Covid extension denied (for Tourist visa)

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, jvjv said:

So I guess this is somewhat good. But of course I have no idea what the procedure is going to be when they tell me I get no extension on the 25th. In that case I suppose I have to leave the country immediately, and will have some overstay days...?

The extension will be approved. It is just a formality for it to be approved by the division headquarters.

You have nothing to worry about.

[Phillip9]

9 minutes ago, jvjv said:

Today I went to the immigration office in Jomtien, Pattaya. They took all the forms (tm7, covid extension, etc and gave a form that I take notice of all the overstay rules that I had to sign too). And of course I paid the 1900 baht, and now my application is under consideration.

Did they ask you for a TM30?  I thought that is required for the covid extension but the system is not working.  

[jvjv]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The extension will be approved. It is just a formality for it to be approved by the division headquarters.

You have nothing to worry about.

Ok, that sounds great! I tried to not be too happy too soon. But I guess I can celebrate a little.

[jvjv]

13 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Did they ask you for a TM30?  I thought that is required for the covid extension but the system is not working.  

I did the TM30 when I asked for the 30 day extension, and got a 'receipt of notification' attached to my passport with the address where I (the 'alien') reside. It does not say tm30 on this paper in my passport, but I am pretty sure it was the TM30 form.

[jackdd]

53 minutes ago, jvjv said:

So I guess this is somewhat good. But of course I have no idea what the procedure is going to be when they tell me I get no extension on the 25th. In that case I suppose I have to leave the country immediately, and will have some overstay days...?

The chance that they would deny your extension is basically zero, nothing to worry. (In case they would deny the extension you would get a stamp giving you 7 days to leave the country)

[Peter Denis]

44 minutes ago, jvjv said:

...

When I went to the immigration office in Si Racha, they only looked at my passport and when noticing it was Dutch she said the Covid extension is not possible for the Netherlands, since it is safe to go home. They did not accept my forms (and obviously not ask for the 1900 baht.)

The lady that told you that was dead wrong, and sent you on a useless trip to Bangkok Immigration and dutch Enbassy just to hear there what was obvious from the start > that you are eligible for the 60-day covid-19 extension.  And the fact that your application after that useless trip is currently 'under consideration' (first stage of the approval process) proves this.

48 minutes ago, jvjv said:

...

Also, the embassy websites said earlier that the first extension would be 45 days (to give you the 15 quarantine days back). And and some point there were several sources that talked about 60 days extensions (but that might not be official). I am not sure why and when they made this only 30 days again.

You did receive a 45-days permission to stay stamp when you entered Thailand Visa Exempt (to soften the impact of the 15 days quarantaine).  But the extension of that Visa Exempt entry is only 30-days. 
And when you have used up that one-time only 30-days extension on top of your 45-day permission to stay you received on entry, you are eligible to apply for the 60-day covid-19 extensions.  The first one you apply for will not actually be 60-days because these covid-19 extensions have a fixed expiry date (end of March, end of May, end of July, etc.. as long as the border-restrictions are still in place they will be extended by Immigration).

Glad for you it turned out alright, but the whole back-and-forth was not necessary as the lady (was it a female Imm officer or one of the 'helpers') had it completely wrong. 

[Peter Denis]

45 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

Did they ask you for a TM30?  I thought that is required for the covid extension but the system is not working.  

When applying for the covid-19 extension a TM-30 has to be filed with the address where you are staying.  It does not need to be done on-line, although that is obviously the easiest way to notify the local Imm Office.  But with Immigration extranet down, there is no other option than doing it in person at your local IO, when you go there for your extension application.

[Phillip9]

27 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

When applying for the covid-19 extension a TM-30 has to be filed with the address where you are staying.  It does not need to be done on-line, although that is obviously the easiest way to notify the local Imm Office.  But with Immigration extranet down, there is no other option than doing it in person at your local IO, when you go there for your extension application.

Thanks,  

We will try to file TM30 ourselves.

So I guess every hotel in the country is currently ignoring the requirement to notify immigration a foreigner is staying there.  Seems bizarre.

[Peter Denis]

3 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

...

So I guess every hotel in the country is currently ignoring the requirement to notify immigration a foreigner is staying there.  Seems bizarre.

Quite likely that many Hotels/Guesthouses are currently not notifying the local Imm Office of foreigners checking in at their premisses, because of the Immigration extranet being down.

But of course that should not be an excuse for them not to do it as such notifications are required by Thai law.  So I presume that when the Hotel/Guesthouse is located close to the Imm Office that they collect the data and 'dump' them in paper form once or twice a week at Immigration.  Or alternatively that they send the stack by post to the local Immigration office.

[jvjv]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

The lady that told you that was dead wrong, and sent you on a useless trip to Bangkok Immigration and dutch Enbassy just to hear there what was obvious from the start > that you are eligible for the 60-day covid-19 extension.  And the fact that your application after that useless trip is currently 'under consideration' (first stage of the approval process) proves this.

Yes, it was a female officer. She said my only choice would be to get a letter from the Dutch embassy, but she added that that would be very unlikely to get. I contacted the embassy by email, they replied within a few hours. I went to Bangkok on own initiative, and now learnt that it was pointless. The people who I spoke there were helpful and friendly. So for anyone without a tm30 yet, it is a good recommendation (that was made here before) to get it done in Bangkok and go to the immigration office there.

Thanks for clarification!

[BusyB]

On 3/8/2021 at 5:27 AM, jvjv said:

Just came back from the Immigration office (in Si Racha), and they could not give me the 60 day Covid extension. I have to arrange it with the embassy, and they said it is very unlikely since I am able to travel back to the Netherlands (where I am from). I guess this is correct, but my flight was cancelled again (but that is another story, I sum it up below.). I think the Netherlands still has a negative travel advice, and my flight was cancelled, so I think that should be reasons to stay in Thailand for a little longer. Let's see what the embassy says about this. I will update this post as soon as the embassy replies to me.

Btw.. i am in Thailand to be with my girlfriend, we were separated for a full year, and then the Tourist visa was the only way to get here. I arrived with a 60 day tourist visa at december 24, which they extended for 30 days, and now it expires later this month.

I write this since I thought everyone got 60 day Covid extensions until now. So my questions:

- Anyone got a similar experience than me?

- Anyone got a Covid 60 day extension very recently? On a tourist visa?

- Anyone had to fly back to his/her own country this month (or very recently, or is planning to do that very soon)??

- Any advice how I could stay longer? What would you do in my situation?

Lufthansa rant: please NEVER EVER fly with this <deleted> company (although I am not sure if any airlines handles stuff better in this Covid time). I booked a return flight last year, it was cancelled due to Covid, and they promised my money back (phone call with customer center) within 10 business days. Obviously it never came, not even after many messages and calls. At some point they said they only could offer a voucher. Then I had to book a flight in December (very stressful and no flexibility because of ASQ bookings/insurance/ COE etc etc). I used a voucher with the amount of my original booking price, and had to pay about 80% of that price on top of that (ok, the original price was very cheap). Flew to Thailand (yeah!), and then my return flight was cancelled, and it is not likely that I will get any money back.
So I paid 1.8 times the price of the original retour flight and only got a single flight so far. If that was not bad enough the voucher came with more disadvantages: the new flight had to be from the same airport as the original flight (or maybe it was the same country). This was a problem, since my original departure airport was Amsterdam, but German airports like Dusseldorf (closest to my home) and Frankfurt are my preferred options. Because of the Covid tests, and reducing the chance of missing a connection, I wanted to make one flight movement (Frankfurt - Bangkok), but this was not possible. So I was forced to board in Amsterdam and sit in a fully booked plane with people from all over the world that change flight in Frankfurt. Really stupid policy. Of course Amsterdam was the most expensive option. Dusseldorf was about 200 euro cheaper, Frankfurt was the convenient direct flight.
So I feel they take advantage of desperate people who take a flight to their loved ones with no flexibility because of al other requirements. Their customer service is <deleted> and all their promises are a lie.

 

I always fly LH for so many good reasons I can't be bothered to list them here. For some reason you have had a bad experience.

I was booked out and in last April/May. Got snarled up in the lockdown.

They offered voucher or refund. Initially I said voucher, but after a few days thought decided I'd rather have the cash back on my account cos this was obviously long-term and I didn't fancy rebooking every couple of months. I knew they wouldn't be allowed to collapse.

So I rang them up, this was early April. They accepted the change to money back, said it would take a few weeks.

The cash was back in early July.

Don't know why you didn't get yours, but I still recommend LH, and not only for that.

 

[Letseng]

On 3/8/2021 at 7:08 AM, richard_smith237 said:

If you wish to claim your flight back or partial flight back because the airline has cancelled your flight you can get ABTA involved - they can help you claim the refund of the return flight (if you wish). 

 

Visa issues: Lots of guys have received assistance from agents. 

 

IF there is no option to return home, perhaps due to an elevated Covid-19 risk your Embassy may sign the declaration that you can’t return home, this may be required to secure an extension from immigration. 

 

 

EU countries have started to vaccinate people. Why can't you go back. I'm sure google will give you all info about situation in NL. Btw, consumer organisations give assistance reclaiming money from airlines. LH has come under a lot of pressure and they do refund as they are not allowed to insist on vouchers as refund. 

[audaciousnomad]

3 minutes ago, Letseng said:

EU countries have started to vaccinate people. Why can't you go back. I'm sure google will give you all info about situation in NL. Btw, consumer organisations give assistance reclaiming money from airlines. LH has come under a lot of pressure and they do refund as they are not allowed to insist on vouchers as refund. 

OP stated he was looking for strategies to stay longer with his girlfriend here. The LH rant was due to him initially thinking he would be forced to leave, then ended up staying, but struggling get a refund on his ticket. E.g., he wasn't trying to go back to begin with. ????

Edited March 11, 2021 by audaciousnomad

[edwarda909]

First of all, your post is way too long. Second of all I just got mine a couple of days ago. If you wanna make the trip to chiang mai you won’t have any problems, Except They will give you a 15 day extension and then you come back in 15 days to get the rest of the 60 day extension so that will mean two trips.

[Phillip9]

I got my covid extension denied in Hua Hin today.  The officer was adamant that an embassy letter is required.  She offered to handle it as a special case for an extra 5000 baht.   When I refused, she threatened  to detain me since my extension expires today.

 I highly recommend anyone avoid that place.

[djhotsox]

6 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I got my covid extension denied in Hua Hin today.  The officer was adamant that an embassy letter is required.  She offered to handle it as a special case for an extra 5000 baht.   When I refused, she threatened  to detain me since my extension expires today.

 I highly recommend anyone avoid that place.

Whaaaat?

[Ohyesuare]

8 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I got my covid extension denied in Hua Hin today.  The officer was adamant that an embassy letter is required.  She offered to handle it as a special case for an extra 5000 baht.   When I refused, she threatened  to detain me since my extension expires today.

 I highly recommend anyone avoid that place.

So what will you do?

[djhotsox]

21 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

The docs you mention are only requested for those who entered with the STV.  The OP stated they entered on a TR, so they are not likely to need these docs.

I entered on a TR and was required to do the whole nine yards to get the C of E to get here including the one million usd of covid insurance....

[Phillip9]

4 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

So what will you do?

As soon as I can,  I will be on a jet plane headed to the Maldives.

[Wongkitlo]

9 hours ago, edwarda909 said:

First of all, your post is way too long. Second of all I just got mine a couple of days ago. If you wanna make the trip to chiang mai you won’t have any problems, Except They will give you a 15 day extension and then you come back in 15 days to get the rest of the 60 day extension so that will mean two trips.

So what is the rule for length of posts you have invented? It is better that people give precise information  about what their situation is rather than leave out things. I noticed your post about returning from Korea and it is totally useless for anyone else. You don't say what visa you are on or any circumstances but if you read the forum guidelines for posting they ask that you include these details. If someone else is in a similar situation you give them no assistance at all and might as well keep your post to yourself. The OP has given concise information about his situation and if you think it is too long maybe you should read something else. These forums get boring when people start correcting spelling and commenting on style. I guess you are a retired schoolteacher.

[djhotsox]

18 hours ago, jvjv said:

I did the TM30 when I asked for the 30 day extension, and got a 'receipt of notification' attached to my passport with the address where I (the 'alien') reside. It does not say tm30 on this paper in my passport, but I am pretty sure it was the TM30 form.

Yes, same for me. TM30 for the 30 day extension, "receipt of notification" stapled inside my passport. My accommodations have not changed.  Nothing required for Covid extension application.

[Wongkitlo]

3 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

As soon as I can,  I will be on a jet plane headed to the Maldives.

Just go and see an agent. It may cost you a little but they will sort it out for you.

[Phillip9]

11 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

Just go and see an agent. It may cost you a little but they will sort it out for you.

Thanks, but its not worth the hassle to me.  I'm not someone who really wants to stay long term in Thailand.   I just got stuck here due to covid.  I will take it as a sign that its time to move on.

[Peter Denis]

23 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I got my covid extension denied in Hua Hin today.  The officer was adamant that an embassy letter is required.  She offered to handle it as a special case for an extra 5000 baht.   When I refused, she threatened  to detain me since my extension expires today.

 I highly recommend anyone avoid that place.

Yes, it is extortion.  But in your case I would simply pay up to get that 60-day covid extension.

Since today is the last day before expiry of your permission to stay, you have little choice as you cannot apply at a more friendly Imm Office without a TM-30 (which requires an overnight stay). 

You do not want to be on an expired extension of stay as that can put you in a lot of trouble.  And it would cost you 1.900 THB to get the 7-days stamp (you can get that one for not being able to meet extension requirements), and with that stamp you can leave the country without being on overstay (otherwise be prepared to pay 500 THB for every overstay day when going through Immigration to exit Thailand.

So in the end, it will cost you same or more to legally exit Thailand than just giving in to the 5.000 THB extortion fee.  It's despicable of the Imm officer to extort you like this and he/she fully knows that you have little choice.  Well, karma will finds it way sooner or later...

[Phillip9]

1 minute ago, Peter Denis said:

And it would cost you 1.900 THB to get the 7-days stamp (you can get that one for not being able to meet extension requirements), and with that stamp you can leave the country without being on overstay

I forgot to mention the officer also said that no such 7 day stamp existed for a denied visa request.   I asked about it multiple times and she said we definitely could not get 7 days to leave the country.

[jomtienisgood]

On 3/8/2021 at 11:27 AM, jvjv said:

Just came back from the Immigration office (in Si Racha), and they could not give me the 60 day Covid extension. I have to arrange it with the embassy, and they said it is very unlikely since I am able to travel back to the Netherlands (where I am from). I guess this is correct, but my flight was cancelled again (but that is another story, I sum it up below.). I think the Netherlands still has a negative travel advice, and my flight was cancelled, so I think that should be reasons to stay in Thailand for a little longer. Let's see what the embassy says about this. I will update this post as soon as the embassy replies to me.

Btw.. i am in Thailand to be with my girlfriend, we were separated for a full year, and then the Tourist visa was the only way to get here. I arrived with a 60 day tourist visa at december 24, which they extended for 30 days, and now it expires later this month.

I write this since I thought everyone got 60 day Covid extensions until now. So my questions:

- Anyone got a similar experience than me?

- Anyone got a Covid 60 day extension very recently? On a tourist visa?

- Anyone had to fly back to his/her own country this month (or very recently, or is planning to do that very soon)??

- Any advice how I could stay longer? What would you do in my situation?

Lufthansa rant: please NEVER EVER fly with this <deleted> company (although I am not sure if any airlines handles stuff better in this Covid time). I booked a return flight last year, it was cancelled due to Covid, and they promised my money back (phone call with customer center) within 10 business days. Obviously it never came, not even after many messages and calls. At some point they said they only could offer a voucher. Then I had to book a flight in December (very stressful and no flexibility because of ASQ bookings/insurance/ COE etc etc). I used a voucher with the amount of my original booking price, and had to pay about 80% of that price on top of that (ok, the original price was very cheap). Flew to Thailand (yeah!), and then my return flight was cancelled, and it is not likely that I will get any money back.
So I paid 1.8 times the price of the original retour flight and only got a single flight so far. If that was not bad enough the voucher came with more disadvantages: the new flight had to be from the same airport as the original flight (or maybe it was the same country). This was a problem, since my original departure airport was Amsterdam, but German airports like Dusseldorf (closest to my home) and Frankfurt are my preferred options. Because of the Covid tests, and reducing the chance of missing a connection, I wanted to make one flight movement (Frankfurt - Bangkok), but this was not possible. So I was forced to board in Amsterdam and sit in a fully booked plane with people from all over the world that change flight in Frankfurt. Really stupid policy. Of course Amsterdam was the most expensive option. Dusseldorf was about 200 euro cheaper, Frankfurt was the convenient direct flight.
So I feel they take advantage of desperate people who take a flight to their loved ones with no flexibility because of al other requirements. Their customer service is <deleted> and all their promises are a lie.

 

It would have been cheaper, but less exotic, to have a Dutch GF. 55555555

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I forgot to mention the officer also said that no such 7 day stamp existed for a denied visa request.   I asked about it multiple times and she said we definitely could not get 7 days to leave the country.

WOW, not only did she try to extort you for 5.000 THB, but by denying you the stamp to organize yourself to leave Thailand (normally 7 days but can be shorter when Imm officer feels that 7 days is too long for organizing your exit), she pushes you into illegality!

When you paid 1.900 THB for the covid-19 extension that was refused, you are entitled to that 'get out stamp' when there are no other options for you. 

[cpillow]

On 3/11/2021 at 12:41 PM, audaciousnomad said:

The docs you mention are only requested for those who entered with the STV.  The OP stated they entered on a TR, so they are not likely to need these docs.

That's interesting, thanks. I entered with TR as well but the documents were full of typos and mistakes so I'm waiting for new ones, I was freaking out a bit with the timing as I though were necessary for all new entries in the country since the covid situation started.

[djhotsox]

Update: I returned to the Chonburi Office this morning ( the date they stamped in my passport for me to return for my Covid extension), they took another photocopy of my passport, that stamp from two weeks ago, gave me a ticket with a number on it and told me to come back tomorrow at 10am.

 

 

[AlexfromManchester]

On 3/8/2021 at 1:14 PM, DrJack54 said:

Don't listen to the ranters.

You are entitled to Covid extension.

Many folk obtaining them every day in exactly your situation. As I posted #1 using another 'normal' immigration office is an option, however that is messy. Bangkok good option. 

I suggest that you clarify first with your immigration office that they are not mistaken.

There is an affidavit that many offices have been using. Someone will post you a link. Take that along to your imm office.

Apart from all that you can use an agent for non o based on volunteering etc. Not cheap but an option.

Edit: As I understand it agent can also assist you with covid extension.

Good luck.

Hi @DrJack54 is there an immigration office in Bangkok you would recommend as being particularly helpful? I am due to request an extension (hopefully for 60 days!) later this week.