Immigration Promenada One Stop Service 2016-2017

[Saraphee]

7 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

Foreigners who migrate to English speaking countries must pass their IELTS English test so why not Thailand? Just kidding...

Yes, why should not all foreigners migrating to Thailand have to pass IELTS?

[NancyL]

9 hours ago, Saraphee said:

Yes, why should not all foreigners migrating to Thailand have to pass IELTS?

Maybe it's because we're not "migrating" to Thailand.  We have "non-immigrant" visas and "extend" our "permission to stay" from year-to-year.   There is a path to becoming a Thai citizen that includes a Thai language requirement, as discussed on a long-running thread on the visa subforum.

 

 

[jeffandgop]

Arrived at 10am today at IMM to process 90 day report. Received que #81 with staff serving #39-41 at that moment. 

I was called at  11:30 and done by 11:35. 
I noted at 10:50 they called que #11 for the extension of stay (retirement) desk.

[Saraphee]

I'm sorry to say Nancy that I disagree.

The Oxford Dictionaries definition of migrate is - "of a person) move to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions."

That is, I believe, what you and I have done, regardless of the status our hosts afford us.

 

I really believe that all foreigners moving here should have to pass IELTS, if only to encourage more Thai people to attempt to do so.

[Lizard2010]

2 minutes ago, Saraphee said:

I'm sorry to say Nancy that I disagree.

The Oxford Dictionaries definition of migrate is - "of a person) move to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions."

That is, I believe, what you and I have done, regardless of the status our hosts afford us.

 

I really believe that all foreigners moving here should have to pass IELTS, if only to encourage more Thai people to attempt to do so.

In Thailand this is differant

If you were at the Xpat Long Stay Seminar

You would know

That is what the Tourist Minister has called us

Because Xpats come under her Department

We are Long Stay Tourists

Not Immigrants as in most countries in the western world

This is what the Thailand Government has called us

We are unable to get citizenship in Thailand

End of story

 

[NancyL]

1 hour ago, Lizard2010 said:

In Thailand this is differant

If you were at the Xpat Long Stay Seminar

You would know

That is what the Tourist Minister has called us

Because Xpats come under her Department

We are Long Stay Tourists

Not Immigrants as in most countries in the western world

This is what the Thailand Government has called us

We are unable to get citizenship in Thailand

End of story

 

That's right.  I had an opportunity to speak at this seminar and said how we find it hurtful to be called "Long-Stay Tourists" when many of us have been living here for years, having sold our homes overseas, moved here with our pets and created a new life in Thailand.  Many have married Thai people, have Thai children and are supporting Thai families.  We try to learn the language and many practice their religion.  Some people they're calling "Long-Stay Tourists" haven't left Thailand for many, many years.  We don't engage in "tourist activities" and didn't come here for the spas and beautiful scenery and temples, but rather are much like Thai people, simply living our lives in a country we consider our adopted home.

[evenstevens]

1 hour ago, NancyL said:

That's right.  I had an opportunity to speak at this seminar and said how we find it hurtful to be called "Long-Stay Tourists" when many of us have been living here for years,

as for E/S , they can call me,  all the names under the sun, as long as they stamp my passport with the visa,s which i applied  and   paid  for,

its a Sticks and Stones may my  break bones, but Names  will never Hurt me,   good afternoon to all

[opalred]

i don't care what they call me 

as long as they don't call me late for lunch

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 10:11 PM, Saraphee said:

Yes, why should not all foreigners migrating to Thailand have to pass IELTS?

Because few of us are "migrating". IMO most are just here for one year at a time, and always will be unless they change the extension system for something longer term.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, NancyL said:

That's right.  I had an opportunity to speak at this seminar and said how we find it hurtful to be called "Long-Stay Tourists" when many of us have been living here for years, having sold our homes overseas, moved here with our pets and created a new life in Thailand.  Many have married Thai people, have Thai children and are supporting Thai families.  We try to learn the language and many practice their religion.  Some people they're calling "Long-Stay Tourists" haven't left Thailand for many, many years.  We don't engage in "tourist activities" and didn't come here for the spas and beautiful scenery and temples, but rather are much like Thai people, simply living our lives in a country we consider our adopted home.

Hmmmmm, unless gaining citizenship, all expats are only here till they make it too difficult to stay. Extending year by year is not encouraging stability, and is becoming more difficult with the passing of time, and depending on the immigration office.

When I first arrived I could get 90 days at the border unlimited times. Happy days indeed, but long gone.

I would consider "long stay tourist" an accurate description of most of us.

 

in a country we consider our adopted home.

Perhaps you could add "would like' to that. It's not "our home" as long as we have to jump through whatever hoops they come up with every year.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, Saraphee said:

I'm sorry to say Nancy that I disagree.

The Oxford Dictionaries definition of migrate is - "of a person) move to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions."

That is, I believe, what you and I have done, regardless of the status our hosts afford us.

 

I really believe that all foreigners moving here should have to pass IELTS, if only to encourage more Thai people to attempt to do so.

1/ I didn't move to LOS for the living conditions and I was retired when I did so. If good infrastructure, health service and rule of law was important I'd have stayed put at home.

 

2/ "moving here" is not really applicable, as most are only here a year a year at a time. Therefore, as a long stay tourist, I feel no obligation to learn conversational Thai. When they offer me permanent residency after staying 5 years I'll learn Thai to be able to get it.

[EricTh]

14 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

I would consider "long stay tourist" an accurate description of most of us.

 

 

 

I doubt that is an appropriate word.

 

Tourists usually mean they visit tourist sites, eat at tourist spots, stay in hotels, get tax refunds on goods purchased when they leave the country etc.

 

A more accurate description would be 'temporary resident'. Although some who stayed for more than 10 years might be considered 'permanent resident' .

 

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

I doubt that is an appropriate word.

Tourists usually mean they visit tourist sites, eat at tourist spots, stay in hotels etc.

 

A more accurate description would be 'temporary resident'. Although some who stay for more than 10 years would be considered 'permanent resident' though unofficially.

 

And some are officially permanent residents.

[scorecard]

On 7/12/2017 at 1:36 PM, NancyL said:

That's right.  I had an opportunity to speak at this seminar and said how we find it hurtful to be called "Long-Stay Tourists" when many of us have been living here for years, having sold our homes overseas, moved here with our pets and created a new life in Thailand.  Many have married Thai people, have Thai children and are supporting Thai families.  We try to learn the language and many practice their religion.  Some people they're calling "Long-Stay Tourists" haven't left Thailand for many, many years.  We don't engage in "tourist activities" and didn't come here for the spas and beautiful scenery and temples, but rather are much like Thai people, simply living our lives in a country we consider our adopted home.

 

Nancy, did the tourism minister respond?

[dingdongrb]

First of all, I thought this thread was supposed to be about our experiences and questions regarding immigration at the Promenada? So please start another post if you want to rant and rave about Thai citizenship or what the Thai government call us foreigners... Thanks!

 

My experience renewing my Retirement visa extension yesterday (Thursday July 13th):

 

I arrived at 7:10 am and received queue #17 at approx 8:30 am when they started passing out the queue numbers. I was told to come back at 1:00 pm so I went back home for that time (I live about 15/20 minutes away).

 

Just to let it be known, queue #16 arrived about 6:45 am and queue #18 arrived about 7:20 am... I went to the front of the line and spoke with the person holding queue #2 and asked when he arrived. He arrived about 8:20 am or so but paid to have a queue sitter get a place for him and I was told that sitter arrived around 3:00 am. I didn't ask how much was paid.

 

Returning at 12:55 pm they started processing queue #14 promptly at 1:00 pm. My queue number was called at 1:20 pm. Having all the required paperwork in order (TM7, all passport copies - signed, and income affidavit from US Consulate) I was processed in perhaps 5 minutes. 

 

Got my picture taken and was told to have a seat while they held my passport for signatures and such. Was called at about 1:50 pm, received my passport back and was on my merry way.....  all within an hour.

 

NOTEs:

• I wasn't asked for anything else (i.e. TM30, proof of income, rental agreement, etc), only the paperwork I mentioned above.
• I filled out and signed everything in BLUE ink
• My photo was the required 4x6 cm and had a WHITE background

I still see many folks coming in early to do the 90 Day Check-In. Some arrived at 6 am and earlier. I shake my head wondering why. I did take note that when I was there in the afternoon (between 1-2:00 pm) that the 90 Day queue number being called was in the 120s.

[opalred]

i think you will find the govt call you guests 

and can be removed  at anytime at there pleasure

if the believe  you have done wrong

which can mean a lot of things 

[Lizard2010]

23 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

First of all, I thought this thread was supposed to be about our experiences and questions regarding immigration at the Promenada? So please start another post if you want to rant and rave about Thai citizenship or what the Thai government call us foreigners... Thanks!

 

Thanks for your experences

Yes some people have the habit of getting off Topic

This will never change as we do not have a Real Moderator in Chiang Mai

I did notice when i did my Visa Extension that some people took much longer than others

Maybe its from the country of Origin

As the lady after me and myself were done so quick

Yes as time goings some days can be busier than others

 

[dingdongrb]

2 hours ago, Lizard2010 said:

I did notice when i did my Visa Extension that some people took much longer than others

Maybe its from the country of Origin

As the lady after me and myself were done so quick

 

 

I noticed those that were taking longer were the ones that didn't copy all the pages in their passport and had to go to the copy store. Or didn't sign all the copied pages....  or didn't know how to fill out the TM7 properly. But then again the process can be somewhat confusing for a 'newbie'.

[Dmaxdan]

On ‎7‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 10:44 AM, Dmaxdan said:

Has anybody renewed  their marriage extension at the Promenada recently?  My renewal is fast approaching and it would be good to have some up-to-date information regards what time we need to arrive in order to be processed (hopefully) in the morning. I do appreciate that this varies from day to day and people will have different experiences. Reading some of the posts above, it would appear that people are now no longer needing to arrive in the small hours for retirement extensions, but nothing current regards marriage extensions.

 

Thanks in advance.

Nobody?  It would be handy to have some idea of the current queuing situation with regards to marriage extensions so that we have a rough idea what time to arrive. I don't really wish to be there at 3am if nobody else turns up  until 7am. But then again I don't want to arrive at 6am and be told to come back the next day. Difficult...

 

Any update would be very helpful, thanks.

[mausbiber]

May be your are applying in the wrong location?

I do not have marriage extension but my neighbour make his application  in April this year at the office near the airport.

[NancyL]

All marriage extensions are done at Promenada now.  

 

As with the recent reports for retirement extensions, it would seem that a 6 am arrival will be sufficient.

[Sparkles]

1 hour ago, Dmaxdan said:

Nobody?  It would be handy to have some idea of the current queuing situation with regards to marriage extensions so that we have a rough idea what time to arrive. I don't really wish to be there at 3am if nobody else turns up  until 7am. But then again I don't want to arrive at 6am and be told to come back the next day. Difficult...

 

Any update would be very helpful, thanks.

 

[Sparkles]

7 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

 

No one can give you a nailed on, guaranteed time,it varies, day to day ,week to week.Right now many are saying the queues are light on. With no online appointment facility available its pot luck. The obvious is avoid Mondays and days after public holidays

 

 

[dingdongrb]

2 hours ago, Sparkles said:

No one can give you a nailed on, guaranteed time,it varies, day to day ,week to week.Right now many are saying the queues are light on. With no online appointment facility available its pot luck. The obvious is avoid Mondays and days after public holidays

 

 

I agree, I avoid Mondays, Fridays, and the days after a holiday..

 

I noticed that there are now 3 or 4 other rooms (shops) that immigration has taken on just a few doors down from the main room. Looking at the signs those rooms (shops) are being used for various immigration services and one of them said 'Marriage to Thai' (or something of that nature). So i'm speculating that is where a person would be going to queue up to get an extension based on marriage to a Thai.

[Thailand]

3 hours ago, mausbiber said:

May be your are applying in the wrong location?

I do not have marriage extension but my neighbour make his application  in April this year at the office near the airport.

He must have had to cross a lot of rubble to do that. 

[Dmaxdan]

Quick question. Is the yearly fee for a spouse extension still 1,900 baht?
The copies of the TM 7 that I acquired from the Promenada a few weeks ago only state the fee is no-refundable.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Greenside]

Is 90 reporting online working these days?

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, Greenside said:

Is 90 reporting online working these days?

 

I remember a few months back when I asked an officer there why they don't allow online reporting. I got a strange answer. Anyway, I hope it will be up soon.

 

 

[rawhod]

7 hours ago, Greenside said:

Is 90 reporting online working these days?

Just tried it and it appears to be up and running...

[EricTh]

Just now, rawhod said:

Just tried it and it appears to be up and running...

Mind giving me the link to the website page?