The government approved a plan on Wednesday to allow all foreigners who entered legally to receive automatic visa extensions, to prevent long queues at immigration centres and slow the spread of the coronavirus, a senior immigration official told Reuters.

Thailand has closed its borders and banned entry to foreigners, except diplomats and work-permit holders to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

Those foreigners who entered the country before the ban was imposed - who had visas, received visas on arrival or under visa waiver programmes - will not need to line up at often crowded immigration centres around the country to extend their stay.

The automatic visa extension has been granted until April 30, according to an interior ministry document. 

“The person whose visas has expired from 26th of March 2020 will be automatically extended to 30th of April 2020. There is no need to apply for a visa extension at Immigration Office for this period and will not be fined THB 500 per day for this case,” the announcement on https://immigration.go.th/content/visa_auto_extension said. 

“Aliens who are due for 90 days reports between 26th of March 2020 and 30th of April 2020 are temporarily exempted from reporting in this period until further notice.”

Last week the government allowed migrant workers with expiring work permits to stay in the country, without the need to apply for extensions, until Thailand reopens its borders.