Bangkok-
The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, is continuing talks throughout this week with relevant agencies about the amnesty visa situation that affects an estimated hundreds of thousands of foreigners in Thailand currently but there is, as of now, no final decisions made.
The Thai Government granted visa amnesty to tourists in the country on April 8th of this year after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in the country in mid March. That amnesty was detailed here as well as its original conditions. The amnesty was eventually extended until July 31, 2020.
The CCSA has stated throughout last week and over the weekend that they are well aware of foreigner’s concerns regarding the amnesty, however stated that it is a “complex” process with “potential national security issues” and that no final decisions had been made, promising to make sure that the moment they came to a decision they would make it clear to the public.
We have written an editorial here at The Pattaya News on this subject and what we feel should happen, which you can find below:
The amnesty currently is what is allowing as many as several hundreds of thousands of foreigners to stay in the country, according to the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau. This group includes not only tourists who were either stranded or chose to stay in Thailand during the Covid-19 Coronavirus breakout, but also many people who normally have to leave the country on a regular basis for visa runs, renewals, and other matters. With land borders still closed and air borders only allowing in a small number of foreigners with very strict requirements, such as a limited number of medical tourists, the situation is the number one most asked question we get at The Pattaya News.
Unfortunately, at this time, there is only speculation and rumors and no confirmed information other than Thai officials are well aware of the issue and discussing possible solutions to the problem. The Pattaya News strongly advises readers to have a “backup” plan of action if the amnesty is canceled, as there is no guarantee or promise that even if canceled the Thai Government would give a “leeway” period to those stranded in the country to get home or find other options. It is unlikely a final decision would be made until near the very end of July.
The moment The Pattaya News gets confirmed information on the status of the Visa amnesty we will publish it for our readers.
Picture: Thai Tourism Minister
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