I'm trying to plan a future trip, and I need to figure out what time of day/night Thai immigration people change the date stamp, to reflect the next day. Do they do it at like 11:59 PM?

My flight arrives at 11:30 PM... if I want a bit to get into the line, and am in the line like 40 minutes later, after midnight, will the immigration people have changed the date stamp, which would give me an extra day in Thailand? Or will I be "short changed", if they wait til like 6 AM the next morning to change it... just curious if anyone can shed light on this... thanks!

I have had them stamp the PREVIOUS DAY on many occasions when passing through immigration after midnight.

I tested this out. I landed at 11:20 and waited 40 mins untill after 12 midnight. I was hoping to get an extra day but i was stamped in on the previous day. They will look at your arrival card and find out what time your flight was scheduled to land, that will be how they caculate the date on the stamp. So even if your plane is late and you land after midnight, you will be stamped in the previous day.

For overstayers : Sign seen at BKK Airport on the 1 st Jan 2007

Overstay at the airport is calculated on the day of the departure-time of the flight on the ticket and not the time when passing immigration.

For overstayers : Sign seen at BKK Airport on the 1 st Jan 2007

Overstay at the airport is calculated on the day of the departure-time of the flight on the ticket and not the time when passing immigration.

Good info, but this thread isn't about overstay.

Actually this thread probably is about avoiding overstay and the information about using flight time (which I have also seen them use for arrival stamp time) is very welcome and appropriate.

This thread is more about a person trying to get the maximun number of days permitted in Thailand as he can. If by delaying their walk through immigration by afew mins untill midnight they could recieve an extra day of stay allowed, it would make sense for a person comming in on a 30 day visa exempt entry to do so (especially if that person plans to stay here for as long as possible)

This thread is more about a person trying to get the maximun number of days permitted in Thailand as he can. If by delaying their walk through immigration by afew mins untill midnight they could recieve an extra day of stay allowed, it would make sense for a person comming in on a 30 day visa exempt entry to do so (especially if that person plans to stay here for as long as possible)

its the OFFICIAL arival time of the flight=thats why they often want to see the boarding pass stub. Same for leaving (and thats the reason why 1 day overstay is not counted, as its just for those many people taking flights at 0.45 or 1.10 or so). the ONLY ''unclear thing'' is when a flight with arr at say 23.30 is very late and arr. at say 2.30= I dont know the answer.

Always arrive under this scenario - always when the flight arrives not when you cross passport control.

thanks for all the above info... i guess if i end up with a one day visa overstay, which i would prefer to avoid, i simply pay the "fine" for one day, which isn't that huge.

thanks for all the above info... i guess if i end up with a one day visa overstay, which i would prefer to avoid, i simply pay the "fine" for one day, which isn't that huge.

Why would you get 1 day overstay? You post is about entering Thailand, you only get overstay when you exit after the date you were allowed to stay untill.

Just leave before your stamp expires.......................

thanks for all the above info... i guess if i end up with a one day visa overstay, which i would prefer to avoid, i simply pay the "fine" for one day, which isn't that huge.

Why would you get 1 day overstay? You post is about entering Thailand, you only get overstay when you exit after the date you were allowed to stay untill.

Just leave before your stamp expires.......................

You are right, but I didn't mention that I already have an OUTWARD ticket from Thailand, which I can't change, cause it's an "award" ticket, and no other seats are available. So my date of ENTRY into Thailand would be relevant.

Bummer. Remember the day you enter and leave also counts as 1 day each, so really you get 28 full days inside Thailand on the visa exempt entry. A one day overstay isnt much, but it is overstay, maybe if you went to immigration while you were here and explained your situation they would give you and aditional day or so, its worth a shot, alot better than having the overstay note in your passport.

Edited January 30, 200719 yr by aussiestyle1983

Or simply get a regular, normal extension a few days before you leave. Mind you, for the cost and hassle involved with doing this maybe 1 day of overstaying's a better option...

thanks for all the above info... i guess if i end up with a one day visa overstay, which i would prefer to avoid, i simply pay the "fine" for one day, which isn't that huge.

At the old (Don Muang) airport there was a sign at the Immigrations counters for departures which stated that they waived the overstay fine for a one-day overstay, but that starting at day #2, the fine would apply. Not sure if that policy and sign carried over to Suvarnabhumi.

Two days ago (on 29Jan), I flew from Tokyo to Bangkok on a flight scheduled to arrive at 11:40pm. We were late and landed after midnight. I was at the Immigrations checkpoint at 12:15am (on 30Jan). The stamp in my passport shows 29Jan, which is consistent with what was stated above: it is the SCHEDULED date/time of your flight that is considered your official arrival (and departure) date.