Visas Extensions

[JULIENGALAAD]

Hi

we have a French passport, arrived in Thailand the 3rd of December, we don't need a visa for the first month but we are staying until the 3rd of february (already purchased plane ticket Bangkok-Paris).

Before we left France the Thai ambassy told us that there was no problem we just needed to get a visa for the second month stay, now we just found that that the laws have recently changed.

Can you please tell us what is the best and easier way to extend our stay here in Thailand until the 3rd of February.

Thank you very much

G & J

[Lite Beer]

Hi

we have a French passport, arrived in Thailand the 3rd of December, we don't need a visa for the first month but we are staying until the 3rd of february (already purchased plane ticket Bangkok-Paris).

Before we left France the Thai ambassy told us that there was no problem we just needed to get a visa for the second month stay, now we just found that that the laws have recently changed.

Can you please tell us what is the best and easier way to extend our stay here in Thailand until the 3rd of February.

Thank you very much

G & J

You will need to go to a Thai Consulate in a neighbouring country and apply for a 60 day Tourist Visa. Cost 1,000 Baht.

OR do 3 border runs. OR fly to a neighbouring country and return by air to get another 30 days entry, you would then have to go to Immigration and get a 7 day extension.

So getting a Visa would be the easiest option.

[sunholidaysun1]

Hi

we have a French passport, arrived in Thailand the 3rd of December, we don't need a visa for the first month but we are staying until the 3rd of february (already purchased plane ticket Bangkok-Paris).

Before we left France the Thai ambassy told us that there was no problem we just needed to get a visa for the second month stay, now we just found that that the laws have recently changed.

Can you please tell us what is the best and easier way to extend our stay here in Thailand until the 3rd of February.

Thank you very much

G & J

You got a 30 day tourist visa on arrival at the airport ?

your tourist visa you have now permits you to stay in the country for 30 days ,including the day of arrival (3 Dec), meaning you will have to leave on the 1st January 09. Obviously with New year celebrations , no one wants to travel on that day to do a border run .

You could go to Immigration and get an extension but you need 34 days and I dont think they will give you that . I think the best thing to do is go to the Immigration office (where are you ?) and pay for an extension of 30 days - 1,900 bht . explain your situation that your leaving on the 3rd Feb. If they wont allow you the extra days , it means you have to go to the nearest border, cross into whatever country is nearest to you , then come back into Thailand. On arrival back into Thailand you will be given 15 days . But even though there is no charge to enter Thailand , there are charges made in entering other countries such as Myanmar, 500 bht. Laos 1,500 bht

If you get the 1 month extension and dont want to travel to a land border, then the remaining days outstanding means you will be on 'over-stay' and on departing Thailand , you will have to pay 500 bht per day , which will cost you 4 x 500 = 2000 bht .

[PoorSucker]

You got a 30 day tourist visa on arrival at the airport ?

your tourist visa you have now permits you to stay in the country for 30 days ,including the day of arrival (3 Dec), meaning you will have to leave on the 1st January 09. Obviously with New year celebrations , no one wants to travel on that day to do a border run .

You could go to Immigration and get an extension but you need 34 days and I dont think they will give you that . I think the best thing to do is go to the Immigration office (where are you ?) and pay for an extension of 30 days - 1,900 bht . explain your situation that your leaving on the 3rd Feb. If they wont allow you the extra days , it means you have to go to the nearest border, cross into whatever country is nearest to you , then come back into Thailand. On arrival back into Thailand you will be given 15 days . But even though there is no charge to enter Thailand , there are charges made in entering other countries such as Myanmar, 500 bht. Laos 1,500 bht

If you get the 1 month extension and dont want to travel to a land border, then the remaining days outstanding means you will be on 'over-stay' and on departing Thailand , you will have to pay 500 bht per day , which will cost you 4 x 500 = 2000 bht .

Items in red are wrong.

You are on a visa exempt stamp not a tourist visa.

You will only be able to get seven days at immigration.

The Thai consulate in France gave really bad advise.

Dec 31 to Jan 4th all immigration offices and consulates will be closed. (holidays+weekend).

You can get a seven days extension at immigration if you can show a plane ticket out of Thailand within seven days.

This depends on the immigration officer, he might request a ticket to France.

I think the best solution for you is to make a border run and get a 14 days stamp.

Then after the holidays you can fly to a another country and get your 30 days.

Another solution is to make the flight before Dec 1st and get the seven days extension at immigration at the end of your stay.

[Lite Beer]

Hi

we have a French passport, arrived in Thailand the 3rd of December, we don't need a visa for the first month but we are staying until the 3rd of february (already purchased plane ticket Bangkok-Paris).

Before we left France the Thai ambassy told us that there was no problem we just needed to get a visa for the second month stay, now we just found that that the laws have recently changed.

Can you please tell us what is the best and easier way to extend our stay here in Thailand until the 3rd of February.

Thank you very much

G & J

You got a 30 day tourist visa on arrival at the airport ?

your tourist visa you have now permits you to stay in the country for 30 days ,including the day of arrival (3 Dec), meaning you will have to leave on the 1st January 09. Obviously with New year celebrations , no one wants to travel on that day to do a border run .

You could go to Immigration and get an extension but you need 34 days and I dont think they will give you that . I think the best thing to do is go to the Immigration office (where are you ?) and pay for an extension of 30 days - 1,900 bht . explain your situation that your leaving on the 3rd Feb. If they wont allow you the extra days , it means you have to go to the nearest border, cross into whatever country is nearest to you , then come back into Thailand. On arrival back into Thailand you will be given 15 days . But even though there is no charge to enter Thailand , there are charges made in entering other countries such as Myanmar, 500 bht. Laos 1,500 bht

If you get the 1 month extension and dont want to travel to a land border, then the remaining days outstanding means you will be on 'over-stay' and on departing Thailand , you will have to pay 500 bht per day , which will cost you 4 x 500 = 2000 bht .

The OP got a 30 day Visa Exempt Stamp when arriving, not a Visa.

The most Immigration would give him would be 7 days.

Personally I would go to a Thai Consulate between now and 28th Dec. and get a Visa.

Whatever you choose to do will be a pain because of the New Year holidays.

[sunholidaysun1]

I stand corrected on the Visa Exempt , that IS what you get on arrival. As for the 30 day extension , I have personally applied for this and was given it. On a second occassion , I needed 10 days , I was also given that from Immigration in BKK. Every case , every face, is different., Just ask them first , if not then do as recommended above.

[ubonjoe]

I think the best thing to do is go to the Immigration office (where are you ?) and pay for an extension of 30 days - 1,900 bht . explain your situation that your leaving on the 3rd Feb.

Immigration will only give 7 day extensions on visa exempt entries.

Since your permit to stay will end during the holidays. And the fact that immigration and the consulates will be clsoed from Dec. 31 to the 4th of January.

I suggest you get an extension for 7 days at immigration (1900 baht).

Then do a price comparison of flying out to a nearby country and returning the same day to going overland to Vientiane Laos and getting a tourist visa. Or doing 2 border runs getting 14 days each entry.

Edit: You could make a trip to Vientiane Laos for a tourist visa this week but you don't have much time to decide since it takes until the next day to get the visa after applying. Next week the only day you could apply would be Monday and it will be very very busy that day.

Just checked the consulates in Malaysia will be closed for Christmas day.