News Forum - Deadline to apply for “Covid” visa extension now May 24, immigration gets stricter

[Thaiger]

The deadline to apply for the 60-day “Covid” visa extension scheme has been pushed back another two months. The deadline was set for last Friday, March 25, but Thai Immigration quietly pushed the deadline back to May 24 (as they have in the past). No formal announcement was made, but a signed document was leaked by expats on social media. The visa extension is intended for those who cannot leave Thailand and return to their home countries due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. The document says immigration officials will be stricter when approving the visa extensions to avoid foreigners staying […]

The story Deadline to apply for “Covid” visa extension now May 24, immigration gets stricter as seen on Thaiger News.

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[TheDirtyDurian]

How long before someone complains about begpackers and whoremongers getting something for nothing whereas they contribute 10 million baht a year to the Thai economy.

[Poolie]

13 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

How long before someone complains about begpackers and whoremongers getting something for nothing whereas they contribute 10 million baht a year to the Thai economy.

In 3-2-1.......

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

18 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

whereas they contribute 10 million baht a year to the Thai economy.

But TATs not enough. … TAT wants Billions upon Billions of Baht per month

[Soidog]

They will never admit it, but this is just a desperate attempt at keeping long term stayers here longer. They really don’t care who you are as long as you are spending Baht. It’s called a Covid extension, but in reality it’s a desperate clutching at straws. 

[PeterParker]

Did you forget "dirty farang"?

[Poolie]

1 hour ago, PeterParker said:

Did you forget "dirty farang"?

I had actually. It was two years ago after all.............................

[Scribble]

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Tip: Be polite with officers and dress nicely and appropriately. No tank tops, flipflops, or swimtrunks. Those who act rude and look like they just came from the beach haven’t had the best luck at immigration.

I usually only wear Speedos at Chaeng Wattana and never a problem.

[PapayaBokBok]

3 hours ago, PeterParker said:

Did you forget "dirty farang"?

New promotion on Arrival at Swampy  "Free Soapies" for dirty farang and for out of work bargirls

[billyburi]

Why the passport photo in the headline from the cheese eating surrender monkeys........ 

[Dave121]

This is so counter productive. They desperately need the cash that foreigners bring. Hotels and restaurants are going bust. Thai citizens are being pushed into poverty. And yet they are kicking their only lifeline out of the country. They should be waiving visas completely at this point, or introducing some sort of temporary recovery visa, not throwing out the same people who have already jumped through countless covid related hoops at huge expense to themselves, for the 'privilege' of being in the country and helping to prop up their failing economy. 

[Soidog]

31 minutes ago, Dave121 said:

This is so counter productive. They desperately need the cash that foreigners bring. Hotels and restaurants are going bust. Thai citizens are being pushed into poverty. And yet they are kicking their only lifeline out of the country. They should be waiving visas completely at this point, or introducing some sort of temporary recovery visa, not throwing out the same people who have already jumped through countless covid related hoops at huge expense to themselves, for the 'privilege' of being in the country and helping to prop up their failing economy. 

I can’t speak for what it’s like everywhere in Thailand. However I am yet to speak to a single person who hasn’t been granted a Covid extension. I received one myself only 2 weeks ago and was told there won’t be a problem if I require another one. They are doing it for exactly the reasons you highlight. The very last thing they want at the moment is fewer foreigners. Something the government would never accept, but it’s obviously true.

[Dave121]

My friend was denied an extension and given 7 days to leave because they said he wasn't a tourist. He had been here for 5 months on a tourist visa plus 2 covid extensions. The fact that it's prohibitively expensive to be a 'tourist' and visit other countries in the region because of the ridiculous testing regime on the way back in seemed to be irrelevant to the snarky power tripping immigration officer. I was with him and he couldn't have been more polite and patient with her. 

 

[Dave121]

This was Phanga Nga btw, if anyone is wondering which office to avoid. I go to Krabi and have never had a problem there. Very quick and professional.

[Soidog]

15 minutes ago, Dave121 said:

This was Phanga Nga btw, if anyone is wondering which office to avoid. I go to Krabi and have never had a problem there. Very quick and professional.

Did your friend try another immigration office? I’m surprised your friend wasn’t offered and “alternative” option which included a financial transaction !! 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

17 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I’m surprised your friend wasn’t offered and “alternative” option which included a financial transaction !! 

 

Checklist for the 60-day Covid-19 visa extension…

• TM.7 Application for extension of temporary stay in the Kingdom (Click HERE)
• TM.30 Notification of residence with a signature from landlord or hotel manager (Click HERE)
• Passport photo 4 x 6 centimetres
• Copy of passport identification page and all pages related to current visa
• A letter from home country’s embassy in Thailand
• 1,900 baht visa extension fee

& ….. Brown Envelope.

 

[Soidog]

4 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Checklist for the 60-day Covid-19 visa extension…

• TM.7 Application for extension of temporary stay in the Kingdom (Click HERE)
• TM.30 Notification of residence with a signature from landlord or hotel manager (Click HERE)
• Passport photo 4 x 6 centimetres
• Copy of passport identification page and all pages related to current visa
• A letter from home country’s embassy in Thailand
• 1,900 baht visa extension fee

& ….. Brown Envelope.

Agree with all of the above except I didn’t need a letter from my embassy. They never even asked. They even asked me why I didn’t just get a normal 30 day extension and then go back and get a Covid 60 day when that expired. I explained that the Covid extensions were only available until March 25th (This was around the 18th March). To which the IO said “Oh it will be extended again”.  He was super confident that it would be extended. He also gave me his personal telephone number to call him if I ever needed anything relating to visa issues. I think if I had stayed longer he would have given me a printed menu of options with associated prices. It’s beyond belief at times. 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

31 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Agree with all of the above except I didn’t need a letter from my embassy.

It was the Thaiger Checklist not mine … just a quick cut and paste from the end of their article.

 

34 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I think if I had stayed longer he would have given me a printed menu of options with associated prices

And with different sized brown envelopes required also

[Soidog]

Just now, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

It was the Thaiger Checklist not mine … just a quick cut and paste from the end of their article.

And with different sized brown envelopes required also

Oh ok, I hadn’t seen the checklist
 

Yes I couldn’t believe how open and blatant he approached me on the topic of under the table visas. He spoke fairly good English and was said in a normal voice with his colleagues and his boss within hearing shot. I can only assume the whole office was on the take. No attempt to conceal or discuss in hushed voices.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

3 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I can only assume the whole office was on the take

It obviously helps them get in the same pay bracket as Joe Ferrari …. With such a captive audience.

[Dave121]

She had just decided to be difficult. There was no way she was going to issue the extension and said she had marked his record to stop him from trying again at a different office  Probably just a bitter racist office junior who had been given power for the day and was getting off on abusing it. Even her colleague tried to have 'a word' with her, but she shut her down.  This was the point I was trying to make. These visas shouldn't be at the discretion of one person who might be a bit unhinged that day. They should be automatically issued without question to encourage paying tourists to stay. My friend just went back to Oz in disgust, which would have had a detrimental knock on effect on the staff of every business where he might have otherwise spent money, if he had stayed.

[Dave121]

But on the subject of brown envelopes, I've heard of some offices trying this. Phang Nga being one of them. It's never happened to me, but if it did, I'd go to the press. Why should I backhand someone to let me stay in the country if I'm entitled to anyway ?

[Soidog]

14 minutes ago, Dave121 said:

She had just decided to be difficult. There was no way she was going to issue the extension and said she had marked his record to stop him from trying again at a different office  Probably just a bitter racist office junior who had been given power for the day and was getting off on abusing it. Even her colleague tried to have 'a word' with her, but she shut her down.  This was the point I was trying to make. These visas shouldn't be at the discretion of one person who might be a bit unhinged that day. They should be automatically issued without question to encourage paying tourists to stay. My friend just went back to Oz in disgust, which would have had a detrimental knock on effect on the staff of every business where he might have otherwise spent money, if he had stayed.

That’s incredible. Who wins by the outcome of that. 

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, Dave121 said:

But on the subject of brown envelopes, I've heard of some offices trying this. Phang Nga being one of them. It's never happened to me, but if it did, I'd go to the press. Why should I backhand someone to let me stay in the country if I'm entitled to anyway ?

Well you wouldn’t need to if you can meet the requirements. The conversation they were hoping to engage me in related to OA visas and insurance. If ever I want to get an extension for retirement I will get a non-O and ensure I have at least 65,000 a month or 800,000 in the bank. I wouldn’t pay a corrupt IO unless it was my last resort 

[Dave121]

I thought about this a lot and can only put it down to racism. He's a black guy. He was really nice throughout, even when it was obvious she wasn't going to help him. I would have left too tbh. It was far from the welcoming land of smiles that he came for. And you're right about never paying a corrupt official of any kind. Not just IO. They'll just ask for more next time.

38 minutes ago, Soidog said:

That’s incredible. Who wins by the outcome of that.