Can some one answer a simple question for me?  It has to do with trust.  18 yeas ago I came to Thailand, fell in love and married a wonderful Thai lady and now live life in this wonderous country. I went to immigration and applied for a married to a Thai citizen visa, went through the process and was deemed trustworthy enough to get this visa. 18 visas later I am faced with renewing this again. At this point in time, our prime minister has found it prudent to institute safety measures for all the citizens, visitors and long term visa holders, a job well done!  If I and others have been deemed trustworthy for years why would it not be prudent to extend these visas for the period we are living this terrible viruses has us in its grip. On the selfish side I really don’t want to expose myself to the crowds at the immigration office. On the other side of this is the IOs, they go to work knowing they are going to be in an environment of exposure. Now add to this, when they finish, they get to go home and continue the worry of giving this terrible scourge to their families. Maybe it is time to trust the retirees and those of us that have Thai families

Sorry, you are not Thai, therefore cannot be trusted.

 

It is irrational, unthinking, illogical, ill-formed, inconceivable, unscientific, unreasonable, ill-suited, incoherent, ill-coloured, unconscionable, etc. etc. etc. 

 

But, that is the way of things here.

 

Deal with it. Accept it. Make peace with it. Move on with your life. And, enjoy your time here.

 

Have you not learned this in 18 years?

 

 

 

 

55 minutes ago, seagulls4u said:

Maybe it is time to trust the retirees and those of us that have Thai families

Corruption is always the reasoning behind everything in Thailand. 

 

 

1 hour ago, seagulls4u said:

our prime minister

I always thought it was THEIR PM!

1 hour ago, seagulls4u said:

went through the process and was deemed trustworthy enough to get this visa.

No trust involved, only money.

If you have enough money they will sell you a VISA.

As you are a foreigner he is certainly not your PM, as he took the country at gunpoint, I'm not sure he's their PM either.

3 hours ago, seagulls4u said:

On the selfish side I really don’t want to expose myself to the crowds at the immigration office.

The Samui Immigration Office might not be that crowded now, when Covid-19 overstayers have automatic extensions of stay until April 30th, and 90-days address reports has been extended also to April 30th.

 

I would presume that right now – the office might however be closed during the Songkran public holidays – would be a great time to avoid queue lines and a crowded Immigration bureau...????

 

In reply to your general point of view I agree, but we are still aliens...????

I agree. It is all about the money but they also do see the need to have us on a leash like an animal.

Thai elite card

 

20 year visa. No problem 

 

When you see how much money  forangs spend here 1 mill doesn't  seem so much

 

Then it depends on your reason for being here

 

Have you looked into residence visa?