Covid extension denied because coming to early, must come back on March 21

[anotherfarangishere]

Hello everyone,

 

So, this morning, I went to the Thai Immigration Bureau Muangthong Thani to get a new Covid extension but the people checking the forms and photocopies told me that, as my actual first covid extension is expiring on April 15, it was too early and I must come back between March 21 and 25 (March 25 is the last day for actual covid extension).

 

As I came from Bangkapi, about 20 kilometers from MTT I lost all my morning and some bahts with my Grab transport...

[Liverpool Lou]

Oh, dear, what a dreadful state of affairs.   

 

Don't you mean that you wasted "all your morning" and "some baht" yourself?  Was it a lot of baht... more than a couple of hundred?

 

The tone of your OP seems to be wanting to blame Immigration for some reason.

 

 

[Ohyesuare]

They don't like when you come more than 30 days before your extension expires. They might have given it to you if it was closer to the expiration date.

[audaciousnomad]

Yes...too early.  2-3 weeks ahead is ok. More than 1 month is too early.  Some office might do it, but most will not.

I can't save you time, but if you want to save bahts, you can:

1) Take BTS to Victory Monument
2) Catch Bus 166 to Muang Thong Thani bus terminus (Popular Rd.) <This only costs 22baht.

The bus terminus is across the street from the MTT office.

Edited March 11, 2022 by audaciousnomad

[anotherfarangishere]

6 hours ago, Ohyesuare said:

They don't like when you come more than 30 days before your extension expires. They might have given it to you if it was closer to the expiration date.

What does it change for them ?

 

I came today because for now the covid extension will expire on March 26 and I didn't want to wait the last moment to ask for a new extension. My idea was the immigration will be more crowded on the last week (21 to 25).

[anotherfarangishere]

6 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

I can't save you time, but if you want to save bahts, you can:

1) Take BTS to Victory Monument
2) Catch Bus 166 to Muang Thong Thani bus terminus (Popular Rd.) <This only costs 22baht.

The bus terminus is across the street from the MTT office.

Thank you ! Still, going from Bang Kapi to Victory Monument is not easy. The problem is the construction of the Yellow Line (monorail), making traffic horrible near my apartment.

 

From Muang Thong Thani bus terminus to MTT office, is there a shortcut or should you walk (about 1km) to the main entrance ?

[easydoor]

Oh, what a dram: he lost one morning and some THB's..... and most of all: because his own fault....

Maybe should have to start an crowdfund to help him for his loss of money.

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, easydoor said:

Oh, what a dram: he lost one morning and some THB's..... and most of all: because his own fault....

Maybe should have to start an crowdfund to help him for his loss of money.

I'm glad the OP took time to report his experience. 

The report comes as a warning to others not to apply for extension with many days left on your current permit. 

(30 up)

 

OP, if you had read AseanNow you would be aware of reports similar to your experience. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by DrJack54

[tonray]

7 hours ago, anotherfarangishere said:

Thank you ! Still, going from Bang Kapi to Victory Monument is not easy. The problem is the construction of the Yellow Line (monorail), making traffic horrible near my apartment.

I used to live out that way....used to take the San Saeb boat from the pier behind The Mall BangKapi to get around heavy traffic times. A possibility to circumvent the clogged roads.

[EricTh]

I thought Covid extensions have been stopped?

[anotherfarangishere]

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I'm glad the OP took time to report his experience. 

The report comes as a warning to others not to apply for extension with many days left on your current permit. 

(30 up)

 

OP, if you had read AseanNow you would be aware of reports similar to your experience. 

It's the reason why I reported this experience: to avoid to other people the same experience.

 

I can't read all AseanNow posts and after 18 years in Thailand I never experiences this kind of problem before so I didn't make a research about it.

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I thought Covid extensions have been stopped?

End March 25.

 

Call me crazy but I think they should be extended one more time till May 25.

Hopefully by then some land borders will be open.

They will announce covid extensions continue around March 24. It's a hobby of theirs. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by DrJack54

[anotherfarangishere]

6 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I thought Covid extensions have been stopped?

No, they don't. At least not in Bangkok.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, anotherfarangishere said:

It's the reason why I reported this experience: to avoid to other people the same experience.

 

I can't read all AseanNow posts and after 18 years in Thailand I never experiences this kind of problem before so I didn't make a research about it.

I realize that you were after covid extension however note that even 12 month extentions can only be obtained up to 30 days early at most offices 

Couple of weeks early is the norm for extensions. 

Obviously with every end date for covid extensions many will try very early. Perhaps 30 days +

Edited March 12, 2022 by DrJack54

[anotherfarangishere]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

End March 25.

 

Call me crazy but I think they should be extended one more time till May 25.

Hopefully by then some land borders will be open.

No more quarantine for South Korea from March 21 (well, not exactly a land border but not so far, before covid I used to pass some months in Busan).

 

That said, it's a little crazy: they are stopping quarantine when they are experiencing an all high new contaminations : +383.651 new cases !!!

Edited March 12, 2022 by anotherfarangishere

[anotherfarangishere]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Obviously with every end date for covid extensions many will try very early. Perhaps 30 days +

Yes, I didn't want to wait for the last week... but it's just what they have asked me to do : coming back between March 21/25.

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, anotherfarangishere said:

No more quarantine for South Korea from March 21 (well, not exactly a land border but not so far, before covid I used to pass some months in Busan).

Our fav is Osaka. 

Not sure what the current entry requirements are for Japan. 

Some folk may not be aware that Thai nationals receive 15 days visa exempt for Japan. 5hr 40 min direct from BKK. 

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by DrJack54

[anotherfarangishere]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Our fav is Osaka. 

Not sure what the current entry requirements are for Japan. 

Some folk may not be aware that Thai nationals receive 15 days visa exempt for Japan. 5hr 40 min direct from BKK. 

 

I also used to fly from Busan to Osaka (only 1 hour). But unfortunately, Japan borders are always completely close for tourists.

[userabcd]

7 hours ago, anotherfarangishere said:

Thank you ! Still, going from Bang Kapi to Victory Monument is not easy. The problem is the construction of the Yellow Line (monorail), making traffic horrible near my apartment.

 

From Muang Thong Thani bus terminus to MTT office, is there a shortcut or should you walk (about 1km) to the main entrance ?

Can you not take a taxi from Bangkapi direct to MTT?

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Our fav is Osaka. 

Not sure what entry requirements are for Japan. 

Some folk may not be aware that Thai nationals receive 15 days visa exempt. 5hr 40 min direct from BKK. 

I don't believe Japan is open for tourism although non-citizens can now return to the country. Flying back to the US on ANA and there are a lot of cheap flights that involve a transfer between Haneda and North so I am not sure how this works. 

[anotherfarangishere]

1 minute ago, userabcd said:

Can you not take a taxi from Bangkapi direct to MTT?

Seems many taxi don't know MTT: the first time I tried to take one from BTS Wat Phra Sri, the closest BTS station and two taxis didn't know how to go to MTT (I had the full address written in Thai), so eventually I used Grab from Wat Phra Sri to MTT.

Now, I've used Grab from my apartment in Bangkapi to MTT but still not cheap and slow due to traffic.

[audaciousnomad]

8 hours ago, anotherfarangishere said:

Thank you ! Still, going from Bang Kapi to Victory Monument is not easy. The problem is the construction of the Yellow Line (monorail), making traffic horrible near my apartment.

 

From Muang Thong Thani bus terminus to MTT office, is there a shortcut or should you walk (about 1km) to the main entrance ?

If you don't have mobility problems, it should be manageable. And It is actual distance of 500m by walking, which should only take about 7 minutes to walk.

500m to MTT from bus stop

[anotherfarangishere]

Just now, audaciousnomad said:

If you don't have mobility problems, it should be manageable. And It is actual distance of 500m by walking, which should only take about 7 minutes to walk.

500m to MTT from bus stop

Sure, no problem: before I used to walk from Lak Si to Government Complex (2 kms). I was just asking, in case such a shortcut exists, otherwise, no problem to walk !

[Liverpool Lou]

10 minutes ago, anotherfarangishere said:

Seems many taxi don't know MTT: the first time I tried to take one from BTS Wat Phra Sri, the closest BTS station and two taxis didn't know how to go to MTT

...many taxi don't know MTT".

Many?  You mean two didn't know (or didn't understand what you were saying).  The other 79,998+ taxi drivers probably do know how to get to such a well known area.

[anotherfarangishere]

10 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

If you don't have mobility problems, it should be manageable. And It is actual distance of 500m by walking, which should only take about 7 minutes to walk.

500m to MTT from bus stop

BTW, thanks for the Google Map : so, there is an "Impact Hall 6" station, I don't need to go to the terminal bus about 1 km from the MTT office ?

[audaciousnomad]

7 minutes ago, anotherfarangishere said:

BTW, thanks for the Google Map : so, there is an "Impact Hall 6" station, I don't need to go to the terminal bus about 1 km from the MTT office ?

Either stop is fine. They are both about 500m by walking.  The 1km quoted by google maps is if you click "by car". 

[anotherfarangishere]

10 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Either stop is fine. They are both about 500m by walking.  The 1km quoted by google maps is if you click "by car". 

Ok, thank you !

[itsari]

18 hours ago, Ohyesuare said:

They don't like when you come more than 30 days before your extension expires. They might have given it to you if it was closer to the expiration date.

2 weeks at the Chiang Mai immigration 

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

3 hours ago, anotherfarangishere said:

Seems many taxi don't know MTT: the first time I tried to take one from BTS Wat Phra Sri, the closest BTS station and two taxis didn't know how to go to MTT (I had the full address written in Thai), so eventually I used Grab from Wat Phra Sri to MTT.

Now, I've used Grab from my apartment in Bangkapi to MTT but still not cheap and slow due to traffic.

It shows up on Google Maps and you can just direct the driver yourself. If you tell them it's next to Impact Arena, they would probably know that if they are a taxi driver and not the guy's cousin, in from the sticks for the week to see the sights.

[anotherfarangishere]

6 minutes ago, Thai Visa Member 999999 said:

It shows up on Google Maps and you can just direct the driver yourself. If you tell them it's next to Impact Arena, they would probably know that if they are a taxi driver and not the guy's cousin, in from the sticks for the week to see the sights.

I also show them on Google Maps and it didn't help. From MTT to BTS it's very easy but from BTS to MTT, as the road is on the left side and you must turn right there is an extremely complicated moment and without GPS it's easy to make a mistake.

 

 But yes, maybe I could tell them it's next to Impact Arena.