Can this new 45 day VOA be extended in the same way you could the old 30 day VOA? 

 

 

**Holders of British/Irish passports, as well as 54 other nationalities entitled to 30-day visa exemption, can go to Thailand for tourism purpose for up to 45 days without visa. Proof of air tickets that the applicant will not overstay and health insurance are required for COE application.**

Yes, the idea is that it is identical to the previous 30-day visa exempt entry, but with 15 days added to compensate for the lost days through Quarantine.

9 hours ago, BritTim said:

Yes, the idea is that it is identical to the previous 30-day visa exempt entry, but with 15 days added to compensate for the lost days through Quarantine.

 

Oh okay. So you would get the 30 days extension at Chaengwhattana, right? 

 

Thank you, Tim! 

 

 

5 minutes ago, neillyweilly said:

Oh okay. So you would get the 30 days extension at Chaengwhattana, right? 

It would be done at the Muang Thong Thani temporary office if you are staying in Bangkok.

14 hours ago, BritTim said:

Yes, the idea is that it is identical to the previous 30-day visa exempt entry, but with 15 days added to compensate for the lost days through Quarantine.

I just entered today with a 60-day TR visa and was not given 75-days but the expected 60. Is this only for VOA?

1 minute ago, cpillow said:

I just entered today with a 60-day TR visa and was not given 75-days but the expected 60. Is this only for VOA?

 

No, it's only for visa exempt (which is not VOA which is suspended at the moment).

17 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

No, it's only for visa exempt (which is not VOA which is suspended at the moment).

I wondered how long it would take someone to correct him lol

7 minutes ago, jimn said:

I wondered how long it would take someone to correct him lol

 

But I did it nicely and answered his question at the same time ????

What is visa exempt?

 

Sorry, I know voa and other visa for tourist etc, but what is visa exempt?

3 minutes ago, twix38 said:

What is visa exempt?

 

Sorry, I know voa and other visa for tourist etc, but what is visa exempt?

Visa exempt is when you can enter, for free, without a visa.  It applies to a number of passport holders (UK, EU, USA, Australia etc.).

 

Visa on Arrival is for a fairly limited number of passport holders who have to pay for a visa when they arrive at the airport (if they haven't got one from their home country).

10 minutes ago, twix38 said:

What is visa exempt?

 

The entry given to 50+ nationalities (was 30 days, currently 45 days) for free without requiring a visa - commonly mistermed on here and other places Visa on Arrival (VOA). It can be extended for a further 30 days.

 

VOA is totally different, it's an actual visa, paid on arrival, which grants entry for 15 days for a range of nationalities. 

 

Edited February 12, 20215 yr by Salerno

Thanks guys

So as I'm uk citizen I get visa exempt on arrival if I just turn up.

In normal times assuming it goes back to 30 days, Can I book a flight for a stay of 60 days? Because I would aim to extend for 30 days at immigration. 

5 minutes ago, twix38 said:

So as I'm uk citizen I get visa exempt on arrival if I just turn up.

 

Correct.

 

6 minutes ago, twix38 said:

In normal times assuming it goes back to 30 days, Can I book a flight for a stay of 60 days?

 

You can but depending how risk averse you are you may want to also consider obtaining a fake or throwaway ticket out (to a nearby country) within the 30 days. The fact you have the option to extend is not taken into consideration and you have a risk, small that it may be, of being denied boarding on your initial flight.

Thanks

What do most people do?

If they buy a throwaway ticket, I don't get why. Rules slow you can extend in country to 60 days so at airport you should be able to tell them to check the rules as you will extend in country so why any need for a throwaway ticket?

4 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Thanks

What do most people do?

If they buy a throwaway ticket, I don't get why. Rules slow you can extend in country to 60 days so at airport you should be able to tell them to check the rules as you will extend in country so why any need for a throwaway ticket?

Rules are that you can request a 30 day extension.  There is no guarantee it will be granted, although refusals are probably very rare.

 

10 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Rules slow you can extend in country to 60 days so at airport you should be able to tell them to check the rules as you will extend in country so why any need for a throwaway ticket?

 

It's an argument that has gone on since the dawn of time (well ... not that long) but see one reason provided above by ThaiDown.

 

 

I see.

I'd be tempted to book a ticket with return date within 60 days and if asked at Heathrow tell them I will be extending my stay at Thai immigration.

 

Do people do this?

 

If Heathrow did stop me flying this way then what's to stop me booking a throwaway ticket online on the spot in that situation to comply? Why would I deliberately want to buy a pointless ticket before I see given need it?

 

 

16 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Thanks

What do most people do?

If they buy a throwaway ticket, I don't get why. Rules slow you can extend in country to 60 days so at airport you should be able to tell them to check the rules as you will extend in country so why any need for a throwaway ticket?

It is not about immigration. They don't care about the onward ticket.

It is the airline that would stop you boarding without onward flight.

Can you extend beyond that with the pandemic as an excuse? how is that done?

I see.

I'd be tempted to book a ticket with return date within 60 days and if asked at Heathrow tell them I will be extending my stay at Thai immigration.

 

Do people do this?

 

If Heathrow did stop me flying this way then what's to stop me booking a throwaway ticket online on the spot in that situation to comply? Why would I deliberately want to buy a pointless ticket before I finds out if I even need it?

If the issue was that I might be refused entry at Thai Immigration then I see the rationale for not being allowed to fly but afaik that's not the case as Thai immigration would admit me. Surely then Heathrow should be able to assume I am law abiding and if I was not the risk is mine as is any penalty within Thailand.

 

 

Just now, dadann said:

Can you extend beyond that with the pandemic as an excuse? how is that done?

 

Yes, go to immigration with the correct paperwork, sign an affadavit, pay your money.

Exactly drjack54

Then there's no rationale for airline to refuse my travel with an up to 60 day flight duration ticket because Thai immigration will let me in and then it's my risk etc

2 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Exactly drjack54

Then there's no rationale for airline to refuse my travel with an up to 60 day flight duration ticket because Thai immigration will let me in and then it's my risk etc

Your so missing the point. Problem is that your using logic. Big mistake.

The airline have their own rules. 

6 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Then there's no rationale for airline to refuse my travel with an up to 60 day flight duration ticket because Thai immigration will let me in and then it's my risk etc

 

Except it's not only your risk. If for some reason you got some jobsworth at immigration and they refused you entry (highly unlikely but not impossible, think of the number of people getting refused before Covid on trumped up charges of arriving visa exempt too often etc.) the airline is duty bound to repatriate you. They're not willing to let someone fly without the correct documentation and be liable.

Edited February 12, 20215 yr by Salerno

I have a friend here now on the 45 day visa exemption. He was denied boarding by Qatar airways since his return ticket was not within 30 days..

He kept telling them the visa exempt is now 45 days in thailand, but they would not listen. Even after calls to management. He was forced to buy a new return on the spot or loose the flight, quarantine bookings++ 

That's harsh!

Also heres some numbers about the risk of denied boarding in my experience:

I counted through my old passports a while ago and i had 121 entry stamps in Thailand. 95% of those entries has been on one-way tickets. (work related)

I have been stopped twice at airline check-in. Once with Thai airways in heathrow when i actually had a Non-O visa and they let me through.

Another time was in Oslo with Qatar airways when i had no visa. I was then forced to buy a cheap ticket from Thailand to Singapore to keep them happy..

53 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Rules slow you can extend in country to 60 days so at airport you should be able to tell them to check the rules as you will extend in country so why any need for a throwaway ticket?

They are not rules, all extensions are at the discretion of the officer as far as I know - they are not guaranteed. An airline cannot know if an extension will be granted or not so may ask for proof of onward travel.

Majortom

Why didn't he just buy a cheap throwaway ticket online as is being recommended. That would have given him a departure within airline required timeframe

5 hours ago, Salerno said:

But I did it nicely and answered his question at the same time 

Even TVF has off days ????