BANGKOK: -- From February 15, 2009 all Thai Immigration offices has been strictly instructed that foreigners have to use the Immigration office that has administrative jurisdiction over the area where they live.

All visa changes, extensions, re-entry permits and other immigration requests are to be handled by the immigration offices in the districts in which the foreigners reside. Immigration offices at international airports can handle such issues only in emergencies ('illness' is given as an example).

See the attached PDF file (below) for all the 63 Immigration offices in Thailand, and explains which Immigration office you should use from February 15.

For example, Kanchanaburi handle immigration duties for all of the province except for Sangkhlaburi District (which are handled, it says, by a separate Sangkhlaburi immigration office). Kanchanburi also handles immigration duties for Ratchaburi and Suphanburi provinces.

Another example: Nong Khai handles immigration for most of Nong Khai province (except for Lao-bordering districts outside Nong Khai District, to be handled by Beung Kan immigration), plus Udon Thani and Khon Kaen.

The big news is that Korat Immigration will only serve foreigners living in Korat province from Feb 15th. This is an order from the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok.

So, people from Khon Kaen will have to go to Nong Khai. Foreigners from example Lopburi, Nong Khai or Chaiyaphum will not be accepted in Korat, not even for a re-entry permit. More confusing is that the list says that foreigners in Korat shall submit their applications to Kap Choeng Immigration in Surin province from February 15, 2009.

Foreigners living in Phatum Thani Province, Nonthaburi Province, Chainat Province, Lopburi Province, Saraburi province, Singburi province, Ayutthaya Province and Angtong province can visit either Ayutthaya Immigration, Chonburi Immigration or Nakhon Pathom Immigration offices.

It's not clear if this affects the One-Stop Visa & Work Permit Center, as previously those eligible for One-Stop services could use them no matter where in the kingdom they resided. One-Stop isn't mentioned, though presumably it's under jurisidiction 1, Metropolitan Bangkok Immigration Inspection Wing.

The information provided above has been verified with the Immigration Bureau.

Pdf file: klik hier

bron: Thaivisa

Ook via ThaiVisa had ik reeds een tijdje dezelfde informatie, maar dan enkel voor Isan. Volgens dat document was de regel sinds 11 augustus 2008 in voege.
Sindsdien heb ik in Nongkhai nog probleemloos mijn extensie en een 90 dagen rapport gedaan, nu lijkt het echter ernst te worden.

Gezien we 300 m over de grens van Amphoe Nongkhai met Amphoe Phonphisai wonen is dit slecht nieuws voor ons, Paksuai - Nongkhai is 40 km en deden we met de motor, Paksuai - Bungkan, waar ik nu naartoe moet, is 100 km en we zullen dus "taxi" moeten rijden.
Ik moet in maart rapporteren en kan er dan gaan kennismaken, hopelijk dezelfde goede ervaringen dan met het Nongkhai immigration office.

Voor mij blijft het gelukkig ongewijzigd, maar dat is inderdaad géén goed nieuws voor "expat in isaan". Blijft nog de vraag, normaal is je dossier in Immigration te Nong Khai.... dien je dat af te halen en mee te brengen naar Bungkan of gaan ze dat automatisch overbrengen?

Ik verwacht niet te veel van "automatisch" of "elektronisch" maar wie weet?
We lezen het nieuws nu via forum, voor hetzelfde geld ga ik eerst nog naar Nongkhai om daar doorgestuurd te worden, een verwittiging i.v.m. de nieuwe regel is "wishful thinking" vrees ik.

En hoe strikt is "strict" in dit geval?