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Guide for foreigners living in or travelling to Thailand

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The following article was published in The Nation today.

Guide for foreigners living in or travelling to Thailand

As of May 6, the Thai government has restored the mandatory 14-day quarantine for both vaccinated and unvaccinated arrivals in the country, regardless of their nationality.

Guide for foreigners living in or travelling to Thailand

Continues at

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001414

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The 90-day address report is not exactly anything new.  As a matter of fact only a short time ago they were talking about finally doing away with it entirely - but so far that's all it was - talk.  Nothing new about that either.

But you do not have to do any of the reporting procedures shown in the graphic above.  Maybe they forgot to mention that you can do the report online.  If you do it online it must be done no more than 15 days before the due date for the report and no less than 7 days.  If you are not within that window, you won't be able to do the report online.

https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn90online/online/tm47/TM47Action.do

When you open that link, first scroll all the way to the bottom of the legalese and put a check mark in the box that says " I have read and fully understand the above terms and conditions and agree to accept them."

The rest is self explanatory.  When you submit the report a reference number will be given.  Make sure to keep that reference number.  You will need it to check to see if your submission was approved.  If it was, all you have to do is print out the receipt and put it into your passport.  If you don't have a printer, any photo shop can print it out for you.  If you have a previous receipt in your passport, you can remove and replace it with the new approval.

That is how I do mine.  I did my most recent report on May 9.  My approval was instant.  Between filling out the forms, submitting the report, getting the approval, and printing it out, the whole thing took less than 3 minutes.

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Thanks, Gaybutton, for your clarifications. Because The Nation article is long, I'm copying the remaining content that covers many topics. If anyone is aware of other discrepancies or ommissions it would be helpful to call attention to them.

===================

Thai embassies and consulates are issuing a Certificate of Entry (COE) for all travellers to Thailand, including those in the visa exemption list, as well as 60-day tourist visas and special tourist visas (STV).

Foreigners entering Thailand are required to have an ASQ hotel reservation and Covid-19 insurance.

At present, only semi-commercial flights are allowed to land in Thailand.

Foreigners allowed entry include diplomats and foreign workers, including their families, business representatives and experts invited by the government, permanent residents, foreigners with Thai families, students and their guardians, medical tourists and their attendants, business visa holders, Thai Elite Visa holders, APEC cardholders, STV and tourist visa holders, non-immigrant O retirement visa, non-immigrant OA and OX holders and migrant workers with official documents.

All foreigners are required to get in touch with their local Thai embassy to apply for a COE and for more information.

Until September 30, 2021, Thailand will allow a limited number of long-stay tourists under the STV programme. This long-stay visa is open to foreign nationals travelling to Thailand with the intention of staying long-term as a tourist.

Those eligible can get in touch with the Tourism Authority of Thailand Office or Thai embassy in their current location for more information.

Visa amnesty/extension

What is visa amnesty?

As of May 29, 2021, all foreign nationals living in Thailand affected by the Covid-19 crisis will be granted a 60-day visa extension.

Who is covered by the visa amnesty?

All foreign nationals living in Thailand legally with a visa exemption entry stamp, tourist visa, non-immigrant visa or yearly extension of stay.

What are the rules related to visa amnesty?

Visa or permit to stay that is still valid and updated by the local immigration office.

Foreigners holding long-term visas, such as a work visa, marriage visa or retirement visa are required to apply for their yearly extension at the immigration office as usual.

Foreigners do not need an embassy letter to be granted the automatic visa extension due to Covid-19.

Is the Covid-19 visa extension free of charge?

No, the Covid-19 extension of visa costs 1,900 baht.

Will the visa amnesty be extended?

There is no indication that this visa amnesty or grace period will be extended.

What happens when the visa amnesty is lifted or not extended?

When the situation is resolved and returns to normal, foreigners must leave Thailand on or before the permit to stay date in their passports is up or must apply for the proper type of visa at the immigration office.

Travel Ban

Most international flights are banned, though some semi-commercial flights are allowed to land in Thailand.

Foreigners qualified to enter Thailand must apply for a “Certificate of Entry to Thailand” before they book a seat on the available repatriation flight.

90-day reporting

If you are a foreigner staying in Thailand for a period longer than 90 consecutive days holding a Non-Immigrant Visa or Extension of Stay, you are required by Thai Immigration to report your current address every 90 days. You may file for the TM47 notification in person, by mail, online, or through an agent. 

Consequences of visa overstay

During this Covid-19 crisis in Thailand, some foreign nationals may find themselves overstaying in Thailand either by mistake, miscalculating the length of stay, forgetting their visa expiration date or by unforeseen cancellation of their flights due to travel restrictions.

As a foreigner, you are strongly advised to avoid overstaying in Thailand. But if you do find yourself in Thailand on an expired visa it is very important that you act fast and in the right way.

Cancellation of Visa on Arrival

Travellers from the following countries are no longer allowed visa on arrival: Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.

Travellers from these countries are required to obtain a proper visa to travel to Thailand.

Though the visa on arrival for Russia has been cancelled, Russian passport holders may still enter Thailand for 30 days under the bilateral agreement.

Cancellation of Visa on Arrival

Travellers from the following countries are no longer allowed visa on arrival: Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.

Travellers from these countries are required to obtain a proper visa to travel to Thailand.

Though the visa on arrival for Russia has been cancelled, Russian passport holders may still enter Thailand for 30 days under the bilateral agreement.

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From The Thaiger

Deadline to apply for the 60-day “Covid” visa extension now July 29

The deadline to apply for a 60-day visa “Covid” extension has been pushed to July 29, now allowing stays up until late-September. The extensions are intended for foreigners who are unable to leave Thailand and return to their home country due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. The deadline to apply has been extended by the Thai Immigration Bureau several times, typically announced at the last minute. The previous deadline was May 29.

The 60-day visa extension program was launched late last year to allowing foreigners to stay in Thailand due to the global Covid-19 situation and limited international flights.

The extension can be granted if…

  • A foreigner cannot return to their home country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • There are no return flights available.
  • The foreigner has a letter from their embassy requesting temporary stay.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/visa/deadline-to-apply-for-the-60-day-covid-visa-extension-now-july-29

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On 5/28/2021 at 6:01 PM, Gaybutton said:

The 90-day address report is not exactly anything new.  As a matter of fact only a short time ago they were talking about finally doing away with it entirely - but so far that's all it was - talk.  Nothing new about that either.

But you do not have to do any of the reporting procedures shown in the graphic above.  Maybe they forgot to mention that you can do the report online.

I thought I read somewhere that the online app was not working for something like 3 months. If it goes down once, then I can imagine there is a chance it will go down again. For Bangkok residents, the long trek out to Immigration at Chaengwattana is a real pain.

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17 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I thought I read somewhere that the online app was not working for something like 3 months..

That's right.  It did go down and there was never an explanation as to what happened or why it took so long to get it up and running again.  But it is working perfectly now.

Meanwhile, I have seen nothing further about doing away with this absurd requirement, but at least doing the report online is simple.

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From The Thaiger

Immigration launches online 90 day report system

90-day.jpg

A new online system for 90-day checks with immigration has been launched by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau. Online 90-day reporting has been glitchy in the past… So let us know how it worked for you. A confirmation could come through hours after applying. And be sure to check the spam folder.

You can register at https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/register/add

Foreigners who are permitted to stay in Thailand for longer than three months are required to notify their local immigration office of their place of residence every 90 days.

==============================

Richard Barrow reports that he has successfully used the new system.

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I got several error messages when I tested this. Finally, in the middle of the night, I was able to register and got an email confirmation with my password set. I was able to log in. I am not at the 90 day period yet but will report back when I am.

For now, it is glitchy to get registered but it will eventually work if you keep trying. BTW: Chrome works better than Firefox for me.

 

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