For 3 Month Extension Of Type O

[brahmburgers]

I'm another of the retired over-49'ers. My current type-O non-imm 1 year visa expires on April 21. I'm prepared to exit and return to Thailand. My question: in order to gain the additional 3 month extension, do I need to return before the 21st, or can I simply do a border run on the 21st to qualify? thanks in advance for resonses.

[Totster]

As long as you enter Thailand before the visa expires then you will get 90 days. I've always thought that you can use the visa on the day of expiry up till midnight, after which it becomes the next day (obviously ) and the visa has expired.

totster

[LivinLOS]

Go a day early.. Imagine some minor problem on the visa run day that buggers your plan and means you miss the 3 months.. Somchais Law..

A buddy of mine was doing it fine like this and had a bad day.. As he wanted to max each available day he screwed himself out of his 3 months..

[lopburi3]

The visa normally says "valid until" not "valid through" or "valid until the end of" so to be safe do it a day early. I have had an immigration officer point this out to me so they are aware of it.

[brahmburgers]

thanks, I'll go a day early - to be on the safe side.

Two years ago, I had a similar situation, but when I got to the border, I realized my passport was missing from my pocket. It had fallen out, never to be found. It was right before Songkran, so it took me nearly 3 weeks and major hassles and expense to and fro a far-away town in order to straighten things out. I also lost 6 months of my 12 month visa. When I asked about retrieving my type-O visa also, the authority in Bangkok chuckled and said, 'no way'.

[Maestro]

The last one I had – a single-entry non-O visa in October 2006 – said “This visa must be utilized before <date>”

That’s why it would be difficult to argue with an Immigration officer who says that a visa is not valid for entry on April 21 when it says that it must be utilized before April 21, even if we all know that the intention of the issuing consulate was that it should still be valid for entry on April 21 and Immigration officers in fact usually allow this.

--

Maestro

[ChokChaiChas]

The visa normally says "valid until" not "valid through" or "valid until the end of" so to be safe do it a day early. I have had an immigration officer point this out to me so they are aware of it.

In my current passport I have 3 terms on Thai visas:

"Must be utilized before."

"Must be utilized on the date of its issuance"

"Date of expiry"

Re-entry permits show "valid until" and "length of stay until".

Entry stamps are "admitted until"

Extension stamps are "stay permitted up to"

"Utilised before" is quite explicit I would have thought. But it was explained, I clearly recall, that I could enter no later than that day.

Just thought I'd share that.

[lopburi3]

The last one I had – a single-entry non-O visa in October 2006 – said “This visa must be utilized before <date>”

That’s why it would be difficult to argue with an Immigration officer who says that a visa is not valid for entry on April 21 when it says that it must be utilized before April 21, even if we all know that the intention of the issuing consulate was that it should still be valid for entry on April 21 and Immigration officers in fact usually allow this.

--

Maestro

"before" it is. Should have checked visas first. But that is even more descriptive that the previous day should be the last valid day to use.

[ChokChaiChas]

I'm another of the retired over-49'ers. My current type-O non-imm 1 year visa expires on April 21. I'm prepared to exit and return to Thailand. My question: in order to gain the additional 3 month extension, do I need to return before the 21st, or can I simply do a border run on the 21st to qualify? thanks in advance for resonses.

Polite query. If your visa expires on 21 April it implies it was issued on 22 April which was a Saturday, which would be unusual unless the back room boys work Saturdays.

[visarunner]

I'm another of the retired over-49'ers. My current type-O non-imm 1 year visa expires on April 21. I'm prepared to exit and return to Thailand. My question: in order to gain the additional 3 month extension, do I need to return before the 21st, or can I simply do a border run on the 21st to qualify? thanks in advance for resonses.

Polite query. If your visa expires on 21 April it implies it was issued on 22 April which was a Saturday, which would be unusual unless the back room boys work Saturdays.

British visas will be issued on a 21.4.06 and expire 21.4.07.

American Visas will be issued on 22.4.06 and expire 21.4.07 .

The OP will be OK to go on the last day and is still entitled for 90days , but it's better not to take any chance and go on the day before the visa expire.

ChokChaiChas', obvious you try to add yr comment every where, but if you are not firm on Immigration issues please leave the final verdict to Lopburi3.

Edited April 6, 2007 by visarunner