Can I change my visa status from amnesty while staying at a monastery in Thailand?

Visa Amnesty Thailand Visa Change Volunteer Visa Religious Visa Visa Process during COVID-19

Aug 19, 2020

4 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

I'm staying at a monastery as a layperson on visa amnesty. I entered Thailand on Feb 28 with a visa exemption stamp. The abbot before has supported foreigners to stay longer and signed letters to the immigration office.

How would this process work in light of covid? Can I change to a volunteer or religious visa from within Thailand? How soon do I need to start this process? Are there any confirmed stories of someone on visa amnesty who successfully changed to a 3-month visa, or who were denied a 3-month visa?

Thanks in advance!

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user is on visa amnesty while staying at a monastery and seeks guidance on transitioning to a volunteer or religious visa in Thailand. They inquire about the processes involved, timelines for initiation, and any success stories of similar cases. A comment warns that changing from visa amnesty to a new visa is not possible, even pre-COVID.

Robert *******

You can not change from overstay (amnesty) into a visa in Thailand,

Even in the pre Covid period this was not possible and those people you talk about went from a valid stay from a Visa Exempt Entry or a Tourist Visa into a new stay from a new Visa,

4 years ago

Erik *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Got it.

4 years ago

Erik *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Robert ******

That's right, currently I haven't overstayed, I'm within the amnesty period.

@Benjamin *****

Do you mean Sept 26?

4 years ago

Robert *******

@Erik ******

The amnesty is just a waiver of the overstay fines if you could not leave Thailand before or on your Admitted until ../../... or permitted up to ./../... date stamped in your passport, until the day you did manage to leave, Now with a new end date of 26 September

4 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

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