Thailand to offer grace period for foreigners’ visa extensions

 

FILE PHOTO: Immigration officers stand in front of an empty arrivals hall at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International airport amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Thailand, June 3, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - 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.

 

After which, if a request was not made and the visa expired, over staying will be considered illegal.

 

Thailand has granted foreigners automatic visa extensions twice so far to prevent long queues at immigration.

 

The country has gone seven weeks without confirmed local transmission. It has reported 3,239 infections and 58 deaths.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; editing by Jason Neely)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-17

 

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Well it all had to end sooner or later. Many taking advantage of the situation will be disappointed. 

So the big question is what does "visa requests" mean?

 

Can we apply for (new) tourist visas in country? Or convert to a non-B? Or get a marriage visa without leaving? etc.

Not entirely clear reading that but assuming I have until Sept 26th to apply for a 60 day extension to my non-o multi entry that ran out on June 4th leaving me on amnesty.

If so gives me a little linger to prepare for a one year extension of stay which is useful.

I wonder if one can apply for  the one time use of their 60 day extension before Sept 26th for "visiting the wife"?

 

Edit, looks like a cross post with the post above mine.  

12 minutes ago, webfact 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.

Explain how to me that the situation overseas has improved.  I understand that they will accept visa requests from the sounds of the article but will not extend visa's during the grace period they are allowing for Visa requests. Talk about confusing.  I think I will wait for the Cabinets resolution before I try to wrap my head around this verbage.

So that would be approx  9 weeks  to sort out a way out  or a way to stay in.

 

Sounds good, this puts them in the right direction and people should have more than enough time to plan their exit or stay. To my understanding, this would imply that a "request" needs to be submitted by the stranded foreigner? If so they just need to make sure these are streamlined and not causing any confusion like the embassy letters.

 

Edit: Perhaps Reuters refers "request" to be equivalent of an extension, and with that said, nothings needs to be done prior to July 31st. Hope that's the case.

8 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Not entirely clear reading that but assuming I have until Sept 26th to apply for a 60 day extension to my non-o multi entry that ran out on June 4th leaving me on amnesty.

If so gives me a little linger to prepare for a one year extension of stay which is useful.

In same boat as you, but confused (nothing new here) by the wording. 

Very vague but probably a pragmatic solution as Immigration will be overwhelmed with people trying to renew Visas. The only sensible reading is that because we will be so busy we are allowing people extra time to get their 60 day extensions.

1 minute ago, lemonjelly said:

In same boat as you, but confused (nothing new here) by the wording. 

Yeah, think I'll make the trip into my local Immigration office next week and see if they can shed some light on the announcement.

5 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

So that would be approx  9 weeks  to sort out a way out  or a way to stay in.

 

Until September.... about 6 weeks 

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

“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.

 

After which, if a request was not made and the visa expired, over staying will be considered illegal.

When would the overstay begin ?

Waiting UbonJoe for his translation... 

 

does it mean expired visas now have to leave and people on valid visas who can’t extend can now extend at immigration? 
 

Very confused by the wording also 

3 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Until September.... about 6 weeks 

8 weeks and 1 day extra (but immigration is probably closed Saturdays, so 8 weeks).

4 minutes ago, greggraham said:

8 weeks and 1 day extra (but immigration is probably closed Saturdays, so 8 weeks).

September 26...... oops, just saw that... nice one ????

Looks like people will need a good excuse to stay.

So if you are eligible for visa extension in country you can apply now, or if not you get the 7day get out or Thailand stamp in your passport. Who would have thought that would happen??

Much as I predicted to a friend a few weeks ago. An extension with the caveat that you either get the proper extension from immigration or leave.

 

Bound to be a few desperate chancers who do neither and risk overstay.

 

Too bad that all neighboring countries are currently not open to tourists meaning people effected will have to go to their passport country.

3 minutes ago, Markphuket said:

Waiting UbonJoe for his translation... 

 

does it mean expired visas now have to leave and people on valid visas who can’t extend can now extend at immigration? 
 

Very confused by the wording also 

Yes it needs clarifying for sure.

Reading it again I'd say you can extend an expired visa up to July 31st but not after.

What a visa request is I have no idea as always understood a visa can only be applied for outside of Thailand.

31 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Or get a marriage visa without leaving? etc.

No such thing as a marriage visa, but we have always been able to get a Non O visa without leaving and extend it each year on reason of marriage.

Emm, I dont clearly understand by the wording of this.....

Doesn't sound quite official yet.

 

"adding the grace period will be proposed to cabinet for approval"

It means till 26th of September people have time to either get valiad visas or simply leave. 

7 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

No such thing as a marriage visa, but we have always been able to get a Non O visa without leaving and extend it each year on reason of marriage.

you do not get a visa every year without leaving, you obtain a 1 year extension of stay. non 'O' visa's are issued in another country, except as a one off as part of a conversion

2 minutes ago, steve187 said:

non 'O' visa's are issued in another country,

Got mine at Chaeng Wattana after arriving on a 30 day visa exempt.

And again starts another discussion... i get sick of it.. 

An added benefit of this delay is in 8 weeks, some borders, flights, consulates may become open could offer more options for some.

Does anybody know when the cabinet will meet to approve, next Tuesday as Flights out on September 26th will be popular?

20 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Until September.... about 6 weeks 

up to Sept. 26th to take some action. The free  of charge  days look like to be over with the suggestion visa applications  for extensions need be done up to that date.

It is the details of how  people qualify for those is the important question.

that’s confusing. Obviously speculation but what does that mean? Does it mean people in amnesty right now have to leave by July 31 or will have until September 26? When would the overstay begin, august 1 or September 27 for those on amnesty right now? 
 

im on amnesty right now and just got 400k in bank yesterday for marriage extension. So if until September 26 I’d be fine but if not, in two weeks I need to leave.