I presume I am out of options at this point

[krey]

So will try to break this down quickly

1. Expired Thai Elite Visa in Feb of 2020

2. Left the country before that so I have a permission of stay stamp until Oct 2020 which I been using to stay

3. Was planing on heading home in the summer but decided to wait it out longer due to COVID World

4. Now looking at options to stay even a bit longer in Thailand like another year visa somehow but not looking good.

 

1. I can't get an ED Visa and I have tried, been to several schools and they all say the same thing, The reason is an Elite visa is a difference of purpose of visa to enter Thailand. so it's not entitled under the consideration of the Amnesty which is announced by the Thai government.  The MOD says I have to leave the country and come back, but how can I do that haha, since I can't get back in to begin with.  Honestly, if I am going to leave the country for any reason I just go home, was trying to stay in country.  I had no problem with going to school for a while but does not seem like an option

2. Not really up for this volunteer visa option, seems shady, I would just be stressed over it all the time so won't go that route

3. Thai Elite will happily take my money again for 5 years and say I can stay in the country and not have to leave to get a new Thai Elite Visa but that is another 5 years and 500k.  I was planning on heading home eventually I do not want to commit to this visa again at this time

 

Don't see any options at the moment, it is disappointing that someone on a 3 month tourist visa can switch over to ED Visa within the country but I cannot, but I also realize that when they made these new rules I seriously doubt they thought about what about the people with expiring thai elite visas:)

 

Of course some people are saying wait and see what they say in Sept.  However, I really can't stick around to what might or might not happen.

 

Any options out there? or just time to mask up and get in that tin can of an airplane and head on home

[dimitriv]

Marriage!  Find someone who loves you. Or pay for someone to do so  ????

 

 

[krey]

Just now, dimitriv said:

Marriage!  Find someone who loves you. Or pay for someone to do so  ????

 

 

I had a feeling someone was going to say this:)  think I rather risk the Virus:)

[ubonjoe]

Just now, dimitriv said:

Marriage!  Find someone who loves you. Or pay for someone to do so  

How would that help?

The problem of the PE visa would not go away. He would not be able to extend his stay.

[Eibot]

Just use an agent for a ED visa. Had. Friend who converted his tourist visa into an ED visa in the country. 

 

Money goes under the table. Tit after all. 

[krey]

1 minute ago, Eibot said:

Just use an agent for a ED visa. Had. Friend who converted his tourist visa into an ED visa in the country. 

 

Money goes under the table. Tit after all. 

the tourist visa is under Amnesty and converting of the tourist visa to ED visa is allowed right now within country.  The Thai Elite is not under Amnesty so the past rules are still applying, meaning to change it i got to leave and come back.  I have gone through at least half a dozen Agents and at first they all say yes you can do it! then when they look into it I get a call saying  I cannot,

[nausea]

That's weird. So if you're on Elite you can't use agents? 

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, nausea said:

So if you're on Elite you can't use agents? 

A Elite visa is a category that is unique. It is not a tourist or or non immigrant visa.

Only a visa exempt or tourist visa can be used to apply for a non immigrant visa. Extensions of stay require a non immigrant visa other than a few that can be applied for with a tourist or non immigrant visa.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, krey said:

the tourist visa is under Amnesty and converting of the tourist visa to ED visa is allowed right now within country.  The Thai Elite is not under Amnesty so the past rules are still applying, meaning to change it i got to leave and come back.  I have gone through at least half a dozen Agents and at first they all say yes you can do it! then when they look into it I get a call saying  I cannot,

The only agent assisted extension that would definitely be possible is a medical extension, but that will likely only be for 30 days at a time.

[krey]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

A Elite visa is a category that is unique. It is not a tourist or or non immigrant visa.

Only a visa exempt or tourist visa can be used to apply for a non immigrant visa. Extensions of stay require a non immigrant visa other than a few that can be applied for with a tourist or non immigrant visa.

so sounds like you agree I do not have any longer term options:) beside of course getting the elite again.  ????

[Jeffrey346]

What about those who entered the Kingdom using an APEC Card. Do they need to leave by the 26th as well? 

[BKKTRAVELER]

I am in the same boat as you.

 

I was in my 6th year of Elite visa when Covid started and my permit of stay expired end of May during the amnesty.

 

I guess I'll have to renew with Elite if I want to stay. Anyone knows of other options? I am not very keen to spend 500k right now as I have many uncertainties and didn't plan to stay beyond 2021. 

 

I'm also curious about these volunteer visas but feel that it may come back to bite me in the a$$ at some point should I try this path...

[OJAS]

17 hours ago, BritTim said:

The only agent assisted extension that would definitely be possible is a medical extension, but that will likely only be for 30 days at a time.

According to paragraph 2.25 of Police Order 327/2557, medical extensions are valid for up to 90 days.

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by OJAS

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, OJAS said:

According to paragraph 2.25 of Police Order 327/2557, medical extensions are valid for up to 90 days.

 

Note is says up to 90 days. If a person's medical care took that long then it could be issued for 90 days but if not it could be for any number days less than 90 days.

[scoupeo]

so this elitemyaxx thing is really a scam ! they do not even respect people who give them 500k+

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Walk into any school, they're all dying for teachers right now. They'll want you to start immediately and will get started on your Non-B. But only if you can do what Edward James Olmos once told me, Reach For The Power and Teach.

[vandeventer]

21 hours ago, nausea said:

That's weird. So if you're on Elite you can't use agents? 

I bet they never told you this when you got the Elite visa? I think the big problem

for us is finding a flight to the country where we want to go to. If they don't

give us another amnesty is going to be a mad rush to the airports with all

flights booked out. If I could book my flight soon I would or if they would tell us

if another amnesty was coming if would help alot of people find the flight they want. 

[from the home of CC]

guess you have to ask yourself, what would my country do in these circumstances?

[NightSky]

On 8/15/2020 at 2:07 PM, dimitriv said:

Marriage!  Find someone who loves you. Or pay for someone to do so  ????

 

 

 

The Thai government are wary of people marrying for a visa and it makes life difficult for those who genuinely want to marry.

 

I suggest this is bad idea just for a visa anyhow.

 

[Max69xl]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

According to paragraph 2.25 of Police Order 327/2557, medical extensions are valid for up to 90 days.

 

It's not that easy to come up with a medical condition that will work. 

[EbhB]

3 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Walk into any school, they're all dying for teachers right now. They'll want you to start immediately and will get started on your Non-B. But only if you can do what Edward James Olmos once told me, Reach For The Power and Teach.

Super risky when the visa will be tied to the work permit... It HAS to be the other way, if not you basically have to leave ASAP if fired on any spurious reasons!

[L0cky]

On 8/15/2020 at 3:38 PM, krey said:

the tourist visa is under Amnesty and converting of the tourist visa to ED visa is allowed right now within country.  The Thai Elite is not under Amnesty so the past rules are still applying, meaning to change it i got to leave and come back.  I have gone through at least half a dozen Agents and at first they all say yes you can do it! then when they look into it I get a call saying  I cannot,

Hey @krey, on the one hand it's nice to finally find some people under similar circumstances (expired TE visa with valid POS), but on the other hand we all seem to be having problems.

 

Where did you see specifically that a PE visa does not qualify for amnesty? This may have serious implications for me as my POS expires in two days, and @BKKTRAVELER whose expired already. It's incredibly difficult to find information for people in our situation so I go by the official signs which typically say 'to ALL foreigners', or separate between short and long term visitors.

 

@ubonjoe When applying for in-country 1 year extensions, PE visa holders are required to tick 'Tourist' as our visa type, and I've read various times that it falls in the category of tourist visa. Though I guess it's difficult to expect ultimate clarity during these times when we may as well have categorised it as a Custard Pie Visa for all it mattered Pre-Covid ????

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, EbhB said:

Super risky when the visa will be tied to the work permit... It HAS to be the other way, if not you basically have to leave ASAP if fired on any spurious reasons!

One thing I have been curious about for a long time. Does anyone know the answer? If your employment is terminated, and you immediately initiate legal action to dispute the grounds of the termination, can you get an extension on the basis of the court proceedings? It seems this could be possible. It might even be a friendly suit that you explain to your employer you expect to eventually lose, but are initiating purely to extend your stay in the country. I wonder how much it would cost if it is feasible.

[BangkokReady]

5 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

guess you have to ask yourself, what would my country do in these circumstances?

Haven't most European countries extended their amnesties and continued to support trapped foreigners with charitable donates and free health care without setting any conditions?

 

I don't exactly know your angle, but on most policies for foreigners, benefits, rights, property ownership, citizenship, and so on, Thailand comes up short.

Edited August 16, 2020 by BangkokReady

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, L0cky said:

When applying for in-country 1 year extensions, PE visa holders are required to tick 'Tourist' as our visa type, and I've read various times that it falls in the category of tourist visa.

I draw a new box on the form, label it 'PE visa' and 'check'/tick that box.

[JackThompson]

13 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

Haven't most European countries extended their amnesties and continued to support trapped foreigners with charitable donates and free health care without setting any conditions?

 

I don't exactly know your angle, but on most policies for foreigners, benefits, rights, property ownership, citizenship, and so on, Thailand comes up short.

I don't blame them for not allowing foreigners to make them renters in their own country by buying property - or for not handing out citizenship like candy to anyone who wanders in. 

 

But, ending Immigration-Corruption would be nice.  Also, easier-PR for those married to a citizen.  And in the short-run, not booting out people spending money into sectors hard-hit by the virus would seem to be a wise move.

[Sheryl]

19 hours ago, Max69xl said:

It's not that easy to come up with a medical condition that will work. 

It has to be something that makes it impossible to travel. 

[tomazbodner]

One guy just flew to Holland to get his visa, and documented it. Took 8 weeks and 300,000 baht but doable. Alternative is no travel but 500k on Elite visa, which sounds like a better plan, given it's 5 years rather than 3 months and doesn't involve 2 months away from here.

 

It will be hard to convince immigration that it is "impossible" to travel with daily flights out of the country...

[BangkokReady]

6 hours ago, JackThompson said:

I don't blame them for not allowing foreigners to make them renters in their own country by buying property - or for not handing out citizenship like candy to anyone who wanders in.

I don't really blame them either about owning property, as I have seen what that has done in other countries.  But if a person wants to move to another country and begin a new life, learn the language, embrace the culture, takes a job that the country has deemed beneficial, perhaps marrying a local and having children with them, it seems reasonable for them to expect citizenship, the ability to buy a house and being able to change their status to where they at least have a few more rights than a backpacker on a tourist visa on their first day in the country.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, BangkokReady said:

it seems reasonable for them to expect citizenship, the ability to buy a house and being able to change their status to where they at least have a few more rights than a backpacker on a tourist visa on their first day in the country

Why? When they opted to marry and perhaps have children they already knew the rules that Thailand has.

Why do so many folk wish to push their own countries rules onto Thailand.