Covid extensions after March 25?

[JoseThailand]

Land borders are still closed. Thailand entry requirements are burdensome and deterring. Covid is still raging around the world and especially in Asian countries. Additionally, the war in Ukraine caused disruptions in international flights. All in all, situation is far from normal. Under these circumstances, Covid extensions must continue. But, as we all know, this is Thailand, so anything can happen. Your thoughts?

[Mac Mickmanus]

You can easily get flights back to Europe and most other Countries in the World , Covid is over in many other Countries , everything is back to normal and there's no more restrictions .

    There is no need to continue with Covid extensions 

[JoseThailand]

4 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

You can easily get flights back to Europe and most other Countries in the World , Covid is over in many other Countries , everything is back to normal and there's no more restrictions .

    There is no need to continue with Covid extensions 

Everything will be back to normal when/if there is no need of vaccination, Covid tests, Thai pass, quarantine etc. 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

It puts me in a pickle. I'm a teacher and my contract's up for renewal. My visa's running out. Word is the start of the next term will be delayed a month or so due to Covid, as it was last year. Word is they want to start my new contract a few months late. In the meantime, they're hinting I take the Covid extension to fill that gap. Hah. I gotta tell them it doesn't look like they're giving them out anymore, now they're sending folks home. They can go ahead and not pay me for those months school's not open, but I need my visa.

[DrJack54]

Covid extensions should continue untill land borders are open.

They will announce their extension most likely 24 March.

Just one person's opinion. 

[ubonjoe]

This topic just several posts shorter after I removed several off topic posts meant to deflect the topic and the expected replies to them. Several were also just bickering and baiting as well. Time to end it or this topic will be close and/or warnings given.

[Onerak]

Cambodia is open I read. May be get a tourist visa or visa exempt entry with Thai Pass, one-day quarantine, and an insurance. 

[aussiexpat]

On 3/15/2022 at 6:36 AM, DrJack54 said:

Covid extensions should continue untill land borders are open.

They will announce their extension most likely 24 March.

Just one person's opinion. 

Why should open land borders have anything to do with granting a covid extension?

 

Most countries now have regular commercial flights from Thailand without quarantine, including close neighbors Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Phillipines. 

 

I doubt they'll renew the covid extension past 25 March as even now most people signing the affidavit that they can't enter their home country due covid is lying (I know I did)

[itsari]

Best scenario would be to drop the word covid and continue allowing extensions in Thailand . 

Law change required there .

immigration would raise more revenue and tourists would spend there money in Thailand .

[DrJack54]

47 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Why should open land borders have anything to do with granting a covid extension?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Didn't you recently obtain a covid extension?

Apologies if that's incorrect.

BTW in my opinion providing covid extensions is not about the ability or otherwise of returning to home country..

[aussiexpat]

20 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

BTW in my opinion providing covid extensions is not about the ability or otherwise of returning to home country..

Not true, the covid extension requires an Embassy letter stating you cannot return home.

 

Instead of this Embassy letter you can sign an affidavit which clearly states that you cannot return to your own country due to covid (box 1).

 

Affadavit Box 2 states that your embassy does not issue a letter stating that you cannot return to your own country due to covid.

 

So covid extension definitely related to home country

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by aussiexpat

[mtls2005]

On 3/15/2022 at 4:22 AM, JoseThailand said:

Your thoughts?

Maybe just look at the thread from ~ 60 days ago? ~ 120 days ago?

 

Same "thoughts" I'd imagine.

 

Can't see why they wouldn't extend it another 60 days. What's changed significantly in the last 60 days?

[DrJack54]

15 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Not true, the covid extension affidavit clearly states that you cannot return to your own country due to covid (box 1).

The affidavit has nothing to do with covid extensions.

It's a piece of paper made up by immigration. 

 

[aussiexpat]

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The affidavit has nothing to do with covid extensions.

It's a piece of paper made up by immigration. 

Wow, try applying for a covid extension without the Affidavit. It is the main form replacing the required Embassy letter that no-one can get.

[ubonjoe]

36 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Wow, try applying for a covid extension without the Affidavit. It is the main form replacing the required Embassy letter that no-one can get.

There are several tick boxes on the form for the reasons and there is one that you can create yourself.

I think what he meant was its relationship to the order allowing for 60 day covid extensions being needed.

The letter from a embassy was required when immigration decided to do 30 day extension based upon a a clause of the immigration order that allowed them to be issued at the request of a embassy.

I don't think order is tied to anything more that number of tourists able to enter the country. When immigration was ready to end the amnesty in 2020 the businesses affected by many people having to leave complained big time about it.

It has improved somewhat but not enough to force a lot of people to leave and now due to the conflict in Ukraine there are more people stuck here.

[rbkk]

2 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

most people signing the affidavit that they can't enter their home country due covid is lying

I'm a farang born in Hong Kong. I have a full UK passport and a HK Permanent Resident ID card. As HK has the highest death rate in the world at the moment it's not a wise place to visit, even if I could (lack of flights), especially with my 2 separate medical conditions that place me at higher risk. I've had 9 Covid-19 extensions and I'm just going out the door to ask for my 10th. I'm not lying when I sign the form.

[aussiexpat]

2 minutes ago, rbkk said:

I'm a farang born in Hong Kong. I have a full UK passport and a HK Permanent Resident ID card. As HK has the highest death rate in the world at the moment it's not a wise place to visit, even if I could (lack of flights), especially with my 2 separate medical conditions that place me at higher risk. I've had 9 Covid-19 extensions and I'm just going out the door to ask for my 10th. I'm not lying when I sign the form.

That's why I said "most", not "all" 

Edited March 18, 2022 by aussiexpat

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, rbkk said:

I've had 9 Covid-19 extensions and I'm just going out the door to ask for my 10th.

Good luck.

If possible please report back with your experience. 

[DrJack54]

Just now, aussiexpat said:

That's why I said "most"

Can you explain why you obtained a covid extension.

Jetstar has plenty of flights back to Oz.

Direct flights and not expensive.

[aussiexpat]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Can you explain why you obtained a covid extension.

Jetstar has plenty of flights back to Oz.

Direct flights and not expensive.

Simple, because it was available without any scrutiny of the lie that I can't return to my home country. Saved me transferring 800k baht at an unfavorable exchange rate in February to get the Imm O (saved over 45,000 baht)

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by aussiexpat

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Simple, because it was available without any scrutiny of the lie that I can't return to my home country

So you bang on in threads about folk should not be obtaining covid extensions and that the form is a LIE.... and they can easily return home. 

However when it suits you (exchange rates) you avail yourself to obtaining a CE.

 

BTW you have option of obtaining non O or extension based on retirement.

Many do not have that option.

Poor form. 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by DrJack54

[aussiexpat]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So you bang on in threads about folk should not be obtaining covid extensions and that the form is a LIE.... and they can easily return home. 

However when it suits you (exchange rates) you avail yourself to obtaining a CE.

 

BTW you have option of obtaining non O or extension based on retirement.

Many do not have that option.

Poor form. 

 

Quote me where I "bang on in threads about folk should not be obtaining covid extensions".

 

All I said in this thread is that I don't think it will be extended post March 25 as most countries are open. You are the one taking that as a personal attack for some reason, seems like because you think covid extensions are there to replace land border runs

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by aussiexpat

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

......seems like because you think covid extensions are there to replace land border runs

Pretty much.

And when land borders are open (at least some) then covid extensions would not be necessary. 

Over the chit chat. Ignore.

 

[aussiexpat]

19 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Pretty much.

And when land borders are open (at least some) then covid extensions would not be necessary. 

Over the chit chat. Ignore.

Only valid point you've made, you're on ignore as suggested

[RedArmy]

I fully expect Covid Extensions to continue to 25th May - Will be announced next week.

 

Personally, it makes no difference to me as i have other options to extend my stay.

 

But i hope they do continue for others that still need them.

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Simple, because it was available without any scrutiny of the lie that I can't return to my home country.

I don't understand why you keep insisting that lying is required. One acceptable option to tick includes something generic like "pandemic is ongoing".

 

My reading of this is that the Thai authorities have made the deliberate decision not to send people packing who have simply preferred to sit out the pandemic in Thailand instead of going home (or elsewhere) when their regular permission to stay expired. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it a simple box ticking exercise, but would have demanded proof (such as canceled flights) instead.

 

Also, with few tourists coming in, it made sense to keep cashing in on those foreigners already in Thailand. It's not like there are any freebies or benefits up for grabs. Customer acquisition cost, zero. Enticing significant numbers of foreigners to jump through the nonsensical Thailand Pass hoops, impossible.

Edited March 18, 2022 by Caldera

[mtls2005]

No problem with COVID extensions at all, they could continue forever for all I care.

 

But I would like to see both health insurance, and financial/income proof, as requirements going forward.

 

 

 

[aussiexpat]

11 minutes ago, Caldera said:

I don't understand why you keep insisting that lying is required. One acceptable option to tick includes something generic like "pandemic is ongoing".

There is no such option. It says something like  "covid is ongoing in own country and entry not allowed,"

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

There is no such option. It says something like  "covid is ongoing in own country and entry not allowed,"

This from the affidavit.

[n00dle]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

This from the affidavit.

which is wide open. Destination country does not mean home country.