PM Prayut seeks decision on visitor TM6 forms at airport

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, chopin2 said:

 

....improve immigration procedure at airports, reduce waiting time and long queues.....

 

And what about the compulsory travel insurance in danish or dutch, that won't slow down anything, right?

 

 

 

There was a plan mooted a few weeks ago that would require all arriving tourists to have medical insurance purchased ONLY from a Thai company (which no doubt has connections...). But well, you know.... We aren't supposed to remember Lunatic Idea #4472

 

[Bangkok Barry]

9 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

I find that the only problem with the TM6 is all those people who stand in the Immigration lines like complete idiots, watching everyone else fill out the TM6 form, then get to the IO and try to give him a blank form because they think they are special little snowflakes and the rules don't apply to them. Probably the same people that line up for the security screening and watch as everyone ahead of them takes off all their metal/belts/watches/etc and puts them into their carry-on or a basket, but they themselves wait until the screener specifically tells them to do all that because, again, they think the rules don't apply to them. 

I've actually seen people clap when an IO has told someone to go back to the back of the room, fill out the TM6 and the line up again (at the back).

 

The information on the back could use some updating, and the "system" could be improved no doubt about it (as could the 90 Day report system). However the government does need to collect certain info (i.e. on difference between tourist arrivals or business arrivals, long stay arrivals, etc). It also helps them try to keep track of how many "foreigners" are in the country (legally at least). 

 

The thing most people forget is that their own countries probably do almost the exact same thing to foreigners arriving in their countries ! You rarely notice it because you (in many places) go through different queues than the tourists do (except in Canada where they decide to screw their own people over, though in some places it seems they now have electronic passport scanners that some people can use).

Usually a citizen may have to fill out a Customs declaration and that's it. A quick stop to have your passport scanned and you are off. 

 

Meanwhile all the "foreigners" are undergoing a much closer scrutiny, checking visas and names in computers and the like. You don't usually notice because you are already at the baggage carousel or heading out the door.

You can tell how much a country depends on tourism by the number of Immigration counters they have for tourists compared to those for their own citizens. I remember flying into Manila a few years ago. They had like 4 lines for foreigners and 16 lines for citizens. Places like Dubai are the same (love the "e-Gate" in Dubai though, especially if you are a frequent traveller through there).

Meanwhile in Thailand it's pretty much the opposite. A few counters for citizens and a whole whack of them for tourists.

 

 

 

 

There are usually a couple of girls stationed along the queue (at least at Swampy) that want to see your form and check to see if it has been completed properly. They speak no English though, but then why would you expect that with staff dealing with international arrivals at an international airport in Thailand!!

 

As for the need to fill in a form, the UAE hasn't required it for years and they seem to get by okay.

 

[champers]

47 minutes ago, CockneyGit said:

It's got nothing to do with the TM 6 form. Put extra staff on. It's not rocket surgery..!! 

Or brain science.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Aachen said:

You ever filled that stuff??

 

Reason for visit listing doesn't include re-joining family. Accomodation listing doesn't include house. Income is none of their business. So I ignore all those. And also my next destination.

 

And they don't care.

[eeworldwide]

Im not sure what the 90 day reporting has go to do with reducing immigration queues at SVB.

 

simply put - they need more staff at immigration, and the staff need to stop chatting to each other, hanging around at each other's booths and actually work at processing visitors quickly.

 

Let's start with implementing good work ethic, as actually, that's all that's really needed.

 

Those forms are easy to fill in on the plane, and you hand it in with your passport.

 

Job done.

 

Next!

[Bangkok Barry]

2 minutes ago, eeworldwide said:

Im not sure what the 90 day reporting has go to do with reducing immigration queues at SVB.

 

simply put - they need more staff at immigration, and the staff need to stop chatting to each other, hanging around at each other's booths and actually work at processing visitors quickly.

 

Let's start with implementing good work ethic, as actually, that's all that's really needed.

 

Those forms are easy to fill in on the plane, and you hand it in with your passport.

 

Job done.

 

Next!

 

Even easier is to have a spare one and do it before leaving for the airport.

[Surasak]

3 hours ago, jobwolf said:

This form is as useless as a rotten tooth. Everything the ministry needs is on the first page of every Passport.

The rest will be on the immigration stamps with duration of stay. officers are waisting lots of time comparing what is written on the form to passports and what for?

 

Quite true, but immigration work on the premise of, Why be difficult, when with a little more effort you can be bloody impossible. Same in many of the local offices.

[Ricardo]

39 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

On this subject, having recently returned from Savannakhet with a fresh multi entry non "O" visa, am I supposed to have reported to immigration myself, or am I automatically covered for the first 90 days per:
 

"5. The first application for extension of stay by the foreigner is equivalent to the notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days."

You're covered as far as 90-day-reporting goes, but may need to do a TM-30 report at your local Immigration-office, to tell them (within 24-hours, but within a few days seems acceptable), unless you're staying in a hotel or guesthouse

 

54 minutes ago, clifric said:

What 24 hour reporting after arriving back in the country ? I get a re-entry permit before I leave and on return my passport is stamped for 90 days after arrival - I then report to my local immigration on that day and resume regular 90 day reporting as normal.

I was referring to TM-30, but Aachen seems to have covered it, in post #33.

[Briggsy]

This issue is about the Chinese.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, habanero said:

In response to Ricardo,

 

If they decide the need for 90 Day reports is no longer necessary.  It will be less business for your local immigration office. That in turn might cause them to decide they don't need as many immigration offices as they have now. After all, they don't charge anything for the 90 day report. It would save them money to shut down some offices.

 It might go back to the time that you will have to travel long distances to do any dealings with immigration. 

 I know it is nice to think of no more 90 day reporting. But, be careful what you wish for. 

 Some might find it better still to travel only once a year, regardless of the distance. I don't do them, but my husband does. He says he would welcome just traveling one time a year. That is if, the requirement to report 24 hrs.after arriving in county was abolished. If there was a change of address then the report should probably be made.

Are you aware that if there is no immigration office nearby, a TM30 can be submitted at a police station? I have done that.

[Momofarang]

4 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Sounds as though this may be a small step in the right direction ?

 

Next to make it 90-days visa-exempt-entry on-arrival (likeMalaysia), instead of 30-days,  also action to link the TM-6 computer-system to update the TM-30 computer-system so that we don't need to report withing-24-hours of returning,  and to require 90-day-reports only if you've changed your address.

 

It should be relatively easy to significantly-reduce the number of times visitors need to disturb Immigration every year, to the benefit of both visitors and Immigration.

555555... TIT..

[habanero]

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Are you aware that if there is no immigration office nearby, a TM30 can be submitted at a police station? I have done that.

Yes

[DavisH]

16 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Correct.

 

Prior to the mass influx of Chinese tourists there was no need for extra staff manning the queue lines. Now they are required 24/7 to assist Chinese with filling in these forms. Immigration at both airports has become a mess. This isn't a solution to the problem, but it is a start.

 

I fully expect regulations on expats to tighten, not relax, as they try to force more people onto more expensive visa options they recently introduced. 

I don't think they can force anyone onto anything if the expats don't have the money. Retirees will just find cheaper and easier options in other parts of Asia. Who can blame them...look at the posting about drains flooding the beaches in Pattaya with sewage. Thre must be cleaner and more friendly places to live, even within Thailand. 

[mikecha]

In  costs 25 euro to go fast track    girl picks u up and takes you all the way through to the baggage area was less than 10 minuits    great  so if you dont want to wait  pay a little i am sure 25 wont break most farangs here  other wise put up with the long line wait and stop bla bla bla winging

 

[Destiny1990]

Its correct the tourists do not understand exactly  what to fill in at airport customs.Then the language difficulty  mounts to more delays in the airport custom line up and aggression frustration  on both sides.Tourists also  do not understand the 24 hour notification rule which only exist in Thailand this results in frustration at the immigration offices.Russians chines etc shouting at immigration officers in their  own language! Result lots of tourists stay for a shorter period in Thailand they do not extend their visa but instead they travel  to another nearby country that has less complicated rules!

Edited July 24, 2017 by Destiny1990

[Oceanbat]

6 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Sounds as though this may be a small step in the right direction ?

 

Next to make it 90-days visa-exempt-entry on-arrival (likeMalaysia), instead of 30-days,  also action to link the TM-6 computer-system to update the TM-30 computer-system so that we don't need to report withing-24-hours of returning,  and to require 90-day-reports only if you've changed your address.

 

It should be relatively easy to significantly-reduce the number of times visitors need to disturb Immigration every year, to the benefit of both visitors and Immigration.

I'm a bit cynical and think if they wanted to streamline immigration they would have done it by now. For mine it's just one big employment scheme paying people to push piles of paper around which they don't even require. EG if my visa information is supposedly updated into the computer system why does the immigration officer need to scan my passport for the visa date, and why the need to stamp it at all?

OB

[Oceanbat]

2 hours ago, Aachen said:

You are required to report to your local immigration, in fact your landlord has to do this, but you can do on the approp. form also.

 

To proof the rumors about the necessity to report to Immigration within 24 hours when you return, I went to Immigration today.
And that's the result:

- Yes, Immigration wants to know that you are back
- normally it's the obligation of the owner of the house to do that (see attachment)
- but you are allowed to do that on your own. No need to bother the owner

you get a corresponding receipt...

Shouldn't immigration know you are back when you pass through immigration?

OB

[williamgeorgeallen]

5 hours ago, DavisH said:

I follow my wife through the Thai channel for official passport holders. Nice and quick.

but is it worth getting married? 

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post.

[brewsterbudgen]

What 24 hour reporting after arriving back in the country? I get a re-entry permit before I leave and on return my passport is stamped for 90 days after arrival - I then report to my local immigration on that day and resume regular 90 day reporting as normal.

Me too. It's a requirement in some areas but not in Bangkok.

[snooky]

7 hours ago, chopin2 said:

And what about the compulsory travel insurance in danish or dutch, that won't slow down anything, right?

 

7 hours ago, CharlieH said:

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.
 

OK - we know quotes from some sources cannot be made but couldn't somebody clarify the post by chopin2 by paraphrasing the information?

Edited July 24, 2017 by snooky

[Purdey]

12 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Sounds as though this may be a small step in the right direction ?

 

Next to make it 90-days visa-exempt-entry on-arrival (likeMalaysia), instead of 30-days,  also action to link the TM-6 computer-system to update the TM-30 computer-system so that we don't need to report withing-24-hours of returning,  and to require 90-day-reports only if you've changed your address.

 

It should be relatively easy to significantly-reduce the number of times visitors need to disturb Immigration every year, to the benefit of both visitors and Immigration.

I tend to agree that this seems like the way forward. Also, why do permanent residents require re-entry permits?

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

I agree IF they get this right it could make life easier. The staff no longer needed at the offices could be retrained to work the desks at the ports of entry, no loss of jobs, better service.

But come on, does anyone think this will be done with any thought or logic?

If it is I will strip off on Pattaya beach at midday and call the police myself!

[Ricardo]

12 hours ago, Plonk said:

I tend to agree that this seems like the way forward. Also, why do permanent residents require re-entry permits?

 

I believe (others might know better ?) that it goes back to the days when you needed to show, that your income-tax bill had been paid up-to-date, before you were allowed to depart on a trip.

 

It would certainly make sense IMO to roll the extension-of-stay & re-entry permit into one, unless that resulted in an increased-fee, for those people who rarely leave the country.

 

It would be a very simple change, just abolish re-entry permits completely, and permit people who had permission-to-stay to re-enter at any time up to that permitted-date.  Less paperwork & less hassle for both Immigration and long-stay visitors.

[maewang99]

great... however.... 

tourism.

a lot is being banked on it. too much.




 

Edited July 25, 2017 by maewang99

[aslimversgwm]

8 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

I agree IF they get this right it could make life easier. The staff no longer needed at the offices could be retrained to work the desks at the ports of entry, no loss of jobs, better service.

But come on, does anyone think this will be done with any thought or logic?

If it is I will strip off on Pattaya beach at midday and call the police myself!

Me too dear!

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

16 hours ago, aslimversgwm said:

Me too dear!

It's a date!

But keep your hands to yourself or my (female) wife might get jealous.

[Sumarianson]

It is obvious to me that the Thai Immigration officials care little for the enviournment, considering the amount of photo copies they require ! Mostly repeats of what they already have on file from your previous 20 applications for a one year visa. If only there was a way to store the relavent originals in a computer under say the persons name or maybe a number for security purposes. Allowing the individual to access the file to check that the information is current as with the U.K. Gov. Tax site? Hmmmmm, but naaaaa it all sounds far into the future.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Sumarianson
Correct spelling

[Dave67]

How does the automatic gate know if you are a 30 day or non immigrant 90 day exit/re-entry visa or do you go through the automatic gate and queue up to your passport stamped. Qatar everything in on the immigration system you get a receipt for your visa thats all

Edited August 1, 2017 by Dave67

[nasa123]

1 hour ago, Dave67 said:

How does the automatic gate know if you are a 30 day or non immigrant 90 day exit/re-entry visa or do you go through the automatic gate and queue up to your passport stamped. Qatar everything in on the immigration system you get a receipt for your visa thats all

This it`s ONLY fore citizen from Malaysia and, Laos.