Phuket Immigration overwhelmed as foreigners race to extend stay in Thailand

[polpott]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

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.

They can get a flight back to their own country. May be more expensive, may not be able to fly to the airport of their choice, may have to do 14 days quarantine when they get home, may have to wait a week for their flight but they can get home.

[Hoppyone]

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

Brain dead if you didn’t know a long time ago or did you expect something to e done for you

[SomchaiCNX]

Most people over there have never seen this kind of immigration situations in their home country. Hence they don't realize how immigration in Thailand works. Especially Europeans have no clue, a person without papers (and illegal immigrants) over there has more rights than a person with papers and the right visa in Thailand. They don't have a clue that different countries have different laws. They believe it is (European) standard all over the world ???? 

[polpott]

2 minutes ago, Hoppyone said:

Brain dead if you didn’t know a long time ago or did you expect something to e done for you

Hope over experience. It sometimes pans out but not often.

[bstafford214]

13 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..   

Exactly! It has been posted in a number of places about the deadline. However it is easier for people to blame others rather than admit they were too stupid to check the facts. 

[eyup]

11 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

Most people over there have never seen this kind of immigration situations in their home country. Hence they don't realize how immigration in Thailand works. Especially Europeans have no clue, a person without papers (and illegal immigrants) over there has more rights than a person with papers and the right visa in Thailand. They don't have a clue that different countries have different laws. They believe it is (European) standard all over the world ???? 

That's. rubbish!  if they have been stuck here since the initial amnesty (March wasn't it?) Then they have had enough time to sort out a visa or get home (with a few, and that's very few exceptions!) and surely been involved in many conversations and been able to research about what to do and what might or might not happen and what options were available. To be here since March at least they should have an idea as to how immigration work in Thailand.  

[bstafford214]

15 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

Most people over there have never seen this kind of immigration situations in their home country. Hence they don't realize how immigration in Thailand works. Especially Europeans have no clue, a person without papers (and illegal immigrants) over there has more rights than a person with papers and the right visa in Thailand. They don't have a clue that different countries have different laws. They believe it is (European) standard all over the world ???? 

With that type of thinking they must have low IQ's.

[Oldie]

Nobody expected that September 26th would come so quickly... 

[Xonax]

Who can blame the tourists for expecting another late extension of the visa amnesty?

Edited September 22, 2020 by Xonax

[Elkski]

I'm not a visa expert.  Perhaps these people were waiting for another possible extension  or maybe to maximize the time they can stay in Thailand  by not starting their vida a month ago.  Chill out.   It's skin off you perfect people  back. 

[Ventenio]

sorted yesterday.  it wasn't stressful, but it is a relief it's over.  

 

there's probably not one person there who can speak both Thai and English (or Russian and Thai).   Each person will take about 30 minutes, and everyone will have to get more copies, maybe pay more than expected, and ask questions that might go unanswered.

 

and you have 500 people who don't want to talk to you, look at you, help you, and will be happy to be away from you.  

 

enjoy. 

 

i waited until my gut feeling said no more amnesties.  that was yesterday.  i don't blame anyone for waiting until tomorrow.  

Edited September 22, 2020 by Ventenio

[Max69xl]

14 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

What should they have sorted out? The last announcement was released several weeks ago. 

[tonray]

2 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

sorted yesterday.  it wasn't stressful, but it is a relief it's over.  

 

there's probably not one person there who can speak both Thai and English (or Russian and Thai).   Each person will take about 30 minutes, and everyone will have to get more copies, maybe pay more than expected, and ask questions that might go unanswered.

 

and you have 500 people who don't want to talk to you, look at you, help you, and will be happy to be away from you.  

 

enjoy. 

That's why I'm bringing the enforcer (GF)...she's coming to protect her interests. 

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said:

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

 

True, but it's a lot more than the average daily number of arrivals expected under the new system, whatever it's called.

[bstafford214]

13 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Who can blame the tourists for expecting another late extension of the visa amnesty?

If you have been here over 90 days, are you really a tourist?

[AAIrons]

What exactly are the documents needed to get the extention? I have the letter from my embassy but I cant see anywhere that says exactly what else I need?

Thanks

[userabcd]

14 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..   

Many of them have been waiting it out hoping for a last minute further extension of the amnesty and have now been caught out despite the warning at the last notification of amnesty extension.

Edited September 22, 2020 by userabcd

[Bangkok Barry]

14 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..   

How long did everyone know about the earlier deadline - which was then cancelled. How many thought that, with little changed, the same thing wouldn't happen again?

[Ventenio]

7 minutes ago, AAIrons said:

What exactly are the documents needed to get the extention? I have the letter from my embassy but I cant see anywhere that says exactly what else I need?

Thanks

for an extension........one form that is at immigration.  simple stuff.  passport number, name, address, TM9 numbers and whatever......port of entry, etc....

 

i needed 2 pictures.  passport photos worked, but i think they wanted something a little smaller.

 

2 copies of every page in my passport and the letter copied twice

 

1900

 

they spend sometime looking back to when your ...... expired and they might ask some questions

 

receipt of rent.  i didn't have, but they asked a few times.  didn't stop me from getting a stamp

 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Ventenio

[tonray]

10 minutes ago, AAIrons said:

What exactly are the documents needed to get the extention? I have the letter from my embassy but I cant see anywhere that says exactly what else I need?

Thanks

TM7 Form, Passport, copies of passport, current Visa and stamp, TM6 departure card, maybe Tm30 and 90 day report evidence. 1900 baht. Picture

[Eibot]

14 hours ago, Sharp said:

I've seen online warnings for a while now! 

Same warning as the last months. Some people therefore used their 60 day extension, only for the Thai government to extend it at the last moment. 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Thaijack2014 said:

When the new extensions came out it was to my understanding that the validity was just the period they announced.

You mean, like the first amnesty. Which was then renewed as almost nothing had changed regarding border closures. Just like now.

[userabcd]

3 hours ago, UncleE said:

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

And comprehend.

[Kaopad999]

People have actually had nearly 6 months in total to get a proper visa in place. Pretty good of Thai immigration to provide such extensions in the first place. Why people leave things to the last minute is beyond me.

 

[michaellee]

14 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 warned everyobdy at the end of aug  to do it before the last day to avoid last min rushes and not to overwhelmed the immigration. I guessed you too busy blaming the Thais and not paying attention to the news. 

[userabcd]

3 minutes ago, Eibot said:

Same warning as the last months. Some people therefore used their 60 day extension, only for the Thai government to extend it at the last moment. 

When they got their 60 days extension further responsibilties should have been assumed to season funds in the bank or prepare foreign tranfers and documentation and apply for a furter extension of stay at the end of the 60 days.

[Kaopad999]

1 minute ago, michaellee said:

They did warned everyobdy at the end of aug  to do it before the last day to avoid last min rushes and not to overwhelmed the immigration. I guessed you too busy blaming the Thais and not paying attention to the news. 

Exactly, blaming the Thai's for everything seems to be a very common theme here sadly.. 

[shackleton]

Yes some people were hoping for a new extension to be announced 

Which is looking like a big No 

They now will have to come up with a new visa to stay

Don't agree with some on here blaming Thai immigration 

People were more than aware it was going to happen hence the rush to Immigration now

[Ventenio]

13 minutes ago, userabcd said:

And comprehend.

what does comprehend mean?

 

in the darkest dark of night, the one who laughs become the light

as when you cry, you cry alone.

 

lol

[Eibot]

8 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You mean, like the first amnesty. Which was then renewed as almost nothing had changed regarding border closures. Just like now.

It's still the same amnesty, they just extended it every time. Problem with it was that every time they left it to the last minute, threw out a lot of scaremongering (immigration) that you have to leave at X date and in the end they just extended it. Therefore it seems that people expexcted more of the same as nothing has changed border-wise.

 

Also the Thai government doesn't allow certain extensions to be done inland (NonB - Elite). Another point is that they said all extensions were going to roll after the 26th, but looking at the comments, most people got their extensions rolling on the day that they applied, meaning people are forced to leave it to the last moment. 

 

The most ironic part is that the Thai government is trying to do everything they can to get tourist in, while on the other hand, they are doing everything they can to push these same tourist out.