5ilver
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Posts posted by 5ilver
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Just wanted to ask if anyone here has successfully used VFS' online service for extension purposes recently?
Whilst it seems legitimate and endorsed by the authorities considering there is a HUGE "Apply for Electronic Extension of Visa" banner on the Immigration Bureau's website, that directs visitors towards VFS' website....
I just tried giving it a go (for a simple 30 day extension on visa-exempt entry) and after uploading all documents, the final step lands at a page to "Book an Appointment" which lo and behold, there are no appointment slots all the way through February 2024.
This surely can't be right?
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1 hour ago, mokwit said:
There is a very good interview with the Labour Office Chief in CM somewhere on the net where he basically says remote workers are working under the definitions of the law but they are way down the list for any action being taken. There were one or two cases where he said no breach of the law with this one.
Yes actually I do remember reading the article featuring that interview. Frankly, this is all really a case of income tax structures not able to catch up/align with all these new ways of "work."
As a theoretical example, say if one has built a small SAAS business which pretty much runs by itself and this small internet business owner spends some time in Thailand (say 3-5 months in a year over say 2-3 trips?), largely hanging out at beach resorts and bars but he does sometimes have to reply some customer emails over his phone, take a few Zoom calls with his tech support team, there and abouts.Is he/she working really? Or just enjoying a fancy beach vacation whilst just having to fulfil a little work obligation online sometimes?
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Great report, thanks for sharing @BillyBobzTeeth. This is really informative.
Just wondering, the "fees" are only applicable for folks doing a same-day visa run and are paid before being stamped out of Thailand correct?
Reason I'm asking is I'm currently in Malaysia and am planning to take a coach to spend a few days in Hatyai end of year before heading to some other beach town for NYE. I've not been in Thailand for the past 2 months (although had an extensive stay there before thanks to the COVID extensions). I've also never done a border crossing this calendar year. Don't think I should prepare myself to pay that "fee" right?
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Thanks for the informative report @sadmoneysnow re: the police checks on the bus, I did read recent news reports that immigration and the police are tasked to "extra scrutinize" foreign arrivals (and also foreign residents) these few days to ensure security for APEC so it could be related to that.
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I remember pre-pandemic, there was also an auto-gate lane which they opened for holders of Singaporean and Hong Kong passports. Wonder if anyone passing through recently has seen that reinstated?
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17 hours ago, TheRookie555 said:
Thanks for your reply 5ilver, i have been staying here for almost 2 months, i think i will try to go by land, might be easier, and less risky, like you mentioned.
You'll be fine re-entering by air if your current stay is only just 2 months or so. Best of luck on your trip!
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You didn't mention how long you have been staying in Thailand to-date and what visa (if any) you were on previously prior to your extension.
If you're doing a visa run via air after a long-stay in Thailand, and trying to return on visa-exempt - you should definitely prepare proof of an onward ticket as well as sufficient proof of funds (i.e. cash on hand) on re-entry at airport immigration. It's very likely you will get some questions.
A less risky option for you would be to carry out your visa run via land (since you're heading to Laos which is next door). Especially when you're only planning to stay outside of Thailand for just a day.
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With regards to the 180 day rule like Schengen, I also don't think there's formally such a rule in Thailand. That being said, on several Thai embassy websites around the world, do note there is such a liner regarding visa-exempt stays "foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry." Were your COVID extensions done against an original visa-exempt entry?
Based on the other threads, I would say the "safest" way to re-enter in your case would probably be via one of the land borders (note you only can do 2 max of those per calendar year). May work for you since you're already in a neighbouring country (i.e. Cambodia/Vietnam).
Anyway, do update your re-entry experience here in due time when you have the chance. All the best!
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9 hours ago, DrJack54 said:
If you want to stay longer, do a border run.
Exit and reenter visa exempt 45 days + 30 day extension if you wish
It would be helpful info if anyone who has taken a covid extension previously, and has successfully done a border run - can kindly share their experience here. Would love to understand if anyone has faced issues on re-entry,
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What's interesting is, Thailand just announced earlier tonight that from 1 Nov - fully vaccinated travellers (from a select group of countries including the US and UK) who also has a negative PCR test on arrival will be able to travel to Thailand without any quarantine.
If so, I wonder if the STV holders from this select group of countries will also be exempt from quarantine?
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Actually further to my question above, I'm wondering if anyone knows whether 60 day covid extensions for an STV holder are to be processed at MTT (Counter K) or CW (Counter J) in Bangkok? I'll probably head there end of this week to enquire what's possible as my current permission to stay expires at the end of the month.
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On 10/8/2021 at 7:09 AM, at15 said:
I already did the same with a covid extension on top of an stv.
But I am wondering about converting to a non-O visa, my agent said they can do it a few months ago but now they say its not possible and we have to wait and see. Has anyone found someone willing to do it?
Would you be able to share which office you secured your extension? I'm wondering if anyone has managed to do so at CW.
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Thanks guys @audaciousnomad @ETatBKK for your informative on-ground reports. Great to know ahead of time how it's looking like over at MTT.
Just wondering if anyone here knows if for 60 Day COVID extensions in BKK, is Counter K @ MTT the default go to location or does one head to CW for that depending on what visa one is currently on? I'm on an STV and am wondering if I'm supposed to head to MTT to apply for a Covid Extension?
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2 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:I was there today, arrived at MTT office at 11:30, and was out by 12PM, with an Under Consideration stamp to return on 23-Jul to get my 60-days. I arrived Visa Exempt in March 2020. Half my passport pages are Covid Extension stamps now.
Thank you @audaciousnomad for this. This is the exact type of field report and open sharing of experience that I'm hoping to find here in my quest to resolve my own situation.
In other news, the application deadline for the 60 day Covid Extension has been extended to 27 Sept at the IO in Phuket. I imagine this bodes well for interested folks here who may be seeking one at their local IOs, as hopefully this would be formalised with IOs across the country soon. More information from a Phuket News article can be found here.
According to the article, An officer at Phuket Immigration who asked not be named, but asked to be referred to as “Inspector Joe”, told The Phuket News, “The infographic is just to announce that the COVID visa extension will open further to September 27, as the previous announcement explained that the visa extension would be open only until July.”
Asked whether Phuket Immigration had been informed how long the ‘COVID visa’ extensions would continue to be offered, Inspector Joe said, “I think they will further extend [allowing COVID visa extensions to stay] for as long as the COVID-19 pandemic is still happening and has not been resolved.”
There is also a further update to the article - UPDATE: ’Inspector Joe’ at Phuket Immigration has confirmed that extensions to COVID visas are dated from the date the current ’visa’ is set to expire -- not the date that the foreigner applies for the extension.
Hope this information is helpful to any folks in this thread who are planning to secure a COVID Extension in the coming weeks.
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Thank you UbonJoe for your helpful inputs always.
Whilst I understand that everyone's entitled to their opinion, I just don't get why some fellow forumers find the need to accuse others of 'abusing' the COVID extension. The extension is made available for a price from immigration and it is not something that is dispensed out of charity due to extenuating circumstances.
The reality is, and I'm speaking from personal experience, there are folks (like me) who pre-COVID visit Thailand several times within a year to get together with family/friends/loved ones who are based here. This isn't about visa runs to maintain a long term stay in Thailand, but genuine multiple social visits during a time when free travel was still possible.
Today, even though "flights home are now possible," the ease of jumping on a flight to reconnect with a loved one here for a couple of days is now impossible. Entry and exit would require 14 days of quarantine both ways so that's a month in a year gone up in a puff of smoke for each trip. If I'm already in Thailand and there's any possibility of extending my stay here until quarantine measures in/out of Thailand (and my home country) are eased, I would 100% do that. Would I be 'abusing' the COVID extension?
It's a difficult time for everyone, let's all try to be helpful to each other if we can.
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On 7/13/2021 at 5:23 PM, aldriglikvid said:
My STV is set to expire this november and with current "happenings" I'm not completely ruling out that they will continue with further C19-extensions. As this is not a widely researched topic of mine: am I eligible or is only for people who arrived last year?
I'm on an STV which is set to expire at the end of August. As far as I know (and most of the experienced forumers here like UbonJoe), there doesn't seem like there are any verified reports of STV-holders successfully securing a C19-extension yet. I will attempt to do so in the coming weeks, and will be sure to update my experience/progess here for everyone.
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On 5/14/2021 at 12:45 PM, ubonjoe said:
The 60 day covid 19 extensions are available for anybody with a valid permit to stay in the country.
Hi ubonjoe, I'm currently on the last legs of my STV visa which expires next month. Would you happen to be aware if STV-holders are also eligible to procure a 60-day covid 19 extension? I did try to enquire with one particular IO at CW last month, however she brushed off my query with "no. no. no more extend." So I'm hoping if anyone here may be able to share any experience that suggests otherwise?
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Just wanted to ask if anyone here has came across any cases of folks on the STV who has managed to secure an extended stay via the 60-day Covid extension (post the 90-day extensions that are part of the STV)?
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I'm just wondering if there have been any cases of folks on the STV who has managed to secure an extended stay via the 60-day Covid extension? Whilst I know the STV is a different beast and doesn't allow conversions into any other visa, I'm just curious if anyone has gone down this route to further extend their stay post their 90 days extensions that one is eligible for as part of the STV.
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3 hours ago, BudRight said:
Sorry if this is answered somewhere already but do I need to include an ASQ booking and COVID insurance in a visa application or can that wait until after the visa is approved and I am trying to get COE?
Thanks alot.
If you don't already possess a valid visa (that's eligible for you to apply for a COE) - most RTEs (and I say most, because different RTEs around the world are running with slightly different variations of requirements locally) will require you to submit a paid ASQ booking and COVID insurance as part of your visa application.
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Good day @daqx07, hope everything is going smoothly on your end with the STV processing. I was wondering if you could share which provider you went with to fulfil the health insurance requirement for inpatient 400K / outpatient 40K?
I've made a number of enquiries and a significant group of insurers are have yet to update their plans for the STV. Basically they are relying on the O-A visa requirements and despite the STV being open to all ages - these insurers are restricting their plans to the same age bands of the O-A visa (i.e. 50 and above). And I was told I can't apply for the policies as I don't meet the age band!
The whole shebang is quite the dog's breakfast...
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21 hours ago, GregBow said:
I am told for a flight I can use Jet Star to Singapore and then Singapore Airlines to Bangkok - comments on this please?
I can get a Covid test done in Vietnam and then need quarantine in Thailand for 14 days?
You may want to double check whether you are able to use airlines from differing companies to transit in Singapore at this time.
Last I checked, it had to be airlines under the Singapore Airlines group of companies and the ticket for both legs need to be under a single ticket.
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3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:
That is a standard requirement to apply for any visa. It is not directly related to applying for the CoE.
Number 13 here does not mention residency. https://seoul.thaiembassy.org/en/content/announcement-on-the-entry-procedures-for-non-thai?cate=5d661cd515e39c3018004936
Actually I'm in the midst of this STV/TR visa gauntlet so I think I can help clarify.
For the STV, an applicant would have to apply for it via a Thai embassy in a country (classified low-risk by the TH govt) which they are a citizen or a PR. If for example, let's say you're currently an expat on an employment visa in Malaysia, you cannot apply for the STV via the Thai embassy there.
For the "new" 60-day TR, for the Thai embassies in several "low-risk" countries (such as SK as ubonjoe pointed out) - you don't need to be a citizen/PR (or even resident) to apply. Malaysia was another one (they seem to have been unclassified as a low-risk country recently). Finland, however seems to want their TR applicants to be Finnish residents. I noticed that the different embassies can offer different application requirements.
Technically, these "low-risk" countries could be "gateway" countries to enter Thailand on a TR, but that's only really helpful if one happens to be in these countries now. If not, one would probably face the same level of difficulty getting into them as compared to Thailand.
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5 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:
I applied through TL but they cancelled the flight. They have the money for the fees and plane ticket and I got nothing. Still hoping, but it is really disorganized and they do not seem to be talking with the consulates that control the planes.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Can you share if you paid the fees to them this October or before? Note that you seem to be based in China, and I'm wondering if TL was already coordinating something there prior to official public announcement and start of the STV earlier this month.
Electronics Extension of Temporary Stay via Internet for various visa types
in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Posted
Yes I probably imagined so. For me, as you said, I had thought that the additional 500 baht service fee for the regular service option could have been worth it, just for the peace of mind ahead of a trip to the immigration office.
That being said, just to update, I had written a complaint to VFS regarding my experience and lo and behold, I received a response stating that contrary to what they advertise, a customer's only service choice is the "super urgent' (5000 baht) i.e. next-day service option. Once selected, appointment slots will magically appear to a customer.
So this means that their 'regular' 7 days (500 baht) and 'express' 3 days (1500 baht) service options are pretty much, nothing more than a sham. Why am I even surprised.