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What Are the New Tourist Visa Extension Rules in Thailand After March 1st?

Visa ExtensionTourist VisaThailand Immigration
Apr 1, 2020
5 years ago
Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
ATTENTION MEMBERS: BREAKING NEWS.

A proposal was approved by the thai cabinet last night to put in place automatic extensions of stays for people who entered the country on a tourist visa after March 1st.

AT this time ALL we know is that, nothing else.

IF we read it exactly as it's written that means people who BOUGHT a tourist VISA from a thai consulate before they came here and entered the country on it AFTER March 1st.

It does not say anything about people who entered BEFORE that date, OR anything about people who entered on visa exempt entries, Also it specifically states other visas types still need to go to immigrations

It also makes NO mention about waiving overstay, OR anything like that so DON'T overstay.

Until this gets from being cabinet approved to being actually enacted (when we will see how it is written) let's take it for what it is, a step in the right direction,

BUT

I would say, keep requesting your "unable to travel due to covid-19" letters and if your stamp is running out GO and get the emergency extension.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The Thai cabinet has approved a proposal for automatic extensions of stays for individuals who entered Thailand on a tourist visa after March 1st. The announcement specifies that it does not apply to those who entered before this date, people on visa-exempt entries, or any other visa types. There is currently no mention of waiving overstays. The specifics will need to be clarified once the proposal is enacted.
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Deanne *********
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5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Listen up people;

I did not write this post to "be mean", to anyone (even though I got many many hate mail messages saying I am mean :O)

I would just as soon be proven wrong and in addition to people who got here WITH tourist visas in their passports after March 1st have them include people who arrived with 14 day visa exempt, 15 day visa on arrivals, 30 day visa exempt, 30 day visa waiver OR 90 day visa waiver entries too.

Sheesh foreigners mix up terminology all the time talking about how they got into the country I'm sure a Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Liaison isn't dialed in to the intricacies of the terms either

I am sticking to exactly what was said, because until this IS passed no one knows.

Let's just wait it out and see what gets passed. As I said I would love to be proven wrong on this :)
5 years ago
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Ahkim ********
Use more CAPS pls Todd, I don’t think maximum clarity has been ATTAINED yet.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
surprisingly that's how I speak in real life too, emphasizing words like that :P
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Geoff ******
Jamie Smith
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Okay, listen up. the way that announcement was read in english was very specific

He did NOT say "tourists who entered after March 1st: :/

He DID say "people who entered on tourist visas after March 1st"

Those are NOT the same thing.

Tourists here can enter on a 14 day visa exempt, a 15 day visa on arrival, a 30 day visa exempt, a 30 day visa waiver or a 90 day visa waiver entry

OR

they can BUY a tourist VISA from a thai consulate before they come here..

He said people who entered on tourist visas so lets see what the wording is of what actually gets passed into rule or law.
5 years ago
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Jeffrey **********
@Tod ********
 and more so. What each individual immigration office interpretation and implementation of the law or ruling
5 years ago
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Jeffrey **********
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Krii ****
Does entering the country with a tourist visa after March 1 also refer to ppl who have been here before and then did a visa run to Malaysia for example and returned getting a new 30 day tourist visa?
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
At this time <- meaning right now, we don't know exactly what they mean all we know is they didn't say

"tourists who entered after March 1st" :O instead what they said was "people who entered on tourist visas after March 1st" :/

Those are completely different phrases with very different meanings.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
no you are mis-reading, AND there is no such thing as a 30 day tourist visa

A tourist VISA is something you BUY from a thai consulate in another country BEFORE you come here.

You can't get a tourist visa at a border when you stamp in :/
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Nico ******
5 years ago
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Thom *******
Tod Daniels you do not have what anyone would mistake as a "gentle" response tone, but you do an amazing job... especially when taking into consideration that all information on this page is gratis... A huge thanks to you and all contributors! Hoping similar information will come for those like me (Non I, B Visa) soon.
5 years ago
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Michael ********
@Thom ******
 That's because most people don't read things properly, or read them and interpret how they wish things were, so he has to be blunt ;)
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
you're telling me nothing I don't know already, I an terse, coarse, abrupt, In short I'm pretty much an asshole on here AND in real life too

BUT believe me all I'm trying to do is disseminate the most accurate information I can find. :) So thanx for the thanx
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Philip ****
Does this include ppl who had their visa run (on METV) after 1st of March? I would be due to the 1st 30day Extension in May and could skip it then until early June
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
at this time we do NOT know. We have to wait until it passes into some rule or law and then we will know
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Tylah ****************
Thank you for keeping us posted
@Tod ********
Daniels.🙏
5 years ago
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Coleman *******
Link?
5 years ago
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Coleman *******
I can’t view this link
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
and READ what it says, not what you wished or wanted it to say :O
5 years ago
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Amornrat **********
check Nation Online.
5 years ago
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Amornrat **********
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Wolfgang *******
The best is we wait.. just now it's only an idea in public.

And we know all.. tomorrow from 1th March next day maybe forever (y)
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
STAY ON TOPIC PEOPLE

The wording of this was people who entered on tourist VISAS after March 1st.. It was not worded as tourists who entered after March 1st. There is a HUGE difference in those two phrases. SO until we see what they actually implement we don't know.
5 years ago
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Ivan ************
There is a difference but I think you can read too much into a press release from a politician. Thai immigration frequently refers to "tourist visa extensions" without explicitly mentioning visa exempt extensions but they usually mean both. I'll be very surprised if when enacted this only covers actual visa extensions and not exemptions.
5 years ago
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Ivan ************
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Randolph ********
It's NOT those that arrived after March 1 that are in real trouble, as they can still apply for the 30-day 'normal' extension with relatively little paperwork.

But it's those that arrived before March 1, and already 'used up' the normal 30-day extension they were provided. The requirements to apply for the 'emergency covid-19' 30-day extension are preposterous and for many even impossible to meet (e.g. the owner of the place where you are staying, has to be with you when applying for that emergency extension).

It would be funny, if the consequences were not so devastating for those confronted with this bureaucratic madness
5 years ago
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Nik ******
well said... us guys are getting stressed out, but can’t go home and have a week and a half left on our visas... how bout they look at these type of situations first?
5 years ago
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Scott *******
@Randolph *******
 its a learning curve for them and us. Its not the IO . They just carry out the orders .
5 years ago
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Scott *******
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Jamie ***********
Thanks Tod!
5 years ago
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Ka ******
Thanks a lot
5 years ago
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Daniel ***********
thanks ...thats good to know
5 years ago
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Nik ******
Keep us posted! Thankyou for passing on this info 👍🏼👍🏼
5 years ago
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Joe ***********
Thanks Tod, a step in the right direction is better than no steps.
5 years ago
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Joe ***********
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