Immigration set to announce automatic visa extensions and suspension of 90 day report

[Tanoshi]

2 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

I am given to understand that whilst VFS is closed for new passport and visa applications,  British passport renewals in the system, will be returned to VFS in the usual way, and a skeleton staff will advise re arrival and collection details.

We don't know if Andy8017 got his Passport renewal into the system before they stopped applications.

Your supposed to apply in person not by EMS.

Next question to Andy: Has it been signed for?

[anchadian]

 

Richard Barrow in Thailand 

 

@RichardBarrow

·

7m

 

What happens next is that the visa amnesty signed by the PM has to be published in the Royal Gazette before it becomes law. I am told this could be as early as today if not tomorrow. So, please wait for official announcement. But we are nearly there! #Thailand

[HashBrownHarry]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

We don't know if Andy8017 got his Passport renewal into the system before they stopped applications.

Your supposed to apply in person not by EMS.

Next question to Andy: Has it been signed for?

Agents can do it all, no visits to BKK to drop off or collect - much easier.

[HashBrownHarry]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Who can not leave Thailand?  People are leaving every day.  There is no restrictions on leaving - most countries encourage there nationals to leave ASAP.  

I thought the airport was completely closed? 

 

Was there not an announcment about extending the closure by another 12 days?

[ttrd]

14 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

It is not for me, but a British expat teacher who I am trying to help. From past experience I don't imagine for one minute the Br Embassy will help. other than supply an emergency travel document. And that would not be needed as nobody can leave Thailand!

 

Thailand has become everyone's wife - you can't leave nor neither live with or without ...

Edited April 8, 2020 by ttrd

[hhinhh]

8 hours ago, kotsak said:

Needless to say that I'll keep doing my 90-days reporting on time (via post) just to be on the safe side ????

And be sure to put a mail stamp on all faxes you send out to be on the safe side :)

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, HashBrownHarry said:

I thought the airport was completely closed? 

 

Was there not an announcment about extending the closure by another 12 days?

That was a headline (take with very large grain of salt) - there were all kinds of exceptions in the fine print.

[wazzupnow]

8 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

so what happens when the 90-day is reinforced? do we all get fined for doing it late?

yes

[scorecard]

14 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

Hasn't happened yet, don't break out the champers yet!

Signed copy of the official order posted a few minutes ago (post # 175).

[Sambotte]

8 minutes ago, anchadian said:

 

Richard Barrow in Thailand 

 

@RichardBarrow

·

7m

 

What happens next is that the visa amnesty signed by the PM has to be published in the Royal Gazette before it becomes law. I am told this could be as early as today if not tomorrow. So, please wait for official announcement. But we are nearly there! #Thailand

Damnit...

Suspens suspens...

I have to go tomorrow, so... Another "next" ?...

I still have NO CLUE if the first extension of exemption will be include or not.

And if it's a joke like everybody has until 30 april, i'm better go and get full 30 days.

Well, will see tomorrow morning if this madness finally ends well...

[scorecard]

14 minutes ago, anchadian said:

 

Richard Barrow in Thailand 

 

@RichardBarrow

·

7m

 

What happens next is that the visa amnesty signed by the PM has to be published in the Royal Gazette before it becomes law. I am told this could be as early as today if not tomorrow. So, please wait for official announcement. But we are nearly there! #Thailand

Publication in the royal gazette is basically an automatic and quick action. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by scorecard

[Tanoshi]

10 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

It is not for me, but a British expat teacher who I am trying to help. From past experience I don't imagine for one minute the Br Embassy will help. other than supply an emergency travel document. And that would not be needed as nobody can leave Thailand!

 

It's not as if we couldn't foresee or predict events as far back as Jan/Feb.

Personally I'd have applied for a new Passport at least 6 months before the old was due to expire.

 

Yep, the British Embassy could only issue him an emergency Passport to leave.

He could approach Immigration with his predicament, but I wouldn't expect much sympathy from them either. 

I doubt this long awaited 'amnesty' will cover his situation.

With an expired Passport and permission to stay ended he's no other choice that I can see but to be forced into an overstay situation.

 

Depending when restrictions will be lifted or when the VFS centre opens again he'll have to apply for a new Passport, leave and re-enter to start the whole procedure again. He could be banned if the overstay is longer than 3 months.

His other option is to fly back to the UK on his expired Passport.

 

 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

Hi SpiderMike007,

Can you please provide some more detail on the above.

- What are the documents now required that will take up 30 pages?

- Is this required when applying for the 1-year extension of ALL Non Imm O and O-A Visa?

- Is this mandatory for the three methods available to meet the financial requirements (money-in-bank / monthly income-transfer / embassy income-statement)?

- Do you have a link to a Police Order or other official IO document addressing the above?

Thanks!

A dear friend of mine who has been on a retirement visa for eight years now, and is using the income method, renewed his visa around mid February. He was told by the immigration officer in Hua Hin that the prior week they had passed a law mandating that all those with a retirement visa who are using the income method, not the deposit method, we're now required to get a substantial amount of documents from their banks. This included twelve monthly statements from the past year. A letter of origin of the account tracing the account back to the day that it was opened. And a couple of other documents, all in duplicate, which had to be provided by the bank at a cost of 5900 baht. This is of course, In addition to all the visa fees. This is real. This has happened. And this is what you need to expect the next time you renew your visa if you are using the 65,000 baht a month income method.

 

I believe it's a deliberate effort on the part of the banking industry, in concert with immigration to discourage expats from using the income method and encourage them to deposit the money in the bank. At a nearly interest free level.

 

At that time it required multiple trips to the both the bank and immigration, as the laws were new and the bank barely knew what immigration was requiring. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by spidermike007

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

A dear friend of mine who has been on a retirement visa for eight years now, and is using the income method, renewed his visa around mid February. He was told by the immigration officer in Hua Hin that the prior week they had passed a law mandating that all those with a retirement visa who are using the income method, not the deposit method, we're now required to get a substantial amount of documents from their banks. This included twelve monthly statements from the past year. A letter of origin of the account tracing the account back to the day that it was opened. And a couple of other documents, all in duplicate, which had to be provided by the bank at a cost of 5900 baht. This is of course, In addition to all the visa fees. This is real. This has happened. And this is what you need to expect the next time you renew your visa if you are using the 65,000 baht a month income method.

 

I believe it's a deliberate effort on the part of the banking industry, in concert with immigration to discourage expats from using the income method and encourage them to deposit the money in the bank. At a nearly interest free level.

Thanks for the info!

If this is already enforced since mid February, I think it is a bit strange that this is the first post I read mentioning this new regulation (or maybe I overlooked it in other posts).  

Of course it's possible that the 30 pages of bank documents required are a HuaHin IO initiative and not a nation-wide IO rule.

 

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

and thanks to Richard Barrow who has been Tweeting photos of the long lines with zero social distancing at various immigration offices for the past weeks

Immigration shamed into doing something as apposed to doing it out of common sense.

[justin case]

we are all waiting like sick love puppies for the THAI GOVERNMENT to finally do something what other less XENOPHOBIC countries have done before them ...

 

release some stress for the tourists & expats impacted by this PANDEMIC

 

instead they kept adding stress and forced dangerous visits to overfull immigration offices...

 

but let's wait and see what they actually bring ... might be a big hot balloon...

 

"free extensions" .... but still a need to visit x,y,z and pay ? Thai style

[Chongalulu]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

A most welcome news...On behalf of all foreigners in the kingdom, Thank you Immigration department and may the spirit of compassion and understanding will prevail and expand to other departments having to do with your guests in this country...

Rather over generous thanks given the unwarranted time they’ve taken to do the most simple and obvious thing that other countries did immediately.Be under no illusion that this was only prompted by the embarrassing and damning photos of the carnage posted by Richard Barrow. Shameful.

[Tanoshi]

9 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

He was told by the immigration officer in Hua Hin that the prior week they had passed a law mandating that all those with a retirement visa who are using the income method, not the deposit method, we're now required to get a substantial amount of documents from their banks. This included twelve monthly statements from the past year. A letter of origin of the account tracing the account back to the day that it was opened. And a couple of other documents, all in duplicate, which had to be provided by the bank at a cost of 5900 baht.

Absolute nonsense!

Not the documents, the bank fee.

The same requirement for a 12 month bank statement + letter costs 200 baht at Bangkok bank.

The bank do not have to supply the photocopies.

 

For your information it is not 12 x monthly statements Thai banks issue.

It is one statement covering a 12 month period, be it one, two, or 3 pages.

Some banks charge 200 baht each for the letter and statement.

 

[Grusa]

7 hours ago, lovesthespicy said:

The pigeon is flying with the order to the PM as speak. Give it a few weeks and the change will be made. 

the pigeon has caught a virus and died en route.

[teatime101]

3 hours ago, wmlc said:

This blogger thinks he knows it all. 

He's a very humble man. If you followed him, you would see that.

[shinawhat]

57 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

RB now tweeting that the PM has signed the visa amnesty document, and announcement is imminent. Seems he was right all along, and the badmouthing and negativity was uncalled for?

You can believe bloggers if you want and I suppose you still believe he is a teacher in Samut Prakon.......my point is Thai visa should have run the story now after it has been signed.(allegedly) ...I can’t read Thai, hopefully you can.  And... there is still no official announcement... wonder where this blogger got this inside information before the PM knew about it? 

[Chongalulu]

7 hours ago, smedly said:

whats with all the critical posts on this thread so far - yes maybe a bit late but seems to me like sensible good news and I am pleased to hear this 

 

well done Immigration - eventually realised what was going on was unworkable and dangerous

 

Thumbs up from me

Have you considered all the unnecessary infections that will have been caused by the prevarication?

[greggraham]

So RB hyped everyone up saying, I quote, "VISA AMNESTY FOR EVERYONE" and "Everyone who is in Thailand legally will have an automatic 30 day extension", but according to folks on twitter it seems like only for those who's visas expired after March 26th..? 

 

Best wait for the official translation I guess. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by greggraham

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, shinawhat said:

You can believe bloggers if you want and I suppose you still believe he is a teacher in Samut Prakon.......my point is Thai visa should have run the story now after it has been signed.(allegedly) ...I can’t read Thai, hopefully you can.  And... there is still no official announcement... wonder where this blogger got this inside information before the PM knew about it? 

He very clearly stated where he got his information - directly from immigration officers.

[Bangkok Barry]

Quote: Everyone who is in Thailand legally will have an automatic 30 day extension.

 

Now, does that really mean everyone, regardless of the type of visa they have? I'm due to make a border-hop in late May on a multi O marriage visa. Does that mean I will automatically be allowed to stay until late June, or will I still have to ask for permission to live with my wife for 60 days longer via an extension.

 

So nice of them to let me live with my wife if/when the permission is granted. People tell me it's pretty much automatic, which makes it pointless and a waste of everyone's time. Oh, I forgot. They make money from it.

[thailand49]

Maybe the reason, they can't find old Chan O, to get it sign? I hear the general is in hiding after he heard about Boris?????????️‍♀️

[Bangkok Barry]

double post

Edited April 8, 2020 by Bangkok Barry

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, greggraham said:

So RB hyped everyone up saying, I quote, "VISA AMNESTY FOR EVERYONE" and "Everyone who is in Thailand legally will have an automatic 30 day extension", but it seems like only for those who's visas expired after March 26th..

We are waiting on further information but do not believe it has anything to do with a visa expiration date but much more likely permitted to stay until date.

[shinawhat]

5 minutes ago, teatime101 said:

He's a very humble man. If you followed him, you would see that.

I followed him and he lied repeatedly.....I don’t believe liars are humble people, but I guess that’s just me. That’s why I don’t follow him anymore.

[justin case]

read the other post.... for tourists only

 

game over for non-o multi and people before 26th of March