New visa during amnesty

[jmsthailand]

Hi folks. Now that the amnesty has been extended until September, do we know if there are any options beyond then for those of us on the visa exemption still or any other expired tourist visa? E.g. Is it possible to apply for an Ed visa from within Thailand right now, and get the original exemption converted? Or a volunteer visa? Or even a marriage visa (if one happens to have got married in the intervening period lol). Just wondered if there are any options at all to get a new visa without leaving the country, or whether that is the end of the line post September?

[BritTim]

I believe this will only be possible with the help of an agent. However, in some regions, it might be allowed normally. Best is to initially discuss this with your local immigration office, preferably when they are not busy. Try to bring along a respectable Thai. if you are not a fluent Thai speaker yourself. Sometimes officials do not want to struggle in English to discuss your options.

[sometimewoodworker]

12 hours ago, jmsthailand said:

Hi folks. Now that the amnesty has been extended until September, do we know if there are any options beyond then for those of us on the visa exemption still or any other expired tourist visa? E.g. Is it possible to apply for an Ed visa from within Thailand right now, and get the original exemption converted? Or a volunteer visa? Or even a marriage visa (if one happens to have got married in the intervening period lol). Just wondered if there are any options at all to get a new visa without leaving the country, or whether that is the end of the line post September?

There are no suggestions that any visas other than the Non-O for retirement or marriage are available in Thailand,  some offices will allow you to apply, some offices will not, you will need to go to your nearest office and ask. If you entered VE or on a tourist visa you probably will be able to go to the Bangkok (maybe CW or the new office), reports are that they will allow this.
 

Don’t wait too long if you want this option probably September 10th or earlier.

[ubonjoe]

If you can qualify for certain extensions of stay it is possible to apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa entry that is required for that that type of extension.

For attending a school they are normally only done for formal school such as universities and etc.

List of the possibilities is here in Thai (google translate works). http://bangkokimmigration.com/change_visa/

[crazykopite]

I have a friend who told me yesterday that she has an issue with her visa I understand that she had a years visa that meant she vacated the Kingdom every three months the year expired on March 23rd two days before the amnesty was implemented is there anything she can do she is Russian so I’m not sure if there are flights currently leaving Bangkok for her homeland when I asked her why she didn’t go the week before she told me she wasn’t feeling to good so decided to delay it . I don’t know what to suggest any constructive ideas would be welcome 

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, BritTim said:

Try to bring along a respectable Thai. if you are not a fluent Thai speaker yourself. Sometimes officials do not want to struggle in English to discuss your options.

Yes. Why would any government officials who deal almost entirely with foreigners need to understand and speak English? How many foreigners allegedly come (or came) to Thailand, and how many speak Thai? And yet.....

[ubonjoe]

47 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I have a friend who told me yesterday that she has an issue with her visa I understand that she had a years visa that meant she vacated the Kingdom every three months the year expired on March 23rd two days before the amnesty was implemented is there anything she can do she is Russian so I’m not sure if there are flights currently leaving Bangkok for her homeland when I asked her why she didn’t go the week before she told me she wasn’t feeling to good so decided to delay it . I don’t know what to suggest any constructive ideas would be welcome 

It seems she had a multiple entry non immigrant visa of some category that allows 90 day entries for a year from the date of issue.

Her visas expiration date means nothing after she is in the country. Only the admitted until date on the arrival stamp she got when she entered the country using it. When did the admitted until date end?

[scoupeo]

As i read somewhere, if everybody does nothing until september 25th, what can they do ? jail 300000 people ? no, they can just extend extension !

i will do nothing until last day as I am so sure that there will be another extension.

 

 

[CorpusChristie]

4 minutes ago, scoupeo said:

As i read somewhere, if everybody does nothing until september 25th, what can they do ? jail 300000 people ? no, they can just extend extension !

i will do nothing until last day as I am so sure that there will be another extension.

 

 

That is taking a risk , just be prepared to depart Thailand  very quickly or to be prepared to go on overstay .

   If you are able to secure a long term visa, I would do it now, if you want to stay in Thailand long term.

  If you are not bothered about staying in Thailand long term , just wait and see whether they extend the amnesty again and just leave if they dont  

[Fromas]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

List of the possibilities is here in Thai (google translate works). http://bangkokimmigration.com/change_visa/

Are these new stipulations for the covid era?

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, crazykopite said:

I have a friend who told me yesterday that she has an issue with her visa I understand that she had a years visa that meant she vacated the Kingdom every three months the year expired on March 23rd two days before the amnesty was implemented is there anything she can do she is Russian so I’m not sure if there are flights currently leaving Bangkok for her homeland when I asked her why she didn’t go the week before she told me she wasn’t feeling to good so decided to delay it . I don’t know what to suggest any constructive ideas would be welcome 

It's sometime really hard to read your posts when you never use punctuation. It's just one long sentence. Just saying. 

[Phillip9]

If you are serious about studying Thai language, many language schools can arrange and Ed visa without leaving the country.  However, there is a substantial extra “fee” for this service in addition to the normal visa fee.  Contact any local language school in your area if you are interested.

[Fromas]

7 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

If you are serious about studying Thai language, many language schools can arrange and Ed visa without leaving the country.  However, there is a substantial extra “fee” for this service in addition to the normal visa fee.  Contact any local language school in your area if you are interested.

The question is this: are there new stipulations that have regularized it, with nominal and/or official fees?

[Max69xl]

53 minutes ago, scoupeo said:

As i read somewhere, if everybody does nothing until september 25th, what can they do ? jail 300000 people ? no, they can just extend extension !

i will do nothing until last day as I am so sure that there will be another extension.

 

 

Then you will be so disappointed late September. It seems you haven't recognized the differences in writing between the last and previous "amnesty". (You can also read between the lines.) There will be no more "amnesty". In September 26, you've had 6 months of automatic extensions for free. You have 2 months to get your act together and leave if you don't have a legal option to stay. Do you really think you have the upper hand against Thai immigration? In Indonesia, stranded tourists got 30 days from July 13 to leave the country. There are not 300k stranded tourists in Thailand without options to stay. Some were smart to save extensions because of the "amnesties". And "maybe" borders will open up before September 26. 

[Max69xl]

2 minutes ago, Fromas said:

The question is this: are there new stipulations that have regularized it, with nominal and/or official fees?

I think the question should be: What will immigration think about a sudden application for an ED visa through an agent when you arrived as a tourist and have had 6 months with free extensions? 

[steelepulse]

4 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

I think the question should be: What will immigration think about a sudden application for an ED visa through an agent when you arrived as a tourist and have had 6 months with free extensions? 

From someone I know going this route, immigration is saying thank you.

[CorpusChristie]

10 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

I think the question should be: What will immigration think about .............................. 

Think about another 15 000 Baht coming their way 

[SEtonal]

1 hour ago, scoupeo said:

As i read somewhere, if everybody does nothing until september 25th, what can they do ? jail 300000 people ? no, they can just extend extension !

i will do nothing until last day as I am so sure that there will be another extension.

 

 

It would be wise for most to wait until the new amnesty rules are officially posted in the Royal Gazette.  The information that Immigration is posting online is not official.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I've said this to many with visa problems: consider teaching. Now's never been a better time. The schools are dying for foreign teachers, as many have left and none can currently enter. They'll want you to walk in and start teaching right away, and you will be paid (nothing fabulous), while your they get your Non-B going. Many teachers I know are in this boat, and it looks like their paperwork will finally go through, per the attached news item.

 

If the idea of teaching really rubs you the wrong way, there's plenty of schools who don't want a "serious" teacher, just a farang face to come in for a few classes a day, play some games, sing some songs. Most of the students will be a pain, but you'll always have those in the front row who really want to learn, and make the experience worthwhile.

 

And for the "serious" teachers out there who hate me giving out this kind of advice, that this perpetuates the low quality of education, well heh, it'd be better than them having no teacher at all, now wouldn't it? ????

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1174127-pm-urged-to-ease-visa-restrictions-for-foreign-teachers-and-students/

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Fromas said:

The question is this: are there new stipulations that have regularized it, with nominal and/or official fees?

I have not heard of a change in policy - which would amount to, "Stop putting these groups with Legal Application Requests in the agent-money only queue, and do your explitive-job for salary only."

 

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

I think the question should be: What will immigration think about a sudden application for an ED visa through an agent when you arrived as a tourist and have had 6 months with free extensions? 

Either you have the supporting documents indicating you enrolled, paid tuition, etc - or you don't.  That should be the beginning and end of the issue.

 

Come 90-days later, they will want a(nother) backhander arranged through the school (make sure your school offers this "service"), or put the screws to you when applying for the next 90-days.

[Fromas]

8 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

I have not heard of a change in policy - which would amount to, "Stop putting these groups with Legal Application Requests in the agent-money only queue, and do your explitive-job for salary only."

 

 

Situation being what it is, I was asking an honest, practical question about how to get it done.

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Fromas

[Phillip9]

1 hour ago, Fromas said:

The question is this: are there new stipulations that have regularized it, with nominal and/or official fees?

I don’t think so.  All the language schools I have spoken to are asking a substantial extra “fee”.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

I think the question should be: What will immigration think about a sudden application for an ED visa through an agent when you arrived as a tourist and have had 6 months with free extensions? 

They will be happy to process the application, because making people use an agent is exactly what they want.

[vermin on arrival]

31 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I don’t think so.  All the language schools I have spoken to are asking a substantial extra “fee”.

How substantial? and how much is the cost for the course? What would be the approximate total all in?

[JackThompson]

42 minutes ago, Fromas said:

Situation being what it is, I was asking an honest, practical question about how to get it done.

That's a different thing entirely.  Given no change in the status-quo corruption-enabling policy, you would need to check with schools, and ask what is "involved," to get it done.  Here is a recent example - though before the extension of the covid-extension:

 

 

[Phillip9]

11 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

How substantial? and how much is the cost for the course? What would be the approximate total all in?

I have seen this extra fee in the range of 11,000 to 15,000 baht for obtaining the visa without leaving the country.

 

A years course fees are something like 30,000 baht for tuition.  
 

This all varies by school.  Ask your local language school for specifics.

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, scoupeo said:

As i read somewhere, if everybody does nothing until september 25th, what can they do ? jail 300000 people ? no, they can just extend extension !

i will do nothing until last day as I am so sure that there will be another extension.

 

 

Good luck with that, optimistic but maybe.

First there will not be 300,000 people all going onto overstay Sept 26th, I would expect the majority of them to get their situation resolved, or depart.

There have been quite a few posts exhibiting the sentiment, that this is the last time an amnesty will be given, so time to resolve your status or arrange to leave Thailand.

People caught on overstay in the past have been treated harshly, basically being locked up. And Thailand seems quite able to cram them in such facilities.

Again, good luck.

Edited July 28, 2020 by jacko45k

[ChiangMaiNomad]

One option is to get an education visa obviously. Some schools can help you apply for the visa inside Thailand for an extra fee.

 

Or, if you are a digital freelancer or run an online business, you can apply for a business visa with an umbrella company called Shelter (shelter dot global). I know several people who were able to switch their tourist visas for business visas in Bangkok, without having to leave the country.

 

Alternatively, if you have the funds, you can buy the Elite Visa for a 5-year stay.

 

Those are the only three options I am aware of.

[jonga80]

On 7/28/2020 at 2:56 AM, ChiangMaiNomad said:

One option is to get an education visa obviously. Some schools can help you apply for the visa inside Thailand for an extra fee.

 

Or, if you are a digital freelancer or run an online business, you can apply for a business visa with an umbrella company called Shelter (shelter dot global). I know several people who were able to switch their tourist visas for business visas in Bangkok, without having to leave the country.

 

Alternatively, if you have the funds, you can buy the Elite Visa for a 5-year stay.

 

Those are the only three options I am aware of.

Another option is to pay for a Volunteer Visa. I asked Thai Visa Centre and the price for 3 months is 25.000 bahts, too much. One year is 35.000.

 

I want to be until mid december, so I'm interested in only 3 months. I will start to ask schools if is possible a 3 months course and the Student Visa.

 

This time I don't risk, I think there will be no more extensions

[lemonjelly]

On 7/27/2020 at 11:18 AM, scoupeo said:

As i read somewhere, if everybody does nothing until september 25th, what can they do ? jail 300000 people ? no, they can just extend extension !

i will do nothing until last day as I am so sure that there will be another extension.

 

 

Those who don’t get their act together will prolly be dealt with at the overstay fines desk when they eventually try to leave the country.