Visa amnesty expected to be extended to 31 October

[Bangkok Barry]

42 minutes ago, Benitostacos said:

45 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

This.

 

The amount of foreigners may be a drop in the bucket compared with migrant labour. My observations over three visits to Udon Thani immigration on three separate days last week was a sum total of only half a dozen farangs.

Yup same with KK immigration. 99 percent of people in the packed office were from Laos and Vietnam.

Same with Kalasin. Mostly Lao, as always there.

[checkered flag]

20 minutes ago, Odisan said:

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!

The week before they were reported to be a ghost town. Don't blame TI, blame the last minute entitled idiots.

[Drew3223]

You can't see it, but right now I have a middle finger raised to all the horrible jealous petty posters who couldn't wait to preach to people holding out for another amnesty. How do you like your apples? hahahaha 

[checkered flag]

8 minutes ago, racket said:

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

They want to clean out those not paying their way. That's why Pattaya and Phuket are ghost towns.

[Wilsonandson]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

At 12pm on Monday, Thailand’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will hold an English language media briefing where extension may be announced.

 

You can watch live on their facebook page - Live NBT2HD

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Wilsonandson

[shackleton]

Well if it is extended to the 31st October gives people more time to sort out their visas if they want to stay longer here in Thailand

Message is dont wait until 31st October 

[checkered flag]

9 minutes ago, fdsa said:

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

Yea, the 1900 USD would but a nice one way business  class ticket to the UK. 

[KhunKenAP]

Thai Government policy emergency backup.

[Wongkitlo]

40 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

i still find it incredible that there are supposedly 100,000 plus people who can come on holidays, or to visit family, in April and still be here in October, no job or family they need to return to, fantastic passive incomes from their online businesses.

If peoples circumstances are such that a 6 month unexpected extension to travel plans is no big deal, why haven't they moved to Thailand years ago.

 

As others have pointed out there are many workers from neighbouring countries still in Thailand. Assume they are included in the estimate.

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Why not extend it until Dec 31? Ridiculous.

They get more money by doing it month by month, installing fear into long-term tourists, making them pay ridiculous under the table fees without a single complaint. 

[mobiryder]

Has anyone told them it's already the 28th?

[Peter Denis]

9 minutes ago, barsie said:

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?

You should post a picture of both the Visa sticker (with personal data hidden) as well as the last permission to stay stamp you received when entering Thailand or provided by your local IO when you applied for an extension of stay there.

Also some details like nationality, age, whether married to a Thai national or Thai dependent children, pension-receiver, local IO, would be useful to provide a meaningful answer to any query you have.

Note: A 'family Visa' can refer to a Non Imm O Visa for 'family' reasons (e.g. married to a Thai national, Thai dependent children, other family ties).  Often the word Visa is used when it is actually an extension of stay (e.g. a 60-day extension of stay, or a 1-year extension of stay).

The difference Visa/extension as well as the 'reason' for it (marriage, Thai dependent children, etc,...) is important because the requirements/conditions are different for each of those options.

[Oldie]

13 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

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.

I have been on retirement extension for many years. I think I will switch to amnesty extensions. For free and no hassle. ????

[2 is 1]

13 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

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. 

Why is not question what you ask here! And thinking is banned!

Certainly they not make new law's to give something extra to those who line up in IO earlier!

[Bangkok Barry]

20 minutes ago, Khun Roberto said:

34 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?

That's because you don't know me at all. I until recently flew in and out several times a year for my work. More recently, I've liked to go to Singapore or KL for a day or two, and other times I pop over to Laos to do a bit of shopping for things I have trouble finding in Thailand. The border is less than two hours from my home.

 

As I said, I preferred to keep my money in the UK and make transfers when needed, rather than deposit 400,000 that I didn't need to do, except that the government demanded it. Not only demanded it, but then required me to report to them every 90 days as if I was on probation. My choice. If that's okay with you.

[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

You should post a picture of both the Visa sticker (with personal data hidden) as well as the last permission to stay stamp you received when entering Thailand or provided by your local IO when you applied for an extension of stay there.

Also some details like nationality, age, whether married to a Thai national or Thai dependent children, pension-receiver, local IO, would be useful to provide a meaningful answer to any query you have.

Note: A 'family Visa' can refer to a Non Imm O Visa for 'family' reasons (e.g. married to a Thai national, Thai dependent children, other family ties).  Often the word Visa is used when it is actually an extension of stay (e.g. a 60-day extension of stay, or a 1-year extension of stay).

The difference Visa/extension as well as the 'reason' for it (marriage, Thai dependent children, etc,...) is important because the requirements/conditions are different for each of those options.

My dependent extension is up in a couple of weeks. Do I not need to renew it until the end of October? Quite important as I am hoping to be a Thai citizen next month, so could save the hassle of getting a new visa if I could wait until the end of the month.

[Sudaca]

They have collected the money until the last drop.

[NorthernRyland]

20 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

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

dude it's 15k USD for the Elite which under 50's need. That's a lot of money for some of us. Not even sure if that's an option without leaving the country first.

[Wongkitlo]

13 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

They get more money by doing it month by month, installing fear into long-term tourists, making them pay ridiculous under the table fees without a single complaint. 

If they just want the money why bother with embassy letters etc. A straight 1900b per month,  would be easier. 

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

That's because you don't know me at all. I until recently flew in and out several times a year for my work. More recently, I've liked to go to Singapore or KL for a day or two, and other times I pop over to Laos to do a bit of shopping for things I have trouble finding in Thailand. The border is less than two hours from my home.

 

As I said, I preferred to keep my money in the UK and make transfers when needed, rather than deposit 400,000 that I didn't need to do, except that the government demanded it. Not only demanded it, but then required me to report to them every 90 days as if I was on probation. My choice. If that's okay with you.

If you have children, you don't need to keep the cash in the bank for 2 months.

[Surasak]

A very severe case of the idiots running the Asylum.

[Bangkok Barry]

30 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

44 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.

I checked with the IO and she helpfully worked out the date it had to be there by. After she had told me, with a straight face, that my alternative was to go to Laos, spend 15 days in quarantine there and then return to 14 days quarantine in Thailand.

 

It's a quiet office and not far from a couple of supermarkets I go to, so on a shopping trip in the next month or so I'll pop in to check exactly what documents they want from me. I already have a list from a previous thread on here, but we all know that doesn't really mean anything.

[barsie]

26 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

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.

Just a guess - over 50 right?

 

It's not amazingly easy when under 50.

[Kaopad999]

2 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Why not extend till Jan 12th?

Why not just extend it until the year 2055?  
The border hoppers.. *cough* I mean "tourists"  will be over the moon 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Kaopad999

[Bangkok Barry]

32 minutes ago, PumpkinEater said:

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.

Hmm, why 800,000? Why not 657,000, or 725,000? Why has the government chosen 400,000/800,000 (apart from doubling what it used to be)? Why not a round million? It's a figure that has no bearing at all on anything anyway. I don't need to keep 400,000, except because the government says I must. I have no practical reason to do so.

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, newnative said:

Still brain dead.  No sign of brain activity at all.  Just extend it once for 2 years and be done with it already.  Stop pretending you are doing any work each month.  Be happy anyone is here spending money and try to keep them.  This is not brain surgery and thank goodness as there are no brains to do surgery on.  

Or stop extending and arrest/deport everyone on overstay? With attitude like this towards this country, nobody will miss you here.

[Kaopad999]

8 minutes ago, genericptr said:

dude it's 15k USD for the Elite which under 50's need. That's a lot of money for some of us. Not even sure if that's an option without leaving the country first.

Do you honestly think  that the  elite visa is the only option for under 50's ? 

[rowdyone]

Too late for me. I extended my stay for 60days based on marriage, and am going through the hoops to get a 90 day Non O so my wife can finish some training in preparation to leave the country at the end of the year. Now this farce of a development that makes sure those who extended their stay in a timely fashion are penalized. Maybe in Thailand it pays to wait until the last minute.

[Thaivisa2006]

I can´t stop laughing ???????????? So basically they reward everybody who violated the deadline and the law with an overstay by now granting them to stay longer whilst the ones who followed the order and left the country on 26th Sept are the idiots.

[Bangkok Barry]

29 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

Why so many left it until the last minute is unbelievable.

Come on! This entire thread explains why. Many thought the amnesty would be extended, that's why. They were correct. The only bump in the road was that the government couldn't read a calendar and didn't realise that it was time to enable another extension until the old one had expired.