90 Day Reporting - Comments and Experiences 2016

[amexpat]

And still we see claims that the problem is due to the vast influx of people needing visa services.

This ignores the fact stated by NancyL, Appletons, et al:

Jomtien processes 400% more customers....yet you don't hear the same horror stories.

Some posters blame it on people not having the forms in order:

Are we to believe the alcoholic sexpats of Jomtiem/Pattaya are so much better organized than CM people?

Can anyone tell me, does Jomtiem (or anywhere else) charge 500 baht for a "free" certificate of residence like CM does?

And don't forget: Jomtien processes 400% more customers....yet you don't hear the same horror stories.

Edited January 14, 2016 by amexpat

[Tywais]

Jomtien processes 400% more customers....yet you don't hear the same horror stories.

I don't know where that 400% comes from as I can find no statistics for Jomtien. If you think it is not crowded there might look at the photos on this facebook page. Seems quite a few complaints to me.

[amexpat]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open? I did a 90 day there last year in about three minutes.

[Tywais]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open?

This is inside, many more similar photos and complaints on the FB page. Maybe they do have many more IOs to process things, something sorely missing here.

[Thailand]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open?

This is inside, many more similar photos and complaints on the FB page. Maybe they do have many more IOs to process things, something sorely missing here.

12509550_10207727359039875_2964335411836567950_n.jpg

Or maybe that have seen the opportunities that have arisen in Chiang Mai without any obstruction and are planning something similar?

[northernjohn]

Jomtien processes 400% more customers....yet you don't hear the same horror stories.

I don't know where that 400% comes from as I can find no statistics for Jomtien. If you think it is not crowded there might look at the photos on this facebook page. Seems quite a few complaints to me.

Capture.JPG

I started a thread on general forum and there was no complaints from Jomtien. I think they have knowledgeable volunteers there checking the papers before you go in. Also It would help to know how many of them are for the yearly extension and how many officers doing the work. There for sure is not as many retiree's there as Chiang Mai. Would not surprise me a bit if a lot of them were for 30 day extensions and you will notice it is only one line.

Need an on the spot checker upper there to know the real story. Maybe they use the extra money system. It ios after all not Kansas. 400% some people are desperate to be rite at all costs.

[TheAppletons]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open?

This is inside, many more similar photos and complaints on the FB page. Maybe they do have many more IOs to process things, something sorely missing here.

From yesterday in Jomtien:

"Did the 90 report for a retirement visa in person at Jomtien. In at 10:20 out at 10:40. Presented passport and TM47, received back a printed receipt with a bar code. Overstay officer also examined the passport page by page. No cost."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886139-90-day-report-at-jomtien-update/

Quite the contrast to the report from Chiang Mai yesterday by Trujillo on the Promenada thread.

[Dante99]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open?

This is inside, many more similar photos and complaints on the FB page. Maybe they do have many more IOs to process things, something sorely missing here.

12509550_10207727359039875_2964335411836567950_n.jpg

Looks like Chiang Mai is not the only office with overcrowding, is that correct?

Could it really be that all those claiming CM is the only office in the country with problems are wrong?

[Thailand]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open?

This is inside, many more similar photos and complaints on the FB page. Maybe they do have many more IOs to process things, something sorely missing here.

12509550_10207727359039875_2964335411836567950_n.jpg

Looks like Chiang Mai is not the only office with overcrowding, is that correct?

Could it really be that all those claiming CM is the only office in the country with problems are wrong?

Did you read the post before yours and the link?

[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.

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 don't take my time out of the day and post 'rubbish'. I post what I know is information from someone that I trust.

The member on this forum (Frangs Living in Chiangmai) is a old hand here, very respected member and he would have not posted 'rubbish'. This happened to him yesterday. He states they told him he needs to show up in person now. Others on the same forum are now saying the "prom" may be processing mails-ins but really, for the 2000 baht he paid, that is 2 years of payments for my agent to do it.

So what is Immigration really doing? Well, none of really know as it seems rules are changing daily. Once again, This is Thailand.

I do not want problems here. I have my elderly parents moving here as well this year with me and I do not expect them to put up with rubbish like this as they could not handle it. For the money I pay to use a agent and a 1000 baht for 90 day reports, I can state, I now have no problems at all at immigration apart from when I have to show up once a year to get my Volunteer Visa renewed.

I have 4 more years to do until retirement but I will no matter what, still keep using my agent even after this point. If you cannot afford just over a US$100 a year to stop these 'hassles', I wonder then why you are really here? You can write to the hierarchy, do whatever you need to say to officials, write or visit our own embassies but you all know well enough that when you moved here, you play by Thai rules and if Bangkok wants it this way, you can howl at the moon till your blue in the face, because that will not change anything.

The information that NaceyL has given us about GT4 is interesting but I prefer my money to go to a agent that is totally separate to any form/part of Immigration as it is my way of supporting a Thai person that has a real Thai family and giving them a job.

Pretty simple, the choice is yours in what you want to do. I have over the last 8 years done 30 trips to Immigration at the average wait time of 4 hours (around 120 hours of waiting) and I am well over that tipping point now.

Since using a agent, this has stopped. If Immigration want so to change to the better, fine but I will not be holding my breath.

[buddhalady]

'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'

Nancy, you're at it again!

Looking down at the huddled, geriatric masses from on high and being judgmental as regards readers of this forum isn't at all helpful right now. In, of course, my limited opinion... How many of us readers had, perhaps, just one unfortunate experience at immigration, leading to a decision not to personally darken their doors again, even although dementia was a very long way from setting in? This was my reason for taking on a visa agent service.

I suspect my experience may well be a valid a reason for many visa agent users, rather than 'not being able to understand the requirements', and might also include personal preferences about getting up in the middle of the night, sitting for hours or wandering around CM's most unappealing mall whilst waiting for attention. Not to mention being overcharged for average or even below average food or refreshments.

Personally, the only thing I miss about the former 'do-it-yourself' option is the delicious iced coffee at the airport immigration office cafe.

I'm, I suspect, a good few years older than you and, in another lifetime elsewhere, ran a long-term business which relied very strongly on top-class, often international, customer service. Your suggestions have merit, but this is Thailand - here things are done differently as you may have noticed. And the general appearance of young women at the immigration office obviously has no affect whatsoever on those of the female gender who require the service. Nor, I suspect, is eye candy relevant to a good number of male retirees settled in nicely with their very own version.

Or, Nancy, were you just being sarcastic?????

[fareastcoast]

My 2 cents....

I didn't realize that imm. was so busy and a cluster <deleted>. i went today at lunch and 90 day was full. Never seen that before in 4 years. I was told to come back early to wait in line and maybe get a number. I have a job so not easy to come back and wait in line. I have only 1 more day before i'm late and have to pay 2000 baht fine.

so, G4t was the best option, 300 baht and 5 minutes later i got my passport stamped.

Is that right? well not here to argue that fact, just that it helped me out a lot.

Yes, the system is <deleted>, if i can get my passport stamped in 5 minutes instead of waiting hours. but in this case 300 baht is better than 2000 baht.

Next time i'll plan better and try online or mail in.

[daoyai]

My 2 cents....

I didn't realize that imm. was so busy and a cluster <deleted>. i went today at lunch and 90 day was full. Never seen that before in 4 years. I was told to come back early to wait in line and maybe get a number. I have a job so not easy to come back and wait in line. I have only 1 more day before i'm late and have to pay 2000 baht fine.

so, G4t was the best option, 300 baht and 5 minutes later i got my passport stamped.

Is that right? well not here to argue that fact, just that it helped me out a lot.

Yes, the system is <deleted>, if i can get my passport stamped in 5 minutes instead of waiting hours. but in this case 300 baht is better than 2000 baht.

Next time i'll plan better and try online or mail in.

Your experience went exactly as planned.

[MadMac]

Seems to get worse every single month. So I have to go there next Monday afternoon if mail does not arrive to inquire about my 90 days mail-in they received according to Thai Post. My due date is 18, Tuesday, so no way I pay them 2000B for being (not) late. Then either they give me a new slip or the old back and I can queue at Promenada the following day. &lt;deleted&gt;?!

[MadMac]

G4t was the best option, 300 baht and 5 minutes later i got my passport stamped.

I consider this highly corrupt.

[HenryB]

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 don't take my time out of the day and post 'rubbish'. I post what I know is information from someone that I trust.

The member on this forum (Frangs Living in Chiangmai) is a old hand here, very respected member and he would have not posted 'rubbish'. This happened to him yesterday. He states they told him he needs to show up in person now. Others on the same forum are now saying the "prom" may be processing mails-ins but really, for the 2000 baht he paid, that is 2 years of payments for my agent to do it.

So what is Immigration really doing? Well, none of really know as it seems rules are changing daily. Once again, This is Thailand.

I do not want problems here. I have my elderly parents moving here as well this year with me and I do not expect them to put up with rubbish like this as they could not handle it. For the money I pay to use a agent and a 1000 baht for 90 day reports, I can state, I now have no problems at all at immigration apart from when I have to show up once a year to get my Volunteer Visa renewed.

I have 4 more years to do until retirement but I will no matter what, still keep using my agent even after this point. If you cannot afford just over a US$100 a year to stop these 'hassles', I wonder then why you are really here? You can write to the hierarchy, do whatever you need to say to officials, write or visit our own embassies but you all know well enough that when you moved here, you play by Thai rules and if Bangkok wants it this way, you can howl at the moon till your blue in the face, because that will not change anything.

The information that NaceyL has given us about GT4 is interesting but I prefer my money to go to a agent that is totally separate to any form/part of Immigration as it is my way of supporting a Thai person that has a real Thai family and giving them a job.

Pretty simple, the choice is yours in what you want to do. I have over the last 8 years done 30 trips to Immigration at the average wait time of 4 hours (around 120 hours of waiting) and I am well over that tipping point now.

Since using a agent, this has stopped. If Immigration want so to change to the better, fine but I will not be holding my breath.

All Visa Agents have connections that is why they can be Visa Agents

Same Same

[sappersrest]

G4t was the best option, 300 baht and 5 minutes later i got my passport stamped.

I consider this highly corrupt.

How is it corrupt ?Please explain

[HenryB]

are we sure some visa agents do not use G4T?

[MadMac]

How is it corrupt ?Please explain

It's simple, you come and try to use the official way, either you are lucky to get a number or they tell you "come next day".

Or you pay the agent 300B and get it done in 5 mins.

What better, clear, example of corruption could be? Can't imagine/

[amexpat]

500 baht for a certificate of residency.

[northernjohn]

How is it corrupt ?Please explain

It's simple, you come and try to use the official way, either you are lucky to get a number or they tell you "come next day".

Or you pay the agent 300B and get it done in 5 mins.

What better, clear, example of corruption could be? Can't imagine/

Well it looks good on paper. How ever you don't know. What if the other two companies with agents were to set up there. My money says they would get the same service. Would you call them corrupt?

We don't know so many things for all you or I or any one knows the other agencies drive over there go in and 5 minutes later have the 90 day. For all we know the use of agencies makes sense because the officers don't have to spend so much time on them so the immigration has an unwritten policy to work with them.

[northernjohn]

I don't take my time out of the day and post 'rubbish'. I post what I know is information from someone that I trust.

The member on this forum (Frangs Living in Chiangmai) is a old hand here, very respected member and he would have not posted 'rubbish'. This happened to him yesterday. He states they told him he needs to show up in person now. Others on the same forum are now saying the "prom" may be processing mails-ins but really, for the 2000 baht he paid, that is 2 years of payments for my agent to do it.

So what is Immigration really doing? Well, none of really know as it seems rules are changing daily. Once again, This is Thailand.

I do not want problems here. I have my elderly parents moving here as well this year with me and I do not expect them to put up with rubbish like this as they could not handle it. For the money I pay to use a agent and a 1000 baht for 90 day reports, I can state, I now have no problems at all at immigration apart from when I have to show up once a year to get my Volunteer Visa renewed.

I have 4 more years to do until retirement but I will no matter what, still keep using my agent even after this point. If you cannot afford just over a US$100 a year to stop these 'hassles', I wonder then why you are really here? You can write to the hierarchy, do whatever you need to say to officials, write or visit our own embassies but you all know well enough that when you moved here, you play by Thai rules and if Bangkok wants it this way, you can howl at the moon till your blue in the face, because that will not change anything.

The information that NaceyL has given us about GT4 is interesting but I prefer my money to go to a agent that is totally separate to any form/part of Immigration as it is my way of supporting a Thai person that has a real Thai family and giving them a job.

Pretty simple, the choice is yours in what you want to do. I have over the last 8 years done 30 trips to Immigration at the average wait time of 4 hours (around 120 hours of waiting) and I am well over that tipping point now.

Since using a agent, this has stopped. If Immigration want so to change to the better, fine but I will not be holding my breath.

All Visa Agents have connections that is why they can be Visa Agents

Same Same

Exactly

If they were all on the same premises with immigration they would all get the same treatment.

People seem to think that because G4T is so handy that they are getting privileges that the other companies don't get.

For those of you on a crusade to close down G4T a Thai operated company prove me wrong.

[daoyai]

^^^ Stockholm syndrome?

[NancyL]

Maybe they were waiting for it to open?

This is inside, many more similar photos and complaints on the FB page. Maybe they do have many more IOs to process things, something sorely missing here.

12509550_10207727359039875_2964335411836567950_n.jpg

Looks like Chiang Mai is not the only office with overcrowding, is that correct?

Could it really be that all those claiming CM is the only office in the country with problems are wrong?

Recently, I had an opportunity to interact with a PhD student from Chulalongkorn who is doing a thesis on migration of western retirees to Thailand. Yup, that's right people actually get PhDs studying US. Anyway, she'd spent time hanging around the Immigration offices in the key retirement cities in Thailand, interviewing retirees and as an unintended consequence, had a chance to observe the operations of the Immigration offices.

She found the officers at the other offices that served Phuket, Hua Hin, Koh Samui and Pattaya to be very friendly to her project and they sent retirees over to be interview subjects. Chiang Mai absolutely refused to cooperate with her and asked to leave when she decided to hang around outside the office and approach people on her own in the coffee shop area, yes outside the G4T office. She is Thai, incidentally. When she talked with me later and I explained what was going on at the CM Office, she had a better understanding of why she was probably asked to leave -- they didn't want her figuring out what was going on with G4T and Immigration.

Anyway, her "take" on the Jomtien office was interesting. She said that yes, it's always crowded, like the Chiang Mai office is, but there is a real sense of "movement" in the crowd. People arrive, get a queue number, sit for just a few minutes and then they are served and leave. In Chiang Mai, people arrive much, much earlier, get a queue number and then sit all day. So that's why the photos of the waiting area in the two offices may look similar, but it doesn't tell the story of how long the customers have been sitting waiting.

[Thailand]

How is it corrupt ?Please explain

It's simple, you come and try to use the official way, either you are lucky to get a number or they tell you "come next day".

Or you pay the agent 300B and get it done in 5 mins.

What better, clear, example of corruption could be? Can't imagine/

Well it looks good on paper. How ever you don't know. What if the other two companies with agents were to set up there. My money says they would get the same service. Would you call them corrupt?

We don't know so many things for all you or I or any one knows the other agencies drive over there go in and 5 minutes later have the 90 day. For all we know the use of agencies makes sense because the officers don't have to spend so much time on them so the immigration has an unwritten policy to work with them.

You really do believe this don't you? There is no way other agencies get the same service as the one in question or would get it if they were on either side of the current set up, surely you must know why by now?

[Dante99]

If things are really as some indicate, why has nobody taken this issue to Thai autrorities for prosecution?

[MadMac]

If things are really as some indicate, why has nobody taken this issue to Thai autrorities for prosecution?

That's simple too. You don't want your name popping up in a complain and possible law suit if you intend to stay in this country.

[northernjohn]

If things are really as some indicate, why has nobody taken this issue to Thai autrorities for prosecution?

That's simple too. You don't want your name popping up in a complain and possible law suit if you intend to stay in this country.

True

How ever that does not apply to the conciliates whom Nancy claims have been in contact with immigration.

All we know for sure is it is a mess they are understaffed and have no signing officer at the Promenada.

[Dante99]

If things are really as some indicate, why has nobody taken this issue to Thai autrorities for prosecution?

That's simple too. You don't want your name popping up in a complain and possible law suit if you intend to stay in this country.

Oh you would be a hero for correcting a big bad wrong. Everybody would love you.

[seedy]

one Troll / Flaming post removed

Please keep it Civil