Hello all,  I am 70 y/o and having some serious pain in my back that requires surgery.  Severe pain so in my eyes it is pretty urgent.  I'm in Bangkok now on a 60 day Covid Visa that expires in a few weeks.  I am thinking of using Vejthani Hospital because they have a spine surgeon with extensive training in USA and at Stanford and Cornell.  I have no clue on how hospitals do a visa for you or how it works. Do I have to do it from outside Thailand?  Can I do the consult with the doctor and then if he concurs (2nd opinion at Vejthani) that I need surgery then do they send me to the hospital Visa office to start the process?  Would they do a visa for a spine surgery? I would think since I am going to pay a lot of money for their surgery that they would be happy to help with the visa.  I think my spine care will be lengthy so I'll need a long tem visa.  Thanks all in advance!  ☺

You can apply for a extension of stay based upon medical care with supporting documents from the hospital and/or a doctor. The extension can be issued up to 90 days dependent on the length of medical care you will be having.

The extension can be applied for with any type of visa entry or a existing extension of stay.

 

If possible, have the hospital apply for the extension on your behalf. The hospital will typically only do this once you have been admitted. If you turn up to Immigration just with a doctor's letter, you may get a very sceptical reaction. Requests made in person for medical extensions are refused more often than not, even if you can make a good case that you are unfit to travel.

I think some hospitals will organise  it for  you or be very helpful. So discuss it with your medical team. Your issue  is very common.

Consider an agent.

Thanks everyone for all the good info and tips!!  I appreciate your help so much!