Visting immigration offices in Chiang Mai
I have a year long visa to stay in Thailand. Yet I read on Thai embassy website that you have to get a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand or your re-entry may be rejected with a holding visa.The visa already costed $200 USD, and charging B1000 baht for single re-entry and B3800 baht for multi entry permit must be a double chaging business model, I thought.Anyhow, I would like to resume my visa use when I am able. So last night, I was up till 2am for completing needed documents.In order ro beat the crowd, I left my hotel before 8am, for the immigration office opening at 830am. Grabbed a cab and headed to immigration office that I see on Google map.The cab driver tried to turn left, while the map leads to right."Hey we are not going to Immigration office that takes care of only people from Myanmar. Please go to the big office." I said. He said, "I dont know where it is. It's too far and I want 150 baht."I said, "okay" however, we could not find any sign or entrance when we followed the Google map."Your destination is on the right."NOOOPE. And the driver looked at me as if my fault and took me to where he originally wanted to go. I felt bad and gave him 200.There were so many people as it was already close to 9am.I take a card with number, but I asked an officer to make sure I was at the correct place."Where are you from? America? We take only Myanmars here. You have to go to other building. Take the information."The info means a map to where I came from....I have to go back there!I took a tuk tuk for the 1st time. The back seat has nice leg room and breezy as well.This tuk tuk driver turned into parking area, kept going for a while inside of parking structure, and dropped me right in front of sign 'Immigration office'Wow.Yes, This looks familiar from others blog about visiting Chiang Mai immigration office.It was 920am, and the line had about 20 people before me and I stood in it for 30 min.Two girls at a counter took our applications and passports. They staple things in a certain order, yet they are discussing the forms like amatures."Are you guys volunteering students?" I asked. They smiled and nodded. "Thanks for your help," I received back my papers, and I entered inside of the office and met actual immigration officers.First a ponytail woman took a photo of me with her webcam. Then in a few minutes, short-haired woman appeared and asked when I plan to come back to Thailand."Not sure. About within a month, I hope."Then she said I have to come back before the expiration date of my visa."Yes, I understand that." I said. Then she said, "Today, you cannot re-enter."Huh? I am here and leaving tomorrow, so I am not asking to re-enter today. What do you mean by that I cannot re-enter? I cannot apply for the permit?She kept saying the same thing for a while and then pointed on my visa's "multiple" part. "You have multiple entry visa, so you cannot re-enter today.""Wait, do you mean, I didn't have to apply for a re-entry permit?""Yes" said she. English can be pain on answering to question that stated in negative manner. Saying yes to the question means I had to.To clarify, I had to ask different question. Are you going to give me back the application documents and 1000 baht today, and I can come back to Thailand before the expiration date without re-entry permit?"She said, "Yes."Woot! I stayed up and drove around for nothing. The multiple entry visa is already multiple! No sure why other bloggers had gained single entry long term visa, when the fee for both are the same. And so mamy websites warm travelors to get re-enter permits but none of them clarify that is for single entry visa.It was kinda similar case about visa application too. Anyhow..."Thank you very much!"I picked up the once submitted paper and money. Now I know where the immigration is and how good to have multiple visa.I stepped out and found buses that have sign "Tiger kingdom."It was only 10am!! 😎
