A friend of mine (an American) came to Thailand a couple of months ago. She had obtained a tourist visa in the States but when she arrived the immigration official apparently didn't see it and gave her a 30 day entry instead. She didn't figure this out until much later and now she's looking at a significant overstay fine. She only discovered this when she went to the Samut Prakan immigration office to extend the tourist visa. They pointed out that she'd never used the visa, so of course they couldn't extend it.

Obviously she should have checked her entry stamp at the airport...but is there anything that she can do about this now? Or is she stuck with the overstay fine?

Thanks for your help - and if there's another topic that already addresses this please point me towards it. I couldn't find it.

There is a desk in Suan Phlu Immigration in Bangkok dedicated to visa stamp error correction. I expect they may be able to help but it should have been done before now. In worst case she might have to leave/return using visa and pay the overstay.

She should have entered the visa on the arrival card - so if she did not she can consider it her lucky day if they change it (although they probably will not check).

The correction the immigration office will do is for a mistake done by the officer at entry border, however what I can see here that there is no mistake from the officer side. If your friend did not write the visa number on her entry card, then the officer is not obliged to look for a visa. I know many people who had visas before requested the immigration officers not to use them, but to stamp a thirty days entry instead for one reason or another. Anyway she can give it try and if she was lucky (as Lupburi3 said) she might get away with it, but I doubt it. In this case she has to pay the fine and if the visa is still valid, she can re-enter with it again

Bishop

My passport was stamped when I was not present and they didn't see or didn't look for my tourist visa and gave a standard land entry 30 day stamp (back when it was 30 days at the border). I went to an immigration office the next day and I was able to submit a photo, photocopy of passport visa stamps etc, and write a statement about what happened and they amended it. It took all of 15 minutes. Good luck.

My passport was stamped when I was not present and they didn't see or didn't look for my tourist visa and gave a standard land entry 30 day stamp (back when it was 30 days at the border). I went to an immigration office the next day and I was able to submit a photo, photocopy of passport visa stamps etc, and write a statement about what happened and they amended it. It took all of 15 minutes. Good luck.

Well, you went to the immigration office next day! The person in subject has overstayed her allowed days, therefore it is a different case here, and unless she is really lucky, she still has to pay the overstay fine. I wish her a good luck too.

Bishop

My passport was stamped when I was not present and they didn't see or didn't look for my tourist visa and gave a standard land entry 30 day stamp (back when it was 30 days at the border). I went to an immigration office the next day and I was able to submit a photo, photocopy of passport visa stamps etc, and write a statement about what happened and they amended it. It took all of 15 minutes. Good luck.

Well, you went to the immigration office next day! The person in subject has overstayed her allowed days, therefore it is a different case here, and unless she is really lucky, she still has to pay the overstay fine. I wish her a good luck too.

Bishop

The process I went through involved them crossing out and nullifying the previous stamps and restamping it with a back date to reflect the day the tourist visa should have been stamped and they crossed out and nullified the exit date stamp and put a new one in. It could be worth a shot to see if they can just do this.

I find it amusing how these mistakes are often made by a third party (friends, acquaintances, girlfriends etc) rather than the OP.

If it happened that I discovered this while the 30 days were still current, I would leave it and just do a border run at the end of the 30 days to make up the difference. It won't increase costs (border run = 1800, 30 day extension = 1900), but will require an extra border run.

A border run gets 15 days and prevents the 30 day extension of stay option.

Well, lopbury3, Trpo meant he will do the border run and re-enter with the unused visa ("Quote": If it happened that I discovered this while the 30 days were still current, I would leave it and just do a border run at the end of the 30 days to make up the difference."Unquote") but being overstayed her visa now, made it a different case.

Bishop

A border run gets 15 days and prevents the 30 day extension of stay option.

BJhabel was right.

Single entry

30 days (visa free entry) + 60 days (first entry) = 90 days

or

60 days (first entry) + 30 day (extension) = 90 days

Same Same!

Double entry

30 days (visa free entry) + 60 days (first entry) + 60 days (second entry) + 30 days (extension) = 180 days (approx.)

or

60 days (first entry) + 30 days (extension) + 60 days (second entry) + 30 days (extension) = 180 days (approx.)

or

60 days (first entry) + 30 days (visa free entry) + 60 days (second entry) + 30 days (extension) = 180 days (approx.)

etc

Same Same!

Edited August 4, 200916 yr by tropo

Only had one eye open it seems. Yes if found before overstay it would be an option but for a short stay of under 60 would not be cost effective - for a longer stay it would.