Covid19 - updates on immigration and visa extensions

[Dannie Boy]

The day I've dreaded has arrived. I have to go to Immigration to get my marriage visa issued. Should I go now in the morning or wait until 13:00 which is what I've done the last few years? I guess the chaos is equally bad no matter what time I go? I just hope they do like they always do when I show my passport and they see I'm there to get the visa issued, I don't have to line up in any que. They just take my pp and issue the visa.

Going by the latest reports, if it were me I would have left already - good luck

[hhinner]

Mines due April 25th so i think i will just try online reporting as usual,

Good idea. If online reporting works for you it's probably better to do it as usual to avoid the rush when the waiver ends.

[huahin4ever]

The day I've dreaded has arrived. I have to go to Immigration to get my marriage visa issued. Should I go now in the morning or wait until 13:00 which is what I've done the last few years? I guess the chaos is equally bad no matter what time I go? I just hope they do like they always do when I show my passport and they see I'm there to get the visa issued, I don't have to line up in any que. They just take my pp and issue the visa.

Going by the latest reports, if it were me I would have left already - good luck

It was a long que when I arrived 08:30, but I just showed one of the ladies my pp which has a stamp to come back and get my visa today the 9th. She then took my pp and I was told to wait. I also told her I needed multiple entry so she gave me a que number. All this w/o standing in the long que going almost all the way to the back where the lady is taking photocopies.

After 30 min my pp came back and after additional 15 min my number was called to go upstairs. After waiting 30 min upstairs I got my multiple entry visa and went home. All in all approx 1.5 hours. That was in fact 1 hour less than when I submitted my application on March 7. And that day there were only about 10 persons present, so they are much more efficient now.

YNWA

[MrTea]

My visa expires on May 2. That will be 4 months in Thailand. Visa runs and KL hops are out of the question. At this stage we don't know whether there will be another 30 day extension from the Thai gov. I was advised by the IO processing my extension to get an email from The Australian Embassy to enable an emergency extension after May 2.

There is no practical reason I can't fly back to Australia (not on QANTAS, though), but doing so puts me at risk, of course.

Has anybody here applied for and received a supportive email from the Australian Embassy?

[buksida]

Foreigners' visas automatically extended to prevent queues, curb virus
The government approved a plan on Wednesday to allow all foreigners who entered legally to receive automatic visa extensions, to prevent long queues at immigration centres and stem the spread of the coronavirus, a senior immigration official told Reuters.

Thailand has closed its borders and banned entry to foreigners, except diplomats and work-permit holders to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

Those foreigners who entered the country before the ban was imposed - who had visas, received visas on arrival or under visa waiver programmes - will not need to line up at often crowded immigration centres around the country to extend their stay.

The automatic visa extension has been granted until April 30, according to an interior ministry document. Police Lieutenant General Sompong Chingduang told Reuters the government could extend this deadline each month.

“The person whose visas has expired from 26th of March 2020 will be automatically extended to 30th of April 2020. There is no need to apply for a visa extension at Immigration Office for this period and will not be fined THB 500 per day for this case,” the announcement on https://immigration.go.th/content/visa_auto_extension said.

“Aliens who are due for 90 days reports between 26th of March 2020 and 30th of April 2020 are temporarily exempted from reporting in this period until further notice.”


https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... curb-virus

[JohnD]

I arrived at Immigration at 10 am this morning for the 90 day report.
No queue - lady took my passport and asked me to take a seat.
She did ask where I stayed, I said Hua Hin,
No further questions and no forms to fill in.
About a 10 minute wait, my passport was returned and we were driving away at 10.15 am.

BTW - this was all done with applicants sitting spaced out in the shaded open area under the building.
Well organised and hassle free.

[Gabe H Coud]

Similar experience to John D above...

Posting this in terms of its relevance to Covid 19 ie changes to Immigration Office policy(or not as case may be)

So having been to the Bank first thing to update my books and get new copy certificates, I arrived at HH Immigration Monday morning at 10.30 to renew my 1 year retirement 'visa' (extension of stay) and 90 day report.

-temperature checked on arrival at ground floor level
-given a colour coded & numbered ticket(eg Blue 14, Yellow 10 etc) and asked to wait at ground floor outdoor shaded temporary seating area because they don't want more than about 10 people in the upstairs main office at any one time(very sensible)
-after 1 min was asked to go upstairs
-then I sat and waited for 20 mins. I'd say there were 5 officers with customers and 5 of us waiting so we had plenty of space to spread out.
-new clear screens added(between customer and Officer) since last visit 3 weeks ago
-one guy jumped in front of me because he seemed to know the guy, but I let it slide
-got called up and luckily got the same guy I got last 3 times. He took about 15 mins doing my forms
- he gave me half of my paperwork back and told me it wasn't necessary(better safe than sorry!) I had read online about a multitude of additional documents being needed but amongst other things I did NOT need were my rental agreement, property map, copy utility bill, copy owners ID card and 2 papers that I was told were the Blue Book(but I can't be sure). Also I did not need the bank statements from UK to prove how I was funding myself here in Thai(just the Thai 800k baht ones. I also take along a bank certificate showing that *original* transfer from the UK into my Thai account ).
Possible explanation is there's a difference between what is needed on an original application versus a renewal. And/or the requirements of this province(Prachuap Khiri Khan). Dunno?
- Costs- 1900 baht annual renewal fee, 1000 baht re-entry, 90 day report no charge - all as expected.
-whole thing start to finish was 50 minutes.

Delighted with that and credit where credit is due the whole experience compared to 3 weeks ago, both in terms of efficiency and Health & Safety, was absolutely Chalk and Cheese!

Naturally, the recent 'amnesty' helped!

[RegularGuy]

I am getting ready to get my paperwork in order to do a marriage extension. Can I get the 2 required passport photos taken at the immigration office or close by?
Also, regarding the pictures of my wife and I at the house, where could I transfer the pictures on my phone camera to get color copies printed?

Thanks in advance

[thecolonel]

I am getting ready to get my paperwork in order to do a marriage extension. Can I get the 2 required passport photos taken at the immigration office or close by?
Also, regarding the pictures of my wife and I at the house, where could I transfer the pictures on my phone camera to get color copies printed?

Thanks in advance

The photo copy lady who is directly behind the immigration office can take care of all digital photography

Take the ones of your home to her and she will print if necessary. She can take pictures of you and your wife

Good luck



Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

[MrTea]

With so much uncertainty around visa extensions, the risk of being forced back to Oz, paying an exorbitant airfare, and then getting stuck there for who knows how long, I've bitten the bullet and gone with an agent. Not cheap, but it is a looong extension. Hopefully, things will be back to normal by then.

[PeteC]

The cabinet approved a second automatic visa extension for foreigners for three more months on Tuesday in a bid to prevent long queues at immigration centres and stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Foreigners whose visas had expired since March 26 will be permitted to stay until July 31 without having to apply for an extension, said Narumon Pinyosinwat, spokeswoman for the Thai government......

Full story at link.....

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... s-approved

[buksida]

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Basic translation:
Aliens (temporary stay)
'You can stay until July 31'
No need to renew visa
No need to report 90 days
You will not get fined
No documents need to be submitted

Note - does not specify whether this includes non-immigrant visa holders.

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The wording of this one doesn't make much sense, seems to be geared towards those with work permits (1), tourists (2), border pass holders (3). I'll leave it for someone with better Thai translation Kung Fu!

[hhinner]

^^
2nd picture:
1. Permanent residents abroad don't need to return until restrictions on travel are lifted.
2. 90 day reports for all kinds of temporary stay suspended until July as in first picture.
3. Those here on border pass can stay until border reopens.

[buksida]

Here is another report confirming it: https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/cri ... ay-report/

[Nereus]

Extended stay for foreigners until end July formally endorsed

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... y-endorsed

Another automatic extension for foreigners holding visas and border passes for three months has officially taken effect.

The three-month extension from May 1 to July 31 was printed in the Royal Gazette on Friday. The announcement was made by the Interior Ministry and was signed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda.

The extension covers foreigners holding all types of non-immigrant visas, including visas on arrival, visa-free arrivals and border passes, according to the Royal Gazette.

The Immigration Bureau explained on its website that foreign residents required to re-enter the country within one year will not be penalised for missing the deadline.

However, it warned that border pass holders have to leave Thailand within a week of the checkpoints reopening.

The extraordinary measures are designed to help foreigners cope with the travel restrictions and border closures enacted in the campaign to contain Covid-19.

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