Too slow, poor service, not enough staff and corrupt - Dusit Poll gives Thai immigration the thumbs down!

[ToddinChonburi]

Just continues to amaze me how they simply have no idea what one office is doing over another.

I just got find during my change of address for not reporting when i returned to Thailand within 24 hours .  I had done a new extension, re entry permit and 2 90 day reports.  she could not explain why nothing had been said to me.  lol

[mikosan]

4 hours ago, coxo said:

No complaints with Udon Thani immigration, been dealing with them for a few years, very prompt service. 

But, as a matter of interest, did you ever go there for the proof of residence letter you need when purchasing a car or motorcycle?  Were you charged any money for this 'free' service?  Maybe not at Udon Thani, but at Hua Hin and many other places, we are charged 500 baht.  That is corruption and although I have mainly good experiences with Hua Hin Immigration, this is one thing that is not acceptable. 

[mikosan]

51 minutes ago, BoganInParasite said:

Have had four or five interactions with Nan Immigration over the past six months...all good. Although they did charge 500 baht for the Certificate of Residency.

So still corrupt, like most other offices.

[randy723]

I use the office in Amnatcharoen and Have had nothing but good fast service from every one in that office on my 90 day check in I am in and out of there in less than 10 minutes.

But when I lived in Pattaya years ago you had to pay for everything and even had to pay 200 baht for your 90 day check in. But then in my mine Pattaya is not Thailand. 

[StevieAus]

3 hours ago, Emster23 said:

"Too slow, poor service, not enough staff and corrupt"

Show me a government department here that doesn't fit this description...  well, military number of generals

"No one wants to go to immigration when they are on holiday"

Amen. Hit the nail on the head with that one

I have visited the Chiang Mai Office which issues Thai passports three times with my wife in recent years.

They were friendly and very efficient and bent over backwards to accommodate our young daughter with her first Thai passport.

Now if  Immigration could take a leaf out of their book ................

[Bill Miller]

1 hour ago, Pattaya46 said:

So your "only serious complaint about Thai Immigration" is something that doesn't depend of it !?? 

Thai Immigration never asked embassies to stop provide such letters. So please go complain to your embassy. 

Actually they did. Thai Immigration said "We will no longer accept these letters as proof of income."
Are you unable to follow the story?

[JLCrab]

1 hour ago, Didierhardy said:

1 hour ago, JLCrab said:

So some of the 73% who didn't complain about corruption are maybe part of the "fee for service" use-an-agent crowd.

Yes, of course, why should they? 

Like I said and an added side-benefit of using an agent is you get to tell everyone how smart you are.

[JulesMad]

This week I obtained a visa for Australia. It was done and dusted in 30 minutes online. I got a 3 months visa, valid for a year. Multiple entries, as much as I want in 1 year, every time valid for 3 months. No copies of any paperwork. Total cost 0 A$

 

Absolutely marvelous 

[wvavin]

Every government agency is corrupt to the core in Thailand. Any more polls?

[Bill Miller]

1 hour ago, newatthis said:

Not all offices accept 90day reports online.

My experience is that the system only works, IF it works at all, with an outdated browser. 

[amexpat]

10 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

My experience is that the system only works, IF it works at all, with an outdated browser. 

I use Chrome for 90 day reports. It always works. Others use Firefox or I.E. 

Don't know about Opera and others but they probably work, too. 

 

I just can't find sympathy for the people who complain about the waste of time, paper, etc

when they go in person instead of using online or mail-in for 90 day reports. 

[Trevor Collins]

4 hours ago, Jeffrey346 said:

KK Immigration is fast. Usually in and out in under 30 minutes.

IO have always been pleasant to deal with..

If you mean Khon Kaen, this is the office I had problems with a few years ago. The IO wanted "tea money" to process my visa extension - hope she's not there now.  

[thequietman]

3 hours ago, NorfolkBoy said:

This survey was only in Bangkok and its environs, Here in Uttaradit I cannot speak too highly of the friendliness and efficiency of the staff

Also charge 500 baht for proof of address. A service that should be free! No receipt!

 

Same/same. ????

[Pattaya46]

31 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

Actually they did.

Thai Immigration said "We will no longer accept these letters as proof of income."
Are you unable to follow the story?

Probably unable, yes, as I never read that.

So could you please help me and provide a link that prove your statement ?

[BigT73]

37 minutes ago, JulesMad said:

This week I obtained a visa for Australia. It was done and dusted in 30 minutes online. I got a 3 months visa, valid for a year. Multiple entries, as much as I want in 1 year, every time valid for 3 months. No copies of any paperwork. Total cost 0 A$

 

Absolutely marvelous 

Try doing a cheap little border run, you will need a row boat. 

[Willatl]

It's their country, don't like something? go somewhere else. I will say for the most part "land of smiles is bull shit

 

[Bill Miller]

13 minutes ago, amexpat said:

I use Chrome for 90 day reports. It always works. Others use Firefox or I.E. 

Don't know about Opera and others but they probably work, too. 

 

I just can't find sympathy for the people who complain about the waste of time, paper, etc

when they go in person instead of using online or mail-in for 90 day reports. 

Which office are you reporting to? I tried a number of times with Jomtien using Chrome and no joy. Finally found a note to use Explorer.
That allowed access, but then no result.
Admittedly over a year ago, at least. Due to an attempt to hold me up for 16,000 baht I have been doing border runs every 90 days instead, We like a little "holiday" every few months, but mobility is an issue for me now. Time to try online again.

[garyk]

Wait until after January 1st and do the poll again. 

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, ukrules said:

A simple 90 day stamp on arrival would solve most of the problems as a large number of people will enjoy their holiday and then leave within this 90 day period.

 

For the rest there could be extensions of say another 30, 60 or even 90 days.

 

People don't want to go to immigration when they're on holiday.

 

Make it easy for them, if they don't get what they want then don't expect them to all come back.

 

I know many people who cut short their yearly winter trips to avoid going to immigration for extensions, etc and leaving the country only to enter again for another stamp is just something that a huge number will never ever do - so they go home instead.

 

Couldn't agree more. Thailand will eventually see so much less tourists, and we all know what that means. When it comes to common sense, Thailand and their immigration are way at the end of the queue.

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, ukrules said:

A simple 90 day stamp on arrival would solve most of the problems as a large number of people will enjoy their holiday and then leave within this 90 day period.

 

For the rest there could be extensions of say another 30, 60 or even 90 days.

 

People don't want to go to immigration when they're on holiday.

 

Make it easy for them, if they don't get what they want then don't expect them to all come back.

 

I know many people who cut short their yearly winter trips to avoid going to immigration for extensions, etc and leaving the country only to enter again for another stamp is just something that a huge number will never ever do - so they go home instead.

 

Couldn't agree more. Thailand will eventually see so much less tourists, and we all know what that means. When it comes to common sense, Thailand and their immigration are way at the end of the queue.

[CMNightRider]

If anyone is interested in seeing the worst of the worst, visit Chiang Mai Immigration.  It is really too bad because it doesn't have to be such an unpleasant experience to abide by all the rules and regulations involved in obtaining and maintaining a one year retirement visa.  

 

I used to report to CM Immigration for my one year retirement visa, and show up to this circus every 90 days to satisfy their nonsensical 90 day reporting requirement.  I found these visits so time consuming and painful, I finally gave up and now hire a visa agency. ????

 

With immigrations latest confusion over the different embassies having to do away with their income affidavit letters, it appears immigration found a way to lessen their work load and get rid of a large number of foreigners at the same time.  

 

It appears immigration may require all foreigners to cease banking in developed countries and deposit their money into a Thai bank to qualify for a one year visa.  I cannot imagine having my pension check deposited into a Thai bank every month or depositing 800,000 baht in a Thai bank. ????     

    

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, Thailand said:

Do agents get priority because they are so efficient and make Immigrations  job so much easier or are there other reasons?

I think we all know the answer to that.

[vinegarbase]

Yes, yes, and yes. I have traveled to many countries around the world for tourism, business, and living in general and I have never in my life met more miserable corrupt people in my life than those at Thai immigration, their embassies, and consulates. There must be a pre-requisite on the job applications for these positions. "Is it your life's purpose to make other people's lives and miserable and difficult as possible" Yes or no? Yes... YOU'RE HIRED!

 

I don't care about what they do to change it either, if they ever do which I doubt it. I will tell everyone I know for the rest of my life to avoid Thailand like the plague. I have seen and heard more than a lifetimes worth of honest people just following the letter of the law screwed over by them time and time again for no reason at all because they can and they get off on it. 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Easy Come Easy Go said:

Seeing as you are married to a Thai, and living in Thailand, wouldn't it be logical to learnt to speak Thai? 

It would be a great idea for me too, however as I am partly deaf and almost tone deaf what I think I have said clearly in Thai, the Thai I am talking to may hear something completely different because I got the tones wrong.

[Bill Miller]

31 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Probably unable, yes, as I never read that.

So could you please help me and provide a link that prove your statement ?

No, because it has been all over the forum for months now.
I do not mind helping someone who has a legitimate need, but no, I am not going to go to effort to "prove" what is common knowledge by now to folks too lazy or lacking in reading comprehension skills.
I decline to play your little game. ????

[vinegarbase]

4 minutes ago, CMNightRider said:

If anyone is interested in seeing the worst of the worst, visit Chiang Mai Immigration.  It is really too bad because it doesn't have to be such an unpleasant experience to abide by all the rules and regulations involved in obtaining and maintaining a one year retirement visa.  

 

I used to report to CM Immigration for my one year retirement visa, and show up to this circus every 90 days to satisfy their nonsensical 90 day reporting requirement.  I found these visits so time consuming and painful, I finally gave up and now hire a visa agency. ????

 

With immigrations latest confusion over the different embassies having to do away with their income affidavit letters, it appears immigration found a way to lessen their work load and get rid of a large number of foreigners at the same time.  

 

It appears immigration may require all foreigners to cease banking in developed countries and deposit their money into a Thai bank to qualify for a one year visa.  I cannot imagine having my pension check deposited into a Thai bank every month or depositing 800,000 baht in a Thai bank. ????     

    

I remember one time in CM immigration a few years back they made a pregnant lady break down crying because she came to Thailand to have her baby and was on a visa exemption which took longer than she expected. She was there to extend another 30 days and they initially denied her and were criticizing her loudly about why she didn't get a tourist visa since "she knew" she was going to be in the country longer than 30 days which she didn't know. They were talking about how she was going to have to take a bus to Burma to exit the country and do a land border run to do another 30 days. This Farang lady was about to have a baby any day. I have never seen such spiteful people in my life it really made me want to rush up and knock the teeth out their forked tongues mouths. They could have easily granted her another 30 days for 1900 baht like normal. I still to this day don't know if they ultimately gave her the 30 day extension or not. 

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, reeltrouble said:

Wow. Our experiences are dramatically different. I have not had a "bad" or corrupt experience at KK but I have only once been out of KK's immigration office in under 30 minutes. When I did my last 90 day report (Monday), I decided to time the two officers working and it was 30+ minutes later for each of the cases they were working. The odd thing was ... they weren't questioning the people ... just going through the huge folder of paperwork and stamping things. I think one of the officers was literally stamping for 5 minutes ... then had to get up and find a different stamp. They really need to do away with some of these useless forms, copies and stamps if they actually want to improve things. 

 

BTW ... the officers were polite and professional but just too few officers, a lack of efficiency, and too much paperwork.

It's about time Thailand came out of the dark ages and realise we are living in a computer age. If people do not have the brains to operate a computer, they should find other employment, I am on about the ones at the top rather than the ones who spend all their time going through papers and stamping them. They are only doing what they are told which has been stamped (pun intended) into them since birth.

[Jimbo in Thailand]

I'm happy to report that Roi Et immigration is and always has been exceptional since the local office opened a few years ago.  Before Roi Et office opened we had to travel ~150km away to Amnat Charoen office, which was also staffed with outstanding, helpful, friendly personnel.  I feel very fortunate whenever I hear/read of the shocking horror stories of Chiang Mai immigration, the worst office in the kingdom, and Phuket? and the other handful? of criminally run immigration offices.  Thankfully not all immigration offices are bad.  Be that as it may, BJ certainly has his work cut out for him to fix the problem areas... that is... if he actually decides to perform his assigned duties... this time. ????

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, madmitch said:

If they really wanted to they could cut down the need for visits to the Immigration Office to a minimum. They already have online 90 day reporting and address reporting, if you know how to register, but the system really needs an upgrade to be brought up to 21st century standards. Better still the system should be dropped and just address changes reported! Why can't a 30 day extension to a tourist visa be done online? Does anyone ever get declined? Re-entry permits could be done away with for those on extension of stay by changing it to a multi-entry "visa" and they could make money at the same time as everyone would have to pay whether they want it or not.

 

This would mean just one visit to the office per year for most expats.

 

But as this is the hub of unnecessary paperwork, superfluous photocopies, rubber stamps, passport photos and queues, I can't imagine they would have any inclination to do any of the above, despite the so-called Thailand 4.0 being introduced.

 

 

Making things simple is just not in the Thai immigration mindset.

[digger70]

The biggest trouble is all the papers one needs for a New yearly extension  and the 90 day reports They have Everything on computer but no every time they need the same Copies sometimes 2 or 3 just for one little job. 

One should only have to give their passport or ( I D number ) like in Aus they put that in the computer and everything shows whatever they have to know,one want to change address they can put that in the computer without filling in a heap of paper and some copies for whatever, same with 90 day report They can put the ID in the computer nothing has changed thank you and on your way .