Thailand extends foreigners' visas for a second time as coronavirus cases slow

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand extends foreigners' visas as coronavirus cases slow

 

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's cabinet approved a second automatic visa extension for foreigners for three more months on Tuesday, in a bid to prevent long queues at immigration centres and stem the spread of the coronavirus.

 

Foreigners whose visas had expired since March 26 will be permitted to stay until July 31 without having to apply for an extension, said Narumon Pinyosinwat, spokeswoman for the Thai government.

 

A similar extension was granted until April 30. To combat the COVID-19 outbreak, Thailand has since late March banned entry to foreigners, except diplomats and work-permit holders.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, Thailand confirmed 19 new coronavirus cases, the lowest daily increase since March 14, and one death, a 50-year-old taxi driver.

 

The Southeast Asian nation has recorded 2,811 coronavirus cases and 48 fatalities.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; editing by John Stonestreet)

 

REUTERS: REFILED

(Corrects date in paragraph 2 to July 31, not July 30)
 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-21

 

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[Raymonddiaz]

How about those in a non B extension???? My visa will expire on the last day of April and the paperwork for it isn’t ready yet.

[Badboldie]

Well I can't knock that!

Do you think it would be pushing it to ask for accommodation as well? 

[ripstanley]

What about expats who are on extensions of stay? What about the 90 day reporting? What about TM30 reporting? I personally am okay as my extension was extended last week.

 

[problemfarang]

Great news, so its the same as the first extension, for all visa types, no need to go to immigration... because my 1 year non-o multi marriage will expire in 5th may. so i can wait to go to savanakhet for another 3 months.. 

[edwardandtubs]

Reuters normally get their facts right but we should wait for the full announcement before celebrating too much. There could be some nasty surprises.

[problemfarang]

18 minutes ago, Raymonddiaz said:

How about those in a non B extension???? My visa will expire on the last day of April and the paperwork for it isn’t ready yet.

 

I think this auto extension is the same as for april, all visa types. no need to go to immigration.. just wait at home for july.

[DrJack54]

@Jonathan Fairfield

Can you post this important info in Thai visa forum. Many awaiting this news

[madmen]

6 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

 

I think this auto extension is the same as for april, all visa types. no need to go to immigration.. just wait at home for july.

My understanding is if you have a retirement extension that you do not want to renew then a embassy letter is needed however oz embassy has said recently no more letters since automatic extension.

[problemfarang]

Just now, madmen said:

My understanding is if you have a retirement extension that you do not want to renew then a embassy letter is needed however oz embassy has said recently no more letters since automatic extension.

 

sorry dont know about retirement one, but for this auto extension (for the april and the new one) all you need to do is sit at home and relax your 3 free months. No need to go to immigration too.

[Timwin]

90 percent of farangs already left so they realized it might be a good idea to allow the rest to stay! Not many living with the average Thai salary of mere 16 000 Baht here. A lot of families in the countryside depend partly now on that one Captain Save-a-bar-girl! Reporting for duty! ????

[gk10002000]

Maybe the 85% hotel vacant places realized that the tourists are paying money?  At this point in time, I would think the number of tourists in the country, visas (exempt on arrival, SETV, METV) are probably less than the number of Marriage, retirement people etc? 

[Boomer6969]

Won't change anything for me, but I am more and more inclined to think that, in the time of COVID, Thailand looks better.

[Seismic]

My understanding is that this source is originally from a Russian news-site that Reuters seem to have copied word for word. I would hold your horses until an official announcement comes out.

[vermin on arrival]

2 minutes ago, Seismic said:

My understanding is that this source is originally from a Russian news-site that Reuters seem to have copied word for word. I would hold your horses until an official announcement comes out.

Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; editing by John Stonestreet. So you think the thai reporters got their info from a Russian site? But it is right to be cautious

Edited April 21, 2020 by vermin on arrival

[ozz1]

That's good news  wait to see that its law i just extended my non o multi till June 22 hopefully I get another month but I'm going to go to immigration just to clarify it next month

[Seismic]

Just now, vermin on arrival said:

Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; editing by John Stonestreet. So you think the thai reporters got their info from a Russian site?

Considering that their announcement is almost word for word the same as the Russian source article, how would you describe it ???

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, Raymonddiaz said:

How about those in a non B extension???? My visa will expire on the last day of April and the paperwork for it isn’t ready yet.

That is a grey area at this time. It is not known if immigration will consider it a extension of your original non-b visa or as a tourist.

You should make every effort to insure your extension is done or it would certainly cause problems.

[vermin on arrival]

1 minute ago, Seismic said:

Considering that their announcement is almost word for word the same as the Russian source article, how would you describe it ???

link?

[Ventenio]

my non-B expires on the 30th.  I'm guessing it will be cancelled, I'll be on some exempt status thing and then I'll get what someone gets who got off a plane in April and it will be like everyone else..... seems OK.  

 

This is good news.......well, it COULD have been much worse.

 

worry about this next week.  

 

 

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Seismic said:

Considering that their announcement is almost word for word the same as the Russian source article, how would you describe it ???

It is also on some Thai language news sites. So it is certainly correct.

One mentions it is a extension of the April 7th ministerial announcement to July 31st.

Edited April 21, 2020 by ubonjoe

[Seismic]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is also on some Thai language news sites. So it certainly correct.

One mentions it is a extension of the April 7th  ministerial announcement.

It is on a lot of websites, but they all quote the Reuters article. there is no official confirmation from any government source yet.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Seismic
spelling

[edwardandtubs]

8 minutes ago, Seismic said:

Considering that their announcement is almost word for word the same as the Russian source article, how would you describe it ???

If Reuters just went around copying dodgy Russian news sites their business would collapse. Maybe the Russian news site copied Reuters?

Edited April 21, 2020 by edwardandtubs

[vermin on arrival]

RT is not a dodgy site. It's just state sponsored.

[DrJack54]

Assuming this turns out to be fact then for once I'm happy to praise Thai gov.

Doing it this way will avoid crazy period prior to end of amnesty. With that amount of time one would expect some borders open and folk can plan next step.

Good move Thai government.

[edwardandtubs]

2 minutes ago, Seismic said:

https://www.rt.com/newsline/486433-thailand-visa-extension-foreigners/

 

Reuters sell their stories to third-party news sites so it's not at all unusual to see their articles copied word-for-word. Please learn something about how the international news media works before spreading confusion.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Seismic said:

It is on a lot of websites, but they all quote the Reuters article. there is no official confirmation form any government source yet.

 

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is also on some Thai language news sites. So it is certainly correct.

One mentions it is a extension of the April 7th ministerial announcement to July 31st.

It also has copy of the order.

[vermin on arrival]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Assuming this turns out to be fact then for once I'm happy to praise Thai gov.

Doing it this way will avoid crazy period prior to end of amnesty. With that amount of time one would expect some borders open and folk can plan next step.

Good move Thai government.

Yeah it's about time they got their heads around this.

[ANDREW999]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Assuming this turns out to be fact then for once I'm happy to praise Thai gov.

Doing it this way will avoid crazy period prior to end of amnesty. With that amount of time one would expect some borders open and folk can plan next step.

Good move Thai government.

Hope so. Otherwise, by the end of july i will have been in Thailand for 7 months with a SETV. 

 

Im wondering if this amnesty also gives green card to change to non b inside the country...

[audaciousnomad]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 

It also has copy of the order.

Is there a link to this please?