Visa Amnesty ends 26 Sept

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

20 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Seems very likely their will be a further amnesty.  They will of course wait until after the sept 11 application deadline to announce it, so they can collect all the agent fees they can.

What does it mean for someone on tourist visa?  I have a tourist visa.  This seems like it's for expats.  

 

[lemonjelly]

36 minutes ago, racket said:

Keep an eye on this

Senior Phuket immigration official says some news is in the pipeline for long-stay visa foreigners after September 15th from Bangkok

Earlier last week, a top immigration officer in Phuket, Lieutenant Colonel Udom Thongchin, who is the deputy commander on the island, indicated that some news for long-stay foreigners within Thailand is in the offing.

 

The normally prescient official told the Phuket News newspaper in Phuket that he expects some news from Bangkok prior to September 15th next.

 

One key concern for many foreigners with Thai wives or who live and work from the kingdom is that because of the Covid 19 crisis, they have been unable to leave the country and both their incomes and savings have been depleted. This means that many may not be able to satisfy the strict income and deposit requirements which in recent years have been tightened 

 

Lieutenant Colonel Udom advised such people to hold off on submitting their visa applications to authorities until after September 15th as he expects that there will be some guidance on this from headquarters in Bangkok.

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2020/09/06/visa-amnesty-ends-september-26th-30-day-extensions-focus-long-stay-holders/

 

 

Wondering if immigration will allow 90 day border stamps for those on multiple entry visas to be done at immigration offices, it’d be a good solution to an unfortunate problem that some are facing.

[vermin on arrival]

1 minute ago, JacksSmirkingRevenge said:

What does it mean for someone on tourist visa?  I have a tourist visa.  This seems like it's for expats.  

 

The Phuket IO announcement is for them, but others such as Ko Phangan are telling people with embassy letters to wait until after that date.

[Phillip9]

11 minutes ago, JacksSmirkingRevenge said:

What does it mean for someone on tourist visa?  I have a tourist visa.  This seems like it's for expats.  

No one knows for sure until after the announcement, but this is sounding about like the kind of reports we were getting here a week before the last amnesty extension was announced.

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, JacksSmirkingRevenge said:

What does it mean for someone on tourist visa?  I have a tourist visa.  This seems like it's for expats.  

 

The 11th is the last day a 90 day non a immigrant visa entry application could be done. They require at least 15 days remaining on your entry to do them.

[andy246]

58 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The 11th is the last day a 90 day non a immigrant visa entry application could be done. They require at least 15 days remaining on your entry to do them.

Is the same true of a non O volunteer visa?

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, andy246 said:

Is the same true of a non O volunteer visa?

Yes

After the 11th you would need to get the 30 day extension with a letter from you embassy to do the application.

[trappedinasia]

4 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

That may have been for the letters prior to September 26 th , the newer letters state what I wrote (according to reports on here)

No, that's a direct quote from a brand new letter, straight from the US embassy. The "reports on here" are wrong. I've seen people make this claim repeatedly, but none of them actually quote the letter, because they haven't seen the letter; they're just repeating what they heard from someone else who doesn't know what they're talking about. 

[greggraham]

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

After the 11th you would need to get the 30 day extension with a letter from you embassy to do the application.

Not every IO is allowing applications while on the amnesty letter extension, check with your IO @andy246 ???? 

[Jack1988]

This visa amnesty can always be extended lol and this foreigners can stay in Thailand for free but there is who had to pay a lot for get an Ed visa, sounds not fair

[Phillip9]

34 minutes ago, trappedinasia said:

5 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

That may have been for the letters prior to September 26 th , the newer letters state what I wrote (according to reports on here)

No, that's a direct quote from a brand new letter, straight from the US embassy. The "reports on here" are wrong. I've seen people make this claim repeatedly, but none of them actually quote the letter, because they haven't seen the letter; they're just repeating what they heard from someone else who doesn't know what they're talking about. 

 

When you quoted the letter you left out the last line which does indeed say what the other person quoted and certainly softens the request.  The letter never does directly request an extension.

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Phillip9

[audaciousnomad]

37 minutes ago, Jack1988 said:

This visa amnesty can always be extended lol and this foreigners can stay in Thailand for free but there is who had to pay a lot for get an Ed visa, sounds not fair

@Jack1988  You are mistaken if you believe "fairness" is part of the equation used in policies here.  Replace "fairness" with "profitable" and you will start to figure out what drives the decisions being made. ????

Edited September 8, 2020 by audaciousnomad

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, JacksSmirkingRevenge said:

What does it mean for someone on tourist visa?  I have a tourist visa.  This seems like it's for expats.  

 

You need to either convert to a different Visa*, get a letter from your embassy for a 30 day extension OR leave by 26th Sept. 

 

*I think you're too late for the ED/Volunteer visas and only have until Friday (11th Sept) to convert to a Non-O (assuming you're over 50 or have a Thai wife/child & can meet the financial requirements).

 

 

 

[audaciousnomad]

3 hours ago, vermin on arrival said:

The Phuket IO announcement is for them, but others such as Ko Phangan are telling people with embassy letters to wait until after that date.

A person on FB has now also reported that he too was turned away by Phuket when attempting to apply for a covid extension with embassy-letter support.  Something about them(Phuket) not able to process until after the new guidance is set in the gazette.
 

[samsensam]

2 hours ago, Jack1988 said:

This visa amnesty can always be extended lol and this foreigners can stay in Thailand for free but there is who had to pay a lot for get an Ed visa, sounds not fair

 

i'm afraid 'fairness' is subjective, each country has its own agenda and sets its own immigration rules for the perceived benefit of that country. thailand is similar to most countries in this respect. if we want to be guests in countries outside our own i'm afraid we just have to manage our expectations and go along with any applicable rules and legal requirements .

[Jack1988]

13 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

i'm afraid 'fairness' is subjective, each country has its own agenda and sets its own immigration rules for the perceived benefit of that country. thailand is similar to most countries in this respect. if we want to be guests in countries outside our own i'm afraid we just have to manage our expectations and go along with any applicable rules and legal requirements .

So am a special guest as I live here since 3 years (long term)

[Phillip9]

15 minutes ago, Jack1988 said:

So am a special guest as I live here since 3 years (long term)

Thai immigration just considers you a guest.  Not even special.

[Jajazazajaja]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

After the 11th you would need to get the 30 day extension with a letter from you embassy to do the application.

eh?? The visa agents I’ve been talking to said I can come on 21st and they will be able to process it?

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, Jajazazajaja said:

eh?? The visa agents I’ve been talking to said I can come on 21st and they will be able to process it?

That would be for the 30 day tourist visa extensions .

If you want to change a tourist visa to a long term visa, it takes a minimum of 15 days , some agencies require 21 days to process the application 

[Jajazazajaja]

1 minute ago, CorpusChristie said:

That would be for the 30 day tourist visa extensions .

If you want to change a tourist visa to a long term visa, it takes a minimum of 15 days , some agencies require 21 days to process the application 

I’m on Non B multi, before they were saying no problem just come before 26th.

now I get a message saying have to come before Monday 

 

eh?

[Johnson81]

4 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Wondering if immigration will allow 90 day border stamps for those on multiple entry visas to be done at immigration offices, it’d be a good solution to an unfortunate problem that some are facing.

Ubonjoe - any thoughts on whether this will be coming? I'm currently on a non b multi (entry expired May, visa valid until December). Wondering wether to wait until the 15th, or head to immigration this week.

[ubonjoe]

5 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Wondering if immigration will allow 90 day border stamps for those on multiple entry visas to be done at immigration offices, it’d be a good solution to an unfortunate problem that some are facing.

 

7 minutes ago, Johnson81 said:

Ubonjoe - any thoughts on whether this will be coming? I'm currently on a non b multi (entry expired May, visa valid until December). Wondering wether to wait until the 15th, or head to immigration this week.

I cannot think of anyway they could do it without bypassing various ministerial orders that do not allow for it be done. Even the immigration act would need have a order to do a work around for it to be done.

 

[Jack1988]

53 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Thai immigration just considers you a guest.  Not even special.

No problem to be a long term guest, I love this country

[Johnson81]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 

I cannot think of anyway they could do it without bypassing various ministerial orders that do not allow for it be done. Even the immigration act would need have a order to do a work around for it to be done.

 

Thanks for thoughts on this. Do you think perhaps any extension will be provided for non b multi holders in my situation?

[FlyingThai]

14 hours ago, Jack1988 said:

This visa amnesty can always be extended lol and this foreigners can stay in Thailand for free but there is who had to pay a lot for get an Ed visa, sounds not fair

Considering that by "paying a lot for an ED Visa" you know fully well it's a payoff circumventing the rules I say the word fairness doesn't come into play. ???? Basically what you paid for is security, not being reliant on another amnesty announcement plus you might even get some lessons out of it. Unless it's a total fraud visa mill that doesn't teach anything at all.

[FlyingThai]

17 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

Seems very likely their will be a further amnesty.  They will of course wait until after the sept 11 application deadline to announce it, so they can collect all the agent fees they can.

Conflicting reports about who will actually be eligible for all this but honestly even IF there is another amnesty I wonder if it's not worth it - just for lack of constant worrying - to pay 55-60k and get the 15 month visa.

 

How long can someone on the volunteer visa stay in the country in one stretch, a full year or just three months? We have one such visa in the pipeline already via an agent in Pattaya (BKK agents all seemed sketchy and wanted to keep the passport for double the time than Pattaya agents).

[lovesthespicy]

12 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

That would be for the 30 day tourist visa extensions .

If you want to change a tourist visa to a long term visa, it takes a minimum of 15 days , some agencies require 21 days to process the application 

The agency I used rec my passport on the 24th of August and I had it back on a 4th of September with 15months. Some of the known Pattaya agents are telling my buddies they can get them 3months on the last week of amnesty. 

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Although the USA letter doe not ask immigration to extend your visa , they just say, "We have no objection if you give an extension "

Interesting, you would expect that to be their default position and not needing a letter.

[Phillip9]

10 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

but honestly even IF there is another amnesty I wonder if it's not worth it - just for lack of constant worrying - to pay 55-60k and get the 15 month visa.

I agree, I already got my long term visa, and I am happy I paid for the peace of mind regardless of what happens with further amnesty.

[FlyingThai]

7 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I agree, I already got my long term visa, and I am happy I paid for the peace of mind regardless of what happens with further amnesty.

What type did you get and how long does it allow you to stay in Thailand? I mean even if it's a 12-15 months visa, can you stay a full year or have to extend via the agent every 90 days (for an additional fee).