Delays in issuing Non B extension

[Phuketboy]

Has anyone else had a delay in receiving their Non B visa extensions? All information including business details submitted November 3, 2015 by my lawyer. I got the passport back with the 1 month stamp (as you are well aware you get the 1 month stamp then get the other 11 month when proper visa arrives. Same every year). Been to immigration many times and lawyer has been chasing this up as well. We keep getting told it's not ready yet. The lawyer and myself were told there was a 2 week delay, but this is now over a month from when we were suppose to receive it on the December 3. Lawyer calls them every day now. Not on overstay as visa has been applied for with receipt, however I'm not comfortable with this situation. Talking to immigration and lawyer today and they told me, if I leave the country before I receive the proper visa, I will need to re-apply. They said to wait. I have never experienced a delay like this ever, normally immigration issue my visa/extension reasonably quick.

Anyone else having this delay at the present time or experienced this before?

Edited January 7, 2016 by Phuketboy

[phil2]

An acquaintance has been experiencing the same thing since October. They're still checking, is what he's been told.

[Evilbaz]

Which Immi office?

[Phuketboy]

Which Immi office?

Phuket

[digitalchromakey]

What was the date listed to return (after the one month conditional approval).

Last August, my Extension based on married and working in Thailand was almost two weeks late coming back from Hat Yai Regional Immigration Headquarters to Phuket Immigration with the one year approval.

[Charis]

Phuketboy,

will be great if you could update the end to this story?

Facing the same situation and wondering with the whole overstay penalty thing, how does this look on papers? I also have the same situation with the 11 month extension deadline up and no news from immigration. Due to travel out in 2 weeks and if this takes an entire month - how can we leave?

Appreciate any advice or experience from others...

[ubonjoe]

Phuketboy,

will be great if you could update the end to this story?

Facing the same situation and wondering with the whole overstay penalty thing, how does this look on papers? I also have the same situation with the 11 month extension deadline up and no news from immigration. Due to travel out in 2 weeks and if this takes an entire month - how can we leave?

Appreciate any advice or experience from others...

The under consideration stamp in your passport allows you to stay until the extension is approved. The report back date does not mean the under consideration period ends on that date.

If you do not have the approval by the date you plan to travel you would not be able to do it unless immigration gave you a new report back date and you got a re-entry permit that would be valid up to that date.

If not you could request the application be canceled and immigration would give you a stamp that would allow you to stay for an additional 7 days. Then before returning you would need to get a new non-b visa and start the extension process all over again.

[Charis]

hi ubonjoe

v grateful for the reply. did u have a similar experience?

This puts us in an awful position then. Starting the whole non-b process will be awful and unthinkable.

And does this mean that if we now leave Thailand at the airport, they will not fine us for overstay?? becoz ball is in their court? There's no paperwork in our passport stating that.

Not sure how feasible is that report-back date extension... has anyone been through this? We are planning to leave before Songkran so it's not a great timing really. We have to get this done in two weeks or so or else we are in a spot!

[ubonjoe]

hi ubonjoe

v grateful for the reply. did u have a similar experience?

This puts us in an awful position then. Starting the whole non-b process will be awful and unthinkable.

And does this mean that if we now leave Thailand at the airport, they will not fine us for overstay?? becoz ball is in their court? There's no paperwork in our passport stating that.

Not sure how feasible is that report-back date extension... has anyone been through this? We are planning to leave before Songkran so it's not a great timing really. We have to get this done in two weeks or so or else we are in a spot!

They could fine you if you left after the report back date unless you have immigration cancel the extension application and grant you 7 days to leave the country. Most people asking about being here after the report back date are concerned about getting stopped by the police not leaving the country.

Immigration can do another under consideration stamp with anew report back date. Whether they will do it or not is another question.

[Charis]

thanks for your reply.

Curious if anyone have ever gotten a new stamp with a new report back date? And given the circumstances, should we get try to get that stamp before this one expires?

Of course we are also concerned if police will check us - the paperwork will not look right! Totally not within what we can do, its nerve-wrecking dealing with this situation.

[ubonjoe]

thanks for your reply.

Curious if anyone have ever gotten a new stamp with a new report back date? And given the circumstances, should we get try to get that stamp before this one expires?

Of course we are also concerned if police will check us - the paperwork will not look right! Totally not within what we can do, its nerve-wrecking dealing with this situation.

I got one a few years ago that gave 15 more days the only time the approval of my extensions was late. I got it on the report back date shown on the first stamp.

It is at the discretion of the immigration office whether they will do it or not.

Perhaps go to immigration and ask them now and show them confirmation of your planned trip out of the country.

[Charis]

ubonjoe thanks for your replies.

happy to report back. called the immigration day before but it was still not ready. finally decided to just show up (driving 2 hours!) ... and voila, we were in the nick of time. Everything approved and stamped. was really fortunate for us... on that day they were plastering up more large notices on overstay penalties.