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

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, andy8017 said:

I am still waiting for a new passport which I applied for in May ,? they are using Covid & every other excuse under the sun it seems ,but it is obvious the UK civil service Unions are making everything difficult .!

 

Have you spoken with VFS only I believe that they don't send your old passport to the UK so it may be possible to get it back from them to do your extension.

 

Worth speaking to them about it anyway as I'm sure this won't be the 1st time this has happened to somebody, especially given current events. 

 

[Morch]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Absolutely nothing to do with your case.  Just proceed as usual.

Thought (well, hoped) so, thanks.

The Mrs. was obviously stressed, me more annoyed at the possibility of having to do something about it.

 

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, Morch said:

So yeah, haven't really been paying attention to recent developments, please clue me in:

 

My non-O (marriage, 400k in the bank route) extension ends 22 December 2020.

My next 90 days report is due on 23 September 2020.

 

What does the OP imply in my case, then?

 

I would carry out the 90 day report as normal.

If this is your 2nd 90 day report on the same Visa/Entry you can do the report online.

Otherwise in person - You can do your 90 day report up to 15 days before hand and 7 days afterwards.

 

Your extension of your Non Immigrant Type O (based on Marriage) can be performed as normal on the required date (or close to it). 

 

As I understand it, none of this ‘Covid-19 malarkey and amnesty’ impacts you.

[LeoCesar]

 

Few IOs will interpret the decision in the same way due to stupitity!

[ThailandRyan]

9 minutes ago, Morch said:

Thought (well, hoped) so, thanks.

The Mrs. was obviously stressed, me more annoyed at the possibility of having to do something about it.

 

Just do your 90 day online if thats how you have been doing it.  I have stayed up on those reports so I did not fall into the immigration snafu that they have decided to cause and make everyone who did not complete one during the amnesty appear before them and show there faces as well as getting a stamp placed into there passports at some of the IO's

[richard_smith237]

19 minutes ago, katatonic said:

35 minutes ago, PatrickC said:

 

Agree - the only exemption should be if you're incapacitated or dying of cancer with a few weeks to live, which would also be exemptions in normal times.

 

Qatar flies pretty much everywhere. No one has any excuse.

Just what is it that people like you and warcy etc have against other people who happen to be here, often in unplanned circumstances? Quite bizarre how terms such as 'unscrupulous' and 'abuse' are being levelled at people who have to be somewhere and quite possibly have no other home due to peripatetic careers or just their own choices. What on earth gives you the right to criticise an entire cohort of visitors on the basis of what visa they happened to hold on a particular date? They may as well be here as anywhere else at the moment. I'd certainly prefer to be here right now than in Europe with winter and a new flu season fast approaching.

 

I think everyone is sympathetic to the plight of those who have had the ‘rug pulled out from under them’ due to the Emergency Degree and inability to travel, thus, inability to do a border run. 

 

That said: People seem to have a sense of entitlement that because they have been staying here long term (some admittedly 10 years) that they thing it unfair that visa regulations are not ‘bent’ for them. 

 

There are two facets of this argument: on one side the tourist visa is not a long term visa, on the other side there are those who struggle to meet the requirements for a long term visa (i.e. 40k income, savings 400k or retirement 800k etc), these people have chosen to rely on border runs and changing their visas to Ed visas, returning home or another country etc and ‘bouncing about’.

 

Once facet involves complying strictly with regulations, the other involves ’taking a chance’. 

For a while ’taking a chance’ has worked. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has abruptly halted the opportunity to take advantage of the available loopholes.

 

I feel terribly for those who are suffering visa difficulties. However, the fact remains that posters such as PatrickC are simply pointing out facts and the harsh realities of the visa regulations many have for long taken for granted.

 

[Metropolitian]

All that I just wish for myself and many others:

 

in-land visa application instead of the need to go abroad to apply for a visa renewal at any Thai embassy.

 

Then I, and many others, are fine.

 

 

[Morch]

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I would carry out the 90 day report as normal.

If this is your 2nd 90 day report on the same Visa/Entry you can do the report online.

Otherwise in person - You can do your 90 day report up to 15 days before hand and 7 days afterwards.

 

Your extension of your Non Immigrant Type O (based on Marriage) can be performed as normal on the required date (or close to it). 

 

As I understand it, none of this ‘Covid-19 malarkey and amnesty’ impacts you.

 

5 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just do your 90 day online if thats how you have been doing it.  I have stayed up on those reports so I did not fall into the immigration snafu that they have decided to cause and make everyone who did not complete one during the amnesty appear before them and show there faces as well as getting a stamp placed into there passports at some of the IO's

 

Thanks you both for reassuring us.

I do the 90 days report in person, as it's not a long drive, usually short waiting time and fits with the regular shopping round anyway. IO officers here are mostly ok, some even nice.

[Oldie]

1 hour 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?

How is this in the US? If someones visa is expired can he still stay there if he doesn't want to go back to his home country? Must be like this because you expect exactly this from Thailand. 

[david555]

4 hours ago, Guderian said:

I wonder how much the agents are charging now for an "unfit to fly" letter?

Or if the sale of medical encyclopedia boomed ...? To learn symptoms ....????

[Ganesh108]

1 hour 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?

Happy people wish happiness upon others; miserable people on the other hand ...

 

 

[crazykopite]

I am okay I have carried on as normal renewing my retirement visa in June ,I shall be taking a trip to IO next week for my first 90 day report along with my updated bank book to show that I still have my 800k in my bank . Yet others who pay an agent a heavy amount of money because they do not have the funds required in the bank can sit back and laugh at me knowing that the agent does everything for them including 90 day report it’s clear who the fool is ME for being honest No doubt the agents in the next two weeks will be making bundles of cash for those who lack funds but are desperate to stay in the kingdom , then there will be many others who will take the chance of overstay in the hope they don’t get caught and if they do it will only cost them the maximum of 20,000 baht . Come the 25/26 I will sit and chill while 1,000s will be scrambling to there local IO unless the government announce a further 3 month amnesty which in all fairness would be the most sensible thing to do.

[david555]

2 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

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

Iam sure if you should had showed your bankbook with at least the 400K you would let to stay ....if 800K they would keep you by force in in this bad economic times ????

[chrisbangkok]

I am one of those on marriage visa border bounce 90 days as i usually work out of Thailand and come in and out accordingly when i can. I've been here since February on 90 day then amnesty after borders were closed.

I've no wish to tie up funds in a thai account foing nothing hence my choice of visa at the time.

I've spent around 2 million baht in this time all in Thailand. Not going to change the economy radically i grant you but i can't be alone in this situation and its all good cash for Thailand  ?

I'll be leaving end of September i guess as im not paying inflated amounts to transfer my visa and will of course miss my family etc but im tired of the pontificating and lack of understanding . I'm not sure why they don't just change the 90 day border bounce to 90 day report in Thailand until borders are re opened, seems an easy option to me and i'd carry on spending here. 

Convoluted thinking and hint of arrogance too .

 

 

 

[david555]

2 hours ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Btw, where did the 'don't leave it to the last minute' headline come from? Thai's don't use expressions such as that.

Maybe the "agents" requested it from their buddy's to publish that as others they could not handle the crowds at their offices ....????

[FritsSikkink]

5 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

wait & see... why oh why would they make it difficult again and not give till march 2021 ?

 

no-one is coming in and they cannot see that people here are still spending money ...

Because you have had enough time to sort out your visa issues

[FritsSikkink]

6 minutes ago, chrisbangkok said:

 

I've no wish to tie up funds in a thai account 

 

Why would immigration care about your wishes, just comply with the rules.

[GeorgeCross]

3 minutes ago, chrisbangkok said:

I am one of those on marriage visa border bounce 90 days as i usually work out of Thailand and come in and out accordingly when i can. I've been here since February on 90 day then amnesty after borders were closed.

I've no wish to tie up funds in a thai account foing nothing hence my choice of visa at the time.

I've spent around 2 million baht in this time all in Thailand. Not going to change the economy radically i grant you but i can't be alone in this situation and its all good cash for Thailand  ?

I'll be leaving end of September i guess as im not paying inflated amounts to transfer my visa and will of course miss my family etc but im tired of the pontificating and lack of understanding . I'm not sure why they don't just change the 90 day border bounce to 90 day report in Thailand until borders are re opened, seems an easy option to me and i'd carry on spending here. 

Convoluted thinking and hint of arrogance too .

 

 

you are going to abandon your family because of immigration's lack of understanding?!

 

 

[david555]

1 hour ago, PatrickC said:

 

Agree - the only exemption should be if you're incapacitated or dying of cancer with a few weeks to live, which would also be exemptions in normal times.

 

Qatar flies pretty much everywhere. No one has any excuse.

So do many other ones and able to get connection flights ...example KLM >Amsterdam Schiphol >....

[Longchop]

1 hour ago, flyingfox1 said:

Nice write ,  I’m hoping that I can get back in thai before my retirement visa expires in end of November, but guess no one knows not even the government ????lol

missing GF of 7yrs, home, pickup, bike, cat dogs, Been away since January ,

dog died, both chickens died and cat gone missing. 

missing GF of 7yrs, home, pickup, bike, cat dogs, Been away since January ,

dog died, both chickens died and cat gone missing.!

Dog cat and chickens have jumped ship, If your home, pick up and bike are in G/Fs name I would start to worry now

[audaciousnomad]

3 hours 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?

Some IOs in the islands agree with you!

[blackcab]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[Bender Rodriguez]

3 hours ago, taxin said:

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.

I really wish the world over would kick out all THAIS asap, but that will not happen, because they have some empathy ... did you ever hear of thailand taking in asylum seekers? nope ... shot at by navy in sea to return

[jerolamo]

Looks like after some time to stay, for foreigners the floor start to become very hot. It is not just required to be a good person.

I never understand why.

[Bender Rodriguez]

why many farangs here THINK they are better than other farang TOURISTS?

 

just because they got their visa easy, does not mean that other people can

 

even with money in the bank and have to go to crooked AGENTS with IO in their pockets

 

I think the extortion price is even going up more as we near 26 september...

 

I was quoted 55.000 baht 3 months ago and now I am reading 70.000+ baht for useless fake volunteer visa's that are not connected to any real NGO as you need a work permit to volunteer

[jerolamo]

3 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

I really wish the world over would kick out all THAIS asap, but that will not happen, because they have some empathy ... did you ever hear of thailand taking in asylum seekers? nope ... shot at by navy in sea to return

wrong, the have some foreign people in asylum from Myanmar.

 

[GeorgeCross]

6 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

why many farangs here THINK they are better than other farang TOURISTS?

 

just because they got their visa easy, does not mean that other people can

 

even with money in the bank and have to go to crooked AGENTS with IO in their pockets

 

I think the extortion price is even going up more as we near 26 september...

 

I was quoted 55.000 baht 3 months ago and now I am reading 70.000+ baht for useless fake volunteer visa's that are not connected to any real NGO as you need a work permit to volunteer

 

if you meet the requirements you can extend your visa, its not a conspiracy, 1000s do it successfully every month.

 

[jerolamo]

11 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

why many farangs here THINK they are better than other farang TOURISTS?

 

just because they got their visa easy, does not mean that other people can

 

even with money in the bank and have to go to crooked AGENTS with IO in their pockets

 

I think the extortion price is even going up more as we near 26 september...

 

I was quoted 55.000 baht 3 months ago and now I am reading 70.000+ baht for useless fake volunteer visa's that are not connected to any real NGO as you need a work permit to volunteer

I think that when you never drink alcohol, you never disturb people, you never injury people, you never do something out of the cultural practice, you share food as they share food with you, you follow the rule of the low, you have only friends and people tell you they are happy that you are there, then yes, you can said that you think yourself to be more nice than some other who drink, make big noise, don't respect cultural usual practices (and don't care at all), don't have many friends (and don't care no one in fact), etc..

 

But for get visa, it can be something different. Best is to ask exactly (this word "exactly" is a key pass to get something easy) what they can do at the place you are going. Also, to be more lucky, you have to be very patient and smile.

I never had to paid more than what the rule on the law is talking about concerned visa to obtain (never). But i had some hard time to get the precise point about what they asked (they don't have a clear English paper with the full list of the required documents for the visa precisely you ask for) and was very very patient.

 

I see that depend of the officer and the office, relation can be very different. I absolutely never go through someone other than a immigration officer to treat my demand, i prefer to loose a full day.

Edited September 6, 2020 by jerolamo

[ThailandRyan]

38 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

why many farangs here THINK they are better than other farang TOURISTS?

 

just because they got their visa easy, does not mean that other people can

 

even with money in the bank and have to go to crooked AGENTS with IO in their pockets

 

I think the extortion price is even going up more as we near 26 september...

 

I was quoted 55.000 baht 3 months ago and now I am reading 70.000+ baht for useless fake volunteer visa's that are not connected to any real NGO as you need a work permit to volunteer

The question is this ?  What type of Visa were you on when you came here, and if you have chosen to stay here long term, why do you need to try and obtain a visa or extension that is more than likely fraudulent more than if it was legitimate by having to pay.  It seems to me that you either have some issue regarding funds, your under 55, your not married to a Thai, or one of many other types of people who find it hard to stay legitimately in the country without having to post up an exorbitant amount of money.  Options are many if you truly have the funds at your disposal.  Just do the right thing and stay off the radar.

[jirathama]

4 hours 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?

Ask other countries. They do the same since always. A European tourist can not stay longer then 3 months in USA, then has to do a flight out, not incl. Canada or Mexico, to come back in. Then you have for sure the biggest trouble with the Immigration there to let you in. Most likely they send you back with the next flight.