Visa On Arrival Extension Question

[robinb]

I have bought a ticket to Thailand for 42 days total. I do not have the time to get a tourist visa now as I am flying out 11/30/10.

I am wondering what is the maximum extension for the 30 day stamp on arrival? I have a US passport and have not stayed more than 90 days in the last 6 months in Thailand.

Can i extend 2 weeks at a immigration office when inside Thaland for 1900baht still? Or is this extension only 7-10 days? Anyone know or have a current link so I can make sure before I travel. I am worried the flight out will not let me leave the US beacuse im staying over 30 days and do not have a visa.

Any info appreciated. Thanks!

[InterestedObserver]

Yup, you have a problem. First, the airline may not let you board without a visa for a 42 day stay. Second, you can only get a 7 day extension from immigration, by showing return ticket, for a 30 day visa exempt entry.

[robinb]

What do you think I should do? Would it help to call and talk to the Airline?

I was also entertaining the idea of traveling out of Thailand for a 5-7 days near the end of my initial 30 day stamp to Cambodia or Myanmar. If I do that I can come back to Thailand and get a 15 day stamp (by land) or 30 day stamp (by airplane).

Any advive is appreciated. Thanks.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

What do you think I should do? Would it help to call and talk to the Airline?

I was also entertaining the idea of traveling out of Thailand for a 5-7 days near the end of my initial 30 day stamp to Cambodia or Myanmar. If I do that I can come back to Thailand and get a 15 day stamp (by land) or 30 day stamp (by airplane).

Any advive is appreciated. Thanks.

But a very cheap or a fully refundable ticket leaving Thailand within 30 days. You can show that to the airline and to Thai immigration. For example to Singapore. Once you have entered Thailand, you can refund or discard the ticket, dependent on the choice that you made.

[CharlieH]

I would do as you suggested, say you are travelling the area and Thailand is the first part of the journey, then do a border run to Laos, Malaysia or Cambodia etc dependant on which is your nearest to where you'll be staying. A land crossing will give you 15 days whilst an air entry will give you thirty days.

Its easily explained if someone asks, and is completely pheasable that you would be lamding in Thailand, touring around the region and departing back out of Thailand and will get the border visa etc when re-entering, people do this all the time.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

I would do as you suggested, say you are travelling the area and Thailand is the first part of the journey, then do a border run to Laos, Malaysia or Cambodia etc dependant on which is your nearest to where you'll be staying. A land crossing will give you 15 days whilst an air entry will give you thirty days.

Its easily explained if someone asks, and is completely pheasable that you would be lamding in Thailand, touring around the region and departing back out of Thailand and will get the border visa etc when re-entering, people do this all the time.

Sorry, but this is nonsense. If the airline insist on seeing a ticket leaving Thailand within thirty days, no amount of 'explaining' will suffice. If subsequently the traveller is refused entry at the Thai border, the airline is liable. I can assure you that they have no interest in putting themselves at risk.

If the airline say no, the OP will have to buy a ticket leaving Thailand there and then.

Perhaps he should have his laptop with him, together with Internet access, so that he can book a ticket on the spot. Airlines in Thailand will charge you 2000 baht to cancel even a full priced ticket. A return flight to KL or say, Ho Chi Minh will cost 4000 baht or so with Air Asia.

[stevenl]

Its easily explained if someone asks, and is completely pheasable that you would be lamding in Thailand, touring around the region and departing back out of Thailand and will get the border visa etc when re-entering, people do this all the time.

Agree, easily explained, but does not meet entry requirements. So if the officer handling boarding decides not to accept this, or maybe even the immigration officer, although this seldom happens, the OP would have a problem.

Tourist visa or flight ticket out of Thailand (either refundable or a ticket the Op intends to use) would both meet requirements and are easy to arrange as well.

[lopburi3]

As you need to leave I would buy a cheap AirAsia or other discount ticket now when you can obtain at max discount and have that to prove onward travel if required. You can then use that flight for your trip to obtain another 30 day entry.

[phuketrichard]

just go online NOW and get a cheap ticket to penang or kl and write it off.

Do ur land border corssing on day 29 after u fly in and then come back with the 15 days additional.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

just go online NOW and get a cheap ticket to penang or kl and write it off.

Do ur land border corssing on day 29 after u fly in and then come back with the 15 days additional.

This doesn't really make a lot of sense. Buying a International ticket, writing it off and then doing a land border crossing anyway??

Better to buy the return International ticket as I suggested before for 4000 baht. Can travel from mid December onwards, as he will get 30 days on return.

Instead of just wasting 4000 baht on write offs and sitting on a coach to go to the border for nothing, it's much better to use that cash on a trip to somewhere interesting.

[magpie3]

[A bit on the late side this reply but - stable door & bolted horse aside:

Tickets I have bought normally have 1, 3 , 6, and 12 month validity.

A 3 month validity return ticket from the UK often (if not always) has one FREE date change for your return flight.

Not sure if the OP could have altered this date before leaving, but even if there was a cost involved it would have been posssible subject to his available time.

The 'depart Thailand date' could then have been fixed to meet the original 30 day 'visa on arrival' requirements and then changed after arrival in Thailand to suit a his requirements of a 42 day stay.

A further 'visa on arrival' could then have been granted during a border crossing to a neighbouring country.

Or have the ever changing visa rules made this idea obsolete too?

Never take anything for granted in Thailand - even when it's officially confirmed policy!

[stevenl]

[A bit on the late side this reply but - stable door & bolted horse aside:

Tickets I have bought normally have 1, 3 , 6, and 12 month validity.

A 3 month validity return ticket from the UK often (if not always) has one FREE date change for your return flight.

Not sure if the OP could have altered this date before leaving, but even if there was a cost involved it would have been posssible subject to his available time.

The 'depart Thailand date' could then have been fixed to meet the original 30 day 'visa on arrival' requirements and then changed after arrival in Thailand to suit a his requirements of a 42 day stay.

A further 'visa on arrival' could then have been granted during a border crossing to a neighbouring country.

Or have the ever changing visa rules made this idea obsolete too?

Never take anything for granted in Thailand - even when it's officially confirmed policy!

It really would be helpful if you could use the correct names.

The op is asking about extension of visa exempt entry. Visa on arrival is granted to certain nationalities, the visa obtained in advance from embassy/consulate is a tourist visa.

[magpie3]

[A bit on the late side this reply but - stable door & bolted horse aside:

Tickets I have bought normally have 1, 3 , 6, and 12 month validity.

A 3 month validity return ticket from the UK often (if not always) has one FREE date change for your return flight.

Not sure if the OP could have altered this date before leaving, but even if there was a cost involved it would have been posssible subject to his available time.

The 'depart Thailand date' could then have been fixed to meet the original 30 day 'visa on arrival' requirements and then changed after arrival in Thailand to suit a his requirements of a 42 day stay.

A further 'visa on arrival' could then have been granted during a border crossing to a neighbouring country.

Or have the ever changing visa rules made this idea obsolete too?

Never take anything for granted in Thailand - even when it's officially confirmed policy!

It really would be helpful if you could use the correct names.

The op is asking about extension of visa exempt entry. Visa on arrival is granted to certain nationalities, the visa obtained in advance from embassy/consulate is a tourist visa.

Which is why (being ignorant myself) I placed the terminology in inverted commas to enable anyone - even simple, inexperienced travellers - to interpret what I was describing.

Whether my logic holds true or not is still open to be shot down in flames - anyone?