ifonlyalabama

We just got 60 day visas in Penang. Dropped passports off at a travel agent in the morning...got it back at 3PM, same day.

Which travel agency did you use, please?

Thanks again for all this helpful advice.

For a start you can do as many 15 day border runs as you want.

You can also go to Penang or Vientiene and get a 60 day Tourist Visa. 1,000 Baht. This can be extended by your friends at Samui Immigration for a further 30 days for a fee of 1,900 Baht.

Many thanks, I'm glad to hear this. For the record though, the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok did advise that 2 border runs was now the maximum. I guess there is some confusion.

Best wishes,

xifonlyalabama

Hi,

Unfortunately I didn't get a visa before leaving the UK and came to Thailand on a 30 day visa exemption, under the belief that I could get it extended to 60 days at the immigration bureau here.

At the immigration bureau today they informed me that now only visa extensions of 7 days are possible. It is possible to do a visa run up to a maximum of twice, allowing a return of 15 days each time (no longer 30 days). I didn't get the 7 day extension as they advised that this would take up one of my two chances to get a 15 day entry if I did a border crossing.

My flight out of Bangkok to the UK is not until early March and as it stands, my current 30 day visa exemption expires on 7 Jan (or thereabouts) and even if I did 2 visa runs, I would still be required to leave by 5 Feb or so. I'd like to have the option to stay in Koh Phangan as long as possible.

I'd love any help figuring out

1) Do I need to leave a visa run until the last minute - i.e. the day before a visa expires, or on the actual day, to allow for the maximum time in Thailand?

2) Do I have any better options?! I am wondering whether to go to Vientienne to apply for 60 days. Does anyone know how long they take to process this in Vientienne?

3) If I max out my options for coming into the country (only 2 visa runs permitted), and then went - say - to Laos or India... would I still be able to come back in to take my flight from Bangkok? Would this mean I need to fly to Bangkok airport on the same day as my flight and shouldn't spend any time here?

Otherwise if anyone has heard anything else that could be helpful, I'd love to know.

Many thanks in advance.

x ifonlyalabama

I think ifonlyalabama has another problem! That is the immigration computer system will get you one day and then I think you will have a very high probability of going to the IDC while they sort out and investigate why you where allowed to leave and not pay the 20k to immigration. They can think in many way about what really happened!

Of course if you don't plan on coming bank to Thailand then just forget it!

BB

dam_n - that was my biggest worry.

I'm definitely going back to Thailand. Do you think there's any chance if I go to Thai embassy here (in Australia) and pay overstay fine or something, it could be okay?

I guess this is all unchartered territory...! It's good to know that your opinion is the computer system would catch it. I wondered if it would be automated or more manual entry, if you know what I mean.

Thanks everyone.

I'm so grateful for the swift replies. Thank you so much.

I was pretty anxious as my visa expired on 5 March!! So I hopped to it and booked flights to leave today, hoping that they would equate 5 March-5 May as being roughly 60 days (and not more). I couldn't go to the immigration office because it's a public holiday.

As it turns out I have now checked in and passed through immigration. The immigration desk stamped my departure card and didn't mention going to an overstay office. Did he mistake my 5 Mar for a 5 May??

I still have my departure card and have to go through hand luggage checks etc. At what stage do they take your departure card off you?

Have I just been incredibly lucky?? Or if I don't say anything, am I running the risk of REALLY pissing them off if they notice? Or could it be logged against me for future trips to Thailand?

Please help - I don't know what to do and time's short!!

Thanks and eternal gratitude!!!!

Badbanker thank you for your really useful information. The most disconcerting part to me was that you have seen people arrive at IDC with 20,000 baht and their airplane ticket in their hand. As this is basically what I'm planning to do after now overstaying for 2 months.

I've already been to the immigration centre with a letter saying that I was hospital for 1 month of that, but they had no time for it and said to pay the fine at the airport. (Then my overstay was compounded because the next country I am going to took another 3 weeks to give me a visa (usually takes 24 hours))

I understand to keep my head low and be humble and just pay the fine. My question is am I better to do this at the immigration office in bangkok before I go, or at the airport, do you know?

Many thanks in advance, I'm really anxious about it all!!