41 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Were the IOs getting their piece of the action with the volunteer visas?  Was someone missed out of the loop that should have been getting a cut?

Of course they were but there was a recent "changing of the guard" with immigration recently as I understand it and also with the "reopening" of Thailand, I'm sure the IOs who were getting their piece have no problem now turning on this "illegal" entity that was making these visas possible and is now frowned upon. 

OP, if immigration stop honouring the multitude of under the table visas they've happily taken money for down through the years ( ed, volunteer or retirement), then people will simply stop purchasing them, and that will end that lucrative slush fund.

That's the last thing they want.

 

There's been zero reports here of anybody having issues leaving or entering Thailand after obtaining a volunteer visa, so all you've got is a second hand rumour passed on to you by someone with no affiliation to immigration.

20 minutes ago, mockingbird said:

There's been zero reports here of anybody having issues leaving or entering Thailand after obtaining a volunteer visa, so all you've got is a second hand rumour passed on to you by someone with no affiliation to immigration.

To be fair, Elite Visa  staff do have some kind of affiliation to immigration.

12 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

To be fair, Elite Visa  staff do have some kind of affiliation to immigration.

Yea you're right. Affiliation is the wrong word. What I mean is that they're not immigration staff.

12 hours ago, whizzergo said:

Well, the lines are never quite so black and white here eh.

You may remember last year that one of the covid extensions was announced the day of, or maybe even the day after, the expiration of the last.

 

At the same time there was a proliferation of education and volunteer visa's doing the rounds.

 

One might be forgiven for having thought that we were being pushed down that route if we wanted to stay longer, and with no viable option for re-entering the country if we left, it seemed a much better alternative to overstay.

And I recall a Thai immigration guy on television telling us , begging us that if we can get a visa , get a visa by applying for it  before its too late and you go on overstay . 

   The following week immigration announced a visa amnesty and we didnt need to get a visa after all .

   We got well tricked into getting expensive visas 

2 hours ago, Ohyesuare said:

Of course they were but there was a recent "changing of the guard" with immigration recently as I understand it and also with the "reopening" of Thailand, I'm sure the IOs who were getting their piece have no problem now turning on this "illegal" entity that was making these visas possible and is now frowned upon. 

Yes, I heard that some of the friendly cooperative immigration guys who issue the visas have been moved to other jobs .

  Do you know the current situation and whether their replacements are also cooperative ?:

I got a volunteer visa last year. I left the country and came back on a re-entry permit. Zero problems. I also did TM30+ 90 day reports and got residence certificates issued in my local province. Never had any issues.

15 minutes ago, MajorTom said:

I got a volunteer visa last year. I left the country and came back on a re-entry permit. Zero problems. I also did TM30+ 90 day reports and got residence certificates issued in my local province. Never had any issues.

That's quite different to the OPs situation , he wants to come back on visa exempt 

17 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Yes, I heard that some of the friendly cooperative immigration guys who issue the visas have been moved to other jobs .

  Do you know the current situation and whether their replacements are also cooperative ?:

The current situation is they are not from what I hear but that there's a chance that they might decide to be a few months from now. Especially if the COVID situation worsens again and the "reopening" is a failure. 

4 hours ago, Ohyesuare said:

History would show a volunteer visa, if they cared to look into it, but I don't think the organization it was done with would.

That's how I'm reading this whole mess, too. From what's readily available on their computer screen, apparently they don't get to see the name of the "disgraced foundation" that this is all about.

 

Personally, if I was in that situation, I'd heed the advice to get a new passport. At the very least, it cannot hurt, and the cost is negligible in the big scheme of things.

I'm tempted to do the new passport. My covid visa ends early January though. mailing my  passport to the US embassy I may not have enough time to get it back and get the next visa.

33 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

I'm tempted to do the new passport. My covid visa ends early January though. mailing my  passport to the US embassy I may not have enough time to get it back and get the next visa.

You are required to transfer stamps and visa info.

Your not exiting Thailand.

Can't see how new pp helps. 

On 11/26/2021 at 1:28 AM, whizzergo said:

Yeh. It does seem bizarre that i've been able to continue on that same visa to expiry, and now change over to a covid extension and persist. But then as soon as I leave and try to return to the country, they're going to prevent me entering.

 

If that was to happen on arrival at Suvarnabhumi it'd be a real logistical headache too. Presumably meaning i'd need to book an immediate flight out.

 

It just seems so unlikely, but I suppose there's only one way to find out.

If refused entry on arrival, your airline is obliged to return you to your last departure airport (for which the airline will try to make you pay, but will have to take you regardless).