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

[Upnotover]

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

What is he then? 

A non-immigrant.

[smedly]

1 hour 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.

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

 

not quite understanding

 

do you have a 12 month extension based on retirement/marriage ?

 

If so then it won't be a problem will it, you can just renew when you come back with only one extra step - getting a 90 day conversion at Thai Immigration ........in Thailand........

[hackjam]

55 minutes ago, shy coconut said:

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.

As are quiet a few, I suspect, Thai lady happy to be with Thai boyfriend, Mr Farang continue send money please. 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, BobBKK said:

I'm sad for those guys but we all know Thai Rak Thai and we are dirty guests at best.

Have you any idea what a "guest" is? Why are you comparing a "guest" with a third world country like Thailand?

[Kalasin Jo]

It's very tough and there surely aren't so many. Limiting this to those with permanent residency  or holding a work permit is not going to unlock the door for most.

 

France allows foreign non EU spouses and children to join their French or French resident spouses at their French home, but they must isolate for at least 14 days on arrival, even with only  a Schengen short stay EU family visa. Just saying.  However the logistics are tricky as only direct flights to Paris from Bangkok are permitted ( although I've heard of two who managed it, one via Amsterdam, the other via London and then using the train).

A further  worry is then returning to Thailand for the Thai as well as the farang. What conditions will be attached? And for the Thai spouse and children what becomes of them if their visas expire? The French have a visa amnesty in place for long stay visas until I believe the end of the year, but for short stay visas an extension request must be made to the local prefecture, normally such a request is very rarely granted.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Hans Rayong said:

You should let foreigners who have children with Thai citizenship to come back.

There are 10,000's foreigners who work abroad and have family in Thailand.

They work hard for a period and then want to stay with their Thai children in Thailand.

Why is it considered more humane to let people with work permits come in and not fathers to Thai children?

or people who live here with Thai wives?

[AndySilverfox]

35 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Don Muang or Swampy ?

Swampy - I think it was a sort of purge . A few stopped in a few days . All checked after for compliant visas . I se on here many have done it and got away with it. 

[Dasekel]

41 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 !!

Nonsense. If they would be capable of proper planning and organisation, it would not take them weeks and weeks to repatriate their own nationals. They did not have a good plan and put "a few hurdles" in, they did not have any plan or idea and came up with those requirements on an ad hoc basis. 

[uhuh]

6 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

Agree, but Taiwan was the first country to ban flights from Wuhan.

That happened already in January.

In December, arriving flights from Wuhan to Taiwan were inspected by health authorities entering the plane before anybody could disembark. 

[473geo]

I have always appreciated the flexibility Thailand offers

 

However benefit from this flexibility comes with the responsibility of understanding that with minimal notice change may be applied

 

 

[Don Mega]

30 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'?

Ahhhh righto.

 

Iam on a 5 on 2 off rotation, Those 2 off make me a tourist then or ?.

 

[Dasekel]

12 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

What is he then? 

Why is this of any relevance? He is the spouse of a Thai and lives with her whenever he does not work abroad, that is what he is. And why should he not be able to use the VOA when he comes? Where does it say that people like him cannot use it? He and many other including me used it for many years and it was not us working in other countries causing visa problems. It was those living and maybe working here for long time and doing visa runs to stay on tourist visas. The were the ones causing problems for others, including us.

[wombat]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

probably in July or August

or September or November.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours 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.

Who elected the present PM in the first place, was it the majority of the Thai people?

[mikecha]

5 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

I don't envy anybody trying to get back to Thailand

 

if that was the case u do not read the forum enough many many ex pats  live here and work away some 1 month some 2 months in oil gas and many other things 

maybe u dont like it here but many many others do so kindley put comment when needed 

as they say think before do  

[Mattd]

56 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 !!

No, that is not what I said or intimated, I was replying to your question, which you answered yourself, however, the fact remains that the number of repatriations could be tripled, there is no shortage of space, the ones being allowed in with no symptoms go to a hotel, only those showing symptoms are being sent to hospital, a tiny percentage actually show symptoms or are positive.

[Bender Rodriguez]

1 hour ago, tingtong said:

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.

 

no empathy from thais

 

I know how that feels at immigration, trying to not get DEPORTED

[Mikeasq60]

9 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

They are worried about importing new cases of c19 ,they kept the borders open and allowed thousands of Chinese in. What did that do to countries when infected people returned home, that action was probably responsible for exhalerating the spread of c19 worldwide 

Isnt Thailand going to sign an agreement with China to build a railroad? Thailand id rethink your decision are you tracking whats going on with China throughout the world? China is trying to claim more territory, Thailand might be next! Plus this CV were did it start?

[jimn]

Without reading all 11 pages I will give my view on the article. It is a pile of nonsence. The article states that the Thai authorities are considering letting people with Permanent Residence and people with work visa's back. It then goes on to give and example of someone who has not seen the family who doesnt come into either category. In fact he hasnt got a visa at all just using visa exempt, so he will be well down the priority list. In fact most people who are stranded abroad are those with extensions of stay based on marriage and Non O visa holders.

[JusticeGB]

What about people with a retirement Visa who are married with a Thai child who didn't want to go through the ridiculous hurdles of the marriage Visa and just went the 800,000 baht route?

[Pattaya46]

21 minutes ago, Dasekel said:

And why should he not be able to use the VOA when he comes?

Where does it say that people like him cannot use it? //

Because he is from UK,

and UK is not in the list of countries who are allowed VOA... 

...but of course you meant Visa Exemption, not VOA.

 

Sad situation for all expats stuck abroad. Must be patient ;(

[jimn]

6 hours ago, crazykopite said:

There are still more than 40,000 Thai citizens trying to return to there homeland these people have to be repatriated and placed into quarantine for 14 days in a couple of days it will be June . My wife is stuck in the U.K. I will be amazed if she manages to get back to Thailand by the beginning of August if there is no hope of that I am considering pulling the shutters down on the house and returning to the U.K. and not returning until 2021 at the earliest thankfully we have a U.K. base. I cannot see the Thai authorities allowing flights to resume until they have repatriated all Thais and they are extremely slow in doing that at the moment 

 

Dont believe everything that Richard Barrow posts. The spokesman on todays briefing stated that the repatriation process was nearing an end.

[Dasekel]

3 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Because he is from UK,

and UK is not in the list of countries who are allowed VOA... 

...but of course you meant Visa Exemption, not VOA.

 

Sad situation for all expats stuck abroad. Must be patient ;(

Sorry, you are right, I meant VE  and not VOA. ????

[jimn]

6 hours ago, Guderian said:

Good luck with getting the medical certificate from the authorities in whichever country you are, no more than 72 hours before flying, saying that you're clean. And good luck with getting the insurance to cover you for C19 up to $100,000. Until the Thai government drops these ludicrous requirements nobody is coming back any time soon.

They were the requirements before the ban, who knows what they will be when incoming passenger flights restart. That immigration officer on the video circulating was just speculating.

[fredwiggy]

41 minutes ago, hackjam said:

As are quiet a few, I suspect, Thai lady happy to be with Thai boyfriend, Mr Farang continue send money please. 

There are a few pigs disguising themselves as women here, who only want the falang for money and will have a useless boyfriend on the side for 5 minute sex before he gets drunk and goes looking for another cheating wife, but there are also Thai women who love their husbands and miss them when they're gone and not just their money.

[from the home of CC]

10 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

They are worried about importing new cases of c19 ,they kept the borders open and allowed thousands of Chinese in. What did that do to countries when infected people returned home, that action was probably responsible for exhalerating the spread of c19 worldwide 

some countries want to rush back to travel and tourism, complaining about 2 week quarantines and such (even with 10's of thousands dead) - do yourself a favor Thailand and keep the doors shut..

Edited May 28, 2020 by from the home of CC

[jimn]

4 hours ago, Wake Up said:

You are misinformed and confused. 

Based on what he has written why do you say that?

[MikeyIdea]

There's a logic to how the authorities work and it's quite simple to understand too. There's currently some 1.500 Thais on the repatriation list only in the UK. Of them, they prioritise those with no residency, indefinite leave to remain, they go first, then comes the others. They only accept a limited number of repatriations per day because quarantine must be arranged first. 

 

It will be the same when it's time for foreigners one day. Quarantine must be arranged, then those with work permit and permanent residency go first. This I simply because Thai companies need their staff (and they contribute to society by paying tax) and permanent residents in Thailand may not have a residence somewhere else. I am one of those. I have nothing abroad after nearly 30 years in Thailand. 

 

The bottleneck will be quarantine facilities. Quite a few Thais returning from abroad are infected so they will IMO continue with them until the risk in the departing countries are acceptable. That will probably be several months in today's high risk countries.

 

I'd guess June and July for Thais, August to September, perhaps October for WPs and residents. There are lot of permanent residents around, not just a small number like some seem to think. No idea where they are of course ???? The Thai Expats stuck abroad group has 1.800 members now and growing fast, 1.600 new members in only the last week. 

 

I don't think they'll open for come-as-you-wish entries from high risk countries as long as they feel there is a need for quarantine, same with the insurance requirement, it'll stay as long as they feel there's a risk they'll have to pay for treatment. It'll probably be baked into the ticket price one day, I heard 300 baht but no one knows for sure yet. 

 

Quite logical order really 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2020 by MikeyIdea

[jimn]

4 hours ago, time2093 said:

It looks like news is just getting worse for you Brits out there trying to comeback to Thailand anytime soon. I'm sure you can add U.S.A and other high risk countries to the list.

 

Thailand doesn’t expect UK tourists to return until October

 

https://pattayaone.news/thailand-doesnt-expect-uk-tourists-return-until-october/

A bit of a misleading headline. The article quoted a TAT  official in London. The post was general to all nationalities and did not specifically pick out UK citizens.

[jimn]

3 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

thailand don't care.  this is a paperwork drill to meet the requirements on a checklist.  consider the useless thai-sourced insurance required for some extensions.  same-same.  the government announces some requirements, so we need to meet those requirements.  it goes like this:

 

A.  you need a covid19 test.

B.  you need insurance with covid19 cover, minimum $100K

 

1.  are tests available (in some countries)?

2.  is inexpensive travel insurance with covid19 coverage available?

 

if the answers to the above questions are "yes" and "yes", then the (potential) requirements to enter thailand in the future will have (potentially) been met.

A and B are not current requirements. They ended with the incoming passenger flight ban. When flights restart there will be new requirements which may or not be the same as A and B.