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ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawThailand Immigration LawCOVID-19: Will Thai Marriage Visas Still Need to Be Extended?

COVID-19: Will Thai Marriage Visas Still Need to Be Extended?

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing COVID-19 also known as Coronavirus. We are specifically discussing this in the context of Marriage Visas; Thai marriage visa extensions

There is a lot of information out there about all of the ramifications of flight shut downs, border closures amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, how this is impacting tourists, how this is impacting permanent residents, etc. A question that has been coming up somewhat often is "What do I do if I want to deal with an extension of my Thai Marriage Visa? Has anything changed as a result of Coronavirus or COVID-19?  In a sense I think most people want to know is there any kind of automatic extension being offered? The short answer to that question is "generally speaking no" and quoting directly from a recent article from the Bangkok Post, that is bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Immigration Bureau Pursues Visa Relief for Foreigners and the "He" being quoted in this is Lieutenant General Sompong Chingduang, the Head of Thai Immigration. Quoting directly: "Other foreigners who are now in Thailand and affected by the COVID-19 but aren't covered in the above three categories are advised to adhere to the usual laws." Just to be clear, let me quote further from earlier in that article: "The foreigners are now divided into three groups: foreigners with resident visas who normally reside in Thailand but cannot return to Thailand due to the COVID-19 crisis, foreign tourists who are unable to depart Thailand due to the crisis and visitors from neighboring countries who hold a temporary border pass and got stuck in Thailand after the borders were shut he said." Quoting further: "This proposed measure however won't apply to those foreigners who are working in or have a family in Thailand. They will still be required to report to Immigration authorities regularly he said."  

So basically, if you are not a tourist, you are not a resident stuck abroad and you are not a migrant worker or someone who has a border pass that got stuck on the Thai side of the Border when this thing closed up, then you are going to have to deal with your Immigration status in the usual manner. So those who have been extending their Thai O Marriage Visa are going to need to continue doing so under the usual laws or I should say under the laws as they specifically apply to that individual under their specific circumstances.