The wife and I spent a wonderful afternoon at Lad Phrao immigration today to change her tourist visa to a Non-O.
We arrived at 12:40 and immediately went to the lady who checks the paperwork work for non immigrant visas for farangs. She pointed out my wife's tourist visa expired today and that the wife needed to extend it for another 30 days. However, she made a cursory inspection of our paperwork and asked for a few more copies of things. Luckily we had the documents she required with us so it wasn't a problem.
By the time we got through everything it was time for lunch (1:00-2:00). The wife's queue number was 20 down from the last number served. I figured 30-40 minutes after lunch and we could then queue up for the non-b.
My wife was served at 4:00...that's right, 2 HOURS for 20 customers! Then another 30 minute wait to get her passport returned.
However, the bright spot among the rain of shit was the lady who was checking the non-o paperwork. On about 3:30 she came to us and asked for our packet o' paperwork again so she could get her boss to review it.
Of course there was a problem...The paperwork checker came back, told me there was a problem and her boss wanted to talk with me. At this point, I'm thinking "Oh fuck..."
The boss explained I was simply missing a piece of paper, that it would take 15 days to get the Non-O approved and we could simply provide the required piece of paper at that time and the Non-O would be granted.
The boss then told me to go get a copy the page with the wife's extension on it and then bring all of the paperwork back to her, sans queuing shite. Did this, she reminded me that I needed that document and that my wife should come back on the 19th for her non-o with the document from the school and the wife would be out in 30 minutes.
A mere 15 minute wait for the receipt for the visa application and we were out of there. 4 hours on the nose.
So some good stuff, some incredibly terrible stuff. The last time we needed to extended a tourist visa at Chaeng Wattana we were in and out in less than 30 minutes. Lad Phrao nearly 3 hours.
The service at the Non immigrant visa desk was fucking superb. So much I asked to speak with the boss and told her that the lady who checked our paperwork deserved a raise.
Now, the last time the wife got her Non-O it was done the same day. When did it change?