mesothelium

Southeast Asian societies do not turn on a dime. MFP have definitely outperformed. At least, by even daring to tackle the question of Section 112 reforms, they've cracked open what was previously a taboo topic. Change in Southeast Asia occurs over generations, not years. Note that, in neighbouring Malaysia, it took 25 years from the time Anwar Ibrahim kicked off his "Reformasi" movement to taking power as Prime Minister.

Mac, if this is true, then every immigration officer who processed all my extensions at Immigration Division 1 must have been complacent in implementing the regulations, even when my application has been placed "Under Consideration", and presumably must have been signed off by a more senior official in charge. I'm sitting here shaking my head at the complaints insinuating that Covid extensions were somehow "abused". The fact is applications for Covid extensions were made available until August 24th 2022 for reasons only known to the decision-makers in the halls of power in the Thai government. It also seems extremely unlikely that the fact that IOs manning the desks were handing Covid extensions out liberally would be a complete mystery to their superior officers. Most of you more experienced Thailand (or Southeast Asia) hands should really know this - in this part of the world, the regulations, as gazetted, do not always correspond with the reality on the ground. Singapore is probably the only exception to this observation. On paper, these are some of the most strictly regulated countries on the planet - in reality, things are a lot more laissez faire.

BTW, my under consideration period is three weeks to the day. The procedure at CW has varied each time I did my Covid extensions there. 1st extension (February) - 60 days from the date of application (not the end of my previous tourist visa extension). Covid extension stamped in right away. 2nd extension (April) - 60 days from the end of the previous Covid extension. Stamped in right away. 3rd extension (June) - 60 days from the end of the previous Covid extension. Given 3-week under consideration stamp. 4th extension (today) - the same as in June. (3-week under consideration stamp). At no stage in this process was a "special" expedited service offered. The fee was always 1,900 baht, payable right after the documents were checked and accepted by the IO. It may be the case that procedures are done much more "by the book" at CW compared with other offices, but this is purely speculative on my part as I have attended no other immigration office.

I just obtained my "Under Consideration" stamp at CW today. This was my fourth Covid extension application after I was granted three extensions at the end of February, April, and June. My present extension was due to expire on August 29th. Submitted the usual documents - the various forms, photocopies of visa pages, and printout of TM30 screenshot. No issues. Didn't ask for an onward flight ticket. As always, your mileage may vary.

You picked the right strategy for dealing with this expeditiously. I've just seen a YouTube video from a Chinese citizen claiming that he'd tried to apply for a Covid extension in Phuket, only to be told it wasn't possible. After which, he conferred with other Chinese nationals, finding out that an agent was needed to make it possible. BTW, I applied for a Covid extension a week ago in Bangkok (Chaengwattana) and was given the "Under Consideration" stamp, without using an agent. So, that option still remains if you change your mind about using an agent in Krabi.

It has always been this way, from my experience. I arrived in December 2021 on a tourist visa. 2 months later, when I went to get that extended, I was told I needed to get the 30 day extension first before applying for a 60 day Covid extension. Keep in mind, the rule has generally been 60 days from the date of application for your first Covid extension, and then 60 days from the end of the previous Covid extension for any subsequent Covid extensions. Note: The above depends on the office you're applying in and the IO who's stamping you in. I've only ever done my visa extensions in Chaengwattana (Bangkok).

How long have you been in Thailand? I came in December 2021 on a tourist visa, did the tourist visa extension, and then two Covid extensions, and am now wondering if that feels like "a bit too long."

Cheers, would greatly appreciate an update. I'm headed to Chaengwattana mid-week to apply for a Covid extension so, if you're heading that way too, any field reports would be very much welcome.

The online 90 day report will not work for people who've never filed a 90 day report before. I tried this option several times, unsuccessfully, before I was given this explanation for my rejection: "Previous notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days is not found." I'd definitely go the online route for any subsequent attempts.

There was a queue system in place in CW when I went to do mine in person about 2 weeks ago. Hand your completed form over to the IO at the information desk and you'll get a ticket for counter A1 (if I remember correctly). When I did mine, the queue was maybe 30 people deep but moved fast. I was done in an hour.

And, as far as the fella who asked this question is concerned, all this is a theoretical exercise. I do appreciate the suggestion, @DrJack54. It is a nice idea but, as you said, it is only workable "in principle." Without any specific instances of people having tried this method and succeeding, the only way I have to test this idea would be to apply for a re-entry permit, leave, arrive back in Thailand, and hope to be allowed in. Seeing that, at the end of the day, the only person whose opinion really matters is the IO, whose decision making might be influenced whether (s)he's had a bad or good day, this will remain a theoretical exercise. The idea of travelling to and from Malaysia, just to settle some personal matters, and risking being denied entry back into Thailand, or at least being grilled for hours by an IO and their supervisor, doesn't seem like a great risk-reward to me. I'd still likely stick with the original plan of making this my very last Covid extension, returning to Malaysia, and planning a long visit somewhere else (I am a slow traveler) feels more sensible. I'd likely consider Thailand again in the winter once some months have passed and Thailand will feel fresh and new again.

I believe @skatewash's comment was related to the affidavit that you fill in when applying for a Covid extension. The one where you tick "I am not permitted to enter the destination country or the pandemic situation of Covid-19 is still ongoing." which, if read literally, appears to suggest that one is staying in Thailand only because one cannot travel to a "destination country." So, it would seem that subsequently applying for a re-entry permit would invalidate this because getting a re-entry permit presumes one is able to travel to a destination country. I think the question here is about "policy as stated" and "policy as practised" which, as we all know, can be two very different things...

@DrJack54 Not a silly idea at all, in fact, very good fruit for thought. I've been thinking of returning home (Penang, Malaysia) for a while to deal with some administrative matters related to my late father's estate. I was considering not going for a Covid extension at all when my current one expires (July 1) to give me a chance to do this, and then travel elsewhere. Now I'm thinking I might just go for another Covid extension and then use the re-entry permit method to go back a week or two to deal with my admin issues.

Cheers, @DrJack54. Still mulling over if I want to seek another Covid extension or not as I'm feeling the itch to have a change of scene for at least a couple of months.

Thanks, @ubonjoe. The last address I used to get my extension would be the Bangkok hotel I stayed in the night before I went to immigration. So I'll use that, then.