Ok, I am returning to Thailand as a tourist and have only ever entered with student visas or non-imm B's.

Now I can mail off my passport to New York and they says 10 business days + mailing time. i would overnight it and I am in Philadelphia (about 2+hrs away). I can't do the option of dropping it off and waiting 2 days in NYC due to it being the week before finals.

Now I leave on the 12th of May and I SHOULD have enough time for this if it all works 100% smoothly, but there is still a risk

Cost is $70 for 2 entry + mailing both ways overnight

Now the second option would be the double visa in PP. I have always wanted to visit Angkor Wat and figured I could go to Cambodia for a week and pick up the visa there.

What would you more experienced folks suggest, and I am open to any other viable suggestions

thanks for the help!

You could call an honorary consulate, ie not Washinton DC, New York, Chicago or Los Angeles, from this list. They are usually not as overworked as a full-service consulate and give a faster turnaround, often overnight.

Just fly in and get a 30 day visa on arrival. Extend by 30 days in Bkk if you like.

Then go get a double from PP when you have to.

Just fly in and get a 30 day visa on arrival. Extend by 30 days in Bkk if you like.

Then go get a double from PP when you have to.

There is no 30 day extension on a visa-exemption entry (Visa on arrival is something else to which he is not entitled), best he could hope for would be 7 days for 1900 Baht.

Also, unless he has a flight out within 30 days he may not be allowed to board his flight in the US.

Just fly in and get a 30 day visa on arrival. Extend by 30 days in Bkk if you like.

Then go get a double from PP when you have to.

There is no 30 day extension on a visa-exemption entry (Visa on arrival is something else to which he is not entitled), best he could hope for would be 7 days for 1900 Baht.

Also, unless he has a flight out within 30 days he may not be allowed to board his flight in the US.

Good point, I failed to mention that if I went the PP route, I would purchase a flight to PP prior to leaving the US which would be done before the original 30 days was up.

Maestro: thanks I will look into that.

Found a third option. Mailing it up to them and they will call when they are done and I can go get it. I have time to travel one time, but not twice, so this works out best.

thanks for all the input