MTT issuing VE extensions without embassy letter

[Adam219]

So today I went to MTT with British Embassy letter, where I met a German guy who is also on VE, but no embassy letter. When waiting to enter the first tent, the helper asked if he had an embassy letter, and he said "no i dont I cant get one". She just said "OK" and let him through no problem. Same when going to get the docs checked on level 1. 

 

We then went to the visa office and we both went through the motion, we met after and sure enough, he say them write 21 october on his application same as mine. We then waited for out passports

 

I got mine first... yep "under consideration" until 21st. OK that's fine, phew

 

German guys passport took another 15 mins, but eventually got it. 

 

He has the under consideration stamp same as me, except they had scored 2 lines through it. We thought they had denied him. But then on the next page, a full extension until the 26th October! he does not have to go back!

 

So, maybe if you cant get the letter, it's worth a try, just put covid-19 as the reason.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Adam219

[vkuehne]

Thanks man! After going all in today to convince the German embassy to issue letters would be great if we don't actually need them. From what I gleaned from a few behind the scene talks I would urge other EU citizens to try the same. They might have a struck a face saving deal.

 

Edit: nevermind, he obviously still had a normal extension available, so nothing changed. Rest of us probably still need letter.

Edited September 23, 2020 by vkuehne
Clarification

[superatoz]

adam219 is this yr first time doing a 60 day extension ?

[Adam219]

5 minutes ago, superatoz said:

adam219 is this yr first time doing a 60 day extension ?

VE, i have not applied for the (30) day extension before

 

sorry, cant edit original post to add that info, sorry if it creates confusion, but i have until now been led to believe that wether you have an extension left or not, you need the letter

Edited September 23, 2020 by Adam219

[Fibonaqi]

15 minutes ago, Adam219 said:

VE, i have not applied for the (30) day extension before

 

sorry, cant edit original post to add that info, sorry if it creates confusion, but i have until now been led to believe that wether you have an extension left or not, you need the letter

Thanks for the report. I'm on VE and never had to use my one-time 30-day extension. I now have the embassy letter but was planning on trying it without if I didn't get it. Is it better to put "tourism" or "COVID" for the reason in the application, does it affect whether you get the full 30 day extension in one go or not? I wonder.

[audaciousnomad]

22 minutes ago, Adam219 said:

VE, i have not applied for the (30) day extension before

 

sorry, cant edit original post to add that info, sorry if it creates confusion, but i have until now been led to believe that wether you have an extension left or not, you need the letter

Sounds like you lucked out and got the standard one-time allowed extension. Good for you!  If you extend again before 26-Oct, and they have not changed any rules, you will most likely need a letter.

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, vkuehne said:

Thanks man! After going all in today to convince the German embassy to issue letters would be great if we don't actually need them. From what I gleaned from a few behind the scene talks I would urge other EU citizens to try the same. They might have a struck a face saving deal.

 

Edit: nevermind, he obviously still had a normal extension available, so nothing changed. Rest of us probably still need letter.

Several (maybe most) immigration offices don't accept the "normal" 30 days extensions during the amnesty. That's why they ask for an embassy letter. 

[edwardandtubs]

5 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Several (maybe most) immigration offices don't accept the "normal" 30 days extensions during the amnesty. That's why they ask for an embassy letter. 

Well that's what people have been saying on Facebook and here but you do wonder whether some posters just misunderstood. I went all the way to Ubon to get my regular 30-day extension but maybe I could have just gone to MTT.

Edited September 23, 2020 by edwardandtubs

[edwardandtubs]

2 hours ago, Fibonaqi said:

Thanks for the report. I'm on VE and never had to use my one-time 30-day extension. I now have the embassy letter but was planning on trying it without if I didn't get it. Is it better to put "tourism" or "COVID" for the reason in the application, does it affect whether you get the full 30 day extension in one go or not? I wonder.

Obviously if you're looking for a regular extension of a tourist visa or visa exempt you must put tourism as the reason for extension. I think some clueless people have been putting covid and then wondering why they are asked for an embassy letter. Probably all along this regular extension was available in Bangkok if you just use your common sense!

[Fibonaqi]

14 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

Obviously if you're looking for a regular extension of a tourist visa or visa exempt you must put tourism as the reason for extension. I think some clueless people have been putting covid and then wondering why they are asked for an embassy letter. Probably all along this regular extension was available in Bangkok if you just use your common sense!

That's what I thought too. Only asking because they ask for the embassy letter which mentions COVID as the reason.

[Walker88]

50 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

Obviously if you're looking for a regular extension of a tourist visa or visa exempt you must put tourism as the reason for extension. I think some clueless people have been putting covid and then wondering why they are asked for an embassy letter. Probably all along this regular extension was available in Bangkok if you just use your common sense!

The IOs instruct you to put "Covid-19" as the reason for requesting an extension. While I was waiting in line, that is what they told every single person from whatever country.

 

Frankly, it makes more sense, as anyone requesting an extension has been here 6 months at least, and probably had a chance to see pretty much everything, so putting 'tourist' would probably get a smirk from the IO.

 

They all know full well why people are asking for extensions. There's no pretense. People prefer to ride out the pandemic in a place where it's largely been beaten back. Plus, the food's good.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Walker88

[Fibonaqi]

6 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

The IOs instruct you to put "Covid-19" as the reason for requesting an extension. While I was waiting in line, that is what they told every single person from whatever country.

 

Frankly, it makes more sense, as anyone requesting an extension has been here 6 months at least, and probably had a chance to see pretty much everything, so putting 'tourist' would probably get a smirk from the IO.

 

They all know full well why people are asking for extensions. There's no pretense. People prefer to ride out the pandemic in a place where it's largely been beaten back. Plus, the food's good.

I was thinking that the "Reason" must match the actual immigration law categories here:

So "Tourism" matches case 4. I could be wrong. I may get a straight 30 days with no "under consideration". I'm sure the checker person would correct me if I should put "COVID" instead.
https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?p=14714

[edwardandtubs]

2 hours ago, Fibonaqi said:

I was thinking that the "Reason" must match the actual immigration law categories here:

So "Tourism" matches case 4. I could be wrong. I may get a straight 30 days with no "under consideration". I'm sure the checker person would correct me if I should put "COVID" instead.
https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?p=14714

That's what I thought and it worked for me in Ubon but who knows what Bangkok immigration are thinking?

Edited September 23, 2020 by edwardandtubs

[khunMiguel]

nice! I've tried the same (tr60, never had 30-days extension) Sep 22, but the helpers refused to process my documents even, without embassy letter.

[audaciousnomad]

10 hours ago, khunMiguel said:

nice! I've tried the same (tr60, never had 30-days extension) Sep 22, but the helpers refused to process my documents even, without embassy letter.

Which office ?

[khunMiguel]

3 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

Which office ?

MTT counter J

[JusticeGB]

TIT different officers and different people within offices will give different answers. With just a couple of days to sort your Visa out it's definitely safer to pay an agent to do it for you. He knows the person in the office who will stamp your Visa. 

[Max69xl]

19 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Well that's what people have been saying on Facebook and here but you do wonder whether some posters just misunderstood. I went all the way to Ubon to get my regular 30-day extension but maybe I could have just gone to MTT.

It's what several immigration offices said earlier and it's a fact. There's even been posts here about it. That's why the last announcements only mentions the embassy letter or the letter from a hospital. But there will always be immigration offices doing it their way. Btw, I don't read c**p on Facebook about visas or extensions. Most of the time totally useless info. 

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, JusticeGB said:

TIT different officers and different people within offices will give different answers. With just a couple of days to sort your Visa out it's definitely safer to pay an agent to do it for you. He knows the person in the office who will stamp your Visa. 

Please name an agent that is offering a 30 day extension service. The ones I have contacted can't help with that at all.

[Dart12]

we couldn't even get into the immigration office, arriving before 8 am (in Pattaya). quit serving after 100 and sent everyone home at 9.
waited till after 11 to see if they would relent after the huge crowd was gone.  But they closed shop and called it a day instead.

[Dart12]

2 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Please name an agent that is offering a 30 day extension service. The ones I have contacted can't help with that at all.

I found one. cost 7000bht.  

 

[Tony125]

1 hour ago, Dart12 said:

I found one. cost 7000bht.  

 

Kindly PM the people asking the question with that info.

 

[Dragonboat Ronin]

In spite of many indicating difficult process my experience getting 30-day extension was very positive. I went with an extension letter + all paperwork done and was actually told i did not need the letter due to not having gotten any extensions yet other than amnesty. About 20 minutes and i was stamped to Oct 26 and told i could return then and use my letter for another 30 days. Along with treating the immigration ladies humbly & respectfully i didn't do anything special. Does this sound accurate and have others had similar experience? Sounds almost too good and i'm wondering if when i return near Oct 26th i'll actually be told i have to leave. 

[Fibonaqi]

9 minutes ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

In spite of many indicating difficult process my experience getting 30-day extension was very positive. I went with an extension letter + all paperwork done and was actually told i did not need the letter due to not having gotten any extensions yet other than amnesty. About 20 minutes and i was stamped to Oct 26 and told i could return then and use my letter for another 30 days. Along with treating the immigration ladies humbly & respectfully i didn't do anything special. Does this sound accurate and have others had similar experience? Sounds almost too good and i'm wondering if when i return near Oct 26th i'll actually be told i have to leave. 

Which office is that?

[Dragonboat Ronin]

Si Sa Ket office. Cost 1900. Plus i gave extra 20 bcoz one of the ladies went to make copies for me.

From anyone with experience, does this sound legit or u think i'll be told different in a month? Tnx for any assistance.

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

Sounds almost too good and i'm wondering if when i return near Oct 26th i'll actually be told i have to leave. 

No

Just try to do it before you embassy letter is less than 30 days old.

 

17 minutes ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

From anyone with experience, does this sound legit or u think i'll be told different in a month?

It is certainly legit since had not applied for an extension of your original entry that you were allowed to get.

[Fibonaqi]

30 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No

Just try to do it before you embassy letter is less than 30 days old.

 

It is certainly legit since had not applied for an extension of your original entry that you were allowed to get.

I think you might have solved the mystery of the apparent randomness of the date of the "Under consideration" stamp UbonJoe Watson!

At least in my case, my embassy letter was dated Sep 23. I went to MTT today. My stamp is dated Oct 22, that's exactly within the 30 days of the embassy letter! Coincidence? Maybe. 

[edwardandtubs]

3 hours ago, Dart12 said:

I found one. cost 7000bht.  

 

It's that the regular 30 day extension of a tourist visa or is that a medical extension?

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

Si Sa Ket office. Cost 1900. Plus i gave extra 20 bcoz one of the ladies went to make copies for me.

From anyone with experience, does this sound legit or u think i'll be told different in a month? Tnx for any assistance.

The offices in the North and Isaan seem to be allowing the regular extensions. Those with successful reports now are Pai, Ubon, Samui, Sisaket and probably Chiang Mai. MTT is a maybe.

[Adam219]

15 hours ago, Fibonaqi said:

At least in my case, my embassy letter was dated Sep 23. I went to MTT today. My stamp is dated Oct 22, that's exactly within the 30 days of the embassy letter! Coincidence? Maybe. 

yes, coincidence IMO.

 

My letter is dated 18th Sept. My stamp is Oct 21. (33 days)