Under consideration stamp experience

[kurtcap]

Please see below the history of my understanding consideration stamp experience. 

British passport with TR extension expiring 12 April. 

 

Went to Korat immigration 8 April with embassy letter and received under consideration stamp until 23 April. (15 days from my actual visit and 11 days from visa expiry date) 

 

Returned 23 April and received extension until 7 May ( 30 days from actual initial visit,  25 days from previous visa expiry) 

 

Was advised that the second amnesty (suggested as until 31 July is not yet official) 

 

What I don't understand is the bottom stamp with reference to the 21 April? 

[MrBiker]

I went to Chiang Mai IO yesterday to get the rest of my Covid 19 with embassy letter extension, the under consideration stamp was due on April 22. Now, I am good until May 2nd. They told me they dont know anything about any amnesty until July 31st and that as of the current rules I need to come back on May 2nd with a new letter and all the paper work again... 

[ubonjoe]

The red stamp at bottom is for when immigration division 4 received and approved your extension on the 21st of April.

The blue one above it references the clause of the police order that it was under.

[uberfarang]

4 hours ago, MrBiker said:

I went to Chiang Mai IO yesterday to get the rest of my Covid 19 with embassy letter extension, the under consideration stamp was due on April 22. Now, I am good until May 2nd. They told me they dont know anything about any amnesty until July 31st and that as of the current rules I need to come back on May 2nd with a new letter and all the paper work again... 

I was told the same a couple weeks ago.

I reckon that the July 31st amnesty is not official yet so that's why they can't tell you not to come back on May 2nd but what I still don't understand is why they ask to bring another embassy considering embassies announced they stopped issuing those letter. I'm supposed to go back with another letter on the 29th, hopefully the new amnesty will be in effect but I'll only believe it when they tell me so.

[JohnBZ]

I went in Sa Kaeo immigration today on April 23 as I have an under consideration stamp for that date.  I was running out of passport pages. so I like to leave one whole page open in case I need to go to one of these countries with big visa stamps.

 

Immigration officers and I tried to find big enough space in the other pages of my passport.  To no avail.  In the end, the officers decided not to stamp on my passport because I already have a valid stamp till April 3 2020.  Per the second amnesty, I will be automatically permitted to stay till July 30.

 

I am very grateful for the officer help.  Just to stay safe,  I did take selfies of myself at the door of the Sa Kaeo immigration to prove that I was there on April 23 as instructed.  

 

I did ask if there is any penalties for not putting a visa stamp on the passport with the after consideration stamp.  I think the officers said no.  In case case, I was told before I could leave before April 23 if I need to.  If that happened, I also would not have a visa stamp after the under consideration stamp.

 

I think I am good and safe now.  Unless someone knows something I do not.  Thanks.

[JohnBZ]

I enclosed my under consideration stamp here.  You can see there is no visa stamp after the under consideration stamp.

 

Cheers

[timoti]

So basically we still need to go back and convert these under consideration into real visa stamps right?

[GreasyFingers]

I know someone will explain it to me but why are the extensions under consideration. I thought that was only for marriage extensions.
Our IO has red stamps for retirement or Thai wife extensions.

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

I know someone will explain it to me but why are the extensions under consideration. I thought that was only for marriage extensions.

Any extension of stay application can have a under consideration stamp done for if it has to be approved by a higher level of immigration.

[DrJack54]

OP, first up I'm no expert. 

I have different take on things. 

You had a permission of stay stamp admitted till April 12. 

I believe your subsequent application for extension (only due to late announcement of amnesty) think April 8?, became redundant. 

You had a POS that expired post March 26.

Why would you need do anything.

More experienced members I'm happy to read why that thinking flawed

[JohnBZ]

On 4/23/2020 at 6:51 PM, timoti said:

So basically we still need to go back and convert these under consideration into real visa stamps right?

No, you do not need to if you have a tourist visa that expired after March 26 2020.  We all got extended automatically till July 31.  In my case, my last visa expired on April 3.  This is what happened to me at Sa Kaeo Immigration.  I think this policy is the same nationwide in Thailand. 

[zippysteve]

It’s not under consideration it’s approved but you need another extension apparently. 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, zippysteve said:

It’s not under consideration it’s approved but you need another extension apparently. 

There are many that are still under consideration. But I would think that most of them have been approved so that when people return to immigration they will get the permit to stay date that the extension allows.

No need to apply for another extension.

[zippysteve]

27 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There are many that are still under consideration. But I would think that most of them have been approved so that when people return to immigration they will get the permit to stay date that the extension allows.

No need to apply for another extension.

Normally once it’s under consideration it’s pretty much going to be approved but that’s only just my experience over the years. 

[Dick Whiskey]

My experience:  I did a border run to Cambodia in early January on a METV ( multiple entry Thai visa). 60 day stamp expiring in early March. Went to Trat immigration ( Laem Ngop ) for a 30 day extension permitting me to stay til April 3rd. I then applied for the Covid extension and was given “under consideration” stamp dated April 22nd...returned on April 22nd and was told my application hadn’t yet been approved and I should be getting a call from immigration official in Bangkok...and once I receive the call, return to immigration to get a permission to stay til May 3rd ( 30 days from Covid application.)

 

As of now, April 26, immigration has not called me. I’m concerned that my status could be considered overstay as I haven’t proof that I visited the immigration office on April 22nd. It seems there are many different interpretations of who qualifies for the amnesty extension, depending on which immigration office you visit. I know there are many others experiencing this dilemma. There are a few points that need clarification (at least for me).

 

1. Extension “ permisssion of stay” stamp date ( in my case, April 3rd) is the day my visa expired, as regards to the amnesty, and should therefore be considered eligible for automatic extension??

 

2. As the cutoff date of March 26 wasn’t officially announced until April 7th, it wasn’t necessary to apply for the Covid extension after March 26th, for those whose visa was current ??

 

3. Had I not bothered to apply for the Covid extension on April 3rd, I would still have qualified for the auto extension once it was announced on April 7th, as my visa was still valid after the cutoff date of March 26 ??

 

4. We can speculate til the cows come home, but the important thing is how will immigration interpret amnesty qualifications at the various borders, especially the main airports, when it comes time to leave.

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, Dick Whiskey said:

 

1. Extension “ permisssion of stay” stamp date ( in my case, April 3rd) is the day my visa expired, as regards to the amnesty, and should therefore be considered eligible for automatic extension??

 

2. As the cutoff date of March 26 wasn’t officially announced until April 7th, it wasn’t necessary to apply for the Covid extension after March 26th, for those whose visa was current ??

This is exactly what my post #10 is about.

Because of late announcement of amnesty, some folk applied for extension even though their permission of stay stamp was expiring post March 26.

My take is that they already qualify for amnesty. Their under consideration stamp obtained AFTER march 26 is redundant. Hence why a need to return to immigration.

[Dick Whiskey]

Just phoned immigration Had Lek and explained my situation of “under consideration” stamp that expired April 22nd. She told me I was covered under the current amnesty til July 31st and I needn’t worry about obtaining another extension.

[Finlaco]

@Dick Whiskey. Thanks for posting.  I understand the July 31 automatic extension, but couldn't just confirm that you were advised no need to get the 'permission' to stay stamp as you are currently on a 'under consideration" stamp

[Dick Whiskey]

Correct. She said a permission of stay stamp wasn’t necessary as I was covered under the amnesty and was automatically extended.