i guess i will be the last one to get a covid extension

[KiiGiam]

I am very confused about what a "COVID extension" is.  I was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 on my would be exit SARS-CoV-2 test.  As per my Thailand Pass, my visa was expiring on the next day because that was my planned travel date.

 

My hotel kicked me out to a piece of <deleted> Thai "hospitel" as soon as a bed opened on Day 3 of my isolation.  It was a miserable experience.  My original hotel told me that 1) I could no longer use an agency (or a friend) to extend my visa because rules had changed requiring showing up face to face. 2) That I would "probably" have to pay 500 baht a day for each day of my overstay.

 

At the airport they said, yep, 5,000 THB please.  I said, isn't there some exception?  I can show you the paperwork that I was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection the day before my visa expired.  They said very clearly that the COVID visa exension ended 31 December 2021... please pay.

 

Can someone explain what this extension actually was for and how people are still getting extended?  Was it meant for people who were infected and had to overstay their visa or is it just a random extension because there is COVID?  Did it end on 31 December or not?  I am completely miffed.   Thanks. 

[zugzug123]

20 minutes ago, KiiGiam said:

I am very confused about what a "COVID extension" is.  I was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 on my would be exit SARS-CoV-2 test.  As per my Thailand Pass, my visa was expiring on the next day because that was my planned travel date.

 

My hotel kicked me out to a piece of <deleted> Thai "hospitel" as soon as a bed opened on Day 3 of my isolation.  It was a miserable experience.  My original hotel told me that 1) I could no longer use an agency (or a friend) to extend my visa because rules had changed requiring showing up face to face. 2) That I would "probably" have to pay 500 baht a day for each day of my overstay.

 

At the airport they said, yep, 5,000 THB please.  I said, isn't there some exception?  I can show you the paperwork that I was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection the day before my visa expired.  They said very clearly that the COVID visa exension ended 31 December 2021... please pay.

 

Can someone explain what this extension actually was for and how people are still getting extended?  Was it meant for people who were infected and had to overstay their visa or is it just a random extension because there is COVID?  Did it end on 31 December or not?  I am completely miffed.   Thanks. 

Maybe next time don't listen to visa advice from hotel staff. Covid Extension is for everybody who can't go back to their homecountry due to the pandemic.

Edited January 25, 2022 by zugzug123

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, KiiGiam said:

Can someone explain what this extension actually was for and how people are still getting extended?  Was it meant for people who were infected and had to overstay their visa or is it just a random extension because there is COVID?  Did it end on 31 December or not?  I am completely miffed. 

I think you car mixing up the covid extension and the amnesty that ended in 2020.

You have to apply for a covid 19 extension at a immigration office. 

You could of applied for a extension based upon medical treatment to avoid the overstay. The hospital could of taken care of that for you for a small fee plus the 1900 baht fee for the extension.

[fgmr]

On 1/24/2022 at 3:16 PM, E020 said:

THey just want to raise the fees for agents right now. They'll extend it in the next days. I was scared same in Sept 2020 and went back and when I was back i heard it was extended. Just relax lol

Yes, I made the mistake of leving late evening on 26th Sept 2020. had I been prepared to pay the possibility of an overstay fine I would never have had to leave at all.

 

[yogi yogi]

On 1/24/2022 at 7:18 PM, lolalol said:

I also sensed that there is a money grabbing strategy going on. 

 

People seem to bump into more trouble when they apply for an extension closer to the deadline.

 

Initially I didn't think that the government would be in this too, but now I feel like it is possible that there are some kind of understanding between parties within the government.

 

Just my gut feeling. 

i just went ahead and extended on previous deadline of jan 25,   today. i dont trust nobody.  upside is now i can extend again and get the three weeks more i wanted.   

[yogi yogi]

Just now, yogi yogi said:

i just went ahead and extended on previous deadline of jan 25,   today. i dont trust nobody.  upside is now i can extend again and get the three weeks more i wanted.   

so many partaking in the covid extension i wonder if they will up the price to 3000 baht next time

[Hal65]

21 hours ago, zugzug123 said:

Covid Extension is for everybody who can't go back to their homecountry due to the pandemic.

This confused me mightily during my Covid visa application.

 

I "can" go back to the US even as Covid is ongoing. I am a citizen and have that right. I expect most other nationals can also go back to their own country if/when they choose, during the Pandemic. "Everyone including our citizens may not enter" seems a rare policy.

 

So how exactly are you guys making a case to stay based on "Covid"?

 

I wrote a generic answer about the US Covid situation and it was good enough for the visa at least that time. I would like to be better prepared for next time.

[zugzug123]

10 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

This confused me mightily during my Covid visa application.

 

I "can" go back to the US even as Covid is ongoing. I am a citizen and have that right. I expect most other nationals can also go back to their own country if/when they choose, during the Pandemic. "Everyone including our citizens may not enter" seems a rare policy.

 

So how exactly are you guys making a case to stay based on "Covid"?

 

I wrote a generic answer about the US Covid situation and it was good enough for the visa at least that time. I would like to be better prepared for next time.

Not everybody can. Covid extension is for those who can't. Ofcourse many are using this system to stay in thailand without applying for a "real visa".