An end may be in sight to separation of Thai-farang families

[webfact]

Next moves for Thai immigration procedures in the pandemic age

By Barry Kenyon

 

  

Now that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that all remaining Thais stranded abroad will be repatriated within weeks, attention is shifting towards the future for foreigners who want to come here. The assumption is that compulsory state quarantining for 14 days would need to end before much movement occurs, although confinement could be replaced by pre-departure tests and virus-free documentation.

The priority will be to allow permanent residents (the ones holding a red police book) and holders of work permits issued by the Ministry of Labour to resume their lives here, probably in July or August as all foreign nationals are currently blocked from air, sea and land entry points at least until June 30. These groups are easy to identify as their Thai documentation is standard and unambiguous.

 

Government spokespersons have stated that another priority group are the hundreds of foreigners who are married to Thais and/or have dependent children for whom they are financially responsible. These men – and 99.5% are men – are a less clear-cut category. Some have a one year extension of stay based on marriage and can easily be identified by the stamp in their passport.

 

Full story: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/next-moves-for-thai-immigration-procedures-in-the-pandemic-age-301763 

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2020-05-28

[Don Mega]

33 minutes ago, Dasekel said:

That would not have been very difficult, except for some geniuses here suddenly coming up with stupid requirements on a rolling basis getting their own citizens stranded and feeling not welcomed back by their own government. I am wondering whether the current Government really expects to get re-elected.

What requirements caused Thai citizens to be stranded ?

[tingtong]

Currently it looks like Chinese tourists will be allowed back sooner than farang with Thai family...

 

I look at work permit differently...that is just a job.

Forcing families apart just bcos the father is foreigner is bad, and needless discrimination.

 

[Jumbo1968]

How do we apply for a repatriation flight for my partner and son who are here in the UK with me  ?

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, tingtong said:

Forcing families apart just bcos the father is foreigner is bad, and needless discrimination.

 

Nobody forced the families apart, Government policy is just making it more difficult to re-unite.

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, Jumbo1968 said:

How do we apply for a repatriation flight for my partner and son who are here in the UK with me  ?

Prolly go to the Embassy and get put on the repatriation list that tens of thousands are already on !!

[tomauasia]

Meanwhile Cambodia is open and doing a top job. Even do testing and clear you into the country. These Thais are deliberate in there intentions  Destroy night business send everyone suicidal while the fat rich army laugh.

[NoshowJones]

9 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

Specifics, Thailand, you must be joking

Will be clear as mud, just like they like it

The hurdles to jump over will be 10 foot tall, and open to all kinds of interpretation 

Immigration officers will be rubbing their hands together in glee, looking forward to turning filthy foreigners away who haven't seen their wives/kids for months, for a teeny weenie indiscretion 

 

What about people who live in Thailand on retirement or marriage extensions who are on holiday in their own country, have re entry permits and want to get back to their wives and families?

[Falcon]

This article shows how stupid thai officials really are and shows how rediculous the law is. He says they want to repatriate families that are apart but only those family members who either have a work permit or a permanent residence yet, most of us living here with our thai wives have to live here in non O extensions. The guy makes it sound like everyone who is married to a thai has permanent residence here. This is the correct  way that countries do things, I.e. when married to a citizen, after a year or so, apply for a permanent residence and then after a qualifying period, obtain citizenship of said country but no! Thailand don’t do that and we all have to renew our visas yearly and produce the same paperwork and financial statement year in and year out. Yet this guy talking about repatriation of foreign spouses as being those that have permanent residence!!

[thelovedone]

Any reliable information available for  those stranded outside Thailand with a current Non O Retirement Visa?

In my case my current Non O Visa will expire on July.

So I'm really hopeful that Thailand is open before  then , so as to avoid a nightmaree visa renewal at the local consulate.

 

[Enlil]

2 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

Obviously Thais authorities have a very limited capacity to allow people enter in term of numbers

so with logic it's Thais people first (Still thousands abroad, so 2 or 3 weeks to rapatriate them)

then PR and work permit (for obvious reasons the numbers are low) in june

then the ''family'' visa (Probably the ones with child first)

then the others, probably in july\august

propabely they will set some over the top requirements like doctors cert. from last 7h 100k insurance making it next to impossible for this ppl to come anyway.

[Mattd]

22 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

What requirements caused Thai citizens to be stranded ?

You answered your own question

14 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Prolly go to the Embassy and get put on the repatriation list that tens of thousands are already on !!

The number of Thais being allowed to be repatriated is restricted to a small number daily, the restrictions on planes that are allowed to land in Thailand increases the number that are stranded and waiting for their turn to be repatriated, they must get a fit to fly from a Thai embassy prior to flying, the embassies are restricted in their ability to issue these certificates, the list goes on.

In my line of work I know of several Thais that are currently stranded, the restrictions in place by their own government is making the length of time needed to repatriate needlessly long, this can be solved.

 

Plus some of the rules in place are ridiculous, we have Thai crew onboard Thai flagged vessels that have not been anywhere outside of Thailand, have had zero contact with anybody else outside of the vessels since mid March and the authorities are insisting they must go to quarantine for 14 days if the vessel carries out a crew change, this in turn takes up space for those Thais that arrive from overseas by air............. madness.

[shy coconut]

5 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

Yeah, real selfish and self centered for people with family to want to return to their family using the same quarantine rules that Thailand has imposed on their own people and pay for it themselves. 

 

But you know this, you are just trolling, exactly the same as you were doing in the last thread on the subject. 

Having read most of your posts, if you have a family in Thailand, or indeed have ever visited.

I would imagine they are rather relieved to be separated from you right now and rejoiced

at the lockdown extension.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, thelovedone said:

Any reliable information available for  those stranded outside Thailand with a current Non O Retirement Visa?

In my case my current Non O Visa will expire on July.

If they don't allow flights prior to your current permission of stay expiring. You will need start over. If that happens you can enter visa exempt and obtain non o at immigration..

Edited May 28, 2020 by DrJack54

[Kadilo]

6 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Well if he's on a 4/4 rotation and coming to Thailand every time he's 'off' should that not require some sort of visa?

 

I'll help you out here, that's 6 months ( approx ) a year here or 6 visits.

I’ll help you out. No. Although he is lucky he hasn’t been asked for one regardless. 

[caribou1]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I don't follow this story. The guy with the newborn son does not have a work permit or PR so how does this news story help him. I would imagine that most guys that are married to a Thai are in same boat.

Sadly don't see a lot of joy in this for many with family/wife in Thailand.

He isn’t married either, it’s a tough situation 

[Don Mega]

18 minutes ago, Mattd said:

You answered your own question

The number of Thais being allowed to be repatriated is restricted to a small number daily, the restrictions on planes that are allowed to land in Thailand increases the number that are stranded and waiting for their turn to be repatriated, they must get a fit to fly from a Thai embassy prior to flying, the embassies are restricted in their ability to issue these certificates, the list goes on.

In my line of work I know of several Thais that are currently stranded, the restrictions in place by their own government is making the length of time needed to repatriate needlessly long, this can be solved.

 

Plus some of the rules in place are ridiculous, we have Thai crew onboard Thai flagged vessels that have not been anywhere outside of Thailand, have had zero contact with anybody else outside of the vessels since mid March and the authorities are insisting they must go to quarantine for 14 days if the vessel carries out a crew change, this in turn takes up space for those Thais that arrive from overseas by air............. madness.

Ahhh righto, So if the 10,000s of 1,000's of Thai's currently awaiting repatriation were all allowed to return tomorrow does the government have the quarantine facilities available to facilitate the ingress.

 

Seems to me putting up a few hurdles to slow the ingress was actually a wise thing to do !!

[AndySilverfox]

2 hours ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

No, thats because they do border runs. When flying in and out internationally it's rarely an issue. 

That is not true at all . I did it flying in for 3 years and was stopped . I know of many similar cases . 
nothing at all to do with border runs . We all got non O visas after that . Immigration were very clear about it but no stamp in passport 

[Don Mega]

4 minutes ago, AndySilverfox said:

That is not true at all . I did it flying in for 3 years and was stopped . I know of many similar cases . 
nothing at all to do with border runs . We all got non O visas after that . Immigration were very clear about it but no stamp in passport 

Don Muang or Swampy ?

[Hugh Jarse]

3 hours ago, Enlil said:

Not every father is permament resident, how many of u got permament residence papers?

 

And not every father got work permit. 

 

Whats work permit got to do with being a father to thai kid ?

 

Most of this ppl are on NON-O visas. So what about them ?

 

 

 

 

Once the air travel ban is lifted I would have thought that a fit to fly cert. from an MD would be sufficient and on arrival in Thailand tested again and quarantined for 14 days would suffice. Hope the COVID committee here will consider this.

[mikosan]

7 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Correct, no mention of Non 'O' visa which i'd imagine a few will be one.

 

This guys been coming for 8 years and never needed a visa......hmmm

Simple.  Like he says, he works 4 on 4 off, so is never in the country more than about 26 days, so he uses the tourist visa exemption scheme.  What's the problem with that?  He is effectively a tourist during his visits, and one who is lucky enough to have lots of holiday's. 

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

So people on "Thai wife" extensions who don't have a work permit won't be allowed in. Why does one need to have a work permit to take care of one's family?

Just typical of a third world government and third world thinking.

[mikosan]

6 hours ago, Don Mega said:

The visa exempt entry is for tourists.......... not people jobbing the system to avoid obtaining a visa.

He is effectively a tourist when he is on rotation.  What's the problem with that, I don't see he is breaking any rules, or are you jealous that he gets lots of 'holidays'?

[beau thai]

21 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Ahhh righto, So if the 10,000s of 1,000's of Thai's currently awaiting repatriation were all allowed to return tomorrow does the government have the quarantine facilities available to facilitate the ingress.

 

Seems to me putting up a few hurdles to slow the ingress was actually a wise thing to do !!

Couple of months ago Vietnam had 60000 returnees in quarantine.

I guess conditions werent great but 14 days 'time' and released to get on with their lives, in their own country. So far no deaths reported In Vietnam.

We have had time to beef up quarantine facilities and get folk home- many from countries where covid is spreading apace.

Surely we have enough Generals to organise that?

 

[HashBrownHarry]

18 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Don Muang or Swampy ?

Both airports mate in Bangkok mate.

[HashBrownHarry]

6 minutes ago, mikosan said:

He is effectively a tourist when he is on rotation.  What's the problem with that, I don't see he is breaking any rules, or are you jealous that he gets lots of 'holidays'?

He's not a tourist if his wife ( or bird ) and child are here.

 

 

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, connda said:

But if you don't hold a PR or a WP, well, you're just a tourist so feel free to go to h*ll.  Btw, perhaps take your Thai wife and kids with you as you're clearly not wanted here. 

To anyone even considering marrying a Thai women please note for your own sanity:  Do not marry a Thai and have children or plan to live in Thailand and have a normal life.  Take your wife and go back to your own country.  If you can't do that - then don't get involved with a Thai woman at all...ever with the intentions of marriage.  If you're interested in a marriageable partner - find a woman from a country where you are treated like a human being - not a potential criminal.  In racist Thailand you will always be feared, loathed, hated, and treated like an outsider and criminal, you will never be anything but a tourist no matter how long you support your wife and family.  Just don't do it.  Take your money and life and settle elsewhere.
This is not a country to attempt to support a native wife, children, and family.  It ends in a vale of tears - you've been warned.

"find a woman from a country where you are treated like a human being".  When I first came to Thailand, it was a country where you were treated like a human being, then things started changing for the worst, I admit that I have nothing but hatred for the Thai government and immigration now.

 

[Keyser Soze666]

I'm hearing October at the earliest. Wow.

[Kadilo]

9 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

He's not a tourist if his wife ( or bird ) and child are here.

 

 

What is he then? 

[sambum]

18 minutes ago, beau thai said:

Couple of months ago Vietnam had 60000 returnees in quarantine.

I guess conditions werent great but 14 days 'time' and released to get on with their lives, in their own country. So far no deaths reported In Vietnam.

We have had time to beef up quarantine facilities and get folk home- many from countries where covid is spreading apace.

Surely we have enough Generals to organise that?

 

"He said Thailand has to find a balance between limited resources and effectively repatriating stranded Thais, which continues to be the priority for now." 

 

It's all down to priorities , see! Once we've paid for the submarines etc .......................!

Edited May 28, 2020 by sambum