How to get to from Chaengwattana to 90 day office in Muang Thang Thani?

[Mike Teavee]

20 hours ago, John Drake said:

By the time I got to the 90 Day office I was ready to blow. It probably showed. I know I was raising my voice. I do that because I have difficulty hearing and can't help myself. But my expression this time also probably put them on guard. As you know they hand out "A" cards and pink "B" cards. Because I was being "difficult" I got a pink B card. That turned out okay. Because I didn't need to wait. I was just sent right upstairs. Once there, the IO on the first desk for the A cards nodded to me while I was second in line for the B line. I went over there and got my duplicate 90 Day issued. That is when they told me they had mailed the original to me 16 days ago. So I was in and out quickly. But all those people who have been promising in other threads thata 90 days reporting would only take you five minutes are full of it. Today would easily have been an hour's wait. And I might even have hit the lunch break before going through. And, yes, anybody expecting to waltz through the Government Complex building in just a few minutes for their retirement extension can revise those plans too. Without an appointment, I would have been Number 50.

 

Went to CW to do my extension yesterday and was in & out in 30 minutes...

• 11:20 arrived 
• 11:30 had letter from Bangkok Bank + photo copy of updated passbook 
• 11:40 I was in front of the officer checking the documents then passed straight to the actual immigration officer 
• 11:50 I'm on my way home

It helps being assisted by an Agent as they wait around to pick-up your passport / bankbook etc... otherwise I'd have been there at least another hour as everything closes for lunch at 12PM

 

I did my extension on exactly the same date last year, arrived at roughly the same time, got all the documents together and a queue number (I noticed we went straight past the queue counter this time so am assuming the agent made an appointment online) before lunch, back in at 1PM and was finished around 2:30PM (Again, left it to the agent to collect my passport / bank book).

 

Have to say there were very few Farangs around compared to the same date last year, I think having the 90 days done in a different building really helped here, though I don't envy anybody who has to go to the new building (Again, I used an Agent to do mine ???? )... Do envy the guys in Jomtien/Pattaya though as their immigration office is a doddle to get to (& has a reasonable restaurant next door). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

However, for a first time extension of stay based on the O-A visa, I was under the impression that I only needed the funds in the Fixed Deposit account for 2 months prior.  I just transferred the money into my savings account with KBank at the beginning of this month, and then opened up the Fixed deposit account with 1 million baht.  Prior to that I started to transfer around 90,000 baht monthly in January of this year, prior to Covid, Had to wait out the time on one of a few  CD's I have in the US, before the money was available.  Trying like hell to keep most of my funds in the US accounts I have.    

 

Sorry, correct... for a retirement extension using the bank deposits method for the FIRST TIME, the funds only have to be on deposit two months ahead of your application date. After that, assuming you use the same method in the future, the broader rules will apply...

 

800K two months before and three months after... Then no less than 400K the remainder of the year.  And next year, presumably, Immigration would want to see your bank book and statement printouts for the whole year.

 

As I noted in my trip report thread, mine yesterday was also a first-time extension for me using the deposits method, and my funds were only on deposit for 2+ months prior... And the IO started off our encounter wanting to know why my bank book wasn't showing her 400K for the entire past year.  So I had to explain why....

 

PS - I'm having a hard time telling from your description above just what account or accounts you will have had the 800K in for two months prior to your application date. With Immigration, the simpler the better, preferably one account with all the required accounts covering the required period.

 

As I understand it, for example, a person could have two accounts and divide the required amounts between them, as long as the total amounts and the required times were met... But when you start moving funds from one account to another account during the seasoning period, I'm not sure....

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Went to CW to do my extension yesterday and was in & out in 30 minutes...

 

You might have prefaced your comment above (even though you eventually mentioned it down below) with the pertinent info -- you used an agent, the agent probably made an online appointment for you, and you didn't have to stick around to pick up your own passport...

 

That kinda puts your opening timeframe comment in a different light.

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[John Drake]

27 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Have to say there were very few Farangs around compared to the same date last year,

I noticed that, too. Only three or four others that I saw. Otherwise, it seemed to be mainly Indians and Chinese. One group I noticed completely absent from years past is Africans. I didn't see a single one of them.

Edited August 20, 2020 by John Drake

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I bank with Kasikorn, and I know they have an office there.  I will get my letter taken care of at the branch around the corner from my house the Friday before which is 4 days before my appointment.  The morning of the appointment I will go in with my Fixed deposit account bank book as well as my regular saving and have them updated.  I was wondering if I needed to have my 12 months of statements also for the savings account to show that the money for the fixed deposit account originated from the US on an international transfer before it was withdrawn from the savings and used to open the fixed deposit account.  Maybe I am reading to much into this, but immigration makes me worried sometimes as to how they see things, and I do not want it to be rejected because the Fixed deposit account opened up with money already in Thailand.

 

Re the advance timing of the bank deposits letter, I went back and looked at the confirmation email I got from Immigration for my appointment, and it did include the following info from BKK CW  (Their English, not mine):

 

Quote

Extension Visa for Retiement Please follow the instructions below:
1. You have to deposit and status updates and bring your bank book to show to the immigration officer in the coming days
2. A certificate of deposit from a bank. Can be used to back up to 7 days
3. Available Only those who booked online. Excluding family
Retiement visa
https://division1.immigration.go.th/content/Visa_Extension22
For Visa results Please present your passport and update your deposit status and bring your bank book to the Immigration officer on the day of listening to the results

 

I THINK that's a confirmation that they'll accept a bank account confirmation letter dated up to a week prior to one's application.

 

What could possibly go wrong following instructions like those???   

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Sorry, correct... for a retirement extension using the bank deposits method for the FIRST TIME, the funds only have to be on deposit two months ahead of your application date. After that, assuming you use the same method in the future, the broader rules will apply...

 

800K two months before and three months after... Then no less than 400K the remainder of the year.  And next year, presumably, Immigration would want to see your bank book and statement printouts for the whole year.

 

As I noted in my trip report thread, mine yesterday was also a first-time extension for me using the deposits method, and my funds were only on deposit for 2+ months prior... And the IO started off our encounter wanting to know why my bank book wasn't showing her 400K for the entire past year.  So I had to explain why....

 

PS - I'm having a hard time telling from your description above just what account or accounts you will have had the 800K in for two months prior to your application date. With Immigration, the simpler the better, preferably one account with all the required accounts covering the required period.

 

As I understand it, for example, a person could have two accounts and divide the required amounts between them, as long as the total amounts and the required times were met... But when you start moving funds from one account to another account during the seasoning period, I'm not sure....

 

 

I transferred 1 million baht from my savings account I use daily into a Fixed deposit account.  That way the money will never fluctuate as I will not touch the Fixed deposit account.  My savings account however is the one where I transfer my monthly pension money into for the monthly use.  2 different accounts.  Ones a No Touchy, the other gets used for everything we need to buy or pay.

[scott60]

I have a Non Immigrant O retirement visa and my 90 day report is due August ll. I mailed it July 21 EMS as usual. It was received July 22 according to EMS tracking. I have not yet received my slip back in my self addressed l0bt stamped envelope. I asked at  St Louis Hospital and the person there who deals with immigration told me it does not matter that Chaeng Wattana received it: all 90 day report goes through Muang Tan Thani. I am confused as when I called ll78 I was told yes mail goes to Chaeng Wattana. Any advice? Thanks

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, scott60 said:

I have a Non Immigrant O retirement visa and my 90 day report is due August ll. I mailed it July 21 EMS as usual. It was received July 22 according to EMS tracking. I have not yet received my slip back in my self addressed l0bt stamped envelope. I asked at  St Louis Hospital and the person there who deals with immigration told me it does not matter that Chaeng Wattana received it: all 90 day report goes through Muang Tan Thani. I am confused as when I called ll78 I was told yes mail goes to Chaeng Wattana. Any advice? Thanks

It is still received at Chaeng Wattana but they will send it to the office in Muang Thong Thani to process it.

When was your report due? They say to contact them if you have not received the receipt within 30 days after your report date. 

[scott60]

It was due ll August. I do not understand. If it was received at Chaeng Wattana do they hand it to the IO at Muang Tan Thani?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, scott60 said:

It was due ll August. I do not understand. If it was received at Chaeng Wattana do they hand it to the IO at Muang Tan Thani?

It seems you sent it a little early. It could be that they processed it long after it was received. Just wait a while longer for it to be delivered.

It will be taken to Muang Thong Thani for processing.

[scott60]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It seems you sent it a little early. It could be that they processed it long after it was received. Just wait a while longer for it to be delivered.

It will be taken to Muang Thong Thani for processing.

Thank you. I worried about the holiday. At St Louis this morning the person who handles these issues for patients told me that all 90 day is being done out of Muang Ton Thani and I should go there in person. That was my concern. In addition even during the floods it never took this long. 

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, scott60 said:

I have a Non Immigrant O retirement visa and my 90 day report is due August ll. I mailed it July 21 EMS as usual. It was received July 22 according to EMS tracking. I have not yet received my slip back in my self addressed l0bt stamped envelope. I asked at  St Louis Hospital and the person there who deals with immigration told me it does not matter that Chaeng Wattana received it: all 90 day report goes through Muang Tan Thani. I am confused as when I called ll78 I was told yes mail goes to Chaeng Wattana. Any advice? Thanks

I had the same exact situation you describe. I went to MTT yesterday to pick up a duplicate after I did my yearly extension. I'm having the local post office try to find the letter Immigration says they mailed back to me on 3 August.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 hours ago, scott60 said:

Thank you. I worried about the holiday. At St Louis this morning the person who handles these issues for patients told me that all 90 day is being done out of Muang Ton Thani and I should go there in person. That was my concern. In addition even during the floods it never took this long. 

BKK Immigration has specifically said they're not processing/accepting mailed in reports from people who skipped any 90 day reporting during the amnesty period, and those folks have to report in person for their next report.

 

I wonder if that, combined with the move to MTT, is somehow affecting their overall situation in terms of handling mail-ins.

 

But also as Joe pointed out above, it looks like you did your mailing somewhat ahead of the specified reporting window of up to 15 days prior.
 

Quote

my 90 day report is due August ll. I mailed it July 21 EMS as usual. It was received July 22

 Things tend to go better when you work within THEIR specified rules and procedures.

Edited August 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[scott60]

Thanks. I did not skip any notifications as I am a long time retiree and prefer to stay in the system so to speak. I have mailed my 90 day report with no problems for years. I hope the problem is that I sent it too early and they will sort it out. But: once again I was told today that I should not have mailed in my report as there is no one at Chaeng Wattana to take care of this and should go to Muang Thong Tani.  That is the only reason I started this post to see if others have had conflicting information.

Everyone on the forum has been helpful and your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, scott60 said:

Thanks. I did not skip any notifications as I am a long time retiree and prefer to stay in the system so to speak. I have mailed my 90 day report with no problems for years. I hope the problem is that I sent it too early and they will sort it out. But: once again I was told today that I should not have mailed in my report as there is no one at Chaeng Wattana to take care of this and should go to Muang Thong Tani.  That is the only reason I started this post to see if others have had conflicting information.

Everyone on the forum has been helpful and your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

AFAIK, the guidance is to continue to send mailed in 90-day reports to the same CW address as always. No new direction has been given to instead change to any new address at MTT, even when the office move there was announced.

 

In a circumstance where someone has submitted a 90-day report well ahead of their scheduled reporting window, there's probably a couple different scenarios that could result.

 

1. Immigration sends back your submission in the mail with a note telling you you reported too early.

 

2. Immigration binned your submission, because it was too early, and did nothing else.

 

3. Immigration could have accepted and registered your 90-day filing even though it was too early. But if they did, one would think you would have received your reporting receipt in the mail by now.

 

The standard advice is as Joe has related above -- if you haven't received your return receipt within a month after having mailed in the report, you need to contact Immigration either by phone (if that's even possible in any meaningful way) or face a trip out to MTT to inquire what happened.... at which point, they'll probably tell you to file a new 90-day report in person there instead of trying to figure out exactly what happened.  You're now at a month after...

 

PS - If you end up going to MTT in person, make sure to bring your original mailing receipt for your original mailed submission, since that would allow you to escape a potential late reporting fine for, at this point, being past your designated August 11 filing date -- if their system doesn't have a record of your original filing.

 

Re the comments you got from the hospital... it's correct that all the staff and counters handling 90-day reporting have been moved out of BKK CW and into their MTT facility. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the mailing address Immigration wants people to use for 90-day reports has automatically changed.

 

It's a PITA... I know.

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TLDave]

I went to the 90 day report centre to make the in-person report now required if you did a report by mail later than 90 days after the previous report.  The amnesty was only good for missing a fine.

The Google maps for the report location takes you to a pot-holed track apparently closed at present.

There is a health check before entry, some arrivals were issued with queuing tickets and the office is located on level 2.  I am not able to climb steps unaided (and no handrail) but the assistant willingly helped me mount those steps.  It took about 15 minutes to obtain a new printed slip confirming a new date for the next report (19 November).  They now seem to want those reporting by mail to send it back 15 days before that date.  There are ramps to leave the building avoiding the steps (after the toilets).

 

[John Drake]

17 hours ago, TLDave said:

I am not able to climb steps unaided (and no handrail) but the assistant willingly helped me mount those steps. 

I had wondered about this when I was there. There were elevators, too, I thought. Wouldn't they let you use them?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, John Drake said:

I had wondered about this when I was there. There were elevators, too, I thought. Wouldn't they let you use them?

 

When we went in thru what basically is the street-level parking/garage entrance, which is where they're having you enter thru, the only thing I saw in front of us to the left was the stairs/stairwell...

 

But on the way out, coming out of the air con Immigration office area upstairs, I saw a pair of elevators on that floor, but dunno where they're accessed down on the entry level.  I wanted to take them on the way back down to find out, but the wife wanted to use the stairs instead, so that's what we did!

 

[John Drake]

18 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

When we went in thru what basically is the street-level parking/garage entrance, which is where they're having you enter thru, the only thing I saw in front of us to the left was the stairs/stairwell...

 

But on the way out, coming out of the air con Immigration office area upstairs, I saw a pair of elevators on that floor, but dunno where they're accessed down on the entry level.  I wanted to take them on the way back down to find out, but the wife wanted to use the stairs instead, so that's what we did!

 

I suppose the refusal to let us use the elevators could have something to do with their social distancing obsession. After all, presumably social distancing is the reason they moved the 90 Day reports out there to Nonthaburi. Even as the rest of the country is relaxing the rules. I have a vestibular problem and actually would have preferred going down the elevators on the way out--going up stairs isn't much of a problem. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, John Drake said:

I suppose the refusal to let us use the elevators could have something to do with their social distancing obsession. After all, presumably social distancing is the reason they moved the 90 Day reports out there to Nonthaburi. Even as the rest of the country is relaxing the rules. I have a vestibular problem and actually would have preferred going down the elevators on the way out--going up stairs isn't much of a problem. 

 

I don't know that they're "refusing" to let farangs use the elevators there... But the way they've structured things, they certainly don't seem to be encouraging it... Frankly, I don't even know if the elevators there are actually working, not having had a chance to give them a try.

 

[John Drake]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I don't know that they're "refusing" to let farangs use the elevators there... But the way they've structured things, they certainly don't seem to be encouraging it... Frankly, I don't even know if the elevators there are actually working, not having had a chance to give them a try.

 

That's a point. Before I retired my Thai department was put in a new building, but they had not allocated funding for operating elevators. Everybody had to use the stairs for the next 16 months until funding and building could proceed. Still, I know what a chore it can be to get BTS staff to let you use an elevator at some stations: request elevator, wait for staff with key, then go down--no mechanism to request from the ground up to the station. I really, really hope this is not a permanent move out to Nonthaburi.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, John Drake said:

That's a point. Before I retired my Thai department was put in a new building, but they had not allocated funding for operating elevators. Everybody had to use the stairs for the next 16 months until funding and building could proceed. Still, I know what a chore it can be to get BTS staff to let you use an elevator at some stations: request elevator, wait for staff with key, then go down--no mechanism to request from the ground up to the station. I really, really hope this is not a permanent move out to Nonthaburi.

 

Funny you mention BTS. On my outbound trip on the new BTS extension from Mochit to Wat Phra Sri Mahathat, I noticed that quite a few of the BTS station elevators along the way were cordoned off with plastic tape, ie, non-working. But then for BTS, of course, that's nothing new.  They opened the newly built line and couldn't even manage to have functioning elevators months after opening.

 

 

[John Drake]

On 8/20/2020 at 5:51 PM, John Drake said:

I had the same exact situation you describe. I went to MTT yesterday to pick up a duplicate after I did my yearly extension. I'm having the local post office try to find the letter Immigration says they mailed back to me on 3 August.

Update: today, I received my stamped, self addressed letter with my 90 day notification form inside. I don't know if this is because I called to complain at the post office last Wednesday or if Immigration was just late mailing them out after I went to MTT and asked for a duplicate last Wednesday. At any rate, the letter and new notification arrived over six weeks after I mailed in the form, exactly six weeks after Immigration signed for it at Chaengwattana, and 24 days after my 31 July notification expired. 

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

Update: today, I received my stamped, self addressed letter with my 90 day notification form inside. I don't know if this is because I called to complain at the post office last Wednesday or if Immigration was just late mailing them out after I went to MTT and asked for a duplicate last Wednesday. At any rate, the letter and new notification arrived over six weeks after I mailed in the form, exactly six weeks after Immigration signed for it at Chaengwattana, and 24 days after my 31 July notification expired. 

I also received what I had sent 30 July today with the do it in person stamp (as did not do when they requested us not to do so).  At least they sent the copies back.

 

[Pib]

I sure hope my 90 day report by mail (like I've done for years as I can't do it online) and did not skip reporting during this ongoing amnesty period comes back from CW at normal.  Next due date is 28 Aug....I ems mailed in 18 Aug/Tue (I've always sent it off around 10 days before due vs 15 days) and CW signed for it 19 Aug/Wed. 

 

Usually I get the approved 90 day receipt back around 7-10 days after CW receives my input, but there have been a few times it stretched out to almost 3 weeks. 

 

I'll be applying for renewal of my annual extension of stay in mid Sep, and would prefer not making a trip to MTT before then just to find out what happened to my return receipt so I can include it in my renewal application at CW.

 

[lopburi3]

8 minutes ago, Pib said:

I'll be applying for renewal of my annual extension of stay in mid Sep, and would prefer not making a trip to MTT before then just to find out what happened to my return receipt so I can include it in my renewal application at CW.

I have never included a copy of the Tm47 receipt for an extension of stay at CW - although it is normally in passport do not believe anyone has checked it.  You should be OK as long as you did not miss previous report but could take extra time for return.  I just go back unapproved mail in that I sent on July 30 today (i had done what they asked so now have to do in person).  

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

I'll be applying for renewal of my annual extension of stay in mid Sep, and would prefer not making a trip to MTT before then just to find out what happened to my return receipt so I can include it in my renewal application at CW.

Why on earth would you stuff around in these delicate times. 

I also deal with CW. 

Have been Koh Samed for last 5 months and went back to BKK to do my 90 report week ago. 

I don't want stuff ups for extension mid Oct.

Go to MTT is my advice. Very easy for you at least.

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Why on earth would you stuff around in these delicate times. 

I also deal with CW. 

Have been Koh Samed for last 5 months and went back to BKK to do my 90 report week ago. 

I don't want stuff ups for extension mid Oct.

Go to MTT is my advice. Very easy for you at least.

Not sure you understand - he has done everything correctly and has not missed any 90 day reports so mail in option should be fine.  He has made his current report but waiting to obtain receipt.

Edited August 24, 2020 by lopburi3

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Not sure you understand - he has done everything correctly and has not missed any 90 day reports so mail in option should be fine.  He has made his current report but waiting to obtain receipt.

There have been reports where mail reports seem to have been neglected by imm. 

I'm the nervy type. Unless he receives his receipt soon, I would go MTT.

I agree overkill by me.

[Pib]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

I have never included a copy of the Tm47 receipt for an extension of stay at CW - although it is normally in passport do not believe anyone has checked it.  You should be OK as long as you did not miss previous report but could take extra time for return.  I just go back unapproved mail in that I sent on July 30 today (i had done what they asked so now have to do in person).  

I always include the TM47 receipt in my application package, except one year when I forgot.  The CW IO caught that and asked me where it's at.  It was in my passport...the IO pulled it from my passport made me go make a copy of it to include in the renewal application.