COVID-19: Immigration proposes extending visas for people stranded in Thailand to 30 June 2020

[webfact 82,540]

COVID-19: Immigration proposes extending visas for people stranded in Thailand to 30 June 2020

 

 

The Immigration Bureau has proposed allowing foreigners who have had their travel plans disrupted by COVID-19 to extend their visas to 30 June 2020.

 

Currently, Immigration is giving foreigners who are unable to fly back to their home countries or to another destination a 30 day extension of stay, providing they can provide a ‘visa extension letter’ from their embassy.

 

But now Immigration has proposed to the Cabinet that foreigners should be given visa extensions to 30 June 2020.

 

The proposal was submitted to the Cabinet for consideration last week but it is not known if it will be approved.

 

An unofficial translation of the proposal reads:

 

Due to the worsen situation of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic around the world including Thailand, where borders between countries are closed, while foreigners who have entered the Kingdom of Thailand for a temporary stay are unable to return to their domicile or leave the Kingdom, causing them to stay illegally in the Kingdom of Thailand violating the immigration law.

 

To mitigate the suffering among the foreigners, the Immigration Bureau hereby propose to the Cabinet in the meeting held on 24 March 2020 to consider the resolution that permits the Immigration Bureau in granting permission to foreigners an extension on a temporary stay in the Kingdom of Thailand in accordance to their visa type or the exemption for the visa as a result of border closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the fact that they are unable to return to domicile or leave the Kingdom, under the immigration law until 30 June 2020 or until the time frame as considered reasonable, as the case, may be. For your consideration

 

The news comes after Immigration offices nationwide have been inundated with foreigners desperately trying to extend their visas after being left stranded in Thailand. Many neighbouring countries have now closed their borders, while people have also struggled to get flights.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-03-30

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[khwaibah 8,203]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

The proposal was submitted to the Cabinet for consideration last week but it is not known if it will be approved.

 

So the cabinet is flogging their dog.

[ubonjoe 48,716]

10 minutes ago, khwaibah said:

So the cabinet is flogging their dog.

Since the major subject of cabinet meeting on the 24th was the emergency decree. It might of been put off or approved but the Interior Ministry and immigration are working a official order allowing it.

If put off their is another cabinet meeting tomorrow.

[unamazedloso 5,080]

hope somethings done. Aint no borders to cross and its a little harsh being told i can extend for 23 days after paying for a 7day extension for 1900 baht which is what my local immigration said or i have to find a flight and leave. Ive been here for decades and already in lockdown doing my part so i dont appreciate having to fly to aus via 2 differing airlines with overnight staybin the philippines being the only flights i seem to be able to get which are probably gone now anyway and go in to a 14day quarantine then get stupid certificates just to return. What an absolute waste of time and i have an underlying medical condition weakening my immune system so travelling is just stupid. My house and family is here in Thailand. Seems strange that there is a virus from china and farang gotta get out immediately. Well if i have to go lets hope i bring it back then if thats how it is...

[ubonjoe 48,716]

A troll post meant to deflect the topic and a expected reply to it has been removed. No further notice will be made of posts removals and formal warning will be given for repeated posts.

[BritManToo 45,426]

Allowing immigration to extend ......... assume a visit and a payment to an immigration office.

Why not propose an automatic extension for everyone, no forms, no trips to immigration, no queue?

 

Like many other countries have done.

Edited March 30, 2020 by BritManToo

[ubonjoe 48,716]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Why not propose an automatic extension for everyone, no forms, no trips to immigration, no queue?

How do you do know that is not part of their plan or perhaps a type for registration for it and a stamp for it.

[ubonjoe 48,716]

5 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

My house and family is here in Thailand.

If your family is Thai you may have other options.

[superal 1,960]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

How do you do know that is not part of their plan or perhaps a type for registration for it and a stamp for it.

Is a decision imminent ? I am still waiting for my letter from the UK embassy for a 30 day extension and my border run is due today . Thinking I will wait for 2 days and pay the 1000 baht fine in the hope that a positive decision is made by the Thai Immigration Bureau or my letter arrives soon . 

[SoilSpoil 3,350]

How to get to the embassies when your locked in Phuket or Phang Nga, with no buses, trains and soon domestic air travel. Why the need for Embassy letters?

[Caldera 3,517]

3 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

How to get to the embassies when your locked in Phuket or Phang Nga, with no buses, trains and soon domestic air travel. Why the need for Embassy letters?

From reports here and from information from my embassy, embassies usually send the letter by email, so there's no need to visit them.

 

 

[ubonjoe 48,716]

16 minutes ago, superal said:

Is a decision imminent ? I am still waiting for my letter from the UK embassy for a 30 day extension and my border run is due today . Thinking I will wait for 2 days and pay the 1000 baht fine in the hope that a positive decision is made by the Thai Immigration Bureau or my letter arrives soon . 

I do not know the answer to your question. I would expect something to officially be announced this week but cannot know for sure.

[FarFlungFalang 9,820]

50 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

How do you do know that is not part of their plan or perhaps a type for registration for it and a stamp for it.

In my effort to get the emergency I had to pay the 1900 baht fee I got one and a half pages of stamps including the overstay which was 10 hours past the last day of my previous extension I got 14 days and one of the stamps said my application was under consideration.I'm not sure if I'll be required to pay more when I return but even if they give the proposed extension without charge me along with everyone has had to pay for the emergency extension along with breaking the social distancing decree issued by this administration so no automatic granting of an emergency extension has been given therefore it's too late to say that might be their intention.If it was their intention they would already have done it as other countries have managed to do already without to much trouble.

[spiekerjozef 4,770]

1 hour ago, Caldera said:

From reports here and from information from my embassy, embassies usually send the letter by email, so there's no need to visit them.

 

 

Some embassies charge 30 euro for the letter.

[PST 144]

Whist this is good for tourists who genuinely can't get home, i do feel the 'cant go, wont go' home crew are delighted too as many of them are starting to overstay now.

 

And if it is true, then it means a tourist would get 90 days, but an O holder coming to the end of permission to stay, can only get 60 days??, and then may have to jump through hoops to get a year after that???

 

PST