Got Wrong Stamp Upon Arrival, Wont Fix In Jomtien

[thebestman36]

Upon arrival at the airport they stamped me with a 30 day instead of a 60 day which I was supposed to get. My wife received the right stamp. We are spending 91 days in thailand. We were going to be getting a 30 day extension later. So I go to the office in jomtien and the front desk girl tells me that they cant fix it, can only be fixed in main office bangkok. Does this seem right? Seems like a bunch of trouble for a simple mistake. So if I was in phuket, I'd have to fly back to bangkok just to fix an incorrect stamp even though I have the 60 day tourist page given to me in usa? Any ideas? Also they stamped us for december 29 even though we entered 12:30 am december 30, which is going to run us at 92 days on this trip, 2 days over. We planned on 91 since they let 1 day slide. Ideas?

[Soutpeel]

Yes..Generally a "remote" office will not fix needs to go to BKK

I am on a WP/extension of stay and they chopped me in with a 30 day on one ocassion, caused me 7 days of grief and a trip to BKK to get fixed.

Its your choice, get fixed or pay the overstay for 60 days, the visa per se means nothing its the permission to stay stamp that counts and currently your permission to stay is 30 days

I am guessing this happened at BKK airport, so you could take a trip back the airport and get it corrected there

Edited January 11, 2011 by Soutpeel

[lopburi3]

You should have checked at airport and it could have been corrected there. Once outside Bangkok immigration is the place to go. Midnight to one arrival often get previous day stamps.

As for your plans to overstay the fine will be 1,000 baht each or you can avoid the overstay stamp/fine for 1,900 with an extension of 7 days request. Perhaps an alternative would be obtaining a new tourist visa rather than extension of stay? They are still free until the end of March I believe.

[jombom]

What is a 60 day tourist page ?? ------- is it a visa, pass, or something else.

Jomtien cannot modify an entry stamp (IMHO), but perhaps you can get it done at the airport. They used to have a special office for these kinds of problems. The express airport bus from Thapraya/Theprasit junction costs 124 baht one way, link is www.airportpattayabus.com

Otherwise, when you have adjusted, try the immigration office in Jomtien again, with a different approach, such as trying to get the 60 + 30 modified to a 3 month extension of stay or something. They can be quite creative, if the correct approach is used e.g. friendly, respectful, and non-confrontational. Maybe next week on Wed or Thurs, at about 1pm.

And Good Luck.

[lopburi3]

Corrections are done at Bangkok main immigration.

There is no 3 month extension available for tourist visa entry.

[hullupullo]

Is your tourist visa stamped "used"? If not, just go Cambodia border run before your given 30 days runs out and you will get 60 days by using your visa. And of course you have to go before visa "enter before" date. Then you don't even need to get 30 day extension, only your wife needs that.

[thebestman36]

Thanks for the replies guys.

By "tourist page" I just meant the page in my passport containing my thailand tourist visa for this trip. Entrance for it expired january 11.

We have a flight scheduled out of bkk on jan 17 at 7 in the morning. Of course the 15th and 16th are weekend so the bangkok office is closed. We have paid hotel here so hate to have to leave 4 days early to spend in bangkok just to fix this or even waste a whole day at bangkok immigration. If could do at airport would be great. Im surprised they might be able to fix it there, but I guess yall are saying that its worth a shot of making the bus ride there. Could try and fix before our 7 in the morning flight, but maybe not have the right people there at that time of day?

[thebestman36]

So based on what Ive gathered from different sources, im going to first go back to jomtien and try and talk to someone different, such as the volunteer tourist police there, and see if they can fix for a price. Someone reported having it done there for 500 baht. If that doesnt work, its off to the airport.

[Soutpeel]

So based on what Ive gathered from different sources, im going to first go back to jomtien and try and talk to someone different, such as the volunteer tourist police there, and see if they can fix for a price. Someone reported having it done there for 500 baht. If that doesnt work, its off to the airport.

I believe you are wasting your time at Jomtien, and what have the tourist police got to do with it ?......you need to deal with immigration, not the police

I guess you have been listening to the resident farang expert who was sitting on bar stools in Jomtien ?

up to you best of luck,

the longer you leave the airport, the harder it may become to change and you will end up in BKK

Let us know the result

[steve187]

where are you flying to?

[thebestman36]

Flying to surat thani.

The advice about going back to jomtien was given to me on a pattaya chat board. It seems that there is a resident tourist police guy that works at the immigration office that has helped others in the past. I guess him being a tourist police has nothing to do with his job at the immigration office. If jomtien doesnt work tomorrow I will do the airport friday. It has already been 2 weeks since the wrong stamp. Not sure time passed makes difference at this point? I'll let yall know how i fare.

[thebestman36]

Well good news. We entered the jomtien office and at first couldnt find Barry. We were turned down by both the front desk girl and her supervisor, both telling us again that we need to go to bangkok office to fix. The girl told us Barry would be back in a few minutes, so we waited. When Barry showed up he quickly took my passport and returned 2 minutes later with new stamp, no charge. Thank God, wasnt looking forward to bangkok search for fix.

[Soutpeel]

Well good news. We entered the jomtien office and at first couldnt find Barry. We were turned down by both the front desk girl and her supervisor, both telling us again that we need to go to bangkok office to fix. The girl told us Barry would be back in a few minutes, so we waited. When Barry showed up he quickly took my passport and returned 2 minutes later with new stamp, no charge. Thank God, wasnt looking forward to bangkok search for fix.

Well done...how much it cost you ?

[jombom]

Well done. Three cheers for Barry.

Nice to see, some people at the office in Jomtien know what they are doing.

[thebestman36]

No cost, and didnt even get a chance to tip him for his trouble, as he took off so quick. He wasnt a man of many words, cut right to the chase.