L-A Visas (migrant workers)

[Sheryl]

Hi, starting this because surely I am not the sole person on this forum dealing with the issue and it has been extraordinarily hard to get information on options for migrant workers whose permissions of stay are expiring/have expired under an L-A visa.

 

The normal procedure is that once a person has already done one 2 year extension they cannot extend further and must return to their home country for a new LA visa. Which is impossible to do at this time due to the border closure.  Apparently the government has decided (logically) to set up a mechanism whereby such workers, already here in Thailand, can  get a new LA visa without having to leave the country. So far so good and makes sense. And this system was supposed to start yesterday the 17th with limited time to apply.

 

But very hard to get information on the process. The agent I normally use knows nothing, less even than I. My local IO knows nothing and keeps telling me to come back in a week or too or "watch what they say on TV".  2 calls to the Imm hotline 1178 have yielded conflicting and vague info but it seems, both from what they said and what my IO finally told me, that the  process comes under (or at least starts at) the Labor Ministry not Immigration. I have now made 2 visits to the Provincial Labor dept, first time told to come back on 17th, second time (today, the 18th) they had me fill out various forms and took copies of relevant documents only to then tell me nothing was being processed yet and they'd call me sometime next week.

 

Meanwhile Samut Prakan Immigration website seems to definitely be saying they will issue new LA visas (or perhaps a further extension of permission to stay, unclear) to people in this situation (LA visa already renewed once) http://www.samutprakanimmigration.go.th/migrant-workers/ Which seems odd given everyone else says the process has to be done at Labor Dept and no other IO seems to be processing these

 

There is one group on Facebook posting in Khmer marketing themselves to Cambodian workers as able to obtain new L-As but they have no company name, no office, and discussions with them have so far not inspired confidence that they really know what they are doing/can deliver the goods. They want 10K for it and are so far the only agent I can find dealing with this now. The one I used before (when it was the usual cross-border procedure) knows nothing about new COVID-specific arrangements and has nothing to offer but "wait for the border to open", which it certainly does nto seem about to do.

 

That's all I know so far, will be interested to hear anyone else's experience.

 

Also would be interested in hearing anything anyone knows re the "amnesty" period and L-A visas. I had heard a rumor that for migrant workers there was a separate extension through November already but first call to 1178 told me no, there was a  November extension related to migrants but it did not include those under L-A /MOU (aka "namelisted"). Second call could not get a straight answer on this, the person I spoke to clearly had no idea. . My local IO is of the impression there is only the Sept 26 extension and had heard nothing about a separate extension for migrants workers. Makes rather a difference, especially since it is not looking quick to process new L-As!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DogNo1]

Are you a migrant worker Sheryl or are you doing the paperwork for someone else?

[zzzzz]

how did it go?
we left thailand june last year for cambodia
her last L-A extension was ONLY for 1 year, issued in May 2021
so its expired>
after a year here,  want return>
can you give me agent or info on how you got on?
she has had her original l-a visa and 1 2 year extension and than a 1 year one

thanks

read this , if they need workers , why do they make it so dam hard to get them??
https://kfgo.com/2022/07/12/thailand-needs-500000-more-migrant-workers-for-recovery-chamber-of-commerce/

 

[Sheryl]

On 7/19/2022 at 8:20 AM, zzzzz said:

how did it go?
we left thailand june last year for cambodia
her last L-A extension was ONLY for 1 year, issued in May 2021
so its expired>
after a year here,  want return>
can you give me agent or info on how you got on?
she has had her original l-a visa and 1 2 year extension and than a 1 year one

thanks

read this , if they need workers , why do they make it so dam hard to get them??
https://kfgo.com/2022/07/12/thailand-needs-500000-more-migrant-workers-for-recovery-chamber-of-commerce/

 

If already left Thailand and permission ti stay expired, she has to start the whole process over again. Had she stayed in Thailand, could have done extensions.

 

Agents are location specific (referring ti location in Thailand). mine handles Sakeo and Prachinburi provinces. So probably no help for you.

 

I have not used them myself but I have seen a place right near the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok tel number 064-289-5556, 089-500-5457, 094-904-9900. They may not speak any English, just Thai and Khmer.

 

 

The process of getting a new L-A visa takes 4-6 months, be forewarned. You  might like to get her a tourist visa in the meantime. (She will have to show Thai Embassy proof of US $1,000 in a Cambodian bank account).