Muppet Question

[smellyskater]

I'm British, 29 and unmarried. I have been entering Thailand with 30 day visa on arrival stamp. I have the following dates of entry.

In the last 90 days from 3/12/08 (Date of this entry) (Or will this be from the date I try to get a new visa?)

6 month previous = 3/6/08

3/6/08 to 8/6/08 = 6 days

12/9/08 to 10/10/08 = 29 days

[Visa run to Cambodia]

10/10/08 – 30/10/08 = 20 days

Total 55 days

Using the 90 day system I have 35 days remaining to use.

However, I was given a new 'visa on entry' stamp on the 3^rd December with the exit date of 2^nd January.

I hope to leave Thailand 11^th Jan. So I am short either way – 7 with counting days or 9 with 'visa on entry' stamp(?). I think my options are:

A) Any kind of extension?

Go and get a tourist visa outside of Thailand – Laos?

C) 15 day boarder run as I've read the 90 day system no longer is active (?? This is the confusion??)

D) Go for a visa run and hope they are not in the counting mood!

I had previously tried to get a Tourist visa in London. Having tried to phone them and get details before hand I was unable to get through. So I called the Birmingham counterpart instead – They told me that they could issue the visa on the same day – I stupidly assumed that the London office would do the same. Nope! 2 day turn around so no tourist visa. Oops… then time to get on the plane!

Thank you for ay help

Ben

[QED]

In January they will only be looking at the last 6 months, so your 6 days in June will 'fall off' meaning you will be entitled to a visa exemption entry (not visa on arrival, this is different) of 11 days, which is what you need.

As for your questions:

a - you could get a 7 day extension at your local immigration (1,900 baht), and then just overstay for 2 days (1,000 baht fine when you leave)

b - you could get a tourist visa from Vientiane in Laos, but not really worth it for the length of time you need it for

c - the 90 day system is still in effect, so you will only get 11 days (see above)

d - possible, but not likely, errors are normally not in your favour.

[Maestro]

The “90 day system” has been scrapped. There is now no limitation on the number of visa-exempt days you can stay in Thailand. You can do visa-exempt border runs back-to back without having to count the days. Arriving by air you get permission to stay for 30 days on each entry, 15 days when arriving by land or sea.

--

Maestro

[PhilHarries]

Instead of coughing up the 1900 for the extension plus 1000 for the overstay you could look at doing a border run to say Poipet exiting into Cambodia (other options available) and returning on anther exemption stamp. Many outfits in BKK organise coaches for such border runs so it's just a matter of figuring out the costs versus the one day ordeal to the border and back.

Oh, and if you do the border run you will be immediately labelled an illegal worker, drug runner, sex tourist or other such "low life" by the ThaiVisa puritans who are so squeaky clean they make an operating theatre look like a garbage tip. But don't worry about it, to paraphrase an F1 driver you meet a better class of people on border runs.

[ubonjoe]

Make a visa run to Vientiane and get a tourist visa. It will work out a lot cheaper and less hastle than making border runs every 2 weeks. Or monthly flights out and back.

[smellyskater]

Oh, and if you do the border run you will be immediately labelled an illegal worker, drug runner, sex tourist or other such "low life" by the ThaiVisa puritans who are so squeaky clean they make an operating theatre look like a garbage tip. But don't worry about it, to paraphrase an F1 driver you meet a better class of people on border runs.

Tick all of the above! Long as no one tells the girlfriend about it!

Thanks for the replies, going with the 15 days boarder run this time and tourist visa upon my return next time.