Coronavirus: S.Korea gives amnesty to overstaying Thais who want to return home

[webfact]

Thais overstaying visa in South Korea allowed to leave before June 30

By THE NATION

 

 

Thais who have overstayed their visa in South Korea could report to the local immigration offices to express their willingness to leave the country by June 30, Cherdchai Atthakorn, Department of Information director-general and Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said on Monday (March 2).

 

The South Korean government has announced that “those who report before the deadline will not be fined or prohibited from re-entering the country”, he said. “So far, more than 5,000 people have shown their willingness to leave the country, while 136 are from Daegu, the city with highest [Covid-19] infection rate in South Korea.”

 

 

Cherdchai added that as of now the South Korean government had not locked down any cities, therefore Thais who wished to return home should contact the local immigration office immediately along with related documents as well as evidence of plane ticket reservation. “The processing of documents should take three to 15 days for visa overstayers,” he added.

 

“The South Korean government also announced that all Covid-19 infected patients will be treated at government-specified facilities with all expenses covered even if they overstayed their visa,” added Cherdchai. “No patient will be arrested or sent back to their home country against their will.”

 

The spokesman said when they arrive in Thailand, those who coming from South Korea will have to undergo the screening process of the Department of Disease Control, which includes a mandatory 14 days of quarantine.

 

For further information, contact Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul at tel: +82-106747 0095 and Facebook: Royal Thai Embassy, Seoul

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383217

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-03

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[marko kok prong]

Wow,5,000 that a lot of massage girls.

[Jimbo2014]

Think Id rather return home than take my chances in South Korea right now ????

[Scot123]

I wonder how many foreigners who are on overstay in Thailand would jump at this chance to get out and go home. I often wonder how many of the overstayers that are caught found themselves in a catch 22 situation. 

[DrTuner]

He looks like he's going to go full Charlie Sheen soon. Madness. Can't really blame him, if I was working at the ministry of dis-information I'd be going bonkers too.

[Nakmuay887]

South Korea does this fairly regularly. I was there on a holiday in 2018 when they had done the exact same thing and I remember all the thai's coming out of the woodwork eager to go home. 

[Nakmuay887]

They get a 68-(1) stamp meaning they volunteered to leave the country while on overstay and I believe the fine is waved. I'm not sure of the length of the ban they receive though. 

[Orton Rd]

Thousands of Thais working illegally in farming etc, they won't be coming back until forced, pays too good

[ChipButty]

I know one who was working illegally for 4 years has just come back to Phuket

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, Scot123 said:

I wonder how many foreigners who are on overstay in Thailand would jump at this chance to get out and go home. I often wonder how many of the overstayers that are caught found themselves in a catch 22 situation. 

The Thai government should also give free medical treatment for covid-19 for overstaying foreigners in Thailand as well???? The Korean government is too kind. 

[smilemaker]

Its the same story? 5000 prostitutes returning..Covid-19: Put Thai prostitutes returning from Korea on an island in quarantine, social media goes ape as 5000 set to return

But doesn't Thai Government say there are no such thing, in the Kingdom?

[SABloke]

6 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Think Id rather return home than take my chances in South Korea right now ????

How many disappointed customers are you leaving behind Jimbo? Travel safe!

[khunpa]

4 hours ago, smilemaker said:

Its the same story? 5000 prostitutes returning..Covid-19: Put Thai prostitutes returning from Korea on an island in quarantine, social media goes ape as 5000 set to return

But doesn't Thai Government say there are no such thing, in the Kingdom?

 

There is no such thing as prostitution in Thailand. That is why the are all in S. Korea. But of course if they now come home, they will have to stop being prostitutes. 

[ChipButty]

I think Thailand should rent a couple of them cruise liners and park them of shore letting 5000 people into sticky rice land might not be a good idea I mean could the hospitals cope? 

[Just Curious]

18 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Thousands of Thais working illegally in farming etc, they won't be coming back until forced, pays too good

Correct. Thousands of them work on farms doing jobs that Koreans don't want to do. A bit like Cambodians and Burmese here...

 

Sister-in-law was a leading lawyer in a Thai company but jumped ship to work on a farm in Korea when a job was arranged by a cousin already there. Doubled her "salary" doing it.

[ChipButty]

I read this on another forum, 

 

I thought the wife was in a pretty safe place, being up in the sticks of Isaan. However, she has heard rumours of a couple returning from Korea being pretty sick and refusing to go to the hospital. That's in the market town about 20km away. Lots of villagers calling for them to go to the hospital so they'll either go or be lynched by morning. If they are infected then it won't take long before it has spread around the province...

[Grumpy John]

7 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I read this on another forum, 

 

I thought the wife was in a pretty safe place, being up in the sticks of Isaan. However, she has heard rumours of a couple returning from Korea being pretty sick and refusing to go to the hospital. That's in the market town about 20km away. Lots of villagers calling for them to go to the hospital so they'll either go or be lynched by morning. If they are infected then it won't take long before it has spread around the province...

My concern exactly!   My first thought was we would be insulated from the coming doom (I don't get to use that word often, so go with it) but the reality is totally opposite.  As workers get laid off with little or no money the first thing they do is get on a bus an come back to the village.  And where will the 5000 go?  Mostly to villages all over the country and how many will bring corona with them...the virus,  not the beer! 

[ChipButty]

19 minutes ago, Grumpy John said:

My concern exactly!   My first thought was we would be insulated from the coming doom (I don't get to use that word often, so go with it) but the reality is totally opposite.  As workers get laid off with little or no money the first thing they do is get on a bus an come back to the village.  And where will the 5000 go?  Mostly to villages all over the country and how many will bring corona with them...the virus,  not the beer! 

It's all down to money in Thailand 

[Orton Rd]

58 minutes ago, Just Curious said:

Correct. Thousands of them work on farms doing jobs that Koreans don't want to do. A bit like Cambodians and Burmese here...

 

Sister-in-law was a leading lawyer in a Thai company but jumped ship to work on a farm in Korea when a job was arranged by a cousin already there. Doubled her "salary" doing it.

Three of our relatives doing it, at least 40k a month 4x what they were getting in a factory in Bkk

[Isaanbiker]

Once back, they'll continue their services all over the country.

 

   Welcome home! 

 

[Ventenio]

Business Idea!!!  New store:

 

WoooHandsAllday massage

 

 

[Buba Ho Tep]

On 3/3/2020 at 10:48 AM, webfact said:

The South Korean government has announced that “those who report before the deadline will not be fined or prohibited from re-entering the country”

We know that you have been illegally working in Korea on overstay, but feel free to return on a new tourist visa once the virus situation is cleared.