2022 Thailand Visa Extension in Chiang Mai at Promanada Mall

 

I wouldn't blame you for not bringing your family to Thailand this year with all of the difficulties, involving the Tai Pass, mandatory covid insurance which may not cover related costs, and the  frequent revocation of Thai Passes, substituted with a 7-14 Mandatory quarantine. 

It's difficult to plan a trip with the mane frequent overnight political changes. Or to want to cough up 20,000 Bhat to 45,000Bhat for a 7-14 day quarantine after first being admitted for a test and go one night deal.   Having bought and paid for the ticket already too!!!!!

 You could just go to Mexico or Jamaica instead and walk off an airplane and go to lunch!

I have been waiting for 2 years for dreadful covid restrictions to subside, so people who would like to, and who choose to get on a airplane, have the ability to travel and have their lives back.     

If you worry about covid, then stay home, and isolate yourself,  but otherwise the rest of us need jobs, travel, and lives back, with or without Covid.  It is now endemic, and not going away, so we must just turn the page, and be allowed to travel once again if WE each choose to or not.

With that said,  here are the steps to extend you Visa for an additional 30 days here in Chaing Mai.

Photos will show you exactly where to go, and how to do it. Keep in mind, that only 1 x 30 Day extension is allowed in 365 days at this time in the kingdom.  So if you planning to stay over 61 days, you must get a Visa before you arrive, and that can be extended by 1 x 30 day extension.

I was the only person at the entire Promanada Mall getting an extension this 9th day of January, 2022. There were two or three older retired guys who are married, checking n for their 90 day check ins. They were in and out in just minutes.

My extension took just 30 minutes with 2-3 fairly invasive and detailed forms being filled, in, even though the Thai pass which is required has ALL OF THE INFORMATION already on its QR code.  So redundancy should be expected.   But 30 minutes in and out sure beats the 4-6 hours lines from back in 2019!

So have a look at these photos, and you will know where to go, and how to wrap this up easily. They were especially nice and attentive, and helped with the awkward paperwork.

LINK to Promenada Official Site.

 https://promenadachiangmai.com/

Here is the entrance. Go left and keep going around back behind the entire mall until you locate the back entrance for the parking lot.

This is the FRONT of Promanada Mall, next to the parking entrance on the right.

Keep driving around to the back of the building until you find the parking lot.

Find a spot, and stumble around until you find the concealed entrance from inside the parking lot.

Locate the escalator. Don't bother to ask anyone, I asked 5 people and none of them had ever heard of the Thai Immigration. I speak Thai as well.   So your wasting time to ask anyone. And it will be futile.

That was a Japanese girl extending her 30 day visa on my way out. I was the only one doing it.

Untill restrictions are dropped all together, let's assume it will be fast and simple, as no one is here to need visa extensions.

Locate the second escalator, and go up again. There is a small Immigration sign written in both English and Thai,  but no one who works in the mall has ever seen it, or noticed it, no matter how long they have worked there.

Here is the view of the mall from the top of the escalator is both directions. Proceed away from the escalator, and you are almost there.

Since most of the store are permanently closed, this mall will not be much fun,  but at least you wont have to wait for hours and hours to re new your visa!!!!

It will likely be years before restrictions are fully removed, including bogus insurance for covid, which I am hearing does not cover mandated quarantine stay if detected.  That can run 100,000 Bhat to 400,000 Bhat, and you wont have a coiice if detected.

Also, FALSE positives are common here just to reassure you of the fun that may await, and that you mandated insurance won't cover any of that. So be prepared!!!

Thai immigration web site. Not that it will help you. In English, or that it has been updated since prior to Covid.  Maybe its time for 5 minute update from someone who can write in English, to explain th myriad of difficulties that have since been imposed. 

Official link below.

http://www.chiangmaiimm.com/en/

Alas, you have arrived. Keep going until you reach the far end on the right!  

As you can see, no one is there except for one janitor.  2/9/2022.

Your all good now!!! 

Johnny

Visa Van / Visa Run from Chiang Mai Thailand, through Chiang Rai, and up to Mae Sai.

     In order to get your Thai visa renewed properly from Chiang Mai, you will most likely ride up to Chiang Rai, and then on to Mae Sai, to get your new visa stamp done in Burma. It's a good trip, I've made it about 50 times or more already, so this post will show you everything you need to know.
     Please check out the pictures.

     I talked to a local travel agency in Chiang Mai, there are hundreds of them, so there is no need at all to plan in advance. They booked a round trip mini-van ticket for 550 Bhat,  which is $16 dollars. 

      I reserved my ticket two days before my visa ran out, so I was sure to have a seat on the day I needed.
   
    Two days later, at 8:00 A.M., a silver mini-van picked me up in front of my apartment building. It was already full of travelers, and I was the last to climb aboard before we reached the super highway and made our way north for three hours to Chiang Rai. 

It is a three hour drive to Chiang Rai, along a bit of a gauntlet highway. Wear your seat-belt.
      





 

Here is the Entry Sign on you way into Burma, (Myanmar)

 

       From there, it was another hour and a half along the fast super highway, to the Thai border town on Mae Sai, on the sleepy little river next to Burma.  That makes it a 4.5 hour drive one way from Chiang Mai.  It will be a long hot day for anyone, but a trip that is necessary for so many of us who live here.

We reached the bridge by noon, as I assume most trips do.



This is a photo taken from the center of the Bridge heading into 
 Burma from Thailand.






Here is the view from the bridge, Thailand is on the right,
and Burma, (Myanmar) is on the left. Children swim naked and play in the muddy water on both sides. 

 It is a porous boarder.

You can walk across the bridge from the van drop off point, 
 get stamped out of Thailand in 15 minutes,
 get stamped into Burma for 500 Bhat, and
have about two hours to walk around the market loaded with Chinese electronics, duty free for alcohol, fake designer goods.

 


Heading back to Thailand.
Welcome Mae Sai, Thailand




     A friendly Thai customs officer stamped my passport, and welcomed me back. It was refreshing to return into Thailand, where immigration and customs equal those of a first wold nation, where they treat you with respect and dignity. It was barely three in the afternoon, and there was enough time for the Van to drive back to Chiang Mai by nightfall.

 



I took this from the van aswell, these are the mountains along the way, outside if Chiang Rai.



     You may be able to doze off on the ride back to Chiang Mai if you are lucky. It's a long day, and one that has to happen for so many foreigners every 15 days, or every 60 days for the lucky ones.     

    I took this picture from the moving Mini Van, on the way back.
We didn't get back to Chiang Mai, until 7:00 P.M.
It was an 11 Hour day.

You will only be given a 15 day Visa if you do not have an official visa already stampped in your passport. They will let you use a two or three month Tourist Visa, or re-new your Non-Immigrant "B" or "O."

It was a long day like usual, but my visa was refreshed, and I was back in the city I love.

Please check out my Thai Cooking Book,

16 Delicious Thai Dinners
Cooked in a Western Kitchen