Visa amnesty extended to September 30?

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

I have used the 60day extension, expired June 2nd.
I have a 75k international transfer coming to BKK Bank via Transferwise today, same thing in 30 days again.
And then I will try to go for the 1 year extension.

The problem is you don't currently have a "permission of stay". When for example someone arrives on tourist visa or even visa exempt they are given POS. 60/30 etc

During that time they can obtain non o (marriage) and subsequently annual extension. The 60 day extension (visit family) gives you the POS. However you can only obtain one and you have previously used it.

Thinking you need approach your imm office and check your options with them asap.

[stoicccc]

Just now, DrJack54 said:

The problem is you don't currently have a "permission of stay". When for example someone arrives on tourist visa or even visa exempt they are given POS. 60/30 etc

During that time they can obtain non o (marriage) and subsequently annual extension. The 60 day extension (visit family) gives you the POS. However you can only obtain one and you have previously used it.

Thinking you need approach your imm office and check your options with them asap.

yeah that too. There was one guy who managed to get 1yr extension, having used 60day extension and while on amnesty. But that might be an exception. 

[Dmaxdan]

Are immigration still processing renewals of extensions of stay (retirement, marriage etc) whilst the amnesty is in place?

 

Mine is coming up next month and I would really like it get it done and out of the way. 

Edited July 22, 2020 by Dmaxdan

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Are immigration still processing renewals of extensions of stay (retirement, marriage etc) whilst the amnesty is in place?

Mine is coming up next month and I would really like it get it done and out of the way. 

Yes they are.

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Mine is coming up next month and I would really like it get it done and out of the way. 

Make sure you do it as per usual. Obtain your new extension prior to expiry of current permission of stay.

[stoicccc]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

Maybe 'one guy' got clever and used an agent?

 

You need to check if the immigration office you are dealing with has a history of troubling applicants for further proof of origin of any funds transferred in. Some accept the bank statements while some others want to look up your kilt.

The Chachoengsao IO that I deal with has barely any mentions on Thaivisa/Google at all and they have always been very friendly with me, absolutely zero problems with anything. So let's see.
Last resort would be to use an agent but not sure there are any working towards Chachoengsao IO anyway.

[NanLaew]

3 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Are immigration still processing renewals of extensions of stay (retirement, marriage etc) whilst the amnesty is in place?

 

Mine is coming up next month and I would really like it get it done and out of the way. 

AFAIK they never stopped processing extension renewals. The amnesty was all about preventing the stranded tourists cluttering up immigration offices and preventing community spread of Covid-19.

 

If your immigration office has a record of being amenable to filing extensions early, I would do it sooner than wait till the due date. Some do according to the published regulation which I think is maximum 14 days early but some don't. FWIW, a couple of years back, I filed a retirement extension ~28 days early when the Udon office accepted that I would be out of the country when it fell due. They accepted the flight booking as proof.

[NanLaew]

2 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

The Chachoengsao IO that I deal with has barely any mentions on Thaivisa/Google at all and they have always been very friendly with me, absolutely zero problems with anything. So let's see.
Last resort would be to use an agent but not sure there are any working towards Chachoengsao IO anyway.

If Chachoengsao are below the TV/google radar, chances are they are low-stress. If you have time, maybe go ask them ahead of the due date? Get it from the horse's mouth so to speak?

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

yeah that too. There was one guy who managed to get 1yr extension, having used 60day extension and while on amnesty. But that might be an exception. 

That is correct and he (according to his report) did not use brown envelope or agent. 

As usual it depends on your office. That's why I mentioned go visit them.

Have the requirements for 12 month extension (marriage) such as money in bank/income method etc all in place so if they are prepared to process you can return next day with all that's needed

Good luck.

Edited July 22, 2020 by DrJack54

[stoicccc]

6 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

If Chachoengsao are below the TV/google radar, chances are they are low-stress. If you have time, maybe go ask them ahead of the due date? Get it from the horse's mouth so to speak?

 

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That is correct and he (according to his report) did not use brown envelope or agent. 

As usual it depends on your office. That's why I mentioned go visit them.

Have the requirements for 12 month extension (marriage) such as money in bank/income method etc all in place so if they are prepared to process you can return next day with all that's needed

Good luck.

Yep I will go visit them next week and see what's up, if the extension is at all possible in my situation.

Many thanks for the help fellas, much appreciated.

[jackdd]

48 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The problem is you don't currently have a "permission of stay". When for example someone arrives on tourist visa or even visa exempt they are given POS. 60/30 etc

During that time they can obtain non o (marriage) and subsequently annual extension. The 60 day extension (visit family) gives you the POS. However you can only obtain one and you have previously used it.

Thinking you need approach your imm office and check your options with them asap.

Actually he has a "permission to stay", and there is no legal problem in converting it or getting a one year extension. The problem is that some immigration offices just tell people that they can't convert to a non-immigrant visa or start a one year extension while under the amnesty. But this is just a lie to extort money, because if the person uses an agent and immigration gets a backhander then suddenly this is no problem.

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Actually he has a "permission to stay", and there is no legal problem in converting it or getting a one year extension. The problem is that some immigration offices just tell people that they can't convert to a non-immigrant visa or start a one year extension while under the amnesty. But this is just a lie to extort money, because if the person uses an agent and immigration gets a backhander then suddenly this is no problem.

I have valid permission of stay as shown by stamp in pp (annual extension) 

Those that for example entered on visa exempt 30 day POS then subsequently obtained 30 day extension 30 day POS are now on amnesty. Not on POS

Edited July 22, 2020 by DrJack54

[jackdd]

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I have valid permission of stay as shown by stamp in pp (annual extension) 

Those that for example entered on visa exempt 30 day POS then subsequently obtained 30 day extension 30 day POS are now on amnesty. Not on POS

The ministerial order regarding the amnesty literally says "extend the permission of stay [...]".

 

 

[Keyser Soze666]

3 hours ago, stoicccc said:

that's what I've been doing on NON-O ME based on Thai spouse. My worry is that it comes to a "sudden end" without me meeting the requirements for 1 year extension or having the possibility for a border hop. I don't have 400k in the bank, I can show 40k+ international transfers from essentially my savings (so might not suffice as proof), 60 day extension used, now on amnesty, visa expiring Dec 2020. 

The permit to stay til Sep 26th is nice, but doesn't really take away the worries. Will visit local IO in a month when I have all the docs and see what happens with 1-yr extension.

There must be a strong chance the borders will be open in Dec, then you can get another 90 days then 60 on top of that taking you up to May 21.

[Wongkitlo]

7 hours ago, Jack Hna said:

It's not a nice situation at all actually. Just knowing you have limited time here with no actual process to get a valid visa is really worrying. 

 

 

If desperate you can always go to the temple and be ordained as a monk. With a letter from the temple you can get an on going visa. 

[n00dle]

On 7/17/2020 at 3:17 PM, greggraham said:

Can't believe this hasn't been posted in this section of the forums yet;

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391492 

And it is yet more speculation, especially in terms of the grace period speculation from sources at immigration. Until fridays announcement none of it has meaning. 

Edited July 22, 2020 by n00dle

[Peter Denis]

25 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

If desperate you can always go to the temple and be ordained as a monk. With a letter from the temple you can get an on going visa. 

You know anybody that has taken that option?

Would indeed be an option of the last resort if you cannot go or would not be welcome in your home-country and you cannot meet the requirements for any other options.

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, n00dle said:

And it is yet more speculation, especially in terms of the grace period speculation from sources at immigration. Until fridays announcement none of it has meaning. 

We have the Cabinet meeting summary from yesterday. Thus we know since yesterday that it's an extension of the previous "amnesty" and not a grace period. Not much to speculate about it.

[n00dle]

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

We have the Cabinet meeting summary from yesterday. Thus we know since yesterday that it's an extension of the previous "amnesty" and not a grace period. Not much to speculate about it.

Source please.

 

I must admit, that if this is so, I find it amusing that this is yet another example of an immigration source or spokes person making a statement or reccomendation prior to cabinet resolution that is simply a wish rather than any type of reality.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by n00dle

[treetops]

1 minute ago, n00dle said:

Source please

Have a dig about the forum - the number of threads started about it must be in double figures by now.

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Source please.

Here in Thai. https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/33560

[thainet]

7 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Source please.

 

I must admit, that if this is so, I find it amusing that this is yet another example of an immigration source or spokes person making a statement or reccomendation prior to cabinet resolution that is simply a wish rather than any type of reality.

 

 

Dude bring yourself up to speed--read the news--the PM has signed off on it.

[Wongkitlo]

5 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

You know anybody that has taken that option?

Would indeed be an option of the last resort if you cannot go or would not be welcome in your home-country and you cannot meet the requirements for any other options.

I had an old Thai monk friend. He was the fprmer dean of the school at Dtittabawan just outside Pattaya. He wanted me to come to the temple and explore past lives. He told me I just had to go to the Abbott and get a letter for immigration. I was really interested in learning Thai at the time so I seriously considered it. He has now left and gone to USA. He had a friend at the temple across the road who was Russian. He has been there around 10 years. I don't know his visa situation. I'll see him in a few weeks and ask him.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Source please.

Check Thai news forum.

Announced 20 hours ago

[n00dle]

4 minutes ago, treetops said:

Have a dig about the forum - the number of threads started about it must be in double figures by now.

Yes, I have just read the this post 

 

 

However it confirms amnesty while referring to the reuters nonsense about a grace policy.

 

As far as I am concerned signals are still crossed until the publication of the Gazette.

[n00dle]

3 minutes ago, thainet said:

Dude bring yourself up to speed--read the news--the PM has signed off on it.

Dude, Where?

[Wongkitlo]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Here in Thai. https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/33560

I note Ubonjoe posted this was what was going to happen around  10 days ago. 

[jackdd]

15 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Source please.

 

I must admit, that if this is so, I find it amusing that this is yet another example of an immigration source or spokes person making a statement or reccomendation prior to cabinet resolution that is simply a wish rather than any type of reality.

 

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/33560

Immigration recommended that the Cabinet does not issue a further extension, but maybe something like a grace period instead. This is what was reported in this article: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1173372-thailand-to-offer-grace-period-for-foreigners’-visa-extensions/

The Cabinet didn't follow immigration's recommendation and decided to give an extension instead.

[n00dle]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

 

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/33560

Immigration recommended that the Cabinet does not issue a further extension, but maybe something like a grace period instead. This is what was reported in this article: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1173372-thailand-to-offer-grace-period-for-foreigners’-visa-extensions/

The Cabinet didn't follow immigration's recommendation and decided to give an extension instead.

Indeed, I understood that, thanks. However immigration's statement appeared to be definitive, when, as I stated, they have a history of making definitive statements which are incorrect.

 

While I understand the nature of theextension in the summary, I still await the official english policy release.

 

Quote

Notification of the Ministry of Interior regarding the permission of some foreigners Species in the Kingdom as a special case ...

I did get a chuckle out of this gem though

 

[otissp]

37 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Here in Thai. https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/33560

Thanks that's useful.

 

See below for the google translation of the relevant text.

 

It looks like these are minutes of the meeting and not the official royal gazette rules, and hence are not in and of themselves authoritative, but I think we can assume they reflect what will be published.

 

From this text, it seems the visa extensions will be continued through September 25 (expiring on 26th) so everyone who currently has a legally valid and authorized stay in Thailand as a result of the program that has been commonly referred to with the misnomer "amnesty", will have such legal period of stay extended further until 9/25.

 

Relevant text is here: (The "period of permission to stay" is being "extended" until 26th september 2020.) Since we have "permission to stay", we do not need "amnesty" from the immigration laws.

 

"2. To extend the period of permission to stay in the Kingdom under Section 35 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (including under the Petroleum Act 1971 and the amendment of the Investment Promotion Act 1977 And as amended And the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and as amended) or according to the relevant Ministry of Interior Notification under Article 2 (1) of the Notification of the Ministry of Interior, regarding special permission to allow certain classes of aliens to be dated April 7, 2020, as amended by the announcement of the Ministry of Interior regarding special permits for certain class of aliens to stay in the Kingdom (Issue 2) dated April 23, 2020, from 1st August 2020 to 26th September 2020"

 

The other option that had been under consideration was not actually extending the stay permissions, but rather having the stay authorizations expire on 7/31 (eg, legally you are supposed to be gone), but not enforcing this during a period of time, so as to allow people who genuinely were just not able to go home before 7/31 due to COVID could be free from prosecution, and could apply for an exemption during this "grace period".  If this had occurred, the situation would have involved an actual amnesty period for people who stayed beyond before their stay authorization expired on 7/31. That could have led to confusion in the english language discussion about the topic because the news would be that people with stays expiring on 7/31 are supposed to leave by 7/31, but there will be an amnesty period if they are not able to leave on time. This would prompt many to conclude the situation was unchanged compared to pre-7/31 since the situation up to 7/31 has been referred to commonly as an "amnesty" and there also will be an amnesty period after 7/31. The clarification would then have been needed that the period of time would be an actual amnesty, as in a period of non-prosecution of the offense of overstaying, and not a not-really-amnesty amnesty such as the current period of time.
 

 

Quote

News of the Cabinet meeting, 21 July 2020
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha is the Prime Minister.

http://www.thaigov.go.th
(Please check the cabinet's official resolution from the Secretariat of the Cabinet again)
 
                   Today (21 July 2020) at 09.00 hr

 

5. Subject: Draft notification of the Ministry of Interior regarding granting certain aliens to stay in the Kingdom in special cases (issue ..)
                   The Cabinet has approved as proposed by the Royal Thai Police as follows:
                   1. The Immigration Bureau will issue an announcement Specify the period of time for foreigners to proceed according to the Immigration Act 2522 as well as other related laws by September 26, 2020.  
                   2. To extend the period of permission to stay in the Kingdom under Section 35 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (including under the Petroleum Act 1971 and the amendment of the Investment Promotion Act 1977 And as amended And the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and as amended) or according to the relevant Ministry of Interior Notification under Article 2 (1) of the Notification of the Ministry of Interior, regarding special permission to allow certain classes of aliens to be dated April 7, 2020, as amended by the announcement of the Ministry of Interior regarding special permits for certain class of aliens to stay in the Kingdom (Issue 2) dated April 23, 2020, from 1st August 2020 to 26th September 2020
                   3. To extend the period for notification of residence in accordance with Article 37 (5) of the Immigration Act 1979 or according to the relevant Ministry of Interior Notification under Article 2 (2) of the Notification of the Ministry of Interior regarding the permission of some foreigners Species in the Kingdom as a special case dated April 7, 2020, as amended by the Ministry of Interior regarding the permission of some aliens to stay in the Kingdom as a special case (Issue 2) dated April 23, 2020 from August 1, 2020 to September 26, 2020.
                   The Office of the Prime Minister proposed that
                   According to the announcement of the Ministry of Interior regarding special permits for certain class of aliens to stay in the Kingdom dated 7 April 2020 and amended Require that an alien who is allowed to stay in the Kingdom temporarily under the type of visa (Including Visa on Arrival) and aliens who are allowed to stay in the Kingdom temporarily under the visa exemption privileges (Phor. 30 / Phor. 14 / Phor. 30 / Phor. 90), which specifies the period of permission to stay in the Kingdom, will expire on March 26, 2020, has been extended to stay in the Kingdom. While from 26 March 2020 to 31 July 2020, no need to continue to apply for a temporary residence permit in accordance with Section 35 of the Immigration Act 2522, including the notification of residences Section 37 of the Immigration Act B.E. During the said period. Due to the current situation of the epidemic of coronary pandemic virus 2019 or Covid 19 disease in Thailand, it has continuously improved. In addition, the government has relaxed measures by allowing businesses and activities to be more operational. Therefore, the said alien should be allowed to temporarily stay in the Kingdom on 31 July 2020 to proceed under Section 35 and Section 37 (5) of the Immigration Act 1979. As well as other relevant laws within the period specified by the Immigration Office