i got a non immigrant o visa from hull uk on 12thJan 2010 but did not arrive in thailand until 20th april 2010 ......my 3 monthly visa run to mae sai today the immigration officer pointed out that the 'o' visa had expired on 12th jan 2011 (i had been basing my runs on the date on the departure card and stupidly thought that i had one year from the date of my arrival in april 2010 )......immigration has only given me a 2 week stamp but my flight home to uk is not until the middle of april........i am over 50 and have funds in uk but theres no way i can access the money for a retirement visa until i return to the uk........i dont want to be going to maesai every 2 weeks until april so is there any other option for me..i was told my another farang that i could get a 2x2 month visa at vientiane...is this true?

thanks for any advice

That's too bad, if you had made the trip before the 12th you would have gotten another 90 days. You can apply for a Tourist Visa, they're free until March, single entry is good for a stay of 60 days, and can get a 30 day extension for 1900 Baht.

Edited January 19, 201115 yr by beechguy

That's too bad, if you had made the trip before the 12th you would have gotten another 90 days. You can apply for a Tourist Visa, they're free until March, single entry is good for a stay of 60 days, and can get a 30 day extension for 1900 Baht.

from where?...........all they offered me at maisai was 2 weeks

From any Thai consulate or Embassy. There is not one in Mae Sai.

So yes, you can do the tourist visa. You can make land based border runs every 13 days, you can fly RT and get 30 days. Your easiest option will be to go to Laos and get a tourist visa. If 90 days won't quite make it for you for your flight (it should) you can get a double entry. If 97 will cover you you could save an exit/entry by getting a tourist visa, extending it 30 days in the country (1900 baht, and then extending 7 more days 1900 baht more -- they may want to see your air ticket that will be used in the last 7 days.

From any Thai consulate or Embassy. There is not one in Mae Sai.

So yes, you can do the tourist visa. You can make land based border runs every 13 days, you can fly RT and get 30 days. Your easiest option will be to go to Laos and get a tourist visa. If 90 days won't quite make it for you for your flight (it should) you can get a double entry. If 97 will cover you you could save an exit/entry by getting a tourist visa, extending it 30 days in the country (1900 baht, and then extending 7 more days 1900 baht more -- they may want to see your air ticket that will be used in the last 7 days.

am i right in saying that the nearest thai embassy/consulate from CM is Vientaine?......and i can get a double entry tourist visa there?

From any Thai consulate or Embassy. There is not one in Mae Sai.

So yes, you can do the tourist visa. You can make land based border runs every 13 days, you can fly RT and get 30 days. Your easiest option will be to go to Laos and get a tourist visa. If 90 days won't quite make it for you for your flight (it should) you can get a double entry. If 97 will cover you you could save an exit/entry by getting a tourist visa, extending it 30 days in the country (1900 baht, and then extending 7 more days 1900 baht more -- they may want to see your air ticket that will be used in the last 7 days.

am i right in saying that the nearest thai embassy/consulate from CM is Vientaine?......and i can get a double entry tourist visa there?

Yes and yes, but it isn't that cheap to fly there and the bus journey is a pain.

Air asia has a special 1990 baht to fly to Singapore direct from CNX maybe simpler than Laos.

I just looked at flying CNX to SIN 27/01, return the next day, as an example and the total price including taxes was ฿5640. Outward flight was a promo price of ฿1590, return flight a regualr price of ฿2590. The rest is airport taxes. If you actually want to take any luggage the price is going to be ฿6000 ++ by the time you've finished.

I guess there might be other dates where you can actually get the promotional price advertised but as usual with Air Asia it is more than likely you will end up paying a great deal more - I have been disappointed on many occasions when trying to take advantage of their special deals.

EDIT: They are advertising a price of ฿1330 from Chiang Mai to Singapore at the moment but it is only for travel between the 01/07 and 30/9 so is not a lot of use to the OP...

Edited January 20, 201115 yr by inthepink