The Military Council’s Consulate Office in Chiang Mai announced on March 18 that Myanmar citizens residing in Thailand must submit recommendations from their ward administrators and police stations in Myanmar to obtain embassy endorsements for visa and stay permit extensions. Myanmar nationals seeking embassy endorsements in Chiang Mai must submit copies of recommendations from their respective wards and police stations in Myanmar, along with the original TM30 form showing their current address in Thailand, to receive embassy certification.
The Chiang Mai Consulate Office has declared that it will no longer process any endorsements except for tourist visas and visa extension recommendations. However, according to a source close to the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, the Bangkok office continues to provide endorsements for bank account openings and driver’s license applications, while also accepting black and white copies for documentation and not requiring ward and police station recommendations for extensions. The source confirmed these more lenient procedures at the Bangkok embassy.
The Military Council’s Consulate Office in Chiang Mai will only accept applications from Myanmar citizens who have long-term residence permits in Thailand for notary and various embassy endorsements. Applicants must submit color copies of all documents in addition to original translated documents for notary services. The office has set a processing time of three days for regular embassy endorsements and up to 14 days for notary signatures. These restrictions will be implemented starting March 19, according to the announcement from the Military Council’s Consulate Office in Chiang Mai.
A CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) officer residing in Bangkok analyzed that these strict regulations are deliberately targeting CDM staff and political activists who have fled to Thailand. He emphasized that requiring ward and police station recommendations from Yangon for foreign residence permits and visa extensions is an unreasonable approach, noting that it would be impossible for CDM staff and political activists to obtain such recommendations. This new policy appears to be a calculated move to create difficulties for those who have opposed the military council and sought refuge in Thailand.
