Jomtien Immigration Office

I visited the Immmigration Office at Jomtien today to extend my tourist visa. Since opening over a year ago, I have had call to go and extend various tourist visa's there three times. The first time was a little disorientating and chaotic, many people wandering around not knowing what to do. My visa extension was ready in 24 hours. The second time was much better and I could collect my visa later the same day (4 hours later). Today, they have made the office even more user friendly. There is a guard/information person you can speak to wandering around in front of all the desks. The person you hand the forms to quickly scans them, adds the extension stamp to your passport, takes your money and then (I believe) passes your passport on to a second person for checks to be run whilst asking you to take a seat and wait. 10 to 15 minutes later, your name is called and you can pick up your passport. No hassle. A big congratulations to this office which makes applying for visa extensions so easy and continues to improve it's service.

[PeterUK]

A big congratulations to this office which makes applying for visa extensions so easy and continues to improve it's service.

I agree with you. And the new building itself is that rarity for Pattaya a pleasure to look at, unlike that converted cowshed or whatever it was that used to be the Immigration Office.

this visa renewall stuff is just a business but I've never heard of someone being able to pick up their passport again the same day..unless they keep mine overnight to check with Interpol first.

Can someone tell me how to find the immigration office at Jomtien Beach.

I will be staying for two months this fall and will need to extend my tourist visa.

Thanks in advance.

[wowpow]

http://pattaya-immigration.e-webonline. ... groupid=19 (http://pattaya-immigration.e-webonline.com/index.php?topgroupid=1&subgroupid=39&groupid=19)

To reach the new Immigration go to Jomtien Beach Road Soi 5 and it is almost at the far end of the soi. This soi also contains Simple Simon pork butchers and the local Post Ofiice. It's quite a long walk. Maybe a motorcycle taxi if blisteringly hot or walking is a problem. From the end of the soi to the Hannuman Statue is about the same as the length of the soi.

The service is much improved, which is welcome, but so are the fees, Now it seems to cost 1900 baht to get anything.

The building was 'presented' to the Immigration Police by a local business! There are many good things about it e.g. parking and a neigbouring coffeeshop to pass waiting time but it's hardly a central location or very convenient for public transport.

...but it's hardly a central location or very convenient for public transport.Well, hopefully those "rumors" reported in the local newspaper a few months ago will come to be: that Jomtien "Second Road" (I don't know if it has a name now, but it's the road that begins by the Hanuman statue, wends past the View Talay Residences and currently terminates around Soi 9) will be come a 6-lane wide major artery. Then the Immigration Office will be much more accessible. But, TiT, so we'll see how fast, if at all, the Jomtien "Second Road" develops.

Can someone tell me how to find the immigration office at Jomtien Beach.

I will be staying for two months this fall and will need to extend my tourist visa.

Thanks in advance.

It is very easy to find. Depending on where you are staying I suggest that you hop on a bus baht heading from Pattaya to Jomtien (10 baht) and when you reach the beach road look out the left side of the bus for those little round blue road signs, just a short distance along you will spot signs for soi 1, 2 etc After soi 4 ring the bell and soi 5 is the road with an arch over it. The walk from the end of soi 5 to the immigration office (on the right of the soi) is no more than 2 or 3 minutes. If living in Jomtien I suggest you walk along the beach road to get to soi 5 as the trees on the beach side shelter you from the sun and sometimes there is a nice breeze. Alternatively, get a motorcy taxi from where ever you are and then ask him to wait for a negotiated fee.

I also suggest before you enter the building, you pop into the little photocopy shop to the left side of the entrance to the immigration office. Just hand them your passport and they know which pages you need copied for the extension to visa (10 baht). On entry to the immigration office, look for the application forms on the left side. For extension to tourist visa, pick up form 7, complete it and then pick up a queuing number from the automated ticket dispenser on the right hand side of the building. Have ready, when called, your passport, photocopies, one passport pic and 1,900 baht and you have no problems.

for your photograph and passport photocopy which must come from the shop next door !!!

for your photograph and passport photocopy which must come from the shop next door !!!

Not sure if the passport photocopies 'must' come from the shop next door, but they do know which pages of your passport need copying and it is only 10 baht. The passport sized photograph you can get anywhere, most of the 'Kodak' emblazoned photo' shops will take your pic and have the photo's ready in an hour or so but they will charge you for six pictures to be produced - if you have a recent passport sized photo at home, bring it with you to Thailand.

Thanks fatman - good info to have to hand if needed!

[wowpow]

I went to Immigration on Monday to renew my retirement visa. I thought it would be quiet as this is low season. I went about 9.45 a.m. I got a ticket to wait and I was No.20 and they were on No 8. After 30 minutes they were still on No.8! I decided to early next day.

Next day arrived at 08.15, went in and sat down. Their official opening time is 08.30 I was presenting my documents by 08.20 and out before 0835. I had to return after 02.00 to collect my passport.

Every year they seem to invent some new little thing that I have not done. I now keep a check list:

Retirement Visa renewal:

1) Form TM7 . This is very confusing and user-unfriendly but struggle and keep some snowpake handy. Don't forget to fill in both sides. Write in your telephone number anywhere on the reverse page. A 4 x 6 cm photograph needs to be stuck on the form.

2) Passport is required and photocopies of a) main page with photo b) existing Visa stamp c) arrival entry stamp d) Departure card. Each photocopy must be signed and dated

3) Bank book and photocopies of a) the front page with your name and account number b) the page showing the balance and this must be less than 8 days old. Each photocopy must be signed and dated. You need a letter from the bank confirming that you have over 800,000 baht in your account that has come from abroad in a foreign currency. There are ways to use a pension to defray or in place of the amount required.

4) Medical certificate. I get a letter from the local hospital confirming that I am in reasonable health

5) Fee 1900 baht - best to have the right amount - I think

Once you get the new stamp you can then apply for a single or multiple re-entrey permission if you want.

you can then apply for a single or multiple re-entrey permission if you want.

Can you refresh my memory, please? With a retirement visa, do you need to visit the Immigration Office in advance of each time you want to leave Thailand? Or, can you just go to the airport, present the departure card and be on your way?

...and the above post shown as being from gwm4asian was actually posted by me, bkk gwm.

This is twice now in the past week that I've been logged on as bkk gwm and suddenly found myself logged on as another user. I have reported it in the Posting Guidelines forums in the thread "Norman, is that you?" thread.

BEWARE: Be on the alert for postings with your name that you did not author. Twice now in the past week, and quite possibly several more times, I have found myself suddenly logged on as another user. If it's happening to me, it undoubtedly is happening to other members. Can you imagine the pandemonium if someone else was suddenly logged on as you, someone who has a bone to pick with you, perhaps?

DELETED

[wowpow]

gwm4asian/ bkkgwm and all gwm who are interested - Gorgeous With Money?

When you have a retirement Visa you are required to report to an Immigration Ofice every 90 days to confirm your address. There is a fine of 200 baht a day for being late. Each time you re-enter Thailand you automatically get a new 90 days.

If you want to exit and re-enter Thailand during the period of your Visa you have to have a re-entry permit - otherwise your visa is cancelled as you leave. You can apply for these stamps at an Immigration Office or at Phuket or Bangkok airports. The cost is, I think 1000 baht for a single or 3900 baht for multiple. Last year I got a series of singles and wasted a few baht. I got the permits at Bangkok but it is a bit of a pain and always takes me takes 30 minutes. You need one photo.

Thanks for that info, TP. I had forgotten how it worked. I plan to be totally retired by years' end, and will apply for the retirement visa. My luck, I'll go for the B3900 multiple-entry, and then sit around happily in Thailand for 12 months. :-)

And, alas, in my case the G in gwm doesn't stand for gorgeous, and there's not a lot of money for the M, either.