Transcript of the above video:

Long-term viewers of this channel will probably be aware this is a very different format and background from what I usually do my videos on. Look I have got the flu and unfortunately if you saw some of the videos I have been trying to do this week, I was barely able to get through what limited few I did because just standing up to do the videos, which is the way I prefer to do them, I was not able to do that but I do want to get the information out, so the show must go on as they say and that's why I am doing it this way for now. Hopefully next week I will be back to normal, back to 100% and I can do things the way I prefer to do them. 

That said, getting into this, I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Phuket News, that is thephuketnews.com, the article is titled: Foreigners in Phuket can now apply for 'visa extensions' online. Quoting further: "Foreigners in Phuket staying in Thailand on one of any 12 types of visas will be allowed to apply for extensions to stay via an online portal, Pol. Lt Gen Itthiphon Itthisanronnachai, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, announced in Phuket yesterday (December 25)." Quoting further: "After his inspection at Phuket airport, Lt Gen Itthiphon joined an event at the main Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket town, where he revealed that online applications for so-called 'visa extensions' (extensions to stay) will be available for foreigners staying on 12 types of visas. According to a post online by Phuket Immigration yesterday, Lt Gen Itthiphon explained that "in addition to increased service potential, such as Visa extensions for tourists, the Immigration Bureau has created the E-Extension Visa project, which provides visa extension services via the internet for tourists, who can submit documents and make an appointment before bringing your passport in to receive a stamp granting permission to extend your Visa." Quoting further: "However, Phuket Immigration has yet to announce any details of the 'E-Extension' service available for foreigners in Phuket, or post a notice announcing the new service on the Phuket Immigration's website."

So the thing I would take away from this video is that for now this is early days, so while it is probably good news in the long-term for certain folks, first of all it doesn't apply to everybody and I will get into that in other videos made contemporaneously with this one the visa categories specifically that aren't covered, but this is primarily for Tourists and short stayers who are looking for a short extension. This is not, at least as of the time of this video a program designed particularly to deal with the longer-term type visas here in Thailand. So for folks out there who are dealing with longer stay visas - Business Visas, O Marriage Visas, Retirement Visas - doesn't pertain to that just yet, as I will get into all that in another video. That said, yes it is a possibility for tourists so I would say overall this is probably a good thing for tourism in Thailand. 

That said I am sure there are going to be some hiccups along the road to getting this thing implemented so we will certainly keep you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.