vermin on arrival

2 hours ago, Zikomat said:

 You probably have titanium balls. I have waited until the last Tuesday announcement which never happened. Then, on Wednesday, I was forced to spend 10 hours in the line of Pattaya immigration office. 

Me too. I was at MTT. Kudos to Ventenio. Best to you Ziko.

2 hours ago, checkered flag said:

For most part the plan worked.

At least they only got 1900 from me. After this, not a chance they get any bribe money from me.

2 hours ago, JUAinBKK said:

Have you actually done the reserch to empirically support your statement that foreigners “present little income to the government”?  Can you also say that foreigners present little income to Thailand?  If either is yes, please share that supporting data.  I have many people who are anxious to see the evidence so they can make significant changes to their economic modeling systems.  Thank you and we will take No Adequate response with data as you are as your name insists.  Thank you for this opportunity.

The Thai chamber of commerce thinks we do. They said they thought it was stupid to push us out when no tourists are coming in. They want amnesty to be extended.

7 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

 

Knowing how severe the libel/defamation laws are here, it would be absolutely insane for the Herald to print this without any shred of truth. Falsely suggesting that the highest ranking govt official in the Kingdom has approved a legal order is surely bordering on criminal under the laws here.
Noting that, I expect sometime this week we will all see that there is indeed some truth to this extension announcement.

website is based in Australia. I think that is a way around it.

10 minutes ago, HandsomeTallFarang said:

No, there was an email with the word “unlimited extentions” which implied you could just keep renewing until they start allowing tourists in the old way and border runs were back to normal. If that’s the case then I can’t complain. 

The only thing I know of about that was an immigration official talking in the phuket news. It seems Gen. Pornchai was the source of this rumor.

https://www.thephuketnews.com/tourists-to-get-unlimited-30-day-extensions-to-stay-after-visa-amnesty-ends-77201.php

"PHUKET: Foreigners staying in the country on any form of tourist visa will be allowed to repeatedly renew their permits to stay with immigration for periods of 30 days at a time after the ‘visa amnesty’ ends on Sept 26, the Immigration Bureau announced today Sept 3.

Gen Pornchai explained that any tourists unable to return home after Sept 26 due to illness are to apply for an extension to stay by applying at an Immigration office and presenting a medical certificate to prove they are unfit to fly."

1 minute ago, HandsomeTallFarang said:

I was under the impression that there are “unlimited” tourist visa extensions every 30 days until the borders are open or until further announcement.. you didn’t waste anything because you can go and get another one every month, I thought?

Evidently that was an immigration official talking out his butt since both the US embassy and MTT told me there was no directive for what would happen after Sept 26.

1 minute ago, 2530Ubon said:

I'm not convinced, why did they issue a notice that monday would be acceptable to apply for a further extension of stay, due to the long queues? Why was this not reported yesterday (according to the source, Prayut approved it on Friday) and why aren't any of the mainstream media covering this? I'll be slightly annoyed, as i've wasted a perfectly good extension, but grateful that there seems to be movement on allowing people to stay. Perhaps this will lead to a longer term solution (IF it is true.)

 

On a side note, at least we'll all have something to fret and talk about now. I was wondering what would happen to TV without some amnesty gossip to muse over...

CW sent everyone home Saturday morning. Why would they do that if amnesty wasn't extended? I think the reason it took so long is that the people running this country aren't very competent as the leaders elsewhere in the region (Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan spring quickly to mind). I doubt it will lead to a long term solution. They will just keep the pressure on us to bribe or leave.

17 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Take a look at the income tax implications of having a US Green Card.  Not to mention the health care (among other) costs of living in the USA.  Thailand's program looks pretty good in comparison.

Fair points, but if you have 1 million dollars lying around spare those may not matter.

Delusional...the US gives green cards for 1 million dollars in investment. Do they think Thailand is as desirable? Granted I prefer it here, but certainly not if I had 1 million in spare cash. At least, in the US they don't reserve the right to revoke it. Absolutely farcical.

6 hours ago, Fromas said:

Rules evolving.

Quite true. When I got my under consideration stamp from MTT, I asked what to do about my next covid extension after I get my valid to stay stamp on Oct. 21. The officer told me, we don't know yet. Wait for an announcement. The government is doing the whole thing by the seat of their pants.

11 minutes ago, Jackcwba said:

do I need to print this out or Just show it on my phone ? When I arrive ?

My understanding is they want both. OMG I think they want a print of the ss of the e-mail. I think I need to go back and do that now.

3 minutes ago, Adam219 said:

you can check it on the previous page, there is a button to check appointment, it only requires your passport number. It will show your booking ref.

Yes. Just tried it. Thanks.

3 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

I don't get an email or a text.

I didn't get a text either. Only an e-mail. The appointment from website is missing the immigration Booking number

I got mine instantly. Don't know if that page will be enough since I read elsewhere in Report from BKK temp center that they not only want a print out of that e-mail but they also want to see the e-mail on one's smart phone. I just got through downloading outlook and went to print shop to get a copy made of the e-mail.

5 hours ago, farang51 said:

OK, so now you accept that they do not have herd immunity. You do realize that people are still dying from the virus in Sweden?

 

I eagerly await for where you will move the goalposts to in your next answer.

Deaths are in single digits, which is sad, but really not a big deal. They are currently in a very good situation. Cases mean little since they are mild and help continue to bring about general immunity. This fear about having any infections is absurd. You just need to bubble wrap the elderly. Next winter they will also be in a very good situation.

It's all about hospitalizations, ICU and death and Sweden has that completely under control now. There are 15 in serious condition in the whole country of 10 million which is pretty much nothing to be concerned about.

6 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

whilst i totally agree with you.. from their point of view they do not believe we are bringing money IN unless we are on long stay visas and they can validate it. they feel we're working here illegally and thus just spending money that was already here.

 

not my feeling btw i'm trying to make sense of it all myself but this was explicitly stated in todays BP article.

 

it also brings into perspective their preoccupation in bringing new money in.

 

they really are a strange bunch 

 

So don't Thais save their earnings and go and stay places outside of their land of birth for a long time with their savings earned elsewhere? I guess not or they must be living on credit.

36 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

That's the one I chose. I guess it means first-come first-served for visa exempt folks.  Gonna be a long day for some who don't get there early.

But I have a booking number: 35596. Does that mean anything?

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Have you made a booking. As far as I know MTT require booking.

I made one but also read they have normal queue service too. Think with booking will be less wait. For visa exempt, it is only a broad time, morning or afternoon and nothing specific.

Here in point 1 of the rules for booking "If you do not show up on time, lack of required documents, spend lots of time to edit required documents or choose wrong type of service, Immigration division 1 reserves the right to cancel the queue. However you can still use the normal queue service." Last sentence seems to imply there is also a normal queue service, no?

Here's a question. Is this the right service for covid extension with embassy letter at MTT for people on visa exempt? "Applying for short term Visa At Muangthong Thani (K - Counter K)" I found nothing else that seemed to fit.

4 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Seriously, anyone who thinks there is more than a minuscule chance of a new amnesty for those on short term permissions to stay needs to wake up.

Yes, it seems highly unlikely at this point.