Nationality decides your fate!

[richard_smith237]

There is too much whinging about this issue which weakens the genuine cases of people caught out who were not ‘chancing the system’.....

 

The Title of this thread is not accurate - it should read ’Securing a correct Visa’ decides your fate. 

 

 

Those who meet the financial requirements (retirement or marriage) have no issues obtaining an extension.

Those who did not and were border bouncing are getting caught out, but have had months and months to get their affairs in order. 

 

Many have been genuinely caught out, but it seems an awful lot of people have attempted to chance the system with letters from their Embassy as if they are entitled to such. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, Walker88 said:

I have a slightly different take on these matters, based on 2 things:

 

1) I was granted a visa extension on my original 30-day Tourist Visa (or "Under consideration", due back in a month for official approval) this week by Thai Immigration

 

2) I carried a Diplomatic Passport for many years, working in numerous US Embassies around the world

 

Re the "Letter" the US gives its citizens. The Chief Minister for Consular Affairs at the US Embassy would have visited the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and run the letter by them. If the letter was unacceptable, those Thai entities would have suggested changes. Everybody would have been on board. Other nations' embassies could or would have done the same, so those embassies who are more demanding of their own citizens are doing that on their own, not at the request of Thai Immigration.

 

These visa extensions are a kind of tacit amnesty extension. The fact that when filling out the forms at Muang Thong Thani the IO instructs the applicant to write, under "Reasons for Requesting Extension", Covid-19, says they know full well why anyone wants to extend and they are being both kind and generous.  During my surprisingly short visit to MTT, where Thai Immigration was running a 'Swiss-watch' efficient operation, with both patience and understanding, I saw that most people were being granted the visa extension.

 

Why would Thailand do this?  I can think of three reasons:

 

1) They are displaying great kindness and understanding in a world gone virus-mad

2) They realize having many Covid-free folks spending money in Thailand while borders are closed is a benefit to Thailand and its working people

3) They are showing justifiable pride in the fact folks from "Developed" or OECD countries prefer Thailand over their home country and are confident Thailand is handling Covid better than their home country. In other words, Thailand is a safe haven.

 

All in all it is a win-win for those extended, for Thailand and its businesses, and for Immigration able to display the heart and efficiency that many didn't believe it had. I had made arrangements to depart, just as I had each time prior to amnesty extensions. Though a few of my earlier flights were cancelled, the flight I had booked for next week may well have run. Still, I prefer to stay, am happy to spend money here, and I know they know why I don't want to leave. Nobody is 'abusing the system'; Thailand is simply being kind.

 

I'm grateful to Thai Immigration as well as the Thai Govt for granting this privilege at this time.  Also, watching the procedure that Immigration has set up to deal with this influx of extension-seekers, and seeing the patience that every single IO or employee displayed to the foreigners seeking extensions, was nothing short of astonishing. I'm not sure what impression I had previously, but after my own experience I can say my personal view of Thai Immigration is nothing but positive.

So why don’t the Thai Government just announce a 1 Year Amnesty for all - thus ensuring those Covid-19 free 'long term tourists’ already in country continue to spend their money in Thailand?

 

 

I don’t have a dog in the race. I don’t need the Amnesty. However, continued amnesty makes perfect sense, under the Emergency Degree the visa issues are a total mess for many and while people have had masses of time to sort out their affairs there as little logical basis for forcing this issue. 

 

While Thailand has operated quite favourably with the previous extensions, it hasn’t operated without a degree of clumsiness. 

 

[potless]

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

So why don’t the Thai Government just announce a 1 Year Amnesty for all - thus ensuring those Covid-19 free 'long term tourists’ already in country continue to spend their money in Thailand?

So painfully simply obvious. 

[Hi Tea]

6 hours ago, jackdd said:

Thailand is a low risk country and the UK a high risk country for catching Covid, a potentially deadly disease.

Fear for one's life isn't reasonable?

Do you fear for your life if you get the 'flu?  That's much more life-threatening than Covid-19, perhaps you have been out of the UK since influenza was discovered.

[Enoon]

7 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

or as the UK press has coined the condition: "Covid Cowardice"

 

 

I'm in the UK.

 

.075% population COVID mortality so far.

 

About 1 in every 1333 people have died in UK, "attributable" to COVID

 

Media hysteria had me a bit anxious about coming back, although "intellectually" I knew their was a very low likelihood of any serious problems for me (even at 65) along with the overwhelming majority of the population.

 

There was, and their remains...........a very low likelihood.

 

It has been, and it remains..........a frightful bore.

 

I guess it's being bored to death that scares them.

 

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by Enoon

[vandeventer]

7 hours ago, superatoz said:

sigh why cant they just extend amnesty a few more months 

          Because when you have power, Empathy goes out the window!

[MRToMRT]

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

 

I'm in the UK.

 

.075% population COVID mortality so far.

 

About 1 in every 1333 people have died in UK, "attributable" to COVID

 

Media hysteria had me a bit anxious about coming back, although "intellectually" I knew their was a very low likelihood of any serious problems for me (even at 65) along with the overwhelming majority of the population.

 

There was, and their remains...........a very low likelihood.

 

It has been, and it remains..........a frightful bore.

 

I guess it's being bored to death that scares them.

 

 

I agree

 

I have been stuck here 6 months, and following the social distancing rules I have never caught it and don't know of anyone who has caught let alone passed away with it. I live a very normal life and never even really think of covid until the news starts at six thirty and blasts me with outrageous headlines. 

 

 

 

 

[Jorgendk]

37 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

I did show 13x4 weekly payments with a spreadsheet from the bank but the IO wanted only 12x1 monthly payments. No, the problem was with this 1 IO as I had extensions approved before by other IO's.

If that IO will not accept that, why do you then not simply go to another IO, to get it?

[Deli]

18 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

The embassies can do whatever they want. They follow the rules of their of Foreign Affairs Ministry back home.

 

Citizens are in no way entitled to demand the issuance of documents from their embassy that go beyond what is normally available (passports, notarizations etc).

 

It sucks but it is how it is. The U.S. Embassies worldwide have always been known for providing better citizen services than others, especially of European countries. In the U.S. there is somewhat of a semi-accountability of the government and citizens can write/call their Senator and Congressperson to make a stink. University friend of mine had some trouble getting assistance at the embassy in Seoul and then his parents contacted their Senator for that state. Two weeks later he got what needed. Good luck with that happening at the German embassy.

 

It's definitely time to change German Government, not only coz of this. 100+ more reasons