PM Prayuth signs order to grant visa amnesty to foreigners in Thailand

[Jonathan Fairfield]

PM Prayuth signs order to grant visa amnesty to foreigners in Thailand

 

 

Thailand’s Prime Minister on Wednesday signed the order to grant visa amnesty to foreigners left stranded in Thailand due to COVID-19.

 

The order, released via the Ministry of Interior, grants "special permission for some classes of aliens to stay in the Kingdom."

 

The order was signed by Prayuth and head of the Ministry of Interior Anupong Paochinda.

 

The order includes allowing tourists whose visa expired on or after 26 March to be automatically extended for 30 days. 
 

90 day reporting will also be suspended.

 

The order is expected to be published in the Royal Gazette, making it law. 

 

More details to be announced shortly.

 

This is a developing story. This post will be updated. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-04-08

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TAT update: Thailand grants automatic visa extensions for foreigners affected by COVID-19 crisis

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to inform foreigners in Thailand who have been affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that they will be granted automatic visa extensions.

 

The measure, which was announced this evening, 8 April, 2020, in the Royal Thai Government Gazette with immediate effect, covers three groups of foreigners as per the following:

 

Foreigners with resident visas who normally reside in Thailand but are now overseas and required to return to Thailand within a year of their departure. Since they might not be able to re-enter Thailand in time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will be granted an extension of their compulsory return deadline. However, they are required to return to Thailand as soon as the situation improves within the period specified by the Immigration Bureau.

 

Foreign visitors whose visas expired on 26 March, 2020 or thereafter will be granted automatic visa extensions until 30 April, 2020, and extensions for notification of staying in the Kingdom for those whose expiry date of stay permit falls within the period between 26 March – 30 April, 2020. However, when the situation improves or returns to normal, they are required to proceed with their visas within the period specified by the Immigration Bureau.

 

Visitors from neighbouring countries who hold a temporary border pass issued on 23 March, 2020, or thereafter will be allowed to stay in Thailand until the borders are re-opened. They will be required to leave Thailand within seven days after the borders reopen.

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2020/04/tat-update-thailand-grants-automatic-visa-extensions-for-foreigners-affected-by-covid-19-crisis/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[greggraham]

Before anyone get's too excited, pretty sure there's mentions of March 26th in there...

[samsensam]

an announcement about an announcement...

[DrTuner]

I love the title. I guess we were all visa criminals then.

 

This one is nice too: 'some classes of aliens'. Classy, even. Good thing I'm a Hi-So alien.

Edited April 8, 2020 by DrTuner

[greggraham]

Title text: "grant visa amnesty to foreigners"

Article text: "special permission for some classes of aliens to stay in the Kingdom."

 

Not quite the same is it. 

[lovinglife]

I arrived March 19th. So as things stand I do nothing this month and am automatically entitled to stay until May 16th? Just need to hope the flights are getting back on track by then I guess.

[Badboldie]

So is it still in the pipe line until it is publish in the gazette

[scorecard]

11 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

I love the title. I guess we were all visa criminals then.

 

This one is nice too: 'some classes of aliens'. Classy, even. Good thing I'm a Hi-So alien.

How tall are you?

[darksidedog]

29 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

The order, released via the Ministry of Interior, grants "special permission for some classes of aliens to stay in the Kingdom."

Why pussyfoot about? There are many stuck here who do not fall into the after March 26th bracket, who will still have to solve their situation, leading to more queues at immigration. A step in the right direction, but a blanket amnesty is what is needed, as dealing with the virus should be way more important than this.

[xtof2]

Did I get it wrong?

And before March 26th ????

The insanity goes on ????

[yokat]

I'm curious to see what applies to holder of other visas (B, ED, O, ...) who were supposed to leave the kingdom for real or those who maintain a visa with border runs.

[scorecard]

37 minutes ago, Badboldie said:

So is it still in the pipe line until it is publish in the gazette

Yes, all decisions etc, have to be published in the Royal Gazette, which is pretty much an automatic process and prompt.  

 

An official English language version of documents like this are usually released very quickly.  

Edited April 8, 2020 by scorecard

[mehrdad]

Only tourist visa !! 
please explain clearly 

is this only about tourist visa and not other? 
 

Edited April 8, 2020 by mehrdad

[Lee20]

I went to CW office applied 30 days extension on 25Mar(the most crowded day I think).  My original tax exempt stamp expired on 30Mar, I wait for 10 hours and got a stamp that my extension was under consideration and must contact the immigration office again on 22Apr.  Do you guys have any idea I really need to contact the immigration on 22Apr or I can get automated extension for one month from my original expired date of 30Mar?  Thanks a lot! 

Edited April 8, 2020 by Lee20

[lamyai3]

29 minutes ago, samsensam said:

an announcement about an announcement...

Thailand's the hub of announcements about announcements and hubs. 

[canthai55]

7 minutes ago, yokat said:

I'm curious to see what applies to holder of other visas (B, ED, O, ...) who were supposed to leave the kingdom for real or those who maintain a visa with border runs.

I am on a NON 0

Posed this very question in the Visa forum

I can apply for a 60 day extension of my visa due to the fact that if I leave the country I can not get back in.

So STILL have to go to CNX Immigration and stand in line.

Current visa gives 90 days, but NO WAY to get that.

And the Hits Keep Comin'

[lamyai3]

10 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

The ministry for extractions managed to cut out the lump in the generals throat and a pen from the surgeon's orifice before the signing no doubt ???? 

The pen is dirtier than the sword.

The lump in the general's throat turned out to be a foot. 

[bamboozled]

Yes it is very slow moving with this thing. One part of the problem, perhaps, is that every incremental move forward is reported upon and done so in a way that makes it seem like they are dragging their feet, that the law passage was imminent...until it wasn't. Maybe they are dragging their feet but also, maybe, the information we are getting is not really info that should be made public yet because as mentioned, it is just an announcement about an announcement about a possible outcome. Not sure who is doing it but the cart is in front of the horse.

 

I don't know, just a thought.

[greggraham]

"...foreigners who entered the kingdom with visas, visa on arrival, or through visa waiver programs will be granted an extended stay from March 26 to April 30" according to one news site.

 

So that's where the March 26th comes from, though I still don't really know what it means... 

Edited April 8, 2020 by greggraham

[sapson]

Westerners should announce when ready Thai style we are tired with going to immigration and performing like circus animals through hoops.

 

OR at least a one day protest nationwide, no one, not one farang goes to any immigration office anywhere on the pre arranged one day only of non attendance.

 

They would certainly notice and be stunned, perfectly legal, whatever your needs with immigration simply do it before or after the one designated day of unity and protest against draconian treatment.

 

Wouldnt break any immigration or country laws and you could still fulfil your visa requirements the next day etc.

 

Just one peaceful day of nobody going to an immigration office anywhere!

 

The puzzled staff may well enjoy that restful nothing to do day!!

[anchadian]

Now that we have reached the final stage before this becomes law, surely it would be sensible to wait that bit longer rather than to speculate.

[justin case]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

"special permission for some classes of aliens to stay in the Kingdom."

so non-o multi = same ...  no solution

 

does this <deleted> even know we are aLL knee deep ?

[greggraham]

7 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Now that we have reached the final stage before this becomes law, surely it would be sensible to wait that bit longer rather than to speculate.

But it's so fun to!!
 

No, you're right. We should all calm a little and see what happens. His signature is on something though, which is hopefully good news. 

Edited April 8, 2020 by greggraham

[justin case]

12 minutes ago, sapson said:

Westerners should announce when ready Thai style we are tired with going to immigration and performing like circus animals through hoops.

 

OR at least a one day protest nationwide, no one, not one farang goes to any immigration office anywhere on the pre arranged one day only of non attendance.

 

They would certainly notice and be stunned, perfectly legal, whatever your needs with immigration simply do it before or after the one designated day of unity and protest against draconian treatment.

 

Wouldnt break any immigration or country laws and you could still fulfil your visa requirements the next day etc.

 

Just one peaceful day of nobody going to an immigration office anywhere!

 

The puzzled staff may well enjoy that restful nothing to do day!!

 

 

call for some kind of union / farang power with law firm has been laughed away sadly by the hard core BOOMERS on this site

 

my child quickly translated the paper ... not for non-o

 

only for some SPECIAL kind of dirty farangs, not all of them 

 

 

who call other people ALIENS instead of foreigners, says enough

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by justin case

[ThailandRyan]

I think I will just wait to see the entire text of the order before I go ahead and place that order for that PPE with the oxygen tank and respirator that has a re-breather, for my next trip to CW, and one for the GF for her trips to stand in line over a three day period with the other 1,000 Plus Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia folks needing to do there visa extension paperwork.

[NightSky]

Is this the generous visa waver that has been rumored the past 24 hours?

 

What about all the other visa holders including retirees and those married and with families?

 

 

[scorecard]

5 minutes ago, justin case said:

 

 

call for some kind of union / farang power with law firm has been laughed away sadly by the hard core BOOMERS on this site

 

my child quickly translated the paper ... not for non-o

 

only for some SPECIAL kind of dirty farangs, not all of them 

 

Dirty farangs????

[anchadian]

5 minutes ago, greggraham said:

But it's so fun to!!
 

No, you're right. We should all calm a little and see what happens. His signature is on something though, which is hopefully good news. 

Agree.  It can be fun too.....right up to the finishing line and then we start again.

[khunpa]

Not to be sarcastic, but guess some of the Elite visa haters, maybe now can see the benefit of that visa. 

[sapson]

3 minutes ago, justin case said:

hard core BOOMERS

whats a hard core boomer, im guessing a total conformist of sorts.

 

An arranged just one day of farang absence hurts nobody,doesnt break any laws immigraton or otherwise but does send a message.

 

Current immigration scenario actually breaks their own COVID 19 emergency social distancing laws.