vermin on arrival

So with many of us getting the emergency extensions and the under consideration stamp, what do we do now? I assume we have to go to immigration on the specific date mentioned with our receipt. Is there anything else required of us? Will we need to go to the temp immigration at Muang Thong Thani or the regular building at CW?

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

Under the current regulations the maximum based on an embassy letter is 30 days. They could very well issue this on the spot, no need for "under consideration". I think there is no objective reason to not give 30 days, imho this is based purely on xenophobia. Why would anybody in their right, under the current circumstances, force people to cram into a place more often than necessary?

 

Even if tomorrow the police chief might decide to change the regulations and issue 90 days extensions for applications based on an embassy letter (this was speculated by a poster a few pages prior), i don't see any logical reason why they would not give 30 days today.

 

 

I heard someone saying for all of these under consideration stamps that they need a bigwig to sign off on them and the lower ranks cannot do it when that person is not immediately available.

42 minutes ago, timoti said:

Yes I agree, but given all these uncertainties, only a few days to get this done and the likelyhood that whatever happens we will still be responsible for overstay, etc, I will have to go to bangkok tomorrow.

 

So far I think there is no canadian that was able to acquire this letter via email.

Wow US Embassy actually responded better...and I am very sorry to hear that. I wish you all the best in getting this sorted safely and in a timely fashion.

Hey guys. just wanted to let people know that they are splitting up things from CW to cut down on the crowds and give people more personal distance. Area K and 90 day reports were moved to Muang Thong Thani near Impact where they had a large room with plastic chairs at some immigration building, very ad hoc. Will post more later. I am really knackered. Got up at 4 and got back by 10:30 with emergency extension. My March 29th exit got pushed back to April 23rd with an under consideration stamp. I will need to report back somewhere, who knows they didn't, on the 23rd.

Also, they mad me(and others) fill out form St2 today. We had to sign that we understood the penalties of overstaying. Feels like will be no amnesty for overstayers even with covid.

3 hours ago, alw22 said:

Anyone at an immigration office this morning? Are they still open and processing visa extensions as normal with the state of emergency now in effect?

CW was only open for certain things. K and 90 day reports were told to go to Muang Thong Thani Impact Immigration to a temp facility after we waited like 20 minutes or so to get in. Was disorganized and they were not happy campers processing us, but was still better than what CW must have been like yesterday. Was only a couple of hundred there by the time I left, but very adhoc. Half the people were outside seated in plastic chairs while the other half of us were spread out inside and seated in plastic chairs. At a certain point, we were not really allowed to stand and it felt like asking questions was not really tolerated.

11 hours ago, BigJ said:

 

 

Okay, that mystery is solved.  And I agree with Tyler's comment in the @audaciousnomad photo.  I (and you reading this) have to rely on my feelings, but the inference I got from the woman who informed me about coming back to immigration was that it was more of a formality and there wasn't a question of if they will extend my visa again, that it was a done deal and I just needed my receipt of 1900 baht to present when I returned.  But the question still remains how long they will extend it when I go back.  

Glad you mentioned that or I would have thrown mine out! They didn't want to tell us anything today. I felt a little bit like cattle, but was thankful to not be illegal.

12 hours ago, BigJ said:

I started the post referenced above and if you look at my story and Bangkokboy888, it is the same in that our visas were extended until April 22nd. However, my visa wasn't expiring until April 7th. And I had not been declined for an extension at any point. As noted in my post, the runner/caller said I couldn't get the full 30 days from my visa expiration was because "the chief wasn't there"(I have no clue what that meant), but..she did tell me to come back around April 22 to extend it more (read my post for more details).  So no matter what crazy math I do with my visa dates- I dont get any magic numbers of 30 or 7 or any others- for some unknown reason, they chose to extend them until April 22 ( at least today, March 25th it seems)

Yes I got under consideration as well. I need to report back on April 23rd. I was confused when they said that today in the temp area at Muang Thong Thani Impact where area K and 90 days report people had to go today instead of CW. When I queried it and was confused, they got annoyed and offered me my application and passport back. I apologized and pushed them back to them and shut up.

10 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

There was a report today in another thread of an American using the emailed letter from the U.S. Embassy to successfully get an extension of a B visa at BKK CW Immigration:

 

Yes another member also did so Bangkokboy888

1 hour ago, maxcorrigan said:

Well according to JimHuaHin two posts above yours New Zealand has!

Indonesia, Korea, and PI as well.

1 hour ago, Maestro said:

 

The latest travel advisory of the British embassy urges tourists to return home as quickly as possible.

 

The US embassy advises to avoid any non-essential travel, without specifying whether a flight home would count as non-essential travel.

It's funny in my personal letter to Thai immigration for an emergency extension they advised both and it's not just non-essential, it's all. : "we wish to refer to the Global Level 4 Health Advisory issued by the Department of State on March 19, 2020 which advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel." and later "who have now been advised to either arrange for immediate return to the United States or prepare to remain abroad for an indefinite period."

37 minutes ago, Mattd said:

Just been talking with two colleagues who have returned from CW and their PR interview, they confirmed it was madness, although they said a lot of precautions being taken prior to them being allowed in to the interview room.

Big boss of Immigration came out at one point and seemingly told others to get the people waiting there processed, as from tomorrow it will be closed, this is not confirmed, but certainly the vibe they picked up on.

Wow. I was going to go in tomorrow for my emergency extension. I hope there is someway we can get still get this or that they will make a reasonable allowance for all if us who will still be here no matter our visa or status in the country.

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

 

Great to see that help for you guys.

4 minutes ago, Zikomat said:

The day of application was today. They actually gave him An extension from the day of the ‘refused’ application on 22 or 23... Stingy as hell. 
 

 

You're right. My bad. Maybe it was the initial refusal that hurt him. since the 7 day extension is the get out of town order.

12 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I guess his permit to stay expired on 22.03., then he went to apply for an extension. His extension request was denied and he got 7 days to leave the country (29.03.)

Now he applied again and this time the extension was granted. The 7 days to leave the country is probably not considered as a regular extension, so the now granted extension starts on the day his previous permit to stay expired, thus allowing him to stay until (22.04.)

 

Same happens in case you were on overstay and apply for an extension, the days which you have been on overstay will not be added. So if somebody with a 10 days overstay applies for an extension, even though he pays 5k THB fine, he will only be allowed to stay 20 more days.

No his original date out was March 29 and then given 7 days to April 5, but today they only gave 30 days from the date of application

3 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

So it sounds like they're giving you 30 days from the day you apply.  (Or reapply, in your case.)

Which means one might want to go later but then who knows if they will close IOs and then people must overstay. Don't assume automatic extensions if offices close.

42 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

That's great news. Were you renewing a SETV, METV or visa exempt entry?

He was visa exempt

I expect 30 days from april 5.

Our letters also say that we should avoid international travel Interestingly, they also say we should return immediately or be prepared to stay out for a long time. So avoid international travel or return home immediately.

Apparently at CW today they are accepting printed letters for Americans as long as they are personal and have your full name as printed on the passport. Ours have passport number and date of birth as well. US Embassy normally doesn't do this but after Mondays failures with standard letter, they got letters out to a lot of people within 24 hours even though they told us to expect 72 hours wait.

1 hour ago, BigT73 said:

Goodluck in Laos, they think faranges are lepers now.

Well I have been many times and I have friends there and places I can go. I think I will be ok with that. I have been planning to move to Savanakhet, and have a good friend who runs a guest house in the mountains near Kasi. The real concern would be the low quality of health care.

1 minute ago, Simon85 said:

Just did it yesterday  morning at Phatthalung Immigration Office, staff was extremely helpful and process very straightforward; furthermore I was the only one in the room so no queue and in 10 minutes I was outside already.

Guess it depends on the IO then,