Foreigners in Thailand eagerly await clarification regarding visa amnesty

[micmichd]

36 minutes ago, young Farrang said:

I have been here on a tourist visa since March, or as many of you like to call a "non-proper" visa (even though it is as proper as any visa as long as you don't overstay/work). I have been living/traveling between Vietnam/Cambodia/Macau/Bali/Thailand for 7 year with a maximum of 90 days at each location. I consider them all my home, but Thailand just happened to be my last destination before everything closed down. If the Amnesty is not extended I will be forced to travel back to Europe where I have not been for at least 7 years with no family, home nor any people i am in touch with. It is unreasonable to assume that everyone can just return "home" to the country their passport happens to be from.

 

As long as all land borders are closed, and the nearest place that would allow entry is 8000 km away, it seems absurd to end the amnesty at this point. I will gladly pay any extension fee, report about my whereabouts, and I would gladly leave the country if there were reasonable options to travel to, but as 95% of the world is still closed (including the Thai borders) that is not the case.

 

I am here spending at least 50K Baht a month, proven to be Covid-free, and supporting a struggling economy - I am confident they will find a better solution than to send everyone back to a place they might have no relation to besides their passport

How old are you? 

Do you have permanent income in Thailand?  

How long are you permitted to stay in Thailand according to the newest stamp in your passport? 

 

If you come to Pattaya, then maybe a Visa agent can help you. 

[at15]

2 hours ago, young Farrang said:

I have been here on a tourist visa since March, or as many of you like to call a "non-proper" visa (even though it is as proper as any visa as long as you don't overstay/work). I have been living/traveling between Vietnam/Cambodia/Macau/Bali/Thailand for 7 year with a maximum of 90 days at each location. I consider them all my home, but Thailand just happened to be my last destination before everything closed down. If the Amnesty is not extended I will be forced to travel back to Europe where I have not been for at least 7 years with no family, home nor any people i am in touch with. It is unreasonable to assume that everyone can just return "home" to the country their passport happens to be from.

 

As long as all land borders are closed, and the nearest place that would allow entry is 8000 km away, it seems absurd to end the amnesty at this point. I will gladly pay any extension fee, report about my whereabouts, and I would gladly leave the country if there were reasonable options to travel to, but as 95% of the world is still closed (including the Thai borders) that is not the case.

 

I am here spending at least 50K Baht a month, proven to be Covid-free, and supporting a struggling economy - I am confident they will find a better solution than to send everyone back to a place they might have no relation to besides their passport

I understand the situation I am in a similar scenario but a first world country in Europe? You will survive and adapt , your not gonna die on the streets! Obviously your not poor.

 

Also what country are you from? At least for Americans, we can go to South Korea right now. If your country is allowing south koreans entry, south korea will let you enter because of reciprocity. As long as you agree to 14 day quarantine at a 3 star government mandated hotel around $100 USD nightly (all inclusive). 

 

 

[Coastrider]

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.thaivisa.com%2Ftopic%2F1173107-visa-amnesty-extended-to-september-30%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2MglikVo7aIrt4BtSFBMpz7TaLB7HB_Boqu0cxpdDRA_FdILb8tNGUQ9w&h=AT3Y2YwBqi4A1w01KOdIvLVPFf9naWmwi3pcsWElqvMlnK3MDh4byhlolmo1UTNXA8-AiVx4903-jzug4F26gV8_rmah8TMSNQ_pnD9ALupbmyeufNYRxRBYbxzPznrm-rk

[dgwooster]

No international flights out of Swampy? 

I didn't see any online.  All look like they've been cancelled.  Maybe I'm not checking the right place. 

How are foreigners expected to leave within 13 days if the boarders are closed?   Amnesty extension seems like the only solution to me.  Anybody? 

[lemonjelly]

Link to the departures board in Suvarnabhumi, ℅ AOT. There’s not much flying, folks. 
 

https://aot-portal.kdlab.dev/bkk

Edited July 17, 2020 by lemonjelly

[ThailandRyan]

15 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Link to the departures board in Suvarnabhumi, ℅ AOT. There’s not much flying, folks. 
 

https://aot-portal.kdlab.dev/bkk

Yes, as said, you can buy tickets for anywhere, but then they will be canceled, as there is no where to go that will accept you or give you a VOA or evisa. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules. 

[phetchy]

2 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Link to the departures board in Suvarnabhumi, ℅ AOT. There’s not much flying, folks. 
 

https://aot-portal.kdlab.dev/bkk

 

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yes, as said, you can buy tickets for anywhere, but then they will be canceled, as there is no where to go that will accept you or give you a VOA or evisa. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules. 

If the departures board looks like that in two weeks time......................ouch!

[ThailandRyan]

31 minutes ago, phetchy said:

 

If the departures board looks like that in two weeks time......................ouch!

Exactly, not very sky friendly right now to fly internationally and that's even back home to whence I came from, but no need to fly anywhere except around Thailand taking trips with reduced prices in some locales.

[Wongkitlo]

35 minutes ago, phetchy said:

 

If the departures board looks like that in two weeks time......................ouch!

I was trying to work out why so many flights are marked n/a? Not applicable? Not arrived? Not assigned?

[KhunFred]

Now that we have no place to go, you want to run us all out. Very clearly, an abuse of power.

[NCC1701A]

2 hours ago. 

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1283981452158267392

 

The Immigration Bureau has posted on their Facebook page to say that there has been NO announcement yet as to whether the visa amnesty will be extended or not. Please wait and don’t listen to rumors #Thailand

 

[SpanishExpat]

Bored of those "there are no flights out" arguments. Sure, their are specific regulations to every country, but for Europe it`s 0 problem to fligh back! Just Qatar flies 2x daily out of BKK and then from DOH to all major European cities 1-2x per day. 

Checked Expertflyer yesterday and for my flight there are actually me + 2 others booked in Business Class and around 20 in Economy. 

I understand that it`s comfortable to say " i need the amnesty, as there are no flights", but for Europe it`s just not the truth! Everyone who books now a flight for the next 10-14 days to Europe, has basically 0 risk to get it cancelled. The airlines still flying adapted to it, and won`t cancel out of nothing (like it happened back in April/May)

Edited July 17, 2020 by SpanishExpat

[Jim P]

19 minutes ago, SpanishExpat said:

Bored of those "there are no flights out" arguments. Sure, their are specific regulations to every country, but for Europe it`s 0 problem to fligh back! Just Qatar flies 2x daily out of BKK and then from DOH to all major European cities 1-2x per day. 

Checked Expertflyer yesterday and for my flight there are actually me + 2 others booked in Business Class and around 20 in Economy. 

I understand that it`s comfortable to say " i need the amnesty, as there are no flights", but for Europe it`s just not the truth! Everyone who books now a flight for the next 10-14 days to Europe, has basically 0 risk to get it cancelled. The airlines still flying adapted to it, and won`t cancel out of nothing (like it happened back in April/May)

EVA fly every Sunday direct to London, no problems getting to the UK, there`s plenty of flights, nobody from the UK is stranded. I think all applicants will now have to appear in person at immigration and those with the correct papers and proofs to live here will be extended. All those still here on tourist visas are by now uninsured and should have gone home or at least have a ticket out, maybe they will get 7 days or be lucky enough to get another amnesty.

[Wongkitlo]

8 minutes ago, Jim P said:

EVA fly every Sunday direct to London, no problems getting to the UK, there`s plenty of flights, nobody from the UK is stranded. I think all applicants will now have to appear in person at immigration and those with the correct papers and proofs to live here will be extended. All those still here on tourist visas are by now uninsured and should have gone home or at least have a ticket out, maybe they will get 7 days or be lucky enough to get another amnesty.

Australia has a cap of 9 flights a day into Sydney and a maximum of 50 passengers per plane. Melbourne airport closed. Bangkok to Sydney by Qatar is a 30 hour flight for around 3000 AUD (AUD is around 70 us cents). Even Australian government repatriation flights were over 1000AUD. Affordable for some but not everybody. BKK to Aus is often less than 300AUD at other times.

[Jim P]

My friend went back to UK a few days ago via Helsinki, he had the whole row to himself, flight virtually empty and not because of Covid limits.

[Phoenix Rising]

From Reuters:

 

'Thailand to offer grace period for foreigners’ visa extensions'

 

"Thailand on Friday said it would give foreigners a grace period until September to apply for visa extensions as it eased restrictions amid the pandemic, a senior official said.

“The situation in the country and overseas has improved,” Immigration Bureau Commissioner Sompong Chingduong told Reuters.

“So we do not propose to extend visas after July 31, but allow for visa requests from August 1 to September 26,” he said, adding the grace period will be proposed to cabinet for approval."

Edited July 17, 2020 by Phoenix Rising

[Kopitiam]

This is from Channel News Asia website.

 

Thailand to offer grace period for foreigners' visa extensions

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/thailand-to-offer-grace-period-for-foreigners--visa-extensions-12941282

[ThailandRyan]

Hold the barn door open folks.  Wait until it comes from the cabinet and the wording can be dissected.

Edited July 17, 2020 by ThailandRyan

[Timwin]

In other words the immigration offices would take the role of a Thai embassy, allowing to submit papers for new visas. If not filed by 26th of September or denied, you would be overstaying after that day. Otherwise, it does not make sense. Grace period is still a sort of amnesty. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Timwin

[utalkin2me]

On 7/14/2020 at 1:24 PM, keith101 said:

What about those like myself who need to exit and re enter to do the 90 day report if they haven't opened up the borders ?

 

I already did a 60 day extension before the amnesty .

Call me crazy, but they really should account for this. Just because a perfectly legit visa avenue has been thwarted by closed borders, does not mean the people with those should not have options. You should be able to "enter and leave" at an immigration office. 

 

It makes no sense to make certain classes of visas/extensions much more viable under these circumstances. A person doing 90 day reports is much better off right now, but that is the case just by random chance, not by anything they did more correctly or anything. 

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, Timwin said:

In other words the immigration offices would take the role of a Thai embassy, allowing to submit papers for new visas. If not filed by 26th of September or denied, you would be overstaying after that day. Otherwise, it does not make sense. Grace period is still a sort of amnesty. 

As usual Immigration uses the word 'Visa' when referring to 'extensions of stay'.

You cannot renew your Visa once you are in-country.  You can only apply for an extension of stay from the permission to stay that was granted to you when entering the country on your Visa.

A new Visa can only be applied for at a thai Embassy/Consulate abroad.

You can however apply for a Change of Visa, when having entered VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa.

[ThailandRyan]

9 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

Call me crazy, but they really should account for this. Just because a perfectly legit visa avenue has been thwarted by closed borders, does not mean the people with those should not have options. You should be able to "enter and leave" at an immigration office. 

 

It makes no sense to make certain classes of visas/extensions much more viable under these circumstances. A person doing 90 day reports is much better off right now, but that is the case just by random chance, not by anything they did more correctly or anything. 

I have said it before, they need an express lane at the airport where they allow you to walk through immigration as a departee, walk around one part of the terminal and then back through immigration where they stamp you back in to keep the 1 year visa alive for those that have ME Visa's.  This way they could also get an additional set of finger prints and a new photo from you.  Hell they could even set it up at the Immigration offices and charge 1900 baht to just reset your visa for another 90 days...

[utalkin2me]

7 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I have said it before, they need an express lane at the airport where they allow you to walk through immigration as a departee, walk around one part of the terminal and then back through immigration where they stamp you back in to keep the 1 year visa alive for those that have ME Visa's.  This way they could also get an additional set of finger prints and a new photo from you.  Hell they could even set it up at the Immigration offices and charge 1900 baht to just reset your visa for another 90 days...

"Virtual exits". 

 

I just don't see why one set of visa holders should have such an advantage. And likewise, if for some reason doing 90 day reports was made impossible by a natural disaster, then I think it would be correct to give them a different option as well... instead of just basically screwing them and telling them to leave or get the "right" visa. These people had the "right" visa. 

[micmichd]

11 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

"Virtual exits". 

 

I just don't see why one set of visa holders should have such an advantage. And likewise, if for some reason doing 90 day reports was made impossible by a natural disaster, then I think it would be correct to give them a different option as well... instead of just basically screwing them and telling them to leave or get the "right" visa. These people had the "right" visa. 

So what? 

Multiple-entry visas are a fine thing. Why not take advantage of them if you have one? 

[G950]

The last few announcements were made like this. Leaked to media, then became official a few days later. I guess they do this to soften the blow to anyone that may be opposed

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, G950 said:

I guess they do this to soften the blow to anyone that may be opposed

Who is opposed to another 2 months free extension of stay?

[Peter Denis]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Who is opposed to another 2 months free extension of stay?

Nobody would be against it, and least of all those on permissions to stay that already expired.

Also please note that in the leaked unofficial announcement IO refrained from using the term Amnesty or extension, but cleverly used the expression 'grace period'.

So there cannot be any doubt that in their minds 26 September is the Final Date.

And of course it would once again be somewhat stressful to find out whether applications for extensions of stay would be accepted during the 'grace period'.  Most probably as is the case now already for the Amnesty 'extension', there will be wildly varying interpretations depending at which IO you apply.

[planetphuket]

You advise for 90 days ONLINE from Immigration ?? Haha. you should know that the online registration over years not work !!! You know ? Do you ? Even the officers on Immigration laughing out loud !

[Peter Denis]

11 hours ago, planetphuket said:

You advise for 90 days ONLINE from Immigration ?? Haha. you should know that the online registration over years not work !!! You know ? Do you ? Even the officers on Immigration laughing out loud !

Thank you for the information.  Very helpful indeed.

But luckily completely incorrect.

Attached an on-line 90-day report Troubleshooting Guide, that can be used when you encounter problems trying to file your 90-day report on-line using the website.  The App presently does not work, I did my 90-day report on-line 5 days ago.  Took me less than 5 minutes to fill in the data, and approved with notification receipt of new due date within half an hour.

 

90-day reporting website trouble-shooting.txt

[ThailandRyan]

25 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Thank you for the information.  Very helpful indeed.

But luckily completely incorrect.

Attached an on-line 90-day report Troubleshooting Guide, that can be used when you encounter problems trying to file your 90-day report on-line using the website.  The App presently does not work, I did my 90-day report on-line 5 days ago.  Took me less than 5 minutes to fill in the data, and approved with notification receipt of new due date within half an hour.

 

90-day reporting website trouble-shooting.txt 5.67 kB · 1 download

Correct Peter Denis, I have no problems accessing and using the Website and neither do many others I know who live throughout Thailand and not just in BKK. The actual Phone App is down and has been.  I deleted it because of the unusabilty, but the Website through the PC works just fine.