Pattaya Immigration - submitting the 90-day address report

[Gaybutton]

Total time spent at immigration = 35 minutes.

Add to that the time it takes to get there.

If you don't mind it, or even enjoy it, great.

I'm glad the online system is working. That definitely is my preference since we are required to do this at all. Now we have options. And, of course, there are people who live much further away from their nearest immigration office than we do. They probably greatly appreciate the availability of the online system.

While waiting at immigration and the wait is going to be a long time, if there is no one to chat with, would you be one of the people whiling away the time staring into your smartphone . . . ?

[Dodger]

While waiting at immigration and the wait is going to be a long time, if there is no one to chat with, would you be one of the people whiling away the time staring into your smartphone . . . ?

No. The only time I use my smartphone is when I want to call someone - and that doesn't happen often. Too much going on in life around me that I would miss otherwise.

You only think you need it. And that's exactly what they want you to think.

[Jun]

Too much going on in life around me that I would miss otherwise.

You make it sound like an erotic display at Eros Gogo, rather than the pointless charade at Chonburi Immigration.

[Dodger]

You make it sound like an erotic display at Eros Gogo, rather than the pointless charade at Chonburi Immigration.

I think if a person feels connected to his or her environment socially, and feels good about life and themselves in general, they have less chance to become addicted to their smartphones.

I enjoyed the zoom around the bay on my motorbike on my way to immigration...as I did stopping along the ocean where the Thais were socializing in the wee hours of the morning. I met a farang from Bang Saray sitting right next to me in the 90 day reporting office and enjoyed our conversation.

I thoroughly enjoyed that morning...the feel of the wind in my face...the sounds of the waves crashing up on shore...the smiling faces of the Thais along the beachfront...and I even made a new friend. What's not to like about it?

[Gaybutton]

I enjoyed the zoom around the bay on my motorbike on my way to immigration.

I'm glad you enjoyed your ride to immigration, although I don't know why doing those same things requires an accompanying trip to immigration.

After reading the January 27 "By Barry Kenyon" I'll still be sticking to submitting my 90-day address report online -

https://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic ... 84#p116284

Here's another group, a few years ago, enjoying their own morning ride. I wonder if they were heading to immigration to submit their 90-day address reports . . .

[Jun]

What's not to like about it?

For me, setting foot in that immigration office.

However, if it's that good, why don't you go more often? There's no need to actually conduct any immigration business.

[Dodger]

There are still mixed feelings in the expat community about the reliability of the reporting app, with some, like me, choosing to continue in-person submissions for better assurance. Overall, the app has been improving, but I prefer avoiding any/all risk by simply doing this myself in-person which, as explained previously, I don't mind at all.

I know you guys use various apps pretty extensively to support your lifestyles, and that's fine, but I try to avoid using them when I can. I probably spend less than one hour a month holding a smartphone in my hand which I know is out of lock-step with most, but I refuse to be manipulated by algorithms in someone else's virtual reality

"The greatest victories are those that are won against all odds".

Taras Bulba

[Gaybutton]

I'll still be sticking to submitting my 90-day address report online

That didn't quite work out. I'll let you folks try to figure out this one. I can't.

3 months ago I submitted my 90-day address report online and it worked just fine with no problems. Now my address report was due again and I filled out the report online, exactly as I did last time. Rejected! Huh? They only tell you your report was rejected, but nothing about why it was rejected.

I thought maybe there was some mistake, so I submitted again. Rejected again! Considering there was absolutely no difference between the 3 month ago submission and this one, seems kind of obvious to me that something about the online system is, shall we say, "flawed". Why am I not surprised?

Because of that, today I ended up having to go to immigration to personally submit my 90-day address report. Along with the filled out TM47 form I also had to gather together all the supporting useless paperwork they already have records of anyway. It used to be when personally going to immigration, they would simply remove the previous receipt from your passport and staple in the new one. That was it. No other paperwork required.

No more. Now you have to fill out the TM47 form and bring along copies of several different pages of your passport. They don't even check to see what's in any of it. They merely take a quick glance to make sure you have it. Your guess is as good as mine as to why they even need those copies - along with what in the world becomes of all that paperwork.

At least I was lucky that hardly anyone else was there for submitting the report, so I was in and out in just a few minutes.

A lot of inconvenience for something entirely useless in the first place. Nevertheless, if that's what they want, that's what you have to do. Dodger enjoys doing that. I do not. A useless ordeal that is nothing but a waste of time - and at my age, that's time I can't spare . . .

[Jun]

A lot of inconvenience for something entirely useless in the first place. Nevertheless, if that's what they want, that's what you have to do. Dodger enjoys doing that. I do not. A useless ordeal that is nothing but a waste of time - and at my age, that's time I can't spare . . .

Speculating:
I would guess they have deliberately broken the online reporting system and are deliberately asking for copies of documents that they know they will not use.
Making it as difficult as possible ensures that some of their customers will give up & go to an agency to do the job. Helped along with some tea money.

Immigration is the perfect tea money franchise, as the customers will not complain for fear of their visa applications not being accepted.


Copies of pages of the passport ? Won't they have your entries and exits on their system ?

Incidentally, when I went to Hua Hin for a 30 day extension a few years ago, it was easy. No copies of anything needed. Just one form and my passport. With a visit to just one desk.
Jomtien immigration turned the same task into an ordeal. Deliberately, in my opinion.

[Gaybutton]

Jomtien immigration turned the same task into an ordeal. Deliberately, in my opinion.

They do already have all the information in their system. Other than the main page of my passport, immigration officers are the ones who placed everything else into my passport in the first place. Requiring copies of their own entries makes zero sense to me, as does the necessity for these 90-day reports at all. We've said it many times - it would only make sense to require a report if your address changes.

Your opinion could explain the reason if they reject your online submission, they don't tell you why it was rejected and they don't provide any means of at least asking why it was rejected. When I asked at immigration all I got was an "I don't know" shrug. The only thing I can come up with that refutes your opinion is the fact that my submission was approved last time.

If tea money is truly the reason, then why did they establish the online system?

In any case, the only time I plan to use a visa agent may be next year to make it more convenient when it's time to renew my driving license. Other than that, if tea money is really involved, they'll have to get it from somebody else.