WhaleBomb

2 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

@WhaleBomb....that's disappointing. ????   Would you mind sharing which office it was that denied it, and on what basis they specifically denied your case?

Phang Nga office, and they denied due to the "big boss" said only to people from Russia or Ukraine

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They way off base for denying it.

You could try in Phuket. You would have to stay in hotel for at least one night for them to do TM30 report ask them for a screenshot to online report they will do to show immigration. You would use the hotel address for the application.

Usually they are amazing there, I have never had an issue.

Regarding the hotel, can I book the hotel check in and go immigration the same day, or will of had to stay over night before I go to immigration?

Thanks for your advice.

Just been to my local immigation, and they have informed me that they are no longer giving covid extensions to people, unless they have a serious problem and the women gave the example of being from Russia or Ukraine.

I told her that its on the offical immigration website that they are able to offer the extensions and she said that she knows but it is what her "big boss" has told her.

I have only 4 days remaining on my current stamp, and I was wondering if you guys think its worth going to Phuket Immigration and trying my luck there?

I arrived here on exemption and extended for 30 days already, and before that I had 2 previous covid stamps and a ED visa. But I left the country for 2 months recently.

Any advice will be grand, thank you.

On 3/11/2022 at 10:10 AM, at15 said:

Only countries actually open right now (no test/quarantine, same as 2019)

 

Costa Rica

Denmark

Bahrain

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Ireland

Iceland

Hungary

Mexico

Jordan

Norway

Romania

Slovenia

 

Add Sri Lanka to that list

I'm going to Sri Lanka for a month as they require no testing pre flight or on arrival. 

I paid 4,000 baht there and 6,000 back. Hopefully by then Thailand won't have any PCR test requirements. 

4 hours ago, racket said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but do these isolated vaccinated travel lanes only allow nationals between the countries? My thinking is that perhaps it won't work with foreigners, or those who don't possess a Thai passport for instance. 

I am pretty sure the Singapore VTL line that has been operating for the past month or so allows all nationalities as long as you have been in the country for 14 days. Whether this applies to the new VTL is yet to be seen.

They also plan to open a VTL channel between Thailand and Malaysia on 15th March. No quaretine but PCR test pre flight and PCR test in arrival.

15 minutes ago, Caldera said:

My preference would be Vietnam, but as Cambodia is already open, I'd do the following if I was in your situation: I'd wait until about March 10th to see if Vietnam resumes issuing visas to tourists and publishes their actual requirements for entry (their proposals aren't looking bad, but the devil is often in the details). If that isn't forthcoming, I'd buy the eVisa for Cambodia and go there instead.

 

The Philippines are also open. I've never traveled there and I'm not really interested; just mentioning that as another alternative within the region.

Great idea, I will do that, and I will check out the Philippines now.

24 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Do you qualify for visa exempt entry to Vietnam.

That would be my choice 100%. 

Saigon.

Edit: just saw your UK.

Easy choice. Vietnam 

Ok Vietnam it is. Thank you

11 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

I read Laos was reopening, not sure which date.

Singapore accepts tourists (if vaccinated) but with a number of tests.

Philippines is further away, but depending on your interests...

 

I would research which country is easier to obtain the TV you want.

 

 

I will look into the Philippines, I didn't know they was open, thank you.

Hi guys,

My visa expries on 20th March and I would like to take a holiday to one of the open countries in S.E.A, which from what I can tell is only Cambodia at the moment with Vietnam saying they will open on 15th March.

I would like to then come back to Thailand on a new Tourist Visa and stay here for 60 more days before heading off somewhere else.

I just wanted to get your opinons if it is worth the risk to wait for Vietnam when their opening date is so close to my visa expiry date, and secondly, is there any other countries that are open/opening in the region before 20th March.

Thank you all.

edit: I am fully vaccinated from the UK

I know its different from the STV visa but when I got my ED visa I had to do a criminal record check.

I have previous convictions in the UK but they only checked to see if there was any convictions in Thailand.

30 minutes ago, dabhand said:

I renewed my UK passport earlier this year. I made the application 4 months before my extension expired and 9 months before my passport expired. I received it 7 weeks after the application date. I also used an agent.

 

Being aware of the potential for delays I decided to plan ahead...............

My Original appointment was 10 weeks before expiry, it was cancelled twice due to covid. I just wish they allowed us to post directly to the UK or just complete and online application form.

Just thought I would give a quick update.

So my passport arrived in Bangkok yesterday (wednesday) and they emailed me at 4:10pm to say I can collect. The issue is they only allow collection between 2-3pm, and are only open monday, wednesday, and friday.

Because they will not send my passport out to me, I have to use an agent to collect my passport and then post it to me in Phang Nga on Friday evening. So I will be recieving my passport monday or tuesday.

I find it rediculous that they can not just post the passport directly to me, why do I have to use a third party first. I would have had my passport tomorrow. Now it looks like im going to be paying 2500-3000 baht fine for overstay. What an awful system the whole passport renewal is for UK citizens.

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Yes. You can tell them your reasons, they probably don't care, and will just fine you the 500THB per day (20k max). You can then also apply for your extension.

Be aware that paying the overstay fine doesn't grant you extra days, so if you show up 20 days late, apply for a 60 day extension, you will only get 60 days from 16th September, even though you paid 10k extra.

Currently it's only possible to apply for the 60 day covid extension until 27th September, it will most likely be extended, but in the rare case that they wouldn't do it, you would of course run into another problem.

that is not a problem, as long as I am eligable for the extension thats all that matters right now.

Thank you for taking your time to reply to me, you have settled my nerves ever so slightly.

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

There is no point in doing this, they will just send you back home, without a valid passport they can't give you an extension.

So you think its best to just go there when my new passport arrives and pay the fine at immigration and explain my reasons then?
 

Will they still offer me the covid extension even if I am paying an overstay fine?

10 minutes ago, sandyf said:

If you are in the UK you can go to the passport office by appontment and get it the same day but that is not available overseas. I think normal applications are somewhere around 3 weeks but with travel being eased probably a flood of applications with overseas being a low priority.

Even if the OP returned to the UK it is all a bit of an unknown because the passport office would not do anything until they had tracked down the new passport and had it returned/ cancelled. He could be in the UK and the passport in Thailand.

This is all the fault of the UK government, they should have allowed direct applications to the passport office by courier with countersigned photo, as that effectively is all that VFS do.

This is what I never understood, why we have to send it to Bangkok first.

I had an appointment cancelled, then was told I had to go to Chiang Mai, then I was told they are opening again so they rebooked an appointment for Bangkok, then that was also cancelled.

I will go to immigration tomorrow to explain, I hope they will let me just pay the overstay fine and then get the covid-19 60 day extension.

 

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I assumed you had applied for your new passport much longer before your old one was expiring.

You may have to try and get a emergency passport at the UK embassy.

Immigration will not do a extension in a expired passport.

 

What happens with overstaying in this situation?

Is it true that if it's under 90 days it's just a fine, I don't mind paying what ever the fine is, I'm more worried about being deported and banned from coming back. 

Also would they give me the covid extension if I'm on overstay? 

Thank you 

1 minute ago, sanuk711 said:

Whalebomb --it always helps if you say what area your in-- If not BKK, then I would possibly think about going to ask at I.O. --they deal with her, so would probably have something to say.

I am currently in Phang Nga. I had a friend from Bangkok hand my passport documents in. 

The UK passport office taken payment on 9th August, so it arrived there ok.

I will go speak to immigration on Monday just to let them know the situation see what they say. 

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

16th September. You might have issue. 

Here is post (current thread) UK passport with agent.

 

"I have been waiting the best part of Two months for the return of my passport.

So be careful how long you leave it before renewal.'

I really hope that's not the case, otherwise I'm going to be paying a massive fine to immigration.

I doubt they are going to give me any leway due to the fact I had 2 appointments cancelled due to covid.

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A recent report stated it took 7 weeks to get his new one. The website for applications is now stating 11 weeks.

You could use your old passport to apply for a extension. It is still valid to use to apply for a extension.

 

So my visa expires on 16th and passport also expires on 16th. 

It will be the end of my ED visa, so I will be changing it to the 60 day covid extension.

Will I still be able to do this with my old passport?

When I contacted my embassy (UK) they said that I can not get a visa stamp on an emergency passport.

I'm currently waiting for my new passport to arrive but it seems to have been delayed.