Visa amnesty 27th September

[Seik]

16 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

I think they are just trying to milk poor farangs before the amnesty is extended again.

That is also what I think is the most probable outcome theoretically. Hard to actually not bite the bullet though, when you know IF you predicted wrong you'll be forced to leave for god knows how long. The machine is well-oiled.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Seik

[JoseThailand]

15 minutes ago, Seik said:

That is also what I think is the most probable outcome theoretically. Hard to actually not bite the bullet though, when you know IF you predicted wrong you'll be forced to leave for god knows how long. The machine is well-oiled.

If the amnesty is not extended and they don't give any other options to stay, you will have to leave soon anyway, even if you get an ED visa, because it starts from the date of your arrival in Thailand. And I suspect you may have problems extending that (fake) visa after 3 months.

Edited August 26, 2020 by JoseThailand

[Phillip9]

6 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

And I suspect you may have problems extending that (fake) visa

The visas are not fake.  When you actually get the visa, you will normally be required to go to the immigration office yourself to get it.  

[Seik]

16 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

And I suspect you may have problems extending that (fake) visa after 3 months.

The extension is overpriced and included in the price. If the school can get the visa I think they can get the extension. Given I've never had a long-term visa (25, not yet married and no kid), 6 months for me is nothing to frown at.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Seik

[321 BOOM]

My wife just got a phone call from the Kazakh Embassy that they will issue letters for people who can not leave LOS, as no direct flights from Thailand are available...this only FYI, other countries might follow suit.

 

[321 BOOM]

55 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

If the amnesty is not extended and they don't give any other options to stay, you will have to leave soon anyway, even if you get an ED visa, because it starts from the date of your arrival in Thailand. And I suspect you may have problems extending that (fake) visa after 3 months.

Simply incorrect... you can get an ED Visa in the country and its valid from the day of issuance, my wife did it 3 years ago if I remember correctly. Was not any problem to extend it. Depends on the school and their connections I would say.

[Mike Teavee]

2 hours ago, Jack Hna said:

It's a goer. We been here before there has been zero change the decree is extended Thailand is not resuming as normal and an extension of 4 months in one go is coming.

 

They made logical decisions so far and have actually forefeited revenues other countries have collected. No immigration officer has a clue and unless the amnesty last time included some very precise wording about being the finale, it's on.

 

 

 

Given Immigration made it clear that this was the last "extension" and everybody had to either get their visa/permission to stay sorted or leave by 26th September, I think there is zero chance that they will simply/automatically "Extend" things again for 4 months & < 10% chance of them extending it for 1 month - I know it's not immigration's decision but somebody who sits on the committee that makes the decision will have it as part of his portfolio & will not want to lose face.

 

More likely Immigration will stick to it's statement & anybody still in-country who doesn't have permission to stay on the 27th September will be on overstay.

 

Even more likely is there will be some sort of compromise & some people e.g. people with Thai spouse/children or can get a letter from their embassy will be able to get an extension, but will need to report in person to an immigration office & anybody who could have extended before the date would have some explaining to do...  People on VE or TVs will be expected to leave... 

 

 

Granted not everybody will agree with my guesses, but I think most would agree that it's not (at this point in time) in anyway a certainty or "A Goer" that there will be any form of automatic extension

 

 

 

[Phillip9]

5 minutes ago, 321 BOOM said:

Simply incorrect... you can get an ED Visa in the country and its valid from the day of issuance, my wife did it 3 years ago if I remember correctly. Was not any problem to extend it. Depends on the school and their connections I would say.

Most schools are now saying  Ed visas are only valid for one year from the date of entry.  I have personally spoken with many schools about this.

[Daithi85]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

 

Given Immigration made it clear that this was the last "extension" and everybody had to either get their visa/permission to stay sorted or leave by 26th September, I think there is zero chance that they will simply/automatically "Extend" things again for 4 months & < 10% chance of them extending it for 1 month - I know it's not immigration's decision but somebody who sits on the committee that makes the decision will have it as part of his portfolio & will not want to lose face.

 

More likely Immigration will stick to it's statement & anybody still in-country who doesn't have permission to stay on the 27th September will be on overstay.

 

Even more likely is there will be some sort of compromise & some people e.g. people with Thai spouse/children or can get a letter from their embassy will be able to get an extension, but will need to report in person to an immigration office & anybody who could have extended before the date would have some explaining to do...  People on VE or TVs will be expected to leave... 

 

 

Granted not everybody will agree with my guesses, but I think most would agree that it's not (at this point in time) in anyway a certainty or "A Goer" that there will be any form of automatic extension

 

 

 

My guess is that people will be allowed to apply for 30day extensions without embassy letters at there local imo.win win for all Involved .????????

[ANDREW999]

6 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Most schools are now saying  Ed visas are only valid for one year from the date of entry.  I have personally spoken with many schools about this.

This is correct. Pro Language branches said so to me.

[Mike Teavee]

4 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

My guess is that people will be allowed to apply for 30day extensions without embassy letters at there local imo.win win for all Involved .????????

Genuinely hope you're right, especially for guys with Thai Families who for one reason or another cannot get a normal extension. 

 

[lovesthespicy]

30 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Most schools are now saying  Ed visas are only valid for one year from the date of entry.  I have personally spoken with many schools about this.

Depends on where you're at and who you talk to. Buddy of mine did one in Phuket was a year from this August just recently. A guy in Koh Samui could get one year from August but he didnt bite on it. BKK/Pattaya its a year from entry likely most are in the year from entry category.

[JoseThailand]

8 minutes ago, lovesthespicy said:

Depends on where you're at and who you talk to. Buddy of mine did one in Phuket was a year from this August just recently. A guy in Koh Samui could get one year from August but he didnt bite on it. BKK/Pattaya its a year from entry likely most are in the year from entry category.

Good luck to them on trying to extend those visas after 3 months.

[CorpusChristie]

43 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Most schools are now saying  Ed visas are only valid for one year from the date of entry.  I have personally spoken with many schools about this.

I have a friend who got a Ed Visa through an agency this month , received his passport and visa back.............and a August 2020 entry stamp , giving him a full year

[Bikke]

2 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

I have a friend who got a Ed Visa through an agency this month , received his passport and visa back.............and a August 2020 entry stamp , giving him a full year

I assume you mean 2021? Do you know which agency?

[JoseThailand]

7 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

I have a friend who got a Ed Visa through an agency this month , received his passport and visa back.............and a August 2020 entry stamp , giving him a full year

Wow, they gave him a fresh entry stamp. Why not do "border-runs" this way, without actually crossing the border?

Edited August 26, 2020 by JoseThailand

[CorpusChristie]

6 minutes ago, Bikke said:

I assume you mean 2021? Do you know which agency?

This year is 2020 and the Visa is valid from this month , I will ask which agency , but, if one can do it, others will be able to do as well 

[Jack Hna]

53 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

 

Given Immigration made it clear that this was the last "extension" and everybody had to either get their visa/permission to stay sorted or leave by 26th September, I think there is zero chance that they will simply/automatically "Extend" things again for 4 months & < 10% chance of them extending it for 1 month - I know it's not immigration's decision but somebody who sits on the committee that makes the decision will have it as part of his portfolio & will not want to lose face.

 

More likely Immigration will stick to it's statement & anybody still in-country who doesn't have permission to stay on the 27th September will be on overstay.

 

Even more likely is there will be some sort of compromise & some people e.g. people with Thai spouse/children or can get a letter from their embassy will be able to get an extension, but will need to report in person to an immigration office & anybody who could have extended before the date would have some explaining to do...  People on VE or TVs will be expected to leave... 

 

 

Granted not everybody will agree with my guesses, but I think most would agree that it's not (at this point in time) in anyway a certainty or "A Goer" that there will be any form of automatic extension

 

 

 

Uturns are common place here, things get said but are not always are followed through. All the tightening of the requirements ideas will be shelved and the make hay whilst the sun shines ideals will be more prevalent than before.

 

Maybe an amnesty extension is not the option but I believe there will be options besides the ones being given so much airtime.

 

 

 

 

[asiacurious]

17 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

I have a friend who got a Ed Visa through an agency this month , received his passport and visa back.............and a August 2020 entry stamp , giving him a full year

 

11 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Wow, they gave him a fresh entry stamp. Why not do "border-runs" this way, without actually crossing the border?

 

6 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

This year is 2020 and the Visa is valid from this month , I will ask which agency , but, if one can do it, others will be able to do as well 

 

This seems very risky to me.  Especially if your in Bangkok.  Showing up to CW with an entry stamp that says August 2020 when nobody has been allowed to enter Thailand in August 2020 on an ED visa, would raise some pretty loud alarm bells, wouldn't it? 

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, asiacurious said:

 

 

 

This seems very risky to me.  Especially if your in Bangkok.  Showing up to CW with an entry stamp that says August 2020 when nobody has been allowed to enter Thailand in August 2020 on an ED visa, would raise some pretty loud alarm bells, wouldn't it? 

Quite possibly, it would have been them that stamped it 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, asiacurious said:

This seems very risky to me.  Especially if your in Bangkok.  Showing up to CW with an entry stamp that says August 2020 when nobody has been allowed to enter Thailand in August 2020 on an ED visa, would raise some pretty loud alarm bells, wouldn't it? 

Why?

They always do a new 90 day entry stamp on the day the visa is issued. It replaces the original entry stamp.

[321 BOOM]

23 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Good luck to them on trying to extend those visas after 3 months.

Its an extra fee 5k THB and you get your extension, will be done for you. And yes, Agents can do, they do 3/6/12 month ED, different fee applies.

[JoseThailand]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

Given Immigration made it clear that this was the last "extension" and everybody had to either get their visa/permission to stay sorted or leave by 26th September

It's not their decision to make it clear. They just pursue their own interests. 

[321 BOOM]

2 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

The visas are not fake.  When you actually get the visa, you will normally be required to go to the immigration office yourself to get it.  

You dont .... for this you pay the Agent.

[NorthernRyland]

2 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

That's exactly what they are doing. This visa is not completely legal and can be obtained only through agents, which means dirty money for the immigration. I think they are just trying to milk poor farangs before the amnesty is extended again.

That sounds about right. My Thai is not great but I can speak, read, write etc... so me getting an eduction visa would feel like fraud. I guess I could take an advanced class but honestly if I wanted to be a better speaker I'd just start reading more Thai books or watching TV etc....

[CorpusChristie]

5 hours ago, Daithi85 said:

There's no schools offering an ed visa for 15,000 the average price seems to be about 45,000..I know they advertise the ed visa for 15,000 but as soon as you go in and speak to them that 15,000 soon turns into 40,000 50,000 or 60,000 baht.

30-40 000 Baht for the actual lessons , 15 000 for immigration and 1900 for visa

[321 BOOM]

By the way, what was very interesting to hear from an agent just a few minutes ago that according to their information immigration said that application should not be later than 15th, for ED and Retirement, interesting as the 15th is Tuesday and as far as I know that's the day for cabinet meeting, have to add that first I was told its the 9th... clearly smelling a rat here.

[Mike Teavee]

12 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

It's not their decision to make it clear. They just pursue their own interests. 

If you've have quoted more of my post, I went on to say that I know it's not immigration's decision to make, however somebody on the committee that's making decision will have Immigration as part of his portfolio so through him they do have some influence at the table & he'll be keen not to lose face by making his department look like they're making a (well publicised) U-turn.

 

Again, you're playing a very dangerous game by just sitting there & waiting to see what happens, at least have a viable Plan B ready in case things do not go as you're expecting them to. 

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by Mike Teavee

[CorpusChristie]

4 hours ago, genericptr said:

 

I've heard this twice now. Is immigration suggesting we get a fraudulent student visa?

The visas are genuine , immi seem so busy at the moment that they dont seem to be thoroughly checking all the paper work  , thoroughly check the envelopes though

[Mike Teavee]

13 minutes ago, 321 BOOM said:

You dont .... for this you pay the Agent.

I thought you had to go to Immigration to get any form of Visa/Extension & would be very suspicious of any visa/extension (excluding ones on medical grounds) that didn't require you to take a trip there. 

Edited August 26, 2020 by Mike Teavee