Immigration Promenada One Stop Service 2016-2017

[EricTh]

 

Is there any public bus to Promenada mall other than the red bus which charge exorbitant fees?

[freedomnow]

2 hours ago, Faz said:

 

I think you've got your wires crossed and stipulating the wrong forms, which may confuse others.

 

On re entry you complete a TM6 (Arrival/Departure card)

A TM7 is only completed to extend your annual permission to stay, when your previous one is expiring.

 

On re entry and return to your permanent registered address, there is also no need to submit a TM28, because you are returning to the same registered address, not changing address.

Only the TM30 needs to be re filed by the 'House Master'.

OK, correct. I'm clearer on the procedure and forms. TM6, not TM7 which I completed on arrival...same address as always.

Anyway, I had to pay the 1600 Baht penalty. The house master took care of the forms after I read about the TM30 fresh submission needed.

 

Stayed at same place few years, in-and-out before, never had a problem with extensions before this.  I read on this forum local Police are keeping 20% of the 1600 Baht penalty.

Actually immigration let us do a 2 residents for 1 at 1600 Baht.

 

Edited October 14, 2016 by freedomnow

[freedomnow]

3 hours ago, Konini said:

 

I'm not sure I understand you correctly - on re-entry we fill in the arrival card with our address and in theory if not in practice the landlord notifies immigration that we are back in the country.   I'm reading this as we also have to notify immigration that we are back in the country - is this correct?

 

It also got me to thinking, should somebody be reporting that we left the address when we go away?  Would make sense.

Your landlord now needs to re-register you at same address if you leave the country and come back. = TM30. I think they did my TM28 same-time.

I have a receipt for the penalty and notification of address tucked in my passport for my tourist extension coming up.

[Thailand]

3 hours ago, Lizard2010 said:

A friend has recently returned from Overseas

He had to go himself in person to advise the Thai Police Investigation office

behind the Airport Immigration Office

It was his responsibility to advise he was back in the country

Not his owner

Which he did

He showed them the old TM30 receipt then they gave him a new one

Maybe this is the new way to do things these days

May change tomorrow

And others have had the old TM30 form endorsed and redated.

Whatever the case you need to report within 24 hours weekend notwithstanding and you definitely need a TM30 in your passport.

 

And they are getting everybody across the board, our Thai landlady sent her husband to do the TM30 indicating 2 foreigners living in their house, guess what, they charged them 2 x 1600 as they issued 2 TM30!

 

My landlady is well placed in TAT, no discrimiation going on, this old rule now being enforced is bringing in mega bucks.

 

Next one could well be full enforcement of the TM28 and the 24 hour rule.

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, xng said:

 

Is there any public bus to Promenada mall other than the red bus which charge exorbitant fees?

 

http://www.promenadachiangmai.com/en/news-events/Update Shuttle Bus schedule/30

 

Doesn't run in the mornings.  

 

You file TM30s at the old Imm office near the airport.

[6thST]

On 1/8/2016 at 4:02 PM, Thailand said:

As I said they have won. Look for similar agencies springing up around the country.

But why didn't you mail in?

I have the same question,Why did't you just send it by post???

 

[EricTh]

On 10/14/2016 at 2:38 PM, NancyL said:

 

http://www.promenadachiangmai.com/en/news-events/Update Shuttle Bus schedule/30

 

Doesn't run in the mornings.  

 

You file TM30s at the old Imm office near the airport.

 

Where does the bus wait? Does the bus actually go inside the mall's compound or do we have to walk to the main road?

 

Because I remembered waiting there for more than one hour and there were only one group of red bus drivers waiting inside the mall.

 

[NancyL]

24 minutes ago, xng said:

 

Where does the bus wait? Does the bus actually go inside the mall's compound or do we have to walk to the main road?

 

Because I remembered waiting there for more than one hour and there were only one group of red bus drivers waiting inside the mall.

 

In order to use the mall's shuttle service, you have to go to the mall info desk, on the main floor of the same building as Immigration and talk with the ladies at the Info Counter.  They will give you a little slip (ticket) that you give to the shuttle bus driver.  There is a sign board with the shuttle bus schedule just inside the door near the Info Desk also.  The "bus" is really just a songthaew that's painted with special colors -- brown, with Promenada's name on it.  It pulls up right in front of the door by the Info Desk.

 

This is the standard practice to use any of the mall shuttle buses in Chiang Mai.  You have to get a ticket from the mall's info desk and tell them where you want to be dropped off.

 

[EricTh]

8 hours ago, NancyL said:

In order to use the mall's shuttle service, you have to go to the mall info desk, on the main floor of the same building as Immigration and talk with the ladies at the Info Counter.  They will give you a little slip (ticket) that you give to the shuttle bus driver.  There is a sign board with the shuttle bus schedule just inside the door near the Info Desk also.  The "bus" is really just a songthaew that's painted with special colors -- brown, with Promenada's name on it.  It pulls up right in front of the door by the Info Desk.

 

This is the standard practice to use any of the mall shuttle buses in Chiang Mai.  You have to get a ticket from the mall's info desk and tell them where you want to be dropped off.

 

 

Thanks a lot.

 

I asked many foreigners (and even Thai people) sitting around there and nobody knew of this service.

 

When I asked the red Song Taew drivers waiting just outside the mall for passengers, they wouldn't tell me and wanted to charge me 200 baht instead.

 

From the bus schedule, can I confirm that the bus only comes in the afternoon? Or has the schedule been changed?

 

[NancyL]

2 hours ago, xng said:

 

Thanks a lot.

 

I asked many foreigners (and even Thai people) sitting around there and nobody knew of this service.

 

When I asked the red Song Taew drivers waiting just outside the mall for passengers, they wouldn't tell me and wanted to charge me 200 baht instead.

 

From the bus schedule, can I confirm that the bus only comes in the afternoon? Or has the schedule been changed?

 

How many random people in your home town know the bus schedules?  And would the taxi drivers tell you?  I don't want to be mean or flip, but seriously?  As far as knowing if the schedule has changed, I was at the mall last month and the schedule on their website applied.  

http://www.promenadachiangmai.com/en/news-events/Update Shuttle Bus schedule/30

 

You know, if the free shuttle service doesn't work, you can always pay one of those red songthaews 200 baht to take you home.  It's not like you're stranded there.  And even if you were, there are worse places to be stranded.

[EricTh]

Does anybody here know whether there's a maximum limit to the numbers an agent can get in one spot in the queue?

 

Let's say an agent gets 25 customers a day and she only has to sit at one chair, how will the other foreigners know whether to wait or come another day?

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by xng

[NancyL]

It's suppose to be one agent per customer.  Of course, there is G4T upstairs who doesn't have to send an agent to sit in a chair for their customers.  Somehow their customers don't count in the morning quota of queue tickets.

[jonesthepost]

7 minutes ago, NancyL said:

It's suppose to be one agent per customer.  Of course, there is G4T upstairs who doesn't have to send an agent to sit in a chair for their customers.  Somehow their customers don't count in the morning quota of queue tickets.

G4T in the current situation  is about the best to use for visa extensions for retirement.So stop knocking them lady

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, jonesthepost said:

G4T in the current situation  is about the best to use for visa extensions for retirement.So stop knocking them lady

It's a forum,she is entitled to her opinion and the fact that she is right does add a certain amount of weight to her comments.

 

To anwer a previous question, it should be one ticket per chair,even in the case of couples which should require 2  chairs to get the 2 golden tickets. At our last extension I did notice that it was being applied. I also noticed that 2 couples in front of us actually had appointments and agents with them, no idea how that one works.

 

If you know how to complete your own paperwork, print out out your pdf file etc then you can employ someone to reserve a chair for you,and subsequently that all important ticket, for a fraction of the costs that the agents charge. ( at least you could a few weeks ago)

[Sparkles]

3 hours ago, jonesthepost said:

G4T in the current situation  is about the best to use for visa extensions for retirement.So stop knocking them lady

Nancy L was not knocking GT4 just making a statement of fact,they don't have to queue like other agents and more importantly us.

Hopefully better days for CM Immigration matters are ahead

[HullyGully]

I would hope if improvements happen from this meeting on 21st, then the days of queuing would be over

 

If IM in CM operated a normal system whereby you could go during NORMAL office hours 0830hrs onwards and be seen the need for early hour queues would disappear, chair sitting disappears

 

Some people will always require agents, however the agent would attend with the customer

 

Also, if you could not be seen that day, IMM offers you an appointment

Edited October 17, 2016 by HullyGully

[Sparkles]

48 minutes ago, HullyGully said:

I would hope if improvements happen from this meeting on 21st, then the days of queuing would be over

 

If IM in CM operated a normal system whereby you could go during NORMAL office hours 0830hrs onwards and be seen the need for early hour queues would disappear, chair sitting disappears

 

Some people will always require agents, however the agent would attend with the customer

 

Also, if you could not be seen that day, IMM offers you an appointment

I think that is the target which is not unreasonable.I have friends  and former  colleagues throughout the country and they find it hard to believe the situation here.

Many people behind the scenes have been politely, urging improvements,let hope it bears fruit. It is as I have said before its purely a clerical function.

For some reason, which may be explained this Friday, the failure of the passport bar code ,online booking system and inadequate staff  is hard to  fathom in an area that has going through a foreign  population explosion..

 

 

[delboy]

I recently got a visa extension through G4T.  It goes against my principles to pay somebody to do something that I can do, and have done, for many years, but it was worth the money to avoid leaving home around 3am for a long drive to the office, and then (if I am lucky) waiting around for a long time before returning home.

 

I had to wait in the office, with the G4T agent for a short time, during which I was able to ask him a few questions.  He told me that they offer a maximum of 4 slots per day, and that they have people to wait in line in the morning to get queue tickets, depending on how many clients they have for that day.

 

I was told to be in the office for 3pm.  I arrived at 2:45, had my interview at 3:10 and the agent waited in the immigration office for the return of my passport while I did some shopping.  I collected my passport from the G4T office at 4pm.

 

He also said that they can issue the certificate of residence in 2 days, for 500 baht.

 

The immigration officer's notes on his desk showed that he was due to process 26 applications that day.

[evenstevens]

6 hours ago, NancyL said:

It's suppose to be one agent per customer.  Of course, there is G4T upstairs who doesn't have to send an agent to sit in a chair for their customers.  Somehow their customers don't count in the morning quota of queue tickets.

 

is it any different ,to other alien embassys or consulates who charge  extra  for express service etc etc, E/S  knows from experience ,that our travelling  Australian  Consulate  do,and has happily paid for it, and they do a marvellous service  up here
 

5 hours ago, jonesthepost said:

G4T in the current situation  is about the best to use for visa extensions for retirement.So stop knocking them lady

cobber ,do what suits you, in E/S case my Visa Agent  has always given excellent service,  ,if that was not  so,,   G4T  would be my choice,immediately

 

 

2 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Nancy L was not knocking GT4 just making a statement of fact,they don't have to queue like other agents and more importantly us.

 

 not knocking???    , same  complaint , as usual,   and for the umpteenth time. on this board E/S might add,    as i posted y/day just senseless  carpet bombing the immgr dept and services, , if  any punter chooses any  paid  service, which they feel more comfortable, dealing wth their immgr issues., at the present time ,  Why Not????

its their choice,and money to do so,

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, HullyGully said:

 

 

Also, if you could not be seen that day, IMM offers you an appointment

 

How does this appointment work? 

 

If I arrive on that day only to find out the queue numbers have all been given out. Do I get a queue number for another day? Or I still have to queue up on 'appointment' day and try my luck again and again?

 

What if I can't get a queue number even after 7 days?

Edited October 17, 2016 by xng

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, xng said:

 

How does this appointment work? 

 

If I arrive on that day only to find out the queue numbers have all been given out. Do I get a queue number for another day? Or I still have to queue up on 'appointment' day and try my luck again and again?

 

What if I can't get a queue number even after 7 days?

There is no official appointment system ( there was but it was it was vetoed by imm) unless you have someone who has a special relationship with immigration.

 

Options:

 

Stand in the q very early to get a ticket.

 

Employ an agent to employ someone to stand in the q on your behalf and pay them a few thousand baht as they will fill out the paperwork for you.

 

Fill out the paperwork yourself (plenty of retirement paperwork for dummies threads on the forum) and employ someone yourself to reserve a chair for you,arrive at 8.30 am and complete the whole thing by around 10am -10.30am, cost around 300 baht.

 

 

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

There is no official appointment system ( there was but it was it was vetoed by imm) unless you have someone who has a special relationship with immigration.

 

Options:

 

Stand in the q very early to get a ticket.

 

Employ an agent to employ someone to stand in the q on your behalf and pay them a few thousand baht as they will fill out the paperwork for you.

 

Fill out the paperwork yourself (plenty of retirement paperwork for dummies threads on the forum) and employ someone yourself to reserve a chair for you,arrive at 8.30 am and complete the whole thing by around 10am -10.30am, cost around 300 baht.

 

 

 

Option 1 would be feasible if I had my own bike instead of relying on public transport so that is out of the question.

 

Filling out the paperwork isn't difficult (I think) once you know the requirements and get the papers ready before queuing up.

 

I am really shocked that immigration only processes 25 cases per day considering that Chiang Mai has more than 100k(I could be wrong) retirees from what I've observed.

 

Why can the immigration officers at the airport process several hundreds of tourist per day but not those officers at Promenada?

 

Can't we just submit our application forms at the counter to be approved or rejected on the next few days on a FIFO basis?

 

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by xng

[Konini]

11 hours ago, jonesthepost said:

G4T in the current situation  is about the best to use for visa extensions for retirement.So stop knocking them lady

 

Not knocking them, just telling it like it is.  Like it was is a little bit different.  Online appointments, 40 or 50 at least processed every day. G4T opened up shop nex tdoor to Immigration at the same time online appointments stopped and processing 20 people per day started. Nancy put in a lot of effort (and expense, getting there at 5am isn't cheap when you don't have your own transport), reported constantly on a post on here how many people she witnessed waiting in queues, how many people were processed, got on to various ambassadors and consulates like a dog with a bone and in the end was told not to present herself at immigration for any reason other than her own extension or reporting.  She did manage to get the numbers up to 25 though.  It went up to 30 after a letter to the editor from Spakles was printed in the Bankgok Post, seems that the number is dropping again.  Given what Nancy has done I find your tone a little harsh.

 

G4T is without doubt the easiest way to get your extension at the moment.  However, you appear to be new and don't know the history behind the general resistance to use G4T.   A lack of transparency over the ownership of G4T, has been a matter of much speculation and concern, although I'm not suggesting anything improper is happening  .

[NancyL]

Thank you Konini for your kind words and concise history lesson.  

 

You did leave out the part that was described in the recent CityLife magazine article "Guardians at the Gate" about how the our local Consular Corp tried to work with CM Immigration to implement an working, reasonable on-line appointment queue, which would (in my opinion) eliminate many of the problems.  I've added the boldfacing myself.  You can read the entire article here:   http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/guardians-of-our-gates/

 

Oh, and notice how I'm not mentioned once in the article.  That's a good thing, isn't it?  I'm not the only one who has "noticed" there are problems at CM Immigration.

 

Late last year Chief of Chiang Mai Immigration Police Colonel Rutjapong Saravanangkool set up three committees to solve ongoing problems. The first was the consular corps advisory committee, working under their respective embassies, who were set up to advise the department on how to improve efficiency. An executive committee comprising top immigration officials was also set up as well as a working committee to find solutions to the online appointment system. This last technology working committee was led by Chiang Mai University’s College of Arts, Media and Technology with input by private sector software companies. By early this year they had built an online appointments system which was tested and green lighted for use, to be given for free to Chiang Mai Immigration.

“As with our own committee,” said our consular corps source, “at the last minute everything stopped, the plug was pulled. We kept getting hurdles thrown at us. Nothing has been done since.”

[EricTh]

59 minutes ago, Konini said:

 

 

G4T is without doubt the easiest way to get your extension at the moment.  However, you appear to be new and don't know the history behind the general resistance to use G4T.   A lack of transparency over the ownership of G4T, has been a matter of much speculation and concern, although I'm not suggesting anything improper is happening  .

 

Online appointment would have been great considering that this is the 21st century and people don't sit on chairs waiting at ungodly hours like in the early 20th century.

 

I wonder whether it's because there is a subtle message given by some powerful government officials?

 

How much more do we have to pay extra to G4T and where is this agent company situated?

 

 

[HullyGully]

Firstly, I would like to second the comments from Konini,  Nancy L was advising the facts, and by the way spends a lot of her time to try and make life better for us Expats

 

With respect to my earlier post, we do not have issues about queues at the Dept. of Transport, we can go during normal offices hours and conclude our business

 

This is what we expect at Chiang Mai IMM,  conclude our business during NORMAL office hours

 

In the event that this is not possible IMM could control an appointment system for the next day

[EricTh]

24 minutes ago, NancyL said:

TI've added the boldfacing myself.  You can read the entire article here:   http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/guardians-of-our-gates/

 

 

 

Thanks for the link to the article. Nobody told me of all these problems just to get an extension. 

 

This picture really gets the message across. We'll be dead when it comes to our turn.

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by xng

[Lizard2010]

Nancy was going to report back to the American Consulate

Because the American Consulate could not go there unless it was on official business

Same as when the Bangkok Immigration came up to visit Chiang Mai Immigration

Mysteriously G4T were closed

Plus they also had to change the name

The Australian could not do to much as they have a few who have there say here

I have my say too sometimes

But let it pass me by most times

I have better things to do

Im not a drongo

Right cobber

 

[Konini]

Double Post

Edited October 17, 2016 by Konini
Double Post

[Konini]

14 minutes ago, Lizard2010 said:

Nancy was going to report back to the American Consulate

Because the American Consulate could not go there unless it was on official business

Same as when the Bangkok Immigration came up to visit Chiang Mai Immigration

Mysteriously G4T were closed

Plus they also had to change the name

The Australian could not do to much as they have a few who have there say here

I have my say too sometimes

But let it pass me by most times

I have better things to do

Im not a drongo

Right cobber

 

 

No worries    

The visit from Bangkok that caused the fuss and G4T being closed with all posters taken down and office emptied was a direct result of Sparkles sending a letter to the editor of the Bangkok Post which was published.  Head honcho from Bangkok came the following day and things did get better for a while.

 

I've written a couple of letters to the editor which haven't been published.  I implore everybody reading this to write to the postbag section.  It doesn't have to be an essay, sometimes short and sharp are the best.  The more letters that get sent, the more chance there is that one of our letters will be published.