Visa Run out next months, what to do

[LukeTH71]

Hello and please forgive me. I joined this forum and searched for a good hour trough it, without finding the right answer to my question, as its pretty unique i guess.

 

To the facts, im swiss, 49, and stayed in the kingdom based on Elite Visa 5 plus 1 years. Now next month the 17th it will run out.

 

Its not an option to renew my Elite, as im in a few months 50 years age and have more possibilities.

 

Now, if there wouldnt be Covid and Quarantine, i would simply make a Visa Run (No, i never did that until now), so i could stay anything between 1 to 4 months more.

I had asked the small immigration in Hua Hin BluePort, about Covid Emergency extension. The lady wasnt helpful, i need a letter from my embassy and then go to the big immigration outside of Hua Hin. My embassy isnt really helpful, guess more peoples annoy them with similar questions and its not exactly their line of work to care about.

 

What are my options now to cover next couple months ? Which country to travel and stay a bit ? I work online and have steady income, but i have a missus which likes to come along. I need to cover the time to max juli, as june is my 50th birthday. And that hopefully without staying x times for 2 weeks in quarantine.

 

Thank you very much

[ubonjoe]

You can apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension. A embassy letter is not required for it.

You will be given a affidavit to complete and sign that has tick boxes for the reason you need the extension.

You can download the affidavit by clicking this.

 

 60 Day Covid 19 Extension Affidavit.pdf229.8 kB · 161 downloads

 

[at15]

Hey Joe, related question .....i arrived on an STV this year. Am i allowed to do 60 day covid extensions, saving my 90 day extensions until later? effectively staying longer than 9 months.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, at15 said:

Hey Joe, related question .....i arrived on an STV this year. Am i allowed to do 60 day covid extensions, saving my 90 day extensions until later? effectively staying longer than 9 months.

The allowed special 90 day extensions are the only ones you can apply for.

[DrJack54]

@ubonjoe

What would be a pathway for the OP once he turns 50 to move to non o and then extensions based on retirement? Since he entered PE is his only option to exit and reenter Thailand?

[LukeTH71]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension. A embassy letter is not required for it.

You will be given a affidavit to complete and sign that has tick boxes for the reason you need the extension.

You can download the affidavit by clicking this.

 

 60 Day Covid 19 Extension Affidavit.pdf229.8 kB · 161 downloads

 

Hello Joe from Ubon and thank you for your response,

 

Does it matter much what i cross on the simple form you have given me ? Actually travels to my country is allowed, its just about the expenses and the quarantines connected to it. Additionally its frigging cold in europe right now, not really inviting. What would you recommend to checkbox for me ?

 

And im puzzled, its now 60 days or 90 days ? Or can the 60 days be extended by another 30, so its then 90 ?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, LukeTH71 said:

Hello Joe from Ubon and thank you for your response,

 

Does it matter much what i cross on the simple form you have given me ? Actually travels to my country is allowed, its just about the expenses and the quarantines connected to it. Additionally its frigging cold in europe right now, not really inviting. What would you recommend to checkbox for me ?

 

And im puzzled, its now 60 days or 90 days ? Or can the 60 days be extended by another 30, so its then 90 ?

It's a 60 day covid extension. Prior to it's expiry you could apply for another if they are made available.

Disregard the fact that it might be possible to return to own country. 

[LukeTH71]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

It's a 60 day covid extension. Prior to it's expiry you could apply for another if they are made available.

Disregard the fact that it might be possible to return to own country. 

Haha okay, i guessed already. Do whatever you need to do or what is necessary, but dont get catched. Correct ?

 

Thanks anyway. How much before the 17th i can do that ? i dont like to run on last leg. Can i do it now ?

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, LukeTH71 said:

Thanks anyway. How much before the 17th i can do that ? i dont like to run on last leg. Can i do it now ?

The io possibly would advise to apply bit later closer to March 17. Personally I would apply early March. Currently these 60 day covid extensions can be obtained till the end of March, however many believe that date will be extended. Guessing till end of May. 

[LukeTH71]

23 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The io possibly would advise to apply bit later closer to March 17. Personally I would apply early March. Currently these 60 day covid extensions can be obtained till the end of March, however many believe that date will be extended. Guessing till end of May. 

Thank you alot for your time and the informations. Greetings to Ubon !!

[firebasejay]

Hi all, good info here..

Can I get a Covid 60 day extension using my non-B visa which expires at the end of March? I am preparing for the possibility that I won't renew my teaching contract with my school and want more time to prepare to switch to a one year extension for the purpose of taking care of my dependent kids, rather than having my visa extension be based on employment.  Normally I would just cross the border to Lao and switch to a single entry Non-O (to be extended 3 months later) at the Thai Consulate but that doesn't sound like an appealing or feasible option at the moment.

Thanks for any advice

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, firebasejay said:

Can I get a Covid 60 day extension using my non-B visa which expires at the end of March? I am preparing for the possibility that I won't renew my teaching contract with my school and want more time to prepare to switch to a one year extension for the purpose of taking care of my dependent kids, rather than having my visa extension be based on employment.  Normally I would just cross the border to Lao and switch to a single entry Non-O (to be extended 3 months later) at the Thai Consulate but that doesn't sound like an appealing or feasible option at the moment.

You can apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension after your extension stay (visas are not extended) based upon working is canceled by using a termination letter from your employer on the same day it is canceled.

I assume your children are Thai and you will be applying for a extension of stay based upon being the parent of a Thai (a dependent extension or visa does not exist). You could also apply for a 60 day extension to visit your children.

[firebasejay]

17 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension after your extension stay (visas are not extended) based upon working is canceled by using a termination letter from your employer on the same day it is canceled.

I assume your children are Thai and you will be applying for a extension of stay based upon being the parent of a Thai (a dependent extension or visa does not exist). You could also apply for a 60 day extension to visit your children.

Yes, that's correct.  My kids are Thai nationals (minors) with ID cards and my name on the birth certificates.  So if i can't get a termination letter for whatever reason (administrative delay due to the fact that our school year is extending past my visa expire date, etc) I can still do the Covid extension based on my kids? 

Alternatively, does an expiring contract/work permit (through March 31) equate to a termination letter?  Though I'd like to avoid waiting until the last day to do this if possible.

As opposed to trying to obtain a new Non-O, I'd like to eventually do a one year extension of my Non-B for the purpose of taking care of my kids but due to a transfer delay the 400k in my bank won't hit 2 months until April 1st, the day after my visa expires, and I still have other paperwork to assemble, such as proof of residence.  

Thanks again. Such good info in your threads.
 

[ubonjoe]

33 minutes ago, firebasejay said:

My kids are Thai nationals (minors) with ID cards and my name on the birth certificates. 

Are you the legal father of your children by way of legitimization or marriage to their mother? If not you will not be able to apply for a extension of stay based upon being the parent of a Thai.

 

You will need the termination letter to apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension or a extension to visit your children since your employment is ending. Immigration want that to confirm you are not just leaving your job without notifying your employer.

You can apply for the one year extension of stay (visas are not extended) of the original 90 day entry you got from the non-b visa you had,

 

[firebasejay]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Are you the legal father of your children by way of legitimization or marriage to their mother? If not you will not be able to apply for a extension of stay based upon being the parent of a Thai.

 

You will need the termination letter to apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension or a extension to visit your children since your employment is ending. Immigration want that to confirm you are not just leaving your job without notifying your employer.

You can apply for the one year extension of stay (visas are not extended) of the original 90 day entry you got from the non-b visa you had,

 

Yes. I was married to their mother but we divorced over two years ago. I have full legal custody of my oldest child per the divorce agreement and pay monthly support for my other children (who stay with her), also per the agreement. The agreement is official and entered into record at the local amphur where we lived.

Glad to hear the confirmation that I can use my Non-B for the new type of extension rather than worrying about converting or obtaining a new Non-O visa.

Thanks for the clarification on the termination letter. I might have to make my final decision and leave the job earlier than I was hoping, which might put them in a bind at the end of the school year, due to covid delays extending the current term into April.  I will visit the local immigration office and present the suggestions you've offered ahead of time to make sure I don't get caught up at the last minute.

 

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, firebasejay said:

Yes. I was married to their mother but we divorced over two years ago. I have full legal custody of my oldest child per the divorce agreement and pay monthly support for my other children (who stay with her), also per the agreement. The agreement is official and entered into record at the local amphur where we lived.

Glad to hear the confirmation that I can use my Non-B for the new type of extension rather than worrying about converting or obtaining a new Non-O visa.

Thanks for the clarification on the termination letter. I might have to make my final decision and leave the job earlier than I was hoping, which might put them in a bind at the end of the school year, due to covid delays extending the current term into April.  I will visit the local immigration office and present the suggestions you've offered ahead of time to make sure I don't get caught up at the last minute.

Although I am not aware of anyone who has done it, if your work permit runs past the end of your current permission to stay, it would seem logical that Immigration would accept a letter from your employer stating that they are aware of your intention to change the reason for your permission to stay during your next extension, and that it has no effect on your employment.

 

@ubonjoeWhat do you think about this?

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, BritTim said:

What do you think about this?

He could change the reason for his extension and keep working with his existing work permit if is still valid. He would need permission from his employer to change the reason for the extension.

He can have a work permit and work with extension based upon being the parent of Thai.

[firebasejay]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He could change the reason for his extension and keep working with his existing work permit if is still valid. He would need permission from his employer to change the reason for the extension.

He can have a work permit and work with extension based upon being the parent of Thai.

At least since I've been at this school, the work permit extension expiration date is the same date that the contract ends, and the visa extension runs through that day accordingly, so all 3 expire on the same day, March 31.     The complication this year is that covid delayed the start of the school year, so the work to be done in the current term extends past the expiration of our contracts/permits/visas.

@ubonjoeI assume the "permission" from the employer to change the reason for the extension is only in the event that the school renews my work permit for another year before I inform them of my intention to move on. Or is the permission simply the same as the termination letter? I suppose the day I announce my intention to quit the job should be on or before the day the school collects work permits to take to the labor office for extensions.  My intention is to let the work permit expire, though I still have not made the final decision yet. My purpose today is to make sure I won't be in a bind extension-wise if I don't stay on with the school and don't have the option of just heading to Savannakhet for a non-O on the 31st of March.  I think the "visit a child" 60 day extension option should suffice, but I will clarify with immigration before I make any decisions.

If the termination letter doesn't suffice as permission to change reason for extension of my Non-B, or the school doesn't provide such permission (I think this will all be outside the box and very confusing for them, it's not something that's done normally), how difficult is it to switch from my Non-B to a Non-O without leaving the country?

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, firebasejay said:

If the termination letter doesn't suffice as permission to change reason for extension of my Non-B, or the school doesn't provide such permission (I think this will all be outside the box and very confusing for them, it's not something that's done normally), how difficult is it to switch from my Non-B to a Non-O without leaving the country?

The school should be familiar with doing a termination letter unless everybody has just left the country when they planned to not be working anymore.

If the school wanted you to stay longer they could apply for a 3 month work permit. A extension to visit your child of your current permit to stay that was gotten from a non-b visa would allow you to continue working.

You cannot change from a non-b visa to a non-o visa while in the country. You can only change the reason for your current extension to one based upon being working to one based upon being the parent of a Thai or for visiting them.

[firebasejay]

21 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The school should be familiar with doing a termination letter unless everybody has just left the country when they planned to not be working anymore.

If the school wanted you to stay longer they could apply for a 3 month work permit. A extension to visit your child of your current permit to stay that was gotten from a non-b visa would allow you to continue working.

You cannot change from a non-b visa to a non-o visa while in the country. You can only change the reason for your current extension to one based upon being working to one based upon being the parent of a Thai or for visiting them.

Yes, I was under the impression our teachers just left and went to get new visas or left Thailand altogether. Some teachers just seem to disappear, never to be heard from again.  I might just not have been aware of the termination letter process. I will ask a colleague what his experience was when he left the school, though I think in his case he was already on a Non-O when he left the school, but it's possible he still got a letter.

Glad for the info on the 3 month work permit extension. I didn't know it was possible and sounds like it might be an agreeable solution to all parties involved. It sounds similar to when the teaching license waiver expires mid term and the whole extension process has to be repeated after a new waiver is obtained.   I'm worried about leaving on bad terms if I have to cancel employment before the term is finished (nor do I wish to not live up to my obligations), and the possible lack of cooperation that could lead to. Just getting them to do the normal contract, work permit and visa extensions for the staff while exam crunch time is going on is concerning in and of itself, never mind anything extra, particularly for a teacher who is leaving. 

I will also shelve that fantasy of changing visa types. Covid sure is a nuisance or all this would be a lot simpler.

Thanks so much for all your help. It puts my mind at ease about my options.

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, firebasejay said:

I will also shelve that fantasy of changing visa types. Covid sure is a nuisance or all this would be a lot simpler.

The problem is that many people incorrectly calling extensions of stay visas which often causes confusion between the 2.

You can change the reason for a extension of stay but you cannot change visa categories while in the country.

There is no real difference between a non-o and non-b visa other than the reason they were issued by a embassy or consulate since both are non immigrant visas. 

[thaiger843]

On 2/18/2021 at 2:56 PM, DrJack54 said:

It's a 60 day covid extension. Prior to it's expiry you could apply for another if they are made available.

Disregard the fact that it might be possible to return to own country. 

 

What is advised to use as an explanation/checkbox on the Covid 19 extension form?