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

[Zikomat]

21 minutes ago, bangkokboy888 said:

Result: DENIED and given seven days extension. ????
 

came in on visa exempt stamp. And extended one time already. Came with original poster letter and also generic USA embassy from other poster. 
 

immigration official insisted the letter need my name and that I need to pay the embassy money to crate it. 
 

I showed her the unavailable appointment slots printed out from USA embassy website. She said it was not her business. I told her I could not get an appointment and and there are no walk ins. Fell on dear ears. 
 

there was a young American girl with the same letter and email correspondence from embassy (I didn’t have email correspondence) and she was denied too. Perhaps because they seem to have an argument (I could hear them from the sitting area) the young American girl did not get even seven days. 
 

as I was waiting for my passport and extra seven days an elderly gentlemen also came in with the same letter. 
 

the immigration officer repeated her story and insisted we all needed this letter. This was in the “K” section the section for visa exempt arrival extensions. 
 

I saw two other people with the letter get rejected. Not looking good. 
 

at least seven days puts me past Malaysia lock down? What are my options for visa runs on April 5?

 

what a headache.  

Same story here at Jomtien immigration today. Was on tourist visa, extended it for 30 days on 19.02. Waited in the long line with hundreds of people. Refused extension - letter from embassy needed (to be honest - did not expect anything else from these awful people). Got 7 days extension only - for 1900 baht. Let’s hope Thailand gets totally shut down during this week so they will have no choice but to extend my stay. 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Zikomat

[Grusa]

So. are they still  going to charge 1900 for each extension, and 500 per day for overstay? And evidence of address or TM28/30, as they just did for my Spanish student refugee from China?

[stephen tracy]

13 hours ago, Zikomat said:

Same story here at Jomtien immigration today. Was on tourist visa, extended it for 30 days on 19.02. Waited in the long line with hundreds of people. Refused extension - letter from embassy needed (to be honest - did not expect something else from these awful people).Got 7 days extension only. Let’s hope Thailand gets totally shut down during this week so they will have no choice but to extend my stay. 

They'll still probably charge everyone. It wouldn't surprise me even they upped the daily overstay fine to 1000/day

[aldriglikvid]

Extremely upsetting that Jomtien Immigration seems so stubborn here. Hearing from fellow country men that extensions are not a problem in Phuket and other Immigration points. 

You that know: would it be possible for me to check in in a hotell in phuket for ~3 days and make the extension there? Not optimal, but would it work? 

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, PST said:

IMO if you have the option under your normal visa conditions to extend either by 60 days due to not being able to do a borders run, they do that, or extend for a year. Those options are available anyway regardless of the situation with COVID

The 60 day extension is a — one time per entry — extension available for any visa type to visit a Thai spouse or child. Nothing to do with border runs.

[Zikomat]

3 minutes ago, aldriglikvid said:

Extremely upsetting that Jomtien Immigration seems so stubborn here. Hearing from fellow country men that extensions are not a problem in Phuket and other Immigration points. 

You that know: would it be possible for me to check in in a hotell in phuket for ~3 days and make the extension there? Not optimal, but would it work? 

It may work. In case they don’t ask for the embassy letters there.

[aldriglikvid]

1 minute ago, Zikomat said:

It may work. In case they don’t ask for the embassy letters there.

I have the embassy letter but not in color. My letter was stamped and e-mailed to me, since that was OK according to my embassy. I dont want to "chance" going to Jomtien Immigration getting a 7 day visa just because it's not in Technicolor. 

But seriously, give this one week more and hopefully they have realized better. 

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, bamboozled said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, somebody, please... The max fine for overstay is 20,000 baht, is it not? And that includes being put on the blacklist which means you cannot enter Thailand for the next 5 or 10 years? Does it include any kind of jail time or similar restriction of personal freedom? Or do you pay the 20,000 baht fine, get the blacklist stamp in your passport, and fly off to your home country waving goodbye to Thailand for the foreseeable future?

If you get caught on overstay you can be arrested, prosecuted through the court and held in the International Detention Centre indefinitely until you have a flight home.
 

Not recommended!

 

Your scenario only works if you make it to the airport at which point they let you out — possibly with a ban — as long as you can pay the 20k fine.

Edited March 23, 2020 by elviajero

[Galomir]

12 minutes ago, Zikomat said:

 Let’s hope Thailand gets totally shut down during this week so they will have no choice but to extend my stay. 

I would bet on it. No clue if my info holds any truth, but my Thai GF just texted me that somebody she knows from a "news Thai office" just called her to warn that gov will announce an emergency act for 5months for people to stay home. I'm confused right now. 

 

Like everyone here I will have to chill out and wait how this develop over the next days. Too early for me to apply for extension, and my flight is on 11th. Uncertainty rules for now. 

 

Wishing best luck to all to hit on a lenient IO

[flinc2020]

22 hours ago, vermin on arrival said:

I think Nonthaburi is only for people residing in that district. I wanted to use it a year or two ago and a friend of mine said it was not possible.

You have to go to the Immigration Office that covers the area where you are residing. I found this out the hard way after being sent to CW by my landlord to do the TM 28/TM30, queued for 2 hours only to be told my address was Nonthaburi so i had to go hunt in the swamps for the new Nonthaburi Immigration Office (not the easiest place to find or get to.). So whatever address you are entering on the forms decides the office you can use.

[superatoz]

what if i am on a NON IMM O visa ? I went down to the immigration office and they told me to renew for 1 year <deleted> ? 

 

 

Im holding a Singapore Passport 

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

OK. I didn't know that rule. Same for SE? 

I currently have a non OA with no re-entry permit, and planned to let it expire and then apply for non O using tourist visa. 

I was going to wait until OA has less than 30 days remaining, then do single day out/in border crossing and return visa exempt to buy time for non O application process. 

 

I don't want to return to USA right now thru 4 international airports, etc. But if I can't cross land borders I'm out of luck. 

 

Are you saying I could get a 60 day extension of my OA Permission to Stay which expires May 22?

 

If true that would allow me to wait until July 22 to do a border run or a return to USA after (hopefully) the virus scare has diminished. 

 

Thanks for the suggestion PST. 

You could potentially get the 60 day extension but only if you are the spouse or parent of a Thai.

[audaciousnomad]

2 minutes ago, Galomir said:

I would bet on it. No clue if my info holds any truth, but my Thai GF just texted me that somebody she knows from a "news Thai office" just called her to warn that gov will announce an emergency act for 5months for people to stay home. I'm confused right now. 

 

Like everyone here I will have to chill out and wait how this develop over the next days. Too early for me to apply for extension, and my flight is on 11th. Uncertainty rules for now. 

 

Wishing best luck to all to hit on a lenient IO

Most likely it's similar to the mandatory "Shelter In Place" lockdowns happening all around the world, especially in Western countries.  They tried to appeal to people's intelligence by recommending they distance themselves, don't travel back home to provinces, etc. But at the end of the day, people will be people. So...that's when they have to start making it enforceable rather than just "recommended".

[justin case]

4 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Most likely it's similar to the mandatory "Shelter In Place" lockdowns happening all around the world, especially in Western countries.  They tried to appeal to people's intelligence by recommending they distance themselves, don't travel back home to provinces, etc. But at the end of the day, people will be people. So...that's when they have to start making it enforceable rather than just "recommended".

an I would love to do that, but for us farangs, go into an overcrowed place with potentially virus infected people, even they have no symptoms

 

but hey, TIT ... common sense is not a word in their dictionary or brain

[bestie]

13 minutes ago, Galomir said:

I would bet on it. No clue if my info holds any truth, but my Thai GF just texted me that somebody she knows from a "news Thai office" just called her to warn that gov will announce an emergency act for 5months for people to stay home. I'm confused right now. 

 

Like everyone here I will have to chill out and wait how this develop over the next days. Too early for me to apply for extension, and my flight is on 11th. Uncertainty rules for now. 

 

Wishing best luck to all to hit on a lenient IO

If they denying all the people to get their extension at the immigration even with the embassy letter. It could be possible.

Yes, it makes no sense to hurry to any immigration office if you don't have to right now. Wait a few days. 

Edited March 23, 2020 by bestie

[PST]

22 minutes ago, elviajero said:

The 60 day extension is a — one time per entry — extension available for any visa type to visit a Thai spouse or child. Nothing to do with border runs.

never said it was, but on this occasion a 60 day extension could be used if you cant do a border run on a NON O

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Zikomat said:

Less than 90 days overstay is the best option at the moment. Stay home most of the time and the chances to get caught are close to zero.

Just got back from Jomtien immigration. Hundreds packed in a small place. I was standing 40 minutes in line with people all around me. What a barbaric country.
To add injury to insult I was refused an extension without embassy letter. They put me through the high risk of getting the virus and then just told me to <deleted> off. Isn’t it great?
 

No it’s not!

 

Getting attested and locked up in the IDC is the last thing anyone should plan for; that doesn’t want COVID-19.

[yayo]

1 hour ago, richiejom said:

Im wearing my p100 filter mask to i/o, do you think I'll have any problems except people unaware of how contagious it is staring/sniggering?

 

But you know that a mask like this wont do the job or? Droplet infection also works over the eyes ^^ Masks help that you do not infect anyone but offer you limited protection against infection so better go for a full gas mask would like to see people with them at 40 degrees ^^ 

[superatoz]

15 minutes ago, justin case said:

sorry to hear the refusals ...

 

last year, Samut Prakarn, child with me, both in tears, begging for mercy to help with visa....was divorcing, they gave me 1x 60 day, went back after 60, asked for EXTENSION of stay based of begin father of Thai child :  DENIED and told to go buy ELITE or LEAVE THE COUNTRY !!!!

 

I said: my child has nobody ELSE in Thailand, as family is piece of trash and no interest....

 

NOT THEIR PROBLEM

 

that is why I am so cynical and avoided IO the rest of 12 months, but now with CORONA, they still are a big piece of PSYCHOTIC ... 

 

time is running out, borders closed or impossible request as NO COVID LAB TEST + 100k$ insurance (SCAM)

 

feel bad for you man .... I have to leave my wife though i dont have any kids yet ... 

hope u can figure something out ... malaysia is opening on 31st March ...

 

is yr visa valid till then ?  I went to the IO , felt like <deleted> the way they treating people there ... 

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Zikomat said:

The risk of catching the virus in the overcrowded immigration is definitely higher than being caught on overstay. And the consequences are incomparable too.

The opposite of everything you’ve written is true.

 

Being locked in a room in the IDC 24/7 with many others puts you at far greater risk than a visit to an immigration office! Are you aware of the conditions at the IDC?

 

Advising/suggesting people should overstay is very bad advice. Leave the country or apply for an extension!

[superatoz]

Just now, elviajero said:

The opposite of everything you’ve written is true.

 

Being locked in a room in the IDC 24/7 with many others puts you at far greater risk than a visit to an immigration office! Are you aware of the conditions at the IDC?

 

Advising/suggesting people should overstay is very bad advice. Leave the country or apply for an extension!

is it possible to apply for an extension with non imm O visa ? marriaage visa . 

 

2 hours ago i went to the IO , they said i cant ,and i need to apply a new visa. 

[richiejom]

2 minutes ago, yayo said:

But you know that a mask like this wont do the job or? Droplet infection also works over the eyes ^^ Masks help that you do not infect anyone but offer you limited protection against infection so better go for a full gas mask would like to see people with them at 40 degrees ^^ 

Its a organic vapor particulate filter, it blocks covid 19 microns......  its N100.. (100%) unlike N95.  I have goggles for eyes

 

 

[jacob29]

2 minutes ago, elviajero said:

No it’s not!

 

Getting attested and locked up in the IDC is the last thing anyone should plan for; that doesn’t want COVID-19.

It's far from ideal, but when you're choosing between guaranteed moderate risk of exposure on a flight, and uncertain (arguably very low) chance of ending up at IDC, there's not a clear answer.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, richiejom said:

Im wearing my p100 filter mask to i/o, do you think I'll have any problems except people unaware of how contagious it is staring/sniggering?

 

Lol. Pointless unless you wear — at least — goggles and gloves too!

[Chicagoan]

So you have 12 months overstay right now?

[artiz]

Any chance we can stick to the visa issues everyone... please!

 

[PST]

6 minutes ago, superatoz said:

is it possible to apply for an extension with non imm O visa ? marriaage visa . 

 

2 hours ago i went to the IO , they said i cant ,and i need to apply a new visa. 

You can apply for a 60 day extension of any 90 day entry from a NON O visa based on visiting your Thai wife or child. This has nothing to do with COVID.

Edited March 23, 2020 by PST

[marquis22]

My SE tourist visa expires April 15 when I had a flight back to Australia. I changed that flight to March 28 last Thursday but today I have an email from Jetstar saying the flight is cancelled and they cannot give me another flight. They just give out a voucher to be reused etc. I am living in Lampang, I have never gone for an extension from immigration before. Do I now need to go to CM in a crowded bus to get the 30 day extension? Sure hope I do not have to go to Bkk to get a Aus embassy letter beforehand.

[UdonRoy]

40 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

 

So an Immigration Officer advised you to overstay?  I'm not calling you a liar....but it would be unusual that an officer responsible for keeping illegal stayers out of Thailand would actually advise one to do so.

I was rather taken aback myself but I can assure you it's true. I probably inadvisably stood up and asked directly "so you an immigration officer are telling me to overstay?"

He just handed me my passport back and walked away!

 

[vermin on arrival]

To all Americans reading this thread: I just called the embassy and they asked for me to send a copy of my bio data page and they will write personal letters. I don't know if this will help us when we go to Chaeng Wattana since it will not be notarized. Seems like the emergency decree of the 18th does not apply there.