Visa run from Vietnam with an active visa granted

[saaviog]

Hello,

 

I have a question.

 

I am in Vietnam now and in over a month I am going to Thailand for 60 days. I already have an approved 60 day tourist e-visa for Thailand.

 

I also need to do a visa run to extend my stay in Vietnam first. I already have the flights booked and everything to go to Thailand for this, where I could enter on a visa exemption (Canadian passport).

 

My problem is, I am concerned that during this visa run, they will somehow activate my 60 day e-visa that I want to use at a later date.

 

Is this possible? If so, what can be done?

 

Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

I can't think of anyway your visa could be used unless you used it to enter Thailand.

[CMBob]

I don't know but won't the evisa show up when Thai immigration swipes the OP's passport upon entry?

 

[Caldera]

35 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I don't know but won't the evisa show up when Thai immigration swipes the OP's passport upon entry?

 

Yes. With a valid eVisa, you will not be able to enter visa exempt.

[ubonjoe]

35 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I don't know but won't the evisa show up when Thai immigration swipes the OP's passport upon entry?

 

Normally not

Not sure but it appears that the OP will be doing his border hop from Vietnam to another country than here.

[CMBob]

I believe the OP said he was going to do a border hop from Vietnam to get another time period there and he was coming to Thailand to do that; however, on that "border hop" to Thailand, he is hoping to get a visa exemption rather than use his 60-day evisa which he wants to use on a subsequent entry into Thailand.  Again, I don't know but I'd think that when they swipe his passport at immigration on his first entry (the border hop), I'd think his evisa would show up (presuming the Thai immigration computers issuing evisas is communicating with the Thai immigration entry computers....which I'd guess is a sure thing).  As to whether the OP can then successfully ask the immigration officer to simply give him an exempt stamp (versus using the evisa), heck if I know (but I somewhat doubt it).  Anyway, good luck OP....and report back here once you do your border hop to Thailand.

[problemfarang]

5 minutes ago, CMBob said:

I believe the OP said he was going to do a border hop from Vietnam to get another time period there and he was coming to Thailand to do that; however, on that "border hop" to Thailand, he is hoping to get a visa exemption rather than use his 60-day evisa which he wants to use on a subsequent entry into Thailand.  Again, I don't know but I'd think that when they swipe his passport at immigration on his first entry (the border hop), I'd think his evisa would show up (presuming the Thai immigration computers issuing evisas is communicating with the Thai immigration entry computers....which I'd guess is a sure thing).  As to whether the OP can then successfully ask the immigration officer to simply give him an exempt stamp (versus using the evisa), heck if I know (but I somewhat doubt it).  Anyway, good luck OP....and report back here once you do your border hop to Thailand.

So is there such a thing to 'freeze' your visa and use exempt visa?? That would be cool. Imagine people get a visa but never use it till the expire date but keep using exemp visas.. 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

So is there such a thing to 'freeze' your visa and use exempt visa?? That would be cool. Imagine people get a visa but never use it till the expire date but keep using exemp visas.. 

If he enters and immigration insists that the visa be used he could get a single re-entry permit before leaving Thailand to keep the remainder of the 60 days valid when he enters Thailand again.

[johnbarpic]

All visa all borders are visible at immigration points in every country from bungalow bungalow to Timbuktu even in the Africa dumps I’ve visited believe me they know there connected to interpol and inter flora just in case ????????

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If he enters and immigration insists that the visa be used he could get a single re-entry permit before leaving Thailand to keep the remainder of the 60 days valid when he enters Thailand again.

That's all fair enough and I understand that. 

 

However, isn't the e-visa issued by the Ministry for Foreign affairs by an Embassy using e-mail? And we have to present that to get into the country on arrival right? If OP doesn't present it, then surely Immi won't have any record of it? Same as when they turn people away who have been granted visas but Immi rejects them - it's like they have no direct connection with each other.

 

Maybe I've missed something or haven't understood the relationship between MFA and Immi, but I am puzzled and interested in how you see it ... ????

 

[CanadaSam]

I thought that extensions of stay in Vietnam are fairly easy to get, for a (small) price?

[Mad mick]

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I can't think of anyway your visa could be used unless you used it to enter Thailand.

Agree only way would be what said above may have to use or go Thailand. I have been Vietnam 3 months lm over monthly visa runs expensive  to do .. going back Philippines easy to extend visas internally just go local immigration done and dusted stat on tourist visas up to 3 years .

[alex8912]

I know your Canadian as mentioned and maybe that's why. You were nervous about something ?  But why on earth did you apply for a Thailand visa sooo early?  I can see 2 weeks before or so but by doing this you screwed up your short term visa run to Thailand. 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Too bad the OP didn't think to go to Cambodia for the border hop. There are regular border runs in hired limos. Return the same day for 1 million VND/US$40, was one fare I saw on an expat site. 

 

Quote

I thought that extensions of stay in Vietnam are fairly easy to get, for a (small) price?

No 30-day Tourist visa extensions allowed in-country. If some agent does offer this -- have never seen this published on the expat sites --  it would cost a small fortune and I would not count on getting back into VN.