visas

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today – Tuesday, June 2, 2020

    Thailand News Today – Tuesday, June 2, 2020

    A slightly different Thailand News Today with some basic information for people wanting to return to Thailand during this current period. The documentation you will need and where to get help. We also have most of the up-to-date information about the daily updates and information about borders and bans here at thethaiger.com This article has a bit more information. The…

  • Covid-19 NewsSecond visa amnesty approved, will be automatic, free

    Second visa amnesty approved, will be automatic, free

    The government has announced a second automatic visa extension for foreigners who are stranded in the country by the Covid-19 pandemic. A spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Cabinet approved the automatic visa extension today. Natapanu Nopakun, deputy spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said. Foreigners whose visa expired after March 26 will be permitted to…

  • Covid-19 NewsUPDATE: Visa amnesty signed by PM

    UPDATE: Visa amnesty signed by PM

    UPDATE: PM Prayut Chan-o-cha today signed an executive order granting visa amnesty to foreigners left stranded in Thailand by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The order, released by the Ministry of Interior, grants “special permission for some classes of aliens to stay in the Kingdom.” It was signed by Prayuth and head of the Ministry of Interior, Anupong Paochinda. ORIGINAL STORY:…

  • Covid-19 NewsNew immigration measures for stranded visitors considered by Thai cabinet tomorrow

    New immigration measures for stranded visitors considered by Thai cabinet tomorrow

    “Under the government’s social distancing policy, these tourists will no longer have to visit the immigration bureau and risk contracting the virus in a crowd.” Thai Immigration officials are seeking cabinet approval for new measures to categorise foreigners stranded in Thailand because of the Covid-19 crisis. The proposals will be submitted to tomorrow’s cabinet meeting. Last week Thai TM Prayut…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Immigration proposes extending tourist visas until June 30

    Thai Immigration proposes extending tourist visas until June 30

    The Thai Immigration Bureau has asked the Cabinet to approve a measure extending tourist visas until June 30 for foreigners stranded in Thailand following the disruption of international flights due to the Covid-19 coronavirus. According to a report in Thaivisa, the Immigration Bureau wants foreigners who have had their travel plans disrupted by the virus, be given a visa extension…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai PM says tourists will get automatic visa extensions

    Thai PM says tourists will get automatic visa extensions

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned that foreigners seeking visa extensions have been gathering in their hundreds at Thailand’s immigration offices each day, at a time when social distancing is needed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. This from a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry today. Deputy ministry spokesman Natapanu Nopakun announced that the cabinet has responded with a…

  • Covid-19 NewsStranded. Nearly 21,000 Russians struggling to get home.

    Stranded. Nearly 21,000 Russians struggling to get home.

    The Russian Ambassador to Thailand claims there are about 20,800 Russian citizens stranded in the Land of Smiles. Ambassador Tomikhin says they’re desperate to get home. He says that most of them are stuck in Phuket and neighbouring provinces (Phuket is in virtual lockdown with the airport being closed to all passenger flights on April 10). Another 8,000 in and around…

  • Covid-19 NewsImmigration: Beware online swindlers claiming they can extend your visa

    Immigration: Beware online swindlers claiming they can extend your visa

    After a wave of complaints, the Immigration Bureau yesterday issued urgent advice to tourists and visitors about extending their visas amid the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis. While some immigration offices have requested that expats to file their 90 day residence reports reports online to promote social distancing and avoid crowded conditions, officers say fraudsters have been going online on Facebook and…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai tourism minister plans help for tourists stranded and worried about overstaying visas

    Thai tourism minister plans help for tourists stranded and worried about overstaying visas

    There are a growing number of tourists who are becoming stranded in Thailand as their home countries raise the drawbridge and lockdown their borders. Many European countries have started sealing their borders to deal with the Covid-19 coronavirus and other countries, closer to home, are starting to act as well. Last weekend Malaysia virtually locked down its borders. Thailand is…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand cancels visas-on-arrival and some visa exemptions for 21 countries

    Thailand cancels visas-on-arrival and some visa exemptions for 21 countries

    On top of all the changes announced in the past few days for passengers arriving in Thailand, today the government has announced an additional measure. The Thai government has now cancelled the automatic granting of the visa-on-arrival for 18 countries as well as cancelling visa exemption for three other countries in additional efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.…

  • World NewsSo you want to move to Vietnam?

    So you want to move to Vietnam?

    “Whilst Thailand is often nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand 7-elevens’, with a convenience store on just about every corner, there are very few of these in Vietnam, for now.” With the Thai Baht on a high at the moment, along with stricter enforcement of visa rules, some expats say they’ve had enough and are heading to Vietnam, or some…

  • Bangkok NewsChinese and Indian nationals arrested for fake visas, entry stamps

    Chinese and Indian nationals arrested for fake visas, entry stamps

    PHOTO: Immigration.go.th Two Chinese nationals and an Indian couple have been detained by Thai Immigration police in two separate arrests at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai Residents reports that the Chinese nationals were attempting to check in for a Cathay Pacific flight from Bangkok to Canada using fake Canadian visas. When airline staff got suspicious over the visas’ appearance and contacted Immigration…

  • Tourism NewsVisa fee waiver to run until end of April

    Visa fee waiver to run until end of April

    The government will extend the waiver of visa-on-arrival fees for another six months to boost the number of foreign tourists entering the Kingdom. A government spokesperson announced on Tuesday (October 22) that the Cabinet had approved a six-month extension to the exemption until the end of April next year. The visa fee waiver was implemented in November last year and…

  • ExpatsThai app will ease expat immigration woes and make 90 day reporting simple

    Thai app will ease expat immigration woes and make 90 day reporting simple

    The “OSS Foreigner” app is coming, and you will be able to use it for 90 day reporting, according to the Secretary-General at the office of the PM. Dr Kobsak Pootrakool says the planned app can be used for all immigration reporting, including 90 day reports, adding that typing in the required data and uploading a selfie will accomplish the…

  • ExpatsCould you be a digital nomad in Thailand?

    Could you be a digital nomad in Thailand?

    Are you a digital nomad? Working online wherever you can find a seat and wi-fi? According to digital nomad websites, some of the most popular locations to work online around the world include Chiang Mai & Bangkok (Thailand), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia), Bali (Indonesia), Lisbon (Portugal) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). What do all these cities have in common? The main…

  • World NewsVietnam versus Thailand – which is the best for travel or living?

    Vietnam versus Thailand – which is the best for travel or living?

    They are both beautiful countries and stand out amongst their south east asian counterparts for their food, culture and scenery. But which one is your choice for travelling or living in? Here are some introductory thoughts… Influences Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and the former king, King Bhumibol, was greatly loved and respected. His son, King Maha Vachiralongkorn, now maintains…

  • HealthMandatory health insurance details for some visas announced this week

    Mandatory health insurance details for some visas announced this week

    Details on the proposed mandatory health insurance requirements for Non-Immigrant O-A visas will be made next week, according to ThaiVisa. A senior executive from one of the insurance companies involved in the scheme told ThaiVisa that the Office of Insurance Commission, Ministry of Public Health, Foreign Ministry and Immigration Bureau will announce the insurance requirements for Non-Immigrant O-A visas on…

  • ExpatsPopular Thai expat blogger shares problems renewing visa

    Popular Thai expat blogger shares problems renewing visa

    PHOTO: Facebook/richard.thailand Popular expat blogger and Samut Prakan school employee Richard Barrow has shared his difficulties in trying to renew his visa’s extension of stay. Richard returned to Samut Prakan immigration last Friday to collect his annual extension. But he was told that Bangkok hadn’t yet approved his application. Samut Prakan Immigration, the province which has also issued his work permit (presumably…

  • Crime NewsSouth Korean fugitive arrested in Chon Buri, and two other immigration cases

    South Korean fugitive arrested in Chon Buri, and two other immigration cases

    by Jessada Chantharak A 29 year old South Korean man, wanted for alleged involvement in an online gambling operation in his home country, has been arrested in Chon Buri. Police allege he had been “laying low” in Thailand for two years. The man was wanted under a Seoul Central District Court arrest warrant issued on May 2, 2017, and by…

  • Crime NewsImmigration police spruik more successes with their biometrics systems

    Immigration police spruik more successes with their biometrics systems

    Immigration police have arrested three more unwanted foreigners for crimes committed in Thailand. The arrests follow people stopped at Immigration queues trying to enter the country last week. In reporting on the success of the biometric systems, police say the new systems helped identify the people and crimes they been allegedly involved in, even though the process of taking all…

  • Thailand NewsThai owner and two Chinese fined for not reporting change of address within 24 hours

    Thai owner and two Chinese fined for not reporting change of address within 24 hours

    PHOTO: Naew Na A Thai property owner and two Chinese nationals have all been fined for not abiding by the law that states that a foreigners’ location must be reported within 24 hours when they have changed addresses. Naew Na used the word “property” in its report so it’s not known if the premises was a private dwelling, Airbnb-style or hotel.…

  • Thai Life“Easier, faster and more watertight” – Surachate’s vision for Immigration

    “Easier, faster and more watertight” – Surachate’s vision for Immigration

    Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, Thailand’s Immigration chief, has outlined a few new directions for visitor and expat visas in Thailand. Speaking to TNA MCOT, the chief acknowledged the 1979 Act was “out of date” and “not in line with modern countries” and travel procedures. Surachate said that Thailand was the third most visited country in the world and was a place…

  • Thai LifeA new visa paperwork problem for some expats?

    A new visa paperwork problem for some expats?

    We get occasional emails from expats relating their various problems with Immigration as they apply for new visas or renewals. The common thread is that applying for, and renewing visas, is becoming unnecessarily complicated. This one seems complex. Names have been withheld for privacy. “I am a British citizen and my baby’s visas were renewed without an issue, but the…

  • Thailand NewsNew e-Visa for Chinese tourists starts rolling out on February 15

    New e-Visa for Chinese tourists starts rolling out on February 15

    The Department of Consular Affairs is to officially launch the first phase of the new Thai e-Visa in Beijing on February 15. China will be the first country in the world to have the service, which will be extended to other Chinese cities in early March. Chatri Archjananun, director general of the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said…

  • Thailand NewsNo tips and a crackdown on visa agents – Surachete takes over Immigration top job

    No tips and a crackdown on visa agents – Surachete takes over Immigration top job

    Thailand’s famous crime buster Surachete Hakparn, aka “Big Joke”, has been welcomed to his new job as head of Thai immigration during a ceremony this afternoon. He kicked off with some tough words, promising action against visa agent rip-offs and officers under his new command. Thai Rath reports that he says he’s determined to stamp out ‘paper bags’ and that…