Tod Daniels

In Bangkok (at BOTH Chaengwattana and IT Square) for 60 day covid extensions they went back to the 'two step process' where you apply for the extension, pay the 1900baht, get an under consideration stamp and then return on that date to get the actual extension inked in

From the many many stamps I've seen the under consideration period seems to vary from 2 to 3 weeks.

Keep in mind the rule for covid extension states you must take your regular 30 day extension (that you can get from a visa exempt or tourist visa entry) before you can apply for the covid extension
AND
keep in mind the officer is not obligated to add the 60 day covid extension on to your current stamp unless you're already ON a covid extension.

Changing the reason for your extension from tourism to covid means they can start that 60 day extension the date you apply IF they want to (although most places will add it on to your current stamp) 

1 minute ago, JustThisOnePostOnly said:

Seems this subject is always about using the agent in lieu of not using the 800k, and rarely about those of us who are happy using the 800k but who would also like to use the agent for convenience.

 

But the price always seems the same! Or am I misremembering?

There are two types of agents/agencies out there 

The one that everyone talks about is the ones that bank the money for you and (usually) sends your passport to another province to get the visa/extension.

Then there are ones which are more like "shepherds" or "hand holders".  They compile your paperwork, check documents, fill out the forms, make the appropriate copies, get your signature where it's supposed to be, usually make an online appointment for you (OR depending on the fee they charge just jump the queue out there). Meet or take you out there and guide you thru the process 

I don't know why but the second group (who I call the 'shepherds' or 'hand holders') are much harder to find.. 

13 minutes ago, anotherfarangishere said:

But 60 days covid extension is not precisely mentioned (even if "Short-term Visa Extension for Visa Exemption" is mentioned).

 

This is how it works here in Bangkok
WHERE you go for your extensions is driven by how you entered.
IF you came in visa exempt <- didn't BUY a visa from a thai consulate in another country before you came here and were stamped in FREE for 30 days you go to IT Square Laksi Plaza 3rd Floor, for ALL your extensions (regular 30 days & 60 day covid extension)
Whereas 
IF you came in on a real tourist visa <-that you bought from a thai consulate before you came here and were stamped in for 60 days when you arrived, you go to the main immigration office at the government complex Building B on Chaengwattana Road for all your extensions (regular 30 day & 60 day covid extension)

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Really surprised.

Did not expect that! 

Took me by surprise too !!

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

It's great that you received the covid extension, so not you can apply for the non O with 15+ days left on that permit

 

 

I thought the O/P said they were in Chiang Mai
 

Chiang Mai requires 21 days left on their current stamp to apply for ANY Non-Immigrant visa at that office

Christ this has replies all over the place.
I freely admit I did not read all the responses (as I lost the will to live after a few of them)

The way the combination method works for the seasoning of the funds IS

What ever the banked amount you use to offset the short fall in your monthly income has to be seasoned the 2 months before, has to be in the account for 3 months after you get the extension AND then the balance on that account cannot go below 50% the rest of the year.

SO
if your monthly income was 50k a month (50x12=600k) you'd need to bank 200K baht to make up for the short fall to hit the 800K baht total for the year,

You'd need to have the 200K baht in the account for 2 months before you applied for the extension, it'd have to stay IN the account for 3 months after they granted your extension and then the balance could never go below 100K baht the rest of the year.

I know this is exactly how it's done as I just had a friend do his year extension at Chaengwattana Counter L-1 and that's what he signed (and held up to have his photo taken with) so he couldn't say next year he didn't know those were the terms. 

Now some offices say IF you are using the combination method you need to bank xxx baht BUT there is nothing in the police order stating that at all, it just lists the seasoning requirements ONLY

10 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is shown in the URL after clicking the hyper link on the site.

https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/ImmigrationOfficeMuangThongThani@imm1division.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

You wanna click that link again, it brought up IT Square Plaza Laksi when I clicked it
Maybe they fixed it

The new appointment booking system works for EVERY immigration office in the country (all 70+ of them) 
The bad thing is though, some offices refuse to acknowledge it (or have their own b/s online queuing system)
AND
Most people who make an appointment but get blow back from the officer when they show up don't have "stones" enough to say they booked an appointment and they expect the office to honor it.

At Chaengwattana it works FLAWLESSLY, you show up 15 minutes early, you get your paperwork vetted in the "document check" cubbyhole, then you to straight to counter 32 and get processed. Was there last week for someone getting a retirement extension, we had a 10AM appointment, we showed up at 9:40, they checked the paperwork and they saw the guy immediately.  He was done waiting for the passport to come back before the 10AM appointment time.
 

UbonJoe dunno where you see it says Muang Thong Thani as it says IT Square on this choice       

Be careful on the eVisa site that you don't mix up choices for an STV (Special Tourist Visa) and just a standard tourist visa with multiple entries.

Two totally different visas entirely

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Doesn't the "one night rule" also apply at Malaysian border crossing?

Yep it was a rule down there in the south well before the covid lock down of the Malaysian border. 

It sounds like the op is using the evisa system and applying for their tourist Visa online, it has far more requirements than the old mail in your passport and application that we used to do years ago.

Believe me they'll email you and tell you if you need to supply more documentation, especially if you use the online e Visa program

No, the TM 30 counter has been moved back to Chaengwattana (counter B), and Visa exempt people apply for their extensions at IT Square Plaza Laksi.

The good news for you is if you do need to file a TM 30, the two locations are only 3 km apart.

The land borders to Burma are closed, period, end of story.

The land borders with Cambodia are open.  You can exit Thailand you can enter Cambodia and then re-enter Thailand as long as you have an approved thai pass & proof of covid insurance. You taking ATK test at the border before you come back into Thailand.

I know this is exactly how it works is because I was at the Ban Laem border yesterday.

The borders with Malaysia are open.

And as people have already stated in other posts the land borders with Lao are opening Monday.

I think the problem is, you are confusing what a visa on arrival is with either a visa exempt entry or a tourist visa arrival as those are three completely different things.

So let's see if we can't get your errant terminology dialed in before we answer your question.

A visa on arrival is sold to people from 18 countries, for 2,000 baht and they get stamped in for 15 days when they arrive.

A visa exempt entry is given to people for free from 51 countries and they get stamped in for 30 days when they show up.

As you figured out a tourist visa is bought from a Thai consulate in another country before you wing your way here and when you show up you get stamped in for 60 days.

As an American if you showed up with no visa in your passport for Thailand, you would have gotten stamped in for 30 days on the visa exempt program.

So to answer your question, yes you can indeed convert a 30-day Visa exempt entry or a 60-day tourist visa entry into a 90 day non-immigrant type visa at the immigration office by supplying the documentation required for that Visa

So you arrived on a 60-day tourist visa, and you took your one authorized 30-day extension?

At this time, the only available extension would possibly be the 60-day covid extension program. It runs until May 24th.

So when you're close to that date, slog on out to Chaengwattana, counter J, and see if you can apply for one.

Worst case they'll say no and you leave when your current stamp is up.

Best case they'll say yes and you'll get another 60 days.

They're on both sides of the immigration area up on the third floor.

Can't miss em.. ????

Sadly, there is no allowance for this.

But, with that being said, separating from your Thai wife isn't getting legally divorced from her at the local Amphur with the divorce decree.

So there's no reason to inform immigration about anything. At least not until you're going to go get your next yearly extension based on marriage to a Thai.

Now on the other hand, if you do get divorced legally here, you need to go to the immigration office and cancel your marriage extension that day. Then you either meet the requirements for another extension for a different reason (retirement, having Thai children, etc) or you have to leave the country.

Go to the immigration office get the 7 day application for extension denied stamp for 1900 baht that gives you a week to get out. You will pay overstay at 500 baht a day until you get that stamp.

Unfortunately, you do not qualify for a 60 day covid extension because you entered on a non immigrant type visa.

When the new 60 day covid program started on Jan 26th it specifically stated no non imm visa or extension holders could get a covid extension.

At Chaengwattana, they hand you the statement one, the overstay rules, the seasoning terms of the funds, and the STM2 form saying IF the fail to meet the terms of your extension you lose it.
They really just have you write the date, your name and sign them
BUT
I got copies from them a long while ago and just have people fill them out BEFORE we get there. 
Also at Chaengwattana they have you hold up the seasoning requirement paper and take your photo with you holding it. <- That is so you can't say you didn't KNOW the seasoning requirements next year. 

you fill it out like this example

you are guaranteeing yourself, and that's why you put "self" on that one line.
AND you put the date your NEW extension (the one you're applying for NOW) will expire (so it'll be a 2023 date)