Extension of Amnesty Unlikely?

[tribalfusion001]

1 minute ago, vermin on arrival said:

What new ones? There will be no new ones.

Medical tourists spending fat amounts on treatment and going home after 2 weeks, if they can get them that is.

[Zikomat]

 If only this decision would be up to Immigration - I don’t doubt they would squeeze us all out of the country with the unrealistic requirements of all kinds. Hope some authority above the Immigration will intervene again with a much better solution for us and for the country.

 

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Zikomat

[NorthernRyland]

There are flights out of Thailand. Bad flights that are expensive but flights none the less.

[tribalfusion001]

I think some of the short term tourists left in Thailand are overplaying their importance to the tourism sector. They are more of a hindrance to immigration and the government at present.

[at15]

2 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

I think some of the short term tourists left in Thailand are overplaying their importance to the tourism sector. They are more of a hindrance to immigration and the government at present.

hence the cleansing to prepare for the bubble tourists 

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by at15

[vermin on arrival]

This from the US Embassy website: The U.S. Embassy will no longer provide extension of stay requests. U.S. Citizens in Thailand temporarily have between now and July 31, 2020, to either return to the United States or their country of permanent residence or to obtain the appropriate visa type for your long-term stay in Thailand.

 

So if it depends on embassy letters, as it stands now, US citizens will be in a tough situation.

[at15]

9 minutes ago, genericptr said:

There are flights out of Thailand. Bad flights that are expensive but flights none the less.

its laughable at this point, anyone saying they have no way to return to their home country hasn't got a clue

[vermin on arrival]

Just now, at15 said:

hence the cleansing to prepare for the bubble tourists 

 

However, the bubbles would allow us to leave to other places we may need to go to.

[MrBiker]

1 minute ago, vermin on arrival said:

This from the US Embassy website: The U.S. Embassy will no longer provide extension of stay requests. U.S. Citizens in Thailand temporarily have between now and July 31, 2020, to either return to the United States or their country of permanent residence or to obtain the appropriate visa type for your long-term stay in Thailand.

 

So if it depends on embassy letters, as it stands now, US citizens will be in a tough situation.

The Canadian Embassy also told me no more letters, even with proof of cancelled flight home. The offered financial assistance (a loan) to try and book more flights.

[at15]

Just now, vermin on arrival said:

However, the bubbles would allow us to leave to other places we may need to go to.

but the bubbles are not coming until september best case , hence a pre-cleansing 

[tribalfusion001]

3 minutes ago, at15 said:

hence the cleansing to prepare for the bubble tourists 

 

They want tourists tracked by an app on the phone and using Thai chana to check in everywhere. New department being setup, it was in the Bangkok Post last week.

 

So they need to clear out the exisiting tourists.

[jackdd]

1 minute ago, vermin on arrival said:

This from the US Embassy website: The U.S. Embassy will no longer provide extension of stay requests. U.S. Citizens in Thailand temporarily have between now and July 31, 2020, to either return to the United States or their country of permanent residence or to obtain the appropriate visa type for your long-term stay in Thailand.

 

So if it depends on embassy letters, as it stands now, US citizens will be in a tough situation.

I guess this is on their website since the amnesty started. If Thailand should announce that there are no further extensions, but there are more people who have to leave than there are airplanes available, i guess the embassies would start issuing these letters again.

[tribalfusion001]

4 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

However, the bubbles would allow us to leave to other places we may need to go to.

From pre-approved countries and if your not in the pre-approved country list no bubble.

[jacob29]

17 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

They really don't care about a few bars and restaurants in tourist resorts to cater to foreigners. Guys and girls on amnesty also might start to run out of money and have no insurance.

I doubt those bars and restaurants care about a few immigration officials concerned about 'national security'.

 

It's mostly a question of who has the larger influence, immigration or the hotel/tourist sector. I remained in a large hotel that had about 10 foreigners keeping it on life support while many others closed (estimating 10% occupancy). They get a huge bump on weekends from Bangkok tourists now, but I'm not sure of the economics of having close to zero during the week should all the foreigners vacate. Fair to assume the foreign residents are laregly on tourist visa's given it's not a particularly cheap hotel.

[jacob29]

6 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

They want tourists tracked by an app on the phone and using Thai chana to check in everywhere. New department being setup, it was in the Bangkok Post last week.

 

So they need to clear out the exisiting tourists.

Easily achieved by requiring it for extensions made at immigration, absolutely no benefit derived forcing people to cross the border. Where do you come up with these crackpot ideas?

[tribalfusion001]

3 minutes ago, genericptr said:

It's taken me 15 years of living in Thailand to understand that Liberal Democracy and "universal human rights" etc... are merely figments of the European mind. Thais do not, whatsoever, believe in these notions. Thailand is for the Thais, which is a race, not a government category which can be obtained though paperwork. They accept us to the extent it's profitable for them and nothing more.

Spot on, tolerated when useful to them. I have nothing against Thai people and I like being there, but I'm not a Thai citizen.

[tribalfusion001]

1 minute ago, jacob29 said:

Easily achieved by requiring it for extensions made at immigration, absolutely no benefit derived forcing people to cross the border. Where do you come up with these crackpot ideas?

Do some research it was in the Bangkok Post and also Nick Dean from NDTVi said in a video last week the same thing.

[Zikomat]

20 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

I think some of the short term tourists left in Thailand are overplaying their importance to the tourism sector. They are more of a hindrance to immigration and the government at present.

With the number of tourist arrivals being solid 0 for several months - our importance for the Thai tourism industry is indeed on the highest point ever.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Zikomat

[tribalfusion001]

6 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

I doubt those bars and restaurants care about a few immigration officials concerned about 'national security'.

 

It's mostly a question of who has the larger influence, immigration or the hotel/tourist sector. I remained in a large hotel that had about 10 foreigners keeping it on life support while many others closed (estimating 10% occupancy). They get a huge bump on weekends from Bangkok tourists now, but I'm not sure of the economics of having close to zero during the week should all the foreigners vacate. Fair to assume the foreign residents are laregly on tourist visa's given it's not a particularly cheap hotel.

If the tourist sector had a larger influence then tourists would be still be arriving. It's a worldwide crisis affecting tourism, plenty of empty resorts all over the world.

[jacob29]

1 minute ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Do some research it was in the Bangkok Post and also Nick Dean from NDTVi said in a video last week the same thing.

Are you saying Bangkok post had an article suggesting they wanted to flush out existing tourists, as a means to help pave the way to track new tourists? Did they actually explain how it helps, or did you just decide to run with it?

[jacob29]

1 minute ago, tribalfusion001 said:

If the tourist sector had a larger influence then tourists would be still be arriving. It's a worldwide crisis affecting tourism, plenty of empty resorts all over the world.

Wrong, there would be no amnesty if the tourist sector (or someone outside of immigration) didn't force the hand of immigration. It was very clear, they were resisting it.

Edited July 10, 2020 by jacob29

[tribalfusion001]

1 minute ago, Zikomat said:

With the number of tourist arrivals being solid 0 for several months - our importance for the Thai tourism industry is indeed on the highest point ever.

It's hardly worth keeping resorts open with the amount of tourists in them.

[jacob29]

Just now, tribalfusion001 said:

It's hardly worth keeping resorts open with the amount of tourists in them.

and yet some have remained open, which would have been an economic decision, which means it has been worth staying open for some.

[tribalfusion001]

1 minute ago, jacob29 said:

Are you saying Bangkok post had an article suggesting they wanted to flush out existing tourists, as a means to help pave the way to track new tourists? Did they actually explain how it helps, or did you just decide to run with it?

There is a link on this thread and it was in the Bangkok Post last week about the new immigration department being setup, can't post BP links on here.

 

Spokesman Col. Phakkhaphong Saiubon said there’s a need to “clear out people” as the situation of global pandemic starts to wind down. The government issued automatic extensions of stays earlier this year only after hundreds of foreigners queued up at immigration centers throughout the country. 

“There most likely will not be an extension. It’s all quiet on that front. It’s been a long time and we need to clear out people,” Phakkaphong said. “Thailand and the Thai government are already generous. No other country has this long of a visa amnesty.”

[tribalfusion001]

2 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

and yet some have remained open, which would have been an economic decision, which means it has been worth staying open for some.

They can't operate for long with no tourists, simple economics. The same thing is happening worldwide, stupidity by governments and fear of the virus, self inflicted economic downturn.

[jacob29]

1 minute ago, tribalfusion001 said:

There is a link on this thread and it was in the Bangkok Post last week about the new immigration department being setup, can't post BP links on here

How did we read the same article, yet come to such different conclusions? I see nothing in there, about needing to purge existing tourists to make it easier to track people.

 

The colonel obviously sees a need to clear people out, I think he cited national security reasons before, I just can't believe you are buying that argument. It has no basis in reality, you can't track someone better if they hop over a border, versus renewing at immigration.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I've said it many times, sure you can buy airline tickets.  But buying and flying are two different things.  Flights are still canceled all the time.  And also need to factor in transit and those not being canceled.  It's not so simple as just buying a ticket.  Many flights are still canceled.  

[mixed]

Can anyone guess whether a land border will be open for those with multi entry visas?

[jacob29]

3 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

They can't operate for long with no tourists, simple economics.

Which is why purging the non-trivial number of residual tourists is going to have an impact. There are more about than you seem to assume. I mean look at the immigration lines leading up to the amnesty for starters.

[tribalfusion001]

5 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

How did we read the same article, yet come to such different conclusions? I see nothing in there, about needing to purge existing tourists to make it easier to track people.

 

The colonel obviously sees a need to clear people out, I think he cited national security reasons before, I just can't believe you are buying that argument. It has no basis in reality, you can't track someone better if they hop over a border, versus renewing at immigration.

Well, one says to clear out exisiting tourists and the new department is to track new tourists. You really don't think that they won't implement a tracking app on your phone? A friend of mine mentioned this to me back in February that this was next for tourists and he has been in BKK for 14 years. This was before Thai chana was brought out and immigration wanted to track tourists via QR code.