BritTim

1) Immigration officials receive, often contradictory, guidelines all the time on how they should treat border bounces. Sometimes there is a national directive but, more often than not, the division senior officials are having their say. As I understand it, it is a really grey area. Any time someone is trying to get a visa exemption after being a long period in Thailand, it is often felt that airport immigration are in a better position to decide whether to give it to them. 2) My impression is that every region, and sometimes each individual land crossing, interprets the rules and guidelines they have been given differently. Also, the officials have a lot of discretion, and will sometimes exercise it to the benefit of those leaving if financially incentivised to do so. 3) In the case of the OP (extensions of stay from an original entry on a Non O-A visa) I do not think he can have the permission to stay cancelled by the immigration office in a way that would satisfy that land crossing. 4) Most of the instructions sent down to individual land crossings and immigration offices are not public. As I stated above, they are also often contradictory.

He should get the bank statements for the early part of the 12 months before leaving Thailand. The bank can give him statements for up to the last six months while he waits. If he is within Thailand and applies for the extension late, it will depend on his local immigration office how they will react. If he is lucky, and he is only a couple of days late, they will allow him to pay an overstay fine of 500 baht per day and process his extension otherwise in the normal way. It is also possible they will tell him his extension is dead and he must leave Thailand immediately by air. Very unlikely, but possible if the officials are seriously displeased, they can have him arrested for the overstay.

What you mention is another option. I was simply replying to a specific query about using a multiple entry visa instead.

If you are out of the country when your permission to stay expires, even if you return a day later, your extended permission to stay is dead. You need to work around this. Sometimes it is better to apply for a new Non O visa while outside Thailand rather than trying to fit your travel plans around when you need to apply for an extension and being around at the end of the under consideration period. Normal practice is to apply for the extension about 30 days before your current permission to stay ends (so there is plenty of time to react if there are unexpected new requirements) and plan to remain in Thailand until about 10 days after the end of the under consideration period (in case the approval is delayed at Division headquarters).

This is a better question than those responding to it seem to appreciate. The answer is that it depends. Some extensions cannot be cancelled and, if you have been a very long period in Thailand, you may not be able to leave through a land crossing. In other cases, leaving through a land crossing (without a re-entry permit) will be allowed only if your permission to stay has been cancelled at Immigration. Common examples are when your permission to stay based on working has ended because you have left the job, or when you have left your education course and had the permission to stay terminated for that reason.

Yes, leaving by air and returning visa exempt (explaining truthfully why you are doing this if asked by Immigration) will definitely be OK. This does not need to be a negative. Make a pleasant little holiday out of it.

The 30-day extension of a visa exempt entry has virtually never been denied. The fact that you have a flight booking is not a reason that will be used to justify the extremely unusual act of denying such an extension. You will be fine with the 30-day extension, but need to do some careful thinking and research if you hope to spend further time in Thailand after the current visa exempt entry and extension are up.

The decision by Thai immigration at the border was unexpected but, as others have suggested, probably to do with not wanting to provide a visa exemption after a long consecutive stay in Thailand. If it is convenient to travel to Mae Sai or Ranong, I do not think you will have a problem doing a border bounce there for a visa exempt entry. Alternatively, maybe just do it by air. How do you fancy a short holiday somewhere like Saigon or Penang?

Requirements vary between embassies/consulates for most categories of visa. It is generally pointless trying to speculate on the reasons for those differences. All you can do be be aware of the requirements, and react appropriately.

I am assuming you want to get a Non O visa based on being aged over age 50 (intended for retired people). Unlike a Non O visa based on having a Thai spouse, the Non O (retired) has financial requirements at all nearby embassies/consulates. An agent cannot help you avoid those requirements when you apply outside Thailand.

A multiple entry Non O visa when married to a Thai costs 5,000 baht in Savannakhet. This visa provides 90-day permission to stay each time you enter Thailand for 12 months after the visa is issued. That means you must do a border bounce every 90 days (or apply for an extension at Immigration). Commonly, the extension applied for is the 60-day extension to visit your Thai spouse.

Changing the reason for your permission to stay from working to marriage to a Thai is possible according to the rules. You need to make sure you have all the necessary documentation to apply for an extension based on marriage at the same time you are cancelling the extended permission to stay based on working.

They will accept money in the bank.

If you do not have time to apply at the Phnom Penh embassy, it will not be quicker using the e-visa system. That is apart from the fact that, as you apparently realise, applying while outside the UK is against the rules (and you might get caught).

If you are currently in Cambodia, and planning to request a visa exemption on your return to Thailand, it will generally be safer to enter by land than by air. However, avoid trying to enter at the Poipet/Aranyaprathet crossing.

If you live in the area services by Mae Sai, and you are currently in Thailand on a visa exempt entry, then it appears you are encountering officials who do not want to do their work. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about it. Although aggravating, a Non O from an embassy/consulate outside Thailand might be a practical solution.

There has been fighting near Myawaddy (Myanmar side of the border). At last report, border bounces were still being allowed, but it appears (based on your report) that this has now changed. Thank you for the update.

This thread has run its course, and is no longer providing any further information of value. CLOSED

In the past, the guideline that Vientiane used is that they will grant you up to two tourist visas issued by them visible in your current passport. Hopefully, they still use the same guideline. Assuming you make the trip, please provide feedback here on how it goes.

In this case, you are well advised to totally understand the process, and to use correct terminology (even if often the officials do not). You have an extension of your permission to stay based on working. You do not have a visa of any description. When your employment ceases, you are no longer entitled to your extended permission to stay on the basis of working, but can change the reason for your stay to be based on retirement (if you can meet the conditions for a retirement extension.

Normally, you should be fine. Based on the historical experience, if you have not had Thai tourist visas from Vientiane in the past, your application for a tourist visa there should be successful. Other consulates have become more restrictive about granting tourist visas, and it cannot be ruled out that Vientiane has new requirements that could cause you problems. Remember that you need an appointment to apply in Vientiane, and you often need to make an appointment quite far in advance.

The thread title indicates that he is talking about application for a visa. Further, when you are apply for an extension on the basis of retirement, you do not use terminology that is specific to a visa application. I am reluctant to curtail discussions, but may need to close this thread if there are continuing senseless attempts to justify inaccurate posts.

My own experience has been that you cannot pass security without a boarding pass. Occasionally, I have seen standby passengers airside, but only in special situations. The main one is where connecting passengers arrived too late to take their planned flights, and the airline is trying to fit them in on a later flight.

An under consideration period exists when you need a Non O visa before you can apply for the 12-month extensions. The under consideration period typically takes about a month and requires sign off at Division headquarters. The requirement to wait overnight to get your passport back when you apply for an extension is not an "under consideration" period. It is simply a wait for the senior official in Jomtien to rubber stamp the extension.

Application for a Non O visa at Immigration is taken under consideration. There is no under consideration period for a 12-month extension on the basis of retirement. However, if you apply in Jomtien, you will probably need to come back the next day to receive your passport with the approved extension stamp.