An Immigration Bureau spokesman this morning said he had no knowledge of a leaked document purportedly showing that an amnesty on immigration laws could be extended until Oct. 31.
While the look for Halloween could still be aliens waiting in long queues for valid papers, spokesperson Chengron Rimpadee told Coconuts Bangkok that, since Saturday, only foreign nationals unable to fly home because their home borders remain closed or there are no flights can be in the kingdom legally.
Those that are must have acquired letters from their embassy, he noted.
Update: Those in Thai visa hell now have until Oct. 31
On Saturday, the day the amnesty ended, word spread that immigration officials would announce an after-the-fact extension of the amnesty, which was enacted in April due to the pandemic. Offices have been overwhelmed in recent days by those seeking to get their legal status in order. Rumors that it would be extended to Oct. 31 picked up steam last night when travel blogger Richard Barrow posted an unsigned Interior Ministry order to reinstate the amnesty.
The amnesty was put in place after Thailand shut down travel due to the pandemic, creating large crowds at immigration centers. All valid visas have been automatically extended for the past six months.
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