New Young Solo Traveler

[Dreyko]

Hello all, I was hoping you could help me out a little bit by helping me out with some things that I need to do, but may not realize I need to do them yet haha.

I am visiting Chiang Mai, Thailand for 41 days from May 26-July 6. Now, I'm a bit confused as to the whole visa situation. I'm 23 years old and not married to a Thai girl or engaged. However, I am dating a girl who I met while volunteering as an English teacher two years ago. I'm going to visit her for this trip.

Now, as an American, I've heard I get 30 days without any visa entering Thailand? I'm there for 41 days.. but I heard that I could do the whole re-entry thing w/ the boarder. I've also heard that I can just go to the immigration office or something and get it extended for 1,900 Baht. My question here is: How do they handle that when I'm entering the country originally and they see that it is for 41 days and not for 30? Will they have a problem with that?

Or should I go to my local post office and have them rush process a visa for like $120? I'm 23, fresh outa college, dirt poor before grad school, completely independent, and need to do this in the most cheap, yet legal means . Thanks for the help that you will give, and the help you have given through all the posts of information I've been gorging myself on lately .

[Jingthing]

Short answer -- YES, get a tourist visa in the USA good for a 60 day stay.

Yes you get a 30 day stamp on entering Thailand by air. Crossing a border by land gets you 15 days so you could do that too to make your 41 days. I don't think you will get over 7 days extension on your 30 day stamp at Thai immigration so that's no good for you. However, your BIG problem is that it is very likely that you will NOT be boarded in the US going to Thailand by your airline. If you get lucky and do get boarded, no problem entering Thailand as they almost never check about your return date on entering.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Jingthing

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Check out this list, you might just be able to get a Thai Tourist Visa before your departure time.

Mac

http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-tr...on-americas.php

United States of America

Montgomery, AL P.O. Box 4504

Montgomery, AL 36103-4504 Mr. Robert F. Henry, Jr. Tel (334) 2692518

(334) 2694678

Denver, CO 1123 Auraria Pkwy, Suite 200

Denver, CO 80204 Mr. Donald W. Ringsby Tel (303) 892-0118, 892-0119

e-mail [email protected]

Coral Gables, FL 2801 Ponce De Leon Blvd. Suite 1170

Coral Gables, FL 33134 Mr. George Corrigan

Mr. Louis Stinson Tel (305) 4457577, 4469944

Atlanta, GA 3333 Riverwood Parkway, S.E., Suite 520

Atlanta, GA 30339-3304 Mr. Robert M. Holder, Jr. Tel (770) 988-3304

(770) 988-3301

Honolulu, HI 1287 Kalani Street, Suite 103

Honolulu, HI 96817 Mr. Colin Miyabara Tel (808) 845-7332, (808) 845-0022

e-mail [email protected]

Leawood, KS 8109 Lee Boulevard

Leawood, KS 66206 Ms. Mary F. Taylor Tel (913) 385-5555

(913) 385-5556

New Orleans, LA 335 Julia Street

New Orleans, LA 70130 Mr. Arthur Q. Davis Tel (504) 522-3400, 522-3434

e-mail [email protected]

Boston, MA 420 Boylston Street., Suite 403

Boston, MA 021116 Mr. Vernon R. Alden Tel (617) 5366552, 5367927

Broken Arrow, OK 25900 East 81ST Street

Broken Arrow, OK 74014 Mr. Richard H. Hughes Tel (918) 357-2886, 357-1334

Portland, OR Royal Thai Consulate-General

121 S.W. Salmon Street, Suite 1430

Portland, OR 97204-2924 Mr. Nicholas J. Stanley Tel (503) 221-0440, 221-0550

e-mail [email protected]

Hatorey, Puerto Rico Cond. Avila, Suite 11-F, Costa Rica St.

URB. Pinero, Hatorey, Puerto Rico 00917

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 7386 San Juan 00916-7386 Mr. Rolando J. Piernes Tel (787) 751-0151, 753-7276

e-mail [email protected]

Dallas, TX 3232 Mckinney Avenue, Suite 1400

Dallas, TX 75204-2429 Mr. W. Forrest Smith Tel (214) 740-1498, 740-1499

El Paso, TX 414 Executive Center Blvd.

Suite 211 El Paso, TX 79902 Ms. Mary L. L. Pinkerton Tel (915) 533-5757, 532-0781

e-mail [email protected]

Houston, TX 2800 Texas Commerce Tower

Houston, TX 77002-3094 Mr. Charles C. Foster Tel (713) 229-8733, 228-1303

[Musongman]

60 day Tourist Visa is free at the moment, even checked in Sydney and they said, "free until 31st March,2011." That might help.

[crgram]

In the US, unless you show up at the airline gate looking out of sorts or suspicious in some way, they never refuse you boarding. So don't sweet that.

But I agree a free 60 day tourist visa would be best for the OP's situation. However, if $120 is that big an issue for you, you may want to reconsider traveling half way round the globe.....

Ah to be young again

gl

cr

[lopburi3]

They have and do refuse boarding if you do not meet entry requirements. And most airlines check very carefully in the US.

Another factor to be aware of State Department has a travel advisory for Thailand so if you plan to use any type of insurance it will likely be invalid. If you have an airline ticket you may be able to change without payment.

[steve187]

tourist visa's should be free

sorry had the page open a while before i posted

Edited May 18, 2010 by steve187

[up-country_sinclair]

Apply for the free, 60 day tourist visa at your nearest consulate, and enjoy your time in Chiang Mai.

[Dreyko]

Thank you guys so much for all your responses! This has to be one of the kindest and most helpful forum communities that I've ever been a part of!!!

I believe the nearest Thai consulate is pretty far away :/. I live in Nashville, TN. Is that the only place I can get a visa pretty quickly? I know my post-office will do a overnight visa for a hundred something dollars should I go there instead? I should definitely mention the free 60 days tourist visa if I do!!! I just would like to do whatever is cheapest, haha.

So, my question is: is there a Thai Consulate near me that I'm not aware of? I tried googling it already to no avail :/

Thanks again for your help and support!

[edit] I forgot to mention how soon I'm leaving. It's the 17th, but I have to leave Nashville from the 20-23 (Sister's Graduation in Florida) and fly out 9:00am the 24th. So I need to be able to get the visa before the 20th (unless it'll just come in the mail, which my roomie could get for me). But this would only be if I went the visa route, correct?

Edited May 18, 2010 by Dreyko

[lopburi3]

Post 3 appears to be a complete list - you can call to check time required by overnight mail or courier service.

[Jingthing]

If you don't have time to get a tourist visa there is another thing you can do to increase your chances of being able to board the plane to Thailand from the US. Buy the cheapest one way ticket OUT of Thailand to a nearby country (usually Malaysia) that you can find that leaves before 30 days in Thailand. You can either use this ticket or throw it away. If you buy a full fare ticket it may be refundable if you don't use it (check with the airline/travel agent). The cheapest ticket will probably be something like Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur or even Hat Yai-Kuala Lumpur. With this ticket you can make a strong case that you should be boarded as you have proof of leaving Thailand during the 30 day stamp period. When in Thailand, you will need a quick land visa run to get an additional 15 days near the end of your 30 day stay. Check the forum for best/easiest way to do that from Chiang Mai if you do it this way.

Caveats --

It is possible you can be boarded with your current status if you are lucky enough to have an incompetent agent at the US airport. By denying your boarding, they are doing their job.

I have read reports of people being able to board by signing a document relieving the airline of financial responsibility in case you are denied entry into Thailand. It is completely unpredictable whether you may be offered this option.

It is possible even with the one way ticket out before 30 days that you will be challenged. In that case, stay very calm and demand to talk to a supervisor. Then emphasize that you have a ticket out before the 30 day stamp period.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Jingthing

[Dreyko]

Ahh, I see what you are saying. Could you describe how the whole ticket stamp thing works? I do have 30 days with the US, right? I'll have to check into buying one of those flights. That sounds like a great idea!

[lopburi3]

If you are not getting a visa just go to the airport early enough to buy a ticket out if they will not allow boarding. As you seem to have a return ticket they will likely not go further than that but they could - and to comply all you would have to do is change your return date (and then change back later) if not expensive or buy an online ticket out of the country at that time.

You get 30 days on an arrival by air and 15 days on an arrival by land.