Extending Visa - Pattaya vs Chaeng Wattana

[dubyadee]

I need to so a 30 day extension coming up this month. I've done it twice before at Chaeng Wattana and have discovered that it is pretty much hell on earth -- long queues and terrible access/traffic from BTS. I plan to be in the Pattaya area in a few weeks and was thinking of trying that immigration office.

 

Does anyone have experience extending at both? How is the Pattaya one? Long lines? Any advice would be great.

[elviajero]

If you apply in Pattaya you will need to provide proof of the address you are staying at which must be within their catchment area.

[buick]

for CW, plan to arrive about 9am and you will be done before the noon lunch break.  some traffic from BTS in the a.m. but very little going back.  yes , it is a long time. but you can go downstairs and drink/eat to kill time.  don't have to wait in the 'office area'.  that said, i really enjoyed my 30 minute wait for extension in buriram last month.  no idea on pattaya.

[JackThompson]

The wait in Pattaya is shorter now than a month ago - not too bad - maybe 90 minutes.  The downside is they want a TM-30 form, which perhaps your residence has filed on your behalf, as they should - or not.  You may need a printout if they file this online and/or some form of proof you are staying there.  If the people at the front desk hand you a TM-30 to fill out, the little shop next door (outside, to the left if facing the entrance-door)  will fill it in for 200 Baht and make all the necessary copies.  Bring 2 passport-sized photos - you may need 1 or 2.

Edited February 10, 2017 by JackThompson

[Briggsy]

Or you can download the TM30 here and do it in advance. You will also need one of the following at Pattaya.

1 - Copy ID card of House owner

2 - Copy House Book

3 - Contract of Rent

[dubyadee]

Ive never dealt with this TM30 form when extending in BKK. I guess the requirements in Pattaya are different? Sucks. What about some of the other immigration offices located around the country?

[tpinvest]

Contact Darren at thaivisa.com in Pattaya.

completly reliable as are all Mancunians!!!

[hawker9000]

I've done it both places.  For CW I followed the usual advice and picked a mid-week day (not following a holiday or long weekend) arriving after the opening bell rush, a little after mid-morning.  I think my total time there was about an hour, maybe less actually.  So NOT that much of a wait, but I did have all my paperwork completely done before I arrived.   Doing it at Jomtien I had to provide that dang TM30 (or whichever form it is that you have to do when the place you're staying doesn't do the reporting like it's supposed to).  Because of those "extra steps" involved, I bit the bullet and let one of the services there out in front of the immigration office handle my paperwork.  I think I handed it in (to that service) around 10:30 or so, went and had a leisurely lunch, and returned to pick it up around 1:30.   I guess I could've handled everything myself, but I was antsy about the extra interview I was told was involved because of the TM30, and really didn't want to be stirring the pot with the condo management outfit where I was staying, or having the dogs called out on them by my saying the wrong thing (even though they didn't do they reporting, they bent over backwards to help me with the form, etc., and have otherwise treated me pretty well).

[elviajero]

6 hours ago, dubyadee said:

Ive never dealt with this TM30 form when extending in BKK. I guess the requirements in Pattaya are different? Sucks. What about some of the other immigration offices located around the country?

You can apply anywhere as long as you give a local address, but a TM30 and or proof of address is required at many other offices too. CW is the best bet if you want to avoid that requirement.