Expats may need to take COVID-19 test in order to renew extensions of stay: Richard Barrow

[Salerno]

5 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

AFAIR Richard Barrow himself mentioned it in his Facebook post where he reported about the new law. It’s either in the main post itself or in the comments section. Pretty sure I saw it there. 

 

Thanks, will have a look but sounds like the usual panic after a bad translation/misunderstanding (look at the 300 Bht arrival thread, how do so many people think it would supply them insurance is beyond me, especially since it isn't the first time it was proposed and the idea that they meant it supplied individual insurance was put right then).

Edited January 17, 2021 by Salerno

[KhunFred]

Does anyone have any information on the price of having a COVID test done??  Either public or private hospital.

[starky]

Seems fair and further to that so what?

[starky]

1 minute ago, KhunFred said:

Does anyone have any information on the price of having a COVID test done??  Either public or private hospital.

Top joints like bumrungrad etc is in the realm of 6-8000 baht. Free tests in other countries are in high risk areas or those that think they may be high risk or been exposed. Not sure how Thailand is covering free testing. 

[Salerno]

8 minutes ago, Salerno said:

Thanks, will have a look

 

Had a look, IMO it's a load of <deleted> total non-story.

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

 

Had a look, IMO it's a load of <deleted> total non-story.

I’ve added a screenshot of his Facebook post to my post above. 
 

I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes similarly to other immigration rules in the  past, where every immigration office/officer will interpret/enforce it differently as he understands or likes. Some will not have any issues, others will. 
 

Anyway, it’s all speculation. 

[Mutt Daeng]

17 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

AFAIR Richard Barrow himself mentioned it in his Facebook post where he reported about the new law. It’s either in the main post itself or in the comments section. Pretty sure I saw it there. 
 

//edit: here’s the screenshot from his Facebook post:

I would prefer a link to a legit Immigration/Govt source rather than someone's opinion stating that "someone told me".

[thailand49]

22 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

Richard Barrow, apparently well-meaning, often whips people up into a panic based on his misunderstandings. Clearly, it would be absurd to require a Covid-19 test for extensions and it's not even what the regulations he's quoting says so this is obviously another one of his brain farts. I don't know why anyone takes him seriously.

Never heard of the guy until now, but from what is being said if true why not just call it what it is  a <deleted> idiot!  ????

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes similarly to other immigration rules in the  past, where every immigration office/officer will interpret/enforce it differently as he understands or likes. Some will not have any issues, others will. 

 

Difference being that all this is doing is adding Covid-19 to an existing list. If, as Richard Barrow's is trying to make out, this means you need a negative covid-19 test for an extension why haven't people needed to take test for the existing list to get an extension? It's fear mongering, nothing more IMO.

[welovesundaysatspace]

5 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

Difference being that all this is doing is adding Covid-19 to an existing list.

If that’s the case, then it could in fact become an issue for everyone, because... 

Quote

If, as Richard Barrow's is trying to make out, this means you need a negative covid-19 test for an extension why haven't people needed to take test for the existing list to get an extension? It's fear mongering, nothing more IMO.

AFAIR you need to go through the medical certificate thing for every extension, and the doctors and hospitals are not handing out carte blanche certificates anymore as they used to many years ago. I believe I had to do it for my last extension. 

[Bradmeister]

ASCENDING  Paranoia to an all new level....

 

This is as intrusive as a phone tracking app.

 

No, I will not wear an electronic ankle bracelet!

dammit

 

[Salerno]

I've never heard/read about anyone having to get a medical test done for an extension of stay.

[Mutt Daeng]

3 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

If that’s the case, then it could in fact become an issue for everyone, because... 

AFAIR you need to go through the medical certificate thing for every extension, and the doctors and hospitals are not handing out carte blanche certificates anymore as they used to many years ago. I believe I had to do it for my last extension. 

No medical certificate has been required for my marriage and retirement extensions in Korat/Buriram/Surin in the last 11 years. AFAIK a medical certificate saying you don't have any of those disease on "the list" is only required when applying for certain long-stay Thai visas in your country of origin.

[Mutt Daeng]

3 minutes ago, Salerno said:

I've never heard/read about anyone having to get a medical test done for an extension of stay.

Just beat me to it mate.

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

...only required when applying for certain long-stay Thai visas in your country of origin.

 

I believe also required for some (all?) work permits.

[ThomasThBKK]

4 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

Just beat me to it mate.

 

It's needed for work permit holders afaik, i would assume this also applies to work permit holders mostly.

 

I don't have a WP but reading this sounds like it it's the case: 

 

Quote

Something to keep in mind. This is not a one-time thing. Medical examinations in connection with work permits need to be obtained on a fairly frequent basis AKA usually at least every year. Sometimes there are certain types of visas, for example things like the Smart Visa, and certain types of visa under the BOI where a work permit visa can be issued for 2 years or even longer, presumably. But as of the time of this filming most folks are probably going to be on the one-year extension with the one-year visa, or the one-year work permit with the one-year visa extension, and those who are on such documents need to go ahead and get their work permit renewed every year and as part of the renewal process is getting another one of these medical exams. So this is something that those who have work permits in Thailand will become quite accustomed to because it will be something that has to be routinely obtained and maintained in the future.

Src: https://www.legal.co.th/resources/corporate-and-tax-advisory/thailand-corporate-law/medical-examination-requirements-thai-work-permits/

 

 

I assume they just add a covid test to the other tests they also do but won't bother retirees, pe visa etc with this. 

 

Logic in all of this? Not much... all speculation from my side, they are prolly scared of burmese workers with covid but can't just make a law for burmese only. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by ThomasThBKK

[NeoGeoThai]

I had to renew my visa based on mariage , 30th december . No covid test asked at the immigration in Jomtien Pattaya. Just the usual , documents and pictures  of my wife , my daugther and me in front/inside of our house. 
I also have a work permit with my mariage visa , renewed the same week. Again , no covid test asked.

Edited January 17, 2021 by NeoGeoThai

[Mutt Daeng]

2 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

I believe also required for some (all?) work permits.

Fair enough. I have no knowledge wrt work permit requirements. I was just referring to "bog standard" marriage or retirement extensions.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

3 hours ago, Catkiwi said:

Thai immigration hot line is 1178. You can also go to the immigration web site and search for your local office and contact details.

Thanks for the advice but my own experience and several earlier posts suggest the Immigration Officers do not know what is going on either. This is a familiar situation that is normal for them, so they tend to make up rules as they feel at the time. I have no objection to a test as long I am not overcharged and it is done honestly, not to fill another space in an isolation hospital at great expense.

[Mike k]

22 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

The brother of Simon.

Cousin of wheel 

[Freigeist365]

23 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

Richard Barrow, apparently well-meaning, often whips people up into a panic based on his misunderstandings. Clearly, it would be absurd to require a Covid-19 test for extensions and it's not even what the regulations he's quoting says so this is obviously another one of his brain farts. I don't know why anyone takes him seriously.

Couldn't agree more!!! ????

[josephbloggs]

15 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

I believe also required for some (all?) work permits.

Nope.  Had WPs here for 25 years and never needed one.  Renewed a month or so ago and no medical required.

[RanongCat]

5*****  rated topic. For some laughing

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

1 hour ago, Wongkitlo said:

Ubonjoe has just commented on this in the immigration forum. He says no change to policy so no test required. 

I do wish you had quoted him as I can't find his post.

[Muzzique]

23 hours ago, TSF said:

Just got a mental image of  this blind drunk alcoholic alien rolling up at his local Immigration office to extend his visa with fingers, toes & nose missing from leprosy, coughing blood into his hanky from TB, legs swollen from elephantiasis, trackmarks up both arms from drug addiction, sores all over from syphilis, and now the poor bast*rd has disease 2019 too.

 

Then of course you find out he was the last person to sleep with the Bar girl you just spent the night with when a MorChana warning pops up on your phone.

[anchadian]

5 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

I do wish you had quoted him as I can't find his post.

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Posted 1 hour ago

The covid 19 rule has been in effect for some time now. That is why you have to get a test to enter the country.

The change to to section 12 of the immigration is for those entering the country for a temporary permit to stay is just a formality to allow immigration to deny entries.

The change to section 44 is only for those with permanent residency since the are not included in section 12.

I did a google translate of the royal gazette this morning read what is said and compared it to the immigration act.

It will have no effect on those staying here on extension of stay or who are already in the country on a visa or visa exempt entry and those with permanent residency.

[thedemon]

 

I believe that the confusion come from the English translation of the above. "Have residency in Thailand"  does not refer to living in Thailand, it is actually Immigration speak for "be granted permanent residence"

 

Extensions of stay do not require any medical checks or certificates but applications for permanent residence do have that requirement. There is a list of diseases that a PR applicant must be certified as free of and it looks like Covid-19 has been added to that list.

 

The Immigration Act only mentions the word disease in 2 sections; Section 12 which deals with entry to the Kingdom; and section 44 which deals with permanent residence. These are the same 2 sections that Richard Barrow refers to.

 

So in reality it will hardly affect anyone. To enter Thailand as a foreigner already requires a Covid test. When PR applicants have their medical check done at a hospital, they don't necessarily do blood tests for each of the listed diseases and I would imagine it will be the same once Covid is added to that list.

 

 

[DavisH]

8 hours ago, tomyami said:

I was found positive on a pcr test made isolate for 10 days at my own place then told it was a mistake 2 weeks ago in ireland

If that happened in thailand it would be very costly i have no faith in the tests anymore

This is why a second and possibly 3rd follow-up test is done.

[hhinhh]

On 1/16/2021 at 2:40 PM, GeorgeCross said:

won't be taking my test at a private hospital.. just in case i test positive

 

can you imagine the bill! ????

 

 

 

[hhinhh]

Be kind.... also private hospitals are suffering from the lack of tourists.