Keeping on top of Thailand’s ever-changing visa and work permit regulations can be a pretty tiring job. Rules often vary from office to office and border crossing to border crossing, and updates, amendments and changes to the rules and overall system are hard enough to find in Thai, let alone English. Thankfully, there’s a small army of dedicated locals who like to post no-bull advice on their experiences, and this is the gist of this post – a visit to the One Stop Immigration office at their new location on Rama IV Road.
I’m writing solely from my own experiences, so I’m sure there are plenty of details that I’m missing and/or don’t know about; please leave a comment if any of this sounds off. To the best of my knowledge, the only two immigration locations that have ever really mattered were the one on Soi Suan Phlu, and the One Stop location on Pahonyothin Road (which moved from Ratchadaphisek Road in 2007). However, both locations have now moved.
The location on Suan Phlu was, for some reason, moved all the way out to Chaeng Wattana, which is approximately nine thousand miles from any area where foreigners would be in Bangkok. There’s a good post about a visit to the gargantuan place here. I haven’t been to this new location, but the old Suan Phlu location was where… how to say… ‘regular’ folk went. Full of hungover backpackers, confused tourists and nationalities from all over the world, it was a pretty chaotic place to visit, and I don’t expect the new place to be any different.
In contrast was the One Stop location, which was newer, cleaner, and generally filled with white collar expats who, with the aid of a translator/lawyer/indentured minion, were applying for or renewing work permits. I’m surprised, actually, at how many people don’t know about the One Stop service shop – once I went there, I never went back to Suan Phlu.
The majestic Rama IV entrance to Chamchuri Square.
At any rate, the One Stop location moved again on January 4, against all odds to a totally logical and convenient place – Chamchuri Square, close to the MRT, BTS, Siam Square, and major road networks. I had to get a re-entry permit for an upcoming trip to Vietnam, so I headed over and was happy to see that it was as good, if not nicer, than the old place.
Out of the elevators and into the hallway. We’re almost there!
The 18th floor office is open and airy, with that new-office smell and plastic coverings still on much of the furniture. To start, there’s a lot more places to sit, which is good, and there were signs proclaiming free wi-fi, which is a nice touch – if you’re there for more than 30 minutes, it will be nice to be able to get some work done on a laptop (I didn’t ask details on time limits, etc). I rolled in at 8.10am, was given a form to fill out when I asked at the counter, and told to wait until 8.30. By 8.40 I was paying the cashier (1,000 baht) and on my way to work by 8.50.
The main staging area. I mean, waiting area.
The only scary part was when the woman asked suspiciously where I lived in Bangkok, as there are vague regulations requiring you to use the services of the immigration office in your home distrcit. I told her where I lived (close by) and she said okay. Then I asked her if anyone in Bangkok can use this office and she said yes, although I wasn’t 100% sure understood me. I didn’t want to push my luck and start reiterating things; I try to avoid questioning immigration officials who are holding my passport, and besides – I was late for work.
Another view.
It seems like a good move, overall. The queue numbering signs and intercoms weren’t working (at least when I was there) and there’s a few more things to be cleaned up and put away but it seemed the move went pretty smoothly. I’m sure there will still be long lines, plenty of hoop-jumping and enough conflicting information to give Columbo a headache, but that’s the norm in any government office anywhere in the world.
The address is: 319 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, otherwise known as Chamchuri Square on Rama IV Road. Every taxi driver should know it.
Do they do all types of re-entry permits? I have a non-type O marriage visa and we were told only BOI could
use One Stop for re-entry and we could only do extensions at One Stop.
Not sure Craig, although I’ve gotten my work permit, extensions, and re-entry’s done there. At least it’s in a convenient place to go down and ask though.
Crutch wrote on his experiences here a few months ago and they mirrored yours…looks like a winner
Despite having a terrible location (until the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Metro_Pink_Line“ rel=”nofollow”>MRT Pink Line is completed, circa the year 3000), the new main immigration office is a huge improvement over Suan Phlu. It’s spacious, they’re more efficient, and they give the agents cubicles with desks that you go in and sit at while they go over your paperwork. No more standing in front of plexiglass, hunching down trying to talk to a sitting agent through a slot at chest level. Chaengwatthana is more convenient for me to travel to, too. I’m in the minority, though, so it sounds like this new One Stop location is a big win for everyone else.
I also went to the one out at Chaeng Wattana and was in and out in 30 easy minutes. It was amazing… clean, fast, and efficient. Then I sat in traffic for an hour and a half getting home 🙂
I have also been told that you can only use the One-Stop if your company is in the BOI program, or has over 30 million baht in registered capital. I don’t quality for either, but it might be worth a trip down there to ask just in case.
I wonder if they do a simple transfer entry stamp from old to new passport in Chamchuri Sq.
Would Ruamrudi fall into their jurisdiction I wonder?
I came across your blog while searching for a map to go to Chaengwattana office.
Tks for all the info you put together.
Not sure, Ursula, but I think they generally deal with work permits and Non-B and O-type visas. But I’m just guessing. Might be able to find some info on ThaiVisa.com. I’m guessing Ruamrudi would be close enough for them not to care – anyway, it’s so close, even if you can’t get anything done, at least there’s some nice food and a Starbucks there!