Information from the German embassy

[jackdd]

I just got this information from the German embassy:

It is not really relevant to people who don't speak German, but to conform with the forum rules here my translation:
The German embassy does not issue certificates to extend visas, contrary to what has been said on social media.
If the crises continues long term the possibilities of the embassy to help or protect affected persons will be very limited.
Currently there are no plans to repatriate German citizens. If in the future they should do this, the persons will be liable to pay the costs.

Edited March 17, 2020 by CharlieH
German language document removed

[KhunBENQ]

Helpful and caring as always.

[EricTh]

What does it mean by 'issue certificate to extend visa'? Which certificate?

Edited March 17, 2020 by EricTh

[CNXexpat]

9 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Helpful and caring as always.

What should they do? Paying for the trip back for the tourists they are still arriving? The problem is wellknown since weeks. Who thinks who still wanted to come to Thailand has to find a solution for himself.

[jackdd]

17 minutes ago, EricTh said:

What does it mean by 'issue certificate to extend visa'? Which certificate?

Embassies can issue a letter (certificate) which requests Thai immigration to give a person an extension.

If you take this letter to Thai immigration (and complete a form, pay 1900THB) they will issue you a 30 day extension, so there is no need to leave Thailand for people who don't have one year extension.

Afaik currently only the Italian embassy is issuing such a letter.

 

14 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

What should they do? Paying for the trip back for the tourists they are still arriving? The problem is wellknown since weeks. Who thinks who still wanted to come to Thailand has to find a solution for himself.

They could start by issuing such letters for people to extend their stay in Thailand.

I think Thailand's official numbers of infected persons are way lower than the real numbers, but i still think that Thailand doesn't have tens of thousands of infected which it would have if the virus in Thailand would spread as fast as in Europe.

For some reason the virus spreads slower in Thailand than it does in Germany, so staying in Thailand can be considered safer. Everything the embassy has to do to allow German citizens to stay in a safer environment would be to send such a letter by mail upon request, should not be too difficult.

Edited March 17, 2020 by jackdd

[idiot farang]

21 minutes ago, jackdd said:

 

Afaik currently only the Italian embassy is issuing such a letter.

 

 

I spent 2 weeks on this nonsense. Chinese, South Korea, and Italy issue without fuss- a fill in the blanks form letter that Thai immigration is accepting multiple months in a row.

 

The worthless US Embassy told me US official policy is to direct US citizens to the Chinese Embassy to get a letter from them!!!! I'm soooo  not kidding. To quote 2 US citizen embassy government servants: "we got out of the letter issuing businea a while ago". Glib and unhelpful af. 

 

Thai immigration was servicing ~1,000 Chinese /day still as of my 6 1/2 hour wait Friday the 13th. This with China lifting a lot of their travel restrictions. 

[jackdd]

5 hours ago, idiot farang said:

I spent 2 weeks on this nonsense. Chinese, South Korea, and Italy issue without fuss- a fill in the blanks form letter that Thai immigration is accepting multiple months in a row.

I think for most embassies helping their citizens has the least priority

Edited March 17, 2020 by jackdd

[KhunBENQ]

16 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I think for most embassies helping their citizens has the least priority

I could tell a long story about my experience with them...

Cost me and wife another trip to Bangkok.

 

But for now even more information:

German Embassy closed for general public from tomorrow March 18th until further notice.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[Dumbastheycome]

Very  sad. Yet  such  " Diplomatic " Staff  would  be  ferried home in an instant should some need  arose.

Given the often quoted analogy of this  being  like a global war effort you would think that it would be sensible and practical  for  agencies  such as  Embassies  to   assist people to  stay under cover wherever they are rather  than risk exposing themselves  in  global movement and  becoming  unwilling  unwitting  carriers of yet another  invisible potential UXB !

[Mulambana]

7 hours ago, jackdd said:

It is not really relevant to people who don't speak German, but to conform with the forum rules here my translation:
The German embassy does not issue certificates to extend visas, contrary to what has been said on social media.
If the crises continues long term the possibilities of the embassy to help or protect affected persons will be very limited.
Currently there are no plans to repatriate German citizens. If in the future they should do this, the persons will be liable to pay the costs.

It is the policy of all embassies. Why should they help somebody knowing a global pandemic is under way travel to any places unnecessarily (tourism is unnecessay travel)? They should stay put in their home country and pressure their leaders not to to cheat, lie, or obfuscate the issue and work on containment. 

[Maestro]

7 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

But for now even more information:

German Embassy closed for general public from tomorrow March 18th until further notice.

 

In the paragraph following the text referred to by KhunBENQ, the website of the German embassy says, in German and Thai, that in cases of unavoidable necessity the embassy should be contacted by email [email protected] or phone +66-2-287 9123.

 

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post (uncorroborated rumour) and the reply to it.

[KhunBENQ]

7 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

In the paragraph following the text referred to by KhunBENQ, the website of the German embassy says, in German and Thai, that in cases of unavoidable necessity the embassy should be contacted by email [email protected] or phone +66-2-287 9123.

 

The ambassador also makes clear that it is still possible to leave Thailand for Germany by air.

That's in contrast to some countries where Germans are trapped.

Foreign ministry plans to spend 50 million Euro for evacuation with chartered Lufthansa planes.

(plenty available )

[JimGant]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Foreign ministry plans to spend 50 million Euro for evacuation with chartered Lufthansa planes.

Yes, apparently with reimbursement of this 50 million in mind per this quote from the OP:

Quote

Currently there are no plans to repatriate German citizens. If in the future they should do this, the persons will be liable to pay the costs.

But, not sure how "currently no plans" coordinates with "plans for....chartered Lufthansa planes."....?

[jackdd]

8 minutes ago, JimGant said:

But, not sure how "currently no plans" coordinates with "plans for....chartered Lufthansa planes."....?

They don't have plans for people in Thailand, but they might have plans for people in outher countries.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

They don't have plans for people in Thailand, but they might have plans for people in outher countries.

Morocco, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Egypt, Maldives, Malta and Argentina.

Maybe more.

"some countries" as I wrote.

First plane on the way to Manila.

30 to 40 flights estimated in total.

(from dpa, German news agency)

Edited March 18, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[jackdd]

23 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

First plane on the way to Manila.

What's the point in sending a plane there? One way tickets Manila - Frankfurt are a bit pricey at about 500 Euro, but available every day.

[Maestro]

23 minutes ago, jackdd said:

What's the point in sending a plane there? One way tickets Manila - Frankfurt are a bit pricey at about 500 Euro, but available every day.

 

I read it to mean that plans have been made to ready to implemented if and when it becomes necessary, eg if no more commercial flights out the the Philippines should be available. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, jackdd said:

What's the point in sending a plane there? One way tickets Manila - Frankfurt are a bit pricey at about 500 Euro, but available every day.

I am busy enough to follow what happens in Thailand and not into details about the Philippines.

I only saw some headlines like state of calamity, Manila lockdown (no in/out), islands locked down, no ferries etc. Military and police controlling Manila.

Even you have a flight from Manila it seems difficult or impossible to get there.

It all sounds much worse than Thailand/Bangkok.

Guess German ministry will have to do "arrangements" to get their people to the flight(s).

[KhunBENQ]

 

4 hours ago, jackdd said:

What's the point in sending a plane there? One way tickets Manila - Frankfurt are a bit pricey at about 500 Euro, but available every day.

Browse this and rethink:

https://www.google.com/search?q=stuck+in+the+philippines+virus

 

Month long lock-down of Manila, whole island of Luzon under quarantine...

Edited March 18, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[ivor bigun]

Many years ago i had business in Bangkok and had to use the British Embassy all the time,they were as much use as a chocolate spoon ,well even less at least you could eat a chocolate spoon ,

usless each and every one .

[Logosone]

On 3/18/2020 at 3:39 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Morocco, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Egypt, Maldives, Malta and Argentina.

Maybe more.

"some countries" as I wrote.

First plane on the way to Manila.

30 to 40 flights estimated in total.

(from dpa, German news agency)

So they're telling us they have no plans to get people out of Thailand but they are running massive media reports about how they've flown people out of the Canaries, Egypt etc...

 

One would think that the further away the more need for Lufthansa to get the people out.

 

Now the embassy is closed, fantastically helpful. Taxpayer money at work. Or not.