large building you speak of. It appears that they are renting, but most likely only part of the building -- as you say, it is enormous; big enough for everything and everyone that immigration could possibly service, including the Burmese workers.

Like you, when I first went in there, to get a housing report, I was amazed at the size of the place and how most of it was empty. I don't know what the rent is for Promenada (I'd guess they would pretty much let immigration stay in their little cubbyhole for next to nothing because of the customer draw it creates), but one has to wonder what the situation is with the big building.

[northernjohn]

What i can nor understand with Immigratuin

They built a new Building to use for Burmese plus a few other matters

Then they started to use Promenada

With the Old Immigration still working

I am no genius

But why not have the One Stop At The New Building

What a Waste

Plus i bet that they only have 1 Supervisor to look after the 3 Sites

Unfortunately most of us think The Western Way

This is how we were taught

This is the Thailand way which causes these situations

Maybe One Day this may change

Might take a year or two

Just my thoughts on this matter

It's going to take more than a year or two to change peoples minds on how the Thai's do things.

It is the Thailand way which causes these situations. the people love it so much that they move here because of the Thailand way. That even includes the drug addicted bar fly sexoholics

[connda]

the zoo has given the C.E.C. the cold shoulder,again

now they embark on another mission impossible, asking us to protest ( in writing ) through our embassys

if they kept their running noses out of the zoo,s business (,and most expat,s as well)

perhaps the zoo will engage a few more game keepers to handle the present day workload etc etc

but as most old timers would say ..wishful thinking

find other alternatives

a crisp beautiful morning to all

If you are content with getting up at zero dark thirty to spend the day at immigration or having to hire a visa agent to get you into immigration without all the unnecessary drama, then relax. Most expats can see what should be a simple task of reporting to immigration at a reasonable time and being processed in a timely manner is being impeded for obvious reasons and has nothing to do with anyone in Bangkok. I believe it is a good idea to share negative immigration experiences with your consulates, and write about them on ThaiVisa.

I agree. We really need forum members to share their experiences, both good and bad. It is one of the ways we can get a realistic assessment of CM Immigration's services and customer services.

If one person has a problem but no one else does, it's a one-off problem.

If a number of people are having the same problem, than it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

This forum and other forums regarding CM Immigration are essentially were we can document and collect individual member's experiences so that at a later date, if necessary, we can go back, data-mine the responses and research, collate, and categorize the issues that we are having.

So getting experiential information from expats that go to Immigration is important.

[Tywais]

[prism]

Time Table.jpg

And queue time...

[NancyL]

And the time after your "processing" until your signed passport is returned to you.

Man-oh-man this sign is a joke. It's a new sign. Clearly meant to throw off the Consuls, Ambassadors and gov't officials from other Thai agencies as they do their "inspection visits" at 11:30 am or 1:30 pm on their way to or from lunch in the mall. ("Problem, what problem? Can't you see how short the processing times are?")

Please folks, write to your Consuls and Embassies about the REAL wait times at CM Immigration.

[worgeordie]

Time Table.jpg

They are just taking the piss.

regards Worgeordie

[mamborobert]

​

Before people start writing to their consul or embassy about the situation at the local CM Immigration office perhaps they ought to do some research as to how temporary migrants are treated in their own country and this may modify their tone and or expected level of response.

Irish Ctizens may want to note that it is not unusual for several hundred people (including elderly and children) to wait overnight in Dublin...outside...in the rain or worse.

Those at the top of the queue camped out overnight, arriving at 12am to ensure they would receive one of the sought-after tickets from the GNIB office.

The issue of the length of queues has been on ongoing source of controversy as people are forced to stand on the street for hours, with some turned away and told to return the following day in the event of the office closing.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/garda-measures-aim-to-tackle-long-visa-queues-1.2369711

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/hundreds-queue-overnight-irish-visas-6515289

UK Citizens may want to chase up about the registration/reporting issues

­ We do not operate an appointment system it is first come, first served. It may not always be possible to see everybody waiting in the queue due to the sheer volume of people you may be asked to return the following day.

Presently we are experiencing an extremely high level of demand. This is resulting in very long queues outside the Overseas Visitors Registration Office. Please ensure that you bring suitable clothing and refreshments to make your wait as comfortable as possible.

https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/advice-centre/help-and-advice/overseas-visitor-registration/index.aspx

Australian Citizens may want to look at the processing times for a Retirement Visa (405 Temporary) requiresa 500k AUD investment and you must be over 55 etc etc and certainly takes several weeks if not months when you take into account health, character and state sponsorship arrangements.....certainly not knocked off in a day or two like CM.

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/405-

Decency and the need to keep posts below best seller length precludes me from commenting on US Immigration treatment of lawful prospective temporary migrants. I understand the Donald has a few ideas to improve the service though.

How many complained about the treatment of temporary migrants in their own country when they were there?

If governments work on elements of equity in treatment of foreign nationals (and that is what we are here) then perhaps it might be quicker and easier to have your own government address how it treats people before having their representatives in Thailand press for a much higher standard.

We have a dream situation here and if they actually examined the visa the situation could be far worse or better (less applicants for one leading to quicker processing).The 800k baht has not changed for eons, is not really investigated, and there are agents/companies who will work around this. God knows what would happen if this were increased or policed/assessed properly or other changes such as health or character, like criminal checks as most countries do for long term residents.

Dealing with Thai immigration in a retiree capacity is an absolute doddle compared to many (read most) western countries.

By all means complain but please have realistic expectations.

Edited November 8, 2015 by mamborobert

[TheAppletons]

​

Before people start writing to their consul or embassy about the “situation” at the local CM Immigration office perhaps they ought to do some research as to how temporary migrants are treated in their own country and this may modify their tone and or expected level of response.......

<snip>

Completely irrelevant to the issue of substandard performance in this particular office only. This isn't a political response by the CM Immigration office - it's about secondary income.

(mamborobert's original post shortened for formatting brevity.)

[mamborobert]

TheAppletons, you might be skating close to the line on that one, but even if you are suggesting some form of wrongdoing surely now is the time to address that with new Thai anti corruption body rather than consulates or embassies and presumably you have evidence of the secondary income statement? Myself I just put it down to incompetence in general and that expats are not a priority.....and I like that for the most part.

Differential treatment in immigration offices within a country is not in itself unusual. Hell, look at the different deals Thai consulates will do abroad.

Thai immigration in CM is not solely set up for expat retirees. They have other tasks as well and no doubt like all agencies worldwide prioritise and some people unfortunately are not the priority. If you think it is shady deal issues then now is the time to write to the good General with your evidence.

I have not seen any evidence before and presume this secondary income argument is not being advanced formerly by say the Expat Club to consulates or Thai immigration?

Edited November 8, 2015 by mamborobert

[moe666]

foarly a

TheAppletons, you might be skating close to the line on that one, but even if you are suggesting some form of wrongdoing surely now is the time to address that with new Thai anti corruption body rather than consulates or embassies and presumably you have evidence of the secondary income statement? Myself I just put it down to incompetence in general and that expats are not a priority.....and I like that for the most part.

Differential treatment in immigration offices within a country is not in itself unusual. Hell, look at the different deals Thai consulates will do abroad.

Thai immigration in CM is not solely set up for expat retirees. They have other tasks as well and no doubt like all agencies worldwide prioritise and some people unfortunately are not the priority. If you think it is shady deal issues then now is the time to write to the good General with your evidence.

I have not seen any evidence before and presume this secondary income argument is not being advanced formerly by say the Expat Club to consulates or Thai immigration?

Early morning lines are not new to CM immigration unless you had a reservation people Qed up at 5 am to get a spot for a extension of stay. I spent a few times standing in the parking lot at the old office. Yes, and they had agents there as well

[NancyL]

Yes, but back in the days when people queued up at 5 am, they also had an on-line queue, at least 2 Immigration agents processing retirement extensions each day and a supervisor on-site to approve the applications. All that has changed since the move to Prom. Why the change? You can hardly blame the conspiracy theorists like the Appletons.

And it's not about comparing the service at Imm. Prom. with how political refugees are treated in our own countries, it's about how other foreign retirees are treated in other Thai provinces and how Thai people are treated when they apply for Thai gov't services like drivers licenses and passports.