BritTim

You need to wait until the 24th, the estimated date when your local office gets everything back from regional headquarters. Ring before going on the 24th. Sometimes, it is delayed further, but it is 99.9% certain that you will get the one-year extension in the end.

8 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

And I will tell you, that it is well understood that covid19 "case" numbers are going up because of TESTING, TESTING, TESTING

Well, if you believe the US is successfully finding all its Covid-19 cases, it appears the fatality rate must be 8% (around 137,000 deaths and 1,516,000 recoveries. Does that seem about right?

Why should the increased testing be leading to an increase in the percentage of tests coming back positive. Surely, if wider testing is going on, presumably including people less likely to be infected, the percentage of tests coming back positive should go down.

57 minutes ago, jimmya123 said:

If i arrive BKK airport and if i have no ASQ reservation , does the government provide state quarantine with at least low price(not free) , meanwhile i have to start to teach asap to support my thai family(wife and daughter) because my students are looking forward me going back school and my family too

If you do not have an ASQ reservation, as a foreigner, you will not be allowed on the flight.

I sympathise for your situation but, rightly or wrongly, the Thai authorities have decided not subsidise foreigners returning to Thailand. You need to cover most of the costs.

34 minutes ago, webber4 said:

Thank you for your reply. She knows that by now and yet she is determined to find a way. Let's see how it goes.

If she is absolutely determined, and has serious money to spend, she should contact a well connected legal firm in Bangkok. Around US$10,000 would probably be sufficient.

12 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

You have no idea who I am or what I do. Let me ask you this. Where's the emergency? 

Where is it? Can you definitively tell me where an emergency exists? Where is the disaster? Certainly not in Thailand... and never has been. Even when all the Wuhan Chinese tourists were all coming for at least a month before the lock downs. So where's the emergency? I happen to know... that you can go to 99% of the hospitals on this planet and you will find no covid emergency happening there. There have been a few hospitals impacted from the outset during the seasonal flu period and that is it. 

The total number of Covid-19 cases in all of China since the beginning of the pandemic over six months ago is under 100,000. Right now, daily new cases around the world are over 200,000.

In the US, the pandemic is spiralling out of control:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/10/florida-coronavirus-cases-icu-beds-arizona-texas. The US (according to official figures that underestimate reality) has already lost nearly three times as many American lives as during the entire Vietnam war.

Some less advanced societies are almost certainly headed for a much worse outcome than the US.

In Thailand, aggressive action was taken fairly early, and this allowed community transmission of SARS-Cov-2 to be stamped out. I am relieved that the government here is committed to preventing an out of control epidemic.

50 minutes ago, uhuh said:

Taiwan handled about 200000 quarantines of incoming persons, just as Germany did (as Berti mentioned).

The virus has been eliminated in Taiwan,  not just flattened the curve (contrary to what Tim writes in another post).

Everyone who stayed in home quarantine in Taiwan got 1000 TWD per day from the government,  that's about 1000 baht - even foreigners got it (can you smell a difference to Thai's attitude?). Fine for breaking quarantine up to 1000,000 TWD - and your neighbors would watch. 

It's doable. 

Two points about Taiwan:

1. The majority of those returning from abroad were coming from very low risk countries: notably Mainland China. I am sure there were some who breached the terms of the quarantine, but (with very few infected) luckily no outbreaks resulted.
2. Chinese tend to be more law abiding (in terms of things like this) than others (except Japanese).

That said, you are correct that Taiwan had well supervised home quarantine (such as cell phone monitoring to detect if people left their homes) and logistical and psychological support for those confined to their homes. I am glad it worked, but doubt it would be successful in Thailand with returning Thais and less disciplined Westerners.

6 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

thanks.

 

But about tax docs. My tax docs are yearly, thats the evidence of your salary also. i dont think need last 2-3 months.. i think its only yearly. So i have yearly tax and also its clearly shown in my salary slip, how much they cut from the salary

Does your company really pay your salary annually? That is highly unusual. Usually, they will pay you monthly and provide you with suitable tax documents (showing, for instance, tax withheld) each time they do so.

55 minutes ago, Berti said:

It worked how Germany did it, repatriating 200,000 Germans in 2 months.

Home quarantine.

At the same time the numbers went down to acceptable levels.

But it requires a lot of testing, good organization and disciplined people.

Home quarantine is sufficient when you are only trying to flatten the curve. It will not work for virus elimination, even with good testing and contact tracing. Unfortunately, there will be enough people who break the rules to seed constant outbreaks. The simple truth is that those most likely to break the rules are also those most likely to be infected. Germany is in a tough situation. I agree they have handled things well given the constraints they are under. It is very difficult to restrict travel within the EU, at least for any extended period, and all major EU countries are at the mercy of the countries that are most incompetent at managing the crisis.

1 hour ago, Brunolem said:

The only thing that keeps the virus at bay, very efficiently, is the mandatory quarantine.

This. A Covid-19 test whenever someone develops symptom and, failing that, towards the end of the quarantine period is also probably prudent. Certainly, though, the 14-day quarantine is known to be the most important measure. The challenge here is that providing secure, safe quarantine facilities is nowhere near as easy as people imagine. Even New Zealand (which has handled the pandemic as well as any country) has struggled to provide enough quarantine places and keep them secure and safe. That is to manage hundreds of daily arrivals. If Thailand wants to allow thousands of people to enter Thailand daily, it will be a huge organisational challenge.

4 hours ago, DJ54 said:

US had over 60,000 cases in one day (Wednesday).

Over 70,000 on Friday.

There should be no problem applying for a new Thailand Elite membership. However, three weeks is cutting things really fine. It is now the weekend, so I suppose you cannot contact Thailand Elite by phone to check how long a renewed membership would take, but that should be your first order of business Monday morning.

9 minutes ago, at15 said:

They had a big prayer, just leaving everything to god. Have to survive and move on!!

That was the approach in many places during the last major global pandemic in 1918-1920. It was singularly ineffective. Tens of millions did not survive. If the pandemic is the result of some higher power, I would assume it is more under the control of the devil than any benevolent being.

I would be delighted if someone can find a magic incantation to make Covid-19 disappear, but I just cannot see that happening. The choices are short term economic misery or millions of dead. Also, electing for millions of dead may not ultimately prevent major damage to the economy anyway.

1 hour ago, Brunolem said:

Meanwhile, European people, with far more dire covid 19 situations, are moving freely within most of the EU...without disastrous consequences...

Often, yes, though some end up dying, or suffering permanent organ/brain damage.

I personally think a virus elimination strategy has merit in the medium to long term. Normal economic activity is not going to return while people are frightened for the health of their parents and children.

13 minutes ago, tropo said:

People who cannot fly home cannot fly home. They cannot leave. Are they planing to lock them up?

I think those who can get letters from their embassies to the effect that their home countries' borders are closed will be given extensions. Those who prefer to stay in Thailand because flights home are expensive, Covid-19 infections at home are scary, or whatever might also be given a way to stay, but I would not count on it. It is, indeed, possible that those who overstay due to an inability to get extensions might end up in the Immigration Detention Centre.

In the same way that travelling by private jet will not bypass visa requirements, the possession of a Thailand Elite visa will not circumvent measures put in place by Thailand to protect public health. Having money can clear many roadblocks in life, but it is not a fix for every problem. 

27 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Is it the same for the 400k @ubonjoe

 

If so, how do you get credit advises to prove it? Can someone in my local SCB do that? Thanks as always.

For the 400k in the bank option, there is no need to prove the source of the funds. It is only necessary that the money the money be in an account in your sole name, and seasoned for the appropriate length of time.

3 hours ago, barry553 said:

I'm wondering if anyone can help with my predicament. I was on a multiple entry marriage visa. It was valid until July 1st 2020. I last used a 2 month extension which expired on 26th April 2020. 
I have an income of over 40,000 deposited in a Thai bank through transferwise for the past few months but it is through online work.
Is the source of the income questioned? If I showed the money transferred from Transferwise to a Krunsri account would this be acceptable proof to obtain a years extension? 

What is your nationality? If you are not from the US, UK or Australia, you should go for an income letter from your embassy. Otherwise, at a minimum, you need to show that the money came from abroad (which may take some effort for a Krungsri Bank account).

The income letter or proof that the money came from abroad is sufficient at some immigration offices. Unfortunately, some offices, especially those who want you to use an agent, will want you to prove the original source of the income and arbitrarily reject some kinds of income.

3 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

 

Good idea!  Any good site that compiles this information?

Best I can suggest is working out suitable flight numbers, and entering them at https://www.flightradar24.com/data

It only gives you the last seven days for free, though.

If you check flight QR837, you get indications that Qatar Airways is regularly flying as scheduled.

If you try flight 7C2204, you will likely conclude that Jeju Air is best avoided.

If your salary is at least 40k baht per month, you should be able to use this for your extension to stay with your wife. There is no need for 400k in the bank (though immigration prefer that) or for income to come from overseas. Which immigration office are you dealing with? What is your nationality?

1 hour ago, TrevorC said:

I am in a similar position. There is a FB grouo"farangs stranded abroad due to Covid ". It has 4500 members, all wishing to return to business or family or to their" "home". As many have already said, we are in the wrong place at the wrong time. My hopes lie with the vendors etc. In places like Pattaya raise their voices about lack of income in our absences. Even then I don't expect much to happen before Q4 and I pray that there will not be a widespread second wave. 

I think the best to hope for in the short to medium term is travel bubbles that will allow some to enter Thailand without quarantine, and reduce pressure on quarantine facilities. When that happens, there is a better chance of lower priority foreigners being allowed in. What I think is highly unlikely is that Thailand will abandon its virus elimination strategy, and allow infected foreigners in without quarantine. Further, no foreigner should want that. There is enough xenophobia already. The knowledge that there are foreigners spreading Covid-19 in Thailand would create huge anti foreigner sentiment.

It seems you need to attempt to do the retirement extension yourself. Visit your local immigration office and check whether simply having 800,000 baht in your account for two months is sufficient. Try to do this today, While you are technically covered by the automatic grace period until July 31st, some immigration offices have resisted processing one-year extensions when the previous permission to stay has expired. Just four days should not prevent the extension, though, one would think.

You will need a letter from the bank and an updated bank book dated today showing that the money has been in the account the whole time. A simple deposit of 100 baht facilitates getting the updated bank book.