Thai authorities mull visa amnesty rules after July 31

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Are they gonna hurry up and fast track m... er, my friend's Non-B? A kind RTP officer once told him he should be "improving the future for Thai children" while he's here, and he's already been working to do just that. ????

[MadMac]

5 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Could ubonjoe or someone please comment on this? My extension of stay based on retirement expires on 10 July and my plan was to get the 60-day visa based on family/marriage after that until I can travel to Laos or Vietnam for a new visa. Thank you.

Talk to your immigration, that's the only source of reliable information.

Visa is not possible with closed borders (I think the only option in country is ED), so your best bet is to renew your yearly extension. If money is an issue you can change from retirement to Thai wife at the discretion of your IO.

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by MadMac

[JensenZ]

3 hours ago, MadMac said:

That's not correct, it also includes Extensions of Stay.

They can't make up their mind what they mean. The sign suggests it includes everyone, yet the article feels the need to interpret it differently.

[MadMac]

1 minute ago, JensenZ said:

They can't make up their mind what they mean. The sign suggests it includes everyone, yet the article feels the need to interpret it differently.

What is so difficult to understand with the direct, clear, simple word of the local immigration, that extensions of stay are covered under the amnesty?!

[JensenZ]

3 hours ago, thequietman said:

I think that you will find it doesn't.  If you have a marriage or retirement extension, you need to renew when it is due. ????

No one wants to find out after they've let their extension lapse. Did you get this information from any authority besides Thaivisa members and Pattaya news? In other words, are you guessing or do you really know.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Could ubonjoe or someone please comment on this? My extension of stay based on retirement expires on 10 July and my plan was to get the 60-day visa based on family/marriage after that until I can travel to Laos or Vietnam for a new visa. Thank you.

Why are you not planning on new extension based on retirement?

[JensenZ]

6 minutes ago, MadMac said:

What is so difficult to understand with the direct, clear, simple word of the local immigration, that extensions of stay are covered under the amnesty?!

I have no difficulty knowing what the words mean but that's quite meaningless when it comes to Thai immigration as words often don't have the meaning you think and even immigration officers are confused. Are you knew at this?

 

I just did my yearly retirement extension yesterday, due July 25. I'm not taking any chances. They did not tell me to come back in August.

Edited June 27, 2020 by JensenZ

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

No one wants to find out after they've let their extension lapse. Did you get this information from any authority besides Thaivisa members and Pattaya news? In other words, are you guessing or do you really know.

Why on earth would you not obtain your new extension prior to current permission of stay expiring. If your thinking you could obtain few months extra your wrong. 

If gov announced July 20 that amnesty will NOT be extended then have a good time at imm obtaining your extension.

Anyone that has annual extension due during amnesty DO IT.

JenzenZ.....wrote my post prior to reading your previous post.

100% you did the correct thing. Anyone who skipped it, I suggest attend asap

Edited June 27, 2020 by DrJack54

[Xonax]

I just went to do the annual non-o visa extension i Samut Prakan yesterday. They have now moved the waiting area outside in the parking lot, just like the photocopy booth. Exactly as last year, they wouldn´t accept my TM7 form, which I had just downloaded from the immigration website and filled out in Word before printing it, so I had to fill a completely identical form by hand and make a copy of it (had to wait in line at the copy booth for 25 minutes), before I could be allowed to get a number in the queue. Everything else went smooth, expect that it pisses me off every time, that I have to go outside and wait in line 20 minutes to make 2 copies of the receipt for my payment. Why don´t they use 3 layered forms, or just print 3 copies of the same form???

Edited June 27, 2020 by Xonax

[JensenZ]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Why on earth would you not obtain your new extension prior to current permission of stay expiring. If your thinking you could obtain few months extra your wrong. 

If gov announced July 20 that amnesty will NOT be extended then have a good time at imm obtaining your extension.

Anyone that has annual extension due during amnesty DO IT.

My comment was in reply to "I think you will find it doesn't". I don't want to find out, so I did it LOL

[MadMac]

Anyways, people on regular extensions are not affected and I think we all agree it is best to do them in time as usual.

For the visa runners, hopefully they find a way to convert/transfer these into extensions. Remains the money requirement but there could be some flexibility.

The remaining tourists enjoying a free ride, well, enjoy it as long as the game lasts. It may be over pretty soon.

[scoupeo]

Anybody not totally idiot knows what will happen.

Extension within the country of course, and maybe for a fee.

Actually I would appreciate that people who agree to pay anything asked get a new extension the easiest way.

[Peter Denis]

2 hours ago, MadMac said:

It does not matter what you read how and where. The only thing that matters is what your local immigration office is telling you. So go there and ask them. Simple.

For Chiang Mai the answer is that extensions can be renewed till 31st July. In other provinces this may be different. 

Your last sentence clarified the YES/NO discussion.  From what you write the stance of CM IO is clear > you can apply there for the 1-year extension of your Non Imm O Visa after the due date has expired and till the end of the Amnesty.  But some other IOs stated when being asked that due to the Amnesty there won't be any fines involved if you let your 1-year extension of stay due date slip.  However, if you did so tShat you would not be able to do it anymore and would have to leave the country (which would force you to apply for a new Visa from scratch again).

So, enquiring at your local IO is recommended in order not to be taken by surprise.

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by Peter Denis

[newnative]

1 hour ago, MadMac said:

If they extend the amnesty till September, which I think it is unlikely but could happen, then there is no need for 90 days reporting. I however suggest you still do it, try online, takes 5 mins. Same as the TM30 they say is not needed anymore, just until they need it again and then you are in potential trouble.

 

Also be careful, 90 days and extensions do run onseparate timeframes, it is not 90 days from your extension (unless it is the first one) but the time since your last 90 days or the date you entered the country.

Thanks but I was asking not about 90 day extensions but about reporting that I still had 400,000 baht in my bank account. There was a requirement that you have to return in 90 days after your yearly extension to show you still have the money in the account--I use the 800,000 baht method.  I was wondering if this requirement had been suspended with the covid situation.  

[MadMac]

Was all said already, confirmed here for Chiang Mai and Chaeng Wattana, what other IOs say may differ. You need to ask them directly and not search for infinite knowledge in the Interwebz.

[scoupeo]

9 minutes ago, scoupeo said:

Anybody not totally idiot knows what will happen.

Extension within the country of course, and maybe for a fee.

Actually I would appreciate that people who agree to pay anything asked get a new extension the easiest way.

 

The only truth !!!

 

[MadMac]

1 minute ago, newnative said:

Thanks but I was asking not about 90 day extensions but about reporting that I still had 400,000 baht in my bank account. There was a requirement that you have to return in 90 days after your yearly extension to show you still have the money in the account--I use the 800,000 baht method.  I was wondering if this requirement had been suspended with the covid situation.  

Yes, ok, I took it for the normal 90 days report. This seems also to differ between IOs, no such requirement in CM, at least they do not tell anyone about it ????

[bestie]

Quote

The remaining tourists enjoying a free ride, well, enjoy it as long as the game lasts. It may be over pretty soon.

I think real tourists don't really care. They will move on somewhere else. I can't really understand the meaning of your sentence.Let me correct it.: 

Thai Hotel owners be aware soon more tourists will move out, you will lose more money and probably go bankrupt.

That would make more sense.

[Stevemercer]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

   Slightly off-topic but I did my yearly extension in June using the 800,000 baht method.  I wasn't paying enough attention at the time but I just realized that I wasn't given the slip of paper telling me to report back in 90 days showing my bank book still has 400,000 baht in it.  Does anyone know if reporting back on this is still required with the covid situation?  I use Jomtien Immigration.  Thanks.  

 

Some offices don't do this, but may do the check at the next extension application (e.g. retrospectively  require the bank balance held over the past 12 months). There was a thread about this recently where the poster had dipped below the 800,000 Baht during the 90 days after his previous extension. This has, of course, complicated his current extension.

[Peter Denis]

35 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Could ubonjoe or someone please comment on this? My extension of stay based on retirement expires on 10 July and my plan was to get the 60-day visa based on family/marriage after that until I can travel to Laos or Vietnam for a new visa. Thank you.

When married to a thai national you can apply anytime for the 60-days extension of stay for reason of visiting your wife.  Since your permission to stay is automatically prolonged till 31 July, there is no need to apply earlier.  Doing it end of July will provide you with a permission to stay till end of September.  If by then the borders are open again you could then exit Thailand and apply for the 1-year MulitpleEntry Non Imm O marriage Visa at the thai consulates of Savannakhet or HoChiMin City.

 

 

[newnative]

Just now, Stevemercer said:

 

Some offices don't do this, but may do the check at the next extension application (e.g. retrospectively  require the bank balance held over the past 12 months). There was a thread about this recently where the poster had dipped below the 800,000 Baht during the 90 days after his previous extension. This has, of course, complicated his current extension.

Thanks!

[newnative]

2 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Yes, ok, I took it for the normal 90 days report. This seems also to differ between IOs, no such requirement in CM, at least they do not tell anyone about it ????

Thanks!

[smedly]

3 hours ago, MadMac said:

Nope, I just changed from marriage to retirment and was told from immigration that it is not necessary until 31st July. First hand information, no bubbles from Pattaya newspaper.

quote - but not including those renewing one year extensions of stay such as retirees and some work permit holders

 

 

plus it was posted on here numerous times with long discussions that 12 month extensions were NOT included in the amnesty 

[MadMac]

5 minutes ago, bestie said:

I think real tourists don't really care. They will move on somewhere else. I can't really understand the meaning of your sentence.Let me correct it.: 

Thai Hotel owners be aware soon more tourists will move out, you will lose more money and probably go bankrupt.

That would make more sense.

Again, no need to interpret anything here. What I wrote was pretty clear.

[SunsetT]

If the visa amnesty was introduced on 26/3/20 I was wrongly fined 1k thb for 2 days overstay on a visa exempt entry ewhen I departed Suvarnabhumi on 31/3/20. Does anyone have a link for the Thai legislation granting this amnesty so that I can print it and try to get a refund when I return, hopefully in October. I know there is a fat chance of getting it back but it should be fun trying, especially if I pretend to have a bad cough behind my mask....555.

[MadMac]

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

plus it was posted on here numerous times with long discussions that 12 month extensions were NOT included in the amnesty 

I'd suggest you try reading from the beginning. Perhaps your local IO does not do it, CM and CW do,

[TigerandDog]

4 hours ago, MadMac said:

That's not correct, it also includes Extensions of Stay.

WRONG.  Extensions of stay based on Retirment and marriage STILL MUST be done when they are due.

[Yorkshire Tea]

Govt needs to give about 30 days notice when amnesty due to end, or else there's going to be mayhem at immigration offices!

[MadMac]

5 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

WRONG.  Extensions of stay based on Retirment and marriage STILL MUST be done when they are due.

Whatever, people too lazy to read having opinions. Thanks ????

[smedly]

22 minutes ago, newnative said:

Thanks but I was asking not about 90 day extensions but about reporting that I still had 400,000 baht in my bank account. There was a requirement that you have to return in 90 days after your yearly extension to show you still have the money in the account--I use the 800,000 baht method.  I was wondering if this requirement had been suspended with the covid situation.  

the 3 months after report is to show 800k not 400k after that you must maintain 400k for 7 months then show 800k 2 months before and 3 months after renewal

 

so it goes like this 800k 2 months - renewal - 800k 3 months - 400k 7 months = 12 months