90 Day Reporting - Comments and Experiences 2016

[true blue]

My 90day is coming up, any updates on mail in situation ?

As reported in other threads, the 90 day mail-in service got a little behind during the holidays and the staff processing them at the airport doesn't take kindly to people coming in person to inquire about the status of their report. But, they are still accepting 90 day reports by post. Go ahead and mail yours, but definitely do it 15 days ahead of the due date. Don't try to cut it too close.

Don't you love Thai visa. One poster says they are no longer taking mail in 90 day reports by mail and it goes viral. The fact is they are still taking them in.

according to a poster today there having proplems with mail in 90 days as,the officer did comment to missus last week no more mail go other office,thought it was a lost in translation between officer thai lady and me,not so sure now

[rakchaingmai]

sent my 90 day report on 25th December i have not received anything back yet but went into the office on monday 11th the guy strictly told me that they will not accept anymore 90 day reports by post if you live in chiang mai ,but mine was processed on 6th of January but still have not got a receipt he just wrote on the back of my departure card 6th April i am a bit worried about the next time i go and do it he did show me a big pile of reports and told me if anybody is late they are going to be charged as they just don't have enough staff is what he told me and why i did not do it online thats what he told me in thai language nothing was lost in translation .

Edited January 12, 2016 by rakchaingmai

[Thailand]

sent my 90 day report on 25th December i have not received anything back yet but went into the office on monday 11th the guy strictly told me that they will not accept anymore 90 day reports by post if you live in chiang mai ,but mine was processed on 6th of January but still have not got a receipt he just wrote on the back of my departure card 6th April i am a bit worried about the next time i go and do it he did show me a big pile of reports and told me if anybody is late they are going to be charged as they just don't have enough staff is what he told me and why i did not do it online thats what he told me in thai language nothing was lost in translation .

s

Exactly what he said back in August just before a new agency was opened.

Surely though if he has a big pile of reports that have yet to be processed but have been confirmed well before due dates as received by ems/ registered post should be immigrations responsibility?

Perhaps somebody from Prom should be talking to him as he is contradicting a number of fellow officers?

Should soon get resolved!

Then I woke up and remembered where I was. ?

[Sparkles]

My 90day is coming up, any updates on mail in situation ?

As reported in other threads, the 90 day mail-in service got a little behind during the holidays and the staff processing them at the airport doesn't take kindly to people coming in person to inquire about the status of their report. But, they are still accepting 90 day reports by post. Go ahead and mail yours, but definitely do it 15 days ahead of the due date. Don't try to cut it too close.

Don't you love Thai visa. One poster says they are no longer taking mail in 90 day reports by mail and it goes viral. The fact is they are still taking them in.

Yes of course they are taking them in,the postman delivers them, its getting them processed and back out that is the problem as many have confirmed.

Keep reading others reports and/or other threads and it may sink in.

[jak2002003]

I always seem to be unlucky with my 90 day report at the immigration Promenada.

The 1st time I went at 1 m... was told all the numbers had been used up.

2nd time (the next day) went really early... still did not get seen till gone 3 pm.

Yesterday I went at 7.45 am.. the 90 day line was really long... I knew I would have not got a number or at best not got seen till the afternoon... I did not want to wait in that boring place all day...

So I went in the visa service shop thing next door and the girl got my 90 day in less than 10 minutes.. for only 300 baht.

In the old place in the city I used to get the 90 day really quickly and never had any problems. I can't drive as I am partially blind and have to rely on friends to take me there.... so next time I am going to try the on line reporting.

For your 300 baht you could have had a nice breakfast at Rim Ping's "Bistro" and seen a movie. I'd rather do that than give the money to G4T. Did you ask yourself how it is that they can jump the queue to get your report done in 10 minutes and what you're doing by supporting that?

Yep... it seems fine to do that 300 baht thing. Its worth the money not to waste me day waiting around in that palce.

Its only 300 baht.. I am sure most farang can afford that.

Supporting it seems a good idea... its providing a good service... if you take your logic about supporting it is bad you could also argue....shopping at Rim Ping's supermarket is bad... have you though about how shopping there is putting local small shops out of business.. and importing all those overpriced produces is harming the environment?

I am not into watching movies as I am partially blind so don't get much enjoyment from them. espically the run of the mill mass produced badly acted boring American stuff which is the majority of farang films here. lol.

I was only reporting my experiences at the immigration office for 90 day... as was the purpose of this thread. I did not expect to get attacked for doing something immoral by using a visa service.

[northernjohn]

Yes of course they are taking them in,the postman delivers them, its getting them processed and back out that is the problem as many have confirmed.

Keep reading others reports and/or other threads and it may sink in.

I have been reading them and many of them say they are getting them back just not as fast as they used to.

I am not using selective reading. I read them no matter what they say they for the most part they get them back If you had been familiar with it you would know that every so often in the past some one had to go in because they didn't get theirs back.

I see in the Promenada one stop thread you are agreeing with a poster who implies that you were given the wrong information.

Edited January 12, 2016 by northernjohn

[Dante99]

I always seem to be unlucky with my 90 day report at the immigration Promenada.

The 1st time I went at 1 m... was told all the numbers had been used up.

2nd time (the next day) went really early... still did not get seen till gone 3 pm.

Yesterday I went at 7.45 am.. the 90 day line was really long... I knew I would have not got a number or at best not got seen till the afternoon... I did not want to wait in that boring place all day...

So I went in the visa service shop thing next door and the girl got my 90 day in less than 10 minutes.. for only 300 baht.

In the old place in the city I used to get the 90 day really quickly and never had any problems. I can't drive as I am partially blind and have to rely on friends to take me there.... so next time I am going to try the on line reporting.

For your 300 baht you could have had a nice breakfast at Rim Ping's "Bistro" and seen a movie. I'd rather do that than give the money to G4T. Did you ask yourself how it is that they can jump the queue to get your report done in 10 minutes and what you're doing by supporting that?

Exactly how is it that they can get the report done in 10 minutes and what is wrong with it?

[NancyL]

OK, I'll spell it out again.

G4T is not an "independent visa agent" in the same way that O.S. Thai Visa or Assist Thai Visa (two well known visa agents that many foreigners use) are. The G4T office is in space that Promenada has given to Immigration to use for offices and Imm. has chose to "subcontract" it to offer a service, in much the same way they have the copy shop next between G4T and Imm. office. Now, most people would agree that the copy/photo shop does offer a valid service, since the one in the mall doesn't open until the mall does, even though it charges 100 baht for photos vs. 200 baht. (ever wonder where that extra 100 baht ends up). And the workers in the copy shop know exactly what pages to copy from your passport, and the average copy shop worker probably doesn't. The practice of having a copy shop (and modest coffee shop) on the grounds of an Immigration office is well established, but not a Visa Agent.

The legitimate visa agents in town also charge 300 baht to submit your 90 day report AND you don't have to go out to Imm. Prom, they do. They have to send someone out to the queue and wait, just like you do. They don't have the ability to waltz into Imm. Prom and plop your 90 day report application and passport in front of the person doing the stamping and have them interrupt serving people in the queue to take care of your application -- like the G4T employees can do.

Also, the legitimate visa agents don't have their employees answering questions and helping out at the Info desk in front of the Prom. Imm. office if things are slow in their office, so that if someone is confused, or dismayed because the 90 day queue or retirement ext. queue is closed, they can recruit a customer right then-and-there. I've seen them talk to a person at Info desk and then lead them down to the G4T office where they "sign them up" as a customer. What a great way to recruit customers! And the customers are S-O-O grateful because they can take care of their business that day for just a slight "surcharge" without thinking where that surcharge actually ends up.

Most of you are aware that there isn't a supervisor on-site at Imm. Prom. to approve retirement extension applications; that the paperwork is taken over to the old office for approval. The morning work is taken over at lunchtime and the afternoon work is run over around 3 pm. Guess who often serves as the courier? Yup, a G4T "employee", handling the passports and documents of everyone Imm. processed that day.

Now, you tell me what exactly is wrong with supporting this outfit? You don't see a problem here? Why is it that Chiang Mai is the ONLY office in Thailand that has the problems we do? Jomtien processes nearly four times the retirement extensions that we have here in Chiang Mai and I can't believe that Pattaya's retirees are any better prepared, more polite and better dressed than we are. There have been several threads in the General and Visa forums asking if other provinces have the problems we do and the answer is NO.

If everyone continues to utilize G4T, then Imm. Prom. has no incentive to fix the problems. Some will go so far as to suggest they have deliberately created the problems, i.e. taking down the on-line appointment queue, moving retirees to an office without an officer with signature authority, etc, but I'm not going to go that far. But, in any event, as long as expats continue to flock to G4T, money is going someplace it shouldn't.

Instead of telling yourself "it's only 300 baht", you should be emailing your consulate/embassy and writing letters to the media. And using that 300 baht to support legitimate businesses. If you don't want to spend that money in the many nice, legitimate businesses at Promenada while you pass the time waiting for your queue number to be called, then you can use the services of a legitimate visa agent in town and not have to go out to Prom. at all.

[Lizard2010]

OK, I'll spell it out again.

G4T is not an "independent visa agent" in the same way that O.S. Thai Visa or Assist Thai Visa (two well known visa agents that many foreigners use) are. The G4T office is in space that Promenada has given to Immigration to use for offices and Imm. has chose to "subcontract" it to offer a service, in much the same way they have the copy shop next between G4T and Imm. office. Now, most people would agree that the copy/photo shop does offer a valid service, since the one in the mall doesn't open until the mall does, even though it charges 100 baht for photos vs. 200 baht. (ever wonder where that extra 100 baht ends up). And the workers in the copy shop know exactly what pages to copy from your passport, and the average copy shop worker probably doesn't. The practice of having a copy shop (and modest coffee shop) on the grounds of an Immigration office is well established, but not a Visa Agent.

The legitimate visa agents in town also charge 300 baht to submit your 90 day report AND you don't have to go out to Imm. Prom, they do. They have to send someone out to the queue and wait, just like you do. They don't have the ability to waltz into Imm. Prom and plop your 90 day report application and passport in front of the person doing the stamping and have them interrupt serving people in the queue to take care of your application -- like the G4T employees can do.

Also, the legitimate visa agents don't have their employees answering questions and helping out at the Info desk in front of the Prom. Imm. office if things are slow in their office, so that if someone is confused, or dismayed because the 90 day queue or retirement ext. queue is closed, they can recruit a customer right then-and-there. I've seen them talk to a person at Info desk and then lead them down to the G4T office where they "sign them up" as a customer. What a great way to recruit customers! And the customers are S-O-O grateful because they can take care of their business that day for just a slight "surcharge" without thinking where that surcharge actually ends up.

Most of you are aware that there isn't a supervisor on-site at Imm. Prom. to approve retirement extension applications; that the paperwork is taken over to the old office for approval. The morning work is taken over at lunchtime and the afternoon work is run over around 3 pm. Guess who often serves as the courier? Yup, a G4T "employee", handling the passports and documents of everyone Imm. processed that day.

Now, you tell me what exactly is wrong with supporting this outfit? You don't see a problem here? Why is it that Chiang Mai is the ONLY office in Thailand that has the problems we do? Jomtien processes nearly four times the retirement extensions that we have here in Chiang Mai and I can't believe that Pattaya's retirees are any better prepared, more polite and better dressed than we are. There have been several threads in the General and Visa forums asking if other provinces have the problems we do and the answer is NO.

If everyone continues to utilize G4T, then Imm. Prom. has no incentive to fix the problems. Some will go so far as to suggest they have deliberately created the problems, i.e. taking down the on-line appointment queue, moving retirees to an office without an officer with signature authority, etc, but I'm not going to go that far. But, in any event, as long as expats continue to flock to G4T, money is going someplace it shouldn't.

Instead of telling yourself "it's only 300 baht", you should be emailing your consulate/embassy and writing letters to the media. And using that 300 baht to support legitimate businesses. If you don't want to spend that money in the many nice, legitimate businesses at Promenada while you pass the time waiting for your queue number to be called, then you can use the services of a legitimate visa agent in town and not have to go out to Prom. at all.

WOW

I thought i knew most about G4T

This was a eye opener

It does make you wonder what really is going on with Prom Imm

Maybe we need a new Officer in Charge Of Prom Imm

[daoyai]

I don't wonder, quite obvious...... TIT ....LOS .... land of smiles and other words beginning with S.

Edited January 13, 2016 by daoyai

[NancyL]

Yes, it really is quite obvious. One just has to spend a little time watching the operations -- and that's exactly why I "was asked" not to be out in the public area watching the operations unless I was there on my own "official business" back in December.

Now some will say, This is Thailand and "tea money" is a way of life. I'd contend that it isn't. Again, people in other provinces report being able to take care of their Imm. needs without having to pay 300 baht in "tea money" to have their 90 day report processed quickly or 3000 baht "tea money" for their retirement extension. Not when they fully meet all the requirements.

[Sparkles]

Yes of course they are taking them in,the postman delivers them, its getting them processed and back out that is the problem as many have confirmed.

Keep reading others reports and/or other threads and it may sink in.

I have been reading them and many of them say they are getting them back just not as fast as they used to.

I am not using selective reading. I read them no matter what they say they for the most part they get them back If you had been familiar with it you would know that every so often in the past some one had to go in because they didn't get theirs back.

I see in the Promenada one stop thread you are agreeing with a poster who implies that you were given the wrong information.

Is that what we expect or deserve ? you say for the MOST part they get mailed back so ...a lucky dip ? Many have had the same experience as I did.

Suggest you read Nancy's post of 30 mins ago and maybe you will finally understand what the real situation is in CM. Not any other immigration office

in the country is operating like CM.

[Thailand]

Yes, it really is quite obvious. One just has to spend a little time watching the operations -- and that's exactly why I "was asked" not to be out in the public area watching the operations unless I was there on my own "official business" back in December.

Now some will say, This is Thailand and "tea money" is a way of life. I'd contend that it isn't. Again, people in other provinces report being able to take care of their Imm. needs without having to pay 300 baht in "tea money" to have their 90 day report processed quickly or 3000 baht "tea money" for their retirement extension. Not when they fully meet all the requirements.

Just as obvious as when they first opened last year and the other things were happening to create a customer flow, I believe I mentioned it to you and if I remember you found it hard to believe at that time. ?

[northernjohn]

Yes, it really is quite obvious. One just has to spend a little time watching the operations -- and that's exactly why I "was asked" not to be out in the public area watching the operations unless I was there on my own "official business" back in December.

Now some will say, This is Thailand and "tea money" is a way of life. I'd contend that it isn't. Again, people in other provinces report being able to take care of their Imm. needs without having to pay 300 baht in "tea money" to have their 90 day report processed quickly or 3000 baht "tea money" for their retirement extension. Not when they fully meet all the requirements.

Just as obvious as when they first opened last year and the other things were happening to create a customer flow, I believe I mentioned it to you and if I remember you found it hard to believe at that time. ?

Nancy is just on a crusade to promote the other two agencies in town. I believe they are both Ex Pat club sponsors. One is 1,500 baht for 4 of them a year. Not sure what the other one is. I wonder if she will classify them as tea money for that matter are you classifying them as tea money?

As far as I am concerned it is just money for services rendered and it doesn't even have to be an agency. If you have the paper work rite and your passport any one can do it for you. I read once where a group of them take turns doing it.

[NancyL]

Yes, it really is quite obvious. One just has to spend a little time watching the operations -- and that's exactly why I "was asked" not to be out in the public area watching the operations unless I was there on my own "official business" back in December.

Now some will say, This is Thailand and "tea money" is a way of life. I'd contend that it isn't. Again, people in other provinces report being able to take care of their Imm. needs without having to pay 300 baht in "tea money" to have their 90 day report processed quickly or 3000 baht "tea money" for their retirement extension. Not when they fully meet all the requirements.

Just as obvious as when they first opened last year and the other things were happening to create a customer flow, I believe I mentioned it to you and if I remember you found it hard to believe at that time. ?

Nancy is just on a crusade to promote the other two agencies in town. I believe they are both Ex Pat club sponsors. One is 1,500 baht for 4 of them a year. Not sure what the other one is. I wonder if she will classify them as tea money for that matter are you classifying them as tea money?

As far as I am concerned it is just money for services rendered and it doesn't even have to be an agency. If you have the paper work rite and your passport any one can do it for you. I read once where a group of them take turns doing it.

No, NorthernJohn, I'm just on a .cruscade to improve conditions at Imm. Prom. for the retirees. Nowhere else in Thailand do the elderly have to wait in excess of 12 hours to process a retirement extension and now to submit a 90 day report.

As Thailand pointed out in post No.43, I was quite slow to realize what was really going on there. During my interview with the Colonel, published in the Sept 15 edition of the CEC e-newsletter, he said that there is no special treatment for visa agents at Imm. Prom. All have to send agents to wait in the queue for queue tickets, just like the regular customers. Wow, and yippee I thought.

But then, as and I went to Imm. Prom, every two or three weeks to observe the morning queuing process, to see how many retirees were left without a queue ticket, I began to see what was really happening. There was one "visa agent" who doesn't have to have agents queue to receive a queue ticket. That agent has a "special relationship" outlined in my post No. 38. And as long as that "agent" is able to operate as outlined in that post, then there is no incentive for Imm. Prom to improve conditions to retirees.

That-- NorthernJohn -- is my crusade. I don't care about G4T, what I care about is the continued poor treatment for expats in Chiang Mai. There does seem to be a cause-and-effect that is troubling.

[cmsally]

What exactly does the name G4T stand for. It seems very close to the name G4S which is a huge worldwide security firm - is that just coincidence. Ex employee by any chance.

[Thailand]

Yes, it really is quite obvious. One just has to spend a little time watching the operations -- and that's exactly why I "was asked" not to be out in the public area watching the operations unless I was there on my own "official business" back in December.

Now some will say, This is Thailand and "tea money" is a way of life. I'd contend that it isn't. Again, people in other provinces report being able to take care of their Imm. needs without having to pay 300 baht in "tea money" to have their 90 day report processed quickly or 3000 baht "tea money" for their retirement extension. Not when they fully meet all the requirements.

Just as obvious as when they first opened last year and the other things were happening to create a customer flow, I believe I mentioned it to you and if I remember you found it hard to believe at that time. ?

Nancy is just on a crusade to promote the other two agencies in town. I believe they are both Ex Pat club sponsors. One is 1,500 baht for 4 of them a year. Not sure what the other one is. I wonder if she will classify them as tea money for that matter are you classifying them as tea money?

As far as I am concerned it is just money for services rendered and it doesn't even have to be an agency. If you have the paper work rite and your passport any one can do it for you. I read once where a group of them take turns doing it.

Go back and read Nancy's post related to that agency and tell me what is not correct, for some reason you really don't seem to get it.

[Thailand]

What exactly does the name G4T stand for. It seems very close to the name G4S which is a huge worldwide security firm - is that just coincidence. Ex employee by any chance.

Go 4ork Them?

[northernjohn]

Yes, it really is quite obvious. One just has to spend a little time watching the operations -- and that's exactly why I "was asked" not to be out in the public area watching the operations unless I was there on my own "official business" back in December.

Now some will say, This is Thailand and "tea money" is a way of life. I'd contend that it isn't. Again, people in other provinces report being able to take care of their Imm. needs without having to pay 300 baht in "tea money" to have their 90 day report processed quickly or 3000 baht "tea money" for their retirement extension. Not when they fully meet all the requirements.

Just as obvious as when they first opened last year and the other things were happening to create a customer flow, I believe I mentioned it to you and if I remember you found it hard to believe at that time. ?

Nancy is just on a crusade to promote the other two agencies in town. I believe they are both Ex Pat club sponsors. One is 1,500 baht for 4 of them a year. Not sure what the other one is. I wonder if she will classify them as tea money for that matter are you classifying them as tea money?

As far as I am concerned it is just money for services rendered and it doesn't even have to be an agency. If you have the paper work rite and your passport any one can do it for you. I read once where a group of them take turns doing it.

No, NorthernJohn, I'm just on a .cruscade to improve conditions at Imm. Prom. for the retirees. Nowhere else in Thailand do the elderly have to wait in excess of 12 hours to process a retirement extension and now to submit a 90 day report.

As Thailand pointed out in post No.43, I was quite slow to realize what was really going on there. During my interview with the Colonel, published in the Sept 15 edition of the CEC e-newsletter, he said that there is no special treatment for visa agents at Imm. Prom. All have to send agents to wait in the queue for queue tickets, just like the regular customers. Wow, and yippee I thought.

But then, as and I went to Imm. Prom, every two or three weeks to observe the morning queuing process, to see how many retirees were left without a queue ticket, I began to see what was really happening. There was one "visa agent" who doesn't have to have agents queue to receive a queue ticket. That agent has a "special relationship" outlined in my post No. 38. And as long as that "agent" is able to operate as outlined in that post, then there is no incentive for Imm. Prom to improve conditions to retirees.

That-- NorthernJohn -- is my crusade. I don't care about G4T, what I care about is the continued poor treatment for expats in Chiang Mai. There does seem to be a cause-and-effect that is troubling.

Easy to say but the fact is every time an agent is mentioned by you it is G4T. To be honest if half the people would use the agents it would be a breeze for the walk in's. Or are you going to claim that it doesn't take less time than a walk in where they have to check their papers and as you well know have some of them go get photo copies. The more people using agents the closer your goal for the retiree's will be.

You are not new to this so drop the pretend act.

You and I both know it is Bangkok holding it all up.

Edited January 13, 2016 by northernjohn

[cmsally]

Nancy is just on a crusade to promote the other two agencies in town. I believe they are both Ex Pat club sponsors. One is 1,500 baht for 4 of them a year. Not sure what the other one is. I wonder if she will classify them as tea money for that matter are you classifying them as tea money?

As far as I am concerned it is just money for services rendered and it doesn't even have to be an agency. If you have the paper work rite and your passport any one can do it for you. I read once where a group of them take turns doing it.

No, NorthernJohn, I'm just on a .cruscade to improve conditions at Imm. Prom. for the retirees. Nowhere else in Thailand do the elderly have to wait in excess of 12 hours to process a retirement extension and now to submit a 90 day report.

As Thailand pointed out in post No.43, I was quite slow to realize what was really going on there. During my interview with the Colonel, published in the Sept 15 edition of the CEC e-newsletter, he said that there is no special treatment for visa agents at Imm. Prom. All have to send agents to wait in the queue for queue tickets, just like the regular customers. Wow, and yippee I thought.

But then, as and I went to Imm. Prom, every two or three weeks to observe the morning queuing process, to see how many retirees were left without a queue ticket, I began to see what was really happening. There was one "visa agent" who doesn't have to have agents queue to receive a queue ticket. That agent has a "special relationship" outlined in my post No. 38. And as long as that "agent" is able to operate as outlined in that post, then there is no incentive for Imm. Prom to improve conditions to retirees.

That-- NorthernJohn -- is my crusade. I don't care about G4T, what I care about is the continued poor treatment for expats in Chiang Mai. There does seem to be a cause-and-effect that is troubling.

Easy to say but the fact is every time an agent is mentioned by you it is G4T. To be honest if half the people would use the agents it would be a breeze for the walk in's. Or are you going to claim that it doesn't take less time than a walk in where they have to check their papers and as you well know have some of them go get photo copies. The more people using agents the closer your goal for the retiree's will be.

You are not new to this so drop the pretend act.

You and I both know it is Bangkok holding it all up.

If the agents get priority queue access , then how is that better for walk ins. Doesn't that put them last on the heap.

[TheAppletons]

Easy to say but the fact is every time an agent is mentioned by you it is G4T. To be honest if half the people would use the agents it would be a breeze for the walk in's. Or are you going to claim that it doesn't take less time than a walk in where they have to check their papers and as you well know have some of them go get photo copies. The more people using agents the closer your goal for the retiree's will be.

You are not new to this so drop the pretend act.

You and I both know it is Bangkok holding it all up.

No, it's only you that thinks that "it is Bangkok holding it all up". You remain willfully oblivious.

Jomtien processes 400% more customers....yet you don't hear the same horror stories. Do you think they have 400% more staff? And, even if they did, they are apparently much more efficient than the staff in CM.

Open your eyes. Then again, maybe that's a bad omen for someone of your demographic.

[true blue]

surely agents are just another option for people,with or without agents,very much doubt it would improve the situation,its staffing proplems by the looks of things,and large influx of farangs wanting to reside here.

[NancyL]

Maybe because it's at one point in my former life I ran a customer service center, but after a few days of sitting around the place, I think I could be so bold as to say I could run the place much more efficiently with the existing manpower and budget.

For starters, what's up with not having a few meaningful signs outside the office? I didn't take my camera this time, not wanting to draw attention to myself, but they've put up more nonsense signs. Instead, why not list the various ways to do a 90 day report?

Next, what's up with not having a way to communicate to the customers what queue number is being served. If they're really looking for "alternative" ways to make money, why not have a more legitimate means, like charging people 100 baht to send an SMS to their phone during the day updating them on their queue number status. Not to mention a lighted queue number signs around the waiting areas like every bank in the mall already has.

And then, let's call G4T what it really is -- a hand-holding service for those too insecure to fill out their own forms. (plus a queue-jumping service, but that's another story) The tourist visa ranks are heavily populated with people who have no idea where they're staying and some retirees just can't be bothered to remember what's needed from year-to-year. After all, those Thai words like tambon, amphur and changwat can just be S-O-O overwhelming, esp. once dementia starts to kick in. So why not set them up as a legitimate business with actual good-looking young women to help you fill out the forms for a small fee. No one has said this, but the women working at the legimate visa agents are much more attractive. You get what you pay for. And as someone who ran a customer service center, I know the power of attractive, smart young women. I used to be one. G4T really misses the mark in this area.

I could go on with more ideas, like installing a drop ceiling in the office, to mute the noise and piping in white noise -- all stuff I did in setting up a similar, but larger operation.

I just burns me so to see reitrees treated the way they are AND Imm. Prom. mgt missing the mark on many fronts on ways to improve service and make money offering legitimate services.

And I just realized all this is in the 90 day thread, where it doesn't belong and I'm operating on my second glass of wine, where I get really creative.

[Mapguy]

Someone must have said this before, but I will say it again. Foreigners with no inclination to pay attention to where they are and do the necessary basic research to figure out where they are and do the necessary are the ones who have caused an enormous difficulty for Thai Immigration and others who bother to learn what you have to do. I am not a particular fan of Thai Immigration --- especially this "in-house agency" people write about, BUT foreigners , especially those who feel privileged or are simply "not with the program" cause more problems, in my view, as well as, quite simply, the FLOOD of foreigners coming here who think Chiang Mai is some sort of ShangrI- La.

Yes, we are stuck with s bureaucratic tangle, but it doesn't take much to understand why local immingartion officers need change in keep their sanity.

GET REAL !!!

Edited January 13, 2016 by Mapguy

[totally thaied up]

A member on a Facebook forum I visited was fined 2000 baht today for not getting his 90 day in on time with postage. He went to the office to see what was going on they told him outright, no more post-ins anymore and his was too late now to be processed.

Visa agents are going to get a lot more business from this. Plenty of independent agents here and you do not have to go far to find a good one and it is just not the two that are mentioned here often.

Days for me to be herded around like a cow at 4am are over for me.

[northernjohn]

If the agents get priority queue access , then how is that better for walk ins. Doesn't that put them last on the heap.

Good point.

It is my understanding that they do not all come first thing in the morning. For instance the 90 day reports we have heard about here seemed to me that they were not there at 9:00 in the morning. I think and can not say for sure but all the agents tend to come later in the day. Or as in the case of the one any time they get there 300 baht.

In late November when I did my walk in 90 day there was a lady in front of me with two reports she took hardly any time at all. The lady in front of her was there before the lady in front of me and still there when I left. I don't know why but they had two officers there that day. Counting me the one lady did four applications while I was there and the other one was still struggling.

Also if the other agents are coming to do a yearly extension they may do some 90 day reports then.

Those of us who have been around awhile know that many times new comers are not prepared and take longer. Agents are trusted in my belief and it is almost just a matter of rubber stamping them.

Ask your self if there is 180 walk ins at one desk and 180 being presented at another desk by agents which officer would be done processing them first? So you see it is a matter of time. With out the agents and every one was a walk in the chances are they would be telling more people to come back tomorrow for the 90 day.

On a numerical basis it is better on a personal basis it can be challenging. Just my thoughts on the matter and the ones based on people not being prepared are from direct observation.

[northernjohn]

Maybe because it's at one point in my former life I ran a customer service center, but after a few days of sitting around the place, I think I could be so bold as to say I could run the place much more efficiently with the existing manpower and budget.

For starters, what's up with not having a few meaningful signs outside the office? I didn't take my camera this time, not wanting to draw attention to myself, but they've put up more nonsense signs. Instead, why not list the various ways to do a 90 day report?

Next, what's up with not having a way to communicate to the customers what queue number is being served. If they're really looking for "alternative" ways to make money, why not have a more legitimate means, like charging people 100 baht to send an SMS to their phone during the day updating them on their queue number status. Not to mention a lighted queue number signs around the waiting areas like every bank in the mall already has.

And then, let's call G4T what it really is -- a hand-holding service for those too insecure to fill out their own forms. (plus a queue-jumping service, but that's another story) The tourist visa ranks are heavily populated with people who have no idea where they're staying and some retirees just can't be bothered to remember what's needed from year-to-year. After all, those Thai words like tambon, amphur and changwat can just be S-O-O overwhelming, esp. once dementia starts to kick in. So why not set them up as a legitimate business with actual good-looking young women to help you fill out the forms for a small fee. No one has said this, but the women working at the legimate visa agents are much more attractive. You get what you pay for. And as someone who ran a customer service center, I know the power of attractive, smart young women. I used to be one. G4T really misses the mark in this area.

I could go on with more ideas, like installing a drop ceiling in the office, to mute the noise and piping in white noise -- all stuff I did in setting up a similar, but larger operation.

I just burns me so to see reitrees treated the way they are AND Imm. Prom. mgt missing the mark on many fronts on ways to improve service and make money offering legitimate services.

And I just realized all this is in the 90 day thread, where it doesn't belong and I'm operating on my second glass of wine, where I get really creative.

Still on your crusade I see.

You are quite correct the signs in the window last time I looked at them were meaningless. One sign with all the details on the mail in's would make more sense than the ones I saw. But as I said I am here because I am retired not to change Thailand.

But I really have to break the news to you. This is Thailand Not the United States. Also as you have noticed the main changes at Promenada have come from the Mall not immigration.

When Bangkok are you hearing that TheAppletons BANGKOK decides to do some thing about it then it will be done. In the mean time we get in line or we get an agent.

Possibly some organization could arrange for volunteers such as Pattaya has to make sure every ones paper work is in order. Or the idea about Saturday checking them for 200 baht that Nancy managed to run once before a bomb scared them off.

Chiang Mai is the only province where the immigrants have out grown the Immigration. Several of them the officers hardly have any thing to do.

Edited January 13, 2016 by northernjohn

[Throatwobbler]

OK, I'll spell it out again.

G4T is not an "independent visa agent" in the same way that O.S. Thai Visa or Assist Thai Visa (two well known visa agents that many foreigners use) are. The G4T office is in space that Promenada has given to Immigration to use for offices and Imm. has chose to "subcontract" it to offer a service, in much the same way they have the copy shop next between G4T and Imm. office. Now, most people would agree that the copy/photo shop does offer a valid service, since the one in the mall doesn't open until the mall does, even though it charges 100 baht for photos vs. 200 baht. (ever wonder where that extra 100 baht ends up). And the workers in the copy shop know exactly what pages to copy from your passport, and the average copy shop worker probably doesn't. The practice of having a copy shop (and modest coffee shop) on the grounds of an Immigration office is well established, but not a Visa Agent.

The legitimate visa agents in town also charge 300 baht to submit your 90 day report AND you don't have to go out to Imm. Prom, they do. They have to send someone out to the queue and wait, just like you do. They don't have the ability to waltz into Imm. Prom and plop your 90 day report application and passport in front of the person doing the stamping and have them interrupt serving people in the queue to take care of your application -- like the G4T employees can do.

Also, the legitimate visa agents don't have their employees answering questions and helping out at the Info desk in front of the Prom. Imm. office if things are slow in their office, so that if someone is confused, or dismayed because the 90 day queue or retirement ext. queue is closed, they can recruit a customer right then-and-there. I've seen them talk to a person at Info desk and then lead them down to the G4T office where they "sign them up" as a customer. What a great way to recruit customers! And the customers are S-O-O grateful because they can take care of their business that day for just a slight "surcharge" without thinking where that surcharge actually ends up.

Most of you are aware that there isn't a supervisor on-site at Imm. Prom. to approve retirement extension applications; that the paperwork is taken over to the old office for approval. The morning work is taken over at lunchtime and the afternoon work is run over around 3 pm. Guess who often serves as the courier? Yup, a G4T "employee", handling the passports and documents of everyone Imm. processed that day.

Now, you tell me what exactly is wrong with supporting this outfit? You don't see a problem here? Why is it that Chiang Mai is the ONLY office in Thailand that has the problems we do? Jomtien processes nearly four times the retirement extensions that we have here in Chiang Mai and I can't believe that Pattaya's retirees are any better prepared, more polite and better dressed than we are. There have been several threads in the General and Visa forums asking if other provinces have the problems we do and the answer is NO.

If everyone continues to utilize G4T, then Imm. Prom. has no incentive to fix the problems. Some will go so far as to suggest they have deliberately created the problems, i.e. taking down the on-line appointment queue, moving retirees to an office without an officer with signature authority, etc, but I'm not going to go that far. But, in any event, as long as expats continue to flock to G4T, money is going someplace it shouldn't.

Instead of telling yourself "it's only 300 baht", you should be emailing your consulate/embassy and writing letters to the media. And using that 300 baht to support legitimate businesses. If you don't want to spend that money in the many nice, legitimate businesses at Promenada while you pass the time waiting for your queue number to be called, then you can use the services of a legitimate visa agent in town and not have to go out to Prom. at all.

Some of us have got jobs and haven't got the time to waste hanging around immigration.. If 300 Baht gets it done in 10 minutes then I will pay it for sure. And if you think that writing letters to the media is going to change anything then you are really clueless.

[elektrified]

A member on a Facebook forum I visited was fined 2000 baht today for not getting his 90 day in on time with postage. He went to the office to see what was going on they told him outright, no more post-ins anymore and his was too late now to be processed.

Visa agents are going to get a lot more business from this. Plenty of independent agents here and you do not have to go far to find a good one and it is just not the two that are mentioned here often.

Days for me to be herded around like a cow at 4am are over for me.

That's rubbish and not true. I just saw that post. I was there 1 day ago when I didn't get the return back after 30 days. Went at 12:30 and had a friendly chat entirely in Thai with the guy with the glasses. He looked in the computer and saw that it had been sent registered 3 weeks before. WHo knows what happened to it... He printed out another copy for me, signed it and stamped it and continued chatting and joking. He's actually quite nice and very funny. He was working on a huge stack at the time.

[Thailand]

A member on a Facebook forum I visited was fined 2000 baht today for not getting his 90 day in on time with postage. He went to the office to see what was going on they told him outright, no more post-ins anymore and his was too late now to be processed.

Visa agents are going to get a lot more business from this. Plenty of independent agents here and you do not have to go far to find a good one and it is just not the two that are mentioned here often.

Days for me to be herded around like a cow at 4am are over for me.

That's rubbish and not true. I just saw that post. I was there 1 day ago when I didn't get the return back after 30 days. Went at 12:30 and had a friendly chat entirely in Thai with the guy with the glasses. He looked in the computer and saw that it had been sent registered 3 weeks before. WHo knows what happened to it... He printed out another copy for me, signed it and stamped it and continued chatting and joking. He's actually quite nice and very funny. He was working on a huge stack at the time.

I think the solution is very simple.

They should put the newly received 90 day submissions at the bottom of the pile and not the top!