New from US Embassy: "Official extension stamp" to change to long-term visa

[vandeventer]

This is all very confusing. Why just tell the US embassy and not all of them?

So if we want to apply for a extension based on marriage or retirement we

have to go back to immigration before 11 of sept. to get a stamp or we can not 

apply for long term visas. They are making up new rules all the time.

[shackleton]

Well no surprises there I think most people on the extension until September 26th 

Now know what is required by immigration 

So no excuses other than what has been asked for will be excepted 

[greggraham]

26 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

This is all very confusing. Why just tell the US embassy and not all of them?

So if we want to apply for a extension based on marriage or retirement we

have to go back to immigration before 11 of sept. to get a stamp or we can not 

apply for long term visas. They are making up new rules all the time.

I agree, it's weird.

 

But the line that the information was "supplied verbally to the the U.S. Embassy on Aug 25th by Thai immigration authorities" in the first paragraph suggests this is new info they were given. 

 

"The Thai government has indicated to us that the above procedures are already in place" - Let's see how @KayH gets on today. 

 

Today is 2 weeks before Sept 11, maybe they'll (Immigration) announce something today. 

[pontious]

17 minutes ago, greggraham said:

"The Thai government has indicated to us that the above procedures are already in place"

Immigration cannot expect people to comply unless they announce it. Not everyone is a TV member.

[greggraham]

Also, this report from last week matches what the U.S. Embassy said on 25/08 regarding the Official Extension Stamp, which "Thai Immigration authorities do not need a letter from the U.S. Embassy for this request" ;

  

On 8/20/2020 at 2:51 PM, azaazo9 said:

The latest info told by immigration to HR of my husband's company: soon there will be regulation according which one can get extension of stay based upon working, without any letter from embassy or leaving the country. Too good to be true, but let's wait and see.

 

It's strange Immigration haven't announced anything, I agree. Might be worth everyone emailing their own embassy and seeing if they've been told the same. And we'll have a report on the ground later today. 

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I would also go to Suvanabhumi and exit at immigration then re-enter and get a visa on arrival without leaving the ground but that's probably a bit to easy to be allowed to simple and most of all to logical.

Less to do with easy, simple or logical and more to do with impossible. The arrivals level is below the departures level with locked doors in between.

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, pontious said:

Immigration cannot expect people to comply unless they announce it.

[audaciousnomad]

7 minutes ago, greggraham said:

  

It's strange Immigration haven't announced anything, I agree. Might be worth everyone emailing their own embassy and seeing if they've been told the same. And we'll have a report on the ground later today. 

Clearly, they are not announcing too early so as not to disrupt any of the remaining stragglers who are going through the "agent" route.  If they officially announced this while there is still time to sell premium-priced "visas", it would cut into the profits to be made from those.  

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

This is all very confusing. Why just tell the US embassy and not all of them?

So if we want to apply for a extension based on marriage or retirement we

have to go back to immigration before 11 of sept. to get a stamp or we can not 

apply for long term visas. They are making up new rules all the time.

 

1 hour ago, greggraham said:

I agree, it's weird.

 

But the line that the information was "supplied verbally to the the U.S. Embassy on Aug 25th by Thai immigration authorities" in the first paragraph suggests this is new info they were given. 

 

"The Thai government has indicated to us that the above procedures are already in place" - Let's see how @KayH gets on today. 

 

Today is 2 weeks before Sept 11, maybe they'll (Immigration) announce something today. 

 

After letting the information in this thread sink in, I come to the conclusion that this must be a giant blooper by the US Embassy, misunderstanding what Immigration officials told them 'verbatim' and then issuing an official e-mail with how they understood it.

But it is simply not credible that:

1 - Immigration ONLY talked with the US Embassy (already 3 days ago) and did not inform any of the other Embassies on this;

2 - Immigration will require everybody planning to apply for a 1-year extension of stay to come to their office before 11 September to get a 'stamp' that would allow this (and this without any announcement from their part);

3 - Immigration relying on foreign Embassies to inform their citizens without issuing ANY announcement by themselves (???!!!).

 

During the Amnesty we have become somewhat used to Immigration's caprices and their always late, unclear, ambiguous attempts at communicating the 'procedures'.  But the level of incompetence demonstrated if the above would be true, would transcend anything we experienced before.  So the only plausible explanation is a giant f##k-up by the US Embassy thinking they understood what Immigration told them and then feeling the need to already officially release that (mis)-info 'out of the blue'.

Note: But a positive point is of course the Embassy letter that can now be requested on-line on the US Embassy website although it is virtually useless as the onus is on the applicant to convince IO that he is unable to leave Thailand for valid reasons. 

[greggraham]

7 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

 

 

After letting the information in this thread sink in, I come to the conclusion that this must be a giant blooper by the US Embassy, misunderstanding what Immigration officials told them 'verbatim' and then issuing an official e-mail with how they understood it.

But it is simply not credible that:

1 - Immigration ONLY talked with the US Embassy (already 3 days ago) and did not inform any of the other Embassies on this;

2 - Immigration will require everybody planning to apply for a 1-year extension of stay to come to their office before 11 September to get a 'stamp' that would allow this (and this without any announcement from their part);

3 - Immigration relying on foreign Embassies to inform their citizens without issuing ANY announcement by themselves (???!!!).

 

During the Amnesty we have become somewhat used to Immigration's caprices and their always late, unclear, ambiguous attempts at communicating the 'procedures'.  But the level of incompetence demonstrated if the above would be true, would transcend anything we experienced before.  So the only plausible explanation is a giant f##k-up by the US Embassy thinking they understood what Immigration told them and then feeling the need to already officially release that (mis)-info 'out of the blue'.

Note: But a positive point is of course the Embassy letter that can now be requested on-line on the US Embassy website although it is virtually useless as the onus is on the applicant to convince IO that he is unable to leave Thailand for valid reasons. 

But the information the US Embassy listed in that email is so specific, it can't have just come from thin air..

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, greggraham said:

But the information the US Embassy listed in that email is so specific, it can't have just come from thin air..

Changes are made almost every hour lately so expect this may be such a case.  Some/most/all/none may come to pass at some point but not quite yet.  

[TonBrow]

20 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

I would be very careful with this.  It looks like a fake announcement to me.  The wording does not sound anything like a typical US embassy announcement.  It is barely coherent and probably not even written by a native english speaker.  
 

I would not put any personal info into that link provided.  The whole thing is probably a scam to collect personal info.

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2020 by TonBrow

[greggraham]

1 minute ago, TonBrow said:

The link is to a Microsoft site (https://forms.office.com/) for creating forms. Anyone can use this service to create a form to gather information. The U.S. embassy would not use this. They would have a form on their own website for gathering any information for embassy use. Sorry, but this smells of a scam.

We've already been through this. https://th.usembassy.gov/covid-19-faq/ 

[Peter Denis]

4 minutes ago, greggraham said:

But the information the US Embassy listed in that email is so specific, it can't have just come from thin air..

Indeed, initially I was also thrilled by reading that e-mail, but without any Immigration announcement confirming this, it is hardly credible. 

[greggraham]

4 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Indeed, initially I was also thrilled by reading that e-mail, but without any Immigration announcement confirming this, it is hardly credible. 

Well, equally, coming from the U.S. Embassy it's not not-credible. 

[TonBrow]

12 minutes ago, greggraham said:

We've already been through this. https://th.usembassy.gov/covid-19-faq/ 

Sorry, I had only reached the second page of this thread when I wrote that. Then, I later saw people offer proof of the link on the U.S. embassy website. I stand corrected. It is really strange though that the U.S. embassy would use a Microsoft service form to collect this data. As a website developer, I would not expect this. It is not the norm.

[Peter Denis]

21 minutes ago, greggraham said:

We've already been through this. https://th.usembassy.gov/covid-19-faq/ 

The info posted on the website is not same as addressed in the US Embassy e-mail announcement.

The FAQ on the website is indeed credible.  But the part of the e-mail referring to this September 11 date by which you need to have visited your local IO when wanting to apply for a 1-year extension, is hardly credible.

But let's wait what TVF members trying it out, will report.

 

 

 

[audaciousnomad]

8 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

The info posted on the website is not same as addressed in the US Embassy e-mail announcement.

The FAQ on the website is indeed credible.  But the part of the e-mail referring to this September 11 date by which you need to have visited your local IO when wanting to apply for a 1-year extension, is hardly credible.

But let's wait what TVF members trying it out, will report.

 

 

 

It is notable that 11-Sep is 15 days from 26-Sep, which is the minimum amount of time required to be remaining on your permitted stay, in order to do a visa conversion.  They probably issued this advice to make things more consistent, as there are reports that different IOs are denying applications from folks who have "expired" stamps and are on amnesty now. Getting a 26-Sept permitted to stay stamp would force those IOs to play nicely.

Edited August 28, 2020 by audaciousnomad

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

The info posted on the website is not same as addressed in the US Embassy e-mail announcement.

The FAQ on the website is indeed credible.  But the part of the e-mail referring to this September 11 date by which you need to have visited your local IO when wanting to apply for a 1-year extension, is hardly credible.

But let's wait what TVF members trying it out, will report.

 

 

 

This is about changing a tourist visa or visa exempt to a non-immigrant visa, not about a 1-year extension

[greggraham]

26 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

The info posted on the website is not same as addressed in the US Embassy e-mail announcement.

The FAQ on the website is indeed credible.  But the part of the e-mail referring to this September 11 date by which you need to have visited your local IO when wanting to apply for a 1-year extension, is hardly credible.

But let's wait what TVF members trying it out, will report.

I meant we have debunked the fact that 1) the email is "fake" as others on this board received it and 2) the Microsoft office form is a "scam" as it's listed on the U.S. Embassy website. 

Edited August 28, 2020 by greggraham

[Caldera]

42 minutes ago, greggraham said:

Well, equally, coming from the U.S. Embassy it's not not-credible. 

I agree. Clearly immigration has told them. I'm sure they have high ranking contacts.

 

Now, if they would also inform their colleagues working at Thailand's many immigration offices, that would be great. ????

 

[lopburi3]

15 minutes ago, jackdd said:

This is about changing a tourist visa or visa exempt to a non-immigrant visa, not about a 1-year extension

They go together - first the 90 day visa and then the one years extension.  

[Benitostacos]

So, who is going to be the first guinea pig to attempt to use the embassy letter for a 30 day extension? ????

[Peter Denis]

22 minutes ago, jackdd said:

This is about changing a tourist visa or visa exempt to a non-immigrant visa, not about a 1-year extension

Yes I fully agree.  A minimum of 15 days left on your permission to stay when applying for the 90-days Non Imm O Visa from a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry is STANDARD IO practice (so why mention it).

But that you would need a 'free stamp' before 11 September to apply for such 90-days Non Imm O Visa (as precursor for the subsequent 1-year extension of stay) is hardly credible.

Maybe (probably) IO told the US Embassy that you would only be able to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa from a 'valid' permission to stay and that the 'free stamp' is a misunderstanding by the Embassy and that it simply refers to your application for a regular 30-day extension of stay (or a 60-day extension of stay for reason of family visit), in order to have a 'valid' permission to stay required by some IOs when applying for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa.  

 

I am as good as certain that you will be 'laughed away' when going to your local IO and requesting the 'free stamp' as mentioned in the US Embassy e-mail.

But OK, let's wait for the first reports of the Brave that went requesting it at their local IO with the US Embassy E-Mail in their hand...

[TonBrow]

15 hours ago, SADWING said:

All this sounds great for short term visa holders. But what boat am I in? I have a non B and I've already done all my extensions. What will I need to do to extend further? I got the Non B in July 2019...now I can't leave the country to get a new one. 
Does anyone know if they will be offering extensions for Non Bs?

 

Thanks for any info. I really can't go back to the States. I don't wanna leave my (laos)family here and have to stay in the infected US of A.

You have a Non Imm B visa issued in July 2019 and it has been extended, so it is now expired. If you are working for a company other than your own, you should be able to get a 1 year extension to that visa, if you still have a valid work permit. You will need the company you work for to provide new documents to support the work permit. If you are running your own business, I guess you would have all the documents needed to extend the visa. As long as you have all the proper documents and valid work permit, immigration should extend the visa for 1 year.

I a having a problem extending my Non Imm B visa due to missing and improperly filled documents even though I have a valid work permit issued in May 2020. Immigration told me that I must leave the country to make a new visa. I contacted a reputable Thai law firm, and they said they can get the extension sorted out for me without me having to leave the country and come back to quarantine. Their fee is 45,000 baht, which is well worth it considering it would cost over 250,000 baht to go out and come back in given all the document fees, Thai embassy fees, Covid testing, hotels, food, transportation, etc.

Perhaps a Thai law firm can help you sort out your visa as well.

[Peter Denis]

25 minutes ago, greggraham said:

I meant we have debunked the fact that 1) the email is "fake" as others on this board received it and 2) the Microsoft office form is a "scam" as it's listed on the U.S. Embassy website. 

I never denied the authenticity of the e-mail.

But the CONTENT is not credible.

And the fact that the US Embassy website doesn't mention the 'free stamp' to be obtained before 11 September when wanting to apply for a long-term Visa, is already indicative of that.

Or to put it bluntly > Communication break-downs aren't an exclusivity only reserved for Thai Immigration...

[greggraham]

17 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

I never denied the authenticity of the e-mail.

But the CONTENT is not credible.

And the fact that the US Embassy website doesn't mention the 'free stamp' to be obtained before 11 September when wanting to apply for a long-term Visa, is already indicative of that.

Or to put it bluntly > Communication break-downs aren't an exclusivity only reserved for Thai Immigration...

You had quoted me responding to someone saying the online form is a scam, so I was just responding to that - it’s not.
 

And the email itself is not credible, in your opinion, I get that. Other people might see the specific date of communication with Thai Immigration listed and the specific information listed (which, if true, would make sense for many people being refused visas/extensions while on amnesty) and take a stance that perhaps it is credible.

 

We just have to wait and see. 

[Phillip9]

40 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

I never denied the authenticity of the e-mail.

Did anyone here receive that email from the US embassy personally?   
 

I am on every US embassy mailing list that I know of, and I never received it.

[Huckfi]

Just to clear things up-I went to https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/, followed the link to the forms.office.com survey, filled it out, and received a letter shortly after.

[FritsSikkink]

21 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I would also go to Suvanabhumi and exit at immigration then re-enter and get a visa on arrival without leaving the ground but that's probably a bit to easy to be allowed to simple and most of all to logical.

That will definitely not work.