trappedinasia

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?

15 minutes ago, Dart12 said:

when did immigration add this additional step of requiring the owner ID to get a visa?  crazy requirement. 

I just read about it last, week, right after I booked a flight to Pattaya airport. It seems Pattaya IO may be the only one in the country requiring proof of a 20 day stay. Maybe they were worried a bunch of people living in Bangkok would come to Pattaya for a few days to do the extension. Or they're trying to pressure people to stay in Pattaya longer than they intended. Who knows. 

1 minute ago, anandra said:

But how can I do that? if I approach them they will ask to pay for all 20 days, and immigration wants their id as well

What about booking through a website that offers full refund for cancellation?

52 minutes ago, Dart12 said:

Yeah.  it WAS only 2 copies.  Glad I seen this before going.  I'm sure the stadium is well equipped for making additional copies if needed.

And why LIMITING to 100 day?  that's crazy.  so only 300 more people can get their extension?

So they requested 3 photos?

9 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

Great advice. I didn't know. Sorry. How?

On a laptop, you can hover the cursor (don't click) over their username, and a box will pop up with the option to ignore them. I don't know how it would be done on a phone. I don't see the option to ignore on profiles. Maybe there are other ways to get to the ignore settings. 

The Chonburi Immigration site has a pop up graphic on the homescreen that says local immigration offices are accepting applications for visa extensions through the 26th. Has anyone tried this? Would you need to be living in that specific district, and not just anywhere in Chonburi? I called Siracha IO but I couldn't communicate well with the agent. 

The Chonburi Immigration site has a pop up graphic on the homescreen that says local immigration offices are accepting applications for visa extensions through the 26th. Has anyone tried this? Would you need to be living in that specific district, and not just anywhere in Chonburi? I called Siracha IO but I couldn't communicate with them. e