Thailand extends grace period for stranded foreigners

[CorpusChristie]

5 hours 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?

The money required for the 3 month visas isnt much different from the amount you would pay if you had to travel abroad to apply for a visa ; Overland trip to Laos and back about 10 000 Baht for a two month visa, then a 1900 Baht 30 day extension .

12 000 Baht for 3 months , volunteer visas were 15/18 K for 3 months .

[Rimmer]

A troll post and a reply removed

[vermin on arrival]

10 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

The money required for the 3 month visas isnt much different from the amount you would pay if you had to travel abroad to apply for a visa ; Overland trip to Laos and back about 10 000 Baht for a two month visa, then a 1900 Baht 30 day extension .

12 000 Baht for 3 months , volunteer visas were 15/18 K for 3 months .

Yeah, but I never did that. I am not a visa runner. I come for 2 2month visits a year on visa exempt in the winter (with 30 day extension) with a 1 month trip in between to Laos to avoid the cold of the Taiwanese winter. I was leaving permanently on March 29th. The closing of the border in Taiwan came with 11 hours notice on March 18th, and I could not get on a flight on EVA that day (2AM flight was 2 hours too late coz the EVA office in BKK was clueless about the border closure-the poor service from them that day still pisses me off since it helped to blow up my life). I have no intent to stay here for long time. The first day I can get out and back to my flat in Taiwan I will go and never look back, except to come back and take care of my belongings here.

 

I would also settle for getting into Laos and staying there long term. If I could do a visa run to Laos, I would just stay there. I like Laos better than Thailand. Also, it's 500 bucks for a 1 year work visa there, or I could just spend $2 a day overstay ad infinitum if necessary. In Laos, one can live a good life and spend much less than in Thailand (health care is the one big negative)

 

I understand your math, but I won't pay that money for a visa to stay in a country I no longer even want to visit. It's not a good value of money for me. I decided after 22 years of being a part-time resident that the shine was off of this apple, and it was time to close up shop for good. 15,000 for a year maybe, but definitely not for 3 months. So no, it's a bad deal for me.

[Eindhoven]

2 hours ago, greggraham said:

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;

 

 

That was in August. I enquired with them in September much closer to the amnesty 'end date' and compared with the local options. Prices I posted were what I was quoted.

 

[Eindhoven]

2 hours ago, vermin on arrival said:

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.

 

Pricing is perhaps dynamic...

[Kwaibill]

21 hours ago, Jackcwba said:

Are those who need to report back for under consideration approval in the middle of October supposed to go before 3rd?

 

also what docs do we even need if not? Only a few days to sort everything and no announcement about what is needed?

once again another announcement which prompts more questions Rather than gives answers.

 

 

I think if you have an "under consideration" stamp, then you have already applied before Oct. 3rd. My passport was stamped with something, and something written

In Thai, which I cannot yet read, but told not to worry about the date because our paperwork is in progress.

 

[carlinternational]

I got a 3 months volunteer visa last month with the idea of adding 12 more months later (15 months total). Now that the amnesty is extended is there any way to go back after 3 months to the visa exemption / tourist visa and just pay for 60 days extensions in the future?

 

Is there any cheaper way for all of us that got volunteer visas during the "last days" of the amnesty?

[elliss]

22 hours ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Yes they do, and they are right too.

 

 Absolutely. 

 Farlangs ,  buy ...house and land , they cannot own .

   How stupid , can stupid be ? .

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, vermin on arrival said:

I understand your math, but I won't pay that money for a visa to stay in a country I no longer even want to visit. It's not a good value of money for me. I decided after 22 years of being a part-time resident that the shine was off of this apple, and it was time to close up shop for good. 15,000 for a year maybe, but definitely not for 3 months. So no, it's a bad deal for me.

As there are no countries that you want to go to that have open borders and no prospect of them opening, just overstay trust that the immigration police don’t get interested and provide free accommodation.
 

Or pay the money for the visa,

 

alternatively you can wait for October in the hope you can qualify for the new proposed in country 60 day extension.

[Sambotte]

So... Are we still waiting for a Royal Gazette to confirm actually ?

Or can one go now get a massage without being technically on over/under should-i-stay-or-should-i-go ? ????

[hottrader77]

On 9/28/2020 at 6:01 PM, RandolphGB said:

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

I want a rebate as i got a 15 month retirement visa for 25,000 baht when i did not need one it started in august and goes till november 2021 now i have got to stay here or else  i have wasted my money instead of getting an extension free till 31st october then getting 60 day visas which would be cheaper i was going to go back in march next year to uk i would have only needed 2 x 60 day visas probably costing about 100 pounds or 4,000 baht then could have gone back to uk to work till november 2021 so i have lost 21,000 baht , the only way i will make it slightly pay is to stay here till november 2021 but then i wont be able to save up by working in uk till then , pratts imigration bozos are 

[vermin on arrival]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

As there are no countries that you want to go to that have open borders and no prospect of them opening, just overstay trust that the immigration police don’t get interested and provide free accommodation.
 

Or pay the money for the visa,

 

alternatively you can wait for October in the hope you can qualify for the new proposed in country 60 day extension.

Well, I have my under consideration stamp, for Oct 21 and will have it validated until Oct 30 and most likely will have it extended until Nov 30 automatically if what we are currently hearing is true for those who were good boys and got their covid emergency extensions with embassy letters.

 

I don't have to pay those extortionist fees for long term visas through agents, and the choice isn't that or overstay. That is what the extortionists want us to believe. I will continue to work to getting to the places the will further my life and won't let your opinion or anyone else's deter me, but thanks for thinking about me...

 

I most likely will qualify for those extensions, so I will await and see how the situation will develop. So far 3 times immigration have threatened us (huffing and puffing) and 3 times the cabinet has granted amnesty. Based on the past results, odds are that something similar will continue to happen, or a more reasonable solution will be available.

 

I have stood my ground so far and don't intend to be a punk now. We'll see what happens.

[vermin on arrival]

11 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

I want a rebate as i got a 15 month retirement visa for 25,000 baht when i did not need one it started in august and goes till november 2021 now i have got to stay here or else  i have wasted my money instead of getting an extension free till 31st october then getting 60 day visas which would be cheaper i was going to go back in march next year to uk i would have only needed 2 x 60 day visas probably costing about 100 pounds or 4,000 baht then could have gone back to uk to work till november 2021 so i have lost 21,000 baht , the only way i will make it slightly pay is to stay here till november 2021 but then i wont be able to save up by working in uk till then , pratts imigration bozos are 

Sorry to hear that. I am sure this happened to many people. At least, you have peace of mind now. We still aren't sure if the new extension we are being told about is actually a good one.

[Keyser Soze666]

1 hour ago, elliss said:

 

 Absolutely. 

 Farlangs ,  buy ...house and land , they cannot own .

   How stupid , can stupid be ? .

It depends how much you give a sh!t, or maybe the house is security for your children??

 

'Investing' here is like investing in the stock market, ie don't invest what you're not prepared to lose.

[Keyser Soze666]

Blimey, look at you all go, what a bunch of cry babies.

[Matzzon]

26 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

I want a rebate as i got a 15 month retirement visa for 25,000 baht when i did not need one it started in august and goes till november 2021 now i have got to stay here or else  i have wasted my money instead of getting an extension free till 31st october then getting 60 day visas which would be cheaper i was going to go back in march next year to uk i would have only needed 2 x 60 day visas probably costing about 100 pounds or 4,000 baht then could have gone back to uk to work till november 2021 so i have lost 21,000 baht , the only way i will make it slightly pay is to stay here till november 2021 but then i wont be able to save up by working in uk till then , pratts imigration bozos are 

Yes, are maybe you have made the mistake all by yourself. You always had the option to go home instead.

[vermin on arrival]

1 minute ago, Matzzon said:

Yes, are maybe you have made the mistake all by yourself. You always had the option to go home instead.

To be fair, many were advising everyone to do this so not exactly made all by himself. Another option would have been to hold firm and expect a more reasonable decision such as this one, albeit in a more timely fashion, but TiT.

[rumak]

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

hahaha, all those poor tossers without money that spend money on AGENTS & keep corruption ALIVE

 

another extension (or till borders are open again) would be nice, that would make my day

 

I hate corruption and I don't support it 

[Jackcwba]

13 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

hahaha, all those poor tossers without money that spend money on AGENTS & keep corruption ALIVE

 

another extension (or till borders are open again) would be nice, that would make my day

 

I hate corruption and I don't support it 

I agree.. the whole visa situation is built on corruption. It’s designed to be ‘almost’ impossible just so you use an agent and fill the pockets of immigration. LAW & ORDER!!!!

[Daithi85]

20 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

The money required for the 3 month visas isnt much different from the amount you would pay if you  Ihad to travel abroad to apply for a visa ; Overland trip to Laos and back about 10 000 Baht for a two month visa, then a 1900 Baht 30 day extension .

12 000 Baht for 3 months , volunteer visas were 15/18 K for 3 months .

I contacted at least 15 different agents and 15,000 was definitely not been offered.20,000 to 34,000 was the going price....15000 would of been a pretty fair price under these crazy circumstances.

[Promula]

32 minutes ago, Jackcwba said:

I agree.. the whole visa situation is built on corruption. It’s designed to be ‘almost’ impossible just so you use an agent and fill the pockets of immigration. LAW & ORDER!!!!

The problem is, even if the government is aware of the problem, which it probably is, there seems to be a national sense of pride when Thais extract money from foreigners, and the more the better. So it'll never be stamped out. 

[Promula]

29 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

I contacted at least 15 different agents and 15,000 was definitely not been offered.20,000 to 34,000 was the going price....15000 would of been a pretty fair price under these crazy circumstances.

Pattaya only for 15,000. Anywhere else is 20,000+. I've no idea why.

[n00dle]

On 9/28/2020 at 8:09 PM, worldfun said:

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30395273?utm_source=bottom_relate&utm_medium=internal_referral

I guess it's as official as can get finally ???? before getting gazetted

How is that in any way official?

 

It is completely lacking any real information and introduces yet another piece of "information" that has been mentioned nowhere previously, namely the october 3rd deadline.

 

 

[Olmate]

59 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

hahaha, all those poor tossers without money that spend money on AGENTS & keep corruption ALIVE

 

another extension (or till borders are open again) would be nice, that would make my day

 

I hate corruption and I don't support it 

Happy me ,I use an agent and stay for years, 50 baht a day!

[Bender Rodriguez]

26 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Happy me ,I use an agent and stay for years, 50 baht a day!

so what makes you and so many other that use corruption, to not follow the 800k rule in the bank like the people that actually follow the rules...

 

corruption alive and well ... you are happy that you can stay, thanks to BRIBES and keeping this whole thing alive, where people are denied valid visa's with 400.000/800.000 baht in the bank, but one impossible to get paper pushes people to crooked AGENTS with corrupted IO's as contacts...

 

sad sad state of thailand ... will never change

 

if you compare with singapore ... they invested in rooting out corruption and invest in people's education = the richest asian nation around, not depended on tourism

[katatonic]

On 9/28/2020 at 6:36 PM, 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".

Clear as Trump

[katatonic]

1 hour ago, Promula said:

Pattaya only for 15,000. Anywhere else is 20,000+. I've no idea why.

My neighbours paid 12 & 15 to different agents in Phuket. I paid 25 once years ago to a big law office here - was 15 to start with until they had my passport.. 10 more to get it back months later. Then the IO told me it was fake. Luckily he knew my wife, but still not cheap.. Never again!

[jacob29]

On 9/29/2020 at 12:43 AM, Jack Hna said:

And the overall goal achieved in this surely stupid idea is what? A face of Thailand not even thais are silly enough to want to be seen. Next.

The goal would be a practical level of enforcement. They can't practically deport people. They absolutely can fine them, with minimal hassles.

[scoupeo]

I can already announce you that it will be extended again until new year. Only Thai and maybe people here don't know it yet ????