Thai authorities mull visa amnesty rules after July 31

[rooster59]

Thai authorities mull visa amnesty rules after July 31

By Barry Kenyon

 

 

Discussions have begun in several government departments about the future for foreigners who took advantage of the visa amnesty which ends in just over a month’s time.

 

Holders of all temporary visas and border passes expiring from March 26 onwards – but not including those renewing one year extensions of stay such as retirees and some work permit holders – have approval to remain in the kingdom until July 31 without visiting an immigration bureau or filling in any forms. Publicly, Thai authorities are tight-lipped about what may happen afterwards.

 

Full story: https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/thai-authorities-mull-visa-amnesty-rules-after-july-31-305553

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2020-06-27 

 

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[MadMac]

That's not correct, it also includes Extensions of Stay.

[trainman34014]

Total Chaos looming on August 1st methinks !

[thequietman]

17 minutes ago, MadMac said:

That's not correct, it also includes Extensions of Stay.

I think that you will find it doesn't.  If you have a marriage or retirement extension, you need to renew when it is due. :)

[NB1986]

Many people who wanted go back to their countries could go they cannot say they couldnt i was just watching yesterday in Germany people started receiving bills from government which helped them return to Germany, from Asia it was 600-700 euro and from NZ and Australia 1000 euro...while people who want visit their families they cannot come others abusing system and after when there will be only one extension of 30 days from 31 st july people will start to rush on airports home. 

[FritsSikkink]

29 minutes ago, MadMac said:

That's not correct, it also includes Extensions of Stay.

Why should it, you can renew your extension in the country.

[MadMac]

12 minutes ago, thequietman said:

I think that you will find it doesn't.  If you have a marriage or retirement extension, you need to renew when it is due. ????

Nope, I just changed from marriage to retirment and was told from immigration that it is not necessary until 31st July. First hand information, no bubbles from Pattaya newspaper.

[MadMac]

11 minutes ago, NB1986 said:

Many people who wanted go back to their countries could go they cannot say they couldnt i was just watching yesterday in Germany people started receiving bills from government which helped them return to Germany, from Asia it was 600-700 euro and from NZ and Australia 1000 euro...while people who want visit their families they cannot come others abusing system and after when there will be only one extension of 30 days from 31 st july people will start to rush on airports home. 

There are at least 7 airlines flying regularly to Europe alone, some daily. LH flies 3x a week. So there is no excuse for people to go home or pay for overstay. I know there are quite a number playing the game until it ends. Particularly on the islands, they don't want to go home. Why should Thailand accomodate them any longer whereas the rest of us jumps through the immigration firerings and pays up.

[MadMac]

8 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Why should it, you can renew your extension in the country.

Because that is the current law, it's called amnesty.

[FritsSikkink]

2 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Because that is the current law, it's called amnesty.

There is no law called amnesty

[MadMac]

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

There is no law called amnesty

Call it whatever you like, if it makes you happy, It does not change it ????

[Yorkshire Tea]

12 minutes ago, MadMac said:

There are at least 7 airlines flying regularly to Europe alone, some daily. LH flies 3x a week. So there is no excuse for people to go home or pay for overstay. I know there are quite a number playing the game until it ends. Particularly on the islands, they don't want to go home. Why should Thailand accomodate them any longer whereas the rest of us jumps through the immigration firerings and pays up.

With no tourists arriving in Thailand, why rush to get those here to leave?

 

And I'm not a tourist, & haven't been jumping through "firerings" whilst the amnesty is in effect, either.

[garygooner]

Scrap the 90 day report please! 

[NanLaew]

2 minutes ago, garygooner said:

Scrap the 90 day report please! 

Queue the 'treated like a criminal' diatribes.

[NanLaew]

46 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

another useless fluff piece that doesn't say anything, why put it in here other than to fool people into looking at it?

The original source was Pattaya Mail which, with Pattaya now bereft of any signs of life, has a pressing need to make headlines out of nothing.

 

Makes a bit of a change from, "The sun rose this morning and is expected to set some time early this evening."

Edited June 27, 2020 by NanLaew

[timendres]

39 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Nope, I just changed from marriage to retirment and was told from immigration that it is not necessary until 31st July. First hand information, no bubbles from Pattaya newspaper.

True of the 90 day report, but the extension itself is not covered.

[captainhornblower]

32 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Because that is the current law, it's called amnesty.

I am in the process of extending my o-Visa at the moment. I am currently in the one month 'under consideration' period with the applicable stamp from immigration. Possibly you can wait but why would you? All immigration offices are going to be madhouse from 1st August for a long period.

[MadMac]

2 minutes ago, timendres said:

True of the 90 day report, but the extension itself is not covered.

Extensions of stay are covered. This is direct information out of the mouth of Chiang Mai immigration.

[brewsterbudgen]

4 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Extensions of stay are covered. This is direct information out of the mouth of Chiang Mai immigration.

You are covered until the end of the amnesty, but if you haven't renewed your Extension when it expires, you will need to leave Thailand once the amnesty ends.  

[Kerryd]

If I recall, the only "Extensions" that were covered were those that required the holder to leave the country every 90 days, like Marriage extensions.

Regular extensions, like Retirement extensions, still had to be renewed like normal. My Retirement Extension was due the first week of June and I renewed it in the last week of May.
No hassles and no suggestion that I didn't need to do it at that time. 

I also did my 90 Day report at the same time as it was due and they had no problem with that even though it didn't actually need to be done until after 31 July.

[Kerryd]

Note: This should probably be in the "Thai Visa" forum".

[timendres]

12 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Extensions of stay are covered. This is direct information out of the mouth of Chiang Mai immigration.

Extensions are not mentioned in the official Order published in the Gazette, which I trust more than any confused IO.

[MadMac]

7 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

You are covered until the end of the amnesty, but if you haven't renewed your Extension when it expires, you will need to leave Thailand once the amnesty ends.  

Again, that is not what CM immigration said. They very clearly and unmistakenly explained to me that I could RENEW my extension before 31st July. 

[cyril sneer]

I have to go to immigration soon, how much money should I be prepared to take for missing the 90-day?

[jackdd]

54 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Why should Thailand accomodate them any longer

They spend money in Thailand. If Thailand kicks them out the money is spent somewhere else, because they are not able to come back.

If Thailand kicks me out next month my landlord will have a hard time to find a new tenant and might run into serious financial trouble within the next few months, i'm sure he would be grateful for it.

 

55 minutes ago, MadMac said:

whereas the rest of us jumps through the immigration firerings and pays up.

The amnesty applies to all foreigners, so currently nobody has to jump through any hoops.

Does it make you feel bad when other people get treated the same as you, because in your opinion, you deserve to get a better treatment?

[Jack Hna]

Amnesty is going to be extended to end of september.

 

 

[MadMac]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

They spend money in Thailand. If Thailand kicks them out the money is spent somewhere else, because they are not able to come back.

If Thailand kicks me out next month my landlord will have a hard time to find a new tenant and might run into serious financial trouble within the next few months, i'm sure he would be grateful for it.

 

The amnesty applies to all foreigners, so currently nobody has to jump through any hoops.

Does it make you feel bad when other people get treated the same as you, because in your opinion, you deserve to get a better treatment?

There is nothing to interpret in what I said. Simply stating facts, there are enough flights out so that everybod can leave in time without risking overstay.

[MadMac]

10 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

I have to go to immigration soon, how much money should I be prepared to take for missing the 90-day?

Nothing, Extension of stay cost 1900B, multiple Re-Entry 3800B which you probably wont need anytime soon ????

[NCC1701A]

18 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

I have to go to immigration soon, how much money should I be prepared to take for missing the 90-day?

2000 baht in Hua Hin.  I think same same everywhere. 

Edited June 27, 2020 by NCC1701A

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, thequietman said:

I think that you will find it doesn't.  If you have a marriage or retirement extension, you need to renew when it is due. ????

Oh, really? Are you sure? As I´ve understood it, you are still covered by the visa amnesty. The only thing is that you will probably not be able to extend it one year at the end of the amnesty, which means you will have to start all over again with a new Non-O.

Sure, you might be right. That´s just how I´ve read it. ????