Overstaying in Thailand during the Covid outbreak

[ubonjoe]

A post containing a document in Thai with no explanation of what it is or its source and replies to it have been removed.

I have sent to management for a rough translation.

[MrMilk]

I just came back from a Visa-run yesterday. 

 

Hat-Lek border.

 

Left Thailand on 19th. Was told by the Thai officer that I had to stay 1 night in Cambodia before returning.

 

Health officer on Cambodian side took my temp and handed me a note with info about what to do if I felt sick.

IO stamped me in (1600 baht).

 

After 1 night in Koh Kong I returned to border to enter Thailand.

 

Was seated with two female health personal (nurses?),which asked me about my travel history.

I told I only been to Thailand last couple of months, and only did a one-day border run to Koh Kong to renew my visa.

They said "ahhh", check my passport, took my temp, and said have a nice day.

 

IO stamped me in without a single question.

 

Not the most comforable Visa-run but more than okay given the circumstances

[ubonjoe]

59 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A post containing a document in Thai with no explanation of what it is or its source and replies to it have been removed.

I have sent to management for a rough translation.

It is about those from the following countries getting 30 day extensions.

Part of translation another person sent to management.

 

I am sure England means the UK since it used by immigration in for other things.

[Nong Khai Man]

18 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Your'e tourist, go home. BA still have flights.

Why on Earth should the British Embassy help visa runners that cheat the system?

Thai are STILL Flying to Heathrow & They have 2 Flights A Day.....

[jacob29]

11 hours ago, Matzzon said:

An overstay thread? Okey, that´s easy. Overstaying in Thailand is against the Immigration law, and a person should not deliberately do that. 

 

11 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

absolutely, unless there is a reason why you cannot leave within the specified legal period you should leave, that's the law.

 

Gents, I would be in Vietnam right now if it wasn't for an abundance of caution, and not wanting to fly when I had mild symptoms that may or may not have been CV19 (congestion and stuffy nose, but I get this regularly from GERD, and it's impossible to distinguish between onset of flu or manifestation of GERD). So now I'm in a position staring at a potential overstay. Potentially I can do a border run - risk exposure to myself and others when I return, or maybe catch a flight, risking spread of the virus in much the same way. I may transmit the virus locally despite following social distancing protocols, except if I do have it, I caught it locally, arguably making it the lesser of two evils.

 

The responsible thing to do right now is use discretion. Safeguarding the health of myself and others trumps the letter of the law.

[Matzzon]

13 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

 

Gents, I would be in Vietnam right now if it wasn't for an abundance of caution, and not wanting to fly when I had mild symptoms that may or may not have been CV19 (congestion and stuffy nose, but I get this regularly from GERD, and it's impossible to distinguish between onset of flu or manifestation of GERD). So now I'm in a position staring at a potential overstay. Potentially I can do a border run - risk exposure to myself and others when I return, or maybe catch a flight, risking spread of the virus in much the same way. I may transmit the virus locally despite following social distancing protocols, except if I do have it, I caught it locally, arguably making it the lesser of two evils.

 

The responsible thing to do right now is use discretion. Safeguarding the health of myself and others trumps the letter of the law.

You could do a test. Ever considered that?

[jacob29]

15 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

You could do a test. Ever considered that?

Visited an ENT specialist (overkill, but I also wanted more general advice not specifically related to CV19 risks). He checked temperature, and said test not necessary, but to monitor my temp and visit a hospital if I develop a fever.

 

If tests were readily available (like South Korea), trust me I would have been tested just to be on the safe side. At 25k or whatever the current price is, it's apparent they're not readily available, and I think it's responsible to leave tests for cases doctors have made referrals for. The game is minimizing risks, not eliminating them.

Edited March 21, 2020 by jacob29

[jackdd]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is about those from the following countries getting 30 day extensions.

Part of translation another person sent to management.

 

I am sure England means the UK since it used by immigration in for other things.

After having a look at the original Thai document (i didn't understand everything 100% yet, so that's just my first impression) and how they wrote it (especially the part above 1 which is partially missing in this picture here), i think it does indeed mean that citizens of the countries mentioned in this document and who entered on a tourist visa or visa exempt are able to apply for consecutive tourist visa extensions without an embassy document. We will of course have to wait until at least monday before people can confirm if it worked for them.

[b4n9]

20 hours ago, theVenerable said:

Yes, I was wondering about the hotels etc.

Well I guess I'm royally ******

Just rent a room from someone, there is a lot in BKK they will never report you to immigration (have sure they will not ask your passport), just pay it in cash for 2 or 3 months in advance. I used to rent these rooms in Bangkok (minburi - close to airport) back in 2006, my guess is things didn't change much. What I mean is, there is ways, just think, internet is your friend.

I drove from Hua Hin to Chiang Rai months ago and found a cheap hotel outside the town just for sleep a few hours before drive back home, the "teenager girl" (sure she was minor or under developed body, who knows) from the bar didn't ask anything, i just paid for the room, no passport asked no nothing, I left the key of the room on the pool table before living. I just slept in this hotel because I couldn't drive anymore was very tired, would be better to sleep inside the car by the way.

 

[Mr Smithy]

22 hours ago, theVenerable said:

I'm from UK and I guess I have no valid reason not to go home.

You have answered you own qustion.

[UdonRoy]

So do we think they will apply this 30day extension to people like myself, non O visa based on marriage about to expire. I was due to go to Savannakhet next Wednesday to renew it but obviously that is impossible now. 

I have already had the 60 day extension 

[jackdd]

10 minutes ago, UdonRoy said:

So do we think they will apply this 30day extension to people like myself, non O visa based on marriage about to expire. I was due to go to Savannakhet next Wednesday to renew it but obviously that is impossible now. 

I have already had the 60 day extension 

I don't think you can just get a 30 day extension like people who entered as tourists. Unless you can get the embassy letter you would fall under point 3 in the above picture, and this sounds quite a bit special (you probably have to convince the IO why you have to stay in Thailand, why you didn't get a yearly extension before and why you don't apply for a yearly extension now, and saying that you don't have the money would probably be a bad choice)

Wait for the first reports next week, or just go to your immigration office and try it yourself, nobody here knows yet how it will turn out.

 

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, UdonRoy said:

So do we think they will apply this 30day extension to people like myself, non O visa based on marriage about to expire. I was due to go to Savannakhet next Wednesday to renew it but obviously that is impossible now. 

I have already had the 60 day extension 

If you can get a letter from you embassy, have your wife with you plus your marriage certificate and etc you should be able to get a 30 day extension.

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Thai are STILL Flying to Heathrow & They have 2 Flights A Day.....

I know, I just cancelled my family's trip.

[UdonRoy]

I am not sure I could obtain a letter from the British embassy in time. 

I guess I will just go along to Immigration on Monday morning, wife and daughter in tow, and throw myself at their mercy. 

 

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Matzzon said:

You could do a test. Ever considered that?

Any idea why, even with a negative result from a test, countries are insisting on 14-day quarantine? China has a new, more sensitive, test (still not 100% definitive) that they have started using, but it is still in limited supply in China and unavailable in any other country.

 

Even viruses known to the medical community for decades can be difficult to detect reliably, especially soon after infection. For example, when the HIV virus started spreading, the only practical test for detecting it was an antibody test that typically only became positive after 2-4 weeks. Cheap tests for latent infection with the herpes virus remain unreliable to this day.

 

There is no right or wrong answer to what people should do in the situation many find themselves in now. The most important actions to prevent spreading the virus are social distancing and frequent hand washing. Taking an international flight is an obvious breach of social distancing. I would only break laws reluctantly, but would certainly consider it as an alternative to risking the health of myself and others.

[jacob29]

57 minutes ago, UdonRoy said:

So do we think they will apply this 30day extension to people like myself, non O visa based on marriage about to expire. I was due to go to Savannakhet next Wednesday to renew it but obviously that is impossible now. 

I have already had the 60 day extension 

If you don't have to make a decision soon, I imagine once a lockdown order is enacted (assuming it comes, which is likely), I would expect further instruction from immigration at that time. The offices would presumably be closed at that time.

[UdonRoy]

I think the lock down is likely myself but unfortunately I only have until the 26th to find a solution.

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, UdonRoy said:

I am not sure I could obtain a letter from the British embassy in time. 

I guess I will just go along to Immigration on Monday morning, wife and daughter in tow, and throw myself at their mercy. 

 

Say to Immigration that going to British Embassy is too risky (most probably a wasted trip also), let us know if they show any empathy, i think they are currently torn between helping and getting bungs, hence no announcement yet about overstaying

[UdonRoy]

I will certainly do that scubascuba. I am guessing that a fair few people will be in a similar situation if this carries on as expected so hopefully my experience may bring some clarity.

Fingers crossed for Monday morning lol. 

[nemo38]

I am on a 30 day visa which runs out on April 2nd. My airline has already cancelled flights and the country I'm going to has closed the border.

 

As I understand it, I can pay for a 7 day visa extension.

 

I am sure the people in Thai immigration are nervous about a lot of potential Covid-19 carriers turning up at their office.

 

The smartest thing they could do is to say every visa is now extended until the end of April, or that they won't enforce visas on exit up to that time, and then keep extending that deadline as necessary.

 

They could also set up an online system to extend visas for this crisis.

 

Anything that limits movement limits infection.

 

Then again, this is Thailand.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, UdonRoy said:

I will certainly do that scubascuba. I am guessing that a fair few people will be in a similar situation if this carries on as expected so hopefully my experience may bring some clarity.

Fingers crossed for Monday morning lol. 

I did a panic flight to Cambodia Thursday, just got in before they cancelled VoA.

Then another panic flight back to Thailand on Friday (was going to stay a week) after they cancelled my return flight.

Didn't even have time to check out of the Cambo hotel. ($35 wasted)

 

Good for 90 days .... should be all over by then.

Ya gotta be lucky!

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, nemo38 said:

They could also set up an online system to extend visas for this crisis.

I agree, this would be the perfect time to introduce an online system for visa extensions. Upload pictures of the requisite passport pages, pay 1900 baht and they could then safely process the application at an office that doesn't receive visitors. Email back a confirmation in lieu of an extension stamp, show that along with your passport when exiting. Doable.

 

[JohnTJ]

Isn't the issue of the following caveat been discussed to death in the other thread (spoiler:  it isn't even possible for most to get this letter)?

 

"The letter must be from the embassy or consulate requesting that the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau allow the foreigner to stay in the country longer. It must name the foreigner and it must have the sentence that the foreigner ‘is unable to travel due to the COVID-19 coronvirus situation.’ It must be an actual letter, hand over with a copy of their passport at the Phuket Immigration Office during office hours."

 

[thecolonel]

**Mods feel free to move not usre in right place?**

 

I'd be interested to know if Thai Immigration will relax the max 45 day before expiry date rule for renewing a 1 year visa

This would be on the the grounds of COVID 19 and all the mass confusion and disturbance it causing, plus visitors to Thai will doubtless want to return early to take care of families back home and not be stranded. 

Im due back in 6 weeks and I really don't want to go home 'earlier' as such but I think my travel insurance company may soon say I'm no longer insured.

So hopefully Thai immigration will be flexible and allow people to renew earlier than is normally permissible due exceptional circumstances

So I'd be interested to hear of any Thai Visa renewal/stay extensions rules being relaxed/modified as a result of COVID 19

Thanks

[ThaiBunny]

For me the interesting question arises when the next couple of months is over. COVID-19 will still be widespread, planes won't be flying, etc. etc. Does the Thai Immigration office keep extending visa exempt and tourist visa limits? The UK talks about a 12-month lifespan for this virus, not a 2-month one. It's an issue for all countries, not just Thailand; they all have tourists on limited-stay visas

[Rinrada]

 

fio..COVID-19 Guide for Travelers to and in Thailand.Unable to Travel Due to COVID-19 Extension

 Mar 17, 2020  Featured, Travel  72

---

(Updated last March 20, 2020)

 

Unable to Travel Due to COVID-19 Extension

 

There is a provision (clause 2.28) in the current Immigration Order 327/2557 concerning the Extension of stays that allows immigration to give 30-day extension “based on embassy request”.

 

If you have Exhausted all possible extensions of your entry stamp, you may use this Embassy letter to extend your stay in Thailand due to travel restrictions in your country or due to the cancellation of the flight.

 

This extension is applicable to Any type of entry stamp (visa on arrival, visa exemption, tourist visa or non-immigrant visa).

 

You need to Contact your Embassy in Thailand (and ask them) if they are able to issue the Letter.

 

It is also good to note that Some Immigration offices may issue the extension Without the Embassy letter as long as you are able to show Proof of Cancellation of your flight.

 

Note: All nationalities currently holding a 60-day tourist visa can still obtain a 30-day visa extension just like before.

All nationalities under the visa exemption scheme currently holding 30-day entry stamp are still able to extend for 30 days at the local immigration office, just like before......        https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel/covid-19-guide-for-travelers-in-thailand.php

[BookShe]

I'm in Koh Samui right now. According to the authorities and the infection map there's not a single covid case in samui. Normally this news would be a great one, but I rather trust a flat earther at the moment then to the Thai authorities. So here's my story at the moment, which makes me think of overstaying. I had a Non O which expired in December 2019. I got my last 3 months stamp valid to 24th of March. I was planning to go home (Hungary) before this date, so I wasn't really looking into any other solution. About a week ago I realized that going home would be out of question so I said fine, I will go out in Ranong and come back as a tourist. Well this option is gone too. There might be a 60 day extension ( I was reading somewhere in the forums) for family members (I have a Thai wife) but I'm not sure if I can get this as most of our original docs are in Hungary. I have only copies here. We tried to get information here in samui immigration but there were hundreds of people inside a small waiting room all trying to solve their cases. Pretty smart huh? In the middle of a global meltdown due to this virus, what is the smartest thing to do? Let's squeeze hundreds of people from at least hundreds of different nations into a small room. Brilliant. I left the place in a second. So, I have two days to find a solution that doesn't put me into any greater danger than overstay. During my 8 years in Thailand I never been stopped or checked for visas. Helmet yes. Never for a visa. At the moment I'm a managing director of 3 companies with my wife, we have 30 Thai employees and at least a hundred others that are working with our contractors. We called different immigration offices to find a solution to my problems, and we explained them all the above. Not a single officer was willing to help or at least try to find a solution. They were busy and probably don't even care. Fine. On the other hand my wife received a 5 year residence permit in Europe. She can go anywhere anytime and most importantly she can stay worry free. No visa runs, no bulls... I accepted the fact that this is Thailand, things are different here. In normal times I wouldn't mind to travel every 3 months to do my visaruns. BUT! these are not normal times. I'm not saying that overstaying is the best solution, but if everything else is more difficult and put me in more danger, then so be it. I'll stay as long as I can. /

 

In the meantime: Eat well. Drink plenty. And be safe from evil. 

[Maestro]

Removed some troll posts and abusive posts and the replies to them.

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, BookShe said:

There might be a 60 day extension ( I was reading somewhere in the forums) for family members (I have a Thai wife) but I'm not sure if I can get this as most of our original docs are in Hungary. I have only copies here.

Most offices do not require the original marriage certificate when applying for a 60 day extension to visit your wife. A copy of it and copies of you wife's house book registry and ID card will be accepted.

If they wanted the original you could take a copy of it to a Amphoe and they would certify it and attach a print out of the  Kor Ror 2 marriage registry. If no copy of her house book registry was available a print out of it can be obtained at an Amphoe as well but her passport may be enough instead of it.