JackThompson

2 hours ago, genericptr said:

honestly, this is all just emotional nonsense and irrelevant in the scheme of things. We want to be in thailand and thailand wants money. That should be basis of the transaction. Not, some notion of perceived fairness and who really needs who blah blah blah.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

I have no problems with your justifications.  Nor do I doubt that some guys contribute greatly.  Just the idea that you're doing it out of some sense of altruism, and Thailand should be grateful. 

  They should not be grateful "because we are altruistic."  That is irrlevant.  We have other options, is the point. 

If we move to Vietnam, Cambodia, Latin America, etc - not good for Thai people.  The govt should care about Thai people.  Take our well-being or motivations out of the equation entirely, and doesn't make their policies any less-bad.

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Further evidence that they do not want us here. 

 

Hints must be taken. 

You missed my point entirely.  It's about corruption with immigration - not whether "they want us here," in general.  They "want" those who pay them off, and punishing those who don't increases their payoffs. 

Lose 99 spenders and get 1 more paying-off via agents is a "win" to immigration.  They don't care about the harm done to Thais as a direct-result of their policy-shifts and "invented-to-block honest folks" rules.

36 minutes ago, ThaiVisaCentreGrace said:

Even us agents do not know what will happen if you take the 30 day extension.

They would be the last ones to say it was a good idea - means less money for them, at least in the short-run. 

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

They have been very generous since end of March. 

We are the ones being generous - spending OUR money here - helping countless businesses stay afloat and support the Thais who work for them.

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Now it is time for the hangers on to leave on one of the many departing flights daily.  

Fortunately, we get to stay using embassy-letters, which some of us can get very easily.  Would you consider it a bad turn of events, if removed that obstacle, prior to the 26th? 

3 hours ago, worldfun said:

As they goto immigration to renew it would seem they need to document their next 90 day accomodation bookings but that could easily just be a condo purchase/lease etc & thus why not already resident visa struggling folks couldn't enter that scheme too? 2000B/pop visa fees.

Exactly.  I will happily pre-pay my landlord 3 months rent, as part of a 3-mo extension.

1 hour ago, genericptr said:

Or they could just give us the new visa and take our dirty stinking money! They didn't even offer, at any price. It's not even about money, they jut want us gone.

It was/is available 'at a price' - it's just that 20x+ the official-fee goes in an envelope passed by an agent.  Immigration only want you 'gone' if you aren't stuffing pockets.

"Bad Guys" get the VIP treatment at immigration - every day.  It's only those who don't want to take part in crime, who may have issues.

6 hours ago, androokery said:

What bank? Tourists don't have Thai bank accounts...

Many do.  I did - made xferring funds here to spend easy.  But irrelevant for Visa applications, as the MFA counts foreign-accounts as "real money" - unlike Immigration in Thailand.
 

6 hours ago, androokery said:

As a comparison, isn't neighbouring Cambodia currently saying that tourists can enter if they deposit USD 3000?

Not tourists, currently. 

4 hours ago, newnative said:

   Way over-thinking this.  Just let anyone in who agrees to a 14 day quarantine and testing.  Give them all a 1 year free visa and the thanks of a grateful nation. 

Would have to amend the Immigration Act to do that, if I am not mistaken.  Or, they would have to enter on a Non-Imm type entry (similar to Non-OA).

4 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

i think you'll find a hell of a lot of long stay tourists are coming here to "work and making more money than they could back home" as well - thats why remote working is so popular - no global tax (*cough), flexible hours, nice views..

 

agree with the last bit though

 

Those doing remote-work earn foreign-currency, which is imported/spent into Thailand - same-same.  Those from the USA have to pay tax there.  Thailand could collect tax here, too, if they would just provide a visa for such folks, which stipulates paying it (they pay VAT, anyway).

People from high-wage countries do not come here to take jobs that flood labor-sectors and make Thais poorer.  People from lower-wage countries do that quite a bit, of course, but they receive special types of visas to help them force Thais out of their own job-market.

23 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

49k isn't bad at all! Does he have to go to IO to 90 day report? ...

Agents handle the 90-day reports, also.  May even be part of the package.

10 hours ago, Leaver said:

The Thai government should subsidise every hotel room in Pattaya.  100 baht a night for every room.  ????

How about 100 baht/night per hotel room for every day the govt blocks would-be paying customers over covid-fears?  That would be fair. 

Similar for restaurants - a govt-subsidy equal to 50% of revenue the same day last year, until the borders are open.  Subtract food costs, and that would cover rent + staff.

Only stipulation - to qualify, the businesses have to pay the same number of Thai-Citizen staff, at the same pay-rate, as during the same month last year.

Then, see how long they stay committed to pretending there is "no covid in Thailand, because the borders are closed."

2 hours ago, 2530Ubon said:

as 26th is a saturday usually grace is enjoyed till next opening day of immigration for ones stay before overstay is incurred

 

I was pointing out that there is no grace period - if you overstay, you pay. Also makes you ineligible for an extension.

You left by-border - is different than applying for an extension. 

If you show up the Very Next Day Immigration is open after your permitted-stay has expired, you can obtain an extension w/o issue/fine.  This includes public-holidays when Immigration is closed.   Can even be the "7 days to leave" extension.

That said - I would NOT do it in this context - will be a madhouse, and who knows if they would "change the rules" on this to suit.

3 hours ago, checkered flag said:

I was just trying to explain what caused the present situation, that is a direct response to those seeking work around solutions.

Yes - why I provided evidence it has nothing to do with our 'work arounds', at all. 
 

3 hours ago, checkered flag said:

...

Some people on Ed visa studying in degree programs at Thai universities were always OK. However, multiple Ed visas for Muay Thai or stand alone language schools are suspect. That's why MFA staff sometimes tests applicant on their Thai language skills.

They did change how non-formal school ED visas were processed.  Yet, as with other extension-types, "language tests," etc are skipped for "extra fees" to immigration.  The outcome was to increase those "extra fees," paid by the student, for honest applicants who really are attending - which was the goal. 

The solution is easy - ban "fixers" - yet that is never done - and each "crackdown" we have seen only increases fixer-envelope revenues. 

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Just curious... 

 

The 400k baht requirement for an extension of stay. Is that for extensions based on Parent of a Thai Child? or, just spouse of a Thai national?

Both.  But if married, they want 2 mo seasoning, and if based on a child, no seasoning. 

Yet, in some offices, even if you have a child, but are married to a Thai, they insist on the seasoning - so best for immigration-purposes to not get married.  Some just cannot let that brown envelope slip through their fingers, no matter how asinine the reasoning gets, or who (Thais, primarily) gets hurt.

1 hour ago, Phillip9 said:

Today was a new worldwide record number of new cases.  more than 300,000.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-54142502

By "Cases" you mean "positive tests" - i.e. "found x dna" in a test. 

The same happened with swine flu - as the death/sick rate plummeted they kept finding "more cases" through expended testing.

This is not particularly useful information, other than for some research purpose.  The serious-illness + death rates are the only metric that affects us.

3 hours ago, Raphael Hythlodaeus said:

I am merely suggesting a per diem charge to reduce numbers except for more affluent visitors. 

"Reducing Numbers" directly harms Thai people - just as past "crackdowns" have.  You should get to know some Issan people who lost their jobs pre-covid, due to past immigration crackdowns. 

2 hours ago, checkered flag said:

The previous embassy letter to verify income seem to have been widely used by those lacking resources. This ended when TI said the embassies needed income verification, instead of a statutory statement sworn in front of the embassy official.

That left those of us from the US, UK and Australia with a choice to show verified foreign transfers monthly of 40 or 65K to meet the obligation ...

Immigration had a meeting with some embassy officials, and that resulted in some embassies (you correctly listed) not providing the letters any more.  But others still do stat-declarations (France, etc), and those holding those passports are still required to get those letters.

Note that those lying on a stat-dec could face serious charges both Thailand and their home country, and I am not aware of any reports of anyone being charged with this.

The good thing about the current USA letters for 30-day extensions -  there is no lying involved.  It makes no false claims.
 

2 hours ago, checkered flag said:

... or to show either 400K or 800K in a Thai bank account.

At the time many schemes to bypass this obligation so TI instigated requirement for 2 months before and 3 months after for retirement visa.

It was previously 3 months before.  Now, it is not just 800K 3 mo after, but 400K year-round.

Yet to spite the feigned concern about schemes, it is seems to only be a concern that some were Not Paying Immigration Through Agents, as that business never stopped; all the "seasoning" checks never and still do not apply to agent-envelope-money applications - including those distributed from the main office.
 

2 hours ago, checkered flag said:

My comments were based on whenever TI tried to make a clear fair system, some people keep looking for ways around it. As a result the rules keep getting tighter.

It's not about what we do.  Whenever they want more agent-money, they change the rules to force more people to agents - honest folks who could qualify under the previous rules.  The dishonest people have used agents throughout - and received VIP treatment for doing so.
 

2 hours ago, checkered flag said:

If you remember back a few months people were getting turned down for "staying too long in Thailand" on a tourist visa and/or being denied repeat ED visas.

I think this is the start of cleaning up past abuses.

Few foreigners "tricked" immigration regarding their applications - that would be dangerous.  The "abuses" were commited in direct-coordinaton with Immigration - via their agent-parners, including school-personnel acting as agents. 

Those using Tourist Visas frequently weren't abusing anything - they were simply "non-agent-envelope" visitors, whom Immigration resented for maintaining legal-stays an honest, way via the MFA.  Immigration have never tried to 'clean up' things - just increase their pocket-money by making things more 'dirty'.

9 hours ago, chippendale said:

What happens once those 60 days are up?

 

Presuming there is no further amnesty, what do we do after 60 days?

Some offices have given out a 2nd 60-days.  Not something to assume will be available, though, unless an official announcement is made.

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

So they hold a conference with many participants to discuss the problems cause by the Covid 19 virus but they don't practice correct/proven personal distancing, one of the key items to stop the spread of the very infectious virus.

They have likely seen the statistics by now, so know that stuff is just "security theater" pablum for the rabble.

52 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

People need jobs and the Laotians, Malaysians, Myanmar's, and Cambodians are trying to return to where they lived and worked here in Thailand.  To classify them as anything other than foreign workers is a travesty and the way they are treated is shameful. 

How about let Thais do those jobs, for a living-wage (generally 2x the rate), instead of letting rich elites pay foreigners a pittance, while Thais have to travel overseas to do the same jobs the Cambodians/etc are doing in their country?  

Without the "foreign work" relief-valve, better conditions might come to Cambodia, Laos, etc much more quickly.

1 minute ago, fraggleRock said:

Glad I left this horrible, racist, scammers with drunk drivers everywhere..... last week... Philippines is MUCH better...

Are the PI allowing folks in now?  Or you have a PI wife?  If Thailand immigration eventually boots me (I will not be committing an agent-crime with them to stay), I would like the PI as a backup.  They banned 'fixers' there, so immigration is friendly and helpful.

5 minutes ago, VBF said:

No...I use knowledgeable sources.... New Scientist, The Lancet etc etc.

YouTube is great.........for entertainment! 

Consider what happens to the scientists who work for those, if their analysis comes to the "wrong" conclusion.  No job, no income to support family, blacklisted, etc.  The old USSR comes to mind, but with "Elite Philanthropist Research Bankrollers" as the ruling-party.

6 minutes ago, Raphael Hythlodaeus said:

Ok, fair enough. But how do you propose to limit "mass tour-package"?

No "deals" - volume-discounts, etc.   Regulatory action could work.  Could also mandate all businesses serving the tourist-market must hire Thais only, and set a decent lower-bound wage.  (better if done for construction, etc also, but O.T.)

The Thais working for businesses that serve the "tour package" types, whom I have known personally, report much worse working conditions and pay than small gueshouses, restaurants.  We tip, too, which makes a significant difference.

I am not opposed to surcharges which offset actual costs - such as 100 Baht/person/mo-of-stay to put into the health-fund, which would more than cover any unpaid medical-bills. 

The problem with the Bhutan model, is it is designed to ISOLATE Bhutan's people, as though they were animals in a sort of time-machine "wildlife refuge" - not provide the widest viable economic path for as many Human Beings as possible.