@แมทธิว *************

love and hate I couldn t have put it better. 🤣😉

@แมทธิว *************

I completely agree with you. Too many farrang compare Thailand with their home-country while we forget why we came here. On the other hand being a farrang I equally understand their frustations. Most of us who live contribute a lot to the Thai society, supporting whole families, opening businesses, etc. Often the government gives us the wrong signal though, as if they only care about we contribute directly to their pockets. Having said this I stress again my agreement with you that we should rather adapt than expect the country to adapt to our wishes. Last I wanna say I enjoyed you defending your country and I surely not agree with those farrang always bashing Thailand. Thailand ain't perfect but which country is.

You can apply for it in Thailand. Make sure you ask it straight at the immigration desk for non O visa. I asked it in Changwattana (BKK), at the information desk they told me it can't be done in Thailand, so I went on to the non-O department where they told me "no problem". Most immigration officers are kind of confused about their own rules. Persistence, if you fulfill to all the requirements you will get it done.

I am not freaking out! Okay, maybe a tiny whiny little bit. 5555

@Dan *******

thanks mate, indeed the discussion about 1,000 THB was just to point out the illogic of "wanting to clear out" the people on amnesty. 1,000 THB is a low estimated average but makes it easy calculating the proportion of money it s injecting in the Thai economy.

These forums or groups on fb are meant for people to help each other. As a community we should help each other, together we know more and weigh significantly on the Thai economy. Unfortunately are these groups and forums seriously infected by trolls, who often don t even live here and use every opportunity to lash out to Thailand or the people living here.

I don t get it why though, guess some anger-issues or something.

@Dan *******

with that money I wouldn't worry too much. Best thing look for a reliable VISA-agent they always know what's best for you. But money opens doors. I heard about an ED-visa in Hua Hin for which you don't have to leave the country. It does take a few weeks to process that though. On the other hand I do believe government will come with a solution for which you will have to pay, but that will be peanuts for you then. But at the moment it's all a bit unclear, eveyone is just guessing including immigration officers 😂😉.

@Rob *****

thanks for the number Rob. Yeah I m just guessing about the numbers with what I do see on the streets. But I think we re on the same page in what we re expecting.

@Matt ******

Your statement shows a lack of personal knowledge about the situation. Allow me to become a little personal to indulge you.

I have been living and working in Thailand for many years. 3 weeks ago I lost my job due to covid. Losing your job means losing you work-visa. I've been married with a Thai for 2 years but never bothered for the marriage-visa. So now I want to change to a marriage-visa, only problem my application only becomes valid by the end of August, so why I could do with an xtra month of visa-amnesty.

Having told you why I do have personal knowledge of the situation, let me tell you what isn't logic in your comment.

- the people relying on amnesty to live in Thailand stay home all day in their condos.

- 1st: it s illegal to rent condos to tourists. It does happen but it's rather rare. So they d be staying in hotels, resorts or the cheaper inns (still finding accomodation below 300 THB a night aint so easy). The majority will pay about 1,000 THB just for one night. Still having no means to cook for themselves, they will have to go to restaurants or take-aways.

- one of the reasons I love Thailand is the nightlife and how easy it is to get into a conversation with strangers. Since the 1st I have restarted my habit of going out and I see and meat a lot of stranded tourist spending a lot of money.

- these stranded tourists are Americans, English, Italians, etc, but also Russians, Indians, etc. Some get an allowance far higher than what you need to live of here, some get part of their salary doing part of their job back home online. The point is they spend a lot of money, none of it comes from Thailand.

- none of these stranded tourists (with some exceptions like me who await to transmit their visa in another valid non-o visa) would be eligible for non-o, non-oa or non-b visa. They just hope they can keep living like this untill the whole covid-mess clears up and then go back home where they have their house.

So to get back to my earlier point; between 50k and 100k people spending 1,000 THB a day. Just make the calculation is between 50 and 100 million THB a day or between 1,5 and 3 billion THB a month of foreign currency injected in the hardest hit sector of Thailand every fucking month. It's more than the aid-package from the government. There is no way they're going to loose that. Not now! The whole likely - unlikely show which is happening at the moment is in MY opinion a bit of pressure and power-game which is preparing the road for what comes next. A registration of who is here and an official amnesty-extension for which we will have to pay of course. Keeping the Thai economy alive isn t enough, the government wants her piece of the cake.

Just supported my opinion with clear arguments. Don t just give a prejudice about people that you don t know.

I'd say the same somewhere between 50k and 100k. These people easily spending a 1,000 THB a day. It's the infuse that is keeping the dying tourist-industry alive. And now according to an "immigration-source" they want to clear them out, with no hopes on new tourists for the next 4 months. I think they will come to reason before the 31st. Probably just pay for an extension as the risk for contamination in Thailand has diminished.