Don’t leave it to the last minute! Thai Immigration reminds foreigners ahead of amnesty deadline

[GeorgeCross]

8 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

Yes, except that the Cabinet will decide whether to grant an additional extension, not Immigration. A charitable interpretation of what's happening now would be that Immigration wants to be sure everyone has their ducks in order just in case the amnesty isn't extended. The cynical view, though, would be that they're purposely trying to make a lack of further extensions seem like a fait accompli in hopes that the Cabinet will follow along, since it's been evident for a while that Immigration officers don't particularly like the amnesties and would prefer that they disappear.

 

or option C - its not even being tabled by the cabinet as their decision has already been made.

 

has anyone heard that they are to debate this again?

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

You can use a Non o for retirement and get a year extension on it if you meet the requirements. 

Of course you can, but at the time I did not need it and had left the confines of Thailand and returned to the US where I restarted using the Non Imm O-A.  With borders closed I can not kill off the O-A, and then get a new entry and then change it to an O.  To many obstacles, and I already have the Thai insurance as required, have had it for years as it compliments the free pension insurance from Blue Cross/Blue Shield in the US which I don't pay for but which when sent the invoices for what PCH did not cover here returns the majority of what I spent out of pocket.  Many are not as lucky as I am to have a pension which includes lifetime medical and benefits, which I do not pay out of pocket costs to have.

[SePl]

lovely idiots <3

as if we didn't know that we will get another extension !

 

[Bangkok Barry]

I'm curious. Does anyone know, among our worldwide readership, of any country other than Thailand that is not only banning the arrival of tourists but is actively expelling those that it still has? Is there any other country in the world whose government policy is to have zero tourists within its borders?

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I'm curious. Does anyone know, among our worldwide readership, of any country other than Thailand that is not only banning the arrival of tourists but is actively expelling those that it still has? Is there any other country in the world whose government policy is to have zero tourists within its borders?

Lets keep it real, no one is getting "expelled" , people will be leaving because their visa expired 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, trucking said:

 

I can't help thinking the simplest solution to deal with people on Non O multis would be to allow people to travel to a border immigration post , stamp them out, then get them to cross the road and stamp them back in. Sorted. No necessity to physically leave the country.

 

This would also help the tourism sector a bit because people would likely travel around and use a local hotel for a night. Unless of course they live very close to a border checkpoint.

 

 

An even easier solution would be to extend the amnesty, as circumstances are virtually unchanged since it was first introduced. If circumstances haven't changed with all local borders closed or restricted, including Thailand's, why change the amnesty?

[richard_smith237]

Just now, CorpusChristie said:

2 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I'm curious. Does anyone know, among our worldwide readership, of any country other than Thailand that is not only banning the arrival of tourists but is actively expelling those that it still has? Is there any other country in the world whose government policy is to have zero tourists within its borders?

Lets keep it real, no one is getting "expelled" , people will be leaving because their visa expired 

 

An unfortunate hyperbolae by Bangkok Barry...  Thailand is not expelling anyone, it has offered ‘visa amnesty’ and provided plenty of lead time for people to get their visa status in order. 

 

Additionally, those who cannot get home for either travel restraints or border closure in their home country are offered a 30 days extension with a letter from their Embassy. Those unable to travel due to medical reasons are also offered a 30 day extension. 

 

Unfortunately there are a number of people who were taking advantage of various loopholes and carrying out visa runs / border hops etc to maintain their status in Thailand. Immigration have made no concession for those in this situation.  While the goal-posts have not moved, it could be argued that travel restrictions due to covid have pulled the rug out from underneath these people - I’m sympathetic to their cause, the response to Covid-19 has removed a lot of options which were previously viable. 

 

 

 

Any other countries behaving in a similar manner? - Japan is preventing entry to  ’non residents’.

However, as the visa regulations in Japan were already stringent there is little room for anyone to use loopholes in a similar manner to Thailand. 

 

 

Because Thailand has given favourable leeway in the past it now seems harsh that those loopholes no longer exist, yet those same loopholes have never existed in ‘other’ countries where the visa regulations are not ’stretched’.

 

 

 

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

An even easier solution would be to extend the amnesty, as circumstances are virtually unchanged since it was first introduced. If circumstances haven't changed with all local borders closed or restricted, including Thailand's, why change the amnesty?

There were internal travel restrictions in place at the time and also the Gov didnt want people congregating at immigration offices extending their visas .

  

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

An even easier solution would be to extend the amnesty, as circumstances are virtually unchanged since it was first introduced. If circumstances haven't changed with all local borders closed or restricted, including Thailand's, why change the amnesty?

 

That would make perfect sense. 

 

The majority of those living here permanently have valid status (i.e. have extensions etc)... it mainly the long term tourists and those who can’t meet the requirements who, if they wish to stay are struggling.

 

These people still contribute somewhat to a tourist industry, even in a minimal way, i.e. shopping at local shops, eating at local restaurants. 

 

At a time where for locals every little bit counts, it would make perfect sense to extend the Visa Amnesty. 

[Bangkok Barry]

6 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

8 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I'm curious. Does anyone know, among our worldwide readership, of any country other than Thailand that is not only banning the arrival of tourists but is actively expelling those that it still has? Is there any other country in the world whose government policy is to have zero tourists within its borders?

Lets keep it real, no one is getting "expelled" , people will be leaving because their visa expired 

Tourists do not need a visa, in most cases. And the remaining tourists in Thailand have been told they must leave by 26th September, unless too ill to do so. My dictionary describes 'expel' as being forced to leave. Which is clearly the case. So I stand by what I wrote.

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Tourists do not need a visa, in most cases. And the remaining tourists in Thailand have been told they must leave by 26th September, unless too ill to do so. My dictionary describes 'expel' as being forced to leave. Which is clearly the case. So I stand by what I wrote.

Given you have the option of overstaying , "expel" just doesnt fit as you are not being forced to leave 

[Keyser Soze666]

''In addition, tourists who are unable to leave Thailand due to a lack of flights or other circumstances related to the COVID-19 situation in their home country can also apply for a 30 day extension''

 

 

Sounds a right minefield, that one. 

[DrTuner]

It'll be mayhem as usual, then kneejerking and another DIY temp thing. TiT.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Tourists do not need a visa, in most cases. And the remaining tourists in Thailand have been told they must leave by 26th September, unless too ill to do so. My dictionary describes 'expel' as being forced to leave. Which is clearly the case. So I stand by what I wrote.

Semantics - you see ‘being forced to leave’ where as others would see ‘are unable to remain here legally’....

 

While I’m highly sympathetic to those struggling to remain, for want of a better phrase - they have been ‘using’ the loopholes in the visa system to their advantage.

 

 

 

Being forced to leave, is similar to telling me I am forced to drive under the speed limit....   people are expected to comply with existing laws - the difficulty for some is that they can no longer ‘border bounce’ which was stretching visa requirements anyway. 

 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

An unfortunate hyperbolae by Bangkok Barry...  Thailand is not expelling anyone, it has offered ‘visa amnesty’ and provided plenty of lead time for people to get their visa status in order. 

See my post #41 above.

[Kerouacaurus]

Oh, Immigration. No worries. I will wait till the last hour, not a minute. Thanks for the reminder.

[Keyser Soze666]

Just now, Kerouacaurus said:

Oh, Immigration. No worries. I will wait till the last hour, not a minute. Thanks for the reminder.

Same here. Couldn't give a hoot.

[jackdd]

Before the last "amnesty" extension immigration also announced that there won't be an extension and people will have to leave or get a usual extension.

Then the Cabinet decided to extend the amnesty and what immigration had said turned out to be wrong. It's basically identical to the situation now.

I can understand if people wait for the same thing to happen now, and this is solely the Thai governments fault.

If they don't want this to happen the Cabinet should simply announce tomorrow in their meeting that there will definitely not be an extension, then everything is clear.

Without such an announcement there will of course be people who will wait for a further extension. And only if the government doesn't announce an extension on the Cabinet meeting on 22nd, will these people decide to leave, which leaves them 4 days to get out of Thailand.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

7 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Tourists do not need a visa, in most cases. And the remaining tourists in Thailand have been told they must leave by 26th September, unless too ill to do so. My dictionary describes 'expel' as being forced to leave. Which is clearly the case. So I stand by what I wrote.

Given you have the option of overstaying , "expel" just doesnt fit as you are not being forced to leave 

Overstaying is illegal, so that isn't an option unless you have a desire to spend a few years with free board and lodging in shared accommodation.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

''In addition, tourists who are unable to leave Thailand due to a lack of flights or other circumstances related to the COVID-19 situation in their home country can also apply for a 30 day extension''

 

 

Sounds a right minefield, that one. 

 

A letter from your Embassy (if your flights have been repeatedly cancelled or your country is closed off). 

Or, a letter from a Hospital with a medical reason someone cannot travel. 

 

 

Unfortunately, this doesn’t help those unmarried fathers of Thai/foreign children who have never obtained parental status (legally) and cannot apply for Non-Imm Type O, or those who cannot meet the 400k requirement. 

 

The regulations have existed for a long time, there have been numerous ways to ’side step’ those regulations until the Emergency Decree effectively locked down Thailands borders for those who would ‘border-run’.

 

Its extremely harsh and unfair, while at the same time those in this situation must have known they were borrowing time as the visa requirements were tightening over the past few years - these folk must have felt the walls closing in around them. 

 

An awful shame for many in a difficult situation.

 

 

 

[CorpusChristie]

3 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Overstaying is illegal, so that isn't an option unless you have a desire to spend a few years with free board and lodging in shared accommodation.

I go expelled from a bar last night at 12 am , just as they were closing , forced me out .

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

14 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

An unfortunate hyperbolae by Bangkok Barry...  Thailand is not expelling anyone, it has offered ‘visa amnesty’ and provided plenty of lead time for people to get their visa status in order. 

See my post #41 above.

 

You use the word being forced.... 

 

 

In the same manner, if I travel to Australia, the US, Japan etc.. (any country), if I chose your words I am ‘forced’ to comply with their visa requirements. In reality, one of the conditions of entry is that I ‘agree' to comply with their visa regulations’.... 

 

 

[NorthernRyland]

26 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Lets keep it real, no one is getting "expelled" , people will be leaving because their visa expired 

Oh I think I'm getting expelled. If they want me to stay and keep renting my house living life etc... all they need to do is make a visa for me and I'll show up in person and slap down cash on the table to pay for it. They clearly want tourists out of their country or they would make a way for us to stay.

[shackleton]

The Visa Agencies will be thinking Christmas has come early

Will be singing the hit by the Swedish  pop group Abba  Money money 

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Oh I think I'm getting expelled. If they want me to stay and keep renting my house living life etc... all they need to do is make a visa for me and I'll show up in person and slap down cash on the table to pay for it. They clearly want tourists out of their country or they would make a way for us to stay.

Youve been a tourist for well over 8 months , just how much more of Thailand do you want to tour ?

[NorthernRyland]

17 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Given you have the option of overstaying , "expel" just doesnt fit as you are not being forced to leave 

This is like the people that want to raise taxes and then when you complain they say "well you can always just move". That's mafia logic. Please stop it.

[NorthernRyland]

2 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Youve been a tourist for well over 8 months , just how much more of Thailand do you want to tour ?

as long as they give me. I can easily afford to stay in Thailand for years and I don't want to go back to the US under the current conditions. Why are people so stingy about what some random guy does with his life?

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Oh I think I'm getting expelled. If they want me to stay and keep renting my house living life etc... all they need to do is make a visa for me and I'll show up in person and slap down cash on the table to pay for it. They clearly want tourists out of their country or they would make a way for us to stay.

Might want to watch this then

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=expelled+from+paradise&docid=608003743831690058&mid=78526BF7E2C499FD9E0F78526BF7E2C499FD9E0F&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT

[taxin]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Still no point in doing anything until the week before.

If there's another extension (2 weeks) my 400k will have been in the bank long enough for me to apply for a year.

If it ends on the 26th, I can only apply for 60 days.

And as I have been notified by immigration you can only get one 60 day extension, so if you don’t have 400K 2nd time round you are have to leave with no other option available for you.

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, genericptr said:

as long as they give me. I can easily afford to stay in Thailand for years and I don't want to go back to the US under the current conditions. Why are people so stingy about what some random guy does with his life?

What has stopped you getting a long term  visa  ?

Retirement visa  if over 50 or volunteer/Education if under 50