The temporary immigration office at the Central Investigation Bureau, inside its compound at Muang Thong Thani, will reopen on Monday 13th July under orders from the bureau chief Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang.

The update comes as many wait on news on the visa amnesty which expires at the end of July.

The temporary facility will ease crowding at Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road where the Immigration Bureau’s Division 1 is based.

90 Day Reporting, Alien’s Residing Report (TM38) and Tourist Visa Extensions (30-day stamp) will be moved to the building in Muang Thong Thani from July 13.

The temporary office will ease congestion and allow social distancing in queues to control the spread of COVID-19.

It first opened in March but closed when the government introduced the visa amnesty for foreigners stranded in Thailand due to travel bans around the world caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

A 58-year-old man from Guinea has been arrested for allegedly raping a teenage girl at a motel in the Phya Thai area of Bangkok earlier this week.

Mamady Keita was picked up outside a McDonald’s in Bang Rak after a 17-year-old girl filed a report with police she’d been sexually assaulted and robbed by an African man.

An investigation uncovered that Keita works as a ruby trader in the Silom area often going by the name “Michael”. He was tracked using CCTV footage to the fast-food restaurant where he was arrested.

His victim alleges she was approached and asked for direction before small talk led to the exchange of phone numbers and chat app details.

Keita later contacted the teenager offering her a job and a new smartphone.

A meeting was set to discuss the proposal and the pair went to a motel paid for by money allegedly stolen from the victims purse.

Thai media report similar allegation have been made in the past with the suspect matching the description of the attacker.

Keita now faces charges of abducting an individual over 15 but under 18 years old, rape and theft.

The Immigration Bureau has launched a new website design improving usability with a more simplified layout in both Thai and English.

The new layout comes with news, announcements and links for online services such as TM47 and TM30 reporting plus information on the QR code appointment booking system.

The updated website is still lacking when it comes to English language in graphics and text even when switching from Thai.

A handy map is now available of all immigration centres across the country making it easier for tourists to locate the nearest bureau.