Visa On Arrival

[Ziggy999]

Please excuse me if this is a rather simple request for information, but, I need an answer as quickly as possible, and I know how helpful people are here.

I'm arriving in Bangkok from the UK on Sunday. I am a UK citizen. When I arrived from Sydeny in Thailand a few weeks ago, I simply got a 30 stay from customs on arrival. This time I need to stay at least 2 months. My dilemmas are that my wife is expecting in Thailand almost exactly 30 days after my arrival, and I need to renew my passport. I know how to do the latter, but, is there any way I can get a 60 day stay without doing the visa run (and potentially missing the birth)? If I had time while in the UK I would get a 60 day tourist visa in the UK, but, I do not have time while here.

Thank you ever so much for any help and advice.

[Ziggy999]

Yes, posted in wrong part of the forum:(<br>

[Lite Beer]

Moved to Visas.

[Lite Beer]

Your problem is that without a Visa or a flight leaving Thailand within 30 days you may not be allowed on the flight.

If you make it to Thailand you can visit a neighbouring country and get a free Tourist Visa.

[Ziggy999]

Yes, that has occured to me - I have never been asked for evidence of an onward flight, but, this could be my unlucky day. If anyone also has an idea of how to overcome this, then I would be interested...

Your problem is that without a Visa or a flight leaving Thailand within 30 days you may not be allowed on the flight.

[Lite Beer]

Book a cheap Air Asia flight to anywhere out of Thailand and either do not use it or use it to get a Visa.

[Mario2008]

Your passport is the first problem, for entry you need at least 6 monhts left on your passport. Next problem is that you need a visa, as pointed out without a visa the airline can deny you boarding.

The requirement for a visa can be solved by buying a cheap one way ticket from a budget airline out of Thailand to a neighbouring country. But you don't have time to fix the passport validity of at least 6 months! You might need to apply for an emergency travel document tomorrow.

Is your wife Thai and are you officially married?

[Ziggy999]

Thanks for the help. The passport still has 7 months, so that should not be a problem. I got a flight from Sydney 3 weeks ago to Bangkok, without a visa - and simply got 30 days on arrival. I did have an onward ticket to the UK, but they did not ask to see it.

My wife is not Thai, and yes, we are officially married.

Thanks again for the advice.

Your passport is the first problem, for entry you need at least 6 monhts left on your passport. Next problem is that you need a visa, as pointed out without a visa the airline can deny you boarding.

The requirement for a visa can be solved by buying a cheap one way ticket from a budget airline out of Thailand to a neighbouring country. But you don't have time to fix the passport validity of at least 6 months! You might need to apply for an emergency travel document tomorrow.

Is your wife Thai and are you officially married?

[Mario2008]

They can often see you have an onward ticket, but good that your passport is still valid. Best would be to ty to get a tourist visa in Australia, that would give you 60 days, to be extended with 30 days.

If your wife is working in Thailand with a work permit, you could be her dependend and ask for a non-O visa. But that might require some additional apers which you might not have. So a tourist visa would be fine.

Apply tomorrow in Sydney. Be aware that they will be closed this Friday, as it is a Thai holiday.

http://www.thaiconsulatesydney.org/us.html

Hope everything will go smootly with the birth.

[Lite Beer]

He is in UK Mario.

At least that gives him a bit more time. Tourist Visas are free.

[Ziggy999]

I am in the UK - I actually do not have time to get the visa, due to location and commitments in the UK. Can I just get this clear: the visa run is necessary (which I am trying to avoid, simply due to missing the baby's arrival)? There is no way around this?

I'm actually returning to Bangkok on a return ticket, from Bangkok, with Jet Airways. I cannot see them refusing me to fly, though I could be wrong:(

Again, thanks.

He is in UK Mario.

At least that gives him a bit more time. Tourist Visas are free.

[Mario2008]

He is in UK Mario.

At least that gives him a bit more time. Tourist Visas are free.

Oops, read to quickly. The last rip was one Sydney

In that case the advise would be to apply in person at the conuslate in Hull for a non-O visa based on visiting the wife. You will only have to give the address of your wife in thailand for that and will be good for 90 days. if you wan you cna get a multiple entry non-O god for unlimited entries of 90 days during 1 year.

As said, call them and visit them in person if you can. Do not use the embassy in London. As Hull is a honorary consulate, they might be open this Friday. General consulates and embassies will not be open.

[Lite Beer]

As said if you make it to Thailand you will need to leave before the thirty days are up.

You can always go after a few days and get a Tourist Visa.

A border run by land will only give you 15 days.

[Mario2008]

Major airlines will check the visa requirement strictly, budget airlines tend not too check strictly. But be prepared to buy a ticket online if tyou have a creditcard with a budget airline out of Thailand.

You could do the visa run when you arrive and just go to vientianne.

There is also the possibility of getting an extension baseed on medical reasons, which in your case would be your wife giving birth. But that is absolutely not a certainty on which you can count. Much will depend on how sympathatic the immigration officer will be.

2.25 In the case of medical

treatment or convalescence or to look after a patient:

Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 90 days at a time.

(1) Confirmation and request has been made by a physician

responsible for the treatment. The Physician must describe the details of treatment and advised that the illness is a barrier for travelling.

(2) In the case of looking after a patient, confirmation and request has been made by the physician responsible for the treatment or by an embassy or consulate.

(3) Patient Carer, except parents, spouse, children, adopted children or children of spouse, shall be granted no more than 1 extra person.

If your wife will deliver in a welknown private hospital, these often have liasons with immirgation and can help you get the extension.

[Ziggy999]

Yes, leaving after a few days is an idea. Apologies for all my questions, but this is helpful and I just need to be clear: I will need to fly out of Thailand, say, to Singapore, and apply for a tourist visa? There is no way of doing this in Bangkok?

As said if you make it to Thailand you will need to leave before the thirty days are up.

You can always go after a few days and get a Tourist Visa.

A border run by land will only give you 15 days.

[Ziggy999]

Thank you, that is so helpful. Surely attnding to my wife and baby are good grounds? She is giving birth at Phyathai hospital, so, they should have visa people.

I will have my credit card ready on Sunday:)

Major airlines will check the visa requirement strictly, budget airlines tend not too check strictly. But be prepared to buy a ticket online if tyou have a creditcard with a budget airline out of Thailand.

You could do the visa run when you arrive and just go to vientianne.

There is also the possibility of getting an extension baseed on medical reasons, which in your case would be your wife giving birth. But that is absolutely not a certainty on which you can count. Much will depend on how sympathatic the immigration officer will be.

2.25 In the case of medical

treatment or convalescence or to look after a patient:

Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 90 days at a time.

(1) Confirmation and request has been made by a physician

responsible for the treatment. The Physician must describe the details of treatment and advised that the illness is a barrier for travelling.

(2) In the case of looking after a patient, confirmation and request has been made by the physician responsible for the treatment or by an embassy or consulate.

(3) Patient Carer, except parents, spouse, children, adopted children or children of spouse, shall be granted no more than 1 extra person.

If your wife will deliver in a welknown private hospital, these often have liasons with immirgation and can help you get the extension.

[Mario2008]

Vientianne is even better, there you can get a double entry visa. But for a single entry Kula Lumpur would do fine, whatever is the cheapest option.

Do note that at all consulates in the region you submit on day one and get the visa back the next working day.

[Mario2008]

Hospitals like that tend to have good liasons and they will take care of you.

If not, you can always get a tourist visa from abroad.

[Ziggy999]

Thanks for all these replies. I feel slightly more assured now and am at least clear of my options. I think the hospital is a good bet - I think we are paying 40,000 for the birth, if all goes well, so, they should have a good service.

Cheers for all this help!

Hospitals like that tend to have good liasons and they will take care of you.

If not, you can always get a tourist visa from abroad.