Hey Everyone....So, I'm in the process of writing a ton of how-to documents based on visa types and the existing procedures for many of them as they pertain to the CHIANG MAI IMMIGRATION OFFICE.
THIS post is all about the new entrance procedures for Chiang Mai Immigration and how to successfully navigate them.
Since moving ALL services to the airport location (BY the airport, not IN the airport), things have gotten a bit confusing. I'm going to try and decipher this as best I can. It's a bit long. Sorry.
In a nutshell, it works like this:
The officers screen you, give you an entrance ticket. This keeps track of where you are in line to get a queue number. IT IS NOT YOUR QUEUE number. They provided seating under tents to keep everyone separated and as they filter people through, either they use a speaker or ask us volunteers to shuttle people to the desk. IF your paperwork is not squared away, you WILL BE REQUIRED to get another queue number. It is really important that you seek out a volunteer or stray immigration officer to glance over your documentation. I say all this after seeing many people get bounced and then try to head straight back up to the desk, only to get upset at the rebuff received by both the desk officer as well as the waiting customer.
At CM immigration, there are 4 flavors of services:
1. Tourist (Pink)
1. 90-Day Report (Blue)
1. Long Stay visa (Green)
1. COVID-19 (Yellow)
In an attached picture, You'll see a box with colored tickets. As you enter the facility, you will be led into an entrance kiosk area where your temperature will be taken, you are given a 'heart' sticker, and asked what you need. Use this guide:
Tourist - I'm here to extend my visa exempt stay for the FIRST TIME EVER. I may have left the country, but when I came back, I HAVE NOT LEFT again and I HAVE NOT EXTENDED THIS CURRENT STAY.
Docs needed: 1900 THB (cash), TM-7, passport picture, COPY OF TM-6 departure card, Passport photo page, current visa stamp. Sign every photocopy page, put a phone number or email address UNDER your signature on the back of the TM-7, and proceed around the BACK LEFT SIDE of the building. Queue starts rolling around 8:30.
90-Day Report - I need to tell the government I'm still here and nothing has changed.
Docs needed: TM-47, passport.
Grab your ticket, and head to the covered tent area next to the porch in front of the building. The officers walk from the back, call out queue numbers, collect passports/TM-47s, disappear, and come back in 20 minutes and hand you back your passport.
I've had people that have reported WAY early today (like, April 14th due) and were able to. If you can wait or do it online, do that. If you want to come in and do it, this is how.
Long-stay visa - I have any flavor Non-tourist visa stamp and need to extend (Retirement, Marriage, Education, Business, Non-O Multi/single, etc). I also may need to do reentry permits.
Docs needed: Applicable fee in cash (THB), TM-7, STM-2 acknowledgement and overstay forms, copies of Passport, TM-6 departure card, passport photo page, current visa, TM-30, and ALL RELEVANT DOCS NEEDED TO EXTEND YOUR VISA. If retirement, yes, you need your financial records. If family, yes, you need to have your partner, marriage licenses (both!), possibly pictures. If education, you need to have your school-sent paperwork. Volunteers, bring foundation paperwork, work reports, etc. Yes, for extensions. Bring it all.
Reentry permits require 1000/3800THB (single/multi), TM-8 reentry request, copies of passport, visa stamp, TM-6 and TM-30.
Please remember to sign EVRY PHOTOCOPIED PAGE WITH YOUR INFO in blue ink ,and put a phone number under the signature space.
COVID-19 - I am on my second tourist-exempt stay extension. I may or may not have a consul letter. All Chinese citizens get this ticket.
Docs needed: 1900THB, 2 copies of consulate letter or personal statement, passport photo page, current visa stamp, TM-6 departure card, and both acknowledgement forms.
IF no consulate letter BUT your county issues them, you will get a 20-day visa extension after writing your reasons on a local form. Your continued stay will be up to the discretion of Big Immigration in Bangkok.
If no consulate letter but your country doesn't issue them to you, you will get the standard 30-day extension.
I scanned many of the documents you will need and placed them in a Google Drive folder (no account needed). All of these are available at immigration, but if you want to get an idea or print them out, feel free.
See here:
[members only]
Here is your turn to do due diligence: Contact your embassy/consul, go there in person, or visit the website. If there is a way to get something from them that asks CM Immigration to help you out, print that out and bring it in. Don't worry about originals, printouts, copies, etc. Do your BEST to bring in an original, and at second best, a COLOR COPY!!
Let me also reiterate: THiS is for CHIANG MAI Immigration. I don't know or follow what they do elsewhere. Has no bearing here. Please understand that provinces are kind of like territories/states. Each have different bosses and rules. They differ. Some are easier than others. I personally find the evolution of where we came from to where we are nw, in regards to the paperwork shuffle, to be very, very gracious. The boss here is doing their utmost to make it easy, but yes....as of now, you still have to pay.
I hope/think I covered most of it. Good luck on your visits, and bring water and patience if you come in the AM. Afternoons after 2pm, I'm finding, are SUPER SLOW, so if you can, come then. Just my advice.
Be well, God bless, stay safe and well, and be patient.
