Immigration Bureau gets ready for tourists making most of new long-stay visa

[worldfun]

As per immi own numbers of 10th this month (ONE DAY) some 700 farang were stamped in just a bit less than numbers of Thais as they sued a twitter user. So is a whopping additional ~40/day. 40 stamps!!! So they have 40 desks at swampy at least so each lucky IO might get 1 stamp each!!! ???? That is if anyone at all actually buy into this SPECIAL visa ????

[aussienam]

On 9/16/2020 at 11:19 PM, bwpage3 said:

Immigration has no clue how financially strapped people are all over the world.

 

Increased airfare in you can even get a flight in, quarantine for 14 days and insurance.

 

Who in their right mind would pay and go through all that when Thailand still has 50% of the businesses shuttered in tourist locations?

 

 

 

A: Desperate expats needing to get home to Thailand who cannot use their previously valid/expired retirement visas - this is one way to get back, albeit an expensive way.  It would likely be wealthy retirees who are willing to do 14 days ASQ (as current small number of approved expats are doing already) and then move back to their homes, then apply for a Non-Imm O visa within Thailand.  

Previous Non-Imm O-A holders will have to make the hard choice to transfer their offshore 800,000 Baht equivalent funds from their foreign bank into a Thai bank and apply for Non-O instead.  New system deletes choice without being kicked out.    Nice wealth boost for Thai banks.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Not good for O-A holders in places with poor exchange rates especially if Thai Baht falls.  Could end up even more costly.  But retirees stranded are getting more desperate as no end in sight and massive backlog. 

 

Others may be the very wealthy tourists who don't mind 14 days in a luxury ASQ and then get a maximum 256 days of freedom of movement.  Or coming in on STV so they can make business/property investments - loads of rich Chinese and Koreans.  

[HerewardtheWake]

Aussienam, could you please explain the third paragraoh in your message:  " Previous Non-Imm O-A---"? I thought the B800,000 has to be already

in a Thai bank? Thanks.

[DaRoadrunner]

On 9/16/2020 at 2:48 PM, Cali farong said:

I would say by the time you book flight, take several COVID tests, buy the Covid insurance, spend 14 days in quarantine your out at least $5,000

Well put. When will the Thais realise that tourists are not coming and neither is Da Roadrunner.

 

Maybe if the Thai Govt paid for the quarantine and we could spend the 14 days in a short time hotel. How about free condoms with every visa Mr Anutin? Ah yes, genius!

[androokery]

15 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Man all the desks 3 planes a week about to arrive from abroad 1,200 people a week. About 60,000 a year. Was it just last year that 40,000,000 came to Thailand? What a catastrophic storm is about to hit Immigration they will have to work again at Swampy to process dirty farangs. 

No, it’s capped at 1,200 people a month, 14,400 per year. Basically droves of people.

[bwpage3]

6 hours ago, aussienam said:

A: Desperate expats needing to get home to Thailand who cannot use their previously valid/expired retirement visas - this is one way to get back, albeit an expensive way.  It would likely be wealthy retirees who are willing to do 14 days ASQ (as current small number of approved expats are doing already) and then move back to their homes, then apply for a Non-Imm O visa within Thailand.  

Previous Non-Imm O-A holders will have to make the hard choice to transfer their offshore 800,000 Baht equivalent funds from their foreign bank into a Thai bank and apply for Non-O instead.  New system deletes choice without being kicked out.    Nice wealth boost for Thai banks.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Not good for O-A holders in places with poor exchange rates especially if Thai Baht falls.  Could end up even more costly.  But retirees stranded are getting more desperate as no end in sight and massive backlog. 

 

Others may be the very wealthy tourists who don't mind 14 days in a luxury ASQ and then get a maximum 256 days of freedom of movement.  Or coming in on STV so they can make business/property investments - loads of rich Chinese and Koreans.  

Not going to happen.

 

You think a flood of wealthy tourist are coming to Thailand?

 

How are they going to get here when that long stay visa is for charter flights only?

[Tounge Thaied]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

Not going to happen.

 

You think a flood of wealthy tourist are coming to Thailand?

 

How are they going to get here when that long stay visa is for charter flights only?

Let's all make our predictions... how we can know, we probably won't but still fun nonetheless. I say 8,000 from November 2020-September 2021.

To add to the story... this visa will end September 2021. I suspect there are more than you think will do it. Will every month's quota of 1200 be filled, likely not, but there are many waiting to get back. Likely not the 13,000 or so if you filled the quota every month from November to September, but I guestimate at least half that though. 

[CANSIAM]

On 9/16/2020 at 7:10 PM, FlyingThai said:

Hence why this is specifically advertised and designed for LONG STAY tourists.

And of course valid Non O yearly extension holders stuck abroad are not LONG STAYERS......5555 

[worldfun]

34 minutes ago, CANSIAM said:

And of course valid Non O yearly extension holders stuck abroad are not LONG STAYERS......5555 

indeed. if long stayers one would be in the country not abroad ????

[spidermike007]

Vacation ideas? Think I will choose Thailand. A self imposed prison sentence of 14 days, and a health insurance policy I do not need, without a pandemic exception. An expensive charter flight, covid tests and then after spending $5000 to $7000 I can start my vacation. 

 

Amazing Thailand. Land of the onerous vacation. 

[onebir]

On 9/16/2020 at 3:03 PM, snoop1130 said:

The Immigration Bureau has started making preparations for an influx of foreign tourists now that the government has started offering long-stay visas to stimulate the economy.

The 1200/month they're expecting needs preparation??

[Tounge Thaied]

42 minutes ago, onebir said:

The 1200/month they're expecting needs preparation??

It's hard to get an ASQ hotel right now... so I suspect even more hotels will need do what it takes to qualify as there will be many who will be using this new VISA. The list does keep growing... there are 69 now.

https://thaiest.com/blog/list-of-alternative-state-quarantine-asq-hotels-thailand

[Tounge Thaied]

On 9/16/2020 at 6:01 PM, spidermike007 said:

$2000 to $5000 for quarantine and food. $3000 to $5000 for health insurance for most people. Plus the flight. So, $5000 to $10,000, before your vacation starts.

 

To call them out of touch, dreamers, incompetents and timid, would all be kind and understated. 

I will estimate a total of 85,000 rounded up for other ancillary costs. Big ticket items below. 

Here is what I paid this month of September to get back in on my Non-Immigrant O (wife) VISA and COE:
ASQ Hotel: 32,000

Flight: 32,300

Insurance: 10,000 Insurance through Insubuy allows coverage to be purchased for only the duration of your VISA

Covid Test: Free here in the Seattle area

M.D. Exam: 8,000

[RubbaJohnny]

When someone explained the bigger picture it all falls into plaice.

 

1200 foreingers per month in = 40 per day .

 

To avoid touching up against locals at airports the zero farang-frottage policy means it's necessary to sandwich the incomers in 2 brand spunking new submarines, which can remain unseen until docking at popular locations on Klong San Seeb, Pratunam for Pa T'Pong, Nana Neua and of course the Oriental, Ta very much where there's a will there's a relative.

[CANSIAM]

10 hours ago, worldfun said:

indeed. if long stayers one would be in the country not abroad ????

Not true bud 

[HampiK]

On 9/17/2020 at 9:16 PM, Jackcwba said:

“ getting ready “ 

 

don’t bother... nobodies coming 555

I would be not that sure. There are a lot of foreigners who are desperate to come back and willingly to pay for the part...

 

On 9/18/2020 at 4:22 AM, androokery said:

No, it’s capped at 1,200 people a month, 14,400 per year. Basically droves of people.

I heared if the first month or months it's going good they can increase this 1'200 per month. So maybe it's only the first or second month and then stop or go up ????

[bwpage3]

On 9/17/2020 at 11:25 PM, Tounge Thaied said:

Let's all make our predictions... how we can know, we probably won't but still fun nonetheless. I say 8,000 from November 2020-September 2021.

To add to the story... this visa will end September 2021. I suspect there are more than you think will do it. Will every month's quota of 1200 be filled, likely not, but there are many waiting to get back. Likely not the 13,000 or so if you filled the quota every month from November to September, but I guestimate at least half that though. 

Like I said, CHARTER FLIGHTS ONLY.

[bangsaenguy]

I keep waiting for the announcement that the charter flights are only by THAI

[JeffersLos]

Is that photo from a bukkake video? 

[DogNo1]

I can imagine that people who have made Thailand their home but whose permissions to stay have expired may take the nine-month tourist visa option to return with the hope that they will be able to convert to a long stay status again before the expiration of their tourist visa.  This may also appeal to my German friend who has been coming on a one-year Non-O but who only stays for about nine months of the year.  I'm not sure that they will be able to afford the extra expense though.  Probably some will.  Let's see how it goes.  Perhaps the numbers will be smaller than the government thinks.

[Tounge Thaied]

2 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

I can imagine that people who have made Thailand their home but whose permissions to stay have expired may take the nine-month tourist visa option to return with the hope that they will be able to convert to a long stay status again before the expiration of their tourist visa.  This may also appeal to my German friend who has been coming on a one-year Non-O but who only stays for about nine months of the year.  I'm not sure that they will be able to afford the extra expense though.  Probably some will.  Let's see how it goes.  Perhaps the numbers will be smaller than the government thinks.

It sure would be nice option for those stuck out. However, generally when you want to convert a "tourist" visa you will first get a 90 day non-immigrant O, for which you will convert again, within the last 45 days of that visa, to a one year visa. Here is the problem, typically you are required to do a border run, or fly out and fly back in to convert to the one year. That bit won't really be feasible without first getting single re-entry permit and finding a flight out, then the requirements to come back. Fit to fly, covid test, insurance, and 14 day quarantine all over again.