Caldera

Germany was one of the better countries when it came to organizing repatriation flights, and the German Embassy isn't quite as useless as many others at providing assistance either.

If he had wanted to return to sort out whatever pension issues he might have, I think that could have been arranged. I wonder if there's more to this story, such as an outstanding warrant back home or other legal issues.

Lock him up.

He and his criminal organization should get the attention they deserve.

He was incredibly lucky that the probe into his fraudulent "Trump University" wasn't completed before he was elected, otherwise he would have ended up in prison for that already back then.

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

Potentially, Thailand would've been milked dry, for very little result, and bankrupted. Only the Shin wealth would have grown in more mega. 

See, this is where I disagree. I wouldn't single out the "Shin" camp in that regard, simply because all Thai politicians are like that. Not all of them are keen to enrich themselves personally, to be clear, but those who don't at the very least aren't bothered by the fact that their allies rob the country blind on their watch.

The big difference being, one camp cares that a certain chunk trickles down to ordinary Thais ("populism") and the other camp couldn't care less. One camp knows how to grow a country's economy and the other camp doesn't.

A "Shin Thailand" would have grown faster and offered more opportunities for ordinary Thais. It's really that simple.

When the automatic extension was prolonged in July and I read immigration's "extend or prepare to leave by September 26th" announcement, I concluded that they meant business. So I reconsidered my options and whether or not to stay in Thailand, the result being that I wanted to stay. I acted accordingly.

If they decide to prolong the automatic extension again, so be it - I will be happy for all those who rely on it, but I'm also happy that I don't need to stress about it right now.

It's encouraging to see this unfold. About time that the people take possession of their country.

20 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The rich obviously are, the poor not at all.

Cannot wait to read the drivel from the Thaksin haters, who, by the way, was fairly elected, as was his sister, who was also illegally deposed.

Spot on. Most Thais would be much better off today and the country wouldn't have lost 14 years of development. Saddening.

3 hours ago, time2093 said:

Agents are just money fixers. You still have to qualify for any extension and have your papers in order be it based for marriage or retirement extension.

Well if you take out the financial requirement, the only requirement of substance for a retirement extension is that you need to be at least 50 years old. You either are that or you aren't. ????

2 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

I can't think of a single country who would of allowed this amnesty for this length of time of stay with invalid visas.

The Schengen countries still have an "amnesty" for Schengen visa holders that is due to end on September 30th. As others have already mentioned, many Southeast Asian countries still allow people to stay, too, for a fee.

Thailand failed to move from this unstamped automatic extension to a pay-to-stay scheme in July, when it would have been safe to visit local immigration offices again. If they had introduced a special COVID-19 extension back then that doesn't require embassy letters or medical certificates, they could have ended the invalid visa chaos right then while maximizing the official fees collected. But they simply preferred to push those affected towards agents who can magically overcome all the obstacles an applicant might face on their own.

I think most countries' representatives (embassies) in Thailand aren't "amused" that the Thai authorities demand such letters. Their reaction to this nonsense differs, which is plain for all to see.

I can't say I blame my country's embassy for not issuing any letters at all (unlike in March, when they reluctantly did). But I like the approach of the US embassy better, which basically amounts to, "You want a meaningless letter? You get a meaningless letter!" - long may it last for the sake of those who need it.

I wouldn't rule out a short (2-3 weeks duration) final extension of the amnesty next week.

Done properly, that should please everyone: Those who applied for an extension get to stay longer than those who waited for another freebie. Those who didn't get their act together yet get one last chance. Those who desperately want the amnesty to end will only have to wait a few weeks longer. Win-win-win.

If they give me PR for buying a condo, I would seriously consider taking that offer.

That being said, I realize that there's usually a big difference between such a headline statement and the actual implementation. If it materializes at all, that is.