UPDATE: How to obtain a COVID-19 Visa Extension Letter from the British Embassy Bangkok

[Jonathan Fairfield]

COVID-19 Visa Extension Letter

 

This service is available for British Nationals who entered Thailand with a tourist visa and have already extended this at Immigration, have had their flight to UK/place of residence cancelled and cannot reschedule their flight until after their visa expires.

 

To apply, email [email protected] with evidence of:

 

1. Copy of biodata page of passport 
2. Visa stamp/sticker with expiry date 
3. Evidence of the cancelled flight to UK/place of residence (showing date of travel before the visa expiry date) 
4. Visa of country of residence if this is not UK/EU
5. Where possible, evidence of re-scheduled/re-booked flight 

 

Read more: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#covid-19-visa-extension-letter

 

Page Updated 24 March: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#covid-19-visa-extension-applications--support-letter

 

COVID-19 Visa Extension Applications – Support Letter

The British Embassy can issue a letter to support applications to extend existing visas. Those holding a tourist visa should first apply for a 30-day extension at an Immigration Office.

To apply, email [email protected] with evidence of:

1. Copy of biodata page of passport 

2. Entry stamp

3.Visa stamp/sticker with expiry date 

 

 

UPDATE - 24 March 21:00

 

????Announcement for British Nationals in Thailand ????????

 

The British Embassy can now issue a letter to support all applications from British Nationals to extend existing visas.

 

If you have a tourist visa you can get your first extension at an immigration office.

 

Details at bit.ly/3acNiqI

 

 

[ubonjoe]

I wonder why they are asking for number 3. It is not something immigration will want.

[greggraham]

32 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I wonder why they are asking for number 3. It is not something immigration will want.

USA only want "a copy of the biodata page of your passport", meanwhile as a Brit I felt obliged to write an essay justifying why I deserve such a letter as well as the several items they requested. 

[Kalasin Jo]

25 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I wonder why they are asking for number 3. It is not something immigration will want.

Or indeed no 5?

Anyway my flight to Paris via Amman, Jordan has not been cancelled yet. The airline has ceased all flight operations until the end of this month but my booking isn't until 1 May. Waiting!

 

And see my post for help, on your post of the Thai emergency Covid 30 day extensions, about my soon to expire 90 day permission to stay on my now expired Non O multi entry based on marriage.

 

Want to sit tight here in Thailand if I can for as long as it takes!

[artiz]

What a complete waste of time... shows just how deeply ingrained bureaucracy is in Thailand... and even worse at critical times! Release a public immigration memorandum/policy and then 'quitely' add some ' impossible jumping hoops' to it. Such a waste of resources and time but also now to the extent that they may be endangering life.

Edited March 23, 2020 by artiz

[CanuckThai]

Lucky folks, those UK blokes.

 

Here is the Canadian response....

 

[DrJack54]

I think they are asking for #3 because if flight not cancelled then the person could of returned home. 

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

And see my post for help, on your post of the Thai emergency Covid 30 day extensions, about my soon to expire 90 day permission to stay on my now expired Non O multi entry based on marriage.

You can apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife that does not require the letter.

See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_24

[sallecc]

20 minutes ago, greggraham said:

USA only want "a copy of the biodata page of your passport", meanwhile as a Brit I felt obliged to write an essay justifying why I deserve such a letter as well as the several items they requested. 

UK & USA are still lucky, other countries embassies don't give any help... not to mention some small countries without embassy in Thailand, what should they do heh...

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I think they are asking for #3 because if flight not cancelled then the person could of returned home. 

Not required by immigration.

 

[ryandb]

Number 3 is interesting, I'm ok until 24/4 (30 day extended last week) was due to go to Malaysia today to go do a tourist visa to extend my stay until June as I'd always planned (paid my rent up front already). Now I can't and my money is only going to be credited back, heard the same for the emirates cancellations. I looked online and Etihad have a lot of flights until my visa expiration but to be honest do I want to tie up another bunch of money just to have it sit there as credit if its cancelled. I wasn't intending on coming home and the situation there doesn't really appeal to me either so why can't a flight out of Thailand to anywhere be cancelled to get this. 

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not required by immigration.

 

If immigration requires embassy letter (as has been shown today with refusals at CW other imm offices) and UK embassy require point #3, then it will be a requirement unless embassy changes their requirements.

I will be interested in what AU embassy provide. Based on track record sweet......

[DrJack54]

45 minutes ago, greggraham said:

USA only want "a copy of the biodata page of your passport", meanwhile as a Brit I felt obliged to write an essay justifying why I deserve such a letter as well as the several items they requested. 

Have you read the threads today in this forum, of USA passport holders providing what you outline only to be issued 7 days and some rejected all together.

[007 RED]

56 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not required by immigration.

 

I suspect that it is required for the wording of the Embassy letter to the Commissioner of Immigration for the consideration of extending a visa.  I've not seen a the Embassy letter, but I would assume it will go along the following lines:

 

Mr Bloggs a UK citizen holding passport number 12345678 currently holds a Thai tourist visa which is due to expire on the 28 March 2020.  Mr Bloggs was due to leave the Kingdom on 27 March 202 on Emirates flight EK123 which has now been cancelled due to the current virus situation.  The airline has been unable to offer an alternative flight which will allow Mr Bloggs to exit the Kingdom before his visa expires.

 

I should be grateful if you would consider extending Mr Bloggs visa.

 

Yours faithfully etc. etc.

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by 007 RED
typo

[greggraham]

52 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Have you read the threads today in this forum, of USA passport holders providing what you outline only to be issued 7 days and some rejected all together.

I have, have you? They were providing the generic nameless version, not the new version offered in exchange for the biodata page. ????

[DrJack54]

Just now, greggraham said:

I have, have you? They were providing the generic nameless version, not the new version offered in exchange for the biodata page. ????

Can you point me to post of granted 30 day extension. 

[greggraham]

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Can you point me to post of granted 30 day extension. 

No one has received the named/personalised letter from the US embassy yet as far as I can tell. 

[DrJack54]

Just now, greggraham said:

No one has received the named/personalised letter from the US embassy yet as far as I can tell. 

Time will tell. USA is only one country. 

This thread is about UK. They currently require notification of cancelled flight. Regardless of what Thai imm may want.

OZ embassy doing zip. Expected that.

There are couple of other countries in the world as well.

Thai had a chance to do something sensible, with easy process for extension.

As usual they stu## ed it up along with our useless embassies.

[greggraham]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Time will tell. USA is only one country. 

This thread is about UK. They currently require notification of cancelled flight. Regardless of what Thai imm may want.

OZ embassy doing zip. Expected that.

There are couple of other countries in the world as well.

Thai had a chance to do something sensible, with easy process for extension.

As usual they stu## ed it up along with our useless embassies.

Amen man, hopefully as the week progresses they will too. 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, 007 RED said:

I suspect that it is required for the wording of the Embassy letter to the Commissioner of Immigration for the consideration of extending a visa.  I've not seen a the Embassy letter, but I would assume it will go along the following lines:

 

Mr Bloggs a UK citizen holding passport number 12345678 currently holds a Thai tourist visa which is due to expire on the 28 March 2020. 

The letter is not needed according to the memo from immigration for tourist visa and visa exempt entries since they are done under clause 2.4 of the police order. They have waived the only on per entry rule.

The letter is only needed for number 2 that is other types of visa entries under clause 2.28 that requires it.

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

The letter is not needed according to the memo from immigration for tourist visa and visa exempt entries since they are done under clause 2.4 of the police order. They have waived the only on per entry rule.

The letter is only needed for number 2 that is other types of visa entries under clause 2.28 that requires it.

Australian Embassy was denying requests for the letter citing legal reasons after speaking to an Australian on the same number latter he recommended emailing my request to; [email protected]

   This is the only light in the Aussie corona tunnel and I suspect it to be a train about to run me down.

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I wonder why they are asking for number 3. It is not something immigration will want.

 

I assume assume the embassy wants to see evidence of the cancelled flight to the UK/place of residence (showing date of travel before the visa expiry date) as proof for the necessity, ie the reason for which the application for extension of stay will be made under clause 2.28 of Police Order 327-2557 (2014).

 

Clause 2 of the Memorandum 0029.161/W 916 refers to the application under clause 2.28 of the Police order and specifically mentions the the requirement of an embassy letter certifying the existence of an emergency. By asking for items 3 and, if available, also item 5 on their list, the embassy appears to want to be able to put on file documents justifying their decision to issue to certify an emergency and request immigration to grant an extension.

 

Regarding item 5, evidence of a re-scheduled/re-booked flight serves the need for certifying and emergency only if the new flight date is later than the expiration date of the applicant's current permission to stay, although the notice on the website of the British embassy does not spell this out.

[evadgib]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Time will tell. USA is only one country. 

This thread is about UK. They currently require notification of cancelled flight. Regardless of what Thai imm may want.

OZ embassy doing zip. Expected that.

There are couple of other countries in the world as well.

Thai had a chance to do something sensible, with easy process for extension.

As usual they stu## ed it up along with our useless embassies.

If they're asking for this it'll be because they have been asked to, presumably by MFA. I expected them to give it a wide berth as it seems to be an unnecessary time consuming burden outside their remit. The ol' "letter to the Headmaster" seems to be the Thai Govts answer to everything! ????

Edited March 23, 2020 by evadgib

[greggraham]

This probably deserves a new topic, but hopefully people see it;

 

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by greggraham

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, greggraham said:

This probably deserves a new topic, but hopefully people see it;

Thanks

I just updated the OP to show the new info.

[sanemax]

1. Copy of biodata page of passport 
2. Entry stamp
3. Visa stamp/sticker with expiry date 

   Will an uploaded photo be adequate or will it need to be a scan ?

[Max69xl]

22 hours ago, sallecc said:

UK & USA are still lucky, other countries embassies don't give any help... not to mention some small countries without embassy in Thailand, what should they do heh...

I think most of the embassies/consulates in Thailand offers more help than the US and UK embassy do. 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, Max69xl said:

I think most of the embassies/consulates in Thailand offers more help than the US and UK embassy do. 

The au embassy does not do statutory declarations ( think USA call them affidavits) also they not provide Residence Certificates. I also doubt they will provide the "letter from embassy" that some folk have from US embassy. 

Useless.

[Tanoshi]

All British Travellers should return to the UK now - Foreign Office

 

All British travellers should return to the UK as soon as possible in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said.

Updated travel advice says all British tourists and short-stay travellers should return while commercial flights are still available.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said further closures to air routes may come in the next 48 hours – possibly without notice.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-travellers-return-uk-now-180408212.html?.tsrc=bell-brknews

This advice applies to British people travelling abroad, rather than those who live overseas.

Edited March 24, 2020 by Tanoshi

[greggraham]

According a Facebook comment the letters should be sent back within "two working days", FYI

 

I sent mine just over a day ago but nothing yet, anyone had any luck?