Visa expiration, is it hard to renew if it expires?

[azt219]

Hi all

 

I have a marriage visa which I have renewed once before.

 

This year its due to expire on Jan 3rd, but I've stupidly booked my flight for Jan 11th returning to Thailand Jan 15th for business.

 

So basically I can't renew otherwise I won't have my passport for 30 days.

 

I was planning on not renewing, then perhaps move my flight so I leave the country around Jan 3rd then come back in on a tourist visa, and whilst in the country try and renew my marriage visa again.

 

Will this work? 

 

Also is there any way I don't move my flight and try and leave Jan 11th instead? Is there any leeway about the visa expiring? I know previously they give you like 14 days to get it done post expiration so technically I'd have until Jan 17th but I'm not sure if that's just my brains wishful thinking clouding my memory

[Sheryl]

You have not been renewing your visa, that long ago expired.

 

You have been getting extensions of stay.

 

And these can be applied for as much as a month before expiration (longer in a few places). Which is what you should have done.

 

As it is now already the 21st, best suggestion I can give is to go to immigration NOW, and move your flight back a few weeks.

 

Otherwise you will be on 8 days overstay when you depart.

 

 

[Celsius]

35 minutes ago, azt219 said:

I know previously they give you like 14 days to get it done post expiration so technically I'd have until Jan 17th

 

There was never any grace period in the history of Thailand for overstaying. What ever you do don't overstay even 1 single day (I do think you get 24 hour to leave past your visa expiration).

 

Perhaps you are referring to 14 day reporting requirement? 

[ubonjoe]

You could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife if you have not had one since your last entry with a visa.

[FriendlyFarang]

1 hour ago, azt219 said:

This year its due to expire on Jan 3rd, but I've stupidly booked my flight for Jan 11th returning to Thailand Jan 15th for business.

 

So basically I can't renew otherwise I won't have my passport for 30 days.

They don't keep your passport.

You apply for the extension before the 3rd, then you will get 30 day under consideration stamped in your passport.

Then you apply for a re-entry permit, and can just fly out on the 11th, come back on the 15th, and when the 30 days are over you get your final extension stamp.

[sometimewoodworker]

18 hours ago, Sheryl said:

And these can be applied for as much as a month before expiration (longer in a few places). Which is what you should have done.

 

As it is now already the 21st, best suggestion I can give is to go to immigration NOW, and move your flight back a few weeks.

 

Otherwise you will be on 8 days overstay when you depart.

Sorry @Sheryl you are incorrect on a number of points. 
 

There is no need to change the flight, and the OP will not be on overstay.

The OP can get a reentry permit for the under consideration period.

 

So go to immigration renew the extension and get an under consideration stamp that will be around January 22nd get a reentry permit that will be the same as the consideration stamp return as planned on January 17 about 5 days before the under consideration period ends. No problem no fuss.

 

FWIW my last entry into Thailand was 27 days after my extension finished, I got a permitted to stay of 3 days I then went to immigration and got my extension stamped as usual, I had a reentry permit for the under consideration period

If the OP has an under consideration stamp and leaves after his extension expires but before the UC stamp does he is NOT on overstay 

[brianthainess]

So is this an EXTENSION you have or a VISA ?

[DrJack54]

OP, the suggestions of obtaining your extension and using a reentry permit for your short trip out of Thailand during the under consideration period would work.

 

Obtaining a 60 day extension to visit wife is (imo) best option. 

You would still need to buy reentry permit for this option.

[jimn]

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

You have not been renewing your visa, that long ago expired.

 

You have been getting extensions of stay.

 

And these can be applied for as much as a month before expiration (longer in a few places). Which is what you should have done.

 

As it is now already the 21st, best suggestion I can give is to go to immigration NOW, and move your flight back a few weeks.

 

Otherwise you will be on 8 days overstay when you depart.

 

 

Some poor advice here. Best stick to answering on medical issues. He just needs to apply for 60 days to visit family and get a re entry permit before he departs.

Or apply for the extension and get a re entry permit for the 30 day under consideration period for if he leaves.

[Xonax]

Just go to Immigration 30 days before your current extension is to expire Jan 3rd. Then you will get your new extension well in advance before your flight. Don't forget to get a re-entry permission before leaving, or your visa will expire upon leaving.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, Xonax said:

Just go to Immigration 30 days before your current extension is to expire Jan 3rd. Then you will get your new extension well in advance before your flight. Don't forget to get a re-entry permission before leaving, or your visa will expire upon leaving.

Bit late to apply for extension 30 days prior to Jan 3. It's already Dec 22.

 

[foreverlomsak]

19 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

They don't keep your passport.

They don't if you apply direct to Immigration, but if you go through an agent.........

[sometimewoodworker]

4 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Just go to Immigration 30 days before your current extension is to expire Jan 3rd. Then you will get your new extension well in advance before your flight. Don't forget to get a re-entry permission before leaving, or your visa will expire upon leaving.

You clearly do not understand the way that marriage extensions work.

 

You never get an extension the day you apply. There is always an under consideration period that varies between a usual minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 75 days, the time is dependant on the office that you apply to (always your home office) and the policies they have.

 

The only partly correct advice is needing to get a reentry permit before leaving if you have a permission to stay that you want to maintain. 
 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

10 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

They don't if you apply direct to Immigration, but if you go through an agent.........

AFIK however you apply immigration never holds your passport.
 

If you use an agent the agent is very likely to be the one to illegally hold your passport, however few care because the use of agents is borderline illegal anyway. 
 

Some agents for some purposes are completely legal, others for other purposes are using bribes to expedite or get a service in a way that is not lawful, so holding a passport is a minor infraction.

[nigelforbes]

22 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Just go to Immigration 30 days before your current extension is to expire Jan 3rd. Then you will get your new extension well in advance before your flight. Don't forget to get a re-entry permission before leaving, or your visa will expire upon leaving.

That's not the way it works with marriage extensions. Mine expires 17 December, if I initiate the extension process 30 days before, my application is held "under consideration", until 16 January. No matter what date I begin the process my extension will not be confirmed until 30 days after the expiration date of the previous extension, 16 January. As it was I started the process this year on 10 November but I still don't get my extension stamp until,,,,,,,,,16 January.

[Krabi King]

NEVER ! leave your passport anywhere. You are actually not allowed to as stated by your government. Not even immigration can ask you to leave it with them, unless you are being detained or some other legally serious situation.