Hi guys,

 

I'm sure this has been asked a hundred times on here but I searched and couldn't find any previous posts about it. I'm from USA and my Single Entry Tourist Visa was issued in early December and the visa itself says "Valid until Mar 5" on it. Not a stamp, but the actual visa itself reads that on the sticker and was printed that way. But I didn't actually leave USA and enter Thailand until January 24. When I entered they stamped my passport with "Entered January 24. Admitted until March 24".  I think I fully understand this but just want to confirm with others...

 

The March 5 date is now irrelevant, correct? I'm assuming that was just how long I had to actually enter the country and now that I entered by then, that date doesn't mean anything to me, right? The March 24 is the actual date I have to leave, and if I want to extend this visa another 30 days I have to visit Immigration on March 23 I imagine.

 

Is this correct?

 

Thank you

The 5th of March is only the last day that you can use the visa for entry. Once in the country it means nothing.

You can stay in the country until March 24.

You can apply for the 30 day extension early since the extension will start on March 24th. You can apply for the extension up to 2 weeks early at most immigration offices.

That is correct but you don't have to wait until the day before your visa expires to extend it for 30 days. You could go a week or two earlier if you want.

50 minutes ago, FarangConfused said:

if I want to extend this visa another 30 days I have to visit Immigration on March 23 I imagine.

It’s best to apply early. Regardless of how early you apply day 1 of the 30 day extension will be March 25th.

Thank you so much everybody. I appreciate all the responses and will definitely do it early!

20 hours ago, Mark1066 said:

but you don't have to wait until the day before your visa expires to extend it for 30 days.

The visa expires on March 5 and would have been invalid for further use after its first and only use to enter the country.

 

The permission to remain in the country can be extended, not the visa. Entering the country and remaining in the country are two different matters. The first requires a visa or a visa exempt entry or a re-entry permit. The latter requires a defined permission to stay or an extension of that permission to stay.

 

As the O/P is asking about the distinction between the validity of the visa and the time he can remain in the country, i.e. his permission to stay, it isn't helpful to refer to extending the visa. Visas cannot be extended.

This time I went a week ahead at Jomtien. Because they were so busy they told me to return the day before it expired. Because it was raining and flooding that day I wasn't sure I (and the baht buses) would make it. Two agents each had me make a copy of something I never needed before. Things are variable.

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

The visa expires on March 5 and would have been invalid for further use after its first and only use to enter the country.

 

The permission to remain in the country can be extended, not the visa. Entering the country and remaining in the country are two different matters. The first requires a visa or a visa exempt entry or a re-entry permit. The latter requires a defined permission to stay or an extension of that permission to stay.

 

As the O/P is asking about the distinction between the validity of the visa and the time he can remain in the country, i.e. his permission to stay, it isn't helpful to refer to extending the visa. Visas cannot be extended.

He referred to extending his visa, I was merely using the same language to make myself understood. I think we all know what it means; pedantry is not an attractive character trait.

 

(I actually told him he could do the extension earlier, which I think was helpful. Care to explain who you helped with your post?)

Edited February 17, 20188 yr by Mark1066

Once I made the mistake of waiting until the last day to go to immigration to extend my stay. The day happened to be some obscure federal holiday and immigration was closed. Oopsie, I went early the next day and the immigration person reported overstay. Big expensive headache. 

33 minutes ago, Grumpy Duck said:

Once I made the mistake of waiting until the last day to go to immigration to extend my stay. The day happened to be some obscure federal holiday and immigration was closed. Oopsie, I went early the next day and the immigration person reported overstay. Big expensive headache. 

That's strange. Officially you are allowed to apply for an extension on the first working day after your visa (or permission to stay for the pedants) expires (in the event it happens to occur on a weekend or holiday), without any overstay penalty. I've done it myself on a couple of occasions.

Edited February 17, 20188 yr by Mark1066

On 2/16/2018 at 9:43 PM, Mark1066 said:

He referred to extending his visa, I was merely using the same language to make myself understood. I think we all know what it means; pedantry is not an attractive character trait.

 

(I actually told him he could do the extension earlier, which I think was helpful. Care to explain who you helped with your post?)

This might be helpful as it concerns extending stay. I've seen posted advice that you must show an ongoing flight within your visa time limit. That would mean everyone planning to extend 30 days would have to spend hundreds of dollars changing their return ticket. In USA I make a notation on my e-ticket that shows an 89-day stay, that I intend to extend my stay. No problem. Got my Tourist visa and passport returned quickly.

   Clarify: when others posted about ongoing flights, they specifically said "If a single-entry tourist visa for 60 days, you must have an ongoing flight within 60 days". No qualifications made; no comments from others.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 20188 yr by Mac98
Add clarification.

On 2/17/2018 at 6:39 PM, Mark1066 said:

That's strange. Officially you are allowed to apply for an extension on the first working day after your visa (or permission to stay for the pedants) expires (in the event it happens to occur on a weekend or holiday), without any overstay penalty. I've done it myself on a couple of occasions.

I believe she was put off as I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  

When I re-entered Thailand from Cambodia the lady at immigration looked at my passport and after I explained the overstay remarked  that she was not a nice person or something of the sort