MTH

I assume you've already looked into the possibility of applying for a tourist visa while you're away working outside of Thailand. As that would be the most obvious solution.

You could try supplying a letter to the consul next time you apply for a tourist visa. However now having a read stamp in your passport, might be to your disadvantage. I'd suggest looking into getting a new passport during your next leave out of Thailand. Then you'd be good to apply for a few tourist visas again. I've probably had 5 passports in the last 10 years, as they've either been getting close to full or contained too many visas and/or entry stamps.

If all above fails, you could book a cheap return flight 30 days after your next arrival, Air Asia and other low cost airlines have very cheap flights if booked 4 weeks or more in advance. Then take that flight to a neighboring country and return for an additional 30 days. Lastly do a land border crossing to tie you up for the final 10 days of stay. Quite cumbersome I know, but if everything else fails, that's better than not being able to stay here on your leave.

( I have had the coolant(50-50) and thermostat changed twice and new hoses installed )... Was the system flushed and radiator blockages checked they can get clogged or blocked. ??

The previous owner had this radiator installed at the time of the 'reconditioned' engine install.

Two interesting points here.

If the radiator has been replaced, it could possibly have been replaced with one of a smaller capacity, and therefore being under-dimensioned for your engine.

Also you mention having changed the thermostat twice. You should be able to buy a thermostat that opens up fully at a lower temperature. I don't remember the range on top of my head, but it's usually something like 68 to 72 degrees Celsius. So why not look into getting a thermostat that opens up at the bottom of the range, somewhere around 68 degrees. You might currently have one that opens at a higher temperature.

Stay at least a day or 2 and fly back.

I'd say that's a personal preference, if the OP is looking for the cheapest possible trip, then no need to stay for a day or two.

Just make sure you have enough time for turnaround at the airport of choice, before heading back to Thailand again.

^ As Terry says, If you want to stay an additional 7 months, your best bet would be to renew your ED visa.

The only other suggestion I can think of, would be to get a double entry tourist visa from Laos or Vietnam.

However a double entry tourist visa will only give you a maximum of 6 moths stay.

For your last month of stay, you would then have to do two land border crossings for an additional 15 days each, fly in for 30 days of stay, (or get a single entry tourist visa).

Triple entry tourist visas are difficult to impossible to get in the region, and even if you would get one, it'll most likely only be valid for 3 months.

So you would still only be able to get a maximum 6 months stay out of it.

MTH, have You heard of anyone getting a double entry from Vietnam? and if so was it in Hanoi or Saigon?

Sorry Denny, not heard anything personally. Thought I'd seen some reports here, but after some research, the ones from Vietnam seems to be only single entry.

So for nearby countries, it looks like Laos is the only place at the moment, for a double entry.

Why search and read 5 year old posts?

Here is my experience earlier this year in Pattaya.

True Move Inter Sim with the 00600 prefix is great if you can do it for 1 Baht/min.

However looking up Malta, it will be 5 Baht/min to fixed lines, and 18 Baht/min to mobile, so maybe there are better options for the OP.

Stopped by Lotus south on the way home tonight, needed some milk, butter and yoghurt.

None to be found. Could of course be that they were restocking the shelves, as it was almost closing time?

So a quick run to Makro, that had a healthy stock of above mentioned produce.

Chang and Singh soda water is still not to be found in either of these places, they do have Schweppes though.

And very limited supply of canned mackerel in tomato sauce, a favorite of mine for the breakfast sandwich.

^ As Terry says, If you want to stay an additional 7 months, your best bet would be to renew your ED visa.

The only other suggestion I can think of, would be to get a double entry tourist visa from Laos or Vietnam.

However a double entry tourist visa will only give you a maximum of 6 moths stay.

For your last month of stay, you would then have to do two land border crossings for an additional 15 days each, fly in for 30 days of stay, (or get a single entry tourist visa).

Triple entry tourist visas are difficult to impossible to get in the region, and even if you would get one, it'll most likely only be valid for 3 months.

So you would still only be able to get a maximum 6 months stay out of it.

You will get 30 days if you fly in. At a land border crossing you will only receive 15 days.

Check the low cost airlines, such as Air Asia, Tiger,… to see if they have anything reasonable.

Unfortunately, usually their cheapest fares are booked more than 1 month in advance.

Bring the car along if it's 7 years or older, as you then need to test it there as well. Otherwise just the blue book is enough.

I read somewhere a few days ago that the LTD at Regents no longer does the vehicle inspections.

Interesting, hadn't heard anything about that. Last time I was there doing an inspection was June this year, so it's been a few months.

If that's true, then another option close to the OP, is to head out from Pattaya Klang, turn left on Sukhumvit nortbound.

Just after soi 34 there is a shop that does the testing and takes care of insurance and taxes. Here is a link to the location.

Guess it's the same shop that timekeeper mentions.

Supposedly there are more shops like this around, they all have a yellow cog on the sign, but this is the only one that I know the location of.

Downside with these subshops is that you have to hand in the paperwork one day and then come back a day or two later for pickup.

Just go to Department of Land Transportation Banglamung.

Bring the car along if it’s 7 years or older, as you then need to test it there as well. Otherwise just the blue book is enough.

Basic insurance is bought just to the right inside the entrance. With a receipt of insurance, head over to the desk on the left side opposite from the entrance.

They will give you a number to one of the tellers, that will receive payment for road tax and issue you with the tax sticker.

The problem here is the confusion between 'permission to stay' and 'visa validity'.

'Permission to stay' is what will be stamped in the passport by an immigration officer, when entering Thailand at a border crossing.

'Visa validity' is stamped on the actual visa as an "Enter Before" date.

Tourist Visas are 'valid' for 3 (or sometimes 6) months, each entry on a 'valid' visa will grant 'permission to stay' for 60 days.

The 'permission to stay' can be extended for an additional 30 days at an immigration office in Thailand.

a double entry mean exactly that_arrive get 60 days======when finish go border run another 60 days will then be given -not sure of the charge for this- it is difficult to understand---i got a double entry in the uk b4 flying out--------------information poor from immigration.............i am staying in buriram-----visa expires 11th december then i will have to go to chon chom surin/cambodia border...............believe this information correct if not i would also appreciate more help.

Look in your passport, there are two dates that are important, the "Enter before" date stamped ON your tourist visa, and your current permitted date of stay, stamped in your passport by the immigration officer, when you arrived in Thailand. If you post these two dates, you can get some recommendations on what to do.

A tourist visa usually have a validity of 3 months from the day it was issued. If your tourist visa is about to expire, then it probably doesn't make sense to get an extension of stay from immigration, you will just do a border run to Chong Jom as planned. However if it is your permitted date of stay, that is the 11th Dec, and your tourist visa is still valid, then it might be worth getting a few extra weeks, or maybe close to a month, by first doing an extension at a local immigration office.

This is incorrect.

The clock starts ticking from the moment you get yr visa/Passport stamped at Suvarnabhumi. (Not from the moment it is issued in your home country. That would make no sense. This "Use before SuchandSuch a date" is on all visas of all types. It is merely giving you three months from the date of issue to actually make it to LoS.

Think you need to re-read my post again.

Thank you all for the great information .

The visa says ENTER BEFORE 8 DEC 2011

So to summarize ,i have entered the kingdom in 23 September and my 1st visa is valid until 21 November.

I will take an extension of 30 days in immigration office for 1900 baht until 20 December .

But I will have to go to the border before 8 December to be eligible for the second 60 days until 5 February .

Then i will take another extension to the immigration office for 30 more days so i can stay until 4-5 March .!!!.

Am i correct ?

Sorry for the inconvenience guys but i am little confused ,maybe its from the sang som too, .

Cheers.

Sorry, but I think this is incorrect.

The ENTER BEFORE DEC 8TH applies to your entering the Kingdom for the FIRST TIME. That is, you have until Dec 8 from the time of issue to enter LoS.

So, you get yr extension of 30 days from Dec 20 (to Jan 20). Now leave, and re-enter for 2 months, to March 20, and then go to Imm for one month extension....finally leave LoS on April 20.

I believe this is correct.

No you’ve got it wrong, what ventix states above is correct. The “Enter Before” date is the validity of the visa and any entries has to be utilized before that date.

a double entry mean exactly that_arrive get 60 days======when finish go border run another 60 days will then be given -not sure of the charge for this- it is difficult to understand---i got a double entry in the uk b4 flying out--------------information poor from immigration.............i am staying in buriram-----visa expires 11th december then i will have to go to chon chom surin/cambodia border...............believe this information correct if not i would also appreciate more help.

Look in your passport, there are two dates that are important, the “Enter before” date stamped ON your tourist visa, and your current permitted date of stay, stamped in your passport by the immigration officer, when you arrived in Thailand. If you post these two dates, you can get some recommendations on what to do.

A tourist visa usually have a validity of 3 months from the day it was issued. If your tourist visa is about to expire, then it probably doesn’t make sense to get an extension of stay from immigration, you will just do a border run to Chong Jom as planned. However if it is your permitted date of stay, that is the 11th Dec, and your tourist visa is still valid, then it might be worth getting a few extra weeks, or maybe close to a month, by first doing an extension at a local immigration office.

There is no 7 day extension of stay - that is an under review period for an extension application that is refused. It allows longer stay but it can not be used to justify longer than 30 day visa exempt entry without onward travel documents by airline.

Agree! Stating it as a 7 day extension of stay was to misrepresent it. However with the OP having a confirmed flight out 5 days later. I’ve never heard of, or been in the situation that the immigration officer would deny you an additional 7 (or in this case 5) days of stay.

The fine is 500 baht per day for overstay, a maximum of 20000 baht.

If I were you I would listen to what Lopburi 3 said, "You have time to obtain a visa. As said airline may not allow travel without or a ticket out within 30 days and the 7 days would cost more than the visa. Expect you could obtain with a quick drive to the windy city or by Express Mail from any of the many Consulates you will find in a Google search in plenty of time (or even use a visa service)." No matter what people have told you on this post about how not to worry that they have done it in the past and it's not a problem, you can search other previous posts where the airline did not let them board the aircraft and their vacation was screwed! You don't want to take the chance and get to the airport and not be allowed to get on the airplane. If you do not want to use the postal service direct, there are services on the internet that can and will handle everything for you via Fed Ex. Don't take the chance, get the tourist visa.

As you have a return ticket within 35 days of your arrival, you will (should) not have any problems with the airlines leaving for Thailand.

Don't worry about boarding at your departure airport or upon arrival at SVB.

I've flown into Bangkok perhaps 20 or 30 times over the last few years and have not been queried at the departure airport and certainly never at the immigration desk at the airport.

Its not advisable, but you could always pay the fine upon exit for the 5 day overstay. I think its 1000 THB per day. I've done this once for 2 days, it was pretty painless, you get a smallish stamp in the passport, but this has never been an issue on subsequent visits.

Simon

As I previously stated, there shouldn't be any problems doing what the OP has planned. I put 'should' within parentheses are there are never any guaranties. Of course having a tourist visa would negate any possible issues with the airline. However I understand having your passport in limbo somewhere between your home and a consulate is quite nerve-racking, with your departure date approaching. As a piece of mind calling up the airline and inquire about their policy would be suggested, but as the OP has a return ticket within 35 days of departure, I don't see any airline denying him to board a flight.

You can do by exit/return at any border or take a flight out and return. Both will get a new 60 day stay if visa valid. You can also visit immigration to extend stay 30 days without leaving but will cost 1,900 baht.

You can extend by up to 30 day's as you say but some office's will only give you anything from 7 day's for 1,900bt up to them. It's all in the new rule package. So you could be unlucky if you pick the wrong one.

Lots of misinformation on this thread.

First - go to the local immigration and get a 30 day extension (1900 baht as previously quoted). They will NOT give you 7 days, as you have a visa.

After 30 days, hop across the nearest border and get a new 60 days. When that is about to expire, go back to immigration for a further 30 day extension.

The visa you have is good for 6 months, make the most of it!

15 days at a land border is only for those who do not have a visa, and was designed to discourage those with no visa living here indefinitely, by doing border runs every 30 days.

The 7 days mentioned above is also for those with no visa, as an emergency measure.

Lopburi is the man when it comes to visas, his reply was a bit brief, but I am sure he will concur with me.

Lots of misinformation??? Looks like you spotted the only misinformation in the quote above your post.

However you add to it by stating that a tourist visa is valid for 6 months. That’s not a certainty, there are quite a few embassies/consulates that will only issue tourist visas with a 3 month validity. So if the OP would do as you state, and get an extension at a local immigration office, he might be SOL when he later does a border crossing, and realizes that his tourist visa has expired…

OP:

1. Yes

2. No

3. 99.9%

attrayant, you shouldn’t have to be concerned about getting a second tourist visa in Vietnam.

What you hear about the “clamp down on back-to-back” tourist visas is currently related to two or more tourist visas.

No need to worry! You will get an additional 60 days at any border, as long as your visa is still valid.

Whoever told you differently would either not understand that you have a valid visa, or don’t know what they’re talking about.

As you have a return ticket within 35 days of your arrival, you will (should) not have any problems with the airlines leaving for Thailand.

When you arrive in Thailand, you will receive a 30 day visa exempt stay at the airport. At the end of that 30 day period, head on down to immigration, Jomtien soi 5, as you're staying in Pattaya.

There you will (should) get an additional 7 days extension of stay, well covering your 35 days intended stay in Thailand.

So no need to worry.

Yes today they both seem to go to Ban Pakard. It's not that long ago they all went to Ban Laem.

I remember driving to Ban Pakard in 2004, then it was as you say, nothing more than a few mud huts and maybe one or two other falangs crossing the border.

It was a very nice addition to Aranyapratet, think the Ban Pakard border crossing opened late 2003.

You don't need to remember the specials, Cherry's has them online.

From their photos it looks like all-u-can-eat buffet. Is it?

Yes, the international buffet on Wednesdays is all you can eat.

I haven't tried all the different specials of the week. However on the days I've been, all except the set dinner menu on Sundays, are all you can eat.

And they also include an all you eat salad bar every day.

AFAIK Pong Nam Ron/Ban Pakard (Prum) is the crossing of choice at the moment.

Didn't use 5 star last time, as their bus was full, so went with 1st Class instead. However the 5 star bus was at the Ban Pakard boarder too.

This was early July this year. Haven't been more recently.

You don’t need to remember the specials, Cherry’s has them online.