I Painted Myself Into A Corner. What Are My Options.

[connorl]

I have kinda painted myself into a corner and I was hoping that someone could help me a little.

Here's my situation... Right now I have 5 back-to-back tourist visas from Penang. I have resided in Thailand almost a year, doing visaruns once in every 2 months, so no overstays or extensions so far. Howvever, I am tired of visaruns and decided that in June I will go back to my country and get myself a proper visa. I already booked myself tickets for mid-June. However, I completely forgot that my current stamp expires at the end of this month.

So, now I have couple of days to decide what to do. Basically I have 3 options.

1. Is to knowingly overstay the time I was allowed to stay and pay the fine ~7,000 baht.

2. Extend my current visa, but I am not sure they will since I am on my 5th tourist visa in a row. ~1,900 baht;

3. Go for another visarun and hope I can get one more visa from Penang ~10,000 baht

Right now I am just thinking of overstaying my time since it is far more easier than going to another visarun just to get a new visa to stay for 2 weeks. And it's even questionable if I can get the visa from Penang, because situation there is not good, visa wise...

The easiest for me would be to get an extension, but I'm afraid that they will not extend my stay seeing all the previous visas. Can anybody share thoughts on this? What documents will be required to extend single entry tourist (TR) visa? Do they even care here about how many visas you have here in BKK immigration? Do they require probable cause or is it just bureaucracy?

[Lite Beer]

Extend your current stay for a further 30 days at Immigration.

Application Form. Passport size photo . 1,900 Baht fee.

[PoorSucker]

2. Extend my current visa, but I am not sure they will since I am on my 5th tourist visa in a row. ~1,900 baht;

No problem.

[karTER]

Personally, I'd leave Thailand as per my current visa requirement date and spend a couple of weeks in Penang or Georgetown.

Get a return flight with Air Asia who fly cheaply and then fly back home (using your original airline ticket via Thailand as a transit passenger) to sort out your new, longer term "proper" visa. For the sake of fourteen days or so compared to a whole year, why take the risk? Besides, Georgetown is a nice place to relax for a change.

May I ask what the problem is Penang is? We fly there (Georgetown) next week and hope to get our sixty-day, single entry visa (currently free of charge) for when we return to Bangkok at the end of June. We've never had a concern there before.

[lopburi3]

As you only seem to need 14 days (7k) a border exit/return should get you that time - but easier just to extend 30 days at the local immigration office - you have a ticket to leave so even if that is asked you are covered.

[ajarndonald]

Go get a 30-day extension for 1,900.00 Baht. Immigration will give it to you with no problems. The embassy or consulates are the ones who shouldn't have issued you 5 back to back tourist visas but like others you got them legally so immigration will give you a 30-day extension. That means you really don't leave every 2 months but about every 90 days. Why haven't you been getting extensions in the past?

Edited May 25, 2010 by ajarndonald

[lopburi3]

Likely because Penang would not issue a tourist visa to anyone having an extension of stay. He was playing the game as Penang required it to be played.

[ajarndonald]

Yo can also do a border run to Cambodia by bus for about 2,000.00 Baht leave 5:00Am and be back in BKK 15:00 for a 2 week stay. All of this for 2,000.00 Baht but still the better choice is getting a 30-day extension for 1,900.00 Baht no problems. Try not to overstay.

[karTER]

Likely because Penang would not issue a tourist visa to anyone having an extension of stay. He was playing the game as Penang required it to be played.

Right.

Shouldn't be a problem then as we have no extensions.

[chmiroau]

Go for an extension, and dont just overstay. If you want to come back it would be a good idea not to confuse the issue by doing something wrong.

[connorl]

May I ask what the problem is Penang is? We fly there (Georgetown) next week and hope to get our sixty-day, single entry visa (currently free of charge) for when we return to Bangkok at the end of June. We've never had a concern there before.

I have not heard the latest news but 2 months ago it was not free of charge anymore. Tourist visa cost 110 RM (~1000 baht) two months ago. Maybe it's free again now, because they're trying to stimulate the tourism industry - you should confirm that.

Anyway... The visa was 110 RM and I ended up paying additional 3x of that "team money" to get my 5th visa, because apparently, its a "new rule". They told me "You already have four visas. You can not get new one...(pause)...But, we can help you for extra money". I took some time to think and asked around in other guesthouses, but everybody told me the same thing. It's strange, because previously, I have met guys in Penang who have 6+ TR visas in passport and had no problems. There are rumors that a big guesthouse on Chulia Rd is trying to monopolize and control the visa business in Penang and it seems they are succeeding. Now that they have control they have started to impose their own "visa rules" to make extra money.

[dudeinthailand]

No need to leave Thailand to get a "proper visa." You can attend many Thai language schools and receive a 15 month visa (it requires 4-3 month extensions). You learn Thai and you don't have to leave every three months. Just go to the Thai immigration office.

[lopburi3]

1. Tourist visas are currently free.

2. You do not obtain a visa inside Thailand - it is called an extension of stay and does not allow entry. For education you would require a one year course at an approved school and new paperwork every three months (and 1,900 baht).

[connorl]

No need to leave Thailand to get a "proper visa." You can attend many Thai language schools and receive a 15 month visa (it requires 4-3 month extensions). You learn Thai and you don't have to leave every three months. Just go to the Thai immigration office.

I thought about that, but I have several other reasons to visit my country as well. I might do it when I'm back. Any recommendations? I see Walen Language School ads all over Thaivisa, but are there any other good language schools? If I go to a school then I want to learn something and not just for the the visa. Walen seems to be visa agency in language school clothes So what school has the most pleasant staff?

[Rumblecat]

I go to Walen, it has it's critics but it's helped a lot with my Thai. I have supplemented it with my own study on reading and writing, and some audio courses as well. This thread is very useful for that- http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Languag...ool-t59287.html

But yeah, you can't get the actual education visa in Thailand- you get a letter from the Ministry of Education and then you have to leave Thailand to apply for the non-immigrant ED visa in any Thai embassy or consulate. To get a multiple entry one I came back to the UK and used the Glasgow Thai embassy (although I imagine most folk use Hull). So you'd have to leave the country anyway.