Immigration Promenada One Stop Service 2016-2017

[roo860]

If they could have got me a 90 day today, when the queue was closed, that would be corrupt.
Using an agent to 'manage' queuing is one thing, but when it is the only way to get service, it is the thin end of the wedge.

So ya gotta back again tomorrow, early start?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

Just tried to do a 90 day @13:30 - queue full, come back tomorrow, 08:30. 200 per day limit apparently.

I usually use the online system, so didn't have time to post.

I have 2 days left before being fined.....

This could get ugly!

 

It's going to get worse with the increasing number of foreigners in Thailand.

 

Do tell us your experience for the next 2 days.

 

This type of queueing is so outdated.

 

 

[HullyGully]

Re IMM address

 

Nancy L and Lizard2010, I was aware you have previously advised IMM address

 

However, I felt it was just easier to add to this thread,

[Thailand]

9 hours ago, HullyGully said:

Re IMM address

 

Nancy L and Lizard2010, I was aware you have previously advised IMM address

 

However, I felt it was just easier to add to this thread,

Feeling a little left out but I will try to deal with it. 

[NotEinstein]

17 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

It's going to get worse with the increasing number of foreigners in Thailand.

 

Do tell us your experience for the next 2 days.

 

This type of queueing is so outdated.

 

 

Went back this morning @09:00 - number 63. Processed @ 10:47.

 

I noticed that some people  have multiple forms/passports, plus agents with batches, so the lady doing the work, assisted by a student, is probably handling 300 maybe more a day. People were still getting numbers at 11:10.

 

For what it's worth, the number 2 retirement applicant arrived at 05:00. They only process 26 a day. About half the retires I saw handled were with an agent.

[EricTh]

2 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

 

For what it's worth, the number 2 retirement applicant arrived at 05:00. They only process 26 a day. About half the retires I saw handled were with an agent.

 

Were the retirees present together with the agent or the agent went alone?

[NotEinstein]

44 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

Were the retirees present together with the agent or the agent went alone?

About half the retires I saw handled were with an agent.

[Touch wood]

Is immigration issuing the new 10 year's stay medical Visa, the government pass in parliament last month at immigration now ?

[Touch wood]

On 13/01/2017 at 11:13 AM, Touch wood said:

Is immigration issuing the new 10 year's stay medical Visa, the government pass in parliament last month at immigration now ?

As no one has replied maybe to early at this stage.

Policy was approved by the interim cabinet, according to spokesman Athisit Chainuwat. It would replace one-year renewable visas and come in two installments of five years each, Athisit said.

[briley]

Retirement extension today (Thursday 19th Jan)

 

Arrived at 6.37am and thought I was 14th in line, but when it came to the tickets I was 18th.

By 8am two others had joined the line. At 8.30 they issued 20 or 21 tickets so there were even spare places for late comers.

 

But that was today, maybe tomorrow will be busier.

 

Was seen after lunch, once I got to the desk it was very quick and got my passport back at 3pm. Immediately got a ticket for re-entry permit and had my passport, years extension and re-entry stamp in hand by 3.30pm. All efficiently handled by pleasant staff. Their system is much more streamlined and whilst it could be better it went very well.

 

Point to note I did have a TM30 report and it was checked. No 'personal' form required - the one about Facebook etc.

 

For 90 day there was a long queue at 8.30 (maybe 40 people) but everyone was seen - but why not do it by post, so easy and cheaper than the petrol?

 

Sorry, the marriage queue was such a mess I have no idea how many were waiting or seen.

 

Tourist queue was short (5 people?) at 8.30 and they were accepting forms in the afternoon.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[NancyL]

Very good report, Briley.  I had an experience similar to yours on Monday.  Since my extension doesn't expire for 28 days, I thought I'd tempt fate and take my time in getting to Imm. Prom.  I don't like getting up early.  I arrived at 8:35 am and got queue ticket No. 19.  They told me to come back at 1 pm, but I heard the coop checking documents say that to several people ahead of me, so I decided to go check out the films at SF Promenada around 11 am, after having left Imm. at 10 am for breakfast at RimPing after seeing that, yes, it does seem that everyone there is actually working now with less time spent talking to each other, doing Facebook and going off for kanoms.  Still have that crummy karaoke speaker system and no queue-number-being-served signs.  Wonder what happened to the ones from the old office that has been torn down.

 

Anyway, once my movie was done (LaLaLand -- didn't really see what all the fuss is about.  I was bored, but it was better than sitting around Imm.) I returned to Imm and found No. 18 being served.  A short time later, it was my turn and like Briley, my TM30 receipt was of great interest and there was no request for the Foreign National Information Form.  A short wait for Big Boss approval and my passport was returned by 3:30.     I didn't apply for a re-entry permit because I so much love an excuse to visit my friends at Imm. Prom. that I'll save that for another day.

 

So, was it a good day at Imm. Prom?  Well, yes compared to previous visits  Amazingly, a few people joined the queue after me and got queue tickets.  So everyone who came for a retirement extension, received a queue number.  And gee, I "only" spent seven hours at Imm. to receive that retirement extension.

 

While overall, it does seem that they're trying to make improvements, there is one area where they're "backsliding".  A few months ago, there was serious document screening during the issuing of queue tickets and people who lacked appropriate documents or otherwise weren't qualified to receive a retirement extension were told of this in the morning and sent on their way.  When I was there, two coops issued the retirement extension queue numbers and they simply looked in your passport to see if you were in the correct queue.  No inspection of documents.  I witnessed three people who had waited for hours who were refused their extensions because they didn't have a bank letter (just the bank book), nothing to justify income (said they'd submitted last year and nothing had changed) and a consular letter saying they had a big bank account in their home country (sorry, that won't cut it)  Those three should have been screened out in the morning.  It was a waste of their time to sit around all day and, if the queue had been long, perhaps some people would have been denied a queue number because of them.

 

 

 

 

[briley]

OK Nancy they do not have big red signs giving the queue number being served but each desk has a little holder in which they put the queue number they are currently serving. Once you notice that life does get easier.

 

Yes, the speaker system is a joke - they do call out the number to be served but I could not understand either the English nor the Thai from the retirement desk lady.

 

 

[cusanus]

Hmmm, no discussion for a whole year. I've never had much problem. At Promenada for retirement extension I show up about 6:00AM and am 3rd to 5th in line. Last year 2016 and the year before we had to wait for the passports to go to the airport office, get signed and returned about 2PM, but this year 2017 the officer doing retirement visas is able to sign them right away, for me about ten minutes, possibly 30 in some cases. As for the 90 day reports, I think everyone can do them by mail, but maybe not as I live in Sanpatong. I actually prefer to go in because I enjoy the process and love the people and can bum around the mall for a while, but the new personal information form is kind of unpleasant and it takes me no more than ten minutes to mail it in. I've read the phrase that you have to send it in at least 15 days early, but I think that means between 15 days and 7 days. Since I've never gotten that quite straight, I've always sent it in exactly 15 days ahead. Is your experience any different? 

[EricTh]

17 hours ago, NancyL said:

.  No inspection of documents.  I witnessed three people who had waited for hours who were refused their extensions because they didn't have a bank letter (just the bank book), nothing to justify income (said they'd submitted last year and nothing had changed) and a consular letter saying they had a big bank account in their home country (sorry, that won't cut it)  Those three should have been screened out in the morning.  It was a waste of their time to sit around all day and, if the queue had been long, perhaps some people would have been denied a queue number because of them.

 

 

The onus is for the applicants to check what documents are needed before queueing.

 

Anyway, did you find out whether they would return back another day?

 

 

[NancyL]

5 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

The onus is for the applicants to check what documents are needed before queueing.

 

Anyway, did you find out whether they would return back another day?

 

 

Yes, certainly the onus is for the applicants to check what documents are needed, but formerly Imm. had someone distributing queue tickets that did a more thorough document check and turned away unqualified people.  Also, if they're only going to distribute 25 queue tickets per day, they could be turning away someone qualified because someone unqualified scored a queue ticket.  

 

Yes, I know at least one of the applicants was going to return once he got a "fresh" letter from the U.S. Consulate.  Don't know about the two who thought they could use Consulate letters saying they have big bank accounts abroad, instead of having 800,000 baht in Thailand.  Seems they may have a problem.  Didn't go out of my way to talk with them.  One of the "conditions" that Imm. Prom. has put on me is that I'm not suppose to "interview" customers when I'm there.  So I don't speak to anyone unless they speak to me first (as a rule)

[EricTh]

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

 

Yes, I know at least one of the applicants was going to return once he got a "fresh" letter from the U.S. Consulate.  

 

How would a fresh letter change anything because the money is still not in Thailand.

 

Doesn't the condition state that you must have at least 800k for at least 3 months in Thailand?

 

 

Edited January 20, 2017 by EricTh

[Thailand]

4 hours ago, cusanus said:

Hmmm, no discussion for a whole year. I've never had much problem. At Promenada for retirement extension I show up about 6:00AM and am 3rd to 5th in line. Last year 2016 and the year before we had to wait for the passports to go to the airport office, get signed and returned about 2PM, but this year 2017 the officer doing retirement visas is able to sign them right away, for me about ten minutes, possibly 30 in some cases. As for the 90 day reports, I think everyone can do them by mail, but maybe not as I live in Sanpatong. I actually prefer to go in because I enjoy the process and love the people and can bum around the mall for a while, but the new personal information form is kind of unpleasant and it takes me no more than ten minutes to mail it in. I've read the phrase that you have to send it in at least 15 days early, but I think that means between 15 days and 7 days. Since I've never gotten that quite straight, I've always sent it in exactly 15 days ahead. Is your experience any different? 

The officer doing extension of stay signing off on the passport, are you sure?

 

And isn't the "new information form" already defunct and I don't remember  having to mail it in?

 

San Patong, no reason why you can't mail in your 90 day report? And yes, it should be received at immigration between 15 -7 before due date.

 

 

 

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

How would a fresh letter change anything because the money is still not in Thailand.

 

Doesn't the condition state that you must have at least 800k for at least 3 months in Thailand?

 

 

No that was the applicant who didn't realize you have to get a new Income Letter every year.  He figured they should have had last year's "on file".

[NancyL]

6 hours ago, cusanus said:

Hmmm, no discussion for a whole year. I've never had much problem. At Promenada for retirement extension I show up about 6:00AM and am 3rd to 5th in line. Last year 2016 and the year before we had to wait for the passports to go to the airport office, get signed and returned about 2PM, but this year 2017 the officer doing retirement visas is able to sign them right away, for me about ten minutes, possibly 30 in some cases. As for the 90 day reports, I think everyone can do them by mail, but maybe not as I live in Sanpatong. I actually prefer to go in because I enjoy the process and love the people and can bum around the mall for a while, but the new personal information form is kind of unpleasant and it takes me no more than ten minutes to mail it in. I've read the phrase that you have to send it in at least 15 days early, but I think that means between 15 days and 7 days. Since I've never gotten that quite straight, I've always sent it in exactly 15 days ahead. Is your experience any different? 

No the officer doing the extensions is not authorized to sign for them.  But now there is someone with authority working at Prom to sign, but if that person is in a meeting, then you wait.  Personal Info Form seems to be dead and gone now.

[grin]

Interestingly enough I was at Promenada on Monday morning as well. My wife was paying her AIS bill a couple of doors over from the second floor immigration office. I stood in front of the office for a bit and observed the TM30 processing. There were quite a few people with 5 to 10 passports to process who I assume were from hotels. My guess is that you do not want to get your TM30 receipt stamped on a Monday morning as the load piles up over the weekend.

 

They had 3 people working on the TM30s and it looks like people had to wait up to maybe an hour to get them processed. They were giving out queue numbers and instead of announcing the next number the woman walked past everyone in the queue asking if they had the next number. Once someone's number came up she checked their documents and put them on the bottom of the pile. A man and another woman were processing the pile from the top. The man signed all of the TM30 stamps so there was a bit of extra delay if the woman processed the TM30.

[NancyL]

11 minutes ago, grin said:

Interestingly enough I was at Promenada on Monday morning as well. My wife was paying her AIS bill a couple of doors over from the second floor immigration office. I stood in front of the office for a bit and observed the TM30 processing. There were quite a few people with 5 to 10 passports to process who I assume were from hotels. My guess is that you do not want to get your TM30 receipt stamped on a Monday morning as the load piles up over the weekend.

 

They had 3 people working on the TM30s and it looks like people had to wait up to maybe an hour to get them processed. They were giving out queue numbers and instead of announcing the next number the woman walked past everyone in the queue asking if they had the next number. Once someone's number came up she checked their documents and put them on the bottom of the pile. A man and another woman were processing the pile from the top. The man signed all of the TM30 stamps so there was a bit of extra delay if the woman processed the TM30.

I doubt the people with 5 to 10 passports were from hotels, since they don't hold your passports.  These were probably agents or schools or organizations, like NGO.  Hotels always make a copy of a guest's passport when they check in and return the passport to them.  

[grin]

10 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I doubt the people with 5 to 10 passports were from hotels, since they don't hold your passports.  These were probably agents or schools or organizations, like NGO.  Hotels always make a copy of a guest's passport when they check in and return the passport to them.  

 

Yep, I just realized my mistake and came back to edit my post but you beat me to it.

[CMBob]

10 hours ago, grin said:

They had 3 people working on the TM30s and it looks like people had to wait up to maybe an hour to get them processed. They were giving out queue numbers and instead of announcing the next number the woman walked past everyone in the queue asking if they had the next number. Once someone's number came up she checked their documents and put them on the bottom of the pile. A man and another woman were processing the pile from the top. The man signed all of the TM30 stamps so there was a bit of extra delay if the woman processed the TM30.

I was there this past Monday to update my TM30 (given I re-entered the country two days before).  I didn't show up until a few minutes after 1PM, received queue number 99 (they were working on about number 75 at the time), and was finished about 2:15PM.

 

But that second floor office is handling other matters than only handling the TM30's.  The two of the people in line on either side of me were there for other matters and, of course, they got queue numbers 98 and 100.  Gone (at least for now) are the old days that updating a TM30 took 3-5 minutes. 

[JimGant]

Quote

I was there this past Monday to update my TM30 (given I re-entered the country two days before).  I didn't show up until a few minutes after 1PM, received queue number 99 (they were working on about number 75 at the time), and was finished about 2:15PM.

 

 

Are they still just endorsing your original TM30 receipt? What, if any, copies of documents are required? And, since you went two days after arrival, they're still presumably not enforcing the 24 hour requirement for these endorsements......(?).

[Sparkles]

Arrive late Friday. Imm is closed Sat and Sunday

[CMBob]

5 hours ago, JimGant said:

 

Are they still just endorsing your original TM30 receipt? What, if any, copies of documents are required? And, since you went two days after arrival, they're still presumably not enforcing the 24 hour requirement for these endorsements......(?).

 

After the original TM30 is filed, all you need for your update is your passport (with the TM30 receipt in it).  Nothing else (no other copies) are required.  They just stamped my existing Receipt and dated it (although I believe they entered other data....including my new departure card number....on the computer).

 

As concerns the 24-hour deal, I'm sure I was within the legal timeframe this time as I got back to CNX late Saturday and did the update the first day they were open (i.e., Monday); however, this was my third update and my first and second update were done 5 and 3 days, respectively, after I returned (and there was no problem).  Twice the officers have told me that I was fine if I did the update within seven days of re-entering the country.  Obviously, I don't believe the 24-hour deal (as stated in the statute) is strictly enforced. 

Edited January 21, 2017 by CMBob

[OneZero]

" Obviously, I don't believe the 24-hour deal (as stated in the statute) is strictly enforced."

 

TM30 itself was never enforced until CM Immigration spotted it as a great revenue earner.  The 24 hour aspect of the regulation is a handy backstop so that when the normal 1,600 thb fines decrease, CM Immigration can kick in the 24 hour aspect to bring revenue back in line.  There is a method to the madness.

[thai006]

until i come here on 2 november i never fill any tm30 lol 

[Touch wood]

13 hours ago, thai006 said:

until i come here on 2 november i never fill any tm30 lol 

TM 30 is only being in-forced in Chiang Mai, it started about six months ago first time. None of the other states of the country Aliens have to do this TM 30, its all political- not revenue collecting crush the opposition homebase.

[thai006]

1 hour ago, Touch wood said:

TM 30 is only being in-forced in Chiang Mai, it started about six months ago first time. None of the other states of the country Aliens have to do this TM 30, its all political- not revenue collecting crush the opposition homebase.

 

 

 i  live  near  chiang mai i was at  himmigration  on december for 30 day more  and they give me without anything  now i have a non 0 until april and after i go home so  no tm30