Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand Back to
Integrity Legal

Legal Services & Resources 

Up to date legal information pertaining to Thai, American, & International Law.

Contact us: +66 2-266 3698

info@integrity-legal.com

ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawThailand Immigration LawThai COVID Visa Extension Actually Until July?

Thai COVID Visa Extension Actually Until July?

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing so-called COVID Visa extensions and this is basically a euphemism for visas that are being Ad Hoc extended here in Thailand since the inception of the Emergency Decree back in 2020 regarding folks who are trapped in Thailand due to COVID-19.

A recent article from the Pattaya News that is thepattayanews.com, the article is titled: Royal Thai Immigration Bureau allows "tourists" on COVID-19 extension to extend again until May 29th. Quoting directly: “The Royal Thai Immigration Bureau announced through an urgent memo released to the public yesterday that they were extending the so called COVID-19 extension for those "stuck” in the country due to the virus. The previous extension allowed permission to stay until March 30, yesterday. However one can now apply up to May 29, 2021 for a 60-day COVID-19 extension which would technically allow people in the country to stay without having to leave or change their visa until July 27, 2021." Good point on the author here. Again, this is the Pattaya News, thepattayanews.com, the article is Royal Thai Immigration Bureau allows "Tourists" on COVID-19 Extension to Extend Again till May 29th. But if you get extended you get 60 days past wherever you extended and if you did it on the 29th, that is not necessarily going to happen in every case, then it may be possible to get extended out into July 27, 2021. So point being, this is more than it at first appears in terms of the status garnered by those who use it.

Another thing I have been saying this; I have been like a broken record, this can end it anytime, this has always been discretionary I think as time goes on we see more people vaccinated, things are opening up, I think it is more and more likely that they are just going to not extend at some point and folks that were using this may fall out of status. The other thing to remember is folks that were not stuck in Thailand when the Emergency Decree came into effect it is not a foregone conclusion you can utilize this type of extension although people talk about it as if they can. We have seen situations where Immigration has failed to use their discretion and felt like someone either needed to find a Permanent Visa category and by permanent something akin to a Non-immigrant Visa status or leave the country. 

So again this is meant for the folks that are adversely impacted by the overall situation. It is discretionary to some extent but these discretionary powers have been extended further and one who falls under the criteria for being able to get this can get this and maintain some status until late July 2021 if circumstances permit.