The Jomtien headquarters of Chonburi Immigration had its busiest Monday morning for months following a big increase in foreigners visiting the Pattaya area. Almost 1,000 persons were processed in four hours. The majority were seeking visa extensions or registering their Thai address on arrival.
Most of those queuing were Europeans, especially Brits and Scandinavians, and Russians. Many reported that their flights to Bangkok were full and that the main problem in home countries was the shortage of flights. Not many Indians were seen as they tend to arrive in tour groups with all necessary immigration procedures sorted out by agents in advance. Chinese tour groups are still banned by Beijing, although individuals can still travel abroad as long as they submit to several days quarantine on return.
The Cambodian border post at Pong Nam Ron also reported increases in the number of visa exempt applicants seeking another 45 days entry to Thailand. The strong advice is to use a travel agency as passports have to be presented in advance of travel. Individual travelers report delays of several days if unescorted.
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