Thailand News
Foreigners can apply for visa extensions after July 31
Foreign visitors still stranded in the kingdom by the Covid-19 pandemic will be allowed to apply for an extended short stay after their visas expire on July 31, the Immigration Bureau chief said on Friday.
Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang said foreign tourists who were unable to leave Thailand would be able to apply to stay during a specified period, or they would face legal action and be blacklisted.
The application period had been tentatively scheduled for Aug 1 to Sept 26, he said, and foreign tourists should contact the bureau as soon as possible to avoid crowding as the Sept 26 deadline approached.
Foreign visitors must specify their reasons and submit necessary documents when seeking to renew short-term visas, which will be granted for 30 days, he said.
“If they are unable to return because there are no flights or due to lockdown measures in their countries, they must submit proof. The granting of a short-stay visa will be made on a case-by-case basis,” Pol Lt Gen Sompong during a visit to Phuket, a province with a high number of stranded foreigners.
He said the IB had asked the Council of State about the proposed short stay and it had advised that the Interior Ministry should issue an announcement.
He said the Interior Ministry’s visa relief measures for foreign visitors would be submitted to the cabinet for approval next Tuesday. The bureau would later issue guidelines on how to apply for a visa extension.
He said those who planned to return to their home countries did not need to contact the IB but also had to leave Thailand by Sept 26.
He said 300.000-400,000 foreigners were stranded in the kingdom due to the lockdown.
The government earlier auto-extended their visas until July 31, but they must still inform authorities where they are staying.
Source: Cabinet to consider extending visas beyond July 31 for stranded foreigners
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Thailand News
Police chain suspects doors and windows until next morning
On August 9, A man attacked an officer, took his gun, and fled to his house in Plang Yao District, Chachoengsao Province. The officer then tried to persuade him to surrender for more than 6 hours but still failed.
Later at 6:00 pm, Plangyao Police Station decided to send 50 officers from a special operations unit in Chachoengsao Province.
The standoff lasted until 11:00 p.m. and the villain still showed no signs of surrendering.
So, they decided to chain his doors and windows preventing him from escaping until the next day rather than risk any of the officers or even the suspect’s life.
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Police in Chachoengsao Province started to process a search warrant for the next morning after leaving a couple of police officers to watch the house.
Later, Col. Sonthaya revealed that the perpetrator was named Mr. Anon, 45, at the house in Tha Bunmi Subdistrict, Koh Chan District, Chonburi Province, who went into a drunken methamphetamine rampage and destroyed his neighbor’s ricefields.
Police tried to intervene but Mr. Anont took a gun from Officer Or Sor and ran away. Mr. Anon’s daughter also reported his unusual behavior saying he was showing signs of aggressive behavior telling officers to exercise caution especially since he had a gun.
Police hope he will surrender after bringing a search warrant after the drugs wear off. To be continued……..
Later, it was reported that the suspect had escaped through the back of his house prior to officers boarding up his doors and windows. Police then conducted a search of the house and did not find the stolen gun. Police are still searching for the armed and dangerous suspect now.
Source and photos: https://www.khaosod.co.th/breaking-news/news_4678351
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Thailand News
2 Thai embassies hit by Covid-19 outbreaks
Thai embassies hit by Covid-19: Staff members of Thai embassies in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have contracted the novel coronavirus, according to the Foreign Ministry. The embassy in Manama reported that a foreign employee suffering mild symptoms tested positive for Covid-19, ministry spokesman Cherdkiat Atthakor said on Sunday.
Source: 2 Thai embassies hit by Covid-19 outbreaks
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Thailand News
‘Sick’ policeman jumps to his death from hospital
A policeman in Si Sa Ket province who suffered from mental illness reportedly killed himself on Saturday (August 8) by jumping out of the hospital building. The deceased, Suwaroj Khumthong, 53, was a police officer at Muang Chan Police Station who was admitted to Sisaket Hospital due to his mental condition.
Source: ‘Sick’ policeman jumps to his death from hospital
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