INFOGRAPHIC: Visa amnesty extension officially made law, confirmed by Thai Immigration

[jackdd]

21 minutes ago, The Word said:

It couldn't have been made any clearer as right from the start they have been referring to visitors with visas expiring from a specifically stated date, they have made no mention of extensions of stay, which are not specifically expiring visas.   If you have a recently expired visa you qualify for the changes, if you're on an extension, you don't.

If it's so clear i wonder why you still understand it wrong.

The ministerial order says "permission to stay", which Thai immigration translated into "visa" (they commonly do this), and it doesn't matter if the permission to stay has been extended or not, it covers both cases. Somebody who had permission to stay until at least 26th March -> Covered.

 

The missunderstandings result from:

- Most people here not being able to read Thai

- Low English skill of Thai IOs (and general low communication skills, even some of the informations which they released in Thai are wrong or not precise)

- People being paranoid about Thai immigration announcements

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by jackdd

[The Word]

On 4/25/2020 at 4:40 PM, mikecha said:

if u read sais all   visas  

 

 

look again at the blue headliner from thai immergration 

Marriage/retirements are not visas, they are extensions of permission to stay.

[The Word]

17 minutes ago, jackdd said:

If it's so clear i wonder why you still understand it wrong.

The ministerial order says "permission to stay", which Thai immigration translated into "visa" (they commonly do this), and it doesn't matter if the permission to stay has been extended or not, it covers both cases. Somebody who had permission to stay until at least 26th March -> Covered.

 

The missunderstandings result from:

- Most people here not being able to read Thai

- Low English skill of Thai IOs (and general low communication skills, even some of the informations which they released in Thai are wrong or not precise)

- People being paranoid about Thai immigration announcements

 

I don't "understand it wrong", I understand what it means.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

...

The ministerial order says "permission to stay", which Thai immigration translated into "visa" (they commonly do this), and it doesn't matter if the permission to stay has been extended or not, it covers both cases. Somebody who had permission to stay until at least 26th March -> Covered.

...

Your quote above is correct > the Amnesty does indeed apply to all those that have a Permit to Stay stamped in their passport that expires after 26 March (also those on 1-year extensions).

And so there are no consequences of being on overstay during the amnesty period when not visiting your IO when your permission to stay is due to expire.

However, what is not so sure is whether your IO will allow you to extend that permission to stay when the permission to stay date has expired.  For those on VisaExempt or TouristVisa or 90-day permissions to stay from a Non Imm O Visa, that wouldn't matter as they would normally leave the country anyway.  But for those on 1-year extensions of stay from their long-stay Visa it is not so clear whether they will be able to extend that 1-year extension once the permission to stay date has expired. 

Since this is Thailand, some IOs might provide leniency, but there are also already 2 reports of IOs that are not willing to do that, thus forcing those that did not apply for their 1-year extension during the window foreseen, to exit Thailand once the borders are open again and having to start their application from scratch again.

Hence it is recommended to visit your local IO once your present permission to stay from your 1-year extension is due to expire, unless of course it was your intention to let it expire anyway.

[Maestro]

To illustrate the confusing use of the term "visa" used by the Immigration Bureau in English translations and as a consequence also being used on other websites and by the media, please see the following:

 

 

 

Immigration - visa in Thai_5.pdf

Edited April 26, 2020 by Maestro
changed to PDF with live links

[Joe1593]

So what will happen on August 1st? Huge run on the immigration of 3 months worth of visa? And continued every year from then on because of the yearly extensions? I hope they will open one month in advance to smoothen that spike out. 

[zzzzz]

just cause there is an amnesty till july 31st does not mean you need use it that far,

 

As soon as the borders open up;

you can travel out, travel in, get new visa, return home, do ur 90 day reports etc etc 

and not be subjected to any fines

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Joe1593 said:

So what will happen on August 1st? Huge run on the immigration of 3 months worth of visa? And continued every year from then on because of the yearly extensions? I hope they will open one month in advance to smoothen that spike out. 

If you are on a one year extension of stay you should apply when it is due. Immigration is still open and will accept your application as normal. The only thing you do not have to do is 90 day reports since they have been suspended.

The ministerial notice is primarily for those that entered as tourists or who have multiple entry non immigrant visas that have to leave the country to get a new entry.

[natsume]

Just went to Jomtien IO. American, arrived 1/28, for a conference. Was going to return to my job originally on 2/7, but was told to not come back now (I teach at a Chinese university) by HR. 30 day already renewed once, expired ON March 26th, COVID letter from Embassy put me "under consideration" for about two weeks. Went back and was put "under consideration" until yesterday (Sunday). Went back today and was told "you are good until 7/31, don't need another stamp". The stamp part may or may not be true, waiting to hear from others on this. I tried to get another opinion and was told the same (I'm finding it's good to ask several people in an IO in Thailand the same question, very often get different answers).  I intend, if at all possible, to return to (of all places) China, IF they open in late May/June/July (I hope, who knows). I have a residence permit in China, and am expected to work at least until August 2021. But no foreigners allowed in ATM. This, being Thailand, I am just going to expect they will charge me whatever the overstay they deem is whenever I leave. Better to expect that than be "pleasantly surprised", but would be quite surprised if they gave me a year penalty. I'm working 9-12 hour days, no days off, by the way. I'm not trying to get pity out of anybody, just saying this isn't a party. I work for an international university, about 100 of the 120 faculty are not currently IN China. I have very good internet, and that is helping immensely. I have colleagues stuck in places where the internet is very unreliable (Africa, Cypress, Indonesia). We were all on spring holiday when the [/] hit the fan.

[natsume]

By the way, about the March 26th date. I have seen it interpreted two ways. You're good if you expired on that date or later (since the 26th), or you're good AFTER that date. This is where my overstay fines worries come in. If I tell you I have been reading this novel SINCE March 26th, that means I was reading it ON March 26th. I have seen both interpretations by English speakers on TV.

[sanuk711]

So on August the 1st..................do we all go along to do our 90 days (mine runs out in June).........its going to be 1 big mob.

[samtam]

On 4/25/2020 at 9:04 AM, Raymonddiaz said:

This news doesn’t concern the non immigration holders. I have just renewed my visa extension yesterday and it went very smoothly and it was very fast. Less than 2 hours.

Which office?

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

So on August the 1st..................do we all go along to do our 90 days (mine runs out in June).........its going to be 1 big mob.

Certainly not.

When they decide there will be no more extension of the ministerial notice they will announce when reports are due. They certainly will not want everybody to a report on the same day and again 90 days later. It could be by the month your most recent post would of been due or 90 days from when it was due.

[Tanoshi]

13 minutes ago, natsume said:

By the way, about the March 26th date. I have seen it interpreted two ways. You're good if you expired on that date or later (since the 26th), or you're good AFTER that date. This is where my overstay fines worries come in. If I tell you I have been reading this novel SINCE March 26th, that means I was reading it ON March 26th. I have seen both interpretations by English speakers on TV.

From the Ministerial announcement.

Quote

For an alien who has been permitted a temporary stay in the Kingdom according to their type of visa (including Visa on Arrival) and an alien who has been permitted a temporary stay in the Kingdom according to their visa exemption privileges (P. 30/PP. 14/ PP. 30/PP. 90) whose specified period of time permitted for stay in the Kingdom expires as from 26 March B.E. 2563 (2020):

If your permission of stay stamp was dated to 26th March, or later, then you are covered until July 31st by the amnesty. No further stamps required, no fines, no overstay.

[Tanoshi]

18 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

So on August the 1st..................do we all go along to do our 90 days (mine runs out in June).........its going to be 1 big mob.

I would suspect that when 90 day reporting is reinstated, the date of reporting would be 90 days from any suspended report dates, as if you had continued to report as usual.

[Benitostacos]

On 4/24/2020 at 2:18 AM, theVenerable said:

Yet I only get a three day extension on my under consideration visa and was told to come back in three days.
Sounds great.

Everyone please go to immigration office and check first  if you are due to go there.

Listening to the dross in here could get you a hefty overstay fine

Which office is this? The office in Khon Kaen told me I was fine until April 30th (when I came for my consideration follow-up), and I'm assuming it was extended further due to the amnesty.

[jacko45k]

On 4/25/2020 at 11:46 AM, bbi1 said:

Doubt borders will open in 3 months. Australia said December at the earliest, if not in 2021. Aussies are stuck here in Thailanduntil the end of this year, at least.

 

There have been repatriation flights into Australia from India, and for Thailand you can register with the Embassy to hear of any opportunities to travel back to Oz.