Udon immigration, not busy!

[sometimewoodworker]

People over 100 come back at 3pm.

Age discrimination?

[steadyjohn]

I was there this morning at 5.15am
Already a big crowd, I got ticket number 100

At least 150 people already there by 6am
Anyone with number 121 and above was told to come back in the afternoon

They started processing at 7am

They puts up signs on the gate they are open tomorrow from 8.30am

[tamada]

They were calling for ticket #96 around 10:30.

[Hoopoe]

Just been .for final stamp after under consideration. Was turned away and told to come back in a week or so.. Open Saturday

[dunroaming]

I was there this morning too for my first retirement visa in and out in 15 minutes flat.

[tamada]

Dropped by at 6 a.m. and got ticket #165. I was told that would probably be called around 2 p.m.. Went home had coffee before the morning school runs. While out shopping, dropped by at 10:30 as #96 was called and reconfirmed "after lunch" by the staff at the door. Went back a 13:20 where one of the gate keepers questioned the maiden name, married name disparity but was corrected by her peers and my passport and docs were sent inside and we sat outside among about 70 others (only 2 farangs sighted). Forty five minutes later, I was called in, signed the usual forms and disclaimers, was asked to pay 2000 (not 1900) which I did (no receipt). Got the passport back with the 60-day extension. Now having a late lunch with the long suffering Mrs tam at a nearby restaurant about an hour after we first arrived. Off to pick up the youngest from school and head home. Bullet dodged.

[Doodoo]

Great work by the Udonthani Immagration Officals bending over backwards to accomodate all these, well I wont start. They the immigration did not have to open up early or open up on Saturday to accomodate Expats. They could have easily said "Sorry, you are late and have had ample notice. To Bad, so sad" in theh next breath "That will be 2 or 4,000 baht as a fine and once paid please follow the officer to the local jail."

Great work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dunroaming]

I had a valid o visa until October but as heading back to work and must send passport to London tomorrow had no option but convert it to a retirement visa. Gives me half a chance of getting back sometime soon

[tamada]

Great work by the Udonthani Immagration Officals bending over backwards to accomodate all these, well I wont start. They the immigration did not have to open up early or open up on Saturday to accomodate Expats. They could have easily said "Sorry, you are late and have had ample notice. To Bad, so sad" in theh next breath "That will be 2 or 4,000 baht as a fine and once paid please follow the officer to the local jail."

Great work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There does seem to be a certain anger among some of the farang community towards their fellow farang that appear to have left things to the last minute. A lot of laggards have been accused of hoping for an amnesty extension or being pilloried for being "stranded" here for over six months and STILL not being able to get their 'stuff' together. Not on this forum (but maybe Doodoo comes closest here) but there are those wishing them all sorts of trouble staying here legally and some going as far as hoping they can't find a flight home and get sent to a local jail, fined a k i n g's ransom and banned forever.

The thing is, everyone is an individual with their own reasons for the way they addressed this issue. That being said, some are nothing more than sublime procrastinators.

For clarity, the reason I chose to 'milk it' with technically only a couple of Immigration working hours remaining on the amnesty was driven by my intense training and rich experience in the Special Forces. Why do things the boring, easy way when one's life has been honed to ride the ragged edge of one's destiny, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and things of that ilk. Who Dares Wins! I will admit that my pre-dawn adrenaline rush was somewhat dissipated when I saw the sign on the office gates this morning saying they would be open on Saturday but the alternative was too mind numbing to contemplate. If I had complied with advice and done it weeks ago when things were less busy, my Friday would have been just another round of posting mindless drivel on internet forums.

Oh, wait...

PS: During my 45 minutes seated under the tent, I did a head count and there was roughly 70 in the active queue.Once inside, there was maybe a dozen others on the cusp of immigration fulfillment. Apart from a black fella (can we say that?) there was only myself and one other farang when I got there and Mrs tam said he buggered of while I was inside, tipping like like a Lord. But maybe he's former SAS as well and will be back there tomorrow.

[mac1966]

Agreed Tam. The majority I saw yesterday were Laos who were with families or quite possibly workers supporting family back home.

Also I did over pay yesterday however the front line workers are on very low pay. Just hope that some of the fat drips down to the people who deserve it.

[parrot]

After 23 consecutive extensions of stay, I had to get a new visa after being marooned in the US for a year. Today, I went to get my first extension of stay on my Non-O. I went in at 11, out by 11:25 with an extension, a reentry, and a 90 day check. All smiles, nothing under the table, air conditioned, no crowds......in fact, not even queue numbers....just have a seat and called within 5 minutes.
It boggles the mind that people consider moving to other countries because of Thai immigration hassles.

[phen]

You come late.
I was there at 9 am and it was packed with people from Laos.
Get number 35 and was thinking that will be late today.
But everyone was working hard and the paperwork was checked before entering the office.
No paper had to be signed and no questions at all.
Never see them working so hard and quikly as today.

[parrot]

You come late.
I was there at 9 am and it was packed with people from Laos.
Get number 35 and was thinking that will be late today.
But everyone was working hard and the paperwork was checked before entering the office.
No paper had to be signed and no questions at all.
Never see them working so hard and quikly as today.

Years ago I'd go to immigration early in the AM. Found out after several years that middish afternoon is the best time.....around 2. Today, I decided to chance a late morning run, and was surprised there were so few people.

[Niggly]

Got there just after lunch & was behind 12 Laotians getting passports stamped. In at 1.25, a brief discussion about an inadequate Kor Ror 2 we'd just been given but I'm able to take a correct one in later this week & my extension was processed by 2.45pm which I thought was pretty good going.

It was noticeably quieter from 2pm onwards when the queue that had built up over lunch had been dealt with

[AlexO]

Did my annual retirement extention of stay today. Was absolutely confident I had complied with all the requirements. Severely pissed off that I had to pay a 12K fine as my money in the bank had fallen below 400K for a month not 300K as I was led to believe but 400K. I am sure the IO last year confirmed it was/is necessary to maintain a minimum of 300K but seems it is now 400K. Please be aware folks. Awful lot of quite senior people in uniforms at the front desks, not the usual ladies. Whats the rules for Married extensions, how much has to be maintained at the start and how much for the duration cannot find ant info on this.

[rick]

one hour 20 minutes? If no issues, actually a bit long! Usually in and out in one hour, if you get the timing right.

[Niggly]

^ maybe, discussions about the Kor Ror 2 & then the photos possibly delayed things but I still can’t grumble. I mean, 20 minutes longer than you, it’s not as though I had anything else to do.

BTW, you are talking about a marriage extension aren’t you?

[rick]

Yes, been on that for 7 years.

[Niggly]

Cheers
It’s good for comparison.
This was my first renewal

[tamada]

Anyone planning a quick in-out at Udon Immigration TODAY 28th May... forget about it! Hundreds of Asians doing their extensions before end of month. I just wanted a Re-entry permit but was told twice that joining the queue was the only option.

Then it started raining so I'll do it at the airport on departure instead.