Thailand Extends Visa Amnesty, Recommends Extending Emergency Decree

Thailand’s Cabinet has extended visa amnesty for foreigners stranded in the country until September 26, as well as recommended extending the country’s emergency decree past its July 31 end date.

Thanks to the visa amnesty extension, the roughly 300,000 foreigners stuck in Thailand due to COVID-19 will receive an automatic extension to their visa, as long as it did not expire before March 26.

Also, foreigners on a visa will not behave to do the required 90-day reporting to immigration until after September 26.

As for the emergency decree extension, The National Security Council and Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration came to an agreement that there is too much uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus situation to lift the state of emergency.

Opponents to the emergency decree argue that it is unnecessary considering the country has gone 55 days without a local case of COVID-19 and that the order gives the government too much power.

The Thai PM is expected to sign the extended emergency decree into law in the coming days.

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