BREAKING NEWS Tourists to get unlimited 30-day extensions to stay after ‘visa amnesty’ ends

[FlyingThai]

1 hour ago, GoNavy said:

This all so very convoluted. First, if one is too sick to fly how are they going to haul themselves to immigration every 30 day?  Why such emphasis on checking in so frequently.  Similar to a helicopter parent.

Just because someone can't fly for specific medical reasons doesn't mean they can't get around the city. How do they go to the supermarket, the doctor, daily necessities?

 

Unless someone is totally bedridden or permanently hospitalized in which case it's probably more than time to find a solution with the embassy or travel insurance for emergency repatriation. Thailand isn't a hospice.

[audaciousnomad]

36 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

There is one new thing I see:

Get an embassy letter certifying that your home country is unsafe to live in and you get the 30 day extension of stay for the reason of necessity.

Where does it say that?  This is what it says:
However, those who are unable to return home due to lack of flights or other circumstances in their home country must present a letter from their home country’s embassy or consulate in Thailand requesting that the foreign be allowed to continue to temporarily stay in the Kingdom, Gen Pornchai added.

[FlyingThai]

8 hours ago, david555 said:

I could think they would need a detailed certificate from a hospital , as I.O's are not stupid ….(only some are difficult ) ????

A broken leg or arm will not do …., 2 broken leg's ? wel they have wheelchairs ...even at  Suvharnabumi …(and they get boarding priority …????  ), it shall all depends how this game go be played by the foreigners and the I.O.'s

It gone be quit a show when it starts 

A broken leg is absolutely sufficient to obtain a "not fit for fly" certificate. Please don't spread misinformation.

 

The immigration officers aren't medical professionals, they are in no position to evaluate a patients ability to fly based on diagnosis (which they couldn't decipher anyway). Hence F4F documentation.

[david555]

19 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

A broken leg is absolutely sufficient to obtain a "not fit for fly" certificate. Please don't spread misinformation.

 

The immigration officers aren't medical professionals, they are in no position to evaluate a patients ability to fly based on diagnosis (which they couldn't decipher anyway). Hence F4F documentation.

Good to hear all shall be under control...nothing to worry , just a fit to fly and life go's on ....as wished why nobody thought about this before ...

 

[Maestro]

28 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

No embassy will issue a letter saying that it's unsafe to live in that respective country. There is absolutely NO WAY such a letter would be authorized the the respective MFA that is responsible to instruct embassies.

 

An ambassador issuing such letter would probably not remain in his post much longer.

 

Perhaps immigration added this new criterion for the extension after a German man wrote to Prime Minister Prayut appealing for his intervention to let him stay in Thailand because Germany was currently so unsafe that he would die of he returned there. After all, a country's ambassador is obviously much better qualified to judge his country's safety than Prayut would be to do so for each country from which a foreigner would apply for the extension. Handled very diplomatically, I should say.

[Maestro]

28 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Where does it say that?  This is what it says:
However, those who are unable to return home due to lack of flights or other circumstances in their home country must present a letter from their home country’s embassy or consulate in Thailand requesting that the foreign be allowed to continue to temporarily stay in the Kingdom, Gen Pornchai added.

 

"...other circumstances in their home country..."

 

Take any circumstance your can think of and apply to your embassy for the letter to verify this as your reason for being unable to fly to your country.

[FlyingThai]

I think we can speculate about Embassy letters all we want, most won't issue any such letters and there are more requirements other than the letter. Typical Thailand red tape - I'm not surprised.

 

IMHO this will be just another unworkable administrative disaster and will eventually result in another blanket extension after it comes to light what a <deleted> show it is.

Edited September 5, 2020 by FlyingThai

[FlyingThai]

6 hours ago, david555 said:

Good to hear all shall be under control...nothing to worry , just a fit to fly and life go's on ....as wished why nobody thought about this before ...

 

No idea what your point is. Unless you're sick you're not dealing with a N/F4F certificate in order to extend your stay in Thailand.

 

You stated a broken leg wouldn't be sufficient to have a reason not to fly and based on that having your stay extended. That's incorrect so no need to deflect from that now and bringing up another unrelated nonsense.

[Daithi85]

17 hours ago, Rockbottom said:

Disagree. The current verbal posturing surrounding the Sept. 26th date is code for I.O.s to collect as much money as possible from agents. As was the case in July, things will soften as the deadline approaches.

I agree with you 100 percent,if visa agents are charging 60,000 for volunteer visas that's a hefty profit for a visa that should only cost 1900 BAHT.

[happyaussie]

If I apply for a 60 day Thai wife extension on my tourist visa (which complies to amnesty rules) could I ask for a 30 day tourist visa extension when that expires? Or am I better of doing the 30 day tourist visa extension with embassy letter?

 

If 30 day extension which form does that require?

 

The Australian Embassy are issuing supporting letters based on the lack of flights and 35 max passengers on repatriation flights. Apparently it can take up-to 6 weeks to get accepted. No idea what the selection process is. But they assure me it's not driven by business class passengers. I suspect returning diplomats would chew up the numbers.

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, happyaussie said:

If I apply for a 60 day Thai wife extension on my tourist visa (which complies to amnesty rules) could I ask for a 30 day tourist visa extension when that expires? Or am I better of doing the 30 day tourist visa extension with embassy letter?

I think I would apply for the 60 day extension first. And then the 30 day special extension with the embassy letter later.

 

12 minutes ago, happyaussie said:

 

If 30 day extension which form does that require?

Same TM7 form used for all extension applications.

[Peter Denis]

22 minutes ago, happyaussie said:

If I apply for a 60 day Thai wife extension on my tourist visa (which complies to amnesty rules) could I ask for a 30 day tourist visa extension when that expires? Or am I better of doing the 30 day tourist visa extension with embassy letter?

 

If 30 day extension which form does that require?

 

The Australian Embassy are issuing supporting letters based on the lack of flights and 35 max passengers on repatriation flights. Apparently it can take up-to 6 weeks to get accepted. No idea what the selection process is. But they assure me it's not driven by business class passengers. I suspect returning diplomats would chew up the numbers.

If you did not yet use up the 'regular' 30 days extension of stay your Tourist Visa entitles you to, you can still apply for it.  Same goes for the 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your Thai wife / dependent Thai child.

Shouldn't matter which one you use first, and normally the permission to stay from your application would be provided with start date 27 September.

When you intend to use them sequentially (which would provide you with a permission to stay till 24 December) to wait out till the borders open again, you need to be aware that you need at least 15 days (some offices require 23 days) to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa in case the borders are not open by mid December.

Also be aware that it is not sure when applying for the special 30-day extension of stay using an Embassy letter, that such 'special extension' would allow you later on to apply for a long-term stay.  So in your case it is recommended to first use up the regular 30-day and 60-day extension of stay which you are entitled to.

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by Peter Denis

[Dasekel]

On 9/3/2020 at 10:27 PM, Nout said:

Because they were proved to be wrong but it never needed proving. There is a crowd of negative hysterics who are allowed to dominate this forum. Being repeatedlly hysterically and over critical is a sign of mental illness or mediocrity. The Thai bathers and haters are ill informed, bitter failures who dont know how to enjoy life or thailand. They came here with emotionally damaged luggage and unfortunately for them they never unpacked the bag.

Maybe the most stupid and deranged comment I have seen for ages. This actually sounds like emotional baggage.

[userabcd]

1 hour ago, Daithi85 said:

I agree with you 100 percent,if visa agents are charging 60,000 for volunteer visas that's a hefty profit for a visa that should only cost 1900 BAHT.

The volunteer is free to choose whether to make use of the B60000 or B1900 service or not. 

Edited September 5, 2020 by userabcd

[finy]

I think people on tourist visas should really ponder whether or not they want to live month to month on 30 day extensions. How can you possibly live life when it's on pause?

 

If they don't extend the amnesty by the middle of the month there are plenty of cool countries open and you can get everything back up and running again.

[utalkin2me]

5 minutes ago, finy said:

I think people on tourist visas should really ponder whether or not they want to live month to month on 30 day extensions. How can you possibly live life when it's on pause?

 

If they don't extend the amnesty by the middle of the month there are plenty of cool countries open and you can get everything back up and running again.

This thing can end anytime. There is probably a ton of pressure to end all this from the entire tourism sector, which no doubt many of them hold a lot of juice.

 

Problem will be is there is a complete misunderstanding about the virus by the Thais. When they do open cases will spike (a spike that will happen no matter when they open). that is not very arguable. So, will they close down again?

Edited September 5, 2020 by utalkin2me

[toxictotoro]

Thaiger article a few mins ago (sorry if double posted already). Basically just a reiteration of what they've been saying it seems.:

 

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/visa/immigration-to-provide-30-day-extensions-after-visa-amnesty-ends-in-some-circumstances

 

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by toxictotoro

[JackThompson]

13 hours ago, Benitostacos said:

Someone posted this from Chonburi Immigration in a FB group, I swear it's like deja-vu from March all over again.

Use an agent, and ALL that goes away.  That is the ONLY Reason they want all that stuff - to ensure a good percentage of applicants are put in the brown-envelope stack.

 

Even so, these are MUCH Easier house-docs than when they used these as an invented-way to deny acceptance of my marriage-based extension without the 30K "no receipt" extortion-money.  

 

Notice that unless you "own," you don't need the blue-book and chanote from where you are living?   That means they also cannot use the bit they did on my 3rd (or 4th) attempt to submit an application there - demand your "out-of-country landlord" must go to an amphur or land-dept -  for "newer copies" of documents you already have.

 

And note they did not pull the "landlord must come in" routine - though that was from Trat in March (for "national security" reasons), if memory serves - not Jomtien.

 

I will be reporting at CW, but would have no problem with these rules if back in the Jomtien-area. 

  

8 minutes ago, finy said:

If they don't extend the amnesty by the middle of the month there are plenty of cool countries open

Please link to those.  Last I looked into this, the best I could do was "Turkey".

https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions

 

With the embassy-letter, I am now good through Nov - hopefully more options then.  Or maybe the Cabinet will order Immigration to accept valid marriage-based extensions w/o "roadblocks-for-payoffs."

 

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Daithi85 said:

I agree with you 100 percent,if visa agents are charging 60,000 for volunteer visas that's a hefty profit for a visa that should only cost 1900 BAHT.

List-price would be 2000 (90-day 'change of visa type' stamp from Tourist) + 1900 (1 year extension).  So 60,000 - 3,900 = a 56,100 Bribe; likely, 50K of that for Immigraton.

 

I say "bribe" instead of "extortion" in this context, because the applicant is likely not really going to do much of any "volunteer" activites.  It's "extortion" when making up fake-rules to block a legit-application to stay with your Thai-family, etc.

 

7 minutes ago, userabcd said:

The volunteer is free to choose whether to make use of the B60000 or B1900 service or not. 

No they aren't.  Immigration will refuse to accept the 1900 Baht application, and add "new requirements" repeatedly with every attempt to apply.   The only exception I can think of, would be work for a a very "select" group of foundations - ones run by a very special family (which do excellent work BTW);  Immigration would not dare mess with them. 

 

When I looked into this years ago (before I was married to a Thai), ALL the foundations I contacted (legit - not agent-scams) insisted you pay for the "legal costs" of your "visa" - the Immigration-Corruption-Payoff.

[userabcd]

20 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

List-price would be 2000 (90-day 'change of visa type' stamp from Tourist) + 1900 (1 year extension).  So 60,000 - 3,900 = a 56,100 Bribe; likely, 50K of that for Immigraton.

 

I say "bribe" instead of "extortion" in this context, because the applicant is likely not really going to do much of any "volunteer" activites.  It's "extortion" when making up fake-rules to block a legit-application to stay with your Thai-family, etc.

 

No they aren't.  Immigration will refuse to accept the 1900 Baht application, and add "new requirements" repeatedly with every attempt to apply.   The only exception I can think of, would be work for a a very "select" group of foundations - ones run by a very special family (which do excellent work BTW);  Immigration would not dare mess with them. 

 

When I looked into this years ago (before I was married to a Thai), ALL the foundations I contacted (legit - not agent-scams) insisted you pay for the "legal costs" of your "visa" - the Immigration-Corruption-Payoff.

I think genuine volunteers through the right channels/organisations would have no difficulty securing a volunteer visa @B1900

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by userabcd

[Bender Rodriguez]

19 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Notice that unless you "own," you don't need the blue-book and chanote from where you are living?   That means they also cannot use the bit they did on my 3rd (or 4th) attempt to submit an application there - demand your "out-of-country landlord" must go to an amphur or land-dept -  for "newer copies" of documents you already have.

 

And note they did not pull the "landlord must come in" routine - though that was from Trat in March (for "national security" reasons), if memory serves - not Jomtien.

samut prakarn plays the same trick

 

and I had a court divorce agreement, stating my ex agreed I could stay in the house to raise my (our) child ...with ex-wife being owner, not respecting the law/agreement, but trying everything to get me out of the country and the life of my child, that is living with ME and does not want anything to do with the nice "mother" that denies to give any documentation...

 

IO reply:  GO BACK TO YOUR HOME COUNTRY

 

my reply: I am the only one taking care of my child, the mother is not interested

 

IO : don't care, YOUR PROBLEM, GO HOME, NO EXTENSION

 

me: I would like to speak to your boss

 

IO's boss , with MY lawyer on the phone:   you don't know the law (to my lawyer), your client has to go HOME

 

so... there you have it

 

if that is not a mega push to use their corrupted scammer AGENTS and collect 55.000 baht instead of approving my extension for 1900 baht...

[Wongkitlo]

47 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

This thing can end anytime. There is probably a ton of pressure to end all this from the entire tourism sector, which no doubt many of them hold a lot of juice.

 

Problem will be is there is a complete misunderstanding about the virus by the Thais. When they do open cases will spike (a spike that will happen no matter when they open). that is not very arguable. So, will they close down again?

European countries are having massive increases in cases but less hospital admissions.  Either the hospitals are getting better at treating or the virus is weakening or testing is better. I have been to Thai hospitals and they seem to have trouble catering for the number of patients they have. My wife arrives at 6 am for afternoon treatment as she has to queue. I don't know if they would be able to cope with even a minor increase due to Covid. I'd prefer they didn't take the risk.

[fondue zoo]

It would be crazy to do so, but I wonder what would happen in these cases if you said to the IO,  "What if I use an agent?"  *wink wink*. 

IO: oh ohhhhh.... here I give you phone number.  ????

[BritTim]

28 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

European countries are having massive increases in cases but less hospital admissions.  Either the hospitals are getting better at treating or the virus is weakening or testing is better.

The expert consensus is that this is similar to the situation in the US about six weeks ago. The vast majority getting infected then were in their twenties and thirties. Later, mainly through household transmission, they infected older people who became more seriously sick resulting in increasing or stable hospitalisations and deaths while cases were falling. Yes, treatment has improved, but the current status of increasing infections of younger people is still likely to result in more serious cases in older people within a few weeks. Hopefully, the experts will be proven wrong.

[Metropolitian]

1 hour ago, userabcd said:

I think genuine volunteers through the right channels/organisations would have no difficulty securing a volunteer visa @B1900

 

Until they reach the one year.

 

I do have a non-O (volunteer), which I had to extend every 90 days.

Only when the organization is under the patronage of any government organ, they get the full one year when they extend their volunteer visa.

Clubs/Channels/Associations (สมาคม) = 90 days.

Foundations (มูลนิธิ) = 360 days mostly.

 

I arrived in August 2019.  I can't extend any further. I have to '' leave before the 26th ''.

 

[Deserted]

On 9/3/2020 at 5:48 PM, CorpusChristie said:

Highly likely to be the usual 1900 Baht per 30 days 

Well that's what I was also wondering. That's something we need to know. 

[taxin]

On 9/3/2020 at 7:20 PM, CorpusChristie said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the I.O "encourage" people to use agencies when applying for the extensions 

I can confirm 100% this is the case, it happened to me on my recent visit to immigration. My wife who has processed my visa applications and one year extensions for the past 16 years was told to go to an agent, this was despite the IO recognising my wife and knowing full well she has never used an agent in 16 years.

 

The immigration officers don’t want you applying directly, they only get 1,900 baht and I would guess the officer will see none of this, they would however get more than this from an agent.

[NorthernRyland]

5 hours ago, finy said:

I think people on tourist visas should really ponder whether or not they want to live month to month on 30 day extensions. How can you possibly live life when it's on pause?

Exactly. I'm not going to show up like a beggar to the embassy every month to get more letters which I then relay to immigration along with a stack of others papers. Maybe I could get away with it once or twice, but then what? Thailand has decided any more than zero infections is unacceptable so the borders will remain closed for many more months.

[Sambotte]

6 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

If you did not yet use up the 'regular' 30 days extension of stay your Tourist Visa entitles you to, you can still apply for it.  Same goes for the 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your Thai wife / dependent Thai child.

Shouldn't matter which one you use first, and normally the permission to stay from your application would be provided with start date 27 September.

When you intend to use them sequentially (which would provide you with a permission to stay till 24 December) to wait out till the borders open again, you need to be aware that you need at least 15 days (some offices require 23 days) to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa in case the borders are not open by mid December.

Also be aware that it is not sure when applying for the special 30-day extension of stay using an Embassy letter, that such 'special extension' would allow you later on to apply for a long-term stay.  So in your case it is recommended to first use up the regular 30-day and 60-day extension of stay which you are entitled to.

 

Theorically for the 30 days extension.

Of course Immigration refuse to do it for grabing the agent fee.

 

Question : this 30 days normal extension...

-> Does not cancel your shot at a long term conversion ? Not like the "special" ?...

-> One can do it last day, no need for delay ?

-> Can one argue in case of refusal that really nothing official prevent you to get this extension ?

Problem i have is Immigration HOT LINE says "only te special"... In short : is there anything OFFICIAL about this "normal" extension ???

 

That would let one have 30 days more to think about the agent-immig rip-off... to find a reliable agent, option, and better deal.

[Peter Denis]

12 minutes ago, Sambotte said:

Theorically for the 30 days extension.

Of course Immigration refuse to do it for grabing the agent fee.

 

Question : this 30 days normal extension...

-> Does not cancel your shot at a long term conversion ? Not like the "special" ?...

-> One can do it last day, no need for delay ?

-> Can one argue in case of refusal that really nothing official prevent you to get this extension ?

Problem i have is Immigration HOT LINE says "only te special"... In short : is there anything OFFICIAL about this "normal" extension ???

 

That would let one have 30 days more to think about the agent-immig rip-off... to find a reliable agent, option, and better deal.

Question : this 30 days normal extension...

-> Does not cancel your shot at a long term conversion ? Not like the "special" ?...

When having entered Visa Exempt or on a Tourist Visa, you are entitled to one 'regular' 30-days extension of stay per entry - besides that NO requirements to be met.

The Embassy Letter 'special' extension of stay is NOT the same, and that one is now introduced during the Amnesty for those that have reasons why they cannot leave the country.

-> One can do it last day, no need for delay ?

You can apply for the 'regular' 30-days extension of stay till last day of the Amnesty, but it will normally be provided with start-date 27 September (so no need to wait till very last day to apply for it when you are eligible for it).

-> Can one argue in case of refusal that really nothing official prevent you to get this extension ?  Problem i have is Immigration HOT LINE says "only te special"... In short : is there anything OFFICIAL about this "normal" extension ???

Some IOs are now refusing that 'regular' 30-days extension of stay that VE/TR holders are entitled to.  Hence the importance of the Ubon Ratchathani IO case, where it was NOT refused for any bogus reason, and was provided (as it should).