Tourist Visa And Visa Exemption/visa On Arrival

[universe2000]

I will fly to the US. I will apply for the free 60 day tourist visa in LA which needs to be used within 90 days. Upon return to Bangkok, I can ask the immigration officer to stamp me in with the 30 day 'Visa Exemption' stamp instead of using my 60 day tourist visa.

This provide me the opportunity to leave Thailand within 30 days and return using my 60 day tourist visa. Since Air Asia prices have dropped considerably, I want to do a short vacation in another country a few weeks after I return to Bangkok.

To save my 60 day tourist visa, can I just cover it up or tell the immigration officer not to stamp it. I will not put the visa number on the arrival card. I don't want to confuse him/her so I wonder if I can just cover it temporarily with a post it note so he/she doesn't stamp it.

[ubonjoe]

The last report of somebody that tried to use an exempt entry instead of his tourist visa was not good. Immigration would not let him do it.

He had to get a re-entry permit (1000 baht) from immigration to keep his 60 day entry good.

You have a choice of taking the chance or getting a 2 entry tourist visa.

LA will want to see a ticket out of the counrty when you apply for the visa. I suggest you use a honorary consulate to get your visa. They all give quick mail in service and will be easier to deal with.

Use the the pulldown menu at the top of this webpage for a list with contact info for the honorary consulates.

http://www.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

[universe2000]

Thanks for the link.

Too bad someone had a problem recently. I could just apply for the double visa since it doesn't cost any more. If that doesn't work, than I could just try to enter and see if they give me an exempt stamp. If not, I can travel to Malaysia since AirAsia is so cheap now.

Thanks

[smileplur]

Well, this is poor news. They are clamping down at the embassy in Washington, DC. For the first time ever, they required me to show a ticket out of Thailand and funds in the bank the other day. I had to go and book a flight to Phnom Penh with very little warning. I planned to just get the 30 day visa exemption stamp on entry and come back overland to use my visa entry. I am going to be a bit irritated if I cannot. Are there any more reports about this?

[welo]

To save my 60 day tourist visa, can I just cover it up or tell the immigration officer not to stamp it. I will not put the visa number on the arrival card. I don't want to confuse him/her so I wonder if I can just cover it temporarily with a post it note so he/she doesn't stamp it.

I am not sure whether it's a good idea to try to hide the visa (cover it up with a post it note or whatever), he might understand this as an effort to trick him and will then be less likely to cooperate. Better you ask politely and prepare a backup plan (Re-entry permit?) if it does not work out.

Any serious tampering of the passport is illegal and might get you into troubles if the officer finds out, but I understand that this is not your intention, and this is good.

However, this is all based on my understanding of human nature and that of Thai immigration officers in particular, but I don't have actual experience in arriving on a Visa Exemption Stamp when you've got a valid visa.

welo

[Jingthing]

I did this successfully a few years ago. It may be the luck of the draw on what officer you get. I would be surprised if it is an actual change in policy to not allow this. In my case I "saved" a single entry O visa, not a TR.

How I did it:

Did not write the visa number on the landing card.

Before handing the officer my passport, I spoke to him and politely asked him to give me a 30 day stamp even though I had a visa, explaining that I was only staying in Thailand a short time during this entry. He understood quite well and repeated back SAVE THE VISA. I think this is a useful phrase to say to the officer. He did indeed save the visa.

I think it is a very bad idea to cover up the the visa in your passport!

Edited August 7, 2009 by Jingthing