Phuket Immigration overwhelmed as foreigners race to extend stay in Thailand

[snoop1130]

Phuket Immigration overwhelmed as foreigners race to extend stay in Thailand

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

The Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town was overwhelmed with foreigners seeking to extend their stay in Thailand with just five days to go before the ‘visa amnesty’ ends this Saturday (Sept 26). Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

PHUKET:-- Phuket Immigration Office will be open this Saturday (Sept 26), the last day of ‘visa amnesty, to process any last-minute applications to extend permits-to-stay.

 

The confirmation came today as the Immigration Office in Phuket Town was flooded with foreigners seeking to extend their stay in the country, ahead of the amnesty ending on  Saturday.

 

The queue to enter the Immigration Office spilled out to the area set up in front of the main building, with officers stationed there to process applications instead of overcrowding the office inside.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-overwhelmed-as-foreigners-race-to-extend-stay-in-thailand-77389.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-09-21

 

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[YetAnother]

4 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The queue to enter the Immigration Office spilled out to the area set up in front of the main building,

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

[Sharp]

To be fair I thought they did or am I missing something!? 

I've seen online warnings for a while now! 

[Laza 45]

28 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

Hmmm?.. how long has everyone known that Sept 26th is the deadline?  Maybe a bit of intelligence require to be prepared instead of waiting until the last minute..   

[darrendsd]

33 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

They stated it a month ago - what more do you want?

[Guderian]

As always, you will be able to stay if you really want to, but the closer you leave it to the deadline the more expensive it's going to get. The agents have been telling people this, but the particular group affected don't seem to want to listen to anyone other than their own ego. 

[ThailandRyan]

54 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

They have been warning that the 26th of September is the end date for the past 2 months.  Only those who have no clue, or just could not be bothered to start the process and were waiting on another amnesty have themselves to blame, and then immigration of course could have made it easier to obtain extensions.

[madmitch]

I went last Tuesday afternoon to do a 90 day report and get a residence certificate to renew my driving licence.

 

The 90 day was no problem; two cars in front of me and done in less than ten minutes after arrival. I didn't bother stopping for the residence cxertificate as there were so many people there, including the longest queue at the photocopy window I've ever seen. Cars were parked on both sides of the road outside and around the corner.

 

I'll wait until next month. Good luck to all those looking for an extension. Get there early is all I can say.

[UncleE]

10 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

Hmmm?.. how long has everyone known that Sept 26th is the deadline?  Maybe a bit of intelligence require to be prepared instead of waiting until the last minute..   

All you have to do is know how to read !!!!!

[spacex]

I think people are waiting until the last minute for 60 day extensions and such is that they don't date the extension from sept 27th, but rather the day you apply.  If they would have dated all extensions on the 27th, then everyone would have gone in early. 

[Old Croc]

4 minutes ago, spacex said:

I think people are waiting until the last minute for 60 day extensions and such is that they don't date the extension from sept 27th, but rather the day you apply.  If they would have dated all extensions on the 27th, then everyone would have gone in early. 

I think far too many have been waiting in vain hope for a further amnesty.

[notmyself]

Over the weekend I was speaking to my brother (UK) about the obvious impending chaos. Was evening so he was making dinner but he came back after a couple of hours and asked where all 'these' flights are going to come from. 

[tonray]

12 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

Perhaps the individuals requiring the extensions...should have taken some personal responsibility...after all...not like they didn't have enough notice

[Mywayboy]

As usual all the Expat Lawers in Thailand know better.Final date has been documented long ago.

[Geoffggi]

The confusing part as far as I am concerned is one minute the authorities are crying because there are no tourists in Phuket and the next Immigration is swamped with tourists trying to extend their visa's. It like the Covid situation; it is not here, but don't form crowds otherwise you will help spread the infection .........?????

[Thaijack2014]

12 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

It was already announced long time ago. When the new extensions came out it was to my understanding that the validity was just the period they announced. The dumb ones are the foreigners with that extension, not taking notice at that time.

[GeorgeCross]

16 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

The confusing part as far as I am concerned is one minute the authorities are crying because there are no tourists in Phuket and the next Immigration is swamped with tourists trying to extend their visa's. It like the Covid situation; it is not here, but don't form crowds otherwise you will help spread the infection .........?????

a couple of hundred tourists turning up at immigration is not 300 full flights per day of arrivals

 

[Geoffggi]

3 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

a couple of hundred tourists turning up at immigration is not 300 full flights per day of arrivals

 

Can't remember saying it was, only the confusing statements being reported each day

[Sydebolle]

Yet another Thai mess. Listening of what is going on in the various immigration offices I conclude, that they have learnt absolutely NOTHING.

Extend on basis A, B, C - collect the fee and off you go

-OR-

expelled because A, B and/or C is not met; keep passport and get driven to the airport within 48 hours. If no money/flight = drop at the respective embassy. 

[Burma Bill]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

race to extend stay in Thailand

Amazing, I thought many were wanting to LEAVE Thailand once borders reopened?

[paulbrow]

Frankly I blame the foreigners. They have had months to tend to business but elected to wait to the last 5 days. Now taking the opportunity to blame Thai Immigration who graciously extended everyone sight unseen and now blaming Immigration  for their own PPPP !

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

They did advertise it, some people either chose to ignore it of leave it to the last minute.

Immigration has been open and tourists could have gone at any time to process their individual needs.

 

[fdbob]

People have known long enough I guess the problem is not enough flights

[fdbob]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

They did advertise it, some people either chose to ignore it of leave it to the last minute.

Immigration has been open and tourists could have gone at any time to process their individual needs.

 

Correct

[polpott]

12 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Amazing, I thought many were wanting to LEAVE Thailand once borders reopened?

They never closed.

 

Its a juxtaposition of "Hotel California". You can't check in but you can always leave.

 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by polpott

[sandyf]

5 minutes ago, paulbrow said:

Frankly I blame the foreigners. They have had months to tend to business but elected to wait to the last 5 days. Now taking the opportunity to blame Thai Immigration who graciously extended everyone sight unseen and now blaming Immigration  for their own PPPP !

Convinced by their own idea of self importance that there would be a further extension.

[tonray]

I was walking past a True shop yesterday, a foreign woman was screaming at the top of her lungs because she was trying to register a new SIM and they told her she needed her passport. She kept yelling that her passport was with an agency for a Visa and they needed to register her SIM regardless. Very disturbing scene...farang behaving badly ....

[hkt83100]

13 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

The same holds true for the people in the queue. They had plenty of time to think about this date and get things organized in the last months. And it is not rocket science.

[hotchilli]

10 minutes ago, fdbob said:

People have known long enough I guess the problem is not enough flights

If they were on amnesty here and cannot get a flight back to their home country the embassy would help with a letter for immigration, if they have not been to immigration to sort themselves out then that's their problem.

[jimmjam]

They should just give people 30 day extensions, until this covid mess is better.

They would make a killing.

Forget the embassy letters or doctors note.

Shooting themselves in the foot here.