E-Channel for Permanent Residents

[Old Man River]

Any PR try to get a Patient card at a government hospital with expired re-entry permits? OMG, I thought they were going to arrest me. They kept talking about the Immigration Police and I said us, I want to see them. Finally, my Dr. who speaks English understood it and things went smoother after that.

He said its kind of an opposite document. You get the re-entry permit to go out first and then re-enter within one year. He is a brilliant man and they understood it then.


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[Old Man River]

If you go through the entrance to the Premium Lane (in between the 2 main immigration halls) there is an Immigration office on the right hand side before the counters. That is where I applied.
Make sure you have the name, address and ID card number of a Thai guarantor (no idea why that is required). You also need at least 6 months remaining on your current re-entry.

And lf you don't have a re-entry permit which PR's are not required to have?


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[Old Man River]

Permanent Residency
With it there is no need for extensions, 90 day reports and etc.

Ubonjoe, the problem I seem to run into is with no re-entry permits, pretty much every Thai (except the Immigration Police) think you are in the country illegally. I really wish some of the seniors would make it known that there is such a thing as a PR and what is needed and not needed. Yesterday, trying to register at a government hospital was a nightmare.


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[onthemoon]

32 minutes ago, Old Man River said:

Ubonjoe, the problem I seem to run into is with no re-entry permits, pretty much every Thai (except the Immigration Police) think you are in the country illegally. I really wish some of the seniors would make it known that there is such a thing as a PR and what is needed and not needed. Yesterday, trying to register at a government hospital was a nightmare.

Show them your pink ID card. Problem solved. Works all the time.

[Old Man River]

Show them your pink ID card. Problem solved. Works all the time.

Where did you get the pink ID card?


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[ubonjoe]

18 minutes ago, Old Man River said:

Where did you get the pink ID card?

You get it at the Amphoe where you are registered in a house book.

[Old Man River]

You get it at the Amphoe where you are registered in a house book.

Thank you.


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[onthemoon]

3 hours ago, Old Man River said:

Where did you get the pink ID card?

 

More about it here: 

 

[scorecard]

On 9/14/2018 at 9:00 PM, onthemoon said:

A few days ago, I went (again) to the counter at Suvarnabhumi and told them that I have a new passport and need to update my auto-channel registration. Upon seeing the new German passport, they advised that the system cannot read it, I'll have to wait for an update. Same answer as a few months ago.

 

I went to the PR counters at CW recently to get my yearly stamps and mentioned that the new German passport cannot be read by the auto-channel machines for whatever reason. The lady I talked to hadn't been aware of it.

 

I am also going to contact the German embassy. I don't know whether they can help, but at least they should be aware of it.

 

If other people also mention this to the PR counters at CW and to the embassy, maybe someone will bring it up with the government. Let's get a ball rolling. If we do not create awareness, nothing will happen.

 

Hopefully 'getting the ball rolling' would also mean that the uto-challem readers are installed at all the other international airports in Thailand.

 

 

[Spinning Dwarf]

Successfully registered for the auto-channel today prior to departing Suvarnabhumi. My first attempt one year ago failed due to "the computers being down". The immigration counter is on "the other side" but the attendants at the auto gate let me through to fill out the form. Required an ID card photocopy of a Thai referee. Took less than 30 minutes and once completed I officially passed immigration through the auto channel. No stamps and I was told no need for the departure/arrival card. 

[beeper]

Congratulations!

 

What passport do you carry?

 

 

 

 

[thedemon]

On 6/11/2018 at 11:59 AM, BKKBike09 said:

^ as per my post from December 2017 I successfully (but not without hassle) renewed my registration in latter part off last year.
 

However, in February this year I had to get a new passport (old one full) and at the same time changed the blue PR book to the white one, since the blue one was also full. I thought it would simple to update my e-channel registration but turns out something has gone wrong somewhere and now, despite 4 attempts at the airport, 2 visits to CW and 2 to the computer division at Suan Phlu, my registration no longer works and there's no sign of them being able to get it fixed. I've asked several times for my e-channel registration to be erased and the details re-eneterd from scratch, but apparently no-one at CW, Suan Phlu or the airport has the ability to do this ...

I've been given various explanations as to why it's not working, none of which have any obvious solution. In fact, a couple of weeks back, after having been told that "it should work now", it transpired that not only does it not work, but now when my passport is scanned by the IO at a manned desk, the record that comes up doesn't properly tally with the passport in some manner, so I'm either pulled off to one side or it takes them 5 minutes to sort it out ...

On my last trip back in I was told by an IO that there had been a software change of some sort back in February and that, since then, the e-channel system for foreigners has been very erratic and that it's also affecting some Singaporeans who have registered (since Singaporean tourist visitors are able to register). I've no way of knowing whether this is true (the software change) but the timing makes sense.

I refuse to go to the back of the queue seeing as how I re-registered for a further two years only months ago, so I have adopted the approach of trying to use the e-channel each time and then, when it doesn't work, using one of the priority or similar manned desks.

 

It's a monumental PITA.

 

Hi BKKBike,

 

Has there been any progress with this? My situation is very similar to yours.

 

[onthemoon]

10 minutes ago, thedemon said:

 

Hi BKKBike,

 

Has there been any progress with this? My situation is very similar to yours.

 

What country passports do you carry?

 

The auto-channel software (or hardware?) cannot read the new German passport (confirmed again two weeks ago, as they actually tried to register me). I haven't heard about problems with other passports.

[BKKBike09]

16 hours ago, onthemoon said:

What country passports do you carry?

 

The auto-channel software (or hardware?) cannot read the new German passport (confirmed again two weeks ago, as they actually tried to register me). I haven't heard about problems with other passports.

British passport. 

 

I tried to register again a week or so back. No joy. This time they did get as far as printing me out a new sticker for my passport (didn't get that far on any previous occasions) but the gates still couldn't read the passport. They helpfully printed me off some screenshots from the immigration system showing what seems to be the issue. It's a long story but the essence is there are records for both my old blue PR book and my current white one, and the numbers are mixed up. Immigration at SVB can't fix this; has to be CW. I knew about this issue from previous visits to CW but thought it had been fixed. Apparently not, so I will try and find time to go back to CW next week. Ho hum.

[onthemoon]

10 hours ago, BKKBike09 said:

British passport. 

 

I tried to register again a week or so back. No joy. This time they did get as far as printing me out a new sticker for my passport (didn't get that far on any previous occasions) but the gates still couldn't read the passport. They helpfully printed me off some screenshots from the immigration system showing what seems to be the issue. It's a long story but the essence is there are records for both my old blue PR book and my current white one, and the numbers are mixed up. Immigration at SVB can't fix this; has to be CW. I knew about this issue from previous visits to CW but thought it had been fixed. Apparently not, so I will try and find time to go back to CW next week. Ho hum.

Wow, so this is a software problem. I hope they can actually fix it in CW and then you can use the auto channel. Looking forward to your update in due course.

 

Does anybody else who carries a passport other than the new German one have problems?

[thedemon]

Mine is a New Zealand passport. Yes it's a software issue, at least in my case it has nothing to do with reading the data from the passport.

 

I initially registered at the beginning of 2016 and had no problems using the machines for almost the next 2 years. During that time I had changed my PR book because it was full (it still fills up with stamps because I normally only use Auto-Channel for entry, not exit) but I couldn't see any point telling airport immigration about the change because the system kept working fine.

 

When it was time to  renew for another 2 years there was a problem because they had to update the PR book number (much as described by BKKBike). They tried and failed a couple of times and told me the issue was that my current passport number was tied to the old PR book number and couldn't be unlinked because the software is crap (pretty much their words) and there would be no solution until the software was updated by their IT contractors. On a subsequent trip out of Suvarnabhumi I had plenty of time before boarding so decided to give it another go. This time was a different officer, a lady that seemed to know what she was doing. After 20 mins she handed my passport back, showed the new sticker and said all done. Great! It worked. Unfortunately though, that passport was close to full. That was about 6-8 months ago.

 

So a couple months ago ago I renewed my passport and on the next trip visited them again to have that registered in the system. This time several officers spent almost an hour in that little room next to the Auto-Channel gates and I had photo and fingerprints taken again. Then they asked me to test it. I scanned my passport, no problem. Scanned the boarding pass, no problem. The first gate opened. Then did the fingerprint scan and photo, no go. The 2nd gate wouldn't open. They tried but couldn't fix it. I was told that when my last endorsement/re-entry was done at CW, that is when the old passport and PR book were linked and the new passport number could only be entered by CW, can't be done at the airport.......apparently. I was sceptical about that because of my last experience with the new PR book.

 

A week later, leaving again I had another go. (they always seem to be different officers at that counter whenever I go). I played dumb and just said there is some problem with my passport and the Auto-channel. What followed was basically a repeat of the last attempt with the same result - Go to CW and ask them to transfer your re-entry to the new passport!. I told the officer that CW are hardly likely to change the way they have done things for the past 50 years just because I ask them to so can they at least give me a letter or a note that I can present to the PR section at CW to try to convince them. That lady officer then sighed and said "OK, I'll tell you the true situation. CW already know about this problem and it's not only you affected. There are many others". It was clear from her that there isn't much cooperation between the airport and PR section. She said that she doesn't know whether CW can't fix the problem or if they just won't (can't be arsed, probably). So I said to her "that's it then, I should just give up". She just shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head.

 

So far though I have wasted quite a bit of time on this, it's mostly dead time between check-in and boarding anyway. I really can't be bothered going out to CW for this. Probably I'll keep hassling immigration at the airport - just for a bit of sport. If anyone has anymore info, I would love to hear it. Likewise I will come back to this thread if there is anything to report. Sorry if this story is long winded. Cheers!

 

 

[onthemoon]

Thanks for your report. It appears the IT contractor is really not up to the task they got the contract for.

 

I'm going to contact CW next week what or so to ask their plan is to fix this. They cannot just say that the contractor doesn't do their job and then shrug their shoulders.

[Spinning Dwarf]

On 10/12/2018 at 3:51 AM, beeper said:

Congratulations!

 

What passport do you carry?

 

 

 

 

Canadian passport.

[BKKBike09]

On 10/13/2018 at 2:33 PM, thedemon said:

Probably I'll keep hassling immigration at the airport - just for a bit of sport.

Good on you mate. Me too! You have to love the "will it, won't it" anticipation as each new set of people diligently tries to help. At least they're trying, bless them. All the folk I've dealt with at the airport, CW, Suan Plu have been very friendly. The CW ones know that I've applied for Thai citizenship and last time they were joking that I'll probably get that before the e-gate issue is sorted ...

 

Perhaps we can get 'Big Joke' on the case. 

[Haddo]

I'm a permanent resident - UK passport holder - and just renewed my e-channel/e-gate access at Suvarnabhumi this morning as I was leaving (25 October). The autoChannel sticker had expired (after 2 years), and I'd got a new passport.

It was very quick - took about 10-15 mins - and all they needed was the new and old passports and my permanent residents book and I had to stand in front of their special camera. Tested straight after and worked fine.

 

[onthemoon]

18 hours ago, Haddo said:

I'm a permanent resident - UK passport holder - and just renewed my e-channel/e-gate access at Suvarnabhumi this morning as I was leaving (25 October). The autoChannel sticker had expired (after 2 years), and I'd got a new passport.

It was very quick - took about 10-15 mins - and all they needed was the new and old passports and my permanent residents book and I had to stand in front of their special camera. Tested straight after and worked fine.

Good to hear. That's how it should be.

[thedemon]

21 hours ago, Haddo said:

I'm a permanent resident - UK passport holder - and just renewed my e-channel/e-gate access at Suvarnabhumi this morning as I was leaving (25 October). The autoChannel sticker had expired (after 2 years), and I'd got a new passport.

It was very quick - took about 10-15 mins - and all they needed was the new and old passports and my permanent residents book and I had to stand in front of their special camera. Tested straight after and worked fine.

 

 

My 2 year renewal also worked initially but registering my new passport didn't. As near as I can tell, it is registering both a new PR (blue/white) book and passport that the system can't handle. At the airport, immigration say that it is CW that needs to modify whatever needs modifying.

 

I also had my photo taken again by the special camera. It was night time and the special camera's flash wasn't bright enough. I had to hold my own phone selfie style so that the flashlight could illuminate my face sufficiently to take the photo. 

 

Anyway great that it is working for you. Thanks for the update.

[Sydebolle]

Where exactly at Suvannaphum airport is the registration desk; holding PR with all the papers 

[thedemon]

40 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Where exactly at Suvannaphum airport is the registration desk; holding PR with all the papers 

 

You can register at either departures or arrivals.

 

At departures it is the counter with a seating area immediately past the immigration booths. The same general area where overstay fines are paid.

 

At arrivals head towards the Premium immigration hall. That is the one with a yellow/gold archway in between the 2 main halls. Go through the entrance and just before you reach the booths there is an immigration office on the right hand side.

[rimmae2]

Renewed my e-channel access in 2 mins earlier this week at Suvarnhabumi. Form and copy of ID of Thai person not required; photo and fingerprint also not required. This was done in same passport and Blue book so no complications.

[beeper]

What passport do you hold?


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[rimmae2]

British and renewal was given for about 32 months.

[thedemon]

56 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

So I tried this on return to Suvarnabhumi. And the kind gentleman at the immigration booth for Thai passports told me there is no such thing and that it only applies to passports from Hong Kong and Singapore.

 

Anyone else tried this?

 

I was in a hurry on the way out of the country from being stuck in the queue forever, so I only managed to ask the immigration information counter after passing the check already - and the ladies there told me the same - Hong Kong and Singapore only.

 

But those already have ability to go to the eChannel anyway.

 

Is there any official information available for this? Something I can show to Swampy immigration next time they tell me it's not applicable to me? That's while holding my PR blue book in their hands...

 

I think you may have been unlucky to get the wrong officer or maybe you were asking at the wrong place. I am on my second renewal and have never had that happen. 

 

At departures go to the counter directly after the immigration booths, where overstay fines are paid. At arrivals go to the office which is in the premium immigration hall which is in between the 2 main halls.

 

In case it happens again, here is a scan of the sticker in my passport. Maybe you can print that out and say you want one of those.

 

[rimmae2]

I would concur with previous post and probably you were unlucky in that the person(s) were not familiar with autochannel for PR holders and did not direct you to someone who was. It has been available for much longer than for holders of passports from HK and Singapore (also I think that there may be separate gates for these passport holders).

 

When I originally registered for autochannel and recently renewed it, I passed Immigration at TG Fast Track and then went to the counter mentioned. The staff that dealt with me knew exactly what to do and were very professional, knowedgeable and quick.

 

I think if you take a copy of the photo sent by previous poster you should have no problems.

[beeper]

Hi have been having the same issue with my new German passport as well since Oct last year. System cannot read the data page when trying to set up new PP.  Also being told that SW update is "coming" since then.
 
Very frustrating especially that at the manned IO stations there are no more queues for "Thai passports only"  when leaving. When arriving I ALWAYS go to the right for VIP, BIZ class, special needs.  Never got any questions or problems doing that

I have now gotten new white book aka residence certificate, re-entry permit and endorsement with same German passport.

Does anybody know if the problem of echannel SW not being able to read latest German Passport data page has been fixed?

I am so looking forward to being able to re-register to go through E gates at BKK (after being able to with previous passport)


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