Covid19 - updates on immigration and visa extensions

[MrTea]

Can we have a thread just for updates on Thai Immigration rules re visa extensions?

I decided to avoid flying back to Australia, as it's an obvious added risk. I normally use the 30 day extension to my visa exempt status and do a visa run as required.

There is a thread on the Thaivisa forum, but I thought we might have a dedicated thread here as well.

[Mod edit: links to TV are not permitted.]

...I'd rather not have to trawl through the many ugly and cynical posts to get info on that forum, TBH.

[thecolonel]

I'd be interested to know if they will relax the max 45 day before expiry date rule for renewing a 1year visa

This would be on the the grounds that as a UK citizen we have been 'advised' to return to UK ASAP before flights are grounded.

I really don't want to go earlier but I think my travel insurance company may soon say I'm no longer insured.

So hopefully Thai immigration will be flexible and allow people to renew earlier than normal due exceptional circumstances

Any thoughts or recent experiences?

Thanks



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[HHTel]

we have been 'advised' to return to UK ASAP before flights are grounded.

Not really true.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advi ... oronavirus

[thecolonel]

we have been 'advised' to return to UK ASAP before flights are grounded.

Not really true.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advi ... oronavirus

Well yes, technically my bad. Phew, that's a relief!

I misread that statement. On re reading it, it says "if you wish to leave Thailand....."

That said, the situation with flights out of Thailand may get very sticky next month or so which is when I'm due to go back

Anyway, my original question still stands, I wonder if they would let you renew early just on the basis of the worldwide disruption, the uncertainty of future ie when your actual renewal is strictly possible.

I would say many people will want to return 'home' probably on medical grounds and wanting to be back for families

Secondly, my point re travel insurance no longer valid. I wouldn't mind betting that's next. Although they may not be able to say that until Foreign Office makes their move first??

So I'd still be interested to hear of any Thai Visa renewal/stay extensions rules being relaxed as a result of COVID 19

Thanks

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[hhinner]

If I were going back to UK I'd wait until after the virus had peaked and was receding there.

[buksida]

Looks like they're closing all the land borders so what are people on visas that require border runs every 90 days supposed to do?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... o-to-close

[sateeb]

so what are people on visas that require border runs every 90 days supposed to do?

I'm more worried about the virus than border runners TBH.

[Governor]

I was went to the main office in Hua Hin yesterday to renew my extension based on retirement for the 13th time. last year was a breeze, with the guy processing my application, based on income, being polite and efficient, I was in and out in ten minutes or so.
What a difference a year makes, yesterday the place was packed, so much for social distancing, and many of the staff there seemed to being as awkward as possible.
The queue sytem wasn't operating and staff weren't calling out the numbers written on the cards we'd been given then shouting at applicants who'd presented themselves out of turn.
After about 90 minutes I presented myself to a sour faced IO who first of all said that the copy of my years old visa transfer to my new passport wasn't good enough, my wife ran downstairs and obtained a second copy.
She studied my bank book, checking the dates, codes and amounts of all the transfers, she then checked all the credit advice notes and the covering letter from Bankok Bank summerising all the transactions and confirming they were all received from overseas.
She then said I need a statement to confirm the transactions, my pleas that I'd already provided two forms of evidence that I'd far exceeded the requirement fell on deaf ears and I was summerily waved away with "go get 12 months statements".
She may well have been correct in insisting that she needed three forms of evidence providing the same information, but her attitude was a disgrace and, in my experience, defied logic. We went to Bangkok Bank, queued a further 90 minutes and have to return on Friday to collect the statements.
Whilst we were huddled together in the waiting room I've never witnessed off handed responses to people who were clearly in difficulty and were seeking help.
I saw two old guys who were told by the large lady who was checking documents, the same one who failed to notice that I didn't have the three required proofs of income evidence, that they had to leave Thailand within seven days, it was of no concern to Thai Immigration that his airline had cancelled their flights and the only other one available was in two weeks time, it was no concern to Thai Immigration that their Embassys wouldn't issue a letter asking for their stays to be extended, they had to leave Thailand within seven days whatever.
Never before have I ever witnessed such contempt to people seeking help, young and old alike, my wife was with me, she will always stick up for Thai officialdom but as we got into the car she said "I think it's about time we reconsidered moving to Europe", though if it came to the crunch I suspect we wouldn't.

[Big Boy]

Three required proofs of income?

Can you expand please? I was confident I was jumping through every hoop, but now need to know what the 3 are.

[thecolonel]

we have been 'advised' to return to UK ASAP before flights are grounded.

Not really true.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advi ... oronavirus

It is now!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advi ... oronavirus

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[thecolonel]

I was went to the main office in Hua Hin yesterday to renew my extension based on retirement for the 13th time. last year was a breeze, with the guy processing my application, based on income, being polite and efficient, I was in and out in ten minutes or so.
What a difference a year makes, yesterday the place was packed, so much for social distancing, and many of the staff there seemed to being as awkward as possible.
The queue sytem wasn't operating and staff weren't calling out the numbers written on the cards we'd been given then shouting at applicants who'd presented themselves out of turn.
After about 90 minutes I presented myself to a sour faced IO who first of all said that the copy of my years old visa transfer to my new passport wasn't good enough, my wife ran downstairs and obtained a second copy.
She studied my bank book, checking the dates, codes and amounts of all the transfers, she then checked all the credit advice notes and the covering letter from Bankok Bank summerising all the transactions and confirming they were all received from overseas.
She then said I need a statement to confirm the transactions, my pleas that I'd already provided two forms of evidence that I'd far exceeded the requirement fell on deaf ears and I was summerily waved away with "go get 12 months statements".
She may well have been correct in insisting that she needed three forms of evidence providing the same information, but her attitude was a disgrace and, in my experience, defied logic. We went to Bangkok Bank, queued a further 90 minutes and have to return on Friday to collect the statements.
Whilst we were huddled together in the waiting room I've never witnessed off handed responses to people who were clearly in difficulty and were seeking help.
I saw two old guys who were told by the large lady who was checking documents, the same one who failed to notice that I didn't have the three required proofs of income evidence, that they had to leave Thailand within seven days, it was of no concern to Thai Immigration that his airline had cancelled their flights and the only other one available was in two weeks time, it was no concern to Thai Immigration that their Embassys wouldn't issue a letter asking for their stays to be extended, they had to leave Thailand within seven days whatever.
Never before have I ever witnessed such contempt to people seeking help, young and old alike, my wife was with me, she will always stick up for Thai officialdom but as we got into the car she said "I think it's about time we reconsidered moving to Europe", though if it came to the crunch I suspect we wouldn't.

I was there too, early afternoon. Can vouch for what Governor is saying. I genuinely feared for my health. Absolutely disgraceful set up in the current climate, no hand gel, seats way too close together. For a start you shouldn't be permitted to sit next to each other. How can the Banks get this right but yet an official government office cannot?!

Anyway I pleaded with IO to allow me to renew my 1 year 'retirement' visa (extension of stay) earlier than is normally allowed due CV19 ie I'm forced to return to UK before my renewal opportunity window opens(45days before expiry) Technically yesterday I was 3 weeks early.

He wouldn't budge!

Told me to come back in 3 weeks or if gone home start the application again either from UK or from Thailand on a 30 day waiver.

On that point, how is that practically achieved? I have only ever renewed a 1 year ie its never lapsed. What happens when it expires, is it back to beginning again and how is that different to what's required for a renewal? Surely it's principally the same back up info, house agreement and bank info. Maybe the covering application form is a different one? Any thoughts on that are appreciated, thanks







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[Governor]

Three required proofs of income?

Can you expand please? I was confident I was jumping through every hoop, but now need to know what the 3 are.

As I said, I submitted my bank book, clearly showing the required transactions, the transactions were only over two pages as I only use the BKK account to receive the funds via TransferWise, then use KK for my day to day banking.
I got the credit advices from Silom as I was in Bangkok for a medical appointment at the hospital opposite, the lady there said all that Immigration required was the advices and a covering letter summerising the transfers, she advised that a statement wasn't required as there was already sufficient evidence to meet the requirements of my income.
To be fair to the Immigration lady she didn't specify that I actually needed three variations of the same proof of my income, only that one of them needed to be a statement duplicating the transactions recorded in the book.
When I asked my wife why the woman was so bloody minded she answered that she has the power and enjoys using it.

[Big Boy]

OK, thank you. So you needed:

• Bank Book

• Credit Advices

• Bank Statement for 12 months

If that is the case, I'm still happy.

[lomuamart]

I think that's what I supplied last year, BB, although wasn't there also the need for a letter confirming the account was yours and the amount that was in it? (Don't know why the need the balance as the extension is being done on income, but..... I assume a balance of 100 THB would be fine).

[Big Boy]

Yes, I've always received the printed statement with my letter so I'm at ease with that.