Hey guys, I'm going to ask a question here and I'm going to get pretty upset when you tell me the correct answer. I ONLY want to hear the answer that I want to hear. Thank you.
I think the entirety of that page is about the family permit instead of getting a visa. I don't know much about the UK though, and agree it's very poorly written.
So the rules say you do NOT need proof of a tm30 to extend a tourist visa or visa exempt entry (though someone still needs to have submitted it for you). I just did an extension a couple weeks ago in Phuket and they didn't ask for it. Also, in the past 4 years (before covid) I've never been asked for one before. Not sure if chiang mai asks for it or not.
Rules also say you need to not have other visa/extension options avaliable for the 60 day covid extension, so you'd need to do the 30 day one first. However, I saw a couple people last week in Phuket get the 60 day covid extension even without getting a 30 day one first, so again, not sure what chiang mai will do but it can't hurt to ask.