vermin on arrival

I believe this covers visa exempt, tourist visas, VoA and visa waiver people correct?

From the US embassy website. Still very focused in scope.

Tourist Visas Expiring on/after March 26 Extended

The Ministry of Interior announced today that tourists (including U.S. citizens) who hold visas expiring on or after March 26 will benefit from an automatic 30-day extension.  There is no need to apply for the extension at a local immigration office.

3 minutes ago, worldfun said:

US embassy for one have already officially stated the amnesty. anyone else?? any other concerns? doubts? this is done deal take it or leave ????

Yes on the April 8th health alert. Is it ok to post the link?

2 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

 

 

 

Wow but if you read carefully it's all based on the date the state of emergency being declared until. We all get until April 30th, but then must wait for another document to be signed by April 30th to give us until May 30th. Seems things still need to be made complicated.

56 minutes ago, miamiman123 said:

20 years here supporting a Thai  family and I’m about DONE w this place!!!!!!

these people are as crazy as barn yard rats!!!!!! 
 

20 years as a yearly long time visitor. Was on my way out then this happened. Just needed to be faster and catch an earlier plane to Taiwan. I am done with this country.

2 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Even if the warmer Southeast Asian climate inhibits the spread of the virus, which similarly low infection rates in Indonesia and the Philippines might support, it is odd that the mortality rate and absolute number of deaths is so much less than those two countries. Malaysia also has a significantly higher number of cases per capita which is probably explained by more widespread testing.

 

The coming rainy season could be a risk factor, as that is traditionally the flu season in Thailand.

Indonesia announces biggest daily rise in COVID-19 cases, 24 doctors now dead - CNA If this article is correct then not really

Can anyone show the link to viral pneumonia deaths in Thailand that were not attributed to covid?

2 hours ago, Allset said:

According to one newspaper in Bangkok it is the entire country but I don’t think they’re enforcing it because deliveries are still getting made late at night. Although it is better to order during the day before 8PM. Correction I don’t think they’re enforcing it up here. I don’t know about other cities though. 

deliveries to supermarkets etc. are considered essential services and exempt. or do you just mean newspapers? Just found this more informative picture:

18 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

At the present moment in time, the answer is YES.

So new embassy letters? and go twice a month?

16 hours ago, moe666 said:

If you came in Feb. why not a bit of fore sight and you could have left before it has gotten so bad, no you want Thailand to jump thru hoops for your lack of planning. Now you know the secret of Thailand they make the laws of the country for the benefit of Thai people defiantly not for farangs or any other foreign people.

Nonsense. I planned, had a ticket out on the 29th, but all the borders crashed down on the 18th and 19th. My home country, which I haven't lived in for 20 years, is a <deleted> show now so crazy to go back there.

6 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Presumably it also covers those on visa exempt so will reduce pressure on the queues straightaway.

where did it say that? I saw people on tourist visas. Ok saw the post where they defined visa exempt as also a tourist visa on the immigration website. let's hope they are thinking this way with this.

This only seems to cover people on tourist visas who will need the extension at the end of April or later so it really will not address the issue they say it will. The queues will still be crazy long, and the people who need emergency extensions due to Covid will still be in a difficult situation.

5 hours ago, treetops said:

Where would they be trying to get to?  A look at BKK departures board online just now shows lots of cancellations but still several flights today to the Middle East, Europe, Japan, Taiwan and more.  It's still possible to get to most places with a bit of effort. Better be quick though.

Taiwan flight is only for residents there. I know I have a flat there and was going to go but couldn't board my flight. Non residents cannot even transit there now.

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Can't imagine anyone wanting to stay with everything closed.

Hell I want out just can't get to where I want/am supposed to go.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Others have gotten the same stamp instead of a normal extension stamp.

When does your current permit to stay end?

I think you will need another letter from your embassy when you go back and they will do another under consideration stamp. But I think things are likely to change extension wise before then.

Need another letter when I go back on the 23rd? Good to know.

5 minutes ago, uberfarang said:

That's my understanding too but the staff just said that my visa was 60 days and they only do the 30 days, he didn't elaborate on what kind of visas were those "30 days" visas. 

30 days would be VOA or visa exempt. I went there Thursday and got a tentative emergency 2nd extension for my 30 day visa exempt entry.

16 hours ago, Logosone said:

That's just the point, there is no study which proves social distancing is effective.

 

You're right, travel restriction is not exactly the same as the social distancing we're forced to endure, but unless you have a better study, that's the best there is.

 

I don't have to prove social distancing is not effective. Social distancing extremists have to prove that it is.

I was also putting the massive travel restrictions in with social distancing, but you are correct they are not the same thing

17 hours ago, Logosone said:

So does this mean Chinese hospitals are better than American hospitals?

 

I mean it's just that China was surprised, ambushed. Whereas the US had a few months to learn the lay of the land.

 

More money too.

 

So how come China has less cases?

Here is an interesting article on that https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3905788?fbclid=IwAR36-jlTkF5dSGsmpocDqsQAUBAEn_1W3oytEuOVgeutsDYlahPxp0KVrbA

3 hours ago, Logosone said:

No it doesn't. Travel restrictions only work at the start of a pandemic, not when the virus has already spread.

 

Precisely because there has been massive community spread going on for some time in the US is social distancing effectively useless now:

 

Cordoning off an entire city, Wuhan, bought the rest of China a grand total of 3 days:

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/03/25/science.abb4218

 

So then this article's conclusion is that massive testing and other local health care responses were what was important after the early stages and not travel control? So they were saying the massive travel restrictions China put in place after the initial spread were useless? I was slogging through it, but the jargonized technical language, graphs and formulae were giving me a bit of a headache, and the author was writing for his peers rather than for a layman like me.

And we only go on the specific date they gave us, right? My understanding is that these emergency extensions need a higher up singing off on it which is why we are not initially given the full 30 days, correct? Since people will most likely need additional emergency extensions, will one need additional personal letters from the embassy for those?