Update on rumoured extension of Thailand’s visa amnesty

UPDATE: There has been no confirmation of the rumour that was circulating earlier today. Some publications even said it was a “done thin” but that is not true. The latest developments…

Speaking to khaosodenglish.com, Col. Phakkhaphong Saiubon told them that an extension should be officially announced this week and that “those who failed to renew their stay after the September 26 deadline will not be prosecuted”.

But an Immigration spokesman, Chengron Rimpadee, has told Coconuts Bangkok that “only foreign nationals unable to fly home because their home borders remain closed or there are no flights, can be in the kingdom legally”. Those that remain in Thailand “must have acquired letters from their embassy”.

Bottom-line on all this, assume that the visa amnesty finished on Saturday, as previously confirmed, until something else is confirmed about an extension. For now, without a valid visa, you are officially on overstay.

Meanwhile, the Thai government has confirmed that it will extend the country’s state of emergency until at least October 31 and approve the much-hyped special tourist visas starting in October. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has today approved the extension of the emergency decree and the approval of the new special tourist visas for foreign tourists. The meeting was chaired by the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Earlier today…

Thai Immigration offices have been flooded with foreigners trying to find a last minute solution to stay in the country and figure their situation out before the end of the visa amnesty… September 26, last Saturday. The end of the amnesty, allowing visitors with lapsed visas to remain in the country, put many in a difficult situation, especially after a warning from the government the people could face fines and jail time for overstaying. But foreigners could have 1 more month to figure it out.

The news will come as a massive annoyance to those who went through the hoops last week to meet the deadline, although many thousands simply failed to get an appointment or satisfy the extension requirements, or simply had no flights to leave the country. In other cases, some embassies either refused to provide a letter supporting their extension or were slow in doing so. Many thousands, granted an extension, found themselves with a 14 day conditional extension, pending checks from Immigration.

Now there’s an “unofficial” letter, on official Thai government letterhead, floating around claiming that the visa amnesty will be extended until October 31. It’s said the letter is waiting to be signed by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha which would then be published in the Royal Gazette. The letter title translates loosely as “extension for foreigners staying in Thailand”.

The government estimated around 150,000 foreigners were living in the country on amnesty. With hundreds seeking an extension, immigration offices have been booked with appointments and packed with foreigners. On Friday, the Chaeng Wattana immigration office in Bangkok was so packed with foreigners, that many of them had to sit on the floor with long queues. There were also many disappointed and confused foreigners leaving immigration offices, being told they didn’t have all the required documentation.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Kali Sarasin told the Bangkok Herald that the government’s “uncompromising” stance toward foreigners in the makes no sense, especially since the coronavirus is still spreading, and flights back to their home country are still hard to book. Flights that are available are still very expensive.

Some foreigners are still scrambling to get a letter from their embassy and apply for a 30 day extension, and some are applying for expensive education visas and classes just to stay in Thailand for a long period (a common solution by visa agents). Others may have a job and just need to transfer their visa, but the immigration has yet to come up with a way for foreigners to basically restart their visa without leaving the country.

While foreigners staying in Thailand have been jumping through hoops to keep living in the country, the government has been crafting plans to get a new batch of foreigners in. The CCSA will today approve a new long stay tourist visa for those entering the country. The Special Tourist Visa is good for 90 days and can be renewed twice, adding up to around 9 months. But the visa still requires extensive paperwork as well as a 14 day quarantine in a government-approved hotel.

Plans to open doors to foreign tourists is aimed at boosting the tourism dependant economy, but the current solutions will provide a small handful of new tourists, a few percent of the previous arrivals. The industry was crippled by the halt of international travel and some tourism businesses that marketed specifically to foreign tourists say they can’t make a profit until Thailand re-opens the doors to foreign tourists.

SOURCES: Facebook: Richard Barrow in Thailand

https://www.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand/posts/5060347217312438

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