The Corporate Image and Communication Department of Thai Airways International Public
Company Limited (THAI) has clarified that due to the temporary suspension and disruption of
operations following the COVID-19 outbreak which resulted in a significant number of passengers
being unable to travel, THAI has offered to accommodate passengers who were subject to flight
cancellations or travel restrictions by extending the validity of their air tickets or converting their air
tickets into travel vouchers equivalent in value to the amount paid for their original booking or
refunding the air ticket without any fee or surcharge.
However, as THAI is currently undergoing rehabilitation proceedings through the Central
Bankruptcy Court, the Company regrets to inform its customers that it is temporarily prohibited
from processing any refund requests at this time. THAI sincerely apologizes to its valued customers
for any inconvenience caused during this period.
Notwithstanding this, THAI remains committed to extending the utmost attention and care to all
customers who have pending ticket refund requests. Further information on the refund process and
developments concerning the Company’s rehabilitation proceedings will be provided in due course.

As the deadline for the visa amnesty draws closer, conflicting whispers are emerging from Immigration offices around the country.

The amnesty, extended back in April, will expire at the end of this month (July 31).

Immigration spokesperson Col. Phakkhaphong Saiubon is quoted as saying that there’s a need to “clear out people” as the situation of global pandemic “starts to wind down”. The spokesperson’s reading of the international Covid-19 situation appears to ignore the latest figures which indicate an acceleration of the global numbers and recently “low risk” areas firing up with “second waves” of infections.

The government issued a general amnesty which gave automatic extensions of stays earlier this year, and then extended again in April, after crowds of foreigners were queueing up at immigration offices around the country. The amnesty allowed foreigners whose visas expired between March 26 to July 31 to stay in the Kingdom without applying in person for an extension at immigration offices.

“There most likely will not be an extension. It’s all quiet on that front. It’s been a long time and we need to clear out people. Thailand and the Thai government are already generous. No other country has this long of a visa amnesty.”

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand now says the proposed “travel bubble” scheme, which could have allowed limited numbers of tourist arrivals from designated “low risk” countries, may have to be “postponed indefinitely”, after its 3 target partners – China, Japan and South Korea – experienced new outbreaks of Covid-19.

On Tuesday, the CAAT’s director-general told reporters he expected Thailand to start exchanging tourists in August with countries that had controlled their coronavirus epidemics as Thailand has. But while negotiations have begun, new outbreaks in Beijing, Tokyo and outside Seoul now mean “we probably will have to postpone indefinitely.”