Thailand to offer grace period for foreigners’ visa extensions

[Keyser Soze666]

3 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Yearly extensions will be the same as usual but you just hope they approve the extension and it doesn't get refused.

Surely the rules/requirements will be exactly the same??

 

Scaremongering?

[LivinLOS]

21 hours ago, steelepulse said:

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.  

Yesterday CM immigration reported this was possible. 

 

I also hear from a lawyer friend of mine that seasoning of funds isnt required, unsure if thats just her ability or a widespread relaxation at this time. 

[robsamui]

FINALLY! The secret is out!

The way to humble the mighty and imperious Thai immigration service . . . is to make them work so hard that they give up don't want to go to work.

 

Of course face is not lost as it is a . . . "grace period". Perish the thought that they might not be able to cope with the results of their self-generated paperwork nightmare.

[holy cow cm]

7 minutes ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Surely the rules/requirements will be exactly the same??

 

Scaremongering?

No, no scaremongering. For me they seem to always have something new or I did not do correct hoop for me to jump through and I always get my extension. Last year it was my map was not the way they wanted me to draw it with landmarks or them asking why my kids were in school and not there. Just idiotic. I would gather the people on an OA retirement who were not yet able to flip to an O or have problems getting that BS insurance might be say like one problem. Generally for me in CM it is always ok.

[overherebc]

31 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Yeah you would gather that there is a hatchet going to come down one time or the other and there will be many of people locked out.

Unfortunately it may catch out rotation workers, eg two months in xxxstan and one at 'home' in Thailand. It made it difficult to get long term extensions in the time at 'home'. Stuck here on 30 day VE + amnesty is not a nice situation.

26th Sept should be long enough to sort out an extension now though if married or over 50.

Edited July 18, 2020 by overherebc

[holy cow cm]

2 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Unfortunately it may catch out rotation workers, eg two months in xxxstan and one at 'home' in Thailand. It made it difficult to get long term extensions in the time at 'home'. Stuck here on 30 day VE + amnesty is not a nice situation.

Yeah and if can get back in then 2 weeks are in an expensive quarantine of that one month. I honestly think the virus will take another spike surge sooner or later in most all places, so I don't really see this government changing their requirements much with a person on the move outside and then wanting to fly back in. Gonna be a lot of stress and heart break continuing for many people. 

[flinc2020]

So is this good news or bad news for me? I am thinking about shanging jobs which means my current employer will cancel my visa and WP. That gives me 7 days to get a new Non B and eventually a new WP. My prospective new employer says they may be able to just switch the visa and WP to them IF they get all the paperwork from my current employer. If not then I have to get a new Non B which means leaving the country and facing the hassle and expense of Covid tests, FTF cerificates and, of course, the ubiquitous ASQ rip off. If things look like going that way, would I be able to remain as a tourist without going out of the country? All confusing the hell out of me the way things are at the moment.

[Lemonltr]

Another English language newspaper has an article today quoting Police Lt General Sompong. He was talking about stranded tourists and said that any of that group not sorting out a visa by Sept 26th would be "blacklisted"!!! 

[greggraham]

7 minutes ago, Lemonltr said:

Another English language newspaper has an article today quoting Police Lt General Sompong. He was talking about stranded tourists and said that any of that group not sorting out a visa by Sept 26th would be "blacklisted"!!! 

Yes, but it says they can specify their reasons and submit necessary documents when seeking to renew short-term visas (which will be granted for 30 days). If not, so long.

 

Not exactly clear what "renew short-term visas" means though. We'll see on Tuesday. 

Edited July 18, 2020 by greggraham

[bestie]

6 minutes ago, flinc2020 said:

So is this good news or bad news for me?

Wait for the decision by the cabinet on Tuesday . There are a lot of teachers and students who need to renew their visa or get a new WP Permit outside of Thailand. Or border runners (Under normal circumstances) We will see if they will come up with a solution. 

 

10 minutes ago, flinc2020 said:

If things look like going that way, would I be able to remain as a tourist without going out of the country? All confusing the hell out of me the way things are at the moment.

At the moment it looks like that the amnesty "grace period" will be extended until 26. Sep. So yes then you can stay. But if you mean if you could get a tourist Visa inside Thailand. ? I don't know..... Wait.

[Jorgendk]

17 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

So I can wait until 26th September to do my 60 day extension? My head is spinning.

That is what I would also like to know...

[david555]

55 minutes ago, Jorgendk said:

That is what I would also like to know...

You can not wait until 26 September ,,,,,as it is a Saturday and immigration is not open ! ????

[jackdd]

56 minutes ago, Jorgendk said:

That is what I would also like to know...

Probably. Just wait for an official announcement next week. The current news probably all contain various mistakes, so we can just guess what they proposed.

[LeoCesar]

23 hours ago, greggraham said:

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

how do you count man?

[david555]

3 minutes ago, LeoCesar said:

how do you count man?

Windows 10 calculator > menu > date calculation 

[JeffersLos]

On 7/17/2020 at 3:23 PM, webfact said:

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,”

I don't understand. 

 

 

I have an expired multiple entry non O,with expired entrance stamp. I will apply for a 60 day extension based on Thai wife at the IO before the amnesty expires.

 

So with this new thing, do I have to do it before July 31st, or can I wait until nearly September 26th?

 

I don't know. 

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

So with this new thing, do I have to do it before July 31st, or can I wait until nearly September 26th?

Wait until the official announcement next week, then we don't need to speculate what they meant to say.

[Fromas]

Look on the bright side. We have more clarity now than we had last week. Let's wait for the official details.

[edwinchester]

5 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

I don't understand. 

 

 

I have an expired multiple entry non O,with expired entrance stamp. I will apply for a 60 day extension based on Thai wife at the IO before the amnesty expires.

 

So with this new thing, do I have to do it before July 31st, or can I wait until nearly September 26th?

 

I don't know. 

Yes, in the same boat as you and now wondering the same as the OP is not clear at all. Have to go into town early next week so will ask Immigration their advice.

Whatever, the near future seems the time to switch to an extension of stay what with the very real uncertainties and near impossibility of an easy return to Thailand soon.

[JUAinBKK]

On 7/17/2020 at 4:07 PM, 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.

This is providing you have the Banking requirements satisfied (e.g. 1. A 400k THB Deposit in a Thai Bank drawing no interest, and 2. >40k/mo THB deposited with supporting Foreign Transaction Report, Both for a period of 2 months or more, Right?

[JUAinBKK]

39 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

I don't understand. 

 

 

I have an expired multiple entry non O,with expired entrance stamp. I will apply for a 60 day extension based on Thai wife at the IO before the amnesty expires.

 

So with this new thing, do I have to do it before July 31st, or can I wait until nearly September 26th?

 

I don't know. 

I am in the same category as you (expired Non-O Multi), and I just got my 60 day extension while asking these questions at Immigration this week.  The agent I "delt" with, stated we have until 31 July to either: 1.  Request an Extension of Stay for 60 Days (for this in our category) or 2. Renew ones VISA if you have the required 800K THB Deposit or 400k THB with >40k/mo with supporting Foreign Transaction Report.  She said for this in group 2. never had to wait to renew their VISA's.  

 

I did regret that I didn't wait until 31 July to get a 60 day extension, but as the agent encouraged me to do as soon as possible if I wanted to avoid the mad onrush this announcement would cause.  

 

Hope this was helpful, and does not differ to much from what other agents were/are saying/doing.  

[0815]

On 7/17/2020 at 3:57 PM, lemonjelly said:

Until September.... about 6 weeks 

July 17 to September 26 = 6 weeks
OK...

[david555]

4 minutes ago, 0815 said:

July 17 to September 26 = 6 weeks
OK...

2 months, 1 week, 2 days or 71 days.... minus the weekends when nothing you can do for bank or immigration

besides 1 day is gone already and 2 now  from this weekend 

[0815]

On 7/17/2020 at 4:18 PM, E020 said:

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

I can't understand why these guys speculate and discuss about visas on a forum where everyone was a virus scientist in the last few months.
Too easy to contact immigration or not confusing enough?

[Terry B]

In reference to that Tweet from Richard that was posted on here a few times, The message seemed pretty clear to me:

 

Regardless of how you ended inside the border, or what "permission to stay in the Kingdom" we are currently on - ALL of us falangs must make sure we are on a legit new scheme to remain here legally by 26 SEP.

 

In the meantime, the airline prices will hopefully normalize again, before those of us on the "Virus Emergency Exemption" will HAVE to leave by 26 SEP at the latest if we are not eligible to extend. This is plenty of time to plan something!

 

P.S.: I'm so grateful for this totally unexpected time to work on personal-projects to prepare myself for working again in the corporate world in America after being gone for such a long time, and thereby, be able to use the new degree I earned while I was abroad in the best ways possible to "hit the ground running" as soon as I catch a flight back to the USA - somewhere - still not sure. It's looking pretty crazy everywhere there now!

[berrec]

OMG

 

[salsajapan]

How clear it was since weeks ! 

And i guess that now you still don't know that because they won't be able to process everybody's visa for end of September, they will give more time, but announced in September of course (then you will know !) 5555

[DogNo1]

There is lots of unemployment in the US right now.  Do you feel lucky?

 

For those married people planning to get a 60-day extension of stay, chucking the money in the bank right now and getting a one year extension of stay would seem to make more sense if you can afford it.  I don't envision travel restrictions between countries easing for some time. Just getting back into Thailand will be a huge hassle and you may not be allowed to return for quite a while.  Internationally the pandemic is still spreading.

 

 

[andux]

So what happens if someone doesn't do anything and just leaves the country on September 25?

 

It's not entirely clear.

[innosiem]

13 minutes ago, andux said:

So what happens if someone doesn't do anything and just leaves the country on September 25?

 

It's not entirely clear.

that is fine
but
if your flight is cancelled and you must then remain here
you would then be on overstay after the 26th
so planning to leave on 25th might not be a wise move

Edited July 18, 2020 by innosiem