I entered Thailand this morning near Chaing Rai (mistakenly having read my guidebook) beliving it possible to pay for a 60 day tourist visa. I have been granted a 30 day free visa and told I could get an extension. My flight out of Thailand is 10/12/03 ( in 57 days time) and I now have to see how I can work around this with the visas available.

i)I believe it is possible to get a visa extension although most people have said 10 days the boarder guard told me 15 - any ideas which?

ii)Where can I get this extension (major cities/anywhere/just in Bangkok)?

iii) How much does it cost

v)Once I have been granted this first extention is it possible to get a second extension without leaving the country? (another 15 days)

vi)If I do a visa run it would have to be around the 5/11 to Mae Sot (is this possible with APEC happening - rumours say o boarder runs)- do I just have to cross the boarder and then come back again or do I have to spend a specific amount of time over in Myanmar?

vii)If I make  this visa run my visa would run out on 4/12 - 6 days before my flight - and I am planning to be in Ko Phangan or thereabouts for my last week - will it be possible to extended my visa on an island(?!?) or would it be cheaper/easier to just overstay by a few days (or will I get into a whole heap'a trouble)?

Sorry to be so specific but I am just hoping for some accurate advice. I have asked a dozen officials/tour operators/guesthouse owners this morning and had a dozen different responses.

Cheers

Welcome to Thailand jibberjabber.

Any immigration office can extend your visa for 10 days on payment of 1900 Baht, you will also need a passport photo.(take in the right money, they ain't real good at giving change) To get 15 days the procedure is the same but you have to show a ticket with a departure date before the end of the extension, so no good in your case.

I suggest that you go to Myanmar on or before the last day of your current stamp. you can enter Myanmar, turn right around and come back getting a new 30 day stamp, 60 days in total.

It is very unadvisable to overstay. If you go to the airport having overstayed, you will normally get fined 200 Baht for each day and let go. However, if you come into contact with any Police or Immigration during the period of overstay you will likely be arrested, held in a Thai jail, not nice, and deported, maybe even getting blacklisted so you can never return to Thailand.

EEK!

Myanmar it is then.

Thanks very much for your help, at least I can start planning what I have to do now!

More info:

The 10 or 15 days extension is a one-off, you cannot extend further without leving thailand.

The main part of APEC is from 14th to 21st October and should not affect travel at any other times, unless there any big problems, just keep an eye on the news.