What are the experiences reported by expats visiting Chiang Mai Immigration?

VIP! 555

@David ********

Probably not.

I've tourist visited the US, and L.A. was a 45 minutes painful process.

Worked there too, but the legalities were obscured probably by the Ford organisation.

Few countries have visa exempt stamp process so anything above that needs to be vetted properly and 20 million came last year to a country of 46 million that is a lot of people to process man6 more than the USA do and try getting a visa through the USA .. you have to mail it in prior to an interview process, obviously you don’t know what a foreigner goes through in the USA to stay

No doubt.

that might be the case :)

Always best immediately after lunch break. Full bellies = happy IO

Sisaket Immigration serves the whole province . . . . . . . around & near Kantharalak alone there are over 100 foreigners . . . and in Khun Han there must be over 20 farang . . . yet we rarely meet at the immigration office. Only two times in 10 years there was one foreigner being served before it was my turn 😁

Yes, that's what I was wondering. It's certainly NOT for visa (or visa exempt) extensions as that doesn't take long.

@Zayid ******

that will be refreshing

maybe big joke has kicked most of them out already lol

Am sorry but yes all sorts of nationalities just like Airport but no unless if I am going blind not a single African I saw its the second biggest continent as well. Anyways I don't care I don't want to be labelled as a racist. Just distancing myself from scammers & trouble makers being African myself, people read Indian on my face sorry I am not

are u trying to say africans dont come to immigration? not true i see some there whenever i go...

@Ralph *********

Am I allowed? I can take pictures & send, not making it up just finding it odd that's all considering this place is jam packed

@Shezan *****

you trying to make a point about something mate

@Ma**

... the appearance of BIG BOSS seems to have a magical effect on the Thai. 😉

@Shayne *********

just a Google search. Like all things statistical in Thailand probably a best guess.

David Allen exactly! Not quite 5 minutes, they stay until 7 or 8 pm most nights. Big BOSS was here last week and it is 1000 times better. The office here enforces immigration laws. All of them! Proof of income, TM 30, 90 day reporting. Some offices look at you like what's a TM30?

I don't think Bangkok (or actually anyone in Thailand) understands the enormity of the task. At last guess the consulates here estimated 20,000 expats in Chiang Mai province. The 2017 census put Chiang Mai's population at 131,000. 15% of the population is expats.

Although it is a "good job" by Thai standards I have a feeling the burn out rate is going to be sky high. I so feel for these people!

@Mary *******

So effectively 5 minutes per person.

Irrespective of the enquiries/ visa type.

Sorry to say but there in lies the problem.

Thais don't seem to be able to do anything in five minutes..

Constantly...

Either simplify the process or increase the staff.

Big Joke to the rescue.

I thought Jomtien was overstaffed?

Maybe not.

@Gareth *********

Chiang Mai immigration currently processes over 1000 people a day with like 10 officers?

This is a HUGE improvement! Last month you had to cue starting at midnight. If you got there after 5 am you wouldn't get seen that day. Here were fist fights in the lot over places in line. People hired line sitters.

Bloody hell! I certainly don't live there and thankfully so. Those numbers and times are insane.

You obviously don't live in Chiang Mai (OR Bangkok) do you? Those immigration offices are JAMMED with people. I was at the immigration office in Bangkok at 4:50AM yesterday morning and there were easily 50-60 people in line already and by the time they opened there were over 600 :O...