News Forum - Expats welcome online visa extensions?

[Thaiger]

The Immigration Bureau unveiled its online visa extension (e-extension) service on Tuesday, billed as making the process less messy for expats and tourists who need more time in the country. Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the national police chief, said the e-extension would improve visa services by allowing visitors to lodge their request online. The move is expected to reduce corruption in the system, covering the entire process including the payment of fees. It will reduce the time to process the application from one hour to three minutes, Damrongsak said. According to the bureau, over 200,000 expats try to extend their […]

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[Pinetree]

Its a small trial, its only in Bangkok and you still have to turn up at Immigration for an ID check, so lets not get too excited just yet a while. Using an agent, I haven't been near Immigration in 3 years, so I'm not too chuffed at this initiative yet. 

[MrStretch]

The only difference here is wait time if you don't have someone else doing it for you, as I do.

You still have to go to the damned office to have your ID verified.  Why that can't be accomplished online, too, is a mystery.

But you know Immi.  Just like every other government bureaucracy in Thailand, you have to justify your job somehow.

[Faz]

Deary, deary, Jon,
Get your facts and information correct.

Quote

According to the bureau, over 200,000 expats try to extend their visas each year for reasons including holidays, teaching jobs, study or family matters. 

A visa has an expiry date that cannot be extended. But you can extend your 'permission of stay' granted on entry from the Visa.

Only 200,000 expats .
Well, it appears online applications are limited to extensions for just 12 reasons, so it excludes those with extensions based on retirement or Thai spouse/family ...... just when your hopes were being raised, the real facts unfold.
The 12 reasons are;
1. Tourism purposes.
2. Teachers at public schools
3. Studying at public schools
4. Working in government agencies
5. For original Thai people
6. Resident families
7. Mass media
8. Teaching and research in government agencies
9. Installing and repairing machinery
10. Medical experts.
11. Vehicle operators
12. Embassy requests. 

Quote

The service will be piloted first for expats living or working in Bangkok, who can file their applications online at the official website. 

Wrong embedded link, Jon.
That link takes you to the official Thai E-Visa application site used for applying for visas at Thai Embassy/Consulates (https://www.thaievisa.go.th/)

The correct link for the new online e-extension application site is; https://thaiextension.vfsevisa.com/ 

https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/1662491/

The online application also isn't free.

The fee payment is the last step of your application process after submitting your details and the other mandatory documents. The fees paid for E-Extension visa would be (non – refundable online processing fee, inclusive of all charges) as follows:
Visa fee: 1,900 THB

Service fee as following:

Regular Service fee: 500 THB
Express Service fee: 1,500 THB

super urgent service fee to be 5,000 THB *You can also apply for a super urgent service, to get your E-Extension decision within next day (only business day).
https://thaiextension.vfsevisa.com/information 

 

[MrStretch]

52 minutes ago, Faz said:

Service fee as following:

Regular Service fee: 500 THB
Express Service fee: 1,500 THB

super urgent service fee to be 5,000 THB *You can also apply for a super urgent service, to get your E-Extension decision within next day (only business day).
https://thaiextension.vfsevisa.com/information 

So, you have to pay for this "convenience" with an additional fee?  I'll stick with the old way, and have my visa expert wife go to immi and then call me to get my picture taken.

[Faz]

20 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

So, you have to pay for this "convenience" with an additional fee?  I'll stick with the old way, and have my visa expert wife go to immi and then call me to get my picture taken.

It's not for the retirees or married folks extensions anyway.

[Chaimai]

19 minutes ago, Faz said:

It's not for the retirees or married folks extensions anyway.

 

 

...and I doubt that it ever will be.

 

 

The numbers involved in the "12 reasons" are quite small.

[TheDirtyDurian]

And you still have to show up in person....

[KaptainRob]

It's a potential goldmine for VFS even at the standard 500bt fee, never mind the express fees.  And if it takes only 3 minutes to process, why are those fees even necessary?

[SkepticObserver]

I used the 30 day e-extension for my TR Visa recently. It took 30 minutes to upload relevant documents online. The online application was approved in about 3 days. I then made an appointment at the Pattaya immigration office (Jomtien  Soi 5) to get my passport physically stamped. On the day of my appointment, I was in and out of the immigration office in less than 15 minutes!  So the new system weren't quite well for me!