Foreigners seeking 60 day tourist visa extensions crowd Phuket Immigration

Many foreigners seeking to extend what some are calling the “Covid visa” crowded Phuket Immigration this morning. The queue stretched from the second floor, out the door and down the stairs at the front of the building. One man told the Phuket News that many were waiting to file a 60 day tourist visa extension.

The visa extensions are intended for foreign tourists who have been stranded in Thailand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some have actually been unable to leave the country since April 2020 while others are sticking around by choice.

With borders restrictions over the past year, immigration offices have been flooded with tourists during deadlines for extensions. Apparently, around the end of the month is when many are scrambling to extend.

Thailand is still under the Emergency Decree, which was imposed last year to combat the spread of Covid-19. It gives the government sweeping powers to enact disease control measures and regulations. It also gives the prime minister executive power to enact further measures.

SOURCE: Phuket News