Covid 60 extension, IO Chaeng Watthana asking for flight ticket

[DrJack54]

41 minutes ago, JaydenL said:

In Thailand since 2020 January, did my another CoViD-19 extension, no questions asked, 60 days granted, didn't see anyone "frantically buying flight tickets out".

Your experience is as it should be.

Which immigration office? 

[JaydenL]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Your experience is as it should be.

Which immigration office? 

Thank you! The one in question, Chaengwattana, Counter J.

[Coremouse]

1 hour ago, flbkk said:

I don’t understand, if OP came in on non B, then bought Elite visa. Why they want to throw her out. Or do you need to leave country to activate Elite? 

Ah I'm not OP, just replying covid-extension at CW and appreciate OP shares their experience

 

Elite-Visa info this is from (many emails and calls to) offcial Thailand elite.co.:

(1)Elite visa can't convert to any other visa, can't wok or doing buisness, can't convert back from any other visa, from within Thailand. This is DEFINITE and no exception.

 

(2)If bought elite visa while on tourist visa, could stick and convert ONCE within Thailand, NEVER after that. 

 

(3)Any visa buisness, work, doing buisness etc., the elite visa holder MUST exit Thailand and visa-run, and if wanna switch back to elite visa, MUST exit Thailand and visa-run, there's no other way

 

The only thing elite.co could help, is TEMQ to help plan quarantine. The visa holder is required to either leave or apply covid-60 days by self, elite.co can't help on this because not in their authority, 

[DrJack54]

Just now, JaydenL said:

Thank you! The one in question, Chaengwattana, Counter J.

You can understand the confusion.

Reports in this thread of almost hysteria with people scrambling booking outbound flights.

People sent away without covid extensions.

Can only put it down to one mad hatter immigration officer. 

Next week will be interesting.

Hopefully CW immigration officer over the hissy fit..

 

[JaydenL]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

You can understand the confusion.

Reports in this thread of almost hysteria with people scrambling booking outbound flights.

People sent away without covid extensions.

Can only put it down to one mad hatter immigration officer. 

Next week will be interesting.

Hopefully CW immigration officer over the hissy fit..

 

I went on Friday after reading the posts regarding people in panic booking flights to get extensions. In my case, I spent 2:30 hours waiting for my queue, and saw no one buying anything or having any problems with that. So it's sort of strange to read so many reports of that kind.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, JaydenL said:

. So it's sort of strange to read so many reports of that kind

Lets hope that more reports of hassle free experience obtaining covid extensions come through next week. 

Imagine immigration will be very busy next week with countdown to Nov 26..

I'm not sure if there were many reports.

Certainly there was a very detailed report from one member outlining demand for outbound flight and people refused covid extension.

Edited November 20, 2021 by DrJack54

[leeedwards]

On 11/18/2021 at 10:12 PM, thaicookingchef said:

haha, the champions still going to the worst immigration in the country...

 

no questions asked anywhere else !

 

 

 

On 11/18/2021 at 5:26 PM, DrJack54 said:

OP, that's disappointing. A cancelled flight out or any flight is not required.

Did you have the affidavit with you. 

So you attended CW? 

Which visa did you previously have? Tourist Visa? 

 

https://aseannow.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=727659 229.8 kB · 791 downloads

 

Asking questions at Nonthaburi Immigration too. Asked me for exact reasons for not being able to travel, and after some debate with 4 junior officers I asked to speak to their boss, who proceeded to tell me it was his boss requesting this information. He pretty much told me I'd have to leave after this one, although I need to go back in 2 weeks for the decision.  Luckily I now have enough money for the marriage visa, just need that extra time in my account.  But yes, Asking questions everywhere it seems. 

[DrJack54]

26 minutes ago, leeedwards said:

Luckily I now have enough money for the marriage visa, just need that extra time in my account

Do you already have a non O based on marriage? 

 

"Asked me for exact reasons for not being able to travel, and after some debate with 4 junior officers I asked to speak to their boss".........

4 io officers seems a lot. 

 

" But yes, Asking questions everywhere it seems".......

There is approx 77 immigration offices. Don't we can state being asked everywhere at this point.

 

BTW your not going back for the decision. Its only under construction period. You will receive the final stamp when you return.

Edited November 20, 2021 by DrJack54

[david555]

15 minutes ago, leeedwards said:

 

Asking questions at Nonthaburi Immigration too. Asked me for exact reasons for not being able to travel, and after some debate with 4 junior officers I asked to speak to their boss, who proceeded to tell me it was his boss requesting this information. He pretty much told me I'd have to leave after this one, although I need to go back in 2 weeks for the decision.  Luckily I now have enough money for the marriage visa, just need that extra time in my account.  But yes, Asking questions everywhere it seems. 

Like it always have bin in Thailand ...different handling in different offices or different desks or even by different  officers .....on even different days ....????????????

For a bit complicated matters.

Edited November 20, 2021 by david555

[secondtime]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

BTW your not going back for the decision. Its only under construction period. You will receive the final stamp when you return.

Have there been reports of someone going back with a consideration stamp and then not getting the full 60 days covid extension? Or is it basically a done deal when you get the consideration stamp?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, secondtime said:

Or is it basically a done deal when you get the consideration stamp?

Its same as example marriage extension under consideration period. It's a done deal.

The local io would not even give the under consideration stamp unless "all was good"

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, secondtime said:

Have there been reports of someone going back with a consideration stamp and then not getting the full 60 days covid extension?

Just to add to my previous reply.

Some io seem to be playing funny bug..gers with when the 60 day covid extension starts from.

It should be 100% from end of current permission of stay.

You have your passport. Do a calculation of approx what date to expect 60 days post your current expiry. If there is issue don't cop it.

[audaciousnomad]

7 hours ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

I think you are misguided. It is not because of their kindness at MTT that you are still here. It is because it is officially allowed by rules approved in written by the Thai government. It is not a debate, this is a fact.

 

Rogue agents now turning people away at CW are defying the government's official orders.

You made my point.  "Rogue agents" = Humans.  They are not robots, so good luck demanding fairness from them.  Despite what the rules say, the IO handling your application holds the power to stamp you or make it very difficult.  A robot won't understand kindness. A human at least has that possibility. ????

[jackdd]

57 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Just to add to my previous reply.

Some io seem to be playing funny bug..gers with when the 60 day covid extension starts from.

It should be 100% from end of current permission of stay.

You have your passport. Do a calculation of approx what date to expect 60 days post your current expiry. If there is issue don't cop it.

When I applied for my first Covid extension I went to immigration (Chiang Mai) about 10 days or something like that before my permit expired.

After I got my queue number, when I was called and handed my documents to the IO, the IO informed me that the extension would start today, and I would lose 10 days if I applied today. All by herself, without me saying anything yet, she recommended that I don't apply today, but come again on the day my current permission ends, to not lose any days.

I did of course ask why the extension doesn't start on the day my current permission ends, her explanation was that they were given orders to do it like this. I didn't push to see these orders, but it was a friendly conversation, and I think she just wanted to be helpful.

 

The following Covid extension at CW in BKK started on the day the previous one ended, and I recently applied for another one in CM, according to the IO this will also start on the day the previous one ends (currently I just have the under consideration stamp).

 

I do believe that there is indeed some rule/order that the first Covid extension starts on the day of application, but I do not have any idea what the point of that is.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I do believe that there is indeed some rule/order that the first Covid extension starts on the day of application, but I do not have any idea what the point of that is.

I realize that it's sorta unrelated, however as you know when someone changes the basis of extension....from say marriage to retirement...

..I think that the new extension in that example starts from date of application. Could be incorrect.

 

In any event in the end I guess it's up to the io. Which in itself is bit sad.

 

[natway09]

If we are all honest with ourselves the covid extensions have been better than I thought they would be & the land borders getting through a loophole in the law that was not exactly designed for  constant renewals.

Just about all folks have had the opportunity to return home by now

 

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, natway09 said:

If we are all honest with ourselves the covid extensions have been better than I thought they would be & the land borders getting through a loophole in the law that was not exactly designed for  constant renewals.

Just about all folks have had the opportunity to return home by now

 

Completely irrelevant.

With land borders open and also nearby airports such as Saigon open (just one example), there would be NO need for covid extensions.

News flash ....land borders are closed.

The "time to go home" clap trap has zero logic. 

 

[DrJack54]

40 minutes ago, natway09 said:

the land borders getting through a loophole in the law that was not exactly designed for  constant renewals

Please explain your loophole theory. Or perhaps your 2 Thanks emoji posters could chip in.

These are the facts. Previously folk  could live in SEA. That might involve combinations of living in Thailand and neighbouring countries. Vietnam my personal favourite. 

Fact is with land borders that's all impossible.

Can I fly to Saigon in near future..

Answer NO.

Stop with the go back to own country routine. 

Sort of ironic that given TP requirements tourist numbers will fall well short of goals....

.Kick out folk already here. Most probably double vaccinated. 

Stupidity abounds.

 

BTW I live in Thailand on annual extensions money in bank method. In many ways no dog in this fight.

Just find attitude of some expats re covid extensions astounding. 

Edited November 20, 2021 by DrJack54

[ThaiSmarterThanYou]

it's amazing how people can live so long time in a country and still understand nothing. just as Richard the idiot on twitter !

the guy keep crying after his visa once a year and since covid extension he keeps repeating that it's the last time.... But at the end he should know himself how often he is wrong ?! it's weird how people never learn anything.

of course, you like it or not, covid extension order wll be re-dated and people will get more extensions for a long time !

but hey, who am I to tell your clearly what you are unable to understand...

 

 

[DrJack54]

Ah....God bless the ignore function.

[BKKTRAVELER]

4 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

You made my point.  "Rogue agents" = Humans.  They are not robots, so good luck demanding fairness from them.  Despite what the rules say, the IO handling your application holds the power to stamp you or make it very difficult.  A robot won't understand kindness. A human at least has that possibility. ????

Let's put it this way, you have a job and your employer tells you to do it a certain way. If you do it another way with different results, you get fired. That's the reality of it. Immigration officers are government's employees. They were told to grant covid extensions under certain requirements by government officials. They have to follow that guideline, and that only. There is nothing about kindness about it, they just do their work. Clearly, some IOs are don't and that doesn't make it right one bit. 

 

Rules need to be followed, even by immigration. Officers who gave you extensions were not kind, just doing their jobs properly. I don't want to be rude, but stop living in lalaland...

[Chad3000]

On 11/18/2021 at 9:35 PM, stigar said:

Thats why i used a agent last time.They picked up my passport where i stayed..after 3 days they brugth my passport back with new 60 days visa.JUST needed my passport,thats it.I paid 5400 bath for this service.

That's 90b a day to merely stay in this country.

 

32,850b annually or one thousand USD.

 

Ridiculous AND it feeds corruption.

[Chad3000]

9 minutes ago, lolalol said:

Very interesting...

 

Thai people abroad are getting vaccinated for free.

And, Thai government received vaccine donations from foreign governments for free. 

Yet, they don't offer free vaccination to tourists who entered the country with tourist visa & visa exemption. And paid vaccines are never on schedule.

 

Thai people abroad are given visa amnesty for free. 

Yet, they demands foreign tourists in Thailand to pay for bi monthly extension. And possibility of further extensions are never told. 

 

So tourists in Thailand have been dealing with lots of uncertainties for the past 2 years.

Making it difficult to plan things ahead.

 

And now, we have to be concerned about whether immigration officers are having a bad day. 

Because they can use any excuse to reject your extension.

And this is while we are waiting for the cabinet to approve visa amnesty.

 

Dealing with this lack of clarity is more stressful than dealing with the pandemic.

 

Maybe you weren't around but immigration has been tightening up since about 2006.

 

Crying about being asked for a ticket to out after two years of stay here with few questions asked seems disingenuous to me. Your solution is easy - get on a retirement visa.

 

I can't understand why being here anymore especially during this period of history is the least bit important to those on Covid extension.

[Atlantis]

@Coremouse

If your cat means that much to you and if the tickets to Shanghai are too expensive, I guess you may have two more options left:

1. Get two doses of Pfizer in a month or two doses of Moderna in 3 weeks. I don't know where you would get the 1-shot Janssen (J&J) shot from in Thailand. If you overstay a little, you overstay. Then do your border run to Cambodia.

2. Book a hotel in Jomtien for a month or longer (refundable obviously), get the hotel to do your TM30, and then extend at a less stringent immigration office.

The folks in the little office on Jomtien Beach are often much less stringent than the ones in CW 'head office'. If you've not been before, it's worthwhile just to see it once. It's comically small.
 

[Daithi85]

15 hours ago, JaydenL said:

I went on Friday after reading the posts regarding people in panic booking flights to get extensions. In my case, I spent 2:30 hours waiting for my queue, and saw no one buying anything or having any problems with that. So it's sort of strange to read so many reports of that kind.

I also find it strange that people are reportedly buying expensive flight tickets back to their home country instead of trying a different I'mmigration office or contacting a visa agent to ask them to help out. I personally know 4 people who all got extensions this week no problems whatsoever. 

[stratocaster]

Can anyone confirm that the Covid extension has been extended to the 31 December. According to members of the colorful forum it has been noted on farcebook. My German buddy went last week to obtain a new Covid extension and was told this will be the last, and to make arrangements to transfer 800.000 baht and start the process for a retirement extension if he wishes to stay. Rayong office.

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

I also find it strange that people are reportedly buying expensive flight tickets back to their home country instead of trying a different I'mmigration office or contacting a visa agent to ask them to help out. I personally know 4 people who all got extensions this week no problems whatsoever. 

Using a service like onwardticket, the "ticket" (not a real ticket, but good enough for the IO) costs a few hundred baht, that's way cheaper than using an agent or traveling to another immigration office.

Edited November 21, 2021 by jackdd

[jackdd]

6 minutes ago, stratocaster said:

Can anyone confirm that the Covid extension has been extended to the 31 December. According to members of the colorful forum it has been noted on farcebook. My German buddy went last week to obtain a new Covid extension and was told this will be the last, and to make arrangements to transfer 800.000 baht and start the process for a retirement extension if he wishes to stay. Rayong office.

Nothing has been confirmed yet. Looks like an amnesty is coming:

In this case the Covid extensions as we have them now would probably stop.

Edited November 21, 2021 by jackdd

[audaciousnomad]

10 hours ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

Let's put it this way, you have a job and your employer tells you to do it a certain way. If you do it another way with different results, you get fired. That's the reality of it. Immigration officers are government's employees. They were told to grant covid extensions under certain requirements by government officials. They have to follow that guideline, and that only. There is nothing about kindness about it, they just do their work. Clearly, some IOs are don't and that doesn't make it right one bit. 

 

Rules need to be followed, even by immigration. Officers who gave you extensions were not kind, just doing their jobs properly. I don't want to be rude, but stop living in lalaland...

LOL...have you ever been pulled over for driving too fast and then the officer let you go with a warning (when he should have written you a ticket with a fine) ?   That's called kindness.  He didn't decided to let you go because he was worried for his job. His job allows him to make these "human judgement" calls. I can guarantee if you are not nice to the officer in this example, he will unkindly issue you your traffic ticket no matter how unfair you believe it might be.

Edited November 21, 2021 by audaciousnomad

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

On 11/18/2021 at 6:46 AM, Coremouse said:

Same here, straight denied for extension. Today I went to Chaeng Wattana, with complete documents(affadavit, STM2, TM7, TM30&90 days receipts, copie all passport pages, just as I successfully applied 3 times before).

 

The immigration officer asking why I didn't return home country China, I stated for me have no Chinese health code, not vaxed yet, I'll be denied boarding any plane and can't resolve this before expire date. And most importantly China's been very strict control recently and can't get a plane ticket, whether it's Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen etc... I could only find 2 tickets for Shanghai, and price equal to 185000 baht per ticket... 

 

I told officer I think I'm being very reasonable getting 1 more extension, ( I'm expelled from my family since I took TS surgery... and really no reason to go back, I setup my home and DIY shop here, also has a dearest indoor cat, chipped but not neutered, would be headache if left her alone for more than 2 weeks ) I have valid Elite PE-Visa to July 2022, it's just because this silly situation I can't do a visa-run to any destination, this makes PE-Visa absolute waste of money since can't convert back inside Thailand. Immigration officer said could only extend if have embassy-support letter, which I think many embassies already stopped issuing for a while, even though negative travel advice. 

 

I guess it's pretty obvious covid-extension isn't as reliable now, and may come to end for many? I'm trying contact embassy or asking agent now, and agent says from recently it's very difficult if applicant go to apply by self, without help of (higher price) agent... 

 

 

I think some nearby countries are opening up. India is now and I believe Cambodia will soon but you have to be vaccinated.