Please note that that all Thai government offices, including immigration, will be closed on August 12 and 13. Immigration will be open again on August 16.

People planning to apply for a visa at a Thai embassy or consulate have to take into account that they too are closed on August 12, the Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen. It is unclear if they will also be closed on August 13, do check in advance as most Thai embassies and consulates in the region will issue a visa the next working day after applying. Kuala Lumpur does list it as a holiday, others do not.

Borders are of course open as normal.

What to do if your permission to stay ends in the period immigration is closed

If you need to get an extension of stay from immigration, you can always apply up to 30 days in advance. The extension will always start on the date your current permission to stay ends, so you wont lose any days by applying early.

If you can't extend early, in case your permission of stay ends on a day immigration is closed it is policy not to fine an overstay provided you go to immigration to get an extension of stay the first day after the holiday they are open again.

Mario, are you sure about Friday 13th Aug.?

Our Khet (BKK) will be open. My brother and sister in law are officers there and they confirmed it is a working day. But as most good government officers they plan to take the day off anyway.

opalhort

The 13th has been declared an extra government holiday. Schools and such will be closed. We also had a statement about that in news clippings or general confirming that the government has declared it an extra holiday. Also on the website of the consulate in KL it is mentioned as a holiday.

EDIT.

I can't find it. But here is confirmation: http://www.thaizer.com/news/2010-songkran-holiday-period-extended/

In addition to approving the extra day for Songkran, the government confirmed that Friday August 13, 2010 would also be a holiday. This makes it a long weekend break in Thailand because August 12 is observed annually as a public holiday for H.M. Queen Sirikit’s birthday, a date which also marks Mother’s Day because Thailand’s queen is regarded fondly as the Mother of the Nation.

Sorry if my above post has caused confusion.

My info was about 3 weeks old. Just checked with our in-laws and yes they confirmed that Fri. 13th Aug. is an official government holiday, but many companies and certainly banks will be open.

opalhort

Just a reminder.

Last week, I sent an email to the Thai embassy in Paris regarding the fact if they will open on Friday 13th... But no answer yet!

Coming from Bangkok, I am landing early morning in CDG and was planning to drop my passport -to renew my visa- on my way to South of France.

Any idea?!?

Still unclear to me. I just checked a few websites of embassies in Europe, none mention the 13th as a holiday, only the 12th.

Bump.

My transit visa, which I shall be extending based on marriage, expires on the 12th.

Does this mean that I can leave it until the 16th without being fined, or should I do it tomorrow (11th)

Thanks

I would highly advise doing it tomorrow as the first day after a four day holiday is going to be very busy. Although you likely would avoid a fine if doing that day.

If you can't extend early, in case your permission of stay ends on a day immigration is closed it is policy not to fine an overstay provided you go to immigration to get an extension of stay the first day after the holiday they are open again.

Just confirming, in this complex maze of immigration, if

1: "permission of stay" is the same thing as "visa",

and

2: per your wording, my date of stay does not end on the day of the holiday (12th and 13th) but does end on Saturday the 14th, just wondering if immigration will view it as all the same?

And

3: it's policy if I make it up there on Monday the 16th I should be able to get the same process (no fine, no red stamp, no computer entry notation "late" or something) as I would had I been able to go up there today the 12th, which I had intended?

Ok I got an answer over on another thread. Thanks.