Thailand extends grace period for stranded foreigners

[vermin on arrival]

12 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Yearly volunteer/Education/retirement  visas have been available , no questions asked .

Why these people not get those visas ? 

Because those are corrupt scams and my money can be put to better use elsewhere as I have no desire to stay long term in Thailand. It can last me much longer when I can finally get back home to Taiwan or make it into Laos. Some people were truly smashed financially by these bs covid border closures. Other countries in the regions know it is not the people's fault for being in this situation so they continue to help them (Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, PI, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan), some free and some done easily with payment. Thailand is truly alone for putting such pressure on them. It's is disgraceful. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

[pubba]

53 minutes ago, Benitostacos said:

No, but some IO said we were "good people", LOL.

My local IO was handing out free drinking yoghurt. I guess that cancels out a little of the unnecessary 1900 baht that I handed over to the grumpy man-faced grogan that had to get off her phone and stamp my mountain of forms a few times. 

[vermin on arrival]

2 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I don't think Immigration has ever really liked the idea of the amnesty, and was hoping it would end. In fairness, though, when they were telling people to get out, they were acting in good faith based on the information available to them at the time - they don't control the government's decisions, and they had no way of knowing that there would be a belated change of heart by the ministers. This whole circus certainly could have been handled better, but I think the biggest problem is the disconnect between the decision makers (the government) and the office implementing the decisions (Immigration).

No they weren't. They were pressuring people to use agents and collect corruption.

[Olmate]

17 minutes ago, pubba said:

I printed out my letter (in colour) from Aussie embassy from back in July and they barely glanced at it. 

 Did you want them to frame it? 

[metisdead]

Some incomprehensible posts and the replies have been removed.

 

Offensive posts, inflammatory posts and the replies have removed. 

[Dart12]

18 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I have been here 19 years entirely legally.

 

Only once have I applied for an extension of stay in country and that was this year.

 

The process for extending my stay was so utterly dysfunctional I felt violated by submitting to it.  Requests for irrelevant documents, sign every conceivable piece of paper, certify original documents as true copies because they insist.  Watching their 'processing' of my application was like something from a Marx brothers movie.

 

I have no idea how people repeatedly go through the much worse process of applying in country for 12 months on the basis of marriage and then get self righteous about the fact they do so.  I would feel only shame and a complete lack of self worth for submitting to that.  The whole process is an abuse.  I would keep quiet about going through it rather than bang on about doing things 'the proper way' and condemning others.

 

And yes, I do have the money in a Thai bank, adequately seasoned and could jump through all the other hoops involved in a marriage application but if they are offering 60 day rolling extensions I'll take that.

 

 

 

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Think I might take that route as well ....... depending on details and IO obstructions.

is there any information on what the rolling 60 day requirements would be?

...and this long term tourist option, is it only to be applied for OUT of Thailand?  have they made set requirements for it yet either?  Seems like a good one if you can get it.

[edwardandtubs]

27 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

Because those are corrupt scams and my money can be put to better use elsewhere as I have no desire to stay long term in Thailand. It can last me much longer when I can finally get back home to Taiwan or make it into Laos. Some people were truly smashed financially by these bs covid border closures. Other countries in the regions know it is not the people's fault for being in this situation so they continue to help them (Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, PI, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan), some free and some done easily with payment. Thailand is truly alone for putting such pressure on them. It's is disgraceful. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

What's stopping you going back to Taiwan? Couldn't you just do the 14-days quarantine or even 7 days for a business traveller?

[Percy P]

20 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

What happened to the ‘mass arrests’ that the police threatened for anyone still here after 26? Looks like it was a bluff.

Yes but how many responded to it and got a visa extension . Now I have a 30 day visa extension 1900Baht and at the same period of time I'm covered by the visa amnesty. Is it possible I my get a discount on the next visa.

[Kerouacaurus]

For anyone who got confused by the '3rd October deadline', the excerpt from the letter of my embassy this morning:

"Due to being unable to travel outside the Kingdom to return to their country and unable to proceed according to Section 35 and Section 37 (5) of the Immigration Act 2522 as well as other relevant laws to be completed within 26 September 2020 Section 17 of the Immigration Act, B.E. 2522, amendments were made to extend the time taken under Section 35 and Section 37 (5) of the Immigration Act 2522 for aliens who have been in the Kingdom for a while. From September 27 to October 31, 2020, if the foreigner is unable to leave and wishes to stay after October 31, 2020, they must submit an application to the Immigration Office by the date 31 October 2020.”"

[greggraham]

Everyone that applied for a +30 before the 26th Sept will be stamped until Nov 30th. I'm as surprised as you are. Logic and fairness. 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by greggraham

[sambum]

19 hours ago, greggraham said:

So this is what Khun Natapanu was hilariously mysteriously/vaguely on about a few hours ago...

 

"Another piece of information, is of course, that, I have to just put out a disclaimer first, in saying that what I will be saying will be the information that has been confirmed, not those under discussion yet so, there is an important issue which will be approved by cabinet tomorrow, has been sent for propose to be approved by cabinet tomorrow, which will be an important piece of information concerning visas for foreign nationals, but, this has been under discussion with even the private sector also, but we have to wait until the cabinet approves this tomorrow, and the information will be coming out tomorrow after the weekly cabinet meeting ... ...so for this issue, waiting for the cabinet approval for tomorrow, hope everyone looks at the big picture for the benefit of Thailand, for the benefit of those people living in Thailand and call Thailand home, looking at the big picture for the benefit of everybody in the general picture".

?????????

[vermin on arrival]

28 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

What's stopping you going back to Taiwan? Couldn't you just do the 14-days quarantine or even 7 days for a business traveller?

No ARC. I was a nomad for the past 6 years taking time off from work and dealing with health issues. I don't qualify as a business traveler. You need to be working for a Thai company and have a contract in Taiwan. Setting up a corporation from outside the company is very difficult now (basically need to be in country to do it).

 

Tried the medical exemption for a long put off hernia surgery at the hospital I had a one done in 2016 and reopened in 2017 and was told that was too long in the past for the hospital to put in an application at the CDC, and I needed to be dying to get in under a medical exemption. I tried 6 different times to get back in and was told no.

 

To get a work visa form another company people even need to fly to their home country and get processed there and I have nothing there in US now having left 22 years ago and no desire to fly back and deal with the <deleted> storm there now. Also, many companies are not hiring new workers from overseas now as the requirements are so difficult to bring new people in; they are only hiring within country.

 

Taiwan are being incredibly strict about allowing anyone in now. However, they are letting migrant workers from the PI in without covid test now, but I cannot fly in with covid test and asq from a country with no local case because of unwillingness to set up some kind of travel zone by Asian countries since I would be officially classed as a tourist.

 

I basically need to get into the country and get all my visa stuff setup. I am waiting for the border restrictions to ease up. As it is, I am reconciled to the flat I paid in advance for last December to not be used at all this year and need to try to see if my landlord will do some special deal for me to extend it or will continue to take a bath on the rent payment as storage for all my belongings there.

Edited September 29, 2020 by vermin on arrival

[Daithi85]

26 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

I thought Thailand had decided that they only wanted "quality, high-class" tourists. 

If I were paying tens of thousands of baht in quarantine fees, paying for a chartered flight and then having to book and pre-pay for hotels for a minimum of 30 days, I would not want a bunch of deadbeat, technically overstaying, 59 baht flip-flop-wearing backpackers all over the place. 

Gob<deleted>e

[greggraham]

6 minutes ago, sambum said:

?????????

He seems to have been eluding to the 60 day extensions we can now apply for, for the first time. More info just came out from Immigration Bureau Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Pornchai Kuntee:

 

"After that, foreigners can apply to extend their stay for 60 days at a time,” Maj Gen Pornchai noted. “Not many documents will be needed [for the 60-day extensions]. Letters from embassies may not be needed,” he said.

Edited September 29, 2020 by greggraham

[overherebc]

7 minutes ago, sambum said:

Oh deary me, no - can't have that old chap - might even spoil Thailand's image!

Gad Sir, you're right. I did once see one of these rough chappies wearing shorts and a T shirt that clashed something quite horrid.

I almost bit through the stem of my pipe don'tcha know.

[Walker88]

2 hours ago, Onrai said:

I wouldn’t characterized the Thai governments response as clumsy back pedaling. They are responding to what is happening in the world. Everyone thought Covid-19 would be under control by now. Reality has struck and there is a resurgence of cases through-out Europe. Burma, that was Covid free,  has reported new cases and the border is being patrolled for illegals entering the country. The recent repatriation flights have reported 22 news cases in quarantine. Optimism has turned to caution as bad news cascades on top of bad news. You ignore the news or re access your position given a new set of facts. 

 

Yours is a very measured and fair post. Yes, there could have been better communications between the PM/Cabinet and Immigration, but this Covid situation is dynamic and everybody needs to be flexible. As the situation changes, so do the rules. That is to be expected. Until the virus is brought under control worldwide or much better understood, things may well look haphazard, when in fact the authorities are just reacting to new data coming in. If ever there was a time to cut authorities some slack, particularly if they've beaten back the health issues related to the virus as Thailand has, now is it.

 

Perhaps with this visa issue put on hold until 30 November, they can focus on economic measures to aid the millions out of work.

 

 

[Bim Smith]

So if I got my stamp from until 26th October with an embassy letter are they saying I can now without an embassy letter and get another 60 days?

[greggraham]

10 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

So if I got my stamp from until 26th October with an embassy letter are they saying I can now without an embassy letter and get another 60 days?

They are saying you can go back and "upgrade" that stamp until Nov 30th, and then potentially apply for a 60 day extension. Details of the 60 day are not clear yet, just that it *might not* need an embassy letter. 

[Enzian]

4 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I don't think Immigration has ever really liked the idea of the amnesty, and was hoping it would end. In fairness, though, when they were telling people to get out, they were acting in good faith based on the information available to them at the time - they don't control the government's decisions, and they had no way of knowing that there would be a belated change of heart by the ministers. This whole circus certainly could have been handled better, but I think the biggest problem is the disconnect between the decision makers (the government) and the office implementing the decisions (Immigration).

The "government" is the military, and "Immigration" is the police. For decades there has been a tug of war power struggle between the two, one of the least understood or recognized dynamics of Thai culture. But a situation like this highlights it like almost nothing else.

[onebir]

15 minutes ago, Enzian said:

The "government" is the military, and "Immigration" is the police. For decades there has been a tug of war power struggle between the two, one of the least understood or recognized dynamics of Thai culture. But a situation like this highlights it like almost nothing else.

This could be worth a thread.

[Sametboy2019]

Want people to come and then set dates for people to leave. So people but tickets home to avoid overstay then hey presto right at the last moment... no you can stay. ????

[Eindhoven]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The biggest problem is the desire for immigration officers to extort foreigners.

Without that desire, getting an extension inside the country would be easy.

But nitpicking at paperwork forces a lot of foreigners to pay 25k through an agent.

 

I don't know why you keep posting the 25k figure. Only certain agents charge that high a price. 

[greggraham]

7 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

I don't know why you keep posting the 25k figure. Only certain agents charge that high a price. 

The one that frequents this forum from arguably the biggest agency wanted even more than that... 

Edited September 29, 2020 by greggraham

[Eindhoven]

3 minutes ago, greggraham said:

The one that frequents this forum from arguably the biggest agency wanted even more than that... 

 

No, they didn't.

I know, because I requested quotes from others at the same time. As did friends. They were charging less than the locals, who all seem to be stuck on the magically rounded up figures of 25k or 50k.

 

Whereas the one you perhaps mention charged 18k and 37k.

[greggraham]

15 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

No, they didn't.

I know, because I requested quotes from others at the same time. As did friends. They were charging less than the locals, who all seem to be stuck on the magically rounded up figures of 25k or 50k.

 

Whereas the one you perhaps mention charged 18k and 37k.

I have Line messages from them quoting 25k for a 3 month Volunteer visa in August (or 60k for 15 months), and that went up due to "express service" as the end of amnesty got nearer.

 

I saw they commented this on Facebook a couple of hours ago too;

 

Quote

"Our prices for some services went up 10,000 THB when it was down to the last minute, and then other services were just completely no longer possible, and required other steps that could have cost 20,000 THB more"

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by greggraham

[vermin on arrival]

1 hour ago, Eindhoven said:

 

I don't know why you keep posting the 25k figure. Only certain agents charge that high a price. 

People were getting quotes that went up to 70,000 baht for a 1 year volunteer visa. It was obscene the gouging that was going on. I think 25k was the low end during the "grace" period.

 

However, maybe you were in contact with better agents than others were in touch with.

Edited September 29, 2020 by vermin on arrival

[Dart12]

I had quotes 20k to 35k for 90 day conversion.  and 50k to 70k for 12/15 month visa.

I'd like to know...do I also get an extra month tacked on?.  Basically paid 6500 for what is free now..

Worse, lost 3 days in immigration line for girlfriends covid ext.

[Dart12]

2 hours ago, greggraham said:

They are saying you can go back and "upgrade" that stamp until Nov 30th, and then potentially apply for a 60 day extension. Details of the 60 day are not clear yet, just that it *might not* need an embassy letter. 

Where is info on this 'upgrading' the stamp?

Also wonder if that applies to my visa I converted from amnesty to 90 day?

[bimmerbob]

22 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

This government have done nothing more than create confusion onto of further confusions. 

For effs Sake Thailand - Just announce a 6 month Amnesty and stop this juvenile back and forth.

......... they changed their mind at the last minute making immigration look like fools. 

 

 

 

 

I doubt very much that the cabinet members themselves understand what they will be approving.

Yet again government have proved how inept they are with a total lack of any contingency plans. India for example has made 'gratis' extensions of visas for 1 month AFTER the commencement of normal international commercial flights in/out of the country.

 

Changing their minds is actually their mantra to have unnecessary meetings and a little jolly afterwards!

[SteveJames]

22 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I have been here 19 years entirely legally.

 

Only once have I applied for an extension of stay in country and that was this year.

 

The process for extending my stay was so utterly dysfunctional I felt violated by submitting to it.  Requests for irrelevant documents, sign every conceivable piece of paper, certify original documents as true copies because they insist.  Watching their 'processing' of my application was like something from a Marx brothers movie.

 

I have no idea how people repeatedly go through the much worse process of applying in country for 12 months on the basis of marriage and then get self righteous about the fact they do so.  I would feel only shame and a complete lack of self worth for submitting to that.  The whole process is an abuse.  I would keep quiet about going through it rather than bang on about doing things 'the proper way' and condemning others.

 

And yes, I do have the money in a Thai bank, adequately seasoned and could jump through all the other hoops involved in a marriage application but if they are offering 60 day rolling extensions I'll take that.

 

 

My 12 Month Extension was done in a few hours in one day after I kept the money in the bank 2 months, easy, I'd rather do that once a year than have to see i/o officers every 2 months