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

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 in Thailand for the “wrong purpose.”

With the global coronavirus situation improving, and Thailand on track to declare Covid-19 an endemic by July 1, Thai immigration officials have been stricter with issuing the extensions of stay. Issuance of the extensions is at the discretion of the immigration officer.

Recently, some expats with expiring Non-Immigrant Visas, including those staying in Thailand for work and education, have been denied the 60-day visa extension. Instead, some have been given a stamp allowing a seven-day stay to get their affairs in order before they leave the country.

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

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.