How should I approach now? (METV expires tomorrow)

[nickcapolla]

Hey guys, I want to ask you about the current situation.

 

I have entered Thailand 21st of February on my METV which is about to expire tomorrow (April 20). If there wouldn't be COVID I would normally go extend for 30 days but with the current situation (amnesty) I'm not sure how to proceed. I saw we all got automatically extended until 30.4. So it means I'm OK to stay here until 30.4 and whats gonna happen after that we are yet about to find out? Or should I go immigration (I'm staying at BKK) and extend?

 

1) If I'm automatically extended until 30.4 - Does this mean that I cant extended after 30.4 and I have to leave?

2) If I'm automatically extended until 30.4 - Can I after it extend for another 30 days?

3) If I'm not automatically extended until 30.4 - Should I go to immigration at BKK tomorrow to extend for 30 days (1900 baht?)

 

Thank you so much for your time and help. Have a great day

 

 

[ubonjoe]

You can stay until the 30th. The exemption for needing to do an extension will certainly be extended beyond the 30th.

I suggest you save your 30 day extension for when it does end so you do not need to worry about leaving the country.

[nickcapolla]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can stay until the 30th. The exemption for needing to do an extension will certainly be extended beyond the 30th.

I suggest you save your 30 day extension for when it does end so you do not need to worry about leaving the country.

So just to clarify what you are saying is that I should just stay at home, wait after they share more info and when they say "no more amnesty" then i will go to do my 30 days extension? 

 

Thank you so much for your time and help. I appreciate it.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, nickcapolla said:

So just to clarify what you are saying is that I should just stay at home, wait after they share more info and when they say "no more amnesty" then i will go to do my 30 days extension? 

Yes

I expect it to be extended for about a month and when they state it is ending they will have a date to leave the country by or apply for a extension if a person qualifies for one.

[Tanoshi]

2 minutes ago, nickcapolla said:

So just to clarify what you are saying is that I should just stay at home, wait after they share more info and when they say "no more amnesty" then i will go to do my 30 days extension? 

Yes.

Your permission of stay will be automatically extended until such time as an announcement ending the amnesty is notified. 

[steve1512]

Is it a sure thing that you can still get the regular 30 day extension after using the auto extension?
I could imagine Immigration taking the view that visas who already got auto extended can not be extended any further.

[matador007]

Hello Sir.

I was the same as you a few days ago.  METV with initial 60 days about to run out.

 

I went to the local immigration office, they said (initial greeting person with sanitizer, etc..) free automatic extension to the end of April as you know.

 

I didnt want to take any chances of overstay or waiting for May to also become free extension, so I said I will do extension anyway.  Worst case the IO could tell me the same thing.

 

So I filled out form and waited for my turn.  When I got there, to my suprise, they extended me starting May, so now I'm good until 28th May.

Of course I did pay the usual 1900.

 

Hopefully by then we got flights going and things a bit more normal.

So its up to you, if that works, or you want to wait for a possible free extension in May.

 

Good luck.

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, matador007 said:

Hello Sir.

I was the same as you a few days ago.  METV with initial 60 days about to run out.

 

I went to the local immigration office, they said (initial greeting person with sanitizer, etc..) free automatic extension to the end of April as you know.

 

I didnt want to take any chances of overstay or waiting for May to also become free extension, so I said I will do extension anyway.  Worst case the IO could tell me the same thing.

 

So I filled out form and waited for my turn.  When I got there, to my suprise, they extended me starting May, so now I'm good until 28th May.

Of course I did pay the usual 1900.

 

Hopefully by then we got flights going and things a bit more normal.

So its up to you, if that works, or you want to wait for a possible free extension in May.

 

Good luck.

You used your "ace card" when you did not need to. The amnesty will be extended and when the amnesty is finally over you then could of used your extension card.

[aldriglikvid]

How long do you reckon the "amnesty" will last? A lot of SEA countries have it to the end of June. Would end of may be too optimistic? 

There are some rumors that the emergency decree will lift april 30th to let malls etc open. Would you say it's highly unlikely Immigration want to start the money machine i may 1th already? 

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, aldriglikvid said:

How long do you reckon the "amnesty" will last? A lot of SEA countries have it to the end of June. Would end of may be too optimistic? 

No

 

17 minutes ago, aldriglikvid said:

There are some rumors that the emergency decree will lift april 30th to let malls etc open.

Those are only local restrictions put in place by Provinces and some municipalities that is allowed under the emergency decree.

 

19 minutes ago, aldriglikvid said:

Would you say it's highly unlikely Immigration want to start the money machine i may 1th already? 

Certainly not.

When it is announced it is ending there would be a date set for people to leave the country by or apply for extensions if they qualify for one.

[Tanoshi]

4 minutes ago, aldriglikvid said:

How long do you reckon the "amnesty" will last? A lot of SEA countries have it to the end of June. Would end of may be too optimistic? 

There are some rumors that the emergency decree will lift april 30th to let malls etc open. Would you say it's highly unlikely Immigration want to start the money machine i may 1th already? 

When will normal commercial flights resume?

When will borders reopen?

 

Until such time as they do, foreigners cannot leave to obtain new Visas, do border runs or whatever, so the amnesty will be extended until such time as they can.

IMO July at the earliest.

 

[aldriglikvid]

22 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

When will normal commercial flights resume?

When will borders reopen?

 

Until such time as they do, foreigners cannot leave to obtain new Visas, do border runs or whatever, so the amnesty will be extended until such time as they can.

IMO July at the earliest.

 

Doing nightly prayers that this is true, lol. The lockup in adjacent travel has hindered my possibilities to extend my stay "within the law" doing weekly travel getaways. My airline has cancelled all its flights 3 months out and I would be so happy if the amnesty could let me stay until late june/early july. Fingers crossed. 

[Max69xl]

4 hours ago, matador007 said:

Hello Sir.

I was the same as you a few days ago.  METV with initial 60 days about to run out.

 

I went to the local immigration office, they said (initial greeting person with sanitizer, etc..) free automatic extension to the end of April as you know.

 

I didnt want to take any chances of overstay or waiting for May to also become free extension, so I said I will do extension anyway.  Worst case the IO could tell me the same thing.

 

So I filled out form and waited for my turn.  When I got there, to my suprise, they extended me starting May, so now I'm good until 28th May.

Of course I did pay the usual 1900.

 

Hopefully by then we got flights going and things a bit more normal.

So its up to you, if that works, or you want to wait for a possible free extension in May.

 

Good luck.

So,you paid 1900 baht when you didn't have to? Why? 

[DrJack54]

33 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

So,you paid 1900 baht when you didn't have to? Why? 

And in addition used his "normal" extension that could of been used once amnesty ends.

[JackThompson]

24 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

And in addition used his "normal" extension that could of been used once amnesty ends.

I would not be surprised if "normal" unused extensions are back-dated to one's last "normal" permitted-stay - and if no days into the future can be gained, are simply denied.  That's just a guess - but is a possibility.

 

That said, there will be some sort of "time to get out" period set, at such time as borders are open again, so as long as folks leave before the "end" - no overstay.

[bbi1]

On 4/19/2020 at 1:06 PM, ubonjoe said:

Yes

I expect it to be extended for about a month and when they state it is ending they will have a date to leave the country by or apply for a extension if a person qualifies for one.

You expect the visa amnesty to only be extended for another month until 31st May and that's it? I think a lot of foreigners will be screwed big time if that's the case. Eg. my country has said no international travel will happen for at least until the beginning of 2021 that means no way to go back to my home country! I don't think other countries would be too keen on opening the borders too in June.

Edited April 20, 2020 by bbi1

[Susco]

8 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

You expect the visa amnesty to only be extended for another month until 31st May and that's it? I think a lot of foreigners will be screwed big time if that's the case. Eg. my country has said no international travel will happen for at least until the beginning of 2021 that means no way to go back to my home country! I don't think other countries would be too keen on opening the borders too in June.

There is a difference between opening borders and allowing citizens to return.

 

I don't know your country, but I'm pretty sure that if you really want, you could return today

Edited April 20, 2020 by Susco

[ubonjoe]

49 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

You expect the visa amnesty to only be extended for another month until 31st May and that's it?

Eg. my country has said no international travel will happen for at least until the beginning of 2021 that means no way to go back to my home country! I don't think other countries would be too keen on opening the borders too in June.

I was really writing that as an example. I don't think it will end a the end of May.

 

I find that hard to believe that a country will not allow their citizens to enter for that long. They may have restriction for those from other countries.

I could enter my country if I wanted to now.

[Hoppyone]

On 4/20/2020 at 1:10 PM, DrJack54 said:

And in addition used his "normal" extension that could of been used once amnesty ends.

Is bit like panic buying ,maybe too much toilet paper as well

[Mulambana]

On 4/18/2020 at 9:44 PM, nickcapolla said:

1) If I'm automatically extended until 30.4 - Does this mean that I cant extended after 30.4 and I have to leave?

Cabinet approved all extensions till July 30th. Will be announced tomorrow, I think.

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Mulambana

[nickcapolla]

On 4/19/2020 at 10:06 AM, ubonjoe said:

Yes

I expect it to be extended for about a month and when they state it is ending they will have a date to leave the country by or apply for a extension if a person qualifies for one.

Just to update this regarding yesterday news.

 

Right now I will be staying at home until 31.7. and then will do another extension for 30 days, right? Maybe I will do extension on 1.8 or even last week of July, based on what info they will release, correct?

 

I guess I got lucky this time. What a great news.

 

 

[Tanoshi]

10 minutes ago, nickcapolla said:

Right now I will be staying at home until 31.7. and then will do another extension for 30 days, right? Maybe I will do extension on 1.8 or even last week of July, based on what info they will release, correct?

Wait for further announcements of when the amnesty will cease.

Depending on the validity date of your METV it may be wiser to do a border run and get a further 60 day entry, then a 30 day extension.