Visitors to the headquarters of Chonburi Immigration say immigration officers now assisting the queuing public in the carpark is a welcome development. “Before, there was a lot of confusion about where to queue and what to do. But the presence of immigration staff outside in the carpark has made a lot of difference,” said Mark Freesome who was renewing his annual extension of stay.
The move is part of a package of user-friendly measures introduced by police colonel Parina Klinkesorn, the new head of Chonburi Immigration. They also include signposting of “outside” services which do not require joining the regular queue as well as the provision of extra seating. A further tentative plan is to cover the whole of the carpark area with a permanent roof.
Jomtien Immigration has become busier since U-tapao airport, near Rayong, began receiving multiple daily flights from the Middle East and Russia with many new arrivals wanting immigration services to help open a bank account or apply for a driving licence. Charter flights from China to U-tapao commenced last week, but seem currently restricted to passengers from Xian, a sub-provincial city.
Chonburi Immigration has three offices at Jomtien, Siracha and Koh Sichang. The first two offer comprehensive services for foreigners, but Koh Sichang is a small island which has an immigration presence to check freight-carrying vessels and port arrivals.
