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

[greggraham]

Brief report of my experience in Hat Yai Immi this morning;

 

Me: British passport, with the embassy letter. Came in on 60 day Tourist Visa on Jan 3rd, extended +30 last month, extension due to expire April 1st.

 

Think we were the first people in HDY to come in since the memo last week, a lot of things seemed to be improvised as they tried to help us. My partner used to work for a language school doing visa stuff so knew many of the staff there, but this didn't really seem to be advantageous (as it shouldn't). She had to help them translate "I certify this letter is from the British Embassy" which we had to write and sign on the embassy letter form, and print out the email from the embassy too. Two copies of everything, one remaining in HDY and the other being sent to Bangkok to be checked.

 

Anyway, nice staff in there, but it took time, and in the end got a "under consideration" stamp which runs until April 16th (3 weeks today). On this day we will get another stamp for the remainder of the 30 days (apparently), which should take me to May 1st. Or, if this 90 day thing is true, hopefully that instead. They also said if we can keep getting new letters from the embassy we can keep extending. 

 

Think that's the highlights anyway. Hopefully helpful to some. 

[UdonRoy]

3 minutes ago, greggraham said:

They also said if we can keep getting new letters from the embassy we can keep extending. 

 

Yes it was mentioned that a new letter will be required for each new extension should the situation continue. 

[bestie]

1 minute ago, UdonRoy said:

Yes it was mentioned that a new letter will be required for each new extension should the situation continue. 

I think is way to early If my visa expires in 60days, and I request this letter now from my embassy? ????  sorry, I like to be prepared.  

[audaciousnomad]

3 minutes ago, bestie said:

I think is way to early If my visa expires in 60days, and I request this letter now from my embassy? ????  sorry, I like to be prepared.  

Request it anyway. Better to be prepared and end up not needing it....rather than needing it, and end up not being able to get it. A lot can change even in a matter of days. 

[jackdd]

2 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Request it anyway. Better to be prepared and end up not needing it....rather than needing it, and end up not being able to get it. A lot can change even in a matter of days. 

Sure, just flood them with unnecessary requests, so the people who really need them can't be processed in time. Don't forget to buy 20 packs of toilet paper while you are at it.

 

6 minutes ago, bestie said:

I think is way to early If my visa expires in 60days, and I request this letter now from my embassy? ????  sorry, I like to be prepared.  

Just wait until you are due, immigration will most likely not accept a letter which is older than a few weeks anyway, so you would just waste the time of the embassy staff.

[bestie]

7 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Request it anyway. Better to be prepared and end up not needing it....rather than needing it, and end up not being able to get it. A lot can change even in a matter of days. 

Thank you very much for your advice.

 

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

 

 

Just wait until you are due, immigration will most likely not accept a letter which is older than a few weeks anyway, so you would just waste the time of the embassy staff.

 

That's what I thought too if the date on the letter is over 1-2 Month old it's possible they will not accepting it. hmmm... Maybe I should wait to end of April.

I'm sorry but nobody wants to get in trouble and who knows what happens next. 

[Terry B]

1 hour 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. 

Bro, that is the best news i have heard in days - if not weeks! When this is all over, please let me buy you a ????!!

[jackdd]

39 minutes ago, Terry B said:

Bro, that is the best news i have heard in days - if not weeks! When this is all over, please let me buy you a ????!!

Currently this is just hearsay, don't be too disappointed if it doesn't become reality ????

[Detty]

14 hours ago, Maestro said:

Do you have the letter from your embassy certifying that you have an emergency.

 

Your immigration official official does not even need the Memorandum. You apply for a 30-day extension of stay under clause 2.28 of Police Order 327-2557 (2014) with the embassy letter and and documents proving your necessity, which in your case are the information from your airline about the cancellation of your flight on 6 April and the re-booking for 25 April.

Thanks for the quick reply and important information. So I definitely need a letter from the embassy or consulate. In the meantime I have contacted the honorary consulate in Pattaya via email, described my situation and asked for a certificate to extend the visa. Now have to wait and see what happens. I hope the certificate comes soon.
For the rest, I come from Germany.

[UdonRoy]

19 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Currently this is just hearsay, don't be too disappointed if it doesn't become reality ????

You are of course correct and it is entirely possible I have been misinformed. Although due to the circumstances in which I was told I am quietly confident that the information is correct. I hope it is anyway or I am going to look like a right tit!!!  ????????????

[alw22]

Failed to get a 2nd 30 day extension for a visa exemption today at the Trat Immigration office even with personalized embassylletter. They want an additional TM30 form filled out by your hotel owner including photographs of the hotel and the owner to appear in person at the immigration office for "interrogation".  That's ridiculous.  I'm staying on an island hours away.  There's no way the owner would be able to travel for that.  I'm just going to overstay.

Edited March 26, 2020 by alw22

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, alw22 said:

Failed to get a 2nd 30 day extension for a visa exemption today at the Trat Immigration office.  They want an additional TM30 form filled out by your hotel owner including photographs of the hotel and the owner to appear in person at the immigration office for "interrogation".  That's ridiculous.  I'm staying on an island hours away.  There's no way the owner would be able to travel for that.  I'm just going to overstay.

I suspect the owner has not registered to do the online TM30 reporting of their guests.

Maybe show them this  site for doing the registration. https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn24online/

[Peter Denis]

8 minutes ago, alw22 said:

Failed to get a 2nd 30 day extension for a visa exemption today at the Trat Immigration office even with personalized embassylletter. They want an additional TM30 form filled out by your hotel owner including photographs of the hotel and the owner to appear in person at the immigration office for "interrogation".  That's ridiculous.  I'm staying on an island hours away.  There's no way the owner would be able to travel for that.  I'm just going to overstay.

A suggestion > Instead of going back, could you not check in to an Hotel near-by and ask them for a print-out of the TM30-notification they make, and then return tomorrow morning to Trat IO for your extension?

[alw22]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I suspect the owner has not registered to do the online TM30 reporting of their guests.

Maybe show them this  site for doing the registration. https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn24online/

Hmm I'll ask them about it, but the immigration office didn't check any registration info, just immediately handed me a paper tm30 form and a long list of required documents and said it can't be done today.

[Detty]

7 hours ago, PST said:

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.

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, that's right, but that's not true for me, no wife, no child.

[Peter Denis]

1 minute ago, alw22 said:

Hmm I'll ask them about it, but the immigration office didn't check any registration info, just immediately handed me a paper tm30 form and a long list of required documents and said it can't be done today.

See my suggestion #584.

Doing so you would be in compliance with TM30, and the fact that they want to see the island hotel-owner has nothing to do with your extension application.

[timoti]

I also just talked to an agent in the Canadian embassy, first he told me we don't give letters unlike other embassies like British embassy. He said you can get 7 day extension and then book a flight to go home.

 

Then he said actually you can get a letter ????

 

He said you need to come with your passport and fill out a form stating the reason why you want to stay, and then they could issue you a letter.

 

Are there still busses from pattaya to BKK? I called this company:

http://pattayabus.com/V2/en/from-pattaya/

 

and they say in automated call, that they have busses from 4:30, but no one picked up, and google shows no upcoming departures. Are they still providing busses these times? If not how can I go to BKK?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Bell1234]

13 minutes ago, timoti said:

I also just talked to an agent in the Canadian embassy, first he told me we don't give letters unlike other embassies like British embassy. He said you can get 7 day extension and then book a flight to go home.

 

Then he said actually you can get a letter ????

 

He said you need to come with your passport and fill out a form stating the reason why you want to stay, and then they could issue you a letter.

 

Are there still busses from pattaya to BKK? I called this company:

http://pattayabus.com/V2/en/from-pattaya/

 

and they say in automated call, that they have busses from 4:30, but no one picked up, and google shows no upcoming departures. Are they still providing busses these times? If not how can I go to BKK?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

No buses til the End of April unless you already have a reserved ticket.

[timoti]

1 minute ago, Bell1234 said:

No buses til the End of April unless you already have a reserved ticket.

That's strange then don't know why the thai agents insist i go to bangkok and get this letter.

 

Also I emailed that above bus company he just replied, they do have busses. I am checking what time they offer still.

[BangkokReady]

What is the general consensus re what to write in the "reason(s) for extension" section of the TM7?

 

I have previously just written "tourism", but I assume we have to say that our travel plans are affected by coronavirus and it is unsafe to travel.  Anything else?

[greggraham]

1 minute ago, BangkokReady said:

What is the general consensus re what to write in the "reason(s) for extension" section of the TM7?

 

I have previously just written "tourism", but I assume we have to say that our travel plans are affected by coronavirus and it is unsafe to travel.  Anything else?

I just wrote "COVID-19 situation" 

[Peter Denis]

23 minutes ago, timoti said:

...

He said you need to come with your passport and fill out a form stating the reason why you want to stay, and then they could issue you a letter.

Well, that's not what I read in another thread by a canadian, who wrote that you had to compose the letter yourself mentioning your name, passport and reason why you cannot leave the country (Covid-19 situation), and that they would simply put the canadian embassy stamp on that letter.

Why they would force you to travel to Bangkok to get that stamp in person, instead of doing it by e-mail, God knows...

[timoti]

14 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Well, that's not what I read in another thread by a canadian, who wrote that you had to compose the letter yourself mentioning your name, passport and reason why you cannot leave the country (Covid-19 situation), and that they would simply put the canadian embassy stamp on that letter.

Why they would force you to travel to Bangkok to get that stamp in person, instead of doing it by e-mail, God knows...

 

Yes I know, that's why it's confusing and the agent first told me they could get me an affidavit and that according to them thai imm doesn't accept it, and I have to pay for it. That's when he asked if I want him to check the cost, then he said after holding for a moment:

 

"good news", we can give you a letter, etc. But then I said I will have to come to bkk and risk infection, etc can they email, etc, they said they cannot. Because he said I have to fill a form here.

 

I assume they are "evolving" as time goes so now they simplify it a bit by having a form rather than a document to notarize? But even then both requires going there which is an issue as they are open from 9-12 (noon).

[Peter Denis]

With such flimsy change-on-the-spot answers, I think you are talking to a lower-rank clerk at the embassy, requesting to talk to the person in charge of Visa-issues might increase your chances to get at least a clear response.  Insisting that cross-country travel just to pick up a document is not a very responsible approach to protect canadian citizens might also have some effect.

[timoti]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

With such flimsy change-on-the-spot answers, I think you are talking to a lower-rank clerk at the embassy, requesting to talk to the person in charge of Visa-issues might increase your chances to get at least a clear response.  Insisting that cross-country travel just to pick up a document is not a very responsible approach to protect canadian citizens might also have some effect.

Yes I agree, but given all these uncertainties, only a few days to get this done and the likelyhood that whatever happens we will still be responsible for overstay, etc, I will have to go to bangkok tomorrow.

 

So far I think there is no canadian that was able to acquire this letter via email.

[vermin on arrival]

42 minutes ago, timoti said:

Yes I agree, but given all these uncertainties, only a few days to get this done and the likelyhood that whatever happens we will still be responsible for overstay, etc, I will have to go to bangkok tomorrow.

 

So far I think there is no canadian that was able to acquire this letter via email.

Wow US Embassy actually responded better...and I am very sorry to hear that. I wish you all the best in getting this sorted safely and in a timely fashion.

[TamadeYao]

1 hour ago, timoti said:

Yes I agree, but given all these uncertainties, only a few days to get this done and the likelyhood that whatever happens we will still be responsible for overstay, etc, I will have to go to bangkok tomorrow.

 

So far I think there is no canadian that was able to acquire this letter via email.

Wish you good luck tomorrow timoti.  I'm a Canadian stuck here too.  Just extended my Visa a few days ago after a Visa Run last month.  Looks like I'll have to brave a run down to Bangkok in the next few weeks if things don't change.  Smacking myself now for not doing a second Visa Run before all the boarders go locked up.  

[Tomate]

Same situation... im Canadian and try all week to reason over phone and email with BKK Embassy. They are clueless.

 

3 foreigners this week told me that they give Affidavit in CM Canadian Consulate and that IO in CM have accepted it for 2nd extension. Need to be in person not email.

 

Currently driving to Khon Kaen airport. Only 500 baht to fly to CM. I booked a hotel in CM 2 min walk from Canadian Consulate.

 

I will update more tomorrow.

 

[Tomate]

9 minutes ago, TamadeYao said:

Wish you good luck tomorrow timoti.  I'm a Canadian stuck here too.  Just extended my Visa a few days ago after a Visa Run last month.  Looks like I'll have to brave a run down to Bangkok in the next few weeks if things don't change.  Smacking myself now for not doing a second Visa Run before all the boarders go locked up.  

 

Im 99% sure that within 10 days they will say something major about Visas extension, just like Cambodia did today (everyone automatic extension until June).

[greggraham]

The fact people that have been given a stamp all got "pending" does suggest maybe they're working out how much of an extension to give us?