Hi, I'm on a tourist visa, visa exemption now, and I went to the temporary immigration office in Bangkok (the one behind IMPACT center) this morning. A police woman told me they don't do 30 days extensions (form TR7) without a letter from your embassy. She told me if I wanted to stay maybe I should look into an education Visa.

 

Wrote an email to my embassy but I'm sure they're not gonna be helpful at all (as usual).

My question is: I've been offered a volunteer visa 3+12 months for 60k baht. Do you guys have any other cheaper/better alternatives to stay longer?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Major embassies are indeed issuing such letters - many doing online.  

60K baht is a massive chunk of change - you could do so much with that locally, if only you could travel.

60K for a volounteer visa, sounds suspect if you ask me. Not even to good to be true. 

Paying $2000 to volunteer sounds bonkers to me.

One quick google search gave this 

 

https://chiangmaibuddy.com/1-year-non-o-volunteer-visa/

 

suspect if you ask me

1 minute ago, SteveK said:

Paying $2000 to volunteer sounds bonkers to me.

Trust me, I don't want to pay that much either, but what other option do I have if i want to stay?

Just now, mareo said:

Trust me, I don't want to pay that much either, but what other option do I have if i want to stay?

Tell me why you want to stay and we can talk about options.

Had you extended your visa before or was this your first time?

OP> When you did not already apply for such a regular 30-day extension earlier, there should be NO reason for rejecting your application.

You are eligible to such extension when you entered Thailand Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa and did not already use it earlier.

There is a well-documented report from someone successfully doing exactly same thing you tried.  And with his 30-day extension of stay approved at MTT, he then went to CW to successfully apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa, from which during the last month he can then apply for a 1-year extension of stay based on that Non Imm O Visa.

 

The point is also that you could indeed apply with an Embassy letter for the 'special extension of stay'.  But that special extension of stay is NOT meant to be used as a spring-board for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa or other long-stay option you want to do later, as it is only provided as a temporary legitimate permission to stay when you are not able to leave the country.

So unless IO confirms that they would be willing to accept your application for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa from such Embassy letter supported special extension of stay, it would not help and maybe even hinder your plans for long-stay.

 

Since you are on a Visa Exempt / Tourist Visa you could in principle apply at ANY IO in Thailand for the 30-days extension of stay. So it is just a matter of finding an IO that would be willing to accept your application for the 30-days extension of stay your Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry entitles you to.  After having received the 'valid' permission to stay from that IO, you can then apply at CW for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa from that valid permission to stay (you would of course have to meet the requirements for such application).

Note: It is possible that the IO where you would apply for your regular 30-day extension of stay, might want your address.  In that case - if they are willing to do it, but insist on the address - it would be simply a matter of checking in at a Hotel the night before and ask Hotel-staff for the TM-30 notification they are supposed to make when a foreigner is staying at their premisses. 

 

2 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Tell me why you want to stay and we can talk about options.

Don't wanna go through 3 airports, 2 planes and a train and risk infecting my family. The situation with covid in my country is one of the worst. Plus, I have friends here and I'd like to stay more time. I would do a visa run, but as we already know, it's not possible.

 

Just now, JacksSmirkingRevenge said:

Had you extended your visa before or was this your first time?

Nope, plain and simple Tourist visa, no extension stamps yet.

3 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

OP> When you did not already apply for such a regular 30-day extension earlier, there should be NO reason for rejecting your application.

You are eligible to such extension when you entered Thailand Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa and did not already use it earlier.

There is a well-documented report from someone successfully doing exactly same thing you tried.  And with his 30-day extension of stay approved at MTT, he then went to CW to successfully apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa, from which during the last month he can then apply for a 1-year extension of stay based on that Non Imm O Visa.

 

The point is also that you could indeed apply with an Embassy letter for the 'special extension of stay'.  But that special extension of stay is NOT meant to be used as a spring-board for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa or other long-stay option you want to do later, as it is only provided as a temporary legitimate permission to stay when you are not able to leave the country.

So unless IO confirms that they would be willing to accept your application for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa from such Embassy letter supported special extension of stay, it would not help and maybe even hinder your plans for long-stay.

 

Since you are on a Visa Exempt / Tourist Visa you could in principle apply at ANY IO in Thailand for the 30-days extension of stay. So it is just a matter of finding an IO that would be willing to accept your application for the 30-days extension of stay your Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa entry entitles you to.  After having received the 'valid' permission to stay from that IO, you can then apply at CW for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa from that valid permission to stay (you would of course have to meet the requirements for such application).

Note: It is possible that the IO where you would apply for your regular 30-day extension of stay, might want your address.  In that case - if they are willing to do it, but insist on the address - it would be simply a matter of checking in at a Hotel the night before and ask Hotel-staff for the TM-30 notification they are supposed to make when a foreigner is staying at their premisses. 

 

Thank you, I appreciate the info.

OP, your age? 50+

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, your age? 50+

Nope, 30+

1 minute ago, mareo said:

Thank you, I appreciate the info.

 

4 minutes ago, mareo said:

...

Nope, plain and simple Tourist visa, no extension stamps yet.

You just confirmed that this would be your very first extension of stay from your initial Visa Exempt entry, so there is NO reason why your IO would not accept your application.

Easiest would be simply going back, and when you get the same Can't Do answer to politely request talking to the officer in charge.

And in case they are adamant and will not accept your application, you could then go looking for an IO that would handle your application (most will do it, as it is regular practice).

>> Re the 90-day Non Imm O Visa, would you apply for reason of retirement (+50 years of age) or for reason of being married to a Thai national, or for any other reason?

 

1 minute ago, mareo said:

Nope, 30+

Same as me. Get married, convert to a non-O then do a one-year marriage extension.

 

If you can't find someone who will marry you here, then you may as well just quit. 

3 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Same as me. Get married, convert to a non-O then do a one-year marriage extension.

 

If you can't find someone who will marry you here, then you may as well just quit. 

I'd rather pay 60k a month than to get married (not just here, anywhere).

But thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

9 minutes ago, mareo said:

I'd rather pay 60k a month than to get married (not just here, anywhere).

But thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

You're smarter than me then 555.

2 minutes ago, SteveK said:

You're smarter than me then 555.

No, thats what we call a really life changing experience, a bad one, or two maybe more

1 hour ago, SteveK said:

Paying $2000 to volunteer sounds bonkers to me.

Either that or go home...if they can.

53 minutes ago, mareo said:

 

 

Nope, plain and simple Tourist visa, no extension stamps yet.

Can you give some more details on the process that led to your refusal? Did you fill in the form? What did you write in the reason for extension? Did you pay the 1900 baht?

5 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

Can you give some more details on the process that led to your refusal? Did you fill in the form? What did you write in the reason for extension? Did you pay the 1900 baht?

I had everything in my hands: passport, copies of the passport, picture of myself, the form already filled and the money.

 

They were taking a break from 12.00 to 13.00, so I was waiting outside the room. (the whole building was pretty empty).

 

A police woman came out of that room, saw me sitting and asked me if I was waiting for something. I showed her the documents and she told me I needed a letter from my embassy, otherwise they don't give extensions anymore. After explaining a bit the situation and seeing that it was gonna get me nowhere, got out of there without paying.

1 minute ago, edwardandtubs said:

There's no such thing as a 12-month volunteering visa. It sounds like your friend already had a non immigrant visa and got a 12-month extension. Actually he overpaid for that because the standard price is 40,000. What the OP is talking about is the initial visa (20,000) + the extension (40,000) for a total of 15 months.

You are right. Do you think it's a fair price? or should I look for something cheaper?

 

Thanks!

3 minutes ago, mareo said:

I had everything in my hands: passport, copies of the passport, picture of myself, the form already filled and the money.

 

They were taking a break from 12.00 to 13.00, so I was waiting outside the room. (the whole building was pretty empty).

 

A police woman came out of that room, saw me sitting and asked me if I was waiting for something. I showed her the documents and she told me I needed a letter from my embassy, otherwise they don't give extensions anymore. After explaining a bit the situation and seeing that it was gonna get me nowhere, got out of there without paying.

Well that puts you experience in a totally different light then. It could be that this woman just didn't really know what she was talking about. 

1 minute ago, mareo said:

You are right. Do you think it's a fair price? or should I look for something cheaper?

 

Thanks!

I haven't seen anything cheaper in Bangkok. You can get it for 55k in Pattaya if you pay the whole lot upfront.

1 minute ago, edwardandtubs said:

I haven't seen anything cheaper in Bangkok. You can get it for 55k in Pattaya if you pay the whole lot upfront.

Any more details? I'm going to Pattaya this weekend. Maybe I can do it there. Thanks.

7 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

There's no such thing as a 12-month volunteering visa. It sounds like your friend already had a non immigrant visa and got a 12-month extension. Actually he overpaid for that because the standard price is 40,000. What the OP is talking about is the initial visa (20,000) + the extension (40,000) for a total of 15 months.

I'm not familiar with visa path for volunteering. 

He entered Thailand on METV then on amnesty. 

He is 48 so couldn't use agent for non o RT. He mentioned 12 months. I'm assuming he perhaps obtained non o (3 months) along with extension. 

This info was via email and I was just asking name of agent for few people that PMed me on thaivisa. Key Visa is the company. 49k. 

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I'm not familiar with visa path for volunteering. 

He entered Thailand on METV then on amnesty. 

He is 48 so couldn't use agent for non o RT. He mentioned 12 months. I'm assuming he perhaps obtained non o (3 months) along with extension. 

This info was via email and I was just asking name of agent for few people that PMed me on thaivisa. Key Visa is the company.

Ok it's another friend of a friend story. There are lots of those circulating at the moment but they're not very helpful.

Just now, edwardandtubs said:

Ok it's another friend of a friend story. There are lots of those circulating at the moment but they're not very helpful.

Stop being an #ss. Ring Key Visa yourself.

I have already given the contact details to help 3 people that sent me PM.

 

My embassy just confirmed they're not gonna give me any letter.