Another Tourist Visa Question

[thaibreaker]

Hello Lopburi, Lite Beer and Mario2008 (and more), you are doing a great job in here.

I have a question for you too though, I just got my double entry tourist visa from Vientiane. After my extension of 30 days, can I just do a border-run to Cambodia at Ban Laem or so, return within the same hour and get my second 60 days? My first time of double entry, always had a single one before..

Thanks a lot for your answer

[lopburi3]

You must do before the expiration date on your visa so check that - not the extension permitted to stay until date.

[phuketrichard]

We called the embassy and they told me that I need a return ticket to get a tourist visa...

Dont know what nationality you are BUT My Cambodia GF shows them a letter from me stating i am supporting her while she is in Thailand before they will issue her a single entry.

At the airport in PP they ALWAYS ask for a return ticket

[galoubet]

In the UK you can apply for a single, two or three entry Tourist Visa. As last year the visa fees have been waved till 2011. So this means all visas are free. So you may as well get a double or triple entry. Single entry visas are valid for 3 months from date of issue but muliple entry visas are valid 6 months. You don't need an air ticket. I've never been asked for one in the last 30 years. If you need to stay for longer there are plenty of local immigration offices to get the 30 days' extension.

I generally take a short trip to Penang after 60 days. But occasionally I just get a cheap Air Asia day return to KL. Bit boring but it gets it all over quickly. But it's all so stupid and a waste of time and money. It would be much simpler if you could just pop into your local immigration office and get an extra 60 days based on your muliple entry visa.

[asiawatcher]

1. With a tourist visa there is no need to arrive on a return ticket. A few consulates might however want to see a ticket before they issue a tourist visa.

2. Tourist visa's come in a number of entries. 1, 2 or 3. More than 2 entries are not often given.

3 and 4. the visa is valid for 3 months or 6 months, depending on the stamp the consulates gives you. You have to make use of the entries before the VISA itself expires, any entry not used before that date is lost.

When you enter Thailand you get a permission to stay, which will be for 60 days. You can extend these 60 days with another 30 days for 1,900 baht at an immigration office. You need to fill in a form and supply a photo.

After that you leave the country. If you have another entry and the VISA itself is still valid you can return the same hour and get a new permission to stay for 60 days, which you can again extend by 30 days.

There is no official limit to the number of tourist visa you can get, as long as the consulate is willing to provide you can get a new one.

Note that the 60 days depend on your nationality, some nationality only get 30 days on a tourist visa.

There is also the 30 day visa exempt entry and the 15 day visa on arrival, if you qualify all depends on your nationality.

Some Embassies issue a 90 day visa. It depends on your country of origin.

[Evergreen]

In the UK you can apply for a single, two or three entry Tourist Visa. As last year the visa fees have been waved till 2011. So this means all visas are free. So you may as well get a double or triple entry. Single entry visas are valid for 3 months from date of issue but muliple entry visas are valid 6 months. You don't need an air ticket. I've never been asked for one in the last 30 years. If you need to stay for longer there are plenty of local immigration offices to get the 30 days' extension.

I generally take a short trip to Penang after 60 days. But occasionally I just get a cheap Air Asia day return to KL. Bit boring but it gets it all over quickly. But it's all so stupid and a waste of time and money. It would be much simpler if you could just pop into your local immigration office and get an extra 60 days based on your muliple entry visa.

Cheers for that info. I've been on a non-o multi entry visa before which expires at the end of October and wasn't too sure about the tourist visa red tape/rules. I'll be heading back late November so a multi-entry tourist Visa it is then, especially if the fee's are still being waived, it makes sense.

So basically if i got a 2 entry tourist visa i'd get 60 days, then another 30 days by going to Samui's immigration office. Once this extra 30 days almost expires i'd have to do a border bounce and would i then get another 60 days plus the extra 30 days again as before?

I just want to make sure so i don't make a right mess of it and only get 15 days if crossing the border and back via land, but i suppose if i have the multi entry visa i'd get the 60 days??.....sorry, me being a bit dumb i think....

[Mario2008]

The double entry tourist visa should be applied for in Hull.

Each entry can be extended by 30 days for 1,900 baht per extension. You just have to hop over the border enter another country and come right back to Thailand to activate your second 60 day entry. (You might need to pay for a visa to enter the other country).

[Evergreen]

The double entry tourist visa should be applied for in Hull.

Each entry can be extended by 30 days for 1,900 baht per extension. You just have to hop over the border enter another country and come right back to Thailand to activate your second 60 day entry. (You might need to pay for a visa to enter the other country).

Cool, thanks for that Mario, think i've got it all worked out now:)

Yeah, i found the consulate in Hull was a great, fast reliable service before when i got my multi entry non O visa so will do the same again.The last time it was 2days and i had my passport back and visa sorted, i'd reccommend anyone to use them in the UK as they seem less fussy than some of the stories i hear from applying to London.

Cheers.

[Mario2008]

If you have the adress of a friend in Thailand Hull will give you another multiple non-O. It is not free, but it gives you 90 days each time you enter, so need for extensions. Up to you what is the least hassle and most cost effective.

[sosisbesar]

The double entry tourist visa should be applied for in Hull.

Each entry can be extended by 30 days for 1,900 baht per extension. You just have to hop over the border enter another country and come right back to Thailand to activate your second 60 day entry. (You might need to pay for a visa to enter the other country).

Very informative topic. Thanks!

So in principle you are able to stay about 180 days in LOS if you have a Tourist Visa with 2 entries: you get 60 days when you enter, extend for another 30 days, cross the border to Laos/Cambodia and re-enter for the next 60 day, and then extend for another 30 days before the Visa has expired .

[galoubet]

Yeah, i found the consulate in Hull was a great, fast reliable service before when i got my multi entry non O visa so will do the same again.The last time it was 2days and i had my passport back and visa sorted, i'd reccommend anyone to use them in the UK as they seem less fussy than some of the stories i hear from applying to London.

I've never had any problems with the Thai embassy in London. I always go up there and make my application in person. I collect my visa 2 days later. In the last couple of years applicants at the London visa office have dwindled. Used to be packed with long waiting times. But lately it's been almost empty. Seems people just aren't going to Thailand.

[Mario2008]

The double entry tourist visa should be applied for in Hull.

Each entry can be extended by 30 days for 1,900 baht per extension. You just have to hop over the border enter another country and come right back to Thailand to activate your second 60 day entry. (You might need to pay for a visa to enter the other country).

Very informative topic. Thanks!

So in principle you are able to stay about 180 days in LOS if you have a Tourist Visa with 2 entries: you get 60 days when you enter, extend for another 30 days, cross the border to Laos/Cambodia and re-enter for the next 60 day, and then extend for another 30 days before the Visa has expired .

You have to make the second entry before the visa expires. Once in Thailand it doesn't matter when the visa expires in order to get an extension or not. The visa expiration date only tells you before which date you have to enter.

[Evergreen]

Yeah, i found the consulate in Hull was a great, fast reliable service before when i got my multi entry non O visa so will do the same again.The last time it was 2days and i had my passport back and visa sorted, i'd reccommend anyone to use them in the UK as they seem less fussy than some of the stories i hear from applying to London.

I've never had any problems with the Thai embassy in London. I always go up there and make my application in person. I collect my visa 2 days later. In the last couple of years applicants at the London visa office have dwindled. Used to be packed with long waiting times. But lately it's been almost empty. Seems people just aren't going to Thailand.

Well, i've never used London and was just going by many stories of people's hassles they seemed to be having. As you say now it's probably much better as less and less people are going to LOS nowadays so maybe the service has speeded up somewhat.

Anyway, i apply for mine via post to Hull and have never had any problem so i'll keep on going with that service...London's a wee bit too far away for me to go in person as i'm up in Edinburgh....it's a long walk....ha ha.

[galoubet]

Well, i've never used London and was just going by many stories of people's hassles they seemed to be having. As you say now it's probably much better as less and less people are going to LOS nowadays so maybe the service has speeded up somewhat.

Anyway, i apply for mine via post to Hull and have never had any problem so i'll keep on going with that service...London's a wee bit too far away for me to go in person as i'm up in Edinburgh....it's a long walk....ha ha.

I was first in the queue at the London visa office early one morning a few years ago when I was joined by a guy and his Thai wife who had driven down overnight from Newcastle. I suspect they had visa/passport issues that could not be sorted out by post. But it just goes to show that you could make it to London if you really tried! LOL

[Malani]

ok.. So this is visa of my boyfriend.. at the embassy they said that he has 5months in thailand. 3 months regularly and 2 months extension, but i am not sure about that... can anyone explain?? i know when he arrives he will get 2 month stamp, and after we will go to the immigration office for 1 month more. he will come on september 23rd, so it gives him 3 months until December,but then the visa expires in december too. I am not quite sure how they thought to give him 5 months..

can he do the visa run just the day before visa expiration?

thanks...

[Lite Beer]

If he has a double entry he can do a border run the day before the visa expires.

Note. Not the date stamped in his passport but the expiry date on the Visa.

He can then extend that again at Immigration.

This will give him almost 6 months.

[Malani]

i thought that i attached the picture of visa in previous post..

just to make sure i understood it correctly. when he enters a country he will get 2 months, so from 23rd sept to 23rd nov, after that we go to immigration and it will extend the staying until 23rd dec. but since the visa is valid until 6th dec, we can go out of the country and come back on the 5th dec and he will get another 2 months of staying in thailand. correct? and after that he can not extend one more month at immigration because the visa expired, right? so after that he has to go to get a new tourist visa..

thanks

[Malani]

double post...

[Lite Beer]

When he enters on 23rd Sept. he will get stamped until 22 November.

Go to Immigration a few days before 22 November and get an extension until 22 December.

5th December do a border run and get stamped until Feb. 2nd.

Go to Immigration a few days before 2nd Feb. and get an extension until 4th March

[Malani]

thanks..

and the second immigration stamp is possible even the visa expired??

[Lite Beer]

Yes. He will be extending his permission to stay. Not the Visa.

[Sophon]

5th December do a border run and get stamped until Feb. 2nd.

I think that should be "4th December do a border run", as far as I can see the visa must be utilized "before 5th December" (but it's not very clearly written). He may get away with going on the 5th, but I believe it would be safer to do the visa run on the 4th. That's how I would do it anyway.

Sophon

[lopburi3]

Yes a second extension of stay is available regardless of the visa expiration date. That date only means you must enter before that - you can stay longer and extend stay.

[Lite Beer]

5th December do a border run and get stamped until Feb. 2nd.

I think that should be "4th December do a border run", as far as I can see the visa must be utilized "before 5th December" (but it's not very clearly written). He may get away with going on the 5th, but I believe it would be safer to do the visa run on the 4th. That's how I would do it anyway.

Sophon

I cannot download his scan but it looks like his Visa is valid until the 6th Dec. I might be wrong though.

[Malani]

it says it mush be utilized until dec 5th, 5 looks like 6...

ok.. i needed that information. thanks lopburi3 and lite beer..

[AgentSmith]

Each entry can be extended by 30 days for 1,900 baht per extension. You just have to hop over the border enter another country and come right back to Thailand to activate your second 60 day entry. (You might need to pay for a visa to enter the other country).

Maybe I'm missing something here but isn't it pointless to extend your first stay? The visa is valid for 60 days only despite the extension so if you want to stay longer than the visa's validity period than you would have to make a border run before the visa expires. That means in practice that you stay until the final day that the visa is valid, do a border run, reenter Thailand, get another stay of 60 days and only then extend to 90 days at an immigration office.

So only one extension per visa. And a triple entry visa also seems quite useless for most people since it is still valid for only 60 days.

[lopburi3]

A tourist visa is normally valid for 90 days from date of issue (and in the case of Vientiane that also applies to two entry visa). The entry is for 60 or 30 days depending on passport country.

A three entry visa would most likely have a 6 month validity.