3 Months "Bonus"

[lucien62]

Hi,

I have a multi entry non-immigrant type O visa and today I'm going to do a visa run at the malaysian border (my 3 month permission to stay is almost expired).

I guess the "admission until" date of the new entry stamp I will get in my passport today will likely be around 13-16 December 2010.

My visa must be utilized before 2nd December 2010.

I'd like to try to stay 3 more month after the expiration of my visa:

Multiple-entry Non Immigrant visa

[...]

If you utilize your visa the last time just before it expires, you will get an extra 3 months "bonus", so the total validity will be nearly 15 months.

Is it still possible ? Can I leave the country again in let's say November and get another 3 month stamp ?

[phuketrichard]

If u leave and re enter before the visa exipres you get the 3 months from date of entry.

So leave end of Nov and ur good till first week in march

[lucien62]

If u leave and re enter before the visa exipres you get the 3 months from date of entry.

So leave end of Nov and ur good till first week in march

That's what I though till I spoke to the border officer this morning. She said that it was the last time I could cross the border now that the date on my entry stamp has overpass the expiration date of my visa.

Is it true ??? What will happen if I cross again ? I had the feeling that she was not speaking very fairly and just wanted to get back to her duty...

Anybody confirm ?

[falang07]

Rest assured that you can get another 3 months even on the last day of your visa validity, I have done it myself..

[InterestedObserver]

Rest assured that you can get another 3 months even on the last day of your visa validity, I have done it myself..

I believe the utilize before date means exactly that, last entry into Thailand must be made before the date given.

[Lite Beer]

Yes . Re enter before 2nd December and get 90 days permission to stay.

[lopburi3]

It appears she heard you as returning at the end of your new 90 days and at that time your visa would be invalid and a new entry would not get a new 90 day stay so what she said was right. But you intend to return while your visa is still valid so you will get a new 90 day stay from that date.

[lucien62]

It appears she heard you as returning at the end of your new 90 days and at that time your visa would be invalid and a new entry would not get a new 90 day stay so what she said was right. But you intend to return while your visa is still valid so you will get a new 90 day stay from that date.

So the multi entry non-immigrant VISA is technically valid for 1 year + 3 month (roughly) in any case ?

Now I'm wondering:

Apart from people in my case who try to get the longest duration of stay of their visa, why would someone cross the border before the end of a 90 days period ?

Edited September 16, 2010 by lucien62

[Lite Beer]

They probably want to visit another country.

There is no limit as to how many times you can enter Thailand with a Multi Entry Non Imm Visa.

[lucien62]

They probably want to visit another country.

There is no limit as to how many times you can enter Thailand with a Multi Entry Non Imm Visa.

If people want to visit another country or in other words go out of Thailand for a few days, are they not supposed to get a re-entry permit ?

That's why I don't get it...

Edit: I think got it now.

Maybe I see this thing the wrong way. it's more about being able to enter Thailand as many times as you want and whenever you want instead of being able to leave Thailand...

Edited September 16, 2010 by lucien62

[lopburi3]

Not if you have a multi entry visa - each entry gets a new 90 day stay free of charge (you already paid for the visa). A re-entry permit would only keep your old 90 day stay and any time out of country would be lost so you would be stamped in for less (maybe much less) than 90 days and pay 1,000 baht for doing so.

A multi entry non immigrant visa is valid for one year from date of issue. But if used for time you can stay almost 15 months and only entry has to be made during visa validity.

[Lite Beer]

They probably want to visit another country.

There is no limit as to how many times you can enter Thailand with a Multi Entry Non Imm Visa.

If people want to visit another country or in other words go out of Thailand for a few days, are they not supposed to get a re-entry permit ?

That's why I don't get it...

No. They have a Multi Entry Non Imm Visa.

[lucien62]

I didn't know that ! Thx for the precious information, I feel more free now that I know I have already all i need if I want to travel abroad and it makes it very clear in my mind about those entry things lol.

[Lite Beer]

Come and go as many times as you want.

Max. 90 Days each stay.

[TheWhiteFella]

If u leave and re enter before the visa exipres you get the 3 months from date of entry.

So leave end of Nov and ur good till first week in march

The above is 100% correct!!

[ajarnchompoo]

I have done this 4 or 5 times now, left a few days before the end of visa expiry date and re entered before it expired and got another 3 months. Its a great way to get 15 months for the price of 12.! The info is 100% correct.

[HughJorgen]

If your VISA expiration date is for example 01 Oct 2010, then if you do a border run BEFORE 01 Oct, you will be granted an additional 90 days, which means effectively 15 months, just prior to the expiry of that,90 days, you can do a further border run which will give you an extra 30 days, then an additional border run will give you another 30 days, that will be your last border run, you can then apply for a 7 day extension at your local Immigration office ( mine is Jomtien), which means a total stay in the Kingdom of aprox 17 months and 7 days, ( these figures are approx and don't take account of 30 / 31 day months, you will have to calculate the days yourself ).

That's been my experience(s) with a 1 year Non Immigrant 'O" visa issued in the UK, subsequentially for the past 4 years, I have not found any information that the above has changed yet, but TiT.

Edited September 20, 2010 by HughJorgen

[Mario2008]

There is no 30 day extension after your final 90 days and the 7 day extension might only be given if you have proof of leaving the country within 7 days.

The 30 days is what you normally get when you leave and re-enter the country by air, 15 days by land and has nothing to do with the visa you had. You cna do it an unlimited times.

You might have a nationality that allows you 30 days on every entry, whether by air or land.

[HughJorgen]

Wrong, I've extended my NI 'O' by 30 days on EVERY issue of it for the past 4 years at Bang Paen, followed by 7 days at Jomtien,  however, I've only recently returned to Thailand after a 1yr hospitalisation in the UK, prior to me leaving in June 09 my last Visa was extended by 2x periods of 30 days + 7 days at Jomtien, as it had in the previous 3 years, if it has now changed, then I haven't found any evidence to the contrary 'as yet'.

[Mario2008]

I take it you are a Brit.

A border run is not an extension. As of 25 November 2008 police order 778/2551 limits border runs to 15 days by land and 30 days if entering by air for UK nationals.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/temporarystay/policy778-2551_en.pdf

A 7 day extension is not automatic, most officers do want to see a ticket out of the country within those 7 days.

[Lite Beer]

Yep.

15 days by land.

30 days by air.

7 days to get out extension from Immigration.

[lopburi3]

As said you have not extended a non immigrant visa entry for 30 days. But in the past you could obtain 30 day visa exempt entry by crossing border into another country and return. That appears to be what you did in the past. That is now only 15 days but there is no set limit on how many time you can do it. The final 7 day extension you mentioned is a disapproved period rather than a real extension and would have been for the 30 day visa exempt entry you obtained.

[HughJorgen]

Pejoratively speaking, I'm not a Brit, I'm Scottish, I've been living here since 1986, virtually on a semi-permanent basis, over the past 10 years on a permanent basis, ALWAYS on an N.I. 'O' Visa, travelling home upon expiry and re-newing in the UK.

Whilst you say 'a border run is not an extension', legally you may be correct, however, as stated, my experience has been that, upon the expiry date of my N.I. 'O" VISA, (which constitutes an allowable period of stay in the Kingdom of 1 year with exit and re-entry every 90 days ), I have EXTENDED my 'stay' by 28 days, by leaving the Kingdom prior to the expiration date of my N.I. 'O' VISA, subsequently upon expiry of that primary '28 days', I have EXTENDED my stay by a secondary period of 28 days.

Prior to the expiration date of the secondary period of 28 days I have on numerous occasions visited Jomtien and EXTENDED by a further 7 days, my STAY in the Kingdom, on NO occasion at Jomtien whilst applying for the further STAY of 7 days have I been asked for any verification of my intent to leave the Kingdom and no occasion at Bang Paen was I asked for any proof of intent to leave the Kingdom either in the form of an airplane ticket or otherwise, I was however required on 1x ( 1x) occasion to purchase a 'bus ticket' in Cambodia, for the sum of 200 baht.

The above is not hearsay from ex-pats, it's simply me relating MY experience over the past 4 years which I have related here, ( and other ex-pats in Pattaya who have had the same experience)) if YOU or any others have had different experiences, then that comes as no surprise to me, after all TiT.

EDITED TO ADD:

(quote) The final 7 day extension you mentioned is a disapproved period rather than a real extension(/quote)

Correct, the 7 day 'extension' is an 'approval' period for Thai Royal Police to consider a further extension, however it's still an allowance of UP to 7 days in the Kingdom!

Given that I've only recently returned, ( Jun 010), I appreciate that Immigration rules may have changed, I qualified that in my first post.

Edited September 20, 2010 by HughJorgen

[Lite Beer]

As said before you will get 15 days entry stamp if you enter Thailand by a land border.

[Mario2008]

An extension is what you get from immigration at an immigration office. You don't leave the country for this. A border run is when you leave the country and return to get a new entry. This is what you clearly did and something completely different.

[lopburi3]

I have EXTENDED my 'stay' by 28 days, by leaving the Kingdom prior to the expiration date of my N.I. 'O' VISA, subsequently upon expiry of that primary '28 days', I have EXTENDED my stay by a secondary period of 28 days.

If you had a multi entry non immigrant O visa and did as above with a return before expiration date of visa you would receive a 90 day permitted to stay stamp.

If you returned to Thailand after expiration of visa you would have received a 30 day visa exempt entry (not an extension) and that would now be 15 days if using a land crossing.

[thaikahuna]

If u leave and re enter before the visa exipres you get the 3 months from date of entry.

So leave end of Nov and ur good till first week in march

That's what I though till I spoke to the border officer this morning. She said that it was the last time I could cross the border now that the date on my entry stamp has overpass the expiration date of my visa.

Is it true ??? What will happen if I cross again ? I had the feeling that she was not speaking very fairly and just wanted to get back to her duty...

Anybody confirm ?

When you go to do the border crossing in November you will find out for sure. You will either get three more months or you will get 15 days. It is all incumbent on the immigration officer. I don't care how many said they have been there and done that. The usual extension at the border is 15 days (7 if you go to an immigration office) if your other visa has expired. You may get 15 days beyond your original expiration of visa date but don't hold your breath..