Immigration Promenada One Stop Service 2016-2017

[Thailand]

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

My guess is that most other provinces have much lesser foreigners who want to stay there with the exception of Bangkok, Phuket and Pataya.

 

These other provinces don't have much customers so there's no need for agents.

 

The number of customers will continue to grow in Chiang Mai as more and more Chinese realise that Thailand is a good place to stay and just a hop away.

The solution is simply more staff to deal with the increased numbers. Less IO's dealing with "retirement" visas than when I first did an extension many years ago.

But more staff to deal with the current numbers would reduce the necessity for some people to use agents and that won't happen. Don't expect to see any improvements when the new/old location comes on stream this month.

I hope I'm wrong though.

[Saraphee]

I share your pessimism but also hope you're wrong.

[Dante99]

2 minutes ago, Thailand said:

The solution is simply more staff to deal with the increased numbers.

Yes, quite simple.  The new building will probably give them space for more staff which their previous facilities lacked.  Wait and see. 

[Saraphee]

3 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Yes, quite simple.  The new building will probably give them space for more staff which their previous facilities lacked.  Wait and see.  

Space for more staff - Good. Any space for the elderly to park?

[Dante99]

13 minutes ago, Saraphee said:

Any space for the elderly to park?

Of course not.  They want to make you happy so they leave you something to complain about.

[scottiejohn]

4 hours ago, Dante99 said:

Yes, quite simple.  The new building will probably give them space for more staff which their previous facilities lacked.  Wait and see.  

How do you work that out?

They could have rented more space at PROM and improved the service when they first moved there then but they did not.

If they are going to have more staff they should be in evidence at PROM now, being trained on the job prior to their return to the "Zoo".

I  do NOT expect ANY improvement in service when the "Zoo" reopens, in fact it will be worse with reduced parking and NO or very limited facilities for those in the still inevitable long queues.

 

Edited September 7, 2018 by scottiejohn

[jmd8800]

From another thread:

 

"Briefly, we were informed Immigration will relocate to their new facilities near the airport on 24 September. At this stage all services will be moved. Queuing has been an issue of late due to resourcing problems. In the new facility they are planning to reinstate on line queue reservation system, improvements to 90 day on line reporting (a Bangkok system problem) are anticipated and for the new facility parking arrangements are to be available across the road at the spa facility.
In terms of work permits for volunteers there is a conflict of policy application of a new law by two departments that requires the Government Cabinet to resolve and provide direction. We were told that volunteer work permits are being extended for 3 months at a time to permit visa extensions to allow for this matter to be addressed by Bangkok. It is not clear when this will be resolved."

 

Here is the thread: 

 

[Sparkles]

Dante 99 Promenada could have rented them a whole floor.Nothing to do with lack of space, all about lack of staff which is inexcusable.

 

Working at Imm is mostly a clerical function it doesnt require any particular skill apart from the abilty to read and speak English.

"Paper shuffler" might be an apt task description.

 

Many Thais would "kill" for  a job there,5 day week , all public holidays off plus annual leave and a reasonable Gov retirement package.

 

Compare the "experience " of a vist to Imm with other Gov departments be it the tax office ,passport office or many others,chalk and cheese.

 

There's simply no will to improve that's why there are more Agents than all the other major areas combined.

 

 

 

[sanemax]

35 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

How do you work that out?

They could have rented more space at PROM and improved the service when they first moved there then but they did not.

If they are going to have more staff they should be in evidence at PROM now, being trained on the job prior to their return to the "Zoo".

I  do NOT expect ANY improvement in service when the "Zoo" reopens, in fact it will be worse with reduced parking and NO or very limited facilities for those in the still inevitable long queues.

 

The Prominada was nicknamed "The Zoo" , because there were some goats outside , the airport IO has never been reffered to as "the zoo"

[sanemax]

37 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

How do you work that out?

They could have rented more space at PROM and improved the service when they first moved there then but they did not.

If they are going to have more staff they should be in evidence at PROM now, being trained on the job prior to their return to the "Zoo".

I  do NOT expect ANY improvement in service when the "Zoo" reopens, in fact it will be worse with reduced parking and NO or very limited facilities for those in the still inevitable long queues.

 

I quite often go and get a visa extension and theres no one else there and its all done withing 30 minutes , no need for anymore staff

[Bill97]

The Prominada was nicknamed "The Zoo" , because there were some goats outside , the airport IO has never been reffered to as "the zoo"

Wrong, have you no respect for the horse from Mae Rim?


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[CNXBKKMAN]

5 hours ago, Dante99 said:

Yes, quite simple.  The new building will probably give them space for more staff which their previous facilities lacked.  Wait and see. 

That exactly what everyone was hoping when they moved from the cramped airport location to spacious Promenada. It didn't get any better.

 

I expect nothing much to change from the current duel service racket they run now. Which is to restrict the number of people they will process who are only willing to pay the 1900 baht government set charge and the slick operation they run with the embedded "agents" where you pay 5-10k baht extra. I am not sure they are short staffed at all. 

[WaveHunter]

52 minutes ago, sanemax said:

I quite often go and get a visa extension and theres no one else there and its all done withing 30 minutes , no need for anymore staff

I think you might have somehow visited the Chiang Mai Immigration office...in a parallel universe, where all things bad are good.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

the airport IO has never been reffered to as "the zoo"

It has been called the "Zoo" for at least 18 years to my, and others, personal knowledge and as has been stated on this Forum on many occasions in the past!

A little search on this/and or other forums will show that to be so.

It make no difference what I and others called it in the past!  It will still be a "Zoo" when IO returns there unless they make a VAST improvement in their staffing and (lack of logical CM/ Thailand!!!) Immigration procedures.

 

 

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

no need for anymore staff

No Need for anymore staff?

 

Which episode of Star Trek/Dr Who were you watching (taking part in) when under the influence of that "funny stuff" that has implanted those rose coloured spectacles in front of your "brain" that make you make such a comment?  It goes against the majority of the opinion(s)/post(s) here?

 

As you are obviously still onboard a "Star ship"/"TARDIS" or similar UFO it may be time to for you to ask you mind controller to be "beamed down" back to the real world of CM Immigration and re-join the (CM) suffering human race.

[scottiejohn]

2 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Working at Imm is mostly a clerical function it doesnt require any particular skill apart from the abilty to read and speak English.

"Paper shuffler" might be an apt task description.

I would love to see you working at CM Immigration with (or without) I assume your perfect Thai and  "understanding" of many other languages apart from English. Why just select English as a pre-requisite for a Thai I/O to understand, what about Chinese, Russian etc?

 

The ability to understand and be able to implement all the actual immigration laws and all the changes that appear to apply so (ir)regularly must make it a horrendous experience there, especially given the complexity of the actual laws  and the local boss's daily changing interpretation of them. Add to that all the upset Farangs who are p**sed off with the whole procedural and timewasting processes.

 

I have been involved in a "customer facing role" and it is not fun if you do not have a fixed set of rules (which you can show and prove to the customer) to work on and try and explain to the "customer" why you are now about to completely "stuff" them because the "Boss" changed their "interpretation" of the "rules" ten minutes ago. 

 

 At least the agents know what the latest whim of the "Boss" was  yesterday and if/when they are called today and  told

"All Change. I know it was a blue background yesterday but I have a hangover today so I can only look at a white background today. Maybe I will call tomorrow to tell you what colour I want". In this case at least the agents can advise their customers before they are forced into a useless waste of time and paper at CM I/O.

 

Not a job I would thank you for, especially at BIB pay rates.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2018 by scottiejohn

[Sparkles]

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

I would love to see you working at CM Immigration with (or without) I assume your perfect Thai and  "understanding" of many other languages apart from English. Why just select English as a pre-requisite for a Thai I/O to understand, what about Chinese, Russian etc?

 

The ability to understand and be able to implement all the actual immigration laws and all the changes that appear to apply so (ir)regularly must make it a horrendous experience there, especially given the complexity of the actual laws  and the local boss's daily changing interpretation of them. Add to that all the upset Farangs who are p**sed off with the whole procedural and timewasting processes.

 

I have been involved in a "customer facing role" and it is not fun if you do not have a fixed set of rules (which you can show and prove to the customer) to work on and try and explain to the "customer" why you are now about to completely "stuff" them because the "Boss" changed their "interpretation" of the "rules" ten minutes ago. 

 

 At least the agents know what the latest whim of the "Boss" was  yesterday and if/when they are called today and  told

"All Change. I know it was a blue background yesterday but I have a hangover today so I can only look at a white background today. Maybe I will call tomorrow to tell you what colour I want". In this case at least the agents can advise their customers before they are forced into a useless waste of time and paper at CM I/O.

 

Not a job I would thank you for, especially at BIB pay rates.

 

 

 

You're dramatising the whole issue.To say the staff dont know the rules of the day but Agents do is total nonsense.

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

No Need for anymore staff?

 

Which episode of Star Trek/Dr Who were you watching (taking part in) when under the influence of that "funny stuff" that has implanted those rose coloured spectacles in front of your "brain" that make you make such a comment?  It goes against the majority of the opinion(s)/post(s) here?

 

As you are obviously still onboard a "Star ship"/"TARDIS" or similar UFO it may be time to for you to ask you mind controller to be "beamed down" back to the real world of CM Immigration and re-join the (CM) suffering human race.

I just dont go there when everyone else goes there .

Its very busy in the morning , I go late in the afternoon , as close to closing time as possible and they usually fill my forms out for me , usually in and out within 30 minutes .

[Hugh Jarse]

On 9/6/2018 at 7:10 PM, NancyL said:

Yes, I think you're right in that in other provinces the only retirees who have to use agents are those who don't, shall we say, fit the criteria.  In my research, Chiang Mai is unique in that retirees who meet all the requirements find that they have to use an agent to eliminate excessive wait times.

 

All you have to do is go to other Thai government offices in Chiang Mai province or other immigration offices in other provinces to realize that the Thai people are perfectly able to organize a government office on par or better than what we would expect in the west. 

 

So ask yourself why does the Chiang Mai Immigration office continue to delivering such bad service? 

Indeed, why is this office so inept? I hope the new chief of staff at CNX Immigration not only reads this thread but acts upon it in a meaningful way.

 

[rumak]

9 minutes ago, Hugh Jarse said:

Indeed, why is this office so inept? I hope the new chief of staff at CNX Immigration not only reads this thread but acts upon it in a meaningful way.

 

i can guarantee you that if he DID read this thread he would definitely act upon it in a meaningful way.  Just not the way you have in mind.  Why don't you just go and have a nice chat with him ?

  

Edited September 7, 2018 by rumak

[WaveHunter]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

I just dont go there when everyone else goes there .

Its very busy in the morning , I go late in the afternoon , as close to closing time as possible and they usually fill my forms out for me , usually in and out within 30 minutes .

When I went for an extension last week there was a queue of over 100 people waiting to get tickets by 7am!  I think the total number of tickets handed out for a given day is 70.  Demand obviously grossly outpaced supply.  I got ticket #32 and was seen by lunch time, so the remainder of people were seen in the afternoon. 

 

From what I understand this occurs every day of the week.  I don't understand how it would be possible to show up late afternoon and possibly even get a ticket.  All I can say is you must have been EXTREMELY lucky, or just having a happy dream ?

 

...And they fill out your forms for you??  That's more than a happy dream LOL!  The IO I saw freaked out because I didn't have my application stapled correctly.  He literally threw the papers back to me, pointed to the door and said, "You go fix ".

 

 

Edited September 7, 2018 by WaveHunter

[CNXBKKMAN]

4 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

It has been called the "Zoo" for at least 18 years to my, and others, personal knowledge and as has been stated on this Forum on many occasions in the past!

A little search on this/and or other forums will show that to be so.

It make no difference what I and others called it in the past!  It will still be a "Zoo" when IO returns there unless they make a VAST improvement in their staffing and (lack of logical CM/ Thailand!!!) Immigration procedures.

 

 

 

I would have to agree with sanemax. The zoo nickname came about when they moved to Prom and they had goats outside in pens. I have never heard of the airport site being called the zoo. 

[sanemax]

45 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

When I went for an extension last week there was a queue of over 100 people waiting to get tickets by 7am!  I think the total number of tickets handed out for a given day is 70.  Demand obviously grossly outpaced supply.  I got ticket #32 and was seen by lunch time, so the remainder of people were seen in the afternoon. 

 

From what I understand this occurs every day of the week.  I don't understand how it would be possible to show up late afternoon and possibly even get a ticket.  All I can say is you must have been EXTREMELY lucky, or just having a happy dream ?

 

...And they fill out your forms for you??  That's more than a happy dream LOL!  The IO I saw freaked out because I didn't have my application stapled correctly.  He literally threw the papers back to me, pointed to the door and said, "You go fix ".

 

 

I was just talking about a tourist visa extension and the student woman working outside at the IO filled my form out for me to get it done quick , as they wanted to close on time

[WaveHunter]

7 minutes ago, sanemax said:

I was just talking about a tourist visa extension and the student woman working outside at the IO filled my form out for me to get it done quick , as they wanted to close on time

Ahhh...sorry ?  I thought you were talking about long-term visa extensions (i.e.: 1 year student, retirement extensions, etc) .  Those type of extensions are a nightmare which is why this thread exists.

 

I guess you are talking about a tourist wanting to extend their visa 30 days.  I have a lot of friends with tourist visa who agree that those extensions are a piece of cake.  Sorry for misunderstanding you ?

 

And yes I agree that those students outside are very helpful and patient with all of us.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2018 by WaveHunter

[sanemax]

23 hours ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

 

I would have to agree with sanemax. The zoo nickname came about when they moved to Prom and they had goats outside in pens. I have never heard of the airport site being called the zoo. 

 

As I recall it was our very own evenstevens that named it the zoo , that guy gave everything a nickname and it was only referred to "the zoo" by a few "in the know" posters on here

<removed>

[moe666]

Never has so much time and energy been wasted on one thread in my life time. I have done extensions of stay at both the Old Airport office as well as the New shopping Center office. Yes got there once at 4am in the morning but also remember arriving at Airport office at 6am as well. I just said no more early mornings and started with the agent, no problems called at what time to arrive in and out in 15 min.. I would prefer to do my own but I do not like getting up early simple enough.

 

Many posters waste their time and energy hoping for change at immigration but you can ask Nancy what happens when you actually do something.

 

Well keep hoping and wishing and see what you get

[cyberfarang]

1 hour ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

 

I would have to agree with sanemax. The zoo nickname came about when they moved to Prom and they had goats outside in pens. I have never heard of the airport site being called the zoo. 

I think is was Nancy.L that nicknamed the Prom, The Zoo.

[Thailand]

9 hours ago, Hugh Jarse said:

Indeed, why is this office so inept? I hope the new chief of staff at CNX Immigration not only reads this thread but acts upon it in a meaningful way.

 

From the thread nearly everyone has missed.

 

"Briefly, we were informed Immigration will relocate to their new facilities near the airport on 24 September. At this stage all services will be moved. Queuing has been an issue of late due to resourcing problems. In the new facility they are planning to reinstate on line queue reservation system, improvements to 90 day on line reporting (a Bangkok system problem) are anticipated and for the new facility parking arrangements are to be available across the road at the spa facility."

[worgeordie]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

From the thread nearly everyone has missed.

 

"Briefly, we were informed Immigration will relocate to their new facilities near the airport on 24 September. At this stage all services will be moved. Queuing has been an issue of late due to resourcing problems. In the new facility they are planning to reinstate on line queue reservation system, improvements to 90 day on line reporting (a Bangkok system problem) are anticipated and for the new facility parking arrangements are to be available across the road at the spa facility."

Sounds like everything is going to be great,but let's wait and see if these things

are going to be implemented.the queue reservation is the most important,as it 

gives the chance for the frail ,ageing or other retirees living outside of town,a

chance to get a firm appointment time,without the need for an agent,things

could easily be improved,and i for one hope they will.

regards Worgeordie

[NancyL]

No, I didn't give Imm. Prom. the nickname of the Zoo, although I did take some nice photos of the sweet goats in their pens in the area where we queue.  The old airport location has been called The Zoo way before the move to Prom and it was a more fitting description actually.  Believe it or not, for a time, the queuing process there was a real free-for-all, without signs or several orderly queues, just a throng of people waiting outside the door.  Much more dangerous than now.

 

It was the late, great EvenSteven who perpetuated the nickname The Zoo.  I've never used that name because I think it insults the very good Chiang Mai Zoo.