UPDATE: How to obtain a COVID-19 Visa Extension Letter from the British Embassy Bangkok

[Bell1234]

So here is a curve ball for immigration.. What happens if you're not flying out but crossing a land border into cambodia for your holiday.. You have no flight and you can't cross the border because it's closed.  So how do them peoole get an Extension ??

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, Bell1234 said:

So here is a curve ball for immigration.. What happens if you're not flying out but crossing a land border into cambodia for your holiday.. You have no flight and you can't cross the border because it's closed.  So how do them peoole get an Extension ??

You do not have to prove your flight was cancelled to apply for the 30 day extension.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, Bell1234 said:

So here is a curve ball for immigration.. What happens if you're not flying out but crossing a land border into cambodia for your holiday.. You have no flight and you can't cross the border because it's closed.  So how do them peoole get an Extension ??

The British Embassy (eg) does not ask for proof of a canceled flight to issue the supporting letter for the extension. 

[sanemax]

Sent an Email to the British embassy requesting a letter for a visa extension and sent a photo of my passport on Monday , received a reply on Wednesday stating my photo wasnt clear enough (fair enough , my passport number couldn't be seen in full due to a refection)

Sent another clear  photo of my passport and received the letter within 30 minutes .

  Excellent service 

[timoti]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

Sent an Email to the British embassy requesting a letter for a visa extension and sent a photo of my passport on Monday , received a reply on Wednesday stating my photo wasnt clear enough (fair enough , my passport number couldn't be seen in full due to a refection)

Sent another clear  photo of my passport and received the letter within 30 minutes .

  Excellent service 

You are lucky, us Canadians have to go to the embassy in person, no such thing as sending this letter via email. I asked.

[BillStrangeOgre]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The British Embassy (eg) does not ask for proof of a canceled flight to issue the supporting letter for the extension. 

Thanks Jack. 

I got a 30 day extension to my permission to stay today at immigration without proof of flight cancellation or letter from the embassy but then flight cancelled again on 29/03. Third flight cancelled on me. Anyway, if you know, will immigration give me another extension in 30 days time (April 25)

Cheers, great info on her from some posters

Edited March 26, 2020 by BillStrangeOgre

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

Thanks Jack. 

I got a 30 day extension to my permission to stay today at immigration without proof of flight cancellation or letter from the embassy but then flight cancelled again on 29/03. Third flight cancelled on me. Anyway, if you know, will immigration give me another extension in 30 days time (April 25)

Cheers, great info on her from some posters

Was this a first extension or second on that POS? 

You should be able to apply for another 30 day extension in 30 days presuming immigration is still open. A letter from your Embassy may be required...  If infection rates increase having so many people crowd into IOs would likely be stopped. 

[Alan1203]

1. Logistical question - I don't have my own printer, so how do we go about printing the embassy letter in advance if printing/copying shops are closed? 

 

2. In an earlier post someone said some people are being rejected when submitting emailed/downloaded embassy letters. Does this mean it's luck of the draw when we are at the immigration office? 

 

Insight from someone who has successfully applied for an extension would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

 

I'm planning ahead. I've already extended 30 days on my UK passport, but it will expire mid April.  Given flight cancellations, I plan on requesting for another 30 days, hence the need for an embassy letter. 

[BillStrangeOgre]

12 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Was this a first extension or second on that POS? 

You should be able to apply for another 30 day extension in 30 days presuming immigration is still open. A letter from your Embassy may be required...  If infection rates increase having so many people crowd into IOs would likely be stopped. 

The issue is i've been flying out for a week at time and re entering for a new POS since end of November. total of three times + one visit to immigration on 26/03. I received a support letter from the Brit Embassy today. Too late for my visit to immigration but perhaps a good sign they would be willing to do so again in 30 days

How long will immigration continue giving me POS? 

Cheers ????

Edited March 27, 2020 by BillStrangeOgre

[PST]

Not sure if ill need mine or not, but applied for one anyway, received my letter from the BE today via email after about 3 days. The letter is dated today, but it explains my circumstances should i need to use it at the end of April.

Edited March 27, 2020 by PST

[BillStrangeOgre]

31 minutes ago, Alan1203 said:

1. Logistical question - I don't have my own printer, so how do we go about printing the embassy letter in advance if printing/copying shops are closed? 

 

2. In an earlier post someone said some people are being rejected when submitting emailed/downloaded embassy letters. Does this mean it's luck of the draw when we are at the immigration office? 

 

Insight from someone who has successfully applied for an extension would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

 

I'm planning ahead. I've already extended 30 days on my UK passport, but it will expire mid April.  Given flight cancellations, I plan on requesting for another 30 days, hence the need for an embassy letter. 

You can photo copy (and photos) at Chang Wattana and the new immigration building behind Impact Stadium. You should be able to use a memory stick on those machines but no sure if they will do that (viruses)...anyone else?

 

I didn't need a support letter yesterday at immigration and i've extended a POS 3 times already, also i didn't need proof of cancelled flight-I had one they just gave it straight back to me without even looking at it.

 

It's Possible you'll need one to extend again according to the very reliable info i receiving on here.  

Edited March 27, 2020 by BillStrangeOgre

[BillStrangeOgre]

8 minutes ago, PST said:

Not sure if ill need mine or not, but applied for one anyway, received my letter from the BE today via email after about 3 days. The letter is dated today, but it explains my circumstances should i need to use it at the end of April.

PST, does your letter actually state that it's for end of April? Would immigration accept a letter a month old?

 

[greggraham]

Just now, BillStrangeOgre said:

PST, does your letter actually state that it's for end of April? Would immigration accept a letter a month old?

 

My one specifically said "MR SMITH arrived in Thailand on 03/01/2020 and their visa expires on 01/04/2020".

 

What's POS btw? 

[PST]

5 minutes ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

PST, does your letter actually state that it's for end of April? Would immigration accept a letter a month old?

 

the letter mentions my current permission to stay, yes. That is almost the end of April, but within a month of todays date. Im not sure if any rule has been set regarding how long the letter is valid for?

Edited March 27, 2020 by PST

[BillStrangeOgre]

9 minutes ago, PST said:

the letter mentions my current permission to stay, yes. That is almost the end of April, but within a month of todays date. Im not sure if any rule has been set regarding how long the letter is valid for?

I'm not sure of any rule either, just wondering if immigration would accept a support letter from a month ago is all.

 

[BillStrangeOgre]

18 minutes ago, greggraham said:

My one specifically said "MR SMITH arrived in Thailand on 03/01/2020 and their visa expires on 01/04/2020".

 

What's POS btw? 

Permission of stay, i'm reliably told ????

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, Alan1203 said:

1. Logistical question - I don't have my own printer, so how do we go about printing the embassy letter in advance if printing/copying shops are closed? 

 

2. In an earlier post someone said some people are being rejected when submitting emailed/downloaded embassy letters. Does this mean it's luck of the draw when we are at the immigration office? 

 

Insight from someone who has successfully applied for an extension would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

 

I'm planning ahead. I've already extended 30 days on my UK passport, but it will expire mid April.  Given flight cancellations, I plan on requesting for another 30 days, hence the need for an embassy letter. 

Hotels and Guest houses often have printers , E-mailed and printed Embassy letters are being accepted , get them printed in colour 

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

How long will immigration continue giving me POS? 

More accurately extensions.... 

I think until the situation requires them to close the immigration offices to reduce infection risk. After that it is all guesswork. 

[BillStrangeOgre]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

More accurately extensions.... 

I think until the situation requires them to close the immigration offices to reduce infection risk. After that it is all guesswork. 

Cheers, it's a worry time for everyone

Stay safe

[Isaan Alan]

On 3/25/2020 at 12:42 PM, Jay88 said:

There is a post on facebook, ostensibly, from immigration rep. suggesting they want a screen capture of email header in lieu of the original document (which will be stamped, presumably) as proof of legit addresse.

 

Thai immi are just so unbelievably pedantic. Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic

[fgmr]

I have sent two emails with all the required documents as PDF attachments. There has not been a peep out of them.

Meanwhile local IMO is insisting on seeing the Embassy letter before giving me a visa extension. 

Has anyone actually received a reply from the embassy supplying the required memo to be presented to IMO?

 

[BillStrangeOgre]

1 minute ago, fgmr said:

I have sent two emails with all the required documents as PDF attachments. There has not been a peep out of them.

Meanwhile local IMO is insisting on seeing the Embassy letter before giving me a visa extension. 

Has anyone actually received a reply from the embassy supplying the required memo to be presented to IMO?

 

I applied for mine on 24/03 and had the reply next day. Received the letter day after that.

Today is a national holiday here in Thailand 

[McArie]

1 hour ago, fgmr said:

I have sent two emails with all the required documents as PDF attachments. There has not been a peep out of them.

Meanwhile local IMO is insisting on seeing the Embassy letter before giving me a visa extension. 

Has anyone actually received a reply from the embassy supplying the required memo to be presented to IMO?

 

 

On 4/4/2020 at 4:56 PM, McArie said:

Just to emphasise an important technical requirement when emailing your passport and visa details, a requirement that has not been clearly stated earlier:

 

• "If you have received an auto-reply, to your extension letter request, we have received your email and you do not need to resend or contact us again. If you do not receive an auto-reply please check the size of your attached files and ensure they do not exceed the maximum size allowed by our systems (5MB)."

       

 

This is now clearly stated on the UK embassy webpage:  

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#covid-19-visa-extension-applications--support-letter

 

Typically if you scan/photo of your passport pages by a mobile phone, a single JPG file may be anything from 2MB above by default...

So try to reduce your individual file size by photo-resize app or on your computer (e.g. Paint or similar) to, say, 700KB ...

 

Related to the topic, my personal experience of obtaining the letter has been entirely satisfactory: 

• emailed my request with attached evidence on Tue, 31 Mar, 13:26
• received acknowledgement email from the centre Tue, 31 Mar, 13:28
• received email from the embassy Wed, 1 Apr, 15:05

The letter contained all relevant details including my full name, DoB, passport No., the date I entered Thailand and visa extension expiry date, embassy round seal, letter date and name of the vice consul. Only small glitch in the letter they referred to me in the plural ... :-) Other than that everything was OK.

 

WELL DONE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BANGKOK TEAM! MANY THANKS!

so check the email size, make sure you also check your spam folder (if you haven't received the automatic reply email). also, as mentioned earlier - today (6.April) is a holiday in Thailand, the embassy is closed. At any rate, they're good, you will receive your letter and in case of a query they will contact you. 

[lee b]

The British embassy were excellent issuing this. I received the emailed document early after the first day. I feel sorry for people who are running into problems due to their embassys refusual to issue this supporting letter.

[Max69xl]

FYI: READ THIS:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1893780/immigration-bureau-pursues-visa-relief-for-foreigners

[fgmr]

2 hours ago, McArie said:

 

so check the email size, make sure you also check your spam folder (if you haven't received the automatic reply email). also, as mentioned earlier - today (6.April) is a holiday in Thailand, the embassy is closed. At any rate, they're good, you will receive your letter and in case of a query they will contact you. 

Two emails, docs attached are 3Mb. There has been no response at all.

I did not know it was a holiday today 6th April. Perhaps tomorrow will bring a response. I remain ever optimistic. Thanks for your reply.

 

 

[pbrock]

Are covid visa extension letters still a thing or are these totally deprecated in favor of https://immigration.go.th/content/visa_auto_extension?

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, pbrock said:

Are covid visa extension letters still a thing or are these totally deprecated in favor of https://immigration.go.th/content/visa_auto_extension?

No need for them anymore.

[uberfarang]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No need for them anymore.

Then why a few members reported as recently as today that they were told at the immigration to bring an embassy letter next time?

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, uberfarang said:

Then why a few members reported as recently as today that they were told at the immigration to bring an embassy letter next time?

Because the officers telling them that have not been informed the "amnesty" has been extended to the 31st of July.

Only those that needed a extension prior to April 7th had to get the special one that required a letter from their embassy did them. No difference between the special extensions and normal extension that some people were able to do before the 7th.