Hua Hin Immigration making it difficult to get emergency extension.

[Isaanbiker]

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

That's the result they want, you're not supposed to get this extension - they're doing everything they can think of to make sure as few extensions are issued as possible. This is very clear.

Then foreigners from more developed countries should stop spending their money here. 

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

OP didn't say there was anything wrong with it, just that IO wanted to see a print-out of the Embassy e-mail.  So good info for other applicants, which would otherwise have their application refused for not having the e-mail print with them.

= = = = =

But I think it is ridiculous defending the approach IO has taken to tackle the issue of people being stranded in Thailand with borders closed and almost all flights out cancelled.

An automatic 1 or 2 month amnesty for all those stranded like many other countries have done, is the sensible way to do it.  

Note: The latest cabinet resolution to address the issue is once again a joke.  When you have arrived after March 1, there will be clemency for you.  Those having arrived after March 1, can apply for the normal no-problems 30-day extension.  It's those that arrived before March 1 and have already applied for a 30-day or 60-day extension that are in trouble and confronted with preposterous requirements (e.g. bring the owner of the place where you are staying with you), when applying for the emergency extension.

 

 

Whilst not condone the lack of common sense in this very difficult time, the thinking on March 1st is understandable.

Tourists caught up in the problem, extend. Tourists don't normally stay longer than 30 days. People arriving on TVs or exemptions and who have extended them once or more raise suspicions. So they put all the extra hoops in to see what shakes out.

 

Bureaucracy used this way is about catching the ones up to things out. 

 

 

[soi3eddie]

8 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

  Most people in this country do not know that Thailand would be similar to Burma without the tourist $$$.

Having visited and travelled Myanmar (Burma) on several occasions - most recently in Feb 2020, I would say that the mood and welcolme there is better than Thailand. Very refreshing atmosphere and English is more widely and better spoken in Yangon than in Bangkok. The country is developing fast and would be lovely to be able to call it home or stay long term if there were easy options to do so (no retirement option yet).

[Cricky]

Geeze, it's disappointing to see so much negativity. 

 

Comply or goodbye. 

 

They're the rules, complaining won't help. Nobody is listening. 

Be accountable, if that's what they want do it. 

 

It's the same thing worldwide, governments are being reactive.

 

They are doing their best in this very bad situation. 

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

The reports of few offices requiring the landlord to come along to immigration should almost make news overseas as being the most ridiculous requirements even in normal times. Having that requirement at a time of unprecedented global challenges makes Thailand a laughing stock. 

Thailand has always been a laughing stock, the immigration department are pure evil and always have been.

 

Only now we're seeing their true colours out in the open. I hope they read this message.

 

Having said that I've never personally had a problem with them (as I know my way around every possible roadblock they throw up) but I know plenty of other people who have.

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, VYCM said:

Geeze, it's disappointing to see so much negativity. 

 

Comply or goodbye. 

 

They're the rules, complaining won't help. Nobody is listening. 

Be accountable, if that's what they want do it. 

 

It's the same thing worldwide, governments are being reactive.

 

They are doing their best in this very bad situation. 

"Comply or goodbye". Is that a cruel joke.

Just a guess ....you live in Thailand smug and sweet.

So do I, difference is I have compassion for various folk caught up in a s### storm. 

BTW they (Thai authorities) are doing the opposite to best by any measure. In fact setting new records daily of stupid incompetence.

 

[Peter Denis]

7 minutes ago, VYCM said:

Geeze, it's disappointing to see so much negativity.

Comply or goodbye.

They're the rules, complaining won't help. Nobody is listening. 

Be accountable, if that's what they want do it. 

It's the same thing worldwide, governments are being reactive.

They are doing their best in this very bad situation. 

       IN  THREE  WEEKS   IT'S   MY   BIRTHDAY ...

 

[30la]

I do not understand why immigration is not able to simply give an extension until the end of the emergency without too much bureaucracy, it is not the visitors' fault this situation and they are already punished enough for the extra expenses they have to suffer ...

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, 30la said:

I do not understand why immigration is not able to simply give an extension until the end of the emergency without too much bureaucracy, it is not the visitors' fault this situation and they are already punished enough for the extra expenses they have to suffer ...

I have given this suggestion 2 second thought. I'm sure better options available.

So here goes. Apart from overstay. We are all here on "permission of stay". That goes from visa exempt up. For those that can obtain extension without leaving Thailand, example extension based on retirement or marriage etc then business as usual. 

For others attend imm with nothing other than your passport. It will show your current "until stamp". The io will give you new 30 day stamp. Have to pay 1900 ok no problem. 

[ukrules]

31 minutes ago, VYCM said:

It's the same thing worldwide, governments are being reactive.

No, it's not the same, most countries have automatically extended visas and removed all overstay penalties until the crisis is over because they're not dumb and want social distancing to happen.

 

Not Thailand though - it's perfectly acceptable here for 100's of the hated foreigners to cram themselves into small rooms which will surely be hotbeds of infection to get a passport stamped by an automaton.

[teatime101]

45 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

So they put all the extra hoops in to see what shakes out.

A lot of people queuing for extensions are long stay expats with properties. They've been spending their money here for a very long time. Why make life hell for them?

[ukrules]

22 minutes ago, 30la said:

I do not understand why immigration is not able to simply give an extension until the end of the emergency without too much bureaucracy, it is not the visitors' fault this situation and they are already punished enough for the extra expenses they have to suffer ...

It's because they don't want to.

[DrJack54]

Just now, ukrules said:

No, it's not the same, most countries have automatically extended visas and removed all overstay penalties until the crisis is over because they're not dumb and want social distancing to happen.

 

Not Thailand though - it's perfectly acceptable here for 100's of the hated foreigners to cram themselves into small rooms which will surely be hotbeds of infection to get a passport stamped by an automaton.

Agree. Just one example. I'm Oz so tend to follow news there. Right now the social gathering limit is 2. That includes your own home. Inside or out. It excludes family members. You have 16 prescribed reasons for being outside. Fines are very stiff. Auto 1000aud up on the spot.

Countries like AU would be shocked to see photos of immigration here. Recent video on thread for extension is laughable.

 

[Tarteso]

4 hours ago, jackdd said:

But it's obviously a lie because in for example Chiang Mai this is not required.

Shhhhh.... don’t give ideas, please 

[bartolo57]

Just overstay until they finally catch up with you and deport you. Job done.

[Kalasin Jo]

Thais love lists, the longer and more obscure the requirements the better. Having said that I thought the French pretty demanding on documents for residency when I applied there. So may be its unfair to criticise Thais per se, better to criticise the bureaucracy itself....anywhere.????

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

The Thai Xenophobia has no boundaries now.

Dirty Farang brought the dreaded Covid19 Virus to Thailand

Well maybe we  did ( or did not ), and as Covid19 is a Global Pandemic, who really knows.

What we did bring to Thailand however, was jobs, and Industry, - and a lot of it.

and took a lot of Thais and their families out of poverty.

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, bartolo57 said:

Just overstay until they finally catch up with you and deport you. Job done.

I will cut you slack with post total of 3. 

Crazy advice. You would be put in detention. Given amount of road blocks very possible.

BTW they deport you when possible at your cost after the court case.

[DrJack54]

Just now, possum1931 said:

and took a lot of Thais and their families out of poverty.

And put lot of farang into poverty after house was built on family land. 

Lucky I missed that trap.

 

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

And put lot of farang into poverty after house was built on family land. 

Lucky I missed that trap.

 

I did some due diligence on the GF, now wife and her family before I moved to Thailand for good.

[DrJack54]

Just now, possum1931 said:

I did some due diligence on the GF, now wife and her family before I moved to Thailand for good.

I have check list also. The answers accrue points.

No living family 100 points

Nice family from Issan with no brothers or buffalo deduct 50.

Have job with money nil invoid. I want travel. 

Have brothers = Void.

[woogoo]

6 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

These 2 sets of requirements (post#1 - HuaHin and post #5 - Trat) for foreigners affected by the CoVid-19 situation are SHOCKING!

I hope a TVF member with 'higher-up' connections can and will bring this to the attention of the highest thai authorities.  

But if it turns out that these are indeed the requirements cooked-up at the highest IO level to enforce on tourists who unwillingly are 'trapped' in the country, then I can only conclude it is a deliberate attempt to destroy Thailand's reputation as a tourist destination. 

No matter how many 'Amazing Thailand' tourist marketing campaigns that will be launched later will repair the damage done and the negative publicity by those that were treated in this appalling way.

I think you would be quite surprised how few people will care and how quickly people forget. Just look how quick people in this forum are to throw other foreigners under the bus in their attempt to prove their loyalty to Thailand. There has been a slow and systematice process in the west to strip our solidarity and the result is most people give little thought to the suffering of their fellow countrymen. As long as they can come to the full moon party and get away from their job for a week, most people in a year will give very little thought to how some other people they don't know were treated during this pandemic.

[Venom]

3 hours ago, stuhan said:

Yes many countries and i am moving to one in south america in november $600 a month income required and no money in the bank needed.No visa required for 3 month stay for most countries.Full residency in 5yrs.

Same here, we've been looking at Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and Peru. If you don't mind me asking and since this is an anonymous forum, which destination did you decide on? ????

[woogoo]

26 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Thais love lists, the longer and more obscure the requirements the better. Having said that I thought the French pretty demanding on documents for residency when I applied there. So may be its unfair to criticise Thais per se, better to criticise the bureaucracy itself....anywhere.????

I hear a lot of people say this about American requirements for immigration. What they seem to overlook when talking about western immigration policy is that it's one time and you're done. You don't need to keep going through it every year and reporting every 90 days. You get the PR and you're good for life or until you choose to apply for citizenship. I'll take a massive one time hassle over a protracted annoyance any day of the week.

Edited April 1, 2020 by woogoo
Grammatical error and an overlooked typo.

[woogoo]

2 minutes ago, Venom said:

Same here, we've been looking at Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and Peru. If you don't mind me asking and since this is an anonymous forum, which destination did you decide on? ????

Panama, at least before this virus, was golden if you have an extra ten to 20 thousand. I recommend Kraemer and Kraemer in Panama City. Things may be different when this all settles down though.

 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, woogoo said:

Panama, at least before this virus, was golden if you have an extra ten to 20 thousand. I recommend Kraemer and Kraemer in Panama City. Things may be different when this all settles down though.

 

I had to scroll up to title of thread to find out if I was in Thai visa or visas to other countries. Please close door on way out.

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, woogoo said:

I hear a lot of people say this about American requirements for immigration. What they seem to overlook when talking about western immigration policy is that it's one time and your done. You don't need to keep going through it every year and reporting every 90 days. You get the PR and your good for life or until you choose to apply for citizenship. I'll take a massive one time hassle of a protracted annoyance any day of the week.

I have been in Thailand 7 yr. Never done 90 day report. Never done TM30. Attend imm once per year. Very simple. Visit Vietnam every month. Obtain 3 month multi online every 3 month. Simple process. 

To each their own. What is your point actually. 

Disgruntled? Bye

[FarFlungFalang]

2 hours ago, William Osborne said:

You know what......after reading some of the comments here talking down Thailand and saying its 3rd world etc ....I'm not surprised that Thai officials are making things as difficult as possible......I know i would if I was a Thai reading these posts ????????

 

 

 

 

You mean like a self fulfilling prophecy?

[recom273]

You would think this is a job for embassies to represent their citizen and liaise with foreign governments at times like this to ensure their safety and well being.

 

I'm sure one of the last things an embassy want to be doing at this time is issuing these letters that the immigration service is demanding, what exactly do they say? Nothing more than they already know from the passport. 

 

I feel for people who are stuck here on short term visas dealing with all this.

 

[AAArdvark]

7 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

There are plenty of countries with more to offer than Thailand

And their immigration is probably screwed up right now.  Most countries can't even take care of their own internal problems now.