Help With Extending One Month Visa At Suan Phlu

[Rumblecat]

Hi, I'm a UK national, have lived in Bangkok for three years now, usually on either one month or three month tourist visas as I have to travel a lot for work anyway. Want to extend the current 'one month' visa by two weeks as that will take me up to the next business trip (which conveniently combines as a visa run).

Anyway, the time I've been to Suan Phlu office before, know about needing passport photos etc- that time I had my extension request denied and just got an extra 7 days. The reason at the time for an extension was "to travel and visit friend". Is there a better reason to be put on the form or did I just get unlucky? I own property here in Bangkok, a condo. Would it help to have details of that?

I know this has probably been asked a hundred times before... sorry.

[mahtin]

Tourist visa... work?

[thaiphoon]

I suspect you obtained a 30 day'visa exempt' stamp at the airport on arrival, as tourist visas generally have a 60 day entry. A visa exempt stamp can only be extended for 7 days at immigration. If you held a tourist visa issued by a Thai embassy/consulate you could have extended your permission to stay by 30 days at immigration. To stay a further 2 weeks you will have to do a border run; 15 days by re-entry at land border or 30 days by air.

[Rumblecat]

Cheers, border run it is then. Just wish the Cambodian stamp didn't take up a whole page on the passport... Didn't realise the 30 day was called the "visa exempt", thanks.

[thaiphoon]

Cheers, border run it is then. Just wish the Cambodian stamp didn't take up a whole page on the passport... Didn't realise the 30 day was called the "visa exempt", thanks.

A further thought for the future ... if you are back in the UK why don't you apply for a 12 month multi-entry Non-O visa from Hull consulate on the basis of visiting friends? You will get 90 day permission to stay on each entry into the Kingdom whilst your visa is valid. Come and go as many times as you want. Do a border hop just before your visa expires and you will get a further 90 day stay, streching visa to 15 months.

Hull Consulate

[Rumblecat]

Good advice, hadn't though of that. Appreciate you taking the time to post that, thanks.