Visa amnesty expected to be extended to 31 October

[Bender Rodriguez]

the only reason they kept to 26sep was to scary man into 70.000 baht SCAM of agent + corrupted IO for FAKE / real stamp volunteer visa that NORMALLY require a WORK PERMIT

[Odisan]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

"They didn't think it through..." 

There seems to be a lot of that, these days...

Pre-social media, you could get away with a helluva lot of ineptitude; now... It's not only farcical on an almost daily basis, but also plain for everyone to see.

We get that they're going to be swamped, but if you can only process 20 renewals an hour and 5,000 people need to renew, and there's just 48-hours to go... it ain't difficult!

[checkered flag]

1 hour ago, leeedwards said:

It’s not about the 90 day repetition, it’s about the people on multiple entries who may have unnecessarily used up an extension. Do you understand the difficulty of leaving Thailand and coming back at the moment? Unless there’s yet another amnesty in October,  I’ll have to leave the country, leaving my wife, who has a 5 sometimes 6 day a week job, to take care of my 5 year old son, who I usually take to and pick up from school, for at least 20 days, probably more, at immense expense, when I’ve had a perfectly legal and problem free visa up to now, and just because of the lack of foresight of the stupid authorities. Thanks for the empathy and understanding. 

Sounds like you were relying non border bumps. Why didn't you change bto a Non O Marriage when you could have? That's what those thinking did.

[Ventenio]

I knew it.  Went with my friends on Friday and they all paid 1900 and will have to go back and clear the under consideration stamp.

 

the 1900 I saved will be for 5 nice beef hamburgers.....while they get NOTHING.

 

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo smart.

 

Why pay???????????   it was soooo obvious they would extend.

 

1900 is nothing.  I spend that every minute.  but i get something back.  

[checkered flag]

1 minute ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

the only reason they kept to 26sep was to scary man into 70.000 baht SCAM of agent + corrupted IO for FAKE / real stamp volunteer visa that NORMALLY require a WORK PERMIT

For most part the plan worked.

[JUAinBKK]

2 minutes ago, Benitostacos said:

Just make it retroactive like the original amnesty. Announced in April but dated for March 26th. But I can see IOs trying to pull this off as well. LOL

Oh yes... they personally profit from our fear.  I paid 26,000thb to a “counselor” who took care of my issue and seen the slip of the envelope to the IO in the process.  It’s a scam of major proportions.  If the Govt knew the IO’s were skimming off their profits.... OH My!

[sandyf]

30 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I was told that amnesty is only possible under state of emergency. Funny how foreigners bash state of emergency unaware that's the only thing keeping many of them in the country...

You are right. The original notification from the Ministry of the Interior granted various concessions under the regulations introduced by the Emergency Decree.

If the ED was lifted then all concessions would cease and for foreigners to remain, some other change in the law would be necessary.

The bigger picture is an alien concept to the TVF government advisors.

[DLock]

Man, I will laugh and laugh...and then laugh some more if this is true.

 

...a lot won't, but I will.

[raccos21]

As we can see they love doing complicated things, even though they all can be done in an easy way. So, what happened to those who paid for the visa? Do they get refund? Or get another extra 30 days?

[checkered flag]

33 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Are you trying to tell us that you were unaware that each entry only allowed you to remain for 90 days?

The ME visa method was not without risk and those of us that used the ME visa must accept that risk rather than trying to blame others. The travel restrictions manifested a risk that none of us would have contemplated, but that is life and only you can deal with it.

I was an RAF apprentice when Rhodesia declared UDI in 1964. The Rhodesian apprentices were immediately deported, passports became invalid overnight. You should be thankful the government has exercised some leniency.

Before you get on the high horse, I was on ME visa, last entry from Malaysia on 6th Feb. You really ought to reflect on where the lack of foresight lies.

You've had ample time time to put funds in a Thai bank and get them seasoned, so why didn't you do it? 

[Khun Roberto]

10 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Meanwhile, I like many others went down the 60-day extension route, and when I asked what would happen at the end of that I was told that I had to leave Thailand. I've been here 25 years or so, have a wife, a house, a car and family, but have to get out of the country unless I brought 400,000 baht into the country. Which I hurriedly did because it needs to be there for 60 days, even though I had preferred to keep my money in the UK instead.

Barry, If you've been here fr 25 years, why are you dealing with 60 day extensions? I would have though you'd be at 90 day reporting?

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

.. I brought 400,000 baht into the country. Which I hurriedly did because it needs to be there for 60 days, even though I had preferred to keep my money in the UK instead.

I hope you didn't cut it too close, because the 400K needs to be seasoned for at least two months (which is more than 60 days), and it's wise not to apply on the very last day, in case there are some missing documents or IO wants additional evidence.

[Ventenio]

ask yourself ONE question.

 

you are sitting at immigration...RISKING overstay.  it's Friday.  you have 1900.  But a mouse says, 'they will extend on Monday.'

 

Do you risk it?????????????????????????????????

 

I did, played the lottery, and won 982749832743289473243 zillion baht

 

everyone paid.  

[sandyf]

3 minutes ago, checkered flag said:

You've had ample time time to put funds in a Thai bank and get them seasoned, so why didn't you do it? 

You are talking to the wrong person.

[PumpkinEater]

How's this solution?

 

1. Allow all "Long term" Visa's to forego any 90 day report and renew their NON O's etc. as long as they can prove the 800K in a Thai Bank two months prior to renew as usual.

2. Order "Tourist" Visa holder to leave the country unless they can deposit the 800K in a Thai bank.

 

It's only fair to those of us that have the funds in the bank.

 

The premise of Tourists saying that they cannot go home is a complete fiction. Flights leave daily for all parts of the world. 

 

Make it fair!

 

3. Allow ALL current NON O's back into the country on normal flights ONLY with a prior to boarding Covid test and arrival test at a 14 day quarantine location in Bangkok.

 

Cheers

[Benitostacos]

4 minutes ago, raccos21 said:

As we can see they love doing complicated things, even though they all can be done in an easy way. So, what happened to those who paid for the visa? Do they get refund? Or get another extra 30 days?

They get rewarded with an extra trip to the immigration office to close out the consideration stamp.????

[checkered flag]

16 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

as long as the land borders are closed, they should extend this ...

OMG Run for the border. What happen if the consulates enact the same financial requirements as TI? Or, you've done this any times before and need to go to TI.

[racket]

They should just extend it to March 26th 2021 the date it began. Jeez what do they loose from it? 

[fdsa]

that feel when you was forced to spend 1900 USD to stay here and forum people whine about 1900 THB :D

[barsie]

Anyone have a clue if I have what's called a family visa which I can't find what it means if it can be changed to Marriage visa? Obviously difficult to get None-O visa while travel issues?

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, raccos21 said:

As we can see they love doing complicated things, even though they all can be done in an easy way. So, what happened to those who paid for the visa? Do they get refund? Or get another extra 30 days?

Beautiful, another dreamer.  You will get another 30 day extension for the visa class you have after paying 1900 baht again.  It is the standard way things work in this country.  Unless you can bounce out and then back in to reset your Visa (Which is impossible as of now) you need to do an in country extension for 30 days.  Should you wish to convert it to a legitimate 1 year extension of stay then you season money in the bank, or show monthly transfers into a Thai bank that meet the requirement for that specific Visa.  Either that or you go down the TE Visa route if your not married, retired, or on one of the many other available visa's.  If you do not want to become legal and are expecting freebies, well sorry but your in the wrong country, and you really should not be here if you can not meet the requirements during this time period.  There are things going on right now that are out of your, mine, or anybody's control happening right now..

[sandyf]

19 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

How can you extend something that has already expired?

They can do the same as usual, approve an extension to the original amnesty, making it run from 26th March till 31st Oct.

[Bangkok Barry]

56 minutes ago, Oldie said:

This time the government said already several times that there will be none.

Totally wrong. The government said nothing at all. Immigration, which merely acts on behalf of the government and doesn't make the rules, were the ones who were reported to be making such statements. What they said had no legal basis at all.

[Bangkok Barry]

59 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

They should state... unequivocally that OCT 31st is the last date, tourists have within October to go to IO and sort out their issues.

No more extensions... period.

And why should they do that? What is going to change between now and then? Please tell.

[Zikomat]

13 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

I knew it.  Went with my friends on Friday and they all paid 1900 and will have to go back and clear the under consideration stamp.

 

the 1900 I saved will be for 5 nice beef hamburgers.....while they get NOTHING.

 

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo smart.

 

Why pay???????????   it was soooo obvious they would extend.

 

1900 is nothing.  I spend that every minute.  but i get something back.  

 You probably have titanium balls. I have waited until the last Tuesday announcement which never happened. Then, on Wednesday, I was forced to spend 10 hours in the line of Pattaya immigration office. 

[checkered flag]

20 minutes ago, barsie said:

 

It's just insane hoops they make you jump through then change rules. I've been to a fair few thai offices for things and NEVER left with expected outcome despite researching beforehand.

 

Even visa companies never seem to have a clue. Last 1 I saw told me I was on overstay and needed to pay fine- I want home checked with passport and I was NOT on overstay. I don't know if she was trying to scam me on 8000 baht for a none existent overstay. I've had zero issue at immigration, as it was not true.

You don't have a clue. Thai immigration has always been easy to deal with, but I complete the paperwork (TM7) copy of other stuff and get a bank letter. Very easy. If you can't handle it maybe get an agent to help.

[Peterw42]

I still dont get it, if someone has the means and desire to stay in Thailand long term, why do it via the amnesty ?

If money is no problem, just take up one of the many lomgstay options.

 

I can only presume if someone is still here on the amnesty, then money is a problem. They dont have the funds or qualify to stay longterm so use the amnesty to stay.

[Wongkitlo]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

Thinking about it, the extended amnesty won’t be valid until the Cabinet approves it (unless they hold a special meeting will be Tuesday) & I believe it doesn’t become law until it’s published in the Royal Gazette on Friday.

 

So anybody who’s currently on overstay might want to keep their heads down for a few days.

 

I thought because of the state of emergency the PM can just legislate without consultation.

[Jackcwba]

You ain’t getting nobody out now they will call your bluff again... you know the story of the boy who cried wolf?

[Bim Smith]

Why so many left it until the last minute is unbelievable. Why not give them them who bothered to get an embassy letter and stamped in until 26th October and automatic extension of 90 days until the borders open.