Warning - changwattana immigration nightmare - 30 day tourist extension

The wife and I went to CW today to visit immigration for our last time. Our mission?

To extend our tourist visas another 30 days.

Both of us have done this several times recently at CW due to various circumstances and the queue was always short...in and out in under an hour.

So today, I slept in and we arrived at CW around 11:30, expecting to have lunch and a wander, be finished by 1:30-2:00 then off to do some other errands.

We get there and get our queue number and the lady gives us 528 and 529. I'm immediately thinking there's an issue, because I've never seen a queue number that high, ever and I've spent considerable time at CW over that last seven years.

The place was filled to the brim with Chinese, apparently not wanting to go home. I can't imagine why.

Immigration would only let the Chinese extend their tourist visa for 7 days.....that's right, only 7 days. I guess they want the Chinese tourists to fuck off back home.

The final queue count was over 700. As the other sections got finished with their business, they started processing the section "K" customers. The wife and I were done by the ladies of section "M" at just after 6:00pm.

Judging by the way the immigration officials started routing the masses to the other sections, it apparently isn't the first time this has happened.

Hopefully, I'll never need to go there again.

Immigration rule no.1: arrive 30 minutes before they open, be first in the Q then out and at breakfast before 10am.

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Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Immigration rule no.1: arrive 30 minutes before they open, be first in the Q then out and at breakfast before 10am.

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I've arrived there at 6:15 in the morning and was given queue number 97.

It's a bit catch 22. A (farang) friend couldnt get back into China because his flights are cancelled so needed to extend his stay. Also only got 7 days extension (in Phuket).

Tbh, the only thing I miss about Thailand is village mow lam concerts.

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Originally Posted by CSFFan

I've arrived there at 6:15 in the morning and was given queue number 97.

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I didn't realise they were open either before 8:30am or after 4:30pm. In fact, I've been there before 8:30am and not been allowed in, you can't get a number before the staff are there and open the doors.

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Originally Posted by CSFFan

The wife and I went to CW today to visit immigration for our last time. Our mission?

To extend our tourist visas another 30 days.

Both of us have done this several times recently at CW due to various circumstances and the queue was always short...in and out in under an hour.

So today, I slept in and we arrived at CW around 11:30, expecting to have lunch and a wander, be finished by 1:30-2:00 then off to do some other errands.

We get there and get our queue number and the lady gives us 528 and 529. I'm immediately thinking there's an issue, because I've never seen a queue number that high, ever and I've spent considerable time at CW over that last seven years.

The place was filled to the brim with Chinese, apparently not wanting to go home. I can't imagine why.

Immigration would only let the Chinese extend their tourist visa for 7 days.....that's right, only 7 days. I guess they want the Chinese tourists to fuck off back home.

The final queue count was over 700. As the other sections got finished with their business, they started processing the section "K" customers. The wife and I were done by the ladies of section "M" at just after 6:00pm.

Judging by the way the immigration officials started routing the masses to the other sections, it apparently isn't the first time this has happened.

Hopefully, I'll never need to go there again.

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I was there today. Twoz shit. Fortunately I can speak enough Chinese to tell them to fukc off when they start trying to push in. Managed to get seen just before closing time, where my favourite immigrant officer was on hand to backtrack on what he'd told me to do last time.
So bollocks to the cnut, I'm off to Lowass to do the Mekong hokey cokey, whilst I save up to donate to my local bacon benevolent fund.

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Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Immigration rule no.1

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Never go to immigration offices on Mondays and Fridays

^OK so there's some competition between this as rule number one and 'never go at lunchtime'.

But either way, lunchtime on a Monday...

Who could spend over a decade in the country and still be making these greenhorn errors? :D

Did you ask if you could pay in Lao Kip?

And why not see the queue and think sod this I'll get up early tomorrow

never go there before 10am, unless you like to queue

the difference in queue number is not different after the rush

What a surprise ! 555
its so much faster and easier to go to Pattaya or any other immigration than Chawengshithole !

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Originally Posted by cyrille

^OK so there's some competition between this as rule number one and 'never go at lunchtime'.

But either way, lunchtime on a Monday...

Who could spend over a decade in the country and still be making these greenhorn errors? :D

Did you ask if you could pay in Lao Kip?

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Limited choice really. The nature of work is that they suddenly change minds and flights for whatever reason suits them, and you just have to work around it, sometimes at short notice. Best I can do is carry all my essential docs with me all the time, as I normally have to anyway, and go to the nearest consulate or embassy wherever I end up. I may have to get an SE O Visa and go to Laos later to make a ME O. Extensions and exit visas may be less convenient than ME O for salty seaman, because they tend not to care if you say "Oh I have to go to some remote immi office for an exit permit", they just want you to turn up. I've never done CW, I only went to check what seemed like a loophole, but the dude backtracked what he said one-to-one, when surrounded by colleagues. I've heard from some dual nationals that if you have (even dual national) Thai kids you only need a year of WP passed through a Thai company (which may or may not be a family business) to be able to apply for dual national, not sure about it though. I don't know if I like the idea of renaming myself Umpa Lumpa... they might not be too impressed, but doing away with all this faff and expense is kind of appealing.

I go anytime any day. Never got a queue no. over 8. ;)

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Originally Posted by Dragonfly

never go there before 10am, unless you like to queue

the difference in queue number is not different after the rush

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A bit off-topic, but renewing my driving license earlier this year in Rayong was insane. Was told to get there in the queue before 7:00AM (opens at 08:30), or employ someone as a "concierge" to wait in the queue for you.. Took the latter option and paid 500 Baht for a shoo-in at 09:00AM. Queuing round the block when I got there.. Finally got my new 5 year renewal around noon. If I'd gone by myself I think I'd still be there now, tbh. :confused:

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Originally Posted by questionsreplies

What a surprise ! 555
its so much faster and easier to go to Pattaya or any other immigration than Chawengshithole !

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In truth, it’s so much easier to move to a country where you can get a one year multi entry visa, and you don’t need to report every 90 days, or even leave the country at all if you don’t want to. And no need to shell out for re entry permits either.
If you do go out of country, you join the locals in a shorter immigration queue on your return.

Having been fucked about by professionals, I now refuse to bow to uniformed, fascist Thai IOS, who take great pleasure in moving the goalposts, usually every 90 days. :)

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Originally Posted by Switch

Having been fucked about by professionals

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I fail to see what your lovelife has to do with this.

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Originally Posted by Switch

In truth, it’s so much easier to move to a country where you can get a one year multi entry visa, and you don’t need to report every 90 days, or even leave the country at all if you don’t want to. And no need to shell out for re entry permits either.
If you do go out of country, you join the locals in a shorter immigration queue on your return.

Having been fucked about by professionals, I now refuse to bow to uniformed, fascist Thai IOS, who take great pleasure in moving the goalposts, usually every 90 days. :)

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which country is that then?

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Originally Posted by CaptainNemo

I was there today. Twoz shit. Fortunately I can speak enough Chinese to tell them to fukc off when they start trying to push in. Managed to get seen just before closing time, where my favourite immigrant officer was on hand to backtrack on what he'd told me to do last time.
So bollocks to the cnut, I'm off to Lowass to do the Mekong hokey cokey, whilst I save up to donate to my local bacon benevolent fund.

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I can speak enough Chinese....:smileylaughing:

Silly fucking troll..

Rule No 1 if you anticipate long queues and a delay because of some disruption/change/pestilence/upheaval and you still cannot avoid that trip to Immigration then get a Thai agent to do it for you.
The staff know them, prefer them and expedite them.

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Originally Posted by Switch

In truth, it’s so much easier to move to a country where you can get a one year multi entry visa, and you don’t need to report every 90 days, or even leave the country at all if you don’t want to. And no need to shell out for re entry permits either.
If you do go out of country, you join the locals in a shorter immigration queue on your return.

Having been fucked about by professionals, I now refuse to bow to uniformed, fascist Thai IOS, who take great pleasure in moving the goalposts, usually every 90 days. :)

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Yes, but Sumatra is a bit extreme.

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Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Yes, but Sumatra is a bit extreme.

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You are still sleep walking then. Hahahahaha

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Originally Posted by kmart

A bit off-topic, but renewing my driving license earlier this year in Rayong was insane. Was told to get there in the queue before 7:00AM (opens at 08:30), or employ someone as a "concierge" to wait in the queue for you.. Took the latter option and paid 500 Baht for a shoo-in at 09:00AM. Queuing round the block when I got there.. Finally got my new 5 year renewal around noon. If I'd gone by myself I think I'd still be there now, tbh. :confused:

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Used an agency to renew my 5 year licence recently too, money well spent as I sat in the nearby coffee shop while they did the queuing and paperwork. Also used an agency last week to renew my Retirement visa, had to actually go to Immigration in person this time to get a photo taken but that was painless, just called the number provided by the agency and an IO came outside to meet me, escort me inside, take a pic, and wish me a good day as I walked out 45 seconds after entering. See 'ya's next year :)

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Originally Posted by Troy

I can speak enough Chinese....:smileylaughing:

Silly fucking troll..

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You're welcome to phone me and hear me call you a bellend in mandarin if you want - I had plenty of practice doing that at Chaengwattana.

Why do you think it's strange that someone has connections to the Far East and speaks far eastern languages?! Not everyone on here is a focking taxi driver from dagenham.

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Originally Posted by Switch

You are still sleep walking then. Hahahahaha

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Isn't Indo even less user-friendly? I've only ever done the long business visa and VoA there, so I dunno about the ins and outs of KITAS.... Aceh is not my cup of tea.