Answered2 years ago
What time should you arrive at Chang Watthana to get to the front of the queue?
Chang Watthana at 6am this morning and got queue 191. What time do you have to arrive to be at the front of the queue?
Answer summary
A user asked about the optimal time to arrive at Chang Watthana for immigration services to avoid long queues, having queued number 191 at 6am. Comments suggest arriving very early, around 1am, or just before lunch, as the queues tend to be shorter in the afternoon. Many users recommend using an agent to avoid the hassle, especially near holidays when queues are longer. They also note that queue numbers may reset daily, and sometimes earlier arrivals still face long waits.
73 repliesnewest first
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Keef ********
Agent.
Dany ********
One reason not to live in BKK or any other bigger city. In Krabi you need 10-20mins when you go there at 08:25….
Andrew ***********
Never we go after a holiday or on a Monday or Friday 😊😊😊
Lyndon ************
Easier and quicker with an appointment booked online, in and out 20 mins later
Muchlis ********
No need to arrive early, pay an agent.
Richard *********
You would not believe how simple it all is up here in Chiang Rai. 555
Jeffrey ****************
Pay the man
Mike **********
After 24 years of many many
Trips to Thailand
In the early years
VERY traveler friendly
I am beginning to believe
The Thai government is really wanting to discourage easy frequent travel.
Basically send your money
But stay out of Thailand
It could be sooo easy
For them to expedite and super simplify visiting
But alas doesn’t seem so
Trips to Thailand
In the early years
VERY traveler friendly
I am beginning to believe
The Thai government is really wanting to discourage easy frequent travel.
Basically send your money
But stay out of Thailand
It could be sooo easy
For them to expedite and super simplify visiting
But alas doesn’t seem so
Dany ********
@Mike *********
its not crazy like this in other offices in the country.
John ********
Sometimes the machine you get your ticket from follows on from the previous day. It may not revert to 001 and indeed could start at any number. ie., 120, example.
Randy ********
@John *******
not true. It’s not a machine who passes out the queue numbers. It’s an immigration officer walking up each line handing them out.
JP *******
Wow
Henrik *****
Perhaps they didn’t start by number 1, just continuring the numbers follwing previous days.
Randy ********
@Henrik ****
not at all. It starts from #1 daily.
Steve *******
191 is pretty good
Sarah ******
It could be a number followed on from the day before, no?
Randy ********
@Sarah *****
no. It resets daily.
Alan *******
Use Queue Online and book an appointment. Arrive a short time before and forget the lines.
*******************************************************************
Som *****
OMG...
Chris ********
March 2008 should get you in the top 30
Erik *******
Usually I arrive there at 1am. And some people are already there waiting …
Brian *********
Fools
Alexandre *********
I have queue 001 for March 17th (2026). Happy to trade it for a new Honda Civic.
Robert **********
Keep your money invested. Use an agent and avoid the queues. It's a no brainer.
Bill **********
Not a good idea to go the day after a holiday .
Alan *****
May I ask, what is this for? Extension?
Randy ********
@Alan ****
that’s just to get into the door. Doesn’t matter what you’re there for. At least they have proper seating there now. And the chairs are numbered. You sit in the chair with the same number as your queue slip. I always show up there at around 5am and I’m in the first round that’s let into the immigration area.The best thing about this immigration office is you get inside then you have a bunch of choices for food and coffee. Pretty much everything opens earlier than the immigration office so you can go relax and then go to your assigned chair.
Brian *********
@Ra***
day out for you 🤔Randy ********
@Brian ********
a day?? I’m not sure what you consider a day but 4 hours of my time is far from a day. Some of us like to get out from the bars and whatnot. You can act all high and mighty with your laugh emojis and “fools” comment, but you’re the clown.
Dave *******
Use an agent
Tommy **********
@Dave ******
Any suggestion for trustworthy agency in Bangkok to do my retirement visa without me having the 800k in my Bangkok account and agency handles everything?Dave *******
@Tommy *********
unfortunately my dealings haven’t been in Bangkok,
THAI ******************************
@Tommy *********
We offer door to door services where we handle everything on your behalf.You can message our
****
support team via line:**********************
Nicholas *********
I arrived twice at 8
At ten was finished
One hour waiting !
At ten was finished
One hour waiting !
Henry *********
Maybe better to get there just before they close for lunch? You're guaranteed to be seen that day, and the queue numbers start going down much quicker in the afternoon.
Alex ************
@Henry ********
you are NOT guaranteed to be seen if you arrive just before lunch. It very much depends what visa you're after/extending. I have most definitely had to come back the next day because I dared arrive at 11am
Garrett ***********
@Henry ********
Then you'll just wait until they come back from lunch...Henry *********
@Garrett **********
Of course. In fact you'll probably wait until ***
pm.
Jonathin *******
If you understand the “agent system”, you’ll also understand the motivation they don’t have to run a speedy system ☹️
SJ *******
@Jonathin ******
the corruption dictates walk ups are held back.
Michael *********
@Jonathin ******
my Mrs is a visa agent, it’s definitely the case, for immigration everything runs smoother & they get more tea money, 1 agent can be taking upwards of 40 people out of that queue & stops negative images like this.
Marty *********
What you are getting is a queue number to get a queue number. I used to get there at 8:30am. All the early birds streamed inside in about 15 minutes. Then I entered and got my queue number in a few minutes for section L.
Frank **********
Take a tent with you and camp outside 5555.
Sue **********
Does the queue nos start from no 1?
Peter **********
thats why I use an agent
Alex *********
Thailand’s immigration policies and procedures are up there with the worst in the world.
Danny *******
@Alex ********
People often compare Thailand's friendly immigration policy to Vietnam's
Gordon ************
@Alex ********
I’ve lived here for 9 years on Koh Samui and never had a problem, Immigration provides a list of documents, that they require, you provide the documents, then you get stamped in for another year. 👍👍👍
Mike ********
@Gordon ***********
Bit different in Bangkok if you compare numbers of people using Immigration,always wondered why they don't open more offices.Used to write off my only day off 20 years ago travelling across the city and joining the queue.Gordon ************
@Mike *******
The Koh Samui office is bedlam at times and don’t forget “the great unwashed” from Koh Phangan use the Samui office, btw, that’s what immigration call them 😂😂😂
Paul *****************
@Alex ********
always have been. Remember going to Suan Phlu immigration many times in the 80’s and 90’s and they were always surly and awkward. Surely now it must be better?Nicholas *********
@Alex ********
As you have Eiffel Tower behind you Go to prefecture immigration n you’ll be surprised
Alex *********
@Nicholas ********
yea they are pretty bad too. Better to go after lunch as none of them will help you if they’re hungry. Still beats being sent down the stairs over and over at CW for another copy.Michael ********
@Alex ********
You not been to Africa then
Jonnie *******
@Michael *******
most of Africa is a breeze compared to this for visas, was in Ivory Coast during the coup and decided to take a drive to Accra during a weeks downtime, Friday morning went for the visa application was told come back Monday, however I wanted to travel there for Saturday, they said impossible (until I passed a few CFA ) they said come back in afternoon to collect,,, great drive along the coastline some cracking beaches there, just a pity the local authorities police and army had roadblocks every bridge crossing trying out their intimidation techniques
Michael *******
@Michael *******
spent 20 years there prepares you for anything these clowns can throw at you - Nigeria and Angola probably took the biscuit - lucky I had two passports every visa took at least a week……. happy days though 😊Michael ********
@Michael ******
oh for sure my ongoing history of nigeria and west africa dates back to tbe 90s yes Thailands easy after all that.Michael *******
@Michael *******
my experience goes back 15 years, west Africa was a pain, East Africa was visa friendly back then glad to hear they are finally modernizing , Nigeria will always be a basket case I suspect, I lived there for 3 years - prepares you for anything Thais can throw at you 😊Michael ********
@Michael ******
Yes been Angola 3 times this year company does the visa now as its e visa but still takes a while. Yes Nigeria is also a pain had to fly to Poland once to get Nigerian visa easiest place i ever got Nigerian visa was actually BangkokAlex *********
@Michael *******
na, I’m good.Michael *******
@Alex ********
guess you haven’t traveled much in developing world
Nadiya *************************
@Michael ******
even thenAlex *********
@Michael ******
sure, guess away.Michael *********
Yesterday.
Jeff *********
I’d leave Thailand if I had to go through that! No damn way
Brandon ************
@Jeff ********
then just pick a better day that's not between a holiday and a weekend. Or better yet make an appointment.Jeff *********
@Brandon ***********
not sure about making appointments, but you’re probably right a better plan would probably make it easier. I’m lucky have never dealt with immigration in a busy area.
Cruise ******
@Brandon ***********
can you elaborate on the make appointment part. Do you still have to queue then?Brandon ************
@Cruise *****
no. You get to skip all of that and be seen at your appointment time. But there's a few categories that can't make appointments. I think education visa is one of them. The appointment website shows what you can make appointments for.
Eddie ******
Always busy after a holiday, yesterday closed for father's day
Shiladitya ******
I usually arrive at 1am
Ruud ******************
Stay overnight 😂😂
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