Amnesty to be extended to October 31

[JusticeGB]

Technically an announcement like this has to be advertised in the Royal Gazette. Maybe something will be gazetted on Monday. Nothing official can be announced until it has appeared in the Royal Gazette. It was unfortunate that such a decision was delayed until the last minute if in fact the amnesty has been extended. 

[Phillip9]

1 hour ago, audaciousnomad said:

Knowing how severe the libel/defamation laws are here, it would be absolutely insane for the Herald to print this without any shred of truth. Falsely suggesting that the highest ranking govt official in the Kingdom has approved a legal order is surely bordering on criminal under the laws here.

The server is not based in Thailand for that reason.  It is likely that they have no documented connection to Thailand, so unless authorities could trace down someone here in Thailand giving them this information, Thai laws will not apply to them.   Otherwise, the worst thai authorities could do would be to block access to the website from Thailand.

[Benitostacos]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

wanna bet that all those that kept putting it off. (getting things done or leave) when it was Sept 26th, will just sit and wait it out till the 31st next month

 

and things go on and on  LOL

Exactly, if Thai immigration has all your info and TM30, they need to exercise some common sense and just let people pay month to month online (welcome to the 21st century) or do a blanket amnesty until this whole mess blows over. As the fall/winter months come, Covid cases are already beginning to increase in a lot of countries, which will make people even more reluctant to leave.

[PhoSai]

9 minutes ago, Benitostacos said:

Exactly, if Thai immigration has all your info and TM30, they need to exercise some common sense and just let people pay month to month online (welcome to the 21st century) or do a blanket amnesty until this whole mess blows over. As the fall/winter months come, Covid cases are already beginning to increase in a lot of countries, which will make people even more reluctant to leave.

That makes far far too much sense !

[Ohyesuare]

28 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

Technically an announcement like this has to be advertised in the Royal Gazette. Maybe something will be gazetted on Monday. Nothing official can be announced until it has appeared in the Royal Gazette. It was unfortunate that such a decision was delayed until the last minute if in fact the amnesty has been extended. 

It can be announced but it's not official until it's in the gazette, yes, which is just a formality usually once it has been formally announced.

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

It can be announced but it's not official until it's in the gazette, yes, which is just a formality usually once it has been formally announced.

The question is whether or not it has truly been formally announced.  If it was I would hope it would be published as an article in more than one lone internet paper which is not based here in Thailand.  Not seeing anything else anywhere regarding this issue.

[Guderian]

I admire the boundless optimism of people, but with no mention of this amnesty extension in either of the main English language national newspapers, or in the Pattaya News where Adam Judd is usually very quick to get hold of this sort of breaking news, and with not so much as a peep from anybody in government, I think it would be wisest to keep calm and carry on as if the amnesty has already expired (which it has, of course). Face it, Immigration gave people months to prepare for the end of the amnesty, if they chose to ignore the warnings and leave things until the last minute then they only have themselves to blame. If the amnesty is by any chance extended next week, then my English neighbour will be incredibly annoyed as he flew out with Qatar last night, lol.

[Ohyesuare]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

The question is whether or not it has truly been formally announced.  If it was I would hope it would be published as an article in more than one lone internet paper which is not based here in Thailand.  Not seeing anything else anywhere regarding this issue.

Yes, right now it's just a rumor but with some credibility since their previous prediction regarding the amnesty was correct.

[2 is 1]

Funny to read speculation about topic! I know many guy who was in IO march 24 to get they visa! Soon coming first amnesty! And they had to also go io again to get new stamp! So this also is just in time (if true). Before tuesday nobody get trouble yet about they passports. So if monday this go forward it's ok for all whitout valid visa now!

Edited September 27, 2020 by 2 is 1

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, Ohyesuare said:

Yes, right now it's just a rumor but with some credibility since their previous prediction regarding the amnesty was correct.

Be careful as a "Rumor" is just that, and unless more than one person or paper has published a legitimate story or alluded to something that was heard in the first person and not passed down from one to another, then that my friend is not credible.  Agents may or may not have the inside scoop, and unfortunately, not all of there connections run to the top, even though they will claim otherwise.

[2 is 1]

9 minutes ago, Guderian said:

I admire the boundless optimism of people, but with no mention of this amnesty extension in either of the main English language national newspapers, or in the Pattaya News where Adam Judd is usually very quick to get hold of this sort of breaking news, and with not so much as a peep from anybody in government, I think it would be wisest to keep calm and carry on as if the amnesty has already expired (which it has, of course). Face it, Immigration gave people months to prepare for the end of the amnesty, if they chose to ignore the warnings and leave things until the last minute then they only have themselves to blame. If the amnesty is by any chance extended next week, then my English neighbour will be incredibly annoyed as he flew out with Qatar last night, lol.

Do you understand its weekend in Thailand , every official happening in here is "frozen" until monday! Only can wait and see!

Edited September 27, 2020 by 2 is 1

[NanLaew]

18 hours ago, padthaininja said:

Soo... we don't have to go back and get stamped?

If anyone got an 'under consideration' stamp in their passport BEFORE this latest, largely unofficial and as yet not Royal Gazetted statement of extension, I would make a point of going back on the date they told you to. Who knows what your local IO will pull out of his ass to expedite your ejection if you don't? Maybe an overstay assessment, fine, jail and whatever other horrors the TV amnesty stress monkeys like to ponder.

[Caldera]

Obviously, if someone has an embassy letter, wanted to get a Covid-19 extension and couldn't get in last week due to overcrowding, they are well advised to go to immigration tomorrow. To avoid overstay penalties if this automatic extension renewal doesn't materialize.

 

Two things could then happen: Either immigration will process them as per usual, or they will send them home pending an official announcement. Just staying at home waiting/hoping for the latter to happen isn't a sensible approach.

[jackdd]

3 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Two things could then happen: Either immigration will process them as per usual, or they will send them home pending an official announcement.

They will of course process them, easy 1900THB.

In April, after the amnesty was already 100% official, Chiang Mai immigration still processed 30 day tourist visa applications, instead of telling those people that they are wasting their money and their only regular 30 day extension.

[garygooner]

19 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

What a farce ????

 

Absolutely right. Why leave it so late to 'possibly announce Amnesty extension!' 

Could be so simple. 

 

[easydoor]

Reading the reactions some people are already dancing on the table .... for what? There is nowhere written amnesty has been extended yet.... it's only a rumor, nothing more, so don't count on it yet.

[Wongkitlo]

1 hour ago, Benitostacos said:

Exactly, if Thai immigration has all your info and TM30, they need to exercise some common sense and just let people pay month to month online (welcome to the 21st century) or do a blanket amnesty until this whole mess blows over. As the fall/winter months come, Covid cases are already beginning to increase in a lot of countries, which will make people even more reluctant to leave.

They say there are 150000 people under amnesty. Whether there is half that many people and they each paid  1900b  it is a lot of money they are missing out on by needing an  amnesty. If as you suggest they just did a blanket 1900b per month visa with no letters or crazy requirements it would make a lot more economic sense than wasting time with embassy letters and needing to provide proof of hotel bookings etc. They relaxed the TM30 regulations recently. I haven't heard of any foreigner based crime wave since then.

[Walker88]

27 minutes ago, jackdd said:

They will of course process them, easy 1900THB.

In April, after the amnesty was already 100% official, Chiang Mai immigration still processed 30 day tourist visa applications, instead of telling those people that they are wasting their money and their only regular 30 day extension.

True, that.

 

The good news is they did not count it as the "one time" TV extension, since it was obviated by the amnesty.  Lots of people who had gone for the extension in April just got another extension last week.

 

Rules are made to be broken...by those who make the rules.

[Mike Teavee]

13 hours ago, Promula said:

They need to break the cycle of everyone turning up in the final 2 days of the amnesty. Easy way to do is it to say that anyone that turns up on 1 Oct gets an extension until 30 November (60 days), anyone that turns up on 2 Oct gets an extension until 29 Nov (58 days), etc etc. Give an incentive to go early, and also prevent the same problem in November.

Easiest way to do it is to say that everybody who doesn’t already have an extension has until next Friday to make an appointment to go get a 30 day extension that’s open to everybody with 1,900 THB... Don’t have proof of an appointment after Friday or not have an extension after the date of your appointment & you’re on overstay.

 

Those immigration offices that don’t have an online appointment booking system should set-up a telephone/email service to take/make appointments.

 

Whilst getting the extension they should make it clear that this is the last one & discuss options for you after the 30 days.

 

[vinci]

wouldn't people already extended by now since the 26 was the last day anything after that would be overstay, so what is the point of a late amnesty like this, who are they trying to focus this amnesty toward

[FlyingThai]

5 hours ago, ehgnyc said:

New account? Or one you've had for a while? A lot of things are different right now.

Nothing is different. The accounts can be used as always there isn't and never was any limitation on accounts. Neither on spending with your card or wire transfers.

 

Regulation might be different as banks have pretty much stopped doing any business with U.S. citizens unless they can provide watertight documentation to justify opening a local account (and even then some banks don't want to take you due to reporting requirements).

[FlyingThai]

13 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

They say there are 150000 people under amnesty. Whether there is half that many people and they each paid  1900b  it is a lot of money they are missing out on by needing an  amnesty. If as you suggest they just did a blanket 1900b per month visa with no letters or crazy requirements it would make a lot more economic sense than wasting time with embassy letters and needing to provide proof of hotel bookings etc. They relaxed the TM30 regulations recently. I haven't heard of any foreigner based crime wave since then.

There is no way that number is accurate.

[FlyingThai]

3 hours ago, ehgnyc said:

They were business owners from what I could gather.

Business owners that "had to leave"?

 

Sounds like they told you a lot of BS or there is a vital part of the information missing. Anyway it doesn't matter as there are no problems to complete international wire transfers.

[sallecc]

15 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

There is no way that number is accurate.

Which number is more accurate? (just curious, I have no idea really)

[Dart12]

So glad we had to go to immigration and spend 3 full days to get her extended with fake 100 people limits, and switching venues, then increasing requirments fromt the first day we went...and then finally having to get there at 4am to secure one of the 100.  (which we almost lost when they moved the lines and everyone in the back suddenly were upfront because they didn't do it in any organized fashion.

That was 3 days of work missed for what should have been one afternoon trip.  But they kept moving the goal posts.

 Cost much more in time than would have to just purchase a long term solution.

Agents are my new best friend, their cost is minimal compared to the headaches.

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

This topic just got a lot shorter after I removed about 50 off topic, inflammatory, defamatory, bickering and for various other reasons.

No further notice will be made when posts are removed.

Just a reminder after removing more posts.

[Walker88]

If the article isn't accurate, they sure went to a lot of trouble concocting a tale that would be so easily proven false if it was, indeed, false.

 

"After the announcement, everyone still at Chaeng Wattana was sent home and, on Saturday morning, the complex was a virtual ghost town."

 

If anyone can claim to have been granted an extension after, say, 1600 on Friday, or was in a packed house at MTT on Saturday, they can chime in and call foul on the article. If not, it's likely accurate.

 

Governments are playing this by ear for a host of reasons, some economic, some owing to the still little understood nature of and threat of the virus, and some just for reasons of practicality. Under such uncertain conditions, even absolutes can change.

 

Thailand has done a pretty admirable job handling Covid-19, perhaps from proper caution, serendipity, dumb luck or a combination. Given the health situation is, at least for now, under control, they can refocus on economics. The article quotes influence from the CoC, which ostensibly noted that 150,000 in-country Covid-free Tourists tops possibly 1200 per month coming in, and this reportedly got the attention of the PM.  The PM and Cabinet make the rules, they can break or alter the rules at any time. That's the prerogative of being in charge. Clearly businesses that are receiving the spending of these Tourists, as well as the workers employed by those businesses, are benefiting. That can only be a good thing.

 

Pull together, don't worry if someone is 'getting something for free', and appreciate that this situation is unprecedented in the lives of anyone now above ground.

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, vinci said:

wouldn't people already extended by now since the 26 was the last day anything after that would be overstay, so what is the point of a late amnesty like this, who are they trying to focus this amnesty toward

The ones who haven't extended because CW was unable to cope and turned them away?

[Wongkitlo]

1 hour ago, FlyingThai said:

There is no way that number is accurate.

Which number? The 150000 or the half that I mentioned? 

[AsianFairyWingBlueBird]

This is my first post, Ive browsed here for a bit in my time in Thailand but this is the first time I had something to add.  
  So my country wouldnt issue an embassy letter, so I had nothing to take to immigration. I've been making plans to leave but holding off til the last minute because the person who is in charge at my employment kept telling me to wait, That there would be an announcement. They were in contact with immigration officials, as I had seen them have early information before, and they said it would be Friday. Nothing happened and I basically quit so I could leave. Now we see the decision was made on Friday, just not announced. In the mean time Immigration is happy to collect the fees from everyone who has a letter, much like I did back in March a day before total amnesty was announced. I cant tell you the report is absolutely true, but the timeline of reporting lines up with my anecdotal experience. Where I am is also a huge military base, and when I've talked with some friends who are officers here they've all suggested the govt will continue to pretend to not bend, then bend at the last minute, at least until real travel is possible again. They suggest more than anything the govt wants no return of covid and the political stability that brings.  Yes, all just heresay, but like I said it does track.