Thailand offers amnesty to ‘little ghosts’ in South Korea

The Thai government calls for all Thais working illegally in South Korea – known as ‘little ghosts‘ – to return to Thailand before February 28.

Any little ghost who does not return to Thailand before this date will face a 30 million won fine (800,000 baht), warned the government.

Today, government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek revealed that the South Korean Immigration Office reported that 100,000 Thai people are currently working illegally in South Korea.

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs would therefore like to inform any Thais who illegally entered Korea that they can escape punishment if they return to Thailand before February 28.

Little ghosts will be exempt from the 800,000 baht fine so long as they return before the month’s end and report their planned return to Thailand either at an immigration office in South Korea or online at www.hikorea.go.kr.

To report, the little ghost must provide supporting documents, namely their passport and evidence of purchased plane tickets to Thailand.

Little ghosts who do not return to Thailand, or those that don’t report their return, will not only face a hefty fine but will face trouble entering South Korea in the future, warned the spokesperson.

Ratchada said Thai people are welcome to work in South Korea but must do so legally via the Department of Employment.

Thais should not fall for scams of people offering illegal work in South Korea. Little Ghosts do not have basic welfare rights, are not covered by insurance, are often taken advantage of with low wages and have to live in fear of being found out by the authorities.

The government’s announcement comes just days after a Thai family pleaded for help for their relative, a little ghost, who fell into a coma in South Korea after undergoing urgent surgery for a brain haemorrhage.

The family are doing everything they can to have Narong – who remains unconscious – returned to Thailand.

Narong’s mother Buarat says she knows the medical bills in South Korea will be high and the family is stuck because they don’t have much money.

The family decided to publicise their story through the media to warn others against working illegally abroad in case they fall ill and need help.

Source - The Thaiger

Thai Government outlines 7 conditions of quarantine-free re-opening

As the grand re-opening date of November 1 approaches, with little clarity as to what that will look like, here’s some of what we know – and what we don’t. According to a Thai PBS World report, the government has outlined 7 conditions that will determine if someone can enter the kingdom quarantine-free. The following conditions have been communicated by the Bureau of Risk Communication and Health Behaviour Promotion, part of the Disease Control Department.

1. Foreign visitors must arrive by air and come from a list of “low-risk” countries approved by the Public Health Ministry

2. Have proof of vaccination with 2 doses of a recognised Covid-19 vaccine

3. Have a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of departure from your home country

4. Have at least US$50,000 in Covid-19 insurance coverage

5. Have proof of a hotel booking

6. Travellers must download the Mor Chana app and take a second PCR test on arrival or within 24 hours of arrival

7. If the second test is negative, visitors can continue their journey without any further quarantine

However, with just over 10 days to go, a number of things remain unknown. Chief among them is the list of “low-risk” countries, as well as the rules for vaccinated adults travelling with unvaccinated children. Clarity is also needed on whether travellers need proof of a hotel booking beyond their first night in the kingdom and if this applies to expats with homes here. Furthermore, Thai embassies continue to advise people to book quarantine hotels, insisting they’ve received no communication about the re-opening process.

Thai PBS World reports that the government is moving to a 3-model approach for admitting foreign arrivals. The first – and original – model is that unvaccinated visitors will be subject to mandatory hotel quarantine for between 7 and 14 days. The second model is the sandbox model currently in operation in Phuket, Samui and other tourist destinations, which is being extended to several other provinces. The third model will be the quarantine-free model discussed above.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

VISA AGENT

Thai Government Extends All Foreigners Visas Until the End July

Foreigners locked down due to the coronavirus in Thailand have been granted another automatic visa extension for three months. The three-month extension from May 1 to July 31 was printed in the Royal Gazette on Friday.

The announcement was made by the Interior Ministry and was signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister.

The extension covers foreigners holding all types of non-immigrant visas. Including visas on arrival, visa-free arrivals and border passes, according to the Bangkok Post.

Foreigners locked down due to the coronavirus in Thailand have been granted another automatic visa extension for three months. The three-month extension from May 1 to July 31 was printed in the Royal Gazette on Friday.

The announcement was made by the Interior Ministry and was signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister.

The extension covers foreigners holding all types of non-immigrant visas. Including visas on arrival, visa-free arrivals and border passes, according to the Bangkok Post.

The Immigration Bureau explained on its website that foreign residents required to re-enter the country within one year will not be penalized for missing the deadline.

However, it warned that border pass holders have to leave Thailand within a week of the checkpoints reopening.

The extraordinary measures are designed to help foreigners cope with the travel restrictions. Also because of border closures enacted in the campaign to contain Covid-19.
No new cases of foreigners catching virus

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Health Department reported 15 new coronavirus cases and zero deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 2,922. Thailand’s death cases remains at 51 as of Sunday.

The number of new cases was a sharp drop from the 53 recorded on Saturday. The cases numbers jumped because 42 migrants infected with the virus were trying to jump the border in Songkhla.

Of the new cases, four were linked to previous cases, another four had no known links. While five new patients are arrivals from overseas who have been under mandatory quarantine. Even more there was no new infections amount foreign tourist  or long stays visa holder.

Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the Health department said since the outbreak in Thailand, 2,594 patients have recovered and gone home.

Source - Chiang Rai Times