Covid extensions after July 25?

[JoseThailand]

As Covid is receding, some people think that Covid extensions will come to an end. But, as we have seen, Covid extensions have little to do with the actual Covid and border closures. Covid is almost forgotten, borders are practically open, with some requirements. The officials could have easily stopped the extensions long before and kicked everyone out. But, for some reason, they didn't.

 

That makes me think that they actually want us here. Tourist arrivals are still far below pre-Covid numbers. It may be partly due to the economic situation and the Ukraine war. Rising fuel prices and longer air routes have made air travel significantly more expensive. Also, people simply travel less in times of economic turmoil.

 

As a side note, Covid extensions have gone hand-in-hand with the Emergency decree, which Prayut is willing to extend. So, my guess is that we will see Covid extensions after July 25.

Edited June 30, 2022 by JoseThailand

[intheheartoftheheart]

Will be curious how this plays out...

[Jack1988]

Immigration make money with tourists like you ????. Long live COVID extension ????

[DrJack54]

OP, what is point of your thread.

We find out on July 25 thereabouts.

Many immigration offices have stopped issuing covid extensions, despite it being available in the gazette.

Mind you they will give you one if you pay 5-6k baht. 

[Caldera]

It's anyone's guess at this point. I guessed - wrongly! - that they'll end last time, so I won't even make a prediction this time around. ????

[RedArmy]

Personally, i am pro Covid Extensions for anyone who requires one - I am on one myself currently - These are supposed to be available as per the official Gazette until 25th July - I have been reading these past few weeks of many people being refused CE's in many offices up & down the country, which is really worrying - I will try to get another one myself next week, but am not very hopeful, especially as another poster posted a few days ago about being refused a CE at Krabi Immigration - I feel that i have a good relationship in this particular office, so will try again next week  ~ Will update in due course.

[arithai12]

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, what is point of your thread.

We find out on July 25 thereabouts.

Exactly, still a long wait. On the one hand the gov't likes to add this to their list of reasons to keep the emergency decree, on the other hand they have declared the pandemic finished. Interesting to see how it will play out.

 

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Many immigration offices have stopped issuing covid extensions, despite it being available in the gazette.

The way I understand it, the Gazette gives IO the faculty to ask for documentation. And the IO who refuse, again from what I understand, do it because they want to see a letter from the Embassy stating that the applicant is impeded in returning to home country. So it's not a totally arbitrary rejection. Now many will want to see here a push for people to resort to agents... I don't know.

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Mind you they will give you one if you pay 5-6k baht. 

Careful what you choose, see this  scam.

[JoseThailand]

9 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, what is point of your thread.

We find out on July 25 thereabouts.

You're right. Even if there is no extensions after July 25, the current extension allows people to stay until the end of September, which gives plenty of time to sort things out and consider other options.

[intheheartoftheheart]

1 hour ago, JoseThailand said:

the current extension allows people to stay until the end of September,

Is this legit?

I'm on Elite, but have multiple friends here that would like to take advantage of this. Is this posted in the Gazette?

[ubonjoe]

56 minutes ago, intheheartoftheheart said:

Is this legit?

I'm on Elite, but have multiple friends here that would like to take advantage of this. Is this posted in the Gazette?

If a person applies for the 60 day covid 90 extension up to the 25th of this month the 60 days would end in September.

[shackleton]

Yes the Covid extensions are money makers for the immigration  service 

Why would they be in a rush to stop ????

[JoseThailand]

 

Hooray!

[secondtime]

On 6/30/2022 at 12:31 PM, RedArmy said:

Personally, i am pro Covid Extensions for anyone who requires one - I am on one myself currently - These are supposed to be available as per the official Gazette until 25th July - I have been reading these past few weeks of many people being refused CE's in many offices up & down the country, which is really worrying - I will try to get another one myself next week, but am not very hopeful, especially as another poster posted a few days ago about being refused a CE at Krabi Immigration - I feel that i have a good relationship in this particular office, so will try again next week  ~ Will update in due course.

Just got my umpteenth CE in Phuket.  They glance at the papers to make sure you signed everything, take your money, and tell you to come back tomorrow to pick up your passport.  It’s all done outside, so whether you’ve gotten CEs elsewhere doesn’t matter so long as you have a local TM30 printout with your application.

(Malika is close to the immigration office, has a pool, and prints the TM30 with a smile.)

[JoseThailand]

Extended till August 24? Hmm, usually they extended it for 60 days every time, now only 30 days.

[audaciousnomad]

46 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Extended till August 24? Hmm, usually they extended it for 60 days every time, now only 30 days.

Yup...this is the signal that things are ending soon. Anyone getting a 60-day approved this week(myself), that stamp will end in Oct. But since the covid program will not accept applications after 24-August(over a month before Oct)...it's doubtful we will be able to apply for any additional extension after this. Extending the program window by only a month, has effectively cut us off. Not mad about it, I'm prepared to move on. I'm just observing this reality.

Edited July 23, 2022 by audaciousnomad

[JerseytoBKK]

22 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Yup...this is the signal that things are ending soon. Anyone getting a 60-day approved this week(myself), that stamp will end in Oct. But since the covid program will not accept applications after 24-August(over a month before Oct)...it's doubtful we will be able to apply for any additional extension after this. Extending the program window by only a month, has effectively cut us off. Not mad about it, I'm prepared to move on. I'm just observing this reality.

Or maybe they want you to pay them every 30 days instead of every 60 days.

[JoseThailand]

1 minute ago, JerseytoBKK said:

Or maybe they want you to pay them every 30 days instead of every 60 days.

No, extensions are granted for 60 days. They just extended the application period by 30 days.

[audaciousnomad]

12 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

No, extensions are granted for 60 days. They just extended the application period by 30 days.

I see his point though. IF THEY DO extend it one more time to Sept. 24, then it would be within the window of time for me to apply again, but if I get approved and then they extend the program once more to Oct. 24, then it indeed ends up becoming an EVERY 30 DAYS 1900THB extension without exiting the country.  We'll see what happens, but I'm prepared to move on in any case.

Edited July 24, 2022 by audaciousnomad

[dhupverg]

Was the extension to August 24th officially announced?

[JoseThailand]

11 minutes ago, dhupverg said:

Was the extension to August 24th officially announced?

I suppose.

[ubonjoe]

31 minutes ago, dhupverg said:

Was the extension to August 24th officially announced?

Yes

It was done on the 22nd.

Edit: News article with a copy of the order is here.

https://thai.news/news/thailand/august-24th-is-now-the-last-day-for-covid-visa-extensions

Edited July 24, 2022 by ubonjoe

[JoseThailand]

6 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

I see his point though. IF THEY DO extend it one more time to Sept. 24, then it would be within the window of time for me to apply again, but if I get approved and then they extend the program once more to Oct. 24, then it indeed ends up becoming an EVERY 30 DAYS 1900THB extension without exiting the country.  We'll see what happens, but I'm prepared to move on in any case.

I don't see your point. If you apply, you will get 60 day extension for 1900 baht, which adds 60 days to your current extension.

[audaciousnomad]

6 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

I don't see your point. If you apply, you will get 60 day extension for 1900 baht, which adds 60 days to your current extension.

They don't let you apply that early. So if the extension expires in Oct., and you want to apply for another one, but the last day to apply is 24-Aug, you won't be allowed to apply for it(too early, come 2 weeks before current stamp expires).  So this is how to get people to finally move on. ????

[JoseThailand]

1 hour ago, audaciousnomad said:

They don't let you apply that early. So if the extension expires in Oct., and you want to apply for another one, but the last day to apply is 24-Aug, you won't be allowed to apply for it(too early, come 2 weeks before current stamp expires).  So this is how to get people to finally move on. ????

Yes, some people will be cut off. But maybe it's not the last extension, who knows. Anyway, I'm ready to move on too. After 2.5 years it's starting to get boring. ????

[RedArmy]

54 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

 Anyway, I'm ready to move on too. After 2.5 years it's starting to get boring. ????

You will be sorely missed, I'm sure ????Bye Bye.

[JoseThailand]

38 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

You will be sorely missed, I'm sure ????Bye Bye.

See you when I'm 50.

Edited July 24, 2022 by JoseThailand

[JerseytoBKK]

21 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

I don't see your point. If you apply, you will get 60 day extension for 1900 baht, which adds 60 days to your current extension.

The idea that I was half-jokingly trying to make is what if they decided to give out 30 day "covid" extensions and charge 1,800. I think many of the people who are lining up for 60 day extensions would also line up for 30 day extensions.

[audaciousnomad]

1 hour ago, JerseytoBKK said:

The idea that I was half-jokingly trying to make is what if they decided to give out 30 day "covid" extensions and charge 1,800. I think many of the people who are lining up for 60 day extensions would also line up for 30 day extensions.

Definitely. It saves you time/hassle compared to doing a visa run.