Immigration Is Allowing 30 Day Extensions Of Entries (memorandum dated 18/03)

[Maestro]

49 minutes ago, Tomate said:

 

I called Canadian Embassy in Bangkok, they do not give a letter. I also emailed both Canadian embassy (BKK and CM), CM told me they only provide Affidavit, BKK told me again no letter. Every Canadian that ive spoke to have same story as me. I went to Khon Kaen immigration 2 days ago... every Canadian was denied because no letter... seem like most countries give letter but no Canada. We were all mad because we all got same answer from Canadian embassy. Can you PM me ur letter? I will need that as proof to show to CM Canadian embassy. You can blur sensitive info. I want to fly to CM today to get this finally over with. My first 30 days extension finish March 28.
Thx you!
 

 

Because you cannot get the embassy letter you cannot meet all requirements of clause 2.28 of Police Order 327-2557 (2014) and this makes it a case where point 3 of the Memorandum 0029.161-W 916 comes into play.

 

Memorandum

 

 Police Order 

 

This results in the following procedure to be followed by immigration:

1. The immigration official must mark your application at the top with "a person impacted by the outbreak of respiratory contagious disease (Coronavirus 2019)" and  must  pass it on to an official equivalent to or higher than inspector, if he himself does not have such rank.
2. The  official equivalent to or higher than inspector must evaluate whether you have a valid reason for continuing to stay in Thailand and if his conclusion is positive he must forward your application to the Police Commissioner General or an authorised competent official, if he himself is not an authorised official, for further consideration. 
3. The Police Commissioner General or authorised competent official must decide whether or not to grant you the extension.

This procedure still leaves you at the mercy of immigration officials, but if your supporting documentation proves your necessity for this extension the text of the Memorandum gives them no leeway to deny the extension.

 

[Maestro]

@BigJ, thank you for the copy of the embassy letter. I saved it in the PNG image format and inserted into your post.

[Tomate]

25 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

Because you cannot get the embassy letter you cannot meet all requirements of clause 2.28 of Police Order 327-2557 (2014) and this makes it a case where point 3 of the Memorandum 0029.161-W 916 comes into play.

 

Memorandum

 

 Police Order 

 

This results in the following procedure to be followed by immigration:

1. The immigration official must mark your application at the top with "a person impacted by the outbreak of respiratory contagious disease (Coronavirus 2019)" and  must  pass it on to an official equivalent to or higher than inspector, if he himself does not have such rank.
2. The  official equivalent to or higher than inspector must evaluate whether you have a valid reason for continuing to stay in Thailand and if his conclusion is positive he must forward your application to the Police Commissioner General or an authorised competent official, if he himself is not an authorised official, for further consideration. 
3. The Police Commissioner General or authorised competent official must decide whether or not to grant you the extension.

This procedure still leaves you at the mercy of immigration officials, but if your supporting documentation proves your necessity for this extension the text of the Memorandum gives them no leeway to deny the extension.

 

•  

25 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

 

That Memorandum letter doesnt work in Khon Kaen, I had it and got denied. IO came back with the Thai version of the letter and the English one is a poor translation. My Thai GF back home confirmed to me that its a terrible translation.

 

Everyone in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Udon also got denied with that Memorandum. If there one embassy that accept it I will fly there but so far no luck. IO even told me he want to give me extension but he would get in trouble because hes supposed to keep every letter.
 

 

[PST]

7 hours ago, Detty said:

Who can help me. My current situation is as follows:
My stay ends on April 10th, 2020. My non-immigration visa "O" expired in mid-January. Got 90 days before. Flight was planned for April 6, 2020, but airline canceled the flight, rebooked for April 25, 2020. I was already looking forward to the memorandum of March 18. to get an extension. Visited immigration to Ubon Ratchathani today, but the memorandum was not known. I received the recommendation to do a border run to Laos and to return with a normal tourist entry confirmation (Visa on Arrival / Visa Exemption) for 30 days. In the meantime, all borders to Thailand are closed, which means that I could not enter Thailand after a border run.  I understand the current situation like this.

It must be possible without overstay until April 25th. to be able to stay? I look forward to an answer with maybe a solution. Thank you very much.

Detty from Ubon Ratchathani 

You can get a 60 day extension of any non o 90 day entry based on visiting your thai wife/child. This is a standard extension, nothing to do with covid.

[alw22]

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?

[Mosha]

I have about 6 weeks left on this 90 days. Visa valid until November.  As the borders are now closed, can I get a 60 day extension on this 90 days?

[jackdd]

4 hours ago, Tomate said:

That Memorandum letter doesnt work in Khon Kaen, I had it and got denied. IO came back with the Thai version of the letter and the English one is a poor translation. My Thai GF back home confirmed to me that its a terrible translation.

The translation is actually quite good, there are way worse translations of documents floating arround here on Thaivisa.

 

4 hours ago, Tomate said:

IO even told me he want to give me extension but he would get in trouble because hes supposed to keep every letter.

If the IO really wanted to give you an extension:

1. If the IO has a rank of inspector or higher: He could have accepted your application and given you an under consideration stamp.

2. If the IO has a lower rank: He could have asked one of his colleauges who have a high enoug rank to consider your application, which would then lead to point 1.

I guess he didn't do this, so he didn't want to give you an extension, he just tried to look like the nice guy while trying to get rid of you as fast as possible.

 

4 hours ago, Maestro said:

This procedure still leaves you at the mercy of immigration officials, but if your supporting documentation proves your necessity for this extension the text of the Memorandum gives them no leeway to deny the extension.

1. An IO has no legal obligation to follow this memorandum.

2. He can always say that whatever documentation you show to him is not enough.

[ubonjoe]

56 minutes 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?

Immigration offices are still open. They will not be closing due to the emergency decree.

[ubonjoe]

44 minutes ago, Mosha said:

I have about 6 weeks left on this 90 days. Visa valid until November.  As the borders are now closed, can I get a 60 day extension on this 90 days?

If married to or the parent of a Thai you can apply for a 60 day extension to visit them.

If not then the most you can get is 30 days.

[UdonRoy]

Thank you MrBiker and BigJ, most grateful.????

 

And just to backup what has already been posted, please don't go to immigration expecting to get an extension based on Clause 3 of the police directive. It is as if that does not exist so have the letter or get refused.

Edited March 26, 2020 by UdonRoy

[MrBiker]

For the Canadian citizens that are confused. Our Embassy or Consulate doesn't have a typed out official letter like you are seeing people post here from other countries. Instead you yourself write out a request to the Thai immigration explaining why you cannot leave Thailand, the Embassy then will notarize this request by putting an official stamp on it. They call this an affidavit. 

 

 

[time2093]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If married to or the parent of a Thai you can apply for a 60 day extension to visit them.

If not then the most you can get is 30 days.

Thanks for clearing that up Joe, but the big worrying question is once that 60 day extension ends and if things dont a approve with boarders still closed then what?...Can we get a further 30 day extension with embassy letter?

[PST]

2 minutes ago, time2093 said:

Thanks for clearing that up Joe, but the big worrying question is once that 60 day extension ends and if things dont a approve with boarders still closed then what?...Can we get a further 30 day extension with embassy letter?

Yes, or make plans now to extend for a full year

[audaciousnomad]

7 minutes ago, PST said:

Yes, or make plans now to extend for a full year

They would allow a full year of extensions ???

[Peter Denis]

2 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

They would allow a full year of extensions ???

Only if you are on a Non Imm O Visa or extension, and meet the requirements.  

So if you do not have such a Visa yet, the first step would be to apply for it.

 

[PST]

8 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

They would allow a full year of extensions ???

The years extension is nothing to to with Covid-19, it's a standard extension of your current non o permisiion to stay. Either 400k transferred into a thai bank untouched for 2 months before application, or if using the monthly income method, two or three monthly 40k transfers before application. Then also the neccessary paperwork that goes with it.

[DFM75]

As a French citizen, I just found that a letter request form on the embassy website, which they did not issue until then.
They also advise not to go to any public places nor go directly to the embassy and will send the letter by email.

It took some time but they act pretty well finally. I was told by them 3 days ago not to rush at the immigration office as the situation will evolve quickly.
I guess it will some time to get my letter.
As the immigration office is closed on weekends I will be on overstay anyway, and flying to France or going to the immigration office is like choosing between Plague or Cholera. I will stockpile Singha and relax.
Any flights out of here are now damn expensive whatever the destination is five time the price.

Edited March 26, 2020 by DFM75

[Peter Denis]

35 minutes ago, DFM75 said:

As a French citizen, I just found that a letter request form on the embassy website, which they did not issue until then.
They also advise not to go to any public places nor go directly to the embassy and will send the letter by email.

It took some time but they act pretty well finally. I was told by them 3 days ago not to rush at the immigration office as the situation will evolve quickly.
I guess it will some time to get my letter.
As the immigration office is closed on weekends I will be on overstay anyway, and flying to France or going to the immigration office is like choosing between Plague or Cholera. I will stockpile Singha and relax.
Any flights out of here are now damn expensive whatever the destination is five time the price.

I hope for you that the e-mail letter is in PDF-format so that you can make a colour out-print and claim that it is an 'original' letter.

And also that it contains your name and passport-number.

Numerous reports of people applying with a non-original personalized letter that were denied their extension (or only being provided the normal 7 days to allow you to leave the country).

Try to limit your overstay-days as much as possible (it's not so much about the 500 THB per overstay-day, but the negative impact it will have on any later immigration decisions where some 'interpretation' by the officer is involved).

 

[DFM75]

1 minute ago, Peter Denis said:

I hope for you that the e-mail letter is in PDF-format so that you can make a colour out-print and claim that it is an 'original' letter.

And also that it contains your name and passport-number.

Numerous reports of people applying with a non-original personalized letter that were denied their extension (or only being provided the normal 7 days to allow you to leave the country).

Try to limit your overstay-days as much as possible (it's not so much about the 500 THB per overstay-day, but the negative impact it will have on any later immigration decisions where some 'interpretation' by the officer is involved).

 

yes, personalized letter in PDF, thanks for the advice.
But anyway, they already want to limit access to the immigration office in Chaengwattana, and they will have to set up new ways to deal with the visas.
I would be not surprised there will be a 24h curfew soon or some immigration officer infected from monday, given the spread.
Wait and see, none of the options I have are optimal, and even in a 7 days span I'm not sure I can get a flight I can afford. And to go where ?
And to infect which else country if I catch it while travelling ?
If i'm banned from this country for a while but don't fell sick, no problem, I think I will be welcome anywhere else when the economy will tank out.

[vermin on arrival]

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.

[vermin on arrival]

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.

[vermin on arrival]

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.

[vermin on arrival]

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.

[audaciousnomad]

 

12 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

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.

I tried to read that form several times. The translation is very poor and I wonder if anyone can clarify. It makes no mention of what precisely the penalty is...merely that the permission to stay shall end under several conditions.
Edit: I re-read it. I think it's a cover-themselves form so that they can ensure no one was under the impression that Covid-19 protects them from the usual overstay bans. E.g. 90+days = 1 year ban, etc.
If they extend someone, and they get stuck here for half a year(due to extended lockdown/border-closure/no flights/end-of-the-world).....they have no recourse since they signed this form that they understood the penalties involved.

Edited March 26, 2020 by audaciousnomad

[meherbaba]

On the 24th I extended my 30 day stamp at chachoengsao IO.

 

However I think the officer did not understand the memorandum very well and thought that since I am from Spain (a country on the list) I need a letter from my embassy no matter what.

 

I had to insist a lot, and said that since it's my first extension there shouldn't be a problem, that the letter is not mandatory.

 

So beware, maybe bring a copy of the memorandum in english to show them and know your rights very well in case they make any trouble.

 

blessings

[UdonRoy]

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT

 

I have just been told that immigration have just had a meeting and from tomorrow everyone with a letter will be given 90 days. 

I do not know if they will still charge but I would assume they will. 

I was also told that this damn letter will be issued to people no matter what type of visa you hold. 

I hope this is announced officially in the next couple of hours as it would certainly ease a few people's stress levels. 

Oh, how long is the British embassy taking to supply the letter please. 

[audaciousnomad]

3 minutes ago, UdonRoy said:

IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT

 

I have just been told that immigration have just had a meeting and from tomorrow everyone with a letter will be given 90 days. 

I do not know if they will still charge but I would assume they will. 

I was also told that this damn letter will be issued to people no matter what type of visa you hold. 

I hope this is announced officially in the next couple of hours as it would certainly ease a few people's stress levels. 

Oh, how long is the British embassy taking to supply the letter please. 

That's good news if official. Were you told verbally by one of the folks in a brown uniform / yellow polo shirt?

[Isaan Alan]

On 3/22/2020 at 2:40 PM, Number 6 said:

If they were smart they'd say everyone that has a valid visa from March 10 that is still in the country can remain. Do not come to Immigration we don't want to get sick.

 

Same with O/B visas just postpone it all 90 days and revisit.

 

Next we'll hear immigration can't process visa because everyone is ill.

Agree but no money in that for the government

 

[UdonRoy]

8 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

That's good news if official. Were you told verbally by one of the folks in a brown uniform / yellow polo shirt?

Something like that 555

[audaciousnomad]

 

7 minutes ago, Isaan Alan said:

Agree but no money in that for the government

 

It doesn't have to be that way.  They could do 90-days but charge 5700(1900x3).  I'd pay it just to not have to get stressed every 3 weeks.  Right now, breathing room makes a lot of difference for those of us here on temporary stays.