Comments on: Immigration Run at the New Bangkok Immigration Office

By: katechon

katechon — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:18:40 +0000

i did take a moto -there were no taxi i could see – to Mo Chit; the kunt was speeding recklessly, scaring the crap out of me !!

By: David

David — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:44:21 +0000

Why do so many think everything is a “scam”? The moto’s charge more than Taxi’s (150 baht moto as opposed to about 110 Baht Taxi) because unlike taxi’s which can pick up fares anywhere they drop off, moto’s can only pick up fares at there designated stations, thus they must “deadhead” (return empty) from Mor Chit back to Chaeng Wattana.
Why anybody would want to take a moto from C.W. to Mor Chit is another question entirely.

By: Big Daddy

Big Daddy — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:50:49 +0000

Very useful info, ta.

By: Annarama

Annarama — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:51:47 +0000

There is a Bus going from the BTS Mo Chit to the Bus stop Chaengwattana you allready pointed out on the map: Bus No. 503. Tried it allready and it will take ca 20 minutes.

By: Purple Spy

Purple Spy — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:10:50 +0000

Thanks for the post — it helped me yesterday, when I had to get a visa extension.

I’d advise the following as well.

1) The office reopens at 13h00, after a hour-long lunch break. Go there for 12h30. Near the Food Court, where you can watch lots of leggy young Thainese lasses in uniform, sheer pantyhose and high-heels at lunch time, you’ll find a bureau with a *PHOTOCOPY* orange sign. For 20 TB, get the Immigration File form and have it completed. (You can have your picture taken as well, there : 100 TB for 4 pix).
When the Immigration Office opens its door @ 13h00, don’t worry about the line-up. Coze all those suckers will have to wait and to complete their own form. You already have a completed one. So you go on, virtually first.

It took me about 10 minutes to have my passport back with my visa extension.

One last thing: when you’ll go out of the building, go at the exit at the opposite side of the Immigration Office, and ask the guy with the walkie-talkie to call you a taxi. You’ll avoid the motosai scam of 150 TB for a ride to the Mo Chit BTS…

By: Admin

Admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:34:21 +0000

Well, farang doesn’t mean whitey either so it’s not a fair comparison. It simply means foreigner and due to Thailand’s history they more or less apply it to only white foreigners. Africans or other Asians are identified differently.

You have to take into context that Thailand – in general – is very xenophobic. You are either Thai or not. So Thais see the world through that looking glass.

If a Asian looking person told you that they were German or British or American you would have no problem believing that since most countries have taken in immigrants from all over the world. In Thailand they don’t. As a result Thai isn’t just race but a cultural identity. Anybody who is not Thai is a foreigner. It just happens to be that white foreigners are called farangs.

Personally, I don’t find it offensive unless it’s intended to be offensive. If someone says “Oh, he’s farang” I don’t take that to be offensive. If they say “Fucking farang” or “Farang . . . [INSERT RUDE WORD HERE]” then I take it as offensive.

I guess in some ways you could view it as if they called someone a Brit. By itself being called British isn’t an insult but you can add a lot of derogatory words in there and make it an insult if you want.

By: Johnnie

Johnnie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:06:22 +0000

Am I the only on to find the term ‘farang’ slightly offensive? After all, I don’t call them ‘darkies from Asia’ …

By: Johnnie

Johnnie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:04:38 +0000

Am I the only one to find the term ‘farang’ slightly offensive?

By: Venita

Venita — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:26:02 +0000

@Ruai,

Thanks for that info. Yes, I’m Thai. I have to give up my Thai passport for some reasons. I travel mostly as a flight crew, it’s easier for me when I travel with american passport b/c all I need is only Chinese visa. With Thai passport, there are some restrictions in some countries. I must have French visa when I fly to europe as a flight crew. For pleasure travel to Japan-I have to apply for a visa even though it is just only for transit. Whenever I visit Thailand, it is usually a couple weeks but I’m planning to stay longer next time.

Now I know how farangs feel Thanks again.

Venita

By: Ruai

Ruai — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:31:21 +0000

Depends on where you’re from and how you come into the country. If you have a typical western passport it’s 30 days via airport and 15 if you cross into Thailand via land. You can also get a tourist visa in your home country (or anywhere where they have a Thai embassy/consulate) which is good for 60 days and they are generally very good with giving you another 30 days if you go to the Thai immigration office before it expires.

Some people have reported problems with back to back tourist visas. I’ve heard that both Singapore and Laos now warn or refuse to give you back to back tourist visas. In other words, if you get a 60 and leave the country and go to to the Thai embassy/consulate in Laos or Singapore and ask for another 60 day tourist visa they will either warn you that this is your last back to back visa or they may refuse to grant you a visa.

You can also apply for a multiple entry non immigrant visa (Type O , I believe) which is good for 90 days but if you leave Thailand and re-enter you get another 90 days. You can do that for a total stay in Thailand of 15 months if you plan your exits and entries right.

But you’re Thai, right? Or have you given up your Thai passport?