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

[fondue zoo]

The Oz embassy in Bangkok is only issuing letters for two categories:

 

1. You can show evidence of a booked flight leaving Thailand after the 26th of September.

2. You can show evidence that you are transitioning from a short term tourist visa to a long term visa. (They do not explain what form that evidence must take.) 

 

The ambassador stated it is not the role of the Oz government to determine who stays in Thailand.

 

Are other embassies putting conditions on their letters?

[bjaz]

4 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

10:000 posts.

 

How to convert expired multiple non-immigrant to tourist visa. ????

How to convert expired single non-immgrant B to tourist visa

[Sambotte]

11 minutes ago, genericptr said:

I've heard this also so AU citizens should probably be getting letters. Most of us don't have those flight restrictions however so the embassies have no valid grounds to issue letters.

Except if "your" country has covid cases.

After all the extreme measures taken for this virus, almost no embassy should actually argue against your will to stay in a safe country no ? Or do i miss something ? Virus is "dramatic", so it's enough to get the letter, "for your safety". Or virus is not drama and let the world be normal again !

 

What a world non sense...

[tribalfusion001]

Extra planes will be put on now seeing as the virus has surfaced again, quick scramble for safety.

[padthaininja]

Thank you so much German man for sending that letter.

[Nout]

4 hours ago, DrTuner said:

So .. every 30d from September 26th the immigration offices will be packed and deserted in the meanwhile? Can't they just do the "amnesty" until further notice, with the 30 days at the end when travel normalizes, instead of creating bureaucratic mess.

Why moan at good news? Why be so negative? Be grateful.  Be happy. Be thankful. Of just go back to your own wonderful country....jeeez

[Nout]

Brilliant news . Well done Thai authorities.

[Sheryl]

The title is indeed totally misleading.

 

the article refers only to people whio either have a medicval certificate proving they are unable to travel, or who have a lettere form their Embassy stating they are unable to get a flight to their country. So nothing nerw.

 

What is new is further down in the article:

 

1. "Gen Pornchai did warn that the visa amnesty for all visa types will end on Sept 26."

 

and..

 

2. "

Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Lt Col Udom Thongchin on Tuesday (Sept 1) urged any foreigners caught out by the income requirement to delay filing their applications to renew their one-year permits-to-stay until Sept 15.

Lt Col Udom said he expected Immigration Bureau superiors in Bangkok to make an announcement by then."

[Nout]

1 hour ago, fishtank said:

Why?

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.

[NorthernRyland]

15 minutes ago, Sambotte said:

Except if "your" country has covid cases.

After all the extreme measures taken for this virus, almost no embassy should actually argue against your will to stay in a safe country no ?

I don't think any embassy will be issuing those letters and the Thai government doesn't care either about what the situation is in our home country anyways. They want us gone, same as before.

[Daithi85]

5 minutes ago, genericptr said:

I don't think any embassy will be issuing those letters and the Thai government doesn't care either about what the situation is in our home country anyways. They want us gone, same as before.

Some embassies are issuing letters.

[Ganesh108]

36 minutes ago, bjaz said:

How to convert expired single non-immgrant B to tourist visa

I'm on an expired Non-Immigrant B (multiple) myself, and today a very kind and friendly immigration person (a foreigner herself), told me I could only change it by registering a business and getting a work permit, but which would also entail employing four Thais (at least nominally - she didn't say that, I do). 

 

I know someone with the same kind of visa who used an agent, who got him a 3 months "Under Consideration" stamp on the visa. So he's got 3 months extension basically.

 

[leicesterguyuk]

It begs the question, why is this extension only available for people who can't medically leave the country? Why not apply it to everyone currently in the country whose amnesty ends on September 26th? 

 

As always it's gonna be a whole load of jumping through hoops and travelling to embassies to try to persuade them to issue these letters as I expect they'll be overloaded by email and phone. 

 

Why not say they can be extended by 30 days at a time (I assume for 1,900 baht each time) for anyone? What will Thailand or the government gain by forcing all these foreigners out of the country by September 26th, other than a lot of bad feelings, sadness and resentment, especially as these are the people that have in some way or another supported Thailand to some extent for the last 6 months? 

 

[Sambotte]

13 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

Some embassies are issuing letters.

Seriously again : almost every country take extreme measures for a "dramatic pandemy". Every doctor says it will last, minimum months.

So to go from Thailand "virus free" to any of those country is taking health risk, they could not deny that. So they have to issue those letters.

I suggest if this letter is required to put pressure on otherwise non sense refusal from our gouvernements.

Simple logic. Pandemy, virus cases, world "safety" measures. A letter let you stay in a safe country. Gouvernement will not be able to say no. If this goes public.

 

That said, wait and see. Letters are not good business for nobody.

Still hope Thailand will do good business here. Clear, no "agent required", why not the 9 month visa too ??? People here are covid free. Winner-winner.

[impulse]

4 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

The previous law stated that we could all stay on the visa amnesty freely without extending our visas .

  This new law states we have to get 30 day extensions with a letter from the Embassy , back to how it was last March 

 

IF you're on a tourist visa.  And IF you meet other requirements, like being unfit to fly or getting a letter from your embassy, under whatever conditions your embassy imposes.

 

How about folks on non-immigrant visas or visa exempt?  

 

Like many of these announcements, it seems they have left a big percentage of the foreigners with questions.

 

 

[jackdd]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

How about folks on non-immigrant visas or visa exempt?  

They can apply for the same extensions, these extensions are not limited to tourists

[vermin on arrival]

2 hours ago, genericptr said:

On what grounds? I have a ticket and I'm able bodied. Many of us simply don't want to go back now, especially in the US where the virus is causing so much damage.

Just because. Took 3 minutes online to get one from the US Embassy. No reason required. Don't think too much and go get yourself one. I got one the day they started being issued and no explanation was required. If you don't feel comfortable with it, that's up to you. Go fly back.

[FlyingThai]

This means nothing and has been announced by Phuket immigration. Ignore it and wait for the cabinets decision within the next two weeks.

 

Those who were able to provide a medical certificate have always been allowed to extend their stay. If this is supposed to address the open letter of the German guy in Phuket, sorry but he won't qualify for either a medical "Not Fit For Fly" and the German Embassy won't issue him a letter either.

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

This means nothing and has been announced by Phuket immigration. Ignore it and wait for the cabinets decision within the next two weeks.

 

 

This announcement seems to be confirmation that the free visa amnesty will not be extended , it may be a reply to the German guy and also letting the Government know that there are visa extensions available for everyone..........................apart from the German guy ha ha  

[Sambotte]

3 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

This means nothing and has been announced by Phuket immigration. Ignore it and wait for the cabinets decision within the next two weeks.

 

Those who were able to provide a medical certificate have always been allowed to extend their stay. If this is supposed to address the open letter of the German guy in Phuket, sorry but he won't qualify for either a medical "Not Fit For Fly" and the German Embassy won't issue him a letter either.

Yep actually this "media" made a total lie with there title...

 

There is absolutely NOTHING new in this "news"...

 

Another pathetic media ?...

[FlyingThai]

1 hour ago, Sambotte said:

Seriously again : almost every country take extreme measures for a "dramatic pandemy". Every doctor says it will last, minimum months.

So to go from Thailand "virus free" to any of those country is taking health risk, they could not deny that. So they have to issue those letters.

I suggest if this letter is required to put pressure on otherwise non sense refusal from our gouvernements.

They don't HAVE to do anything. The embassy staff will laugh at you and if you cause a ruckus escort you out by security which might be military depending on what country you're a citizen of. Not a risk I'd love to take.

[Jeffro008]

16 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

Just because. Took 3 minutes online to get one from the US Embassy. No reason required. Don't think too much and go get yourself one. I got one the day they started being issued and no explanation was required. If you don't feel comfortable with it, that's up to you. Go fly back.

agree and stay openly positive for possibilities to suit all individuals. But the world is different now and remember <deleted> flows down hill from so many levels of authorities all over 

 

[FlyingThai]

4 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

This announcement seems to be confirmation that the free visa amnesty will not be extended , it may be a reply to the German guy and also letting the Government know that there are visa extensions available for everyone..........................apart from the German guy ha ha  

This announcement doesn't confirm or deny anything. It's a couple immigration guys from a regional office on a desk.

 

Again: The decision about an amnesty extension isn't made by immigration. It's made by the cabinet so basically top down from the PM.

[CorpusChristie]

Just now, FlyingThai said:

This announcement doesn't confirm or deny anything. It's a couple immigration guys from a regional office on a desk.

 

Again: The decision about an amnesty extension isn't made by immigration. It's made by the cabinet so basically top down from the PM.

Im quite sure that the Government and Immigration converse with each other about these matters.

This may even be the Immigration reassuring the Government that everyone who need an extension can obtain one, so, there's no need to extend the amnesty 

[Jeffro008]

8 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Im quite sure that the Government and Immigration converse with each other about these matters.

This may even be the Immigration reassuring the Government that everyone who need an extension can obtain one, so, there's no need to extend the amnesty 

Yes and for sure all are looking for finanial assistance in their ways so for sure Amnesty will not be continued but be prepared for any turn of the table.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Apparently the US Embassy issues letters with not much fuss.  But depends on immigration if they'll accept it.  I should think they should.  

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, JeffGroves said:

Yes and for sure all are looking for finanial assistance in their ways so for sure Amnesty will not be continued but be prepared for any turn of the table.

The amnesty was given because the Gov didnt want people congregating at immigration and spreading the virus , since Thailand had been virus free , theres no need to stop people congregating at immigration and so they can once again get visa extensions  

[impulse]

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

They can apply for the same extensions, these extensions are not limited to tourists

 

That contradicts the article...  Specifically as it relates to those on non-immigrant visas who don't meet the requirements for an annual extension, as opposed to those on tourist visas.

 

At this stage, such long-term expats are set to face being granted only a maximum of 90 day’s stay, after which they will be forced to leave the country.

 

[vermin on arrival]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

This announcement seems to be confirmation that the free visa amnesty will not be extended , it may be a reply to the German guy and also letting the Government know that there are visa extensions available for everyone..........................apart from the German guy ha ha  

No, it's just the usual shenanigans from immigration. You know as well as I do that they don't make the decision. We will have to wait for the cabinet announcement. I am sure there will be some announcement from them on this topic as the PDMU is reading e-mails from foreigners stuck here.

[leicesterguyuk]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

The amnesty was given because the Gov didnt want people congregating at immigration and spreading the virus , since Thailand had been virus free , theres no need to stop people congregating at immigration and so they can once again get visa extensions  

Fingers crossed immigration doesn't charge people retrospectively back to when the amnesty started at 1,900 baht per month, that could soon get expensive! 

 

If they see this post and implement it, I want a cut!