Today, at Chiang Mai Immigration

[balo]

So much better the system now in Pattaya / Jomtien . In and out within 1 hour most of the time.

[evenstevens]

Recently, I've contacted some folks in other provinces with a large number of retirees to see why it is they don't seem to have the problems we have in Chiang Mai. Phuket has a very well developed group of Foreign Immigration Volunteers, being able to offer assistance in several languages during the entire time their Imm. office is open. They carefully check all documents before a customer is seen by an Imm. officer. Incidentally, they also check for back-up documentation for Income Letters. Yes, that's right, they help Phuket Immigration by making sure that ALL retirement extension applicants either submit proof of an 800,000 baht account in Thailand or proof of monthly income in excess of 65,000 baht/month and they use their Foreign Imm. Volunteers to look at the documents presented as proof because they're familiar with pension and bank statements from their home countries.

In Pattaya, and other provinces, a knowledgeable Imm. officer is the first point of contact for anyone who walks into the office -- not college interns. In Pattaya, that officer carefully checks documents and an applicant spends just a few minutes with the officer processing the actual retirement extension because the first officer caught all the problems. Here in CM, the knowledgeable officers do a document screening of the queue, but after they screen everyone waiting they go into the office and the interns tell anyone who comes in later that the retirement queue is full, even if they didn't distribute all the queue numbers that morning. That's because there's no one available to check documents after the early morning screening.

In many offices, they have safe storage for passports and issue receipts so people can go home and come back the next day to pick up their passport with their visa. No need to sit around for hours waiting for their passport to be returned.

Also, none of the offices seem to set a daily queue limit. Instead they accept applicants up to a certain time. If someone passes the initial document screen, they pretty much can just leave their application/passport there and pick up their passport the next day.

Pattaya has a couple of English-speaking foreign volunteers to help people fill out forms and answer questions, but they aren't as organized or important as the group in Phuket. Certainly, they aren't checking for evidence of someone's monthly income.

Most offices have an immigration officer who speaks decent English and is willing to take the time to help people. I've seen very little of this recently in Chiang Mai. If anything, I've seen Imm. officers deliberately say as little as possible, supply incomplete and misleading answers and do everything possible to "get rid" of anyone asking questions. Yes, I know they're busy and overworked, but I also think there may be the feeling that these people should be using agents.

^^^^same boring diatribe!!!!

Nancy L Commander In Chief . Expats Club, ,may E/S say the following

outside your world, life for most expats in c/mai ,the zoo is least of everyday,s life , of humps and bumps

your continuing crusade ,slagging the zoo services,has fallen on deaf ears ,apart from, few supporters

from all my reports, your service to your club, is impeccable, no doubt about that

but you are not representing the majority of expats residing in c/mai, just a handful(so to speak)

most that i socially meet , the zoo is not a talking point at all , they capably jump through the ZOO hoops which fronts them, by doing which suits their choce ,D.I.Y. or engage a Visa Agent

and very happily to get on with life

Fair Dinkum..get a new gig, then u be a great sheila, think about it

its a beverly hills, beautiful maerimite good nite to all

Edited June 1, 2016 by evenstevens

[JaseTheBass]

Yes there may or may not be money in it for them.

What I find strange is that the problem is they are understaffed and it is not them that do the hiring.

I get a kick out of all the people who think they are doing it on purpose to force people to go to the agencies. That would be a very good reason if it was up to them as to how many to hire and if they were the ones doing the hiring.

The fact is it is Bangkok where the decisions are made and the hiring done.

Several years ago the director who was getting ready to retire said Bangkok had allocated enough money to hire 15 more staff. The thing was that Bangkok be the ones that do the hiring.

Not saying who is at fault but being as to the best of my knowledge Chiang Mai is the only office in Thailand facing these problems and it has been the same under at least two directors there is more to it than the people you see in the office here in Chiang Mai.

I am quite sure that Immigration in Bangkok is well aware of what is going on. Unless they do some thing about it the problem will just get worse as people keep moving to Chiang Mai for one reason or another.'

edit

If Bangkok had nothing to do with it seems to me we would be hearing from other areas where they were getting the same run around.

Just a thought.

Same as what you are saying. I don`t believe this is a set up just to push us to use agencies. The Chiang Mai immigration was with no doubts struggling to provide a reasonable service that is becoming more and more under stress each year for reasons we already know about and that it`s fact they are not or cannot provide enough slots per day to cover everybody.

Here lies the problems. Although the officers are always polite, they don`t really care who gets a slot or who doesn`t. They have set quotas and even with the extra work load they will not work at a faster pace. This means the problem is passed on to us, so the only alternatives for the people that prefer not to suffer all the trauma at immigration or maybe too old or frail for the endurance is to use an agent. I think because the agency alternatives are there, Bangkok will think, great it`s working so we won`t bung anymore resources into it.

For the agencies this situation has become a bonanza similar to when the condom companies were on there way out due to the invention of the pill and then HIV and aids appeared on the scene that saved their day, made them richer than ever. Everyone knows there are a lot of people making a lot of money out of the situation even if it is perfectly above board. So while this system is in place meaning Bangkok does not have to increase it`s budget to Chiang Mai, the staff at Chiang Mai don`t have to work any harder and there are those creaming it off from the top of the cake, then I can`t see this system ever changing, because there are more incentives to continue on this way rather then go the other route and provide more resources to immigration. The most worrying thing is that if the situation does become worse and more people have to use agencies to prolong their stay in paradise, then the agencies will be in a position where they can charge whatever they darn well like.

I like what you say but I would also like to look at the fact that the staff is just worn out with the constant over load and having to put up with people ill prepared. I am quite sure that if they had a thread of their own it would put us in as negative a light as we put them. Remember they have to put up with it every day of the working year. We only have to put up with it once a year and look at the way we carry on.

Your idea that we are causing the problem are selves by using the agencies has some merit. If we stopped using them and every one did theirs in person Bangkok would not think the system is working.

Diddums. They have to work for a living. Mai sanuk!

[northernjohn]

Recently, I've contacted some folks in other provinces with a large number of retirees to see why it is they don't seem to have the problems we have in Chiang Mai. Phuket has a very well developed group of Foreign Immigration Volunteers, being able to offer assistance in several languages during the entire time their Imm. office is open. They carefully check all documents before a customer is seen by an Imm. officer. Incidentally, they also check for back-up documentation for Income Letters. Yes, that's right, they help Phuket Immigration by making sure that ALL retirement extension applicants either submit proof of an 800,000 baht account in Thailand or proof of monthly income in excess of 65,000 baht/month and they use their Foreign Imm. Volunteers to look at the documents presented as proof because they're familiar with pension and bank statements from their home countries.

In Pattaya, and other provinces, a knowledgeable Imm. officer is the first point of contact for anyone who walks into the office -- not college interns. In Pattaya, that officer carefully checks documents and an applicant spends just a few minutes with the officer processing the actual retirement extension because the first officer caught all the problems. Here in CM, the knowledgeable officers do a document screening of the queue, but after they screen everyone waiting they go into the office and the interns tell anyone who comes in later that the retirement queue is full, even if they didn't distribute all the queue numbers that morning. That's because there's no one available to check documents after the early morning screening.

In many offices, they have safe storage for passports and issue receipts so people can go home and come back the next day to pick up their passport with their visa. No need to sit around for hours waiting for their passport to be returned.

Also, none of the offices seem to set a daily queue limit. Instead they accept applicants up to a certain time. If someone passes the initial document screen, they pretty much can just leave their application/passport there and pick up their passport the next day.

Pattaya has a couple of English-speaking foreign volunteers to help people fill out forms and answer questions, but they aren't as organized or important as the group in Phuket. Certainly, they aren't checking for evidence of someone's monthly income.

Most offices have an immigration officer who speaks decent English and is willing to take the time to help people. I've seen very little of this recently in Chiang Mai. If anything, I've seen Imm. officers deliberately say as little as possible, supply incomplete and misleading answers and do everything possible to "get rid" of anyone asking questions. Yes, I know they're busy and overworked, but I also think there may be the feeling that these people should be using agents.

^^^^same boring diatribe!!!!

Nancy L Commander In Chief . Expats Club, ,may E/S say the following

outside your world, life for most expats in c/mai ,the zoo is least of everyday,s life , of humps and bumps

your continuing crusade ,slagging the zoo services,has fallen on deaf ears ,apart from, few supporters

from all my reports, your service to your club, is impeccable, no doubt about that

but you are not representing the majority of expats residing in c/mai, just a handful(so to speak)

most that i socially meet , the zoo is not a talking point at all , they capably jump through the ZOO hoops which fronts them, by doing which suits their choce ,D.I.Y. or engage a Visa Agent

and very happily to get on with life

Fair Dinkum..get a new gig, then u be a great sheila, think about it

its a beverly hills, beautiful maerimite good nite to all

If you have any thing to say, speak up. No need to dribble on. For a person who thinks it is a zoo and pays some one to do it for them and is very happy about it you sure spend a lot of time here. I meet a fair number of Ex Pats and never is the subject brought up. Are you in a bar meeting these people?

[NancyL]

E/S as president of the CM Expats Club, a big part of what I do is to interact with newcomers or people considering relocation here -- for retirement. They ALWAYS have questions about visas and interacting with the local immigration office. It's right up there with housing options and medical care as an area of concern.

I know you've got a different life, but I chose to accept the responsibility of being president of CEC, thru the end of this year. I'm certainly taking your rather patronizing suggestion ".get a new gig, then u be a great sheila, think about it" under advisement. But in the meantime, why don't you just be a dear and go elsewhere, sweetie? Some of us feel a responsibility to be up-to-speed with what's going on at the local imm. office as a service to fellow expats, including those yet to arrive. If you don't agree, as has been suggested you can find other threads of interest.

[dingdongrb]

E/S as president of the CM Expats Club, a big part of what I do is to interact with newcomers or people considering relocation here -- for retirement. They ALWAYS have questions about visas and interacting with the local immigration office. It's right up there with housing options and medical care as an area of concern.

I know you've got a different life, but I chose to accept the responsibility of being president of CEC, thru the end of this year. I'm certainly taking your rather patronizing suggestion ".get a new gig, then u be a great sheila, think about it" under advisement. But in the meantime, why don't you just be a dear and go elsewhere, sweetie? Some of us feel a responsibility to be up-to-speed with what's going on at the local imm. office as a service to fellow expats, including those yet to arrive. If you don't agree, as has been suggested you can find other threads of interest.

Well said.... I appreciate all the informative posts that you've made, keep up the great work!!!

[evenstevens]

just for clarafication purposes only, my remark of Get a New Gig, was for you, to drop your boring,,relentless battle or crusade, against the zoo,because of the following

for around about 2 years and i might add approx , your battle/crusade has lost, all its appeal to the hierachy of the zoo, as its preparation was dumb as they come, not to mention offending,to say the least

your posts along the way, says its all, asking for expat volunteers,to be trained as spies,and video taking experts to film the zoo.s operation under darkness Etc Etc Etc

your persistant personal snooping and reporting

got to a absoulately crisis point,when you were asked not to visit the zoo, unless it , was official business, the wheels fell off, there and then

your relentless insane efforts, had rub the zoo ,up the wrong way ,and J.M.O.. being under Marshall Law, you were indeed a lucky shelia, not to have the book thrown at you

all thais in general,( as we experienced expats know ) absoulately hate confrontations such as your campaign,and doubly so ,if as in this case a govt dept is involved

its none of any expat,s business to tell the zoo heads, on how to run their dept,in any shape or form, Full Stop

a Softly , Softly, campaign was sorely needed, not a Witch Hunt that has occurred

perhaps when the dust has settled, down a bit , and no more provocations being made, the zoo.s heads may do a U turn, which is badly needed ,for both sides

a Win/Win ,situation is the key to this subject

Nancy, to close this post, E/S has never doubted your efforts and advice given at the expats club

but strongly feel your campaign,against the zoo was a very poor one,and not helped the position. which it is, now in

please remember its not just your clubs expat members that you are representing, but all of c/mai expats and E/S being in the latter group is pissed off with your Charge At It, attitude, again J.M.O.

take a good look , at what your needless aggressive actions have acheived, the proof is in that pudding, very little, whilst the Softly,Softly, approach would have been more warmly received

a top of a good morning to all

Edited June 2, 2016 by evenstevens

[rawhod]

I did my retirement extension at Promenada Immigration yesterday...no agent used.

We (my wife, myself and little grandson) arrived at about 0645 hrs. There appeared to be about 14 or 15 people before me.

At 0830 they started issuing queue numbers, I got no. 14. They said that they were issuing 20 a day, 10 for the morning and 10 for the afternoon. So I was in the afternoon batch.

Yesterday there were a total of 17 blue Retirement extension numbers issued.

We live near enough to go home, have lunch and return after 1300 hrs.

Back for 1315 hrs, No. 11 was just starting.

I was seen at about 1350 hrs, completed by 1410 and asked to return at 1530 for my passport.

We had a wander around Promenada, returned at 1530 and got my passport back.

It was a quite painless process and no need whatsoever for the use of an agent.

I got a set of 6 blue background photos done at the photo/copy shop for 200 baht.

The officers that I spoke to, including the one processing the Retirement extension, spoke sufficient English for the job.

[grin]

If you live within a ten minute drive of Promenada like I do I think a reasonable strategy for the retirement extension is to show up at 9 AM and see if any queue numbers are left. Being last in the queue has the advantage that you could show up at 2:30 or so in the afternoon to get processed. Being last means your wait to get your passport back will be minimized. If you time it right it might only take an hour or so to get in and out including getting a new re-entry permit.

Has anyone ever tried to get a queue number in the afternoon for the retirement extension? It seems from several reports that it is not all that unusual for some of the queue numbers to still be available. On such a day if you showed up at 2 PM and asked for someone to review your paperwork and assuming it was in order I wonder what would happen if you then asked nicely if it would be possible to get a queue number.

Grin

[moe666]

I did my retirement extension at Promenada Immigration yesterday...no agent used.

We (my wife, myself and little grandson) arrived at about 0645 hrs. There appeared to be about 14 or 15 people before me.

At 0830 they started issuing queue numbers, I got no. 14. They said that they were issuing 20 a day, 10 for the morning and 10 for the afternoon. So I was in the afternoon batch.

Yesterday there were a total of 17 blue Retirement extension numbers issued.

We live near enough to go home, have lunch and return after 1300 hrs.

Back for 1315 hrs, No. 11 was just starting.

I was seen at about 1350 hrs, completed by 1410 and asked to return at 1530 for my passport.

We had a wander around Promenada, returned at 1530 and got my passport back.

It was a quite painless process and no need whatsoever for the use of an agent.

I got a set of 6 blue background photos done at the photo/copy shop for 200 baht.

The officers that I spoke to, including the one processing the Retirement extension, spoke sufficient English for the job.

Good luck to you in the winter when I have to do extension of stay show up at 0630 and you may have to come back tomorrow. In the summer months there seems to be fewer people getting extensions of stay

[Aussie69]

Were you drinking when you posted. What are you on about? What prompted that response?

[Thailand]

just for clarafication purposes only, my remark of Get a New Gig, was for you, to drop your boring,,relentless battle or crusade, against the zoo,because of the following

for around about 2 years and i might add approx , your battle/crusade has lost, all its appeal to the hierachy of the zoo, as its preparation was dumb as they come, not to mention offending,to say the least

your posts along the way, says its all, asking for expat volunteers,to be trained as spies,and video taking experts to film the zoo.s operation under darkness Etc Etc Etc

your persistant personal snooping and reporting

got to a absoulately crisis point,when you were asked not to visit the zoo, unless it , was official business, the wheels fell off, there and then

your relentless insane efforts, had rub the zoo ,up the wrong way ,and J.M.O.. being under Marshall Law, you were indeed a lucky shelia, not to have the book thrown at you

all thais in general,( as we experienced expats know ) absoulately hate confrontations such as your campaign,and doubly so ,if as in this case a govt dept is involved

its none of any expat,s business to tell the zoo heads, on how to run their dept,in any shape or form, Full Stop

a Softly , Softly, campaign was sorely needed, not a Witch Hunt that has occurred

perhaps when the dust has settled, down a bit , and no more provocations being made, the zoo.s heads may do a U turn, which is badly needed ,for both sides

a Win/Win ,situation is the key to this subject

Nancy, to close this post, E/S has never doubted your efforts and advice given at the expats club

but strongly feel your campaign,against the zoo was a very poor one,and not helped the position. which it is, now in

please remember its not just your clubs expat members that you are representing, but all of c/mai expats and E/S being in the latter group is pissed off with your Charge At It, attitude, again J.M.O.

take a good look , at what your needless aggressive actions have acheived, the proof is in that pudding, very little, whilst the Softly,Softly, approach would have been more warmly received

a top of a good morning to all

As you have a super duper agent that does absolutely everything for you and do not attend for anything related to immigration isn't it time you stopped your constant drivel on the subject?

Or does your super duper agent even write and post the drivel on your behalf?

[Ace of Pop]

Is there a Vast Increase in customers.?. When I visit there is no vast change in numbers to when I lived there 20 years ago.The old office filled my form for me as we sat outside,seems those times are over up there.

[northernjohn]

for around about 2 years and i might add approx , your battle/crusade has lost, all its appeal to the hierachy of the zoo, as its preparation was dumb as they come, not to mention offending,to say the least

your relentless insane efforts, had rub the zoo ,up the wrong way ,and J.M.O.. being under Marshall Law, you were indeed a lucky shelia, not to have the book thrown at you

To be honest for some one who pays to have it taken care of for him you sure complain a lot.

Maybe you should get a different agent.

May I suggest G4T at the Promenada. I have used them for my extension and found them extremely competent. I do my own 90 day so can not say on that point. But have heard no complaints from any one doing it. They only charge 300 baht if you so desire to have them do for you.

Out of curiosity as you have no interest in the immigration other than paying some one to do it for you. You also show no interest in the Ex Pat club but post a fair amount about it. Are you stalking Nancy?

Are you aware that calling immigration a Zoo could get you charged?

[opalred]

as i said on other im post

the wife has friends that work at immigration

the older bosses belive in every thing still on paperwork

as they retire the younger staff will turn to all computer work

thus time will be reduced i think is fair allround

this expat mob grump winge huff and puff just to make problem as they have no life

years ago went to expat meeting

they come here as guest of the country for a better life

then group together try to change the local people thinking to there way of life they left

does it make them feel good be at expensive places eating and wineing that locals cant do

is it before nobody now think somebody

get a life and join in local way of life or go home

[Chiengmaijoe]

Is there a Vast Increase in customers.?. When I visit there is no vast change in numbers to when I lived there 20 years ago.The old office filled my form for me as we sat outside,seems those times are over up there.

In the last 20 years the number of expats and tourists has vastly increased. It used to be that as an expat you knew a fair percentage of the other expats (except missionaries, of course) and you gave a nod or a wink to any you came across in non-touristy places. These days, there are so many expats that there is even one living in MY soi! Time was that I was the only Farang in the village, but with a couple of guesthouses now in the soi those days are well gone.

Don't forget that there are two immigration offices now.

[northernjohn]

If you live within a ten minute drive of Promenada like I do I think a reasonable strategy for the retirement extension is to show up at 9 AM and see if any queue numbers are left. Being last in the queue has the advantage that you could show up at 2:30 or so in the afternoon to get processed. Being last means your wait to get your passport back will be minimized. If you time it right it might only take an hour or so to get in and out including getting a new re-entry permit.

Has anyone ever tried to get a queue number in the afternoon for the retirement extension? It seems from several reports that it is not all that unusual for some of the queue numbers to still be available. On such a day if you showed up at 2 PM and asked for someone to review your paperwork and assuming it was in order I wonder what would happen if you then asked nicely if it would be possible to get a queue number.

Grin

I tried that when I did my last extension. The girls out front insisted that they only give out at the time I believe 25 queue cards. I asked well if they are done with the 25 and still have time can I get one to see them? The answer was we only give out 25 queue cards a day. I have done three 90 day reports and once the girls out front seemed to know what was happening.

as i said on other im post

the wife has friends that work at immigration

the older bosses belive in every thing still on paperwork

as they retire the younger staff will turn to all computer work

thus time will be reduced i think is fair allround

this expat mob grump winge huff and puff just to make problem as they have no life

years ago went to expat meeting

they come here as guest of the country for a better life

then group together try to change the local people thinking to there way of life they left

does it make them feel good be at expensive places eating and wineing that locals cant do

is it before nobody now think somebody

get a life and join in local way of life or go home

So your wife says that when the old farts retire no more paper work just computers? Or are they going to have a magic want they pass over the papers and it automatically records every thing after it has checked the papers out that will be needed.

[Thailand]

as i said on other im post

the wife has friends that work at immigration

the older bosses belive in every thing still on paperwork

as they retire the younger staff will turn to all computer work

thus time will be reduced i think is fair allround

this expat mob grump winge huff and puff just to make problem as they have no life

years ago went to expat meeting

they come here as guest of the country for a better life

then group together try to change the local people thinking to there way of life they left

does it make them feel good be at expensive places eating and wineing that locals cant do

is it before nobody now think somebody

get a life and join in local way of life or go home

At least you got a like.

[evenstevens]

Are you still allowed to be 7 days late reporting in for the 90 day?

no answer to your 90 day report question, hardly surprising

best if you contact your bogus visa agent who u deal with

a hello dolly good luck to you

[JaseTheBass]

Anyone who defends this mob is a ignoramus. Go to any other immi office in the kingdom and see how things should be done.

[JaseTheBass]

for around about 2 years and i might add approx , your battle/crusade has lost, all its appeal to the hierachy of the zoo, as its preparation was dumb as they come, not to mention offending,to say the least

your relentless insane efforts, had rub the zoo ,up the wrong way ,and J.M.O.. being under Marshall Law, you were indeed a lucky shelia, not to have the book thrown at you

To be honest for some one who pays to have it taken care of for him you sure complain a lot.

Maybe you should get a different agent.

May I suggest G4T at the Promenada. I have used them for my extension and found them extremely competent. I do my own 90 day so can not say on that point. But have heard no complaints from any one doing it. They only charge 300 baht if you so desire to have them do for you.

Out of curiosity as you have no interest in the immigration other than paying some one to do it for you. You also show no interest in the Ex Pat club but post a fair amount about it. Are you stalking Nancy?

Are you aware that calling immigration a Zoo could get you charged?

Yes. Pay immigration twice to do their job! Good effort!

[MadMac]

As far as the stories go G4T is manned by former immigration officers. Income streams had to be derouted. Up to you to take that detour or perhaps complain to government hotline 1111

[northernjohn]

Are you still allowed to be 7 days late reporting in for the 90 day?

no answer to your 90 day report question, hardly surprising

best if you contact your bogus visa agent who u deal with

a hello dolly good luck to you

I have no bogus agent. My passport is as valid as yours and I do not have to keep it a secret who did it for me.

Speaking of asking agents I notice you are asking questions on Thai Visa. Your super duty secret agent not speaking to you.

Have no fear I am hear to save your hopeless quest. You are allowed 7 days late.

While we are talking I am glad to see you take a little time out from stalking Nancy to show me you know nothing.

have a good night.

[evenstevens]

Are you still allowed to be 7 days late reporting in for the 90 day?

no answer to your 90 day report question, hardly surprising

best if you contact your bogus visa agent who u deal with

a hello dolly good luck to you

I am glad to see you take a little time out from stalking Nancy

no stalking of NancyL, at all just hard cold facts , were posted , plus my opinions, which also included ,a couple of kudo.s for the ,commander in cheif

so as her minder, on T.V. do yourself a favour ,and drop the stalking charges , its becoming very tedious ,and not in the best interests , for this forum (j.m.o.)

a bonza good morning to all