PHOTOS: Immigration at Chaeng Wattana heaving with foreigners desperately trying to extend their visas

[Chiang Mai Bill]

Ineptness! These masses of people could possibly contact the virus, go home and spread it to others!

 

The authorities do not have the basic common sense to grant auto-extensions and to shut-down and lock-down all cities, towns and villages -- not only Bangkok -- to contain the spread.

 

Do they not know what has happened in Italy, Iran, Europe, and new York? 

 

Do they consider their intelligence far superior to politicians and experts all over the world?

 

Or perhaps they want to use the virus to cull the weak and elderly out of Thai society?

 

 

[jimmjam]

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[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

jammed with people

jammed but not 'heaving'... 

[tandor]

My sympathies and best wishes are with you all..travel safe.

[asean]

To the person in charge of Immigration please think about this.

If every tourist is guaranteed a 30 day extension then why not give that extension at the airport on departure instead of cramming 10,000 people Into Chang WAttana 16 hours a day In the midst of a pandemic?

[ChrisKC]

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

Just another positive why I choose to use a visa agent.

Same as me, last week, i did my retirement extension and a 90 day!

[Zikomat]

Just now, asean said:

To the person in charge of Immigration please think about this.

If every tourist is guaranteed a 30 day extension then why not give that extension at the airport on departure instead of cramming 10,000 people Into Chang WAttana 16 hours a day In the midst of a pandemic?

It is not only Chaeng Wattana. I was in Pattaya Jomtien immigration 2 days ago - same situation.

[ExpatOne]

Easy fix: “If you’re in the country now, you currently have a 30 day extension. You don’t need to do anything. We’ll revisit this in 25 days.” 

[Kevin Bligh]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Huge news if true 

I asked the girl in Udon immigration that did my extension will you be open tomorrow her words dont think so. 

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, anterian said:

Why not give the local police station the power to do 90 day reports, after all they are all part of the same organisation. 

Police and IO's belong to different government agencies but PM Prayut could as Supervisor of the Royal Thai Police order the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of his Cabinet to work cooperatively to allow the RTP to collect 90 day reports and forward to Immigration for recordation and issuance of updated status.

[Happy Grumpy]

Maybe the new fleet of Immigration BMWs can be used to go around to each alien's residence, using the computer system to know which date they're due, and use the biometric system to document them in accordance with social distancing.

 

 

 

 

 

????

 

 

 

 

[Mattd]

39 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

Wow. I was going to go in tomorrow for my emergency extension. I hope there is someway we can get still get this or that they will make a reasonable allowance for all if us who will still be here no matter our visa or status in the country.

You may still be able to, what I wrote is not confirmed by any means and is not to be taken as gospel, best check yourself.

[Just Weird]

38 minutes ago, Seeker1953 said:

I'm 66 years old, have some medical issues, so I'm kind of high risk.  And my 90 day report's due. Called the US Embassy - absolutely zero help, didn't even have someone I could ask about it. USELESS.

I understand your concern if you have health issues but, at our age (and I'm older than you), you're not the only one who could claim that. 

 

Really, what did you expect the US Embassy staff would be able to do about Thailand's Immigration requirements, go to Immigration on your behalf for an exemption? 

 

Come on, your description of their being "USELESS" is a result of your expecting them to do something about a situation that was, obviously, out of their control.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Just Weird

[alex8912]

3 hours ago, dabhand said:

Why are the Embassies not making protests to the Thai government on this serious matter?

 

Instead they are merely scuttling around to provide Immigration requested paperwork, rather than firing back at yet another example of completely unnecessary red tape.

 

Yes, I am looking at you, the British and US Embassy.  Once again you are failing your fellow citizens. 

 

 

Why don’t all the thousands of guys on here with Thai wife’s / girlfriends have them protest on Facebook, Instagram writing letters to officials etc etc??

This is one thing I always think about when reading all the complaints here on TVF. Grow a set and revolt!! 

[Khun Paul]

Obviously LOGIC is not being used by Thai Immigration. They are computerised so automatic 30 days added to anyone's visa done electronically would be the easiest and best way forward that would ease the immediate problem and then deal with them in slow time, Foreigners cannot go anywhere, Long stay are not going anywhere, They are so scared of upsetting their apple cart for the sake of National security that commonsense is out of the window. 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Khun Paul

[JimLuce]

I’m thinking thank God I already did my annual extension stamp this month! But our immigration Office here in Korat would never get as packed as Bangkok’s. 

Edited March 25, 2020 by JimLuce

[PEE TEE]

Putting the immigration staff at risk,and all those who are reporting for extensions. This is crazy stupid . i would rather just stay away on overstay and report to my own embassy with the situation. sury they would listen ?   

[nauseus]

Suggest suspending all immigration requirements and closing all offices during the proposed emergency/martial law period, on HSE grounds. Then nobody has to worry about this, including the officers and staff who are at risk of virus contact. Sort it out after this emergency is finished, by giving people a reasonable grace period to extend visa or to find a flight out, with the latter only probably becoming available gradually when things settle down.

 

Allow other governments or NGO's to fly in/out special aircraft to repatriate citizens, if they want to do that.

 

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by nauseus

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, bbi1 said:

Closed from tomorrow then what? Everyone else will be on overstay because they can't extend their stay?

Never thought of that .

That is a problem .

Hopefully someone can think of a solution to that problem 

EEErrrrrmmmmmmmmm

[superatoz]

2 hours ago, idiot farang said:

No worries. Haven't you heard: the virus cannot spread during the day- only at night. A nighttime curfew will save us all....

I LOL'd at this .... ????

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, nauseus said:

Suggest suspending all immigration requirements and closing all offices during the proposed emergency/martial law period, on HSE grounds. Then nobody has to worry about this, including the officers and staff who are at risk of virus contact. Sort it out after this emergency is finished, by giving people a reasonable grace period to extend visa or to find a flight out, with the latter only probably becoming available gradually when things settle down.

 

Allow other governments or NGO's to fly in/out special aircraft to repatriate citizens, if they want to do that.

 

 

Pushing your luck with the "special aircraft" bit

[Zikomat]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Never thought of that .

That is a problem .

Hopefully someone can think of a solution to that problem 

EEErrrrrmmmmmmmmm

Everybody whose visa expired during the emergency should be given a visa amnesty. Could not be easier.

[Burma Bill]

Well done Mr Anutin and your military pals - "social distancing" - what a farce!!!

[sanemax]

Just now, Just Weird said:

I suppose it's an individual thing as Covid-19 is not a 100% fatal virus, far from it, in case you didn't know that.  I was suggesting to that poster that going on overstay "for B500 per day" was ignoring the fact that anyone arrested for overstay would also be going to IDC for detention and deportation.  Perhaps you relish the thought of time in IDC?  Given the choice of IDC and deportation I'd risk the Immigration queue.

Just make sure that you get to a border with 20 000 Baht to avoid IDC

[rabas]

53 minutes ago, Seeker1953 said:

I'm 66 years old, have some medical issues, so I'm kind of high risk.  And my 90 day report's due. Called the US Embassy - absolutely zero help, didn't even have someone I could ask about it. USELESS.
Called Thai Immigration's phone number and the circuit is so busy, it just beeps and hangs up on me. I understand they are overwhelmed, not so upset they don't answer the phone. But sure would be nice to get some help from higher levels of management. Oh well. 

I agree with a previous poster - I'm going to suck up the penalty and not go at all. I refuse to put my life at risk.

Everyone please be careful out there and wash your hands often.

Once you suck up 2000B penalty you can skip 90 day up to 1 year on the same 2000B. You are only fined once. I used to do it all the time.

[Zikomat]

Looks like foreigners are not included in all those "social distancing", "stay at home", " etc. public campaigns that are now widely advertised all over Thailand. Business as usual for us - the outsiders. The only problem with this attitude is that the virus  does not distinct between the Thais and the strangers. If only someone could explain this to the Thai authorities...

[Just Weird]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

2 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

I suppose it's an individual thing as Covid-19 is not a 100% fatal virus, far from it, in case you didn't know that.  I was suggesting to that poster that going on overstay "for B500 per day" was ignoring the fact that anyone arrested for overstay would also be going to IDC for detention and deportation.  Perhaps you relish the thought of time in IDC?  Given the choice of IDC and deportation I'd risk the Immigration queue.

Just make sure that you get to a border with 20 000 Baht to avoid IDC

Obviously.   I said that the additional risk of overstay was arrest (and then deportation from IDC), with that there's no option of going to a border with B20k.

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Given the choice of IDC and guaranteed deportation I'd risk the Immigration queue.

You'd probably  be in the immigration queue longer than you would be in IDC

[Zikomat]

8 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

 Given the choice of IDC and guaranteed deportation I'd risk the Immigration queue.

You don't risk the queue, you risk contracting corona virus. What do you prefer?

[HHTel]

3 hours ago, anterian said:

Why not give the local police station the power to do 90 day reports, after all they are all part of the same organisation. 

Back in the day, they could do just that.  90 day report was to any police station.