trappedinasia

22 minutes ago, Senior Player said:

Thanks @trappedinasia. My girlfriend has decided to use an agency and send her passport to the Bangkok immigration office. She was told this morning by Jomtien immigration that they wouldn't be able to do it there. Something about not being able to access her records on the computer due to her previous stamp being issued originally at Bangkok. Sounds like a total cop out to me, but she's not waiting until October 29 to see if they change their stance.

Is she using an agent to get a long term visa, or just to get the Nov 30th stamp?

19 hours ago, Senior Player said:

So far, I'm hearing from a few people in Pattaya that they're having difficulty in obtaining another stamp extension to their existing one that expires at the end of this month for free. Can anyone validate this, or are other people going to Jomtien Immigration and getting their free visa extension stamp (having paid previously before Sept 26) without any problems? 

Yes, this is correct. I posted about it here: 

The only thing new I've seen since I posted that is that they're now telling people to come back on Oct 29th. I guess they realized that having weeks of applicants come back on the same day could be a bit much... But two days seems like far too little, as well, and I have no idea why they're adding this extra step at all. 

2 hours ago, Dart12 said:

This 30 day stamp has been a complete farce.  We've spent over 12 hours and roughly 7 trips to immigration for it.

Yes, we are in complete compliance and were staying ahead of the game, doing it the right way.

That was FRI.  were just given a number and told to return today.   (why?  all the paperwork was done when we got it).
Today, they stamp again . Good to OCT 31.  But they want us here again on  OCT 29th.  

They want us to come back in another 10 days for the additional NOV stamp..  Most likely go on 29, and made to come back again on the 31 for the actual stamp.

What are they doing?  justifying salaries?  20k for mine was now seeming like a steal with all the time they are requiring for this covid one.

Last week, they were telling everyone to come back on Oct 30th for their Nov 30th stamp. So now they're telling people the 29th. Two days won't be enough. I don't know why they would try to cram everyone into the last two days, or why they're delaying giving the Nov 30th stamps at all, but at least they could start giving them out from the beginning of next week. Maybe they are expecting another announcement or clarification about the rules and are just avoiding stamping anyone past the amnesty date for now. 

If they really try to process everybody on the 29th and 30th, I assume they'll have to just collect passports and tell people to come back the next week to retrieve them. The "under consideration" dates were spread out over a period of weeks, and yet even that is too much for them to handle (everybody has been told to "come back tomorrow"), so how could they possibly deal with compressing all of those people into just two days? (The 31st is a Saturday, when the IO would normally be closed.)

I don't see why they'd want to create extra work for themselves, when Jomtien is already a busy IO. Causing a stampede at the end of the month doesn't seem necessary to keep their jobs...

5 hours ago, UdonRoy said:

"permission to stay" stamp until Nov 30.

But, I also got a yellow ticket with a number 45 on it stapled on the same passport page saying "Next time 30th October."

A very brief set of instructions followed that involved the words "come back Oct 30th, bring paper and November very busy".

 

So I am assuming they want me to apply for another extension on that date as they are trying to avoid another inundation at the end of November. Not sure though and no mention of what it actually is they want me to apply for.

That's a new one. So you'd be applying for an extension that starts after Nov 30th, but they're telling you to apply for it on Oct 30th because they'll be busy in Nov? This is sounding kind of like Jomtien, who is telling everyone to come back on Oct 30th, which will create a massive overflow, (even if they're just just collecting passports to stamp them later for Nov 30th and not doing new applications.) But at least if you have a permission to stay until Nov 30th, you could go later than Oct 30th. I don't understand why these offices are trying to overwhelm themselves on Oct 30th. Instead of encouraging people to get extensions now, they're forcing everyone to go on the last business day of amnesty, which would probably have been busy anyway, but they're adding all the people who got extensions before Sep 26th to the last-minute rush. I wonder if they're expecting another anouncement or clarification for the last one, and just delaying any real action now by telling everyone to come back on Oct 30th...

49 minutes ago, Fibonaqi said:

Here's a report from MTT from another thread. Now I'm really confused ????. If you didn't apply before September 26, you get stamped to Dec 30? And if you did, you get stamped to Nov 30? Why the short change for conscientious people who acted in time?

 

There was a reply to that post from someone else who just applied for an extension who was told they are also getting 60 days. And they attached photos of the new covid extension form that others have been told is for a 60-day extension, though the cost was 1900 baht instead of 3900, as others have said the new 60-day extension is supposed to cost. This could be due to confusion, or maybe it's going to turn out to be the correct policy: new covid extensions are 60 days but cost the standard 1900. That could be why there have been reports of people getting stamped for Dec 30th already (and those were people who applied before Sep 26th, I guess, if they already got stamped) - some offices/officers might be converting the pre-Sep 26th extensions to the new 60-day extensions and starting them from Nov 1st...? 

18 hours ago, Fibonaqi said:

I guess the absence of report or lack of interest from anyone who got their "Under consideration" stamp finalized from MTT can be inferred as "no news is good news", that it's a non-issue. So far I have only heard second hand hearsay reports that people got stamped to Nov 30 at MTT. I will report back next week after my MTT visit.

Yeah, that sounds right. Very few people bother to post actual info. It's usually either asking for help or trolling. If people were getting the Jomtien treatment at MTT, we'd be hearing about it. 

20 hours ago, eppic said:

No surprise, per the OP this thread was meant to be specifically about MTT/Bangkok, but every post has been about locations OTHER than MTT/BKK.  Not a single MTT report.

 

I would also like to hear about MTT, but more about what happens to those with no "under consideration" stamp (in other words, did not go before 26 Sep) and no embassy letter.

Asking about what happens to people who didn't apply for an extension before Sep 26th is irrelevant to the thread. Of course they won't give a Nov 30th stamp to someone who was saved by the late amnesty and hasn't applied for any extension. Why would they? 

For once, people are exchanging actual information, and you keep complaining about it, while providing no info. Muting you. 

2 hours ago, DaveDj said:

Did you receive another under consideration stamp or an extension of stay stamp until 31 Oct ?

It says extension. But I applied for a 30-day extension, which should have originally started on Sep 26th. So why extend me until Oct 31st, which is no more useful than Oct 26th would be at this point? Why stamp the latest amnesty date into passports of people who would be legal now even without the last amnesty - or why stamp the amnesty date into any passport? Why tell everyone to come back on Oct 30th (which would create a massive line)? I don't think we can find any rhyme or reason to what they're doing, especially considering they seem to be the only IO in the country doing it.

They still have two big portable signs standing out front that claim there is a queue app, even though there isn't an app. 

30 minutes ago, DaveDj said:

Now I'm even more confused, is it just going back and get your passport stamped for Nov 30th or apply again for another 30 day covid19 extension. As the lady sitting at the front desk clearly said to me " you need to apply again before Oct 31 ". So there's no paperwork involved this time ?

I don't know what Jomtien is planning to do or will do, but I haven't heard anyone else say that a new application will be needed. That would really be hilarious, because having us go back (twice) this week for the under consideration date would be completely pointless, since we're only being stamped for the amnesty date. Well, it's completely pointless either way, but at least ending up with Nov 30th after 5 or 6 trips to the IO would be something. If Jomtien has decided to ignore the policy of adding pre-9/26 covid extensions to the new amnesty deadline, and yet keeps us coming back for "consideration" dates and passport pickups for worthless extension stamps, that would be really special.

And if they demand documents and a new application, that would make the pre-9/26 rush look like nothing, because everybody who got that extension (early or last-minute) is now being told to come on Oct 30th, which would be nuts if it were for new applications and not just new stamps - they'd have to open up the auxilliary office at the stadium again, and even that would require days. I will not go back on Oct 30th, if that is the case. I don't think it is the case, because if we had to apply for another extension, we could do that now, I suppose... But what they're doing now makes no sense, so it's hard to figure out what they'll do next. 

Has anybody requested the Nov 30th stamp at a different IO than the one where they applied for the 30-day extension? 

11 minutes ago, Benitostacos said:

Hilarious, it still baffles me that something so simple can be misinterpreted (whether accidently or on purpose) by different immigration offices. I still want to know if the Dec. 30 stamps that some offices are issuing (e.g. Chiang Mai) are legit.

Yeah, and one of the strange things about it is that delaying the process doesn't seem to benefit anyone (except taxi drivers). And it's not like they're even denying the fact these extensions should be carried over to Nov 30th, they just want everyone to make extra trips to the IO to get it. It will likely require another two trips, because they'll have a huge line on Oct 30th, since everyone is being told to come back that day, so they'll be collecting passports and saying come back the next week. Though I guess it's possible they will start giving the Nov 30th stamp to people who go back a couple days early? 

It's only two weeks away. They're giving extensions (and the stamp does say "extension") for the same date as the new amnesty...

The Dec 30th stamps don't make sense, unless they're giving credit for 30-day tourist extensions from late March/early April, as somebody claimed. But I don't know if that would be up to the discretion of a particular IO, or the national authorities would reject it.

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It should of been to the 30th of November according to the ministerial and immigration announcements.

As I wrote some people have gotten a stamp to the 31st and a new under consideration stamp.

Jomtien is doing this to everyone. I applied with an embassy letter before 9/26, got a consideration date of Oct 15th, went yesterday at 1pm, waited in line about 5 minutes; they took my passport at the front desk, gave me a number and said come back tomorrow. They said the same to everyone ahead of me in line. Today, I went in the morning, waited in line for a couple of minutes; they gave me my passport and said come back on Oct 30th to get stamped for Nov 30th. They were telling everyone who was picking up their passport to come back on Oct 30th. Everyone else was being told to come back on Monday to pick up their passport. (So even if you go early, they still don't try to stamp you the same day.) I knew it was futile, but I told them every other office in the country is stamping for Nov 30th now, but they said "No no, yours different, yours different! " 

Any reports from Jomtien for people who went this week? Are they still telling people who got 30-day covid extensions before Sept 26th to come back on November 2nd, or has anyone gotten a Nov 30th stamp from Jomtien?

15 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

Nothing in the Royal Gazette yet so this may or may not be news and might only apply to Phuket. 

It was announced by the immigration HQ in Bangkok. Don't comment on an article without reading it, unless you like to look silly. 

23 minutes ago, overherebc said:

What about those that didn't manage/forgot to get/ didn't bother/didn't know they had to get an extension pre 26th for this to apply?

Just asking

Those people get an amnesty until Oct 31st. People who got extensions already get an extra 30 days after the amnesty, thus November 30th. 

On 9/21/2020 at 12:41 AM, userabcd said:

Do you have official factual sources for what is speculated in your post?

My sources are observation and logic. 

30 minutes ago, john smith said:

This should prove to be interesting and a wonderful opportunity for agents. If flights are available there is in theory no wriggle room. But " other issues" is a wide enough door to drive a horse complete with cart through.

The door is so wide open, agents may not be needed. Just 1900 baht and some paperwork. This is what I thought was most likely going to happen: a short amesty extension during which people could apply for a new visa offered to people on amnesty.  

"Limited flights" would mean people who want to stay will wait until the end of October and hope flights are full or canceled. I expect them to offer a visa that people can start applying for soon. Proving flight problems etc at the beginning of October would be impossible, because there could be flights later in the month. I doubt they want an IO overflow two months in a row. 

They had to do something. Anybody with any understanding of the situation knew that. People shrieking for months about the "final amnesty" and arrests, deportations, and so on are just sad little trolls who should be muted. 

I assume the opening post is referring to something on the unspeakable website, but the new Herald article reporting the amnesty rumor also says that the Thai Chamber of Commerce wants foreigners to stay, and that they have told this to the government several times, so their most recent request was just a reiteration of their longstanding stance. 

Starting a new thread because replies to other posts get buried by people who have too much free time and nothing worth saying.

Went to the auxillary IO in Pattaya today at 7:20 am. They started handing out numbers at about 8:20. They gave out 100. I was number 90. (The people at the front of the line were said to have arrived at 4am.) The guys handing out tickets glanced at some people's docs, but not always, and didn't ask me for anything. There was a lady working a copy machine outside.

There were over 200 people in line by 8:30, and most of the ones who didn't get numbers didn't seem to know what was happening. I waited in line for a bit, because they were doing some preliminary checks on documents, but then I realized it wasn't mandatory. And I heard from other people who had gone yesterday that they would do 50 extensions before lunch and 50 afterward, so I went home. (All the people without numbers were still waiting, as immigration hadn't broken the news yet - building suspense before the punchline). Took a nap, went for a swim, ate lunch. 

Went back at 3pm. They abandoned the number order for the afternoon session. It was now first come, first serve, as long as you had a number. There was still a line of people outside, maybe 50. But they were not people who'd gotten numbers in the morning, so I was able to pass by them and go inside to the first doc-checking area. 

There's a big poster outside of the same infographic that was posted on here showing 3 copies needed of every document and photos. The pop-up on the homepage of the Chonburi Immigration website has a similar graphic, except it says you need 2 copies of some docs (and photos) and 3 of others. I thought the 3 copies of everything claim was likely wrong, but I got 3 just in case. 

As it turned out, the only thing they took three copies of was the embassy letter. Two copies of passport photo page. One copy of passport visa page. And one of the early stage doc-checkers looked at the booking form my hotel manager gave me, then filled out a TM30 (they didn't check it online), but they didn't keep the booking form or any copies of it, or any copies of the ID of hotel manager who signed it. They had zero interest in maps of the hotel and the TM30 from the hotel (the latter wasn't listed on the requirements, but I brought it just in case). 

People who went back at 1pm were done around 3:30, and I was done around 5:30, so about the same wait time either way. A guy who finished at 3:30 said the bottleneck in the Final Room wasn't the doc-checkers and stampers (they barely even glance at the docs) but the fact they only had one cashier. But by 5pm, they had three cashiers working, so maybe they brought some down from Jomtien after closing time, and the pace quickened. 

The officers said they worked until 10pm last night, and would be around for a while tonight. I think they may have let in some extra people beyond the 100 today, but I'm not sure. 

One of the officers said they plan to do 300 extensions on Friday. I heard from a staff member that they may be working on Sunday and even Monday and Tuesday. (Another thread on here reported people in Udon Thani being told on Wednesday to come back Monday - so maybe they are going to waive overstay fees - or as Ubonjoe said in another thread, they could charge a few days' worth of fees and still give an extension - but I would be surprised if they charge overstay fees for people who are waiting in line this week yet unable to apply). The Chonburi website says extensions are available through the 26th, so I think it means they're planning to work on Saturday, at least, as Phuket announced already, but no one seems to know for sure yet. 

They said they 30-day extensions will be available again in October, though of course that could change, for better or worse, and some embassies may stop giving out letters so easily.

Home before sunset and ready for a date with a nice young lady. 

Immigration offices in Italy are much more crowded and chaotic than this, all year. I'd say it was a pretty normal immigration office experience by world standards. 

No arrests, jail, torture, fines, or deportation, to the great disappointment of many TV shriekers. 

An officer said they will do 300 tomorrow. 

Nobody has info about this?