Chiang Mai Immigration Nightmare

[HenryB]

Still knocking G4t but were cheaper and easier to use

We need G4T back in business

No, what we want is for everybody to be able to turn up at immigration, in office hours & get their visa business sorted without having to pay some "third" party to "jump" the queue for them. How hard is it to photocopy the correct papers, fill in a form & have your photo taken at one of several hundred photo shops around town?

Would be rather nice if all of those using an "Agent" simply get shunted to the back of the queue, to be dealt with AFTER all the REAL PEOPLE have

been attended to.

Now G4T out of business

But the more Expensive and harder to use Agents are in still in Business

Tell me how we gained?

You might have if your Thai Family owns them

Edited November 22, 2015 by HenryB

[personchester]

No need to use agents unless some fellows are unable to move to Immigration for health reason..

One is accepted to go to the new immigration office in C.M. for the annual Visa application 45 days before the end of the current Visa, or any days up to the last day of the current Visa..

The Immigration office accept not more than 20 Visa applicants daily, and they suggest that applicants should arrive early in the morning (6 AM / 7 AM) in order to be part of the accepting 20 daily applicants.

This is alright, no problem.

[elgordo38]

Still knocking G4t but were cheaper and easier to use

We need G4T back in business

No, what we want is for everybody to be able to turn up at immigration, in office hours & get their visa business sorted without having to pay some "third" party to "jump" the queue for them. How hard is it to photocopy the correct papers, fill in a form & have your photo taken at one of several hundred photo shops around town?

Would be rather nice if all of those using an "Agent" simply get shunted to the back of the queue, to be dealt with AFTER all the REAL PEOPLE have

been attended to.

It is not the cost of the agent that bothers me so much it is the fact that we are becoming a society that can no longer do things for ourselves. We are being like in so many avenues of life today channeled into a direction by a 3 rd party who may be working for a profit on behest of the 2nd party. I use the term may be but it has been hinted at by previous posters. We are loosing our choices. We are being channeled as voters customers and that is but to name a few. We are hooked on cheap credit to buy "things" We have all these Apps now its no wonder we are getting fat we don't do nothing. When I look back at how my ancestors survived I shake my head in wonderment. I understand one of my ancestors walked out the door in New York state to visit a relative in Ontario, Canada walking all the way. I am surprised someone has not invented a machine that wipes our backside after we do our daily duty. The only part of my body that gets excersize today is my brain sitting here pounding out words on TV. I have long given up bending my arms to put a bottle to my mouth

Edited November 22, 2015 by elgordo38

[elgordo38]

Is this Visa Agent phenomena only happening in Chiang Mai?

Good question.

There is a thread in the General forums that asked about immigration in the rest of Thailand. Apparently there was no complaints. My friend who lived in Pattaya did his own and said they had a sign there guaranteeing service in 1/2 hour. He didn't say any thing about what happens if they take longer.

If no complaints I would take it to mean people were happy with the service they were getting. If they didn't have to go in for the picture I can understand some busy or well off people using an agent. But in they must go.

Somebody is getting the "gold mine" and we are getting the shaft. The above poster explains it all. Everybody else in Thailand seems happy but us. Strange? And now the immigration service has "disappeared?" Maybe the Gods have finally spoken.

It certainly seems as if Chiang Mai has carte blanche to operate differently from all other immigration bureaus.

I think we are situated in the "out of favor" zone.

[elgordo38]

Still knocking G4t but were cheaper and easier to use

We need G4T back in business

No, what we want is for everybody to be able to turn up at immigration, in office hours & get their visa business sorted without having to pay some "third" party to "jump" the queue for them. How hard is it to photocopy the correct papers, fill in a form & have your photo taken at one of several hundred photo shops around town?

"specialness" goes to a lot of expats heads from what ive seen. hss to do with a lot of focus on money over here and increased spending power.

soon after we start seeing a lot of trivial complaints, even inability to stand in line.

similar things occur with spoiled rich kids in the usa

????? and he even got a like on this one incredible.

[slipperylobster]

It was all just so incredibly painful..in Chiang Mai.

I don't know why anyone would try to post a positive experience. We physically went there (near the airport) and there was absolutely no parking, the chairs were weak/broken or unavailable, standing room only, My organized papers were placed by me on the counter and the officer swiped them to the side, shouting something about a date being wrong (took quite a while to reorganize them)... and 4 or 5 hours to get the final signature.

LOL .....back in UDON....thank goodness. The luxury of having an efficient immigration office...wow

Edited November 22, 2015 by slipperylobster

[NancyL]

Still knocking G4t but were cheaper and easier to use

We need G4T back in business

No, what we want is for everybody to be able to turn up at immigration, in office hours & get their visa business sorted without having to pay some "third" party to "jump" the queue for them. How hard is it to photocopy the correct papers, fill in a form & have your photo taken at one of several hundred photo shops around town?

Would be rather nice if all of those using an "Agent" simply get shunted to the back of the queue, to be dealt with AFTER all the REAL PEOPLE have

been attended to.

Now G4T out of business

But the more Expensive and harder to use Agents are in still in Business

Tell me how we gained?

You might have if your Thai Family owns them

G4T is not out-of-business. They are operating from an unmarked table set up outside their old office. At least that was the report as of Friday.

If you want to work with a reliable visa agent, with a real office, website, someone who answers the phone and emails professionally then you can use one of the higher priced visa agents in town. If you want the low-cost services of G4T then you can go to Imm. Prom and look for the table. If something's changed that day, or if a big-wig is expected for an inspection tour -- they might be gone. That's the risk you take. Just ask one of the Imm. officers. If they think you're a genuine customer, then you'll probably get directed to the right place.

[northernjohn]

Still knocking G4t but were cheaper and easier to use

We need G4T back in business

No, what we want is for everybody to be able to turn up at immigration, in office hours & get their visa business sorted without having to pay some "third" party to "jump" the queue for them. How hard is it to photocopy the correct papers, fill in a form & have your photo taken at one of several hundred photo shops around town?

Would be rather nice if all of those using an "Agent" simply get shunted to the back of the queue, to be dealt with AFTER all the REAL PEOPLE have

been attended to.

It is not the cost of the agent that bothers me so much it is the fact that we are becoming a society that can no longer do things for ourselves. We are being like in so many avenues of life today channeled into a direction by a 3 rd party who may be working for a profit on behest of the 2nd party. I use the term may be but it has been hinted at by previous posters. We are loosing our choices. We are being channeled as voters customers and that is but to name a few. We are hooked on cheap credit to buy "things" We have all these Apps now its no wonder we are getting fat we don't do nothing. When I look back at how my ancestors survived I shake my head in wonderment. I understand one of my ancestors walked out the door in New York state to visit a relative in Ontario, Canada walking all the way. I am surprised someone has not invented a machine that wipes our backside after we do our daily duty. The only part of my body that gets excersize today is my brain sitting here pounding out words on TV. I have long given up bending my arms to put a bottle to my mouth

Speak for your self I could do it my self I choose not to. For Christ sake I am only 73 not old and feeble.

[fey]

Still knocking G4t but were cheaper and easier to use

We need G4T back in business

No, what we want is for everybody to be able to turn up at immigration, in office hours & get their visa business sorted without having to pay some "third" party to "jump" the queue for them. How hard is it to photocopy the correct papers, fill in a form & have your photo taken at one of several hundred photo shops around town?

Would be rather nice if all of those using an "Agent" simply get shunted to the back of the queue, to be dealt with AFTER all the REAL PEOPLE have

been attended to.

It is not the cost of the agent that bothers me so much it is the fact that we are becoming a society that can no longer do things for ourselves. We are being like in so many avenues of life today channeled into a direction by a 3 rd party who may be working for a profit on behest of the 2nd party. I use the term may be but it has been hinted at by previous posters. We are loosing our choices. We are being channeled as voters customers and that is but to name a few. We are hooked on cheap credit to buy "things" We have all these Apps now its no wonder we are getting fat we don't do nothing. When I look back at how my ancestors survived I shake my head in wonderment. I understand one of my ancestors walked out the door in New York state to visit a relative in Ontario, Canada walking all the way. I am surprised someone has not invented a machine that wipes our backside after we do our daily duty. The only part of my body that gets excersize today is my brain sitting here pounding out words on TV. I have long given up bending my arms to put a bottle to my mouth

actually, im always working out, biking and cumming. in fact, it does not matter what im doing. i could be enjoying a fine red wine, smoking a cigar in my study, bangkng my mexican maid or even getting off or working out. im cumming know matter what im doing.

- anrold schwartzeneggar

[evenstevens]

Visa agents serve a valuable function,

if that is the case,????why on another thread, you have placed reputable visa agents on your mission impossible zoo agenda ,to have their priorty services status with the zoo, WITHDRAWN

sure beats me, they have been a tower of strength during this mess at both zoo,s and without their services that they have provided it would have been COMPLETE bedlam at both zoo,s

a sensational good afternoon to all

[NancyL]

Visa agents serve a valuable function,

if that is the case,????why on another thread, you have placed reputable visa agents on your mission impossible zoo agenda ,to have their priorty services status with the zoo, WITHDRAWN

sure beats me, they have been a tower of strength during this mess at both zoo,s and without their services that they have provided it would have been COMPLETE bedlam at both zoo,s

a sensational good afternoon to all

ES, sweetie, your first paragraph makes no sense at all. Perhaps the bright hot afternoon sun has your brain addled (you do seem to comment on the weather in every post, so I can only assume you're spending too much time outdoors).

Are you referring to what I said in this post?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/861438-immigration-promenada-one-stop-service-v2/?p=10101071

where I advocated:

• ALL visa agents -- including G4T -- have to get queue tickets, or an on-line appointment

Right now, your favorite agent, along with the other reputable visa agents in town, have to send an employee out to sit in the early morning queue, one employee per customer, at zero-dark-stupid to get a queue ticket for their customers. Not so for G4T. They don't need a queue ticket to have their customers processed by Immigration.

Doesn't it bother you to see your agent threat this way? Perhaps this is part of why they have to charge more than G4T.

[mrmillersr]

It was all just so incredibly painful..in Chiang Mai.

I don't know why anyone would try to post a positive experience. We physically went there (near the airport) and there was absolutely no parking, the chairs were weak/broken or unavailable, standing room only, My organized papers were placed by me on the counter and the officer swiped them to the side, shouting something about a date being wrong (took quite a while to reorganize them)... and 4 or 5 hours to get the final signature.

LOL .....back in UDON....thank goodness. The luxury of having an efficient immigration office...wow

Actually don't know why anyone would want to live in Chiang Mai. It's getting over crowded with too much traffic, the pollution is horrible each year and you got to put up with an inept immigration department. Plenty of other places like Udon that provide a better alternative as slipperylobster has found out.

[elgordo38]

No need to use agents unless some fellows are unable to move to Immigration for health reason..

One is accepted to go to the new immigration office in C.M. for the annual Visa application 45 days before the end of the current Visa, or any days up to the last day of the current Visa..

The Immigration office accept not more than 20 Visa applicants daily, and they suggest that applicants should arrive early in the morning (6 AM / 7 AM) in order to be part of the accepting 20 daily applicants.

This is alright, no problem.

Yes it is a problem because on some days 6 am may not be early enough to get a queue number for that day. If you do get a number you may not be seen till 4.00 pm a 10 hour wait. Then you can come back the next day to pick up your passport. Its OK Junior if you wish to go this route unfortunately I do not. Yes we know you can do one hand push ups and all that but we are not all in that position. Some of us are really old seniors and along with being a senior there should be some respect shown even by immigration.

[Tywais]

To keep the number of immigration topics to a minimum, the information and questions can be asked in the pinned topic. This one is just starting to be repetitive.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/861438-immigration-promenada-one-stop-service-v2/page-21