BANGKOK, THAILAND – An expatriate in Bangkok described mounting frustration over the online appointment system at Immigration Division 1, saying regular visa bookings had become almost impossible.
Online system reportedly jammed for weeks
According to the reader, the online booking platform for Immigration Division 1 at Chaeng Wattana had worked smoothly the previous year, allowing users to select appointments without major difficulty. In recent months, however, attempts to book an appointment reportedly only showed greyed-out fields, with all visible dates fully booked for the entire available month. The writer said this raised concern because visa holders eventually needed to secure a specific appointment date.
Midnight bookings and constant refreshing
In online forums for expatriates, various informal strategies had circulated in response to the shortage of slots. One frequently shared tip advised users to try booking at 1 a.m., when new appointments for the same weekday in the following month were said to be released. Others claimed cancelled appointments briefly reappeared, prompting some applicants to sit at their computers for hours, repeatedly pressing “refresh” in the hope of catching a free slot.
Concerns over fairness and alleged agent blocking
The reader questioned whether it was acceptable for people to set alarms in the middle of the night and compete for appointments as if they were buying concert tickets. What worried the author even more were rumours that agencies might be blocking the system by reserving large numbers of appointments in advance. Certain groups, reportedly including teachers, were said to have almost no chance of securing their own slots, amid suspicions that agencies or schools were booking entire appointment blocks months ahead.
Fear of a two-tier system and visa risks
If these suspicions were accurate, the writer argued, applicants would effectively only have a chance if they were willing to pay an agency, creating what was described as an unfair two-class system. The uncertainty was said to be mentally exhausting, replacing the earlier confidence of obtaining a timely appointment with constant fear of what might happen if no booking could be made. The author also expressed anxiety about whether people without online appointments would be turned away at immigration and what consequences this could have for their visa status.
Conflicting information and call for clarity
The letter stated that no one appeared able to give a clear answer on how strictly appointments were enforced at the office. Information reportedly often contradicted itself and seemed to depend on the day of the visit and the official on duty.
“That is why I am writing this letter. I would like to know how others are doing. Have you recently got an appointment at Immigration Division 1? Did this 1 a.m. trick work for you? And does anyone know whether the authorities have commented on these problems?”
said the concerned expat, reader.
Appeal for a reliable system
The author argued that a functioning, transparent booking system would be in the interest of both expatriates living legally in Thailand and the authorities, who preferred orderly procedures. Until more clarity emerged, the writer concluded they would keep refreshing the website and hope for a stroke of luck. The editorial note attached to the letter stated that it had been lightly edited for clarity while preserving the author’s message, and that the publication accepted no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.