New from US Embassy: "Official extension stamp" to change to long-term visa

[Phillip9]

1 hour ago, Phillip9 said:

Did anyone here receive that email from the US embassy personally?   
 

I am on every US embassy mailing list that I know of, and I never received it.

I mean the original email that started this thread that contains this wording.  It’s is not on the US embassy website, and I never received it.  Where did this come from?

 

 

[vermin on arrival]

17 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

He pmed me today and he got it.

[greggraham]

5 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

He pmed me today and he got it.

Got what? ????

[greggraham]

11 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I mean the original email that started this thread that contains this wording.  It’s is not on the US embassy website, and I never received it.  Where did this come from?

From the email that my housemate, @KayH, @WhateverDude, people on facebook got. 

[vermin on arrival]

4 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Got what? ????

His 30 day extension starting Sept 27 with Australian embassy letter.

[pontious]

1 hour ago, Huckfi said:

Just to clear things up-I went to https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/, followed the link to the forms.office.com survey, filled it out, and received a letter shortly after.

IO will still want to see credible evidence why you cannot leave.

[audaciousnomad]

 

2 minutes ago, pontious said:

IO will still want to see credible evidence why you cannot leave.

We know that.  More clarity will come when we start to see reports of people who were approved and/or denied with an embassy letter in hand and reasons that were acceptable and/or invalid for approval.

[greggraham]

6 minutes ago, pontious said:

IO will still want to see credible evidence why you cannot leave.

Possibly true, but they didn't with the first amnesty extension letter. Just the letter, usual forms, and 1.900THB. 

[Kelsall]

2 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

Did anyone here receive that email from the US embassy personally?   
 

I am on every US embassy mailing list that I know of, and I never received it.

Same here. I get all the US Embassy emails and never got this.  And as has been said, it's not on the embassy website.

[pontious]

16 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Possibly true, but they didn't with the first amnesty extension letter. Just the letter, usual forms, and 1.900THB. 

[pontious]

2 minutes ago, pontious said:

The letter has to confirm why you cannot leave. Not just please help.

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, pontious said:

Almost all of us can use the having an 'outbreak situation' reason as not many places with less than Thailand.

[FinickyFarang]

23 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Possibly true, but they didn't with the first amnesty extension letter. Just the letter, usual forms, and 1.900THB. 

But wasn’t the first one applicable if you had a valid visa and we’re extending or am I misunderstanding that?  
 

Most people who are on amnesty right now have burned through all possible exceptions of their visa has expired.  
 

Seems like a slightly different situation.  

[pontious]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Almost all of us can use the having an 'outbreak situation' reason as not many places with less than Thailand.

I agree - it says embassy letter to confirm your reason. -Will they do that.? The US letter above did not say any reason. Just they have no objection.

Edited August 28, 2020 by pontious

[audaciousnomad]

19 minutes ago, pontious said:

I agree - it says embassy letter to confirm your reason. -Will they do that.? The US letter above did not say any reason. Just they have no objection.

The letter does not overtly express the reason for which an extension should be granted. BUT, it does say this: "We wish to refer to the unique global transportation restrictions caused by the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19, and its effects on international travel."

[pontious]

14 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

The letter does not overtly express the reason for which an extension should be granted. BUT, it does say this: "We wish to refer to the unique global transportation restrictions caused by the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19, and its effects on international travel."

I hope it works - anyone can say it is 'more covid' - nearly everywhere has more  than Thailand. I do not think they will accept that. They want a certificate regarding medical reasons or letter from your embassy saying you cannot travel because of xyz. Otherwise everyone will get an extension.

[greggraham]

Okay, some reports from two different people Facebook this afternoon:

 

Quote

I received it yesterday, free extension until Sep 26th. But the reason was: application for non visa. Have no idea how it works with tourist extensions.

 

I was submitting documents for non-b with an expired 30-days entry stamp. After checking everything the officer gave me some papers to copy (application form and contract I think), then sent to extension section without explaining anything. There they just took papers and gave me back passport in few minutes with an extension stamp until Sep 26

 

Quote

My husband and I also went into Hua Hin immigration today. They stamped our passport with a new visa stamp which will expire on the 26th of September. We paid no fee. We had all our paperwork prepared for an extra 30-day extension because once again our flights have been canceled. They told us to come back on the 26th of September (which is a Saturday and they are closed). In reading back on official statements by the immigration office, they state we must come in before 26th to apply for an extension.

 

[greggraham]

This is what the "free" stamp looks like:

 

[FarFlungFalang]

7 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Less to do with easy, simple or logical and more to do with impossible. The arrivals level is below the departures level with locked doors in between.

I have been successful many times in my life at getting in for free by sneaking in the back including at  border crossing doing my border runs by crossing the road at Mukdahan after stamping out of Thailand and the stamping straight back in without crossing the bridge and entering Laos.You never ever know if you never ever go!Sometimes it works and sometimes not so far about 50% success rate.

I turns out I won't have to try such drastic measures as today I was successful at submitting an application for a 30 extension with embassy letter.Don't know if it was because of my new hair cut or my rugged hansom manliness or new orders from higher up (definitely this as I don't possess rugged hansom manliness).

[FlyingThai]

On 8/27/2020 at 3:54 PM, FarFlungFalang said:

Doesn't work for me as I'm not going anywhere on a plane,I'll go to Suvanakhet for a new visa or if they'll give me the yearly extension with money in the bank I would take that but I'm not going to Oz to get a bloody stamp it's just to expensive.I would also go to Suvanabhumi and exit at immigration then re-enter and get a visa on arrival without leaving the ground but that's probably a bit to easy to be allowed to simple and most of all to logical.

With all (un)due respect but you'll do what the authorities tell you to do. You're not the one making the rules here.

 

Alternatively the Immigration Detention Facility is also a very comfortable option to remain in Thailand if that's your wish and you don't want to go on a plane.

[greggraham]

Also from the Thai visa Facebook group; 

 

“The MOE has contacted some schools (at least mine in Chanthaburi has been 2 days ago)  and apparently teachers currently on the amnesty can get an extension of their visa by going to immigration before the 11th of September. This extension would be valid only until the 26th of September which would be enough time (15 days ) to get it transferred to a non-B before the deadline. However, I've not seen any official confirmation, the only sources I have are a forum on Thaivisa and what my school told me and it isn't really clear what the requirements are. Also it seems it would only work for the immigration offices  requiring only 15 days left on a hard stamp to get a non-B (some immigration offices require 21days). The best would be to ask your school to contact the MOE, the labour office and the immigration office”

 

edit: Also Richard Barrow apparently has related news he's prepping about teacher visa conversion. 

Edited August 28, 2020 by greggraham

[Peter Denis]

13 minutes ago, greggraham said:

This is what the "free" stamp looks like:

 

So it is indeed correct that you can get a Free Stamp at your local IO providing you with a 'valid' permission to stay till 26 September.

>> It is absolutely insane that there is no official Immigration Announcement (at least I didn't come across any) that mentions this option.

Amazinsane Thailand!

 

[FarFlungFalang]

As mentioned above I was successful at submitting an application for a special 30 day extension with embassy letter.Special thanks to ubonjoe for his steadfast belief that it was or soon would be possible and also thanks to the rest of you for the support.As mentioned I believe they are ready to accept applications of this nature to help sort out people's visa issues prior to the 26th Sept deadline.I received a stamp giving me permission to stay until the 26th Sept at which time I'm advised I will receive my 30 extension and will allow me to apply for the 1 year permission to stay based on marriage.The extra 30 days will give my money in the bank the 2 months required to apply for the 1 year extension it will also give me a valid permission to stay to apply for that extension.I think this may have been on the cards all along but required time to set it all up.As critical as I may sound sometimes I was always hoping and believing something like this would become available.It was a pleasant visit today and I will give Thai Immigration a big thumbs up and yes Steven100 praise Khun Prayuth and his shonky mates for allowing my the possibility to stay with my wife and family (god that hurt),which is more than I can say for my "home country member" of Oz!

[audaciousnomad]

3 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

As mentioned above I was successful at submitting an application for a special 30 day extension with embassy letter.Special thanks to ubonjoe for his steadfast belief that it was or soon would be possible and also thanks to the rest of you for the support.As mentioned I believe they are ready to accept applications of this nature to help sort out people's visa issues prior to the 26th Sept deadline.I received a stamp giving me permission to stay until the 26th Sept at which time I'm advised I will receive my 30 extension and will allow me to apply for the 1 year permission to stay based on marriage.The extra 30 days will give my money in the bank the 2 months required to apply for the 1 year extension it will also give me a valid permission to stay to apply for that extension.I think this may have been on the cards all along but required time to set it all up.As critical as I may sound sometimes I was always hoping and believing something like this would become available.It was a pleasant visit today and I will give Thai Immigration a big thumbs up and yes Steven100 praise Khun Prayuth and his shonky mates for allowing my the possibility to stay with my wife and family (god that hurt),which is more than I can say for my "home country member" of Oz!

Well-played indeed!  Question: Did you need to explain to them all of that as your intentions, or did they simply give you the stamp and say, "We'll see you back here on the 26th!"  and sent you on your way?

[jackdd]

4 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I received a stamp giving me permission to stay until the 26th Sept at which time I'm advised I will receive my 30 extension

Is this the "application of stay is under consideration" stamp?

Usually the extension starts on the same day at which you got this stamp, under normal circumstances that would mean on 26th you would get permission to stay until 26th September.

Did you clarify that your extension will start on 27th September and not on the day at which you applied?

 

 

[FarFlungFalang]

14 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

With all (un)due respect but you'll do what the authorities tell you to do. You're not the one making the rules here.

 

Alternatively the Immigration Detention Facility is also a very comfortable option to remain in Thailand if that's your wish and you don't want to go on a plane.

With all due respect I make my own rules as does everybody else on this planet including those that form groups and organisations and Governments and some will use force to try and make people comply with their own made up rules.One of my rules is to comply with the rules of others if I agree that they are what I deem fair.I would have been quite prepared to relax in a detention facility if I was denied the ability to stay with my wife.Fortunately Thailand is gracious enough to allow me a legal option to do just that for which I'm very grateful.

[meherbaba]

So with this stamp will it be possible to change from visa exemption to volunteer visa or teacher visa, for example?

 

It seems that it was not possible until now, without leaving the country (correct me if I am wrong)

[FarFlungFalang]

5 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Well-played indeed!  Question: Did you need to explain to them all of that as your intentions, or did they simply give you the stamp and say, "We'll see you back here on the 26th!"  and sent you on your way?

Thanks.When presented with the embassy letter and bankbook and after a quick phone call to (presumably) Bangkok it was full steam ahead I wasn't actually prepared for doing the actual application I was merely asking if it was possible,but a quick trip to the photocopy shop (wife had to duck back for some missed copies a second time) then fill in the TM7 and some extra forms relating adhering to overstay rules 2 copies of about 15 pages then stamp and as you said "We'll see you back here on the 26th!"

[FarFlungFalang]

6 minutes ago, meherbaba said:

So with this stamp will it be possible to change from visa exemption to volunteer visa or teacher visa, for example?

 

It seems that it was not possible until now, without leaving the country (correct me if I am wrong)

It seems like it might be possible now.I think an embassy letter definitely would also help.I do believe they are now willing to try and help to legitimise those that are eligible.

[FarFlungFalang]

16 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Is this the "application of stay is under consideration" stamp?

Usually the extension starts on the same day at which you got this stamp, under normal circumstances that would mean on 26th you would get permission to stay until 26th September.

Did you clarify that your extension will start on 27th September and not on the day at which you applied?

 

 

Yes she said as much and having just checked that's what the stamp says she actually put a different stamp first which she voided but because she's so pretty and nice and is processing my application Ill forgive her this time and probably the next,I believe it will be sent off to be processed as indicated in the info graphic that was posted somewhere.I did clarify that the 30 day extension will begin on the 27th of September.