Overstay

[chutai]

I have a 3 month non immigrant 'O' visa when I come over to the LOS next month. But It expires 4 days before my departure. Is it best to get a new visitors visa either from immigration or even crossing the border over to ,e.g. Laos or just to pay the overstay at the airport ? I suggested the latter option to the issuing Thai consulate but he sternly warned me of the dangers in doing that.

Cheers

[sniffdog]

That question can only be answered by yourself. No one else here can.

You can either take the risk you won't get caught in these four days (there is a minimal risk) and pay your overstay at the airport or you take the safe way and do a border run to get 30 days.

[Sophon]

I have a 3 month non immigrant 'O' visa when I come over to the LOS next month. But It expires 4 days before my departure. Is it best to get a new visitors visa either from immigration or even crossing the border over to ,e.g. Laos or just to pay the overstay at the airport ? I suggested the latter option to the issuing Thai consulate but he sternly warned me of the dangers in doing that.

Cheers

Personally I would avoid the overstay at all cost, even though it presently doesn't seem to cause future problems. Who knows when that might change.

You can likely get a 7 day extension (at a cost of 1,900 baht) at an immigration office in Thailand by showing your departure ticket. Failing that I would do a quick border run and get a 30 day visa exempt entry to cover the rest of your stay.

Sophon

[chaamguy]

You can get a 30 day extension at any Immigration office in Thailand for 1,900 baht.

The overstay would cost you 2,000 baht so, you're on a winner!

[Carib]

A 30 day extension at any imm office in thailand????

[Sophon]

You can get a 30 day extension at any Immigration office in Thailand for 1,900 baht.

The overstay would cost you 2,000 baht so, you're on a winner!

30 day extensions are only for tourist visas. On a non O the most he can hope for is a 7 day extension.

Sophon

[ubonjoe]

I have a 3 month non immigrant 'O' visa when I come over to the LOS next month. But It expires 4 days before my departure. Is it best to get a new visitors visa either from immigration or even crossing the border over to ,e.g. Laos or just to pay the overstay at the airport ? I suggested the latter option to the issuing Thai consulate but he sternly warned me of the dangers in doing that.

Cheers

You say the visa expires. Do you mean the visa or your 90 day permit to stay.

The visa expiration date does not not matter if you are in the country already.

If it's your permit to stay then you can get a 7 day extension at immigration.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. 7 day max.

[jeebusjones]

I thought if you were flying out you could overstay one day free of charge? That means the overstay charge would be 1,500 baht, and the 7 day extension would be 1,900. I'd say 400 extra baht is worth the peace of mind.

[Mario2008]

I thought if you were flying out you could overstay one day free of charge? That means the overstay charge would be 1,500 baht, and the 7 day extension would be 1,900. I'd say 400 extra baht is worth the peace of mind.

Only if you fly out on the first day of overstay, otherwise they will also charge the overstay of the first day.

[opalhort]

I have a 3 month non immigrant 'O' visa when I come over to the LOS next month. But It expires 4 days before my departure. Is it best to get a new visitors visa either from immigration or even crossing the border over to ,e.g. Laos or just to pay the overstay at the airport ? I suggested the latter option to the issuing Thai consulate but he sternly warned me of the dangers in doing that.

Cheers

The way I understand the post, the OP has already a visa but he/she will arrive only next month. So an entry to Thailand within the validity of the visa will give the OP 90 days of stay. Where is the problem?

The validity (enter before) date only applies to the date the person can enter Thailand. On a Non -O visa a person can stay in Thailand for 90 days even if he/she enters the country one day before the date on the visa.

opalhort

[Maestro]

I have a 3 month non immigrant 'O' visa when I come over to the LOS next month. But It expires 4 days before my departure…

You say that the non-O visa you currently have in your passport will no longer be valid on the date of your arrival in Thailand and therefore you have the following choices:

1. Travel to Thailand without a valid visa. The airline may want to sea a confirmed onward flight out of Thailand within 30 days from your arrival. Upon arrival, you get permission to stay for 30 days and if you want to stay longer you can apply at an immigration office for a seven-day extension of stay or travel to a nearby country and get a tourist visa from a Thai consulate.

2. Get a tourist visa before you fly to Thailand.

3. Get a new non-O visa before you travel to Thailand.

--

Maestro

[sjaak327]

A bit hard to understand, does it expire 4 days before departure from Thailand, or to Thailand, if it is the latter, then your visa is void, and cannot be used to enter Thailand. If it is the former, then it depends on how long you plan on staying, as opalhort pointed out, the visa validity is of no consequence as long as you enter before the visa validity. So if you are going to stay less then 90 days, you are fine.

[chutai]

You say that the non-O visa you currently have in your passport will no longer be valid on the date of your arrival in Thailand and therefore you have the following choices

Sorry if my post wasn't clear. I have (or at least am waiting for my passport back with one) a non immigrant 'O' beginning on my arrival in Thailand in December. It expires in March 09 - four days before my departure.

All those that have advised at least going to the immigration office and getting a 7 day (?) extension on my visa for the peace of mind - cheers.

[opalhort]

You are still not very clear.

What is your scheduled day of arrival in Thailand and what is your scheduled day of departure from Thailand?

If your stay in Thailand will be more than 90 days than you will have to find a way to extend your permit to stay or do a border run as others advised above.

opalhort

[Maestro]

Chutai, so you don’t have your visa yet. You are confused about the difference between visa and permission to stay:

The visa expiration date is shown on the visa. Depending on the alien’s nationality, visas can be issued for any number of entries, from as little as one entry to as many as multiple (unlimited) entries, for the same purpose of travel.

• This generally means the visa is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel for the same purpose, when the visa is issued for multiple entry.

• This time period from the visa issuance date to visa expiration date as shown on the visa, is called visa validity. If you travel frequently as a tourist for example, with a multiple entry visa, you do not have to apply for a new visa each time you want to travel to Thailand.

• The visa validity is the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port-of-entry in Thailand to request permission of the immigration officer to permit you to enter Thailand. The visa does not guarantee entry to Thailand.

• The Expiration Date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand, given to you by the immigration officer at port-of-entry. The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand for any given visit.

• Each time you arrive at the port-of-entry, an immigration officer decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter Thailand.

Source: www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/content/visaxpiredate.html

--

Maestro

[chutai]

Chutai, so you don’t have your visa yet. You are confused about the difference between visa and permission to stay

Every year I get a 3 month visa (non immigrant type 'O' : cost £45) it's just that this year I exceed the 90 day period of that visa. The reason that I don't have my passport stamped and back is because I only applied last week. I really don't understand the confusion ? My only question was what best to do when that expires during March. As some have recommended (as indeed did the consulate in Birmingham) that I either get an extension from the immigration department or go over one of the borders rather than risk a overstay. That's it really. Cheers

[sniffdog]

You see you gave the answer yourself.

[Lite Beer]

Go to Immigration armed with your ticket and get a 7 day extension. 1,900 Baht.