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

[CLS]

Gents, can we sum it up like this?

 

Everyone who was legally in the country from 3/26 onwards can stay till 7/31.

 

No matter if permission of stay was granted at the border or via any extension at an immigration office.

 

Extensions include 30 days tourist, 60 days marriage/parental or 12 months marriage/parental/retirement and Covid19.

 

Those with 12 months extension with due date between 3/26 and 7/31 and miss/fail to extend can stay legally here till 7/31.

What happens to their extension afterwards is a different question.

My guess is they have to leave and start over again.

 

[couchpotato]

6 minutes ago, CLS said:

Gents, can we sum it up like this?

 

Everyone who was legally in the country from 3/26 onwards can stay till 7/31.

 

No matter if permission of stay was granted at the border or via any extension at an immigration office.

 

Extensions include 30 days tourist, 60 days marriage/parental or 12 months marriage/parental/retirement and Covid19.

 

Those with 12 months extension with due date between 3/26 and 7/31 and miss/fail to extend can stay legally here till 7/31.

What happens to their extension afterwards is a different question.

My guess is they have to leave and start over again.

 

""or 12 months marriage/parental/retirement 

Those with 12 months extension with due date between 3/26 and 7/31 and miss/fail to extend can stay legally here till 7/31""

 

I don't think you are right on this--this needs clarification.

[BritTim]

48 minutes ago, CLS said:

Gents, can we sum it up like this?

 

Everyone who was legally in the country from 3/26 onwards can stay till 7/31.

 

No matter if permission of stay was granted at the border or via any extension at an immigration office.

 

Extensions include 30 days tourist, 60 days marriage/parental or 12 months marriage/parental/retirement and Covid19.

 

Those with 12 months extension with due date between 3/26 and 7/31 and miss/fail to extend can stay legally here till 7/31.

What happens to their extension afterwards is a different question.

My guess is they have to leave and start over again.

This is my strong suspicion. Essentially, I believe you are correct. Based on people's experience at airports when leaving, everyone legally in Thailand as of March 26th is covered. However, that is not what senior immigration officials want people to think. They especially want agents to continue to process extensions that provide income to those officials. The crazy and ambiguous wording of the ministerial order was intentional, designed both to assure foreign embassies, TAT, and probably the PM that everyone was covered, while being able to persuade those paying them for agent assisted extensions to continue doing so.

 

The big question is what happens when people assume they are covered, but do not exit but later apply for extensions. What I think should happen is that those extensions should be allowed insofar as they are logical if counted from the original expiry date of the permission to stay. Thus, if your permission to stay expired on April 1st and you applied for a one-year extension of stay on July 30th, this would be allowed, with the extension taking you to April 1st 2021. However, if you apply for a regular tourist extension of 30 days, this would be rejected as 30 days from April 1st means the extension would expire before the end of the automatic extension. What will actually happen, I do not know, but I am not optimistic if you are not using an agent.

[alex8912]

2 hours ago, CLS said:

Gents, can we sum it up like this?

 

Everyone who was legally in the country from 3/26 onwards can stay till 7/31.

 

No matter if permission of stay was granted at the border or via any extension at an immigration office.

 

Extensions include 30 days tourist, 60 days marriage/parental or 12 months marriage/parental/retirement and Covid19.

 

Those with 12 months extension with due date between 3/26 and 7/31 and miss/fail to extend can stay legally here till 7/31.

What happens to their extension afterwards is a different question.

My guess is they have to leave and start over again.

 

I like your post but the answer is no. 
This thread will have 20 + pages of back and forth. 

[sometimewoodworker]

5 hours ago, Maestro said:

6 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

immigration is known for its interesting adaptation of meanings of English words...

 

Immigration officials are not carrying out their duties on the basis of an English translation. The original Thai text is good enough for them. Most likely, they got a memorandum from the head office with instructions and guidelines on on the subject of the automatic extension of permission to stay, of which we have no copy

Thanks, that is exactly my point. I agree with that and from what I understand, as with many other languages, there often is no 1 correct translation into English.

 

Immigration has, however, posted information in English on their website which (absent the authoritative Thai memorandum text and knowing the difficulty of precision translation) could suggest that people with a re-entry permit other than permanent residents  are covered.
 

The whole point is that saying that because a word or 2 has an exact meaning in English it must be the meaning and only the meaning intended is missing the fact that the English wording is only a rough guide and that the Thai text is the ONLY correct version.

 

 

 

 

 

[Excel]

Maybe it is my age or perhaps after wading through this thread and missing it but I have found that this  is unclear and the replies have been somewhat ambiguous and unreferenced as to to one very important aspect that concerns me and that is specifically the 90 day reporting option.

 

There appears to have been an assumption maybe in light of the current statement from the government that indeed the 90 day reporting option has been deferred until 31st July.

 

For the avoidance of doubt on this specific item, i.e. the 90 day reporting option only, can someone provide me with an unambiguous and specific reference  within yesterdays government statement or perhaps an Immigration instruction on this issue because deductions and assumptions by those who think they know are all fine and dandy until the perhaps one day in the future we return to normal 90 day returning only to be informed at our respective IO offices that the 90 day reporting was indeed not included !

 

Appreciate a specific reference to this item because unless I see it it black and white from an official source I think the risk of the consequences of not being in compliance of one's 90 day reporting date is too high to rely upon assumptions, deductions and even though  these may appear to be logical deductions/assumptions.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Excel

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, CLS said:

Gents, can we sum it up like this?

 

Everyone who was legally in the country from 3/26 onwards can stay till 7/31.

 

No matter if permission of stay was granted at the border or via any extension at an immigration office.

 

Extensions include 30 days tourist, 60 days marriage/parental or 12 months marriage/parental/retirement and Covid19.

 

Those with 12 months extension with due date between 3/26 and 7/31 and miss/fail to extend can stay legally here till 7/31.

What happens to their extension afterwards is a different question.

My guess is they have to leave and start over again.

 

No. While that would be nice it is not the information from the cabinet meeting, that does not talk about those who have an extension of stay.

Quote

To extend the period of permission to stay in the Kingdom of foreigners who are temporarily allowed to stay in the Kingdom according to the type of visa. (Including VISA on Arrival), aliens who are allowed to stay in the Kingdom temporarily under the visa exemption privileges. (Phor. 30 / Phor. 14 / Phor. 30 / Phor. 90) under Section 35 of the Immigration Act 2522

Immigration are clear that if you are on a 1 year extension and you want to continue in the kingdom you need to apply in the normal manner and they are processing those applications as usual.

 

Other extensions e.g. 60 day family visit are less clear cut

 

It is not at all clear that other people than those listed in the order are exempt from the penalties of overstaying their permission to stay.
 

I suggest that if you are on an extension of less than 1 year you should contact your immigration office.
 

Do not assume as the old saying that it makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me” is never more true

 

[prakhonchai nick]

And those UK citizens whose passports have expired or will shortly expire and have no way of renewing them??? They are technically in Thailand illegally. Will their previous extension be extended beyond the lifetime of their passport?

 

No help on this from either the British Embassy or UK HMPO.

[sometimewoodworker]

14 minutes ago, Excel said:

There appears to have been an assumption maybe in light of the current statement from the government that indeed the 90 day reporting option has been deferred until 31st July.

 

For the avoidance of doubt on this specific item, i.e. the 90 day reporting option only, can someone provide me with an unambiguous and specific reference  within yesterdays government statement or perhaps an Immigration instruction on this issue because deductions and assumptions by those who think they know are all fine and dandy until the perhaps one day in the future we return to normal 90 day returning only to be informed at our respective IO offices that the 90 day reporting was indeed not included !

Quote

2. To extend the notification period for residence under Section 37 (5) of the Immigration Act 1979 

that is the wording 

 

also 

Quote

However, if the extension of the period of temporary residence permit is not extended further Will cause many aliens to travel to meet the immigration authorities To process a temporary stay in the Kingdom and / or notify a residence Until it may result in congestion Squeezing closely among the aliens at the immigration office Causing a broader risk of the spread of coronary infections in 2019, or Kovid 19 Inconsistent with measures and guidelines for the prevention and control of the spread of coronary diseases in 2019 or Covid 19
Essence of the draft announcement

So once published in the gazette, that will happen later this week or next week, the suspension of the 90 day reporting requirement will extend to July 31st

Edited April 21, 2020 by sometimewoodworker

[madmen]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

nope, you must renew 12 month extensions as usual, no change for these

I'm not doing the extension as I'm going back to oz and have 2 flights cancelled. So I'm stuck here with an expired retirement extension due end of may.

[MagnumForce]

7 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Udon Thani immigration office are one of the groups of people who believe that neither 1 year nor 60 day extensions of stay are covered 

Hi,

I, too, have the misfortune of having to use Udon Thani IO, and one male officer in particular.

 

Are you saying that if you are on a 60-day extension based on marriage, no matter what kind of entry this is an extension of i.e. Non-Imm O, 30-day visa exempt etc, that Udon Thani are saying this 60-day extension based on marriage is not covered by the amnesty???

 

If that is the case, what did they tell you to do when the 60 days expire?

[novo58]

Ok another dilemma......What if you have a permission to stay ( based on retirement - 8ooK in bank etc) and you LEFT Thailand BEFORE march 26th and were UNABLE to return ( and are still unable to return NOW) and your visa expires in May. Where do you stand .......asking for ME ( not a friend).

[PST]

8 hours ago, ReLo said:

 

you are wrong, he can stay until JULY 31, nothing to do or extend.

 

 

 

 

He's already got the 60 day extension until end of june,

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, novo58 said:

Ok another dilemma......What if you have a permission to stay ( based on retirement - 8ooK in bank etc) and you LEFT Thailand BEFORE march 26th and were UNABLE to return ( and are still unable to return NOW) and your visa expires in May. Where do you stand .......asking for ME ( not a friend).

Your extension will end in may. You will need to start over since you are not currently in Thailand

[sometimewoodworker]

17 minutes ago, MagnumForce said:

Hi,

I, too, have the misfortune of having to use Udon Thani IO, and one male officer in particular.

 

Are you saying that if you are on a 60-day extension based on marriage, no matter what kind of entry this is an extension of i.e. Non-Imm O, 30-day visa exempt etc, that Udon Thani are saying this 60-day extension based on marriage is not covered by the amnesty???

 

If that is the case, what did they tell you to do when the 60 days expire?

I am saying definitely that 1 year extensions are being processed in the usual way (mine is, April 16)  and 60 day extensions are also being processed in the normal way (a gentleman next to me gat 1)

 

Also that in your case to avoid any ambiguity I would go to Udon immigration, I have heard (no proof yet) that Udon maybe allowing a second 60 day extension, if so you must apply with your Thai family member. Or They may give something else.

Edited April 22, 2020 by sometimewoodworker

[Matzzon]

So, now they have fixed this as we all know from start that they would do. Great, that everyone that worried so much before can breath easier.

[sometimewoodworker]

6 minutes ago, novo58 said:

Ok another dilemma......What if you have a permission to stay ( based on retirement - 8ooK in bank etc) and you LEFT Thailand BEFORE march 26th and were UNABLE to return ( and are still unable to return NOW) and your visa expires in May. Where do you stand .......asking for ME ( not a friend).

Your position is not clear.

the wording on the Thai immigration website may cover you or your extension may just expire so you are back to square 1.

[PETERTHEEATER]

If it's too good to be true..........

[DrJack54]

Just now, sometimewoodworker said:

Your position is not clear.

the wording on the Thai immigration website may cover you or your extension may just expire so you are back to square 1.

I think it's clear. Anyone not currently in Thailand and is unable to obtain his 12 month extension by attending immigration will need to start over. Guess time will tell.

[MagnumForce]

21 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

 

Also that in your case to avoid any ambiguity I would go to Udon immigration, I have heard (no proof yet) that Udon maybe allowing a second 60 day extension.

The problem, in my experience, is that not all officers at Udon are giving the same info or doing the same things. 

I would very much appreciate it, if you do get proof of Udon giving a second 60-day extension, that you please let me know.

My present 60-day extension based on marriage expires on June 3, so if I am not included in this latest amnesty until July 31, I will probably need to attempt a second 60-day extension at Udon to get me the same amount of time as the amnesty would give.

 

Many thanks,

 

MF

Edited April 22, 2020 by MagnumForce

[sometimewoodworker]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I think it's clear. Anyone not currently in Thailand and is unable to obtain his 12 month extension by attending immigration will need to start over. Guess time will tell.

As the current situation is AFIK without precedent. We will have to wait, as you say, discrete envelopes may be able to help.

[fredwiggy]

12 hours ago, Timwin said:

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! ????

Never did understand why foreigners have to have 40k coming in every month while the average Thai makes less than 15k a month, and lives ok. If a Thai goes to the US, they don't have to prove the same as far as I see and hear. If they can live on what they make, we certainly can also. Not all of us live beyond their means or drinks daily, drives expensive cars or has 3 million baht houses. Every one of us is contributing more to the economy than the average person here, so why ?

[fdbob]

12 hours ago, problemfarang said:

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.. 

No I don’t think it applies to long term visas

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, Maestro said:

The MFA and the Immigration Bureau make the translation available for viewing and download on their respective websites.

 

Last time, the MFA posted a link to the Ministerial Notification of 7 April on the following page on their website and I expect them to do the same for the new Notification:

 

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/news3/10491

[smedly]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

I'm not doing the extension as I'm going back to oz and have 2 flights cancelled. So I'm stuck here with an expired retirement extension due end of may.

maybe they will work something out for you because of your situation but you will need to pay them a visit and discuss it, any particular reason why you will not renew as it is only 1900baht to do so - was this your intention as you had 2x flights booked

Edited April 22, 2020 by smedly

[DrJack54]

Just now, smedly said:

maybe they will work something out for you because of your situation but you will need to pay them a visit and discuss it

I don't see how he has a problem. His permission of stay will end may. Then at some point during the new amnesty period he will fly home to Oz. 

Clearly I'm missing something.

[smedly]

1 hour ago, novo58 said:

Ok another dilemma......What if you have a permission to stay ( based on retirement - 8ooK in bank etc) and you LEFT Thailand BEFORE march 26th and were UNABLE to return ( and are still unable to return NOW) and your visa expires in May. Where do you stand .......asking for ME ( not a friend).

you will be able to extend as normal when you come back as if your 12 extension didn't expire - that was in the order in early April

[smedly]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Your extension will end in may. You will need to start over since you are not currently in Thailand

wrong again mate

[smedly]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I don't see how he has a problem. His permission of stay will end may. Then at some point during the new amnesty period he will fly home to Oz. 

Clearly I'm missing something.

he is on a 12 month extension he does not qualify for the amnesty automatically

[Jajazazajaja]

My multi entry Non B expires in Dec. My last entry stamp is good till June 7. Can I now stay till July 31 without doing anything?