Holiday Overstay Looming

[CaptainFantastic]

Can anyone tell me what the situation is regarding "overstaying" a holiday.

Am booking flights but understand that I'm only allowed to stay for 30 days.

However hard I try, I can't get my proposed stay below 32 days.

Will I be fined at the airport or are they likely to ignore my overstay?

Thanks in advance to those in the know.

[moe666]

500 baht for each day over stay. No they will not ignore. Get a tourist visa before you leave it will give you 60 days extendable to 90 days. Should have posted in Visa section

[Mario2008]

Either get a tourist visa before you leave (which would be the best as an ailrine can refuse yo take you with them if you do not have proof of leaving the country within 30 days OR have a visa), or get a 7 day "extension" for 1,900 baht at immigration in Thailand.

[CharlieH]

OR cross a land border with Thailand (Laos, Cambodia,Malaysia,Myanmar) and you'll get another 15 days when you come back in. (lliterally stamp out, turn around and comeback in again, but you will need a visa for the country your entering)

[ESB7]

OR cross a land border with Thailand (Laos, Cambodia,Malaysia,Myanmar) and you'll get another 15 days when you come back in. (lliterally stamp out, turn around and comeback in again, but you will need a visa for the country your entering)

Malaysia and Burma no visa required

[theoldgit]

OR cross a land border with Thailand (Laos, Cambodia,Malaysia,Myanmar) and you'll get another 15 days when you come back in. (lliterally stamp out, turn around and comeback in again, but you will need a visa for the country your entering)

Malaysia and Burma no visa required

I certainly needed a visa last time I went to Burma, though it was for a holiday not a visa run, so do you not need a visa for a border run?

The OP is looking at a two day overstay at most, does he really want the hassle of a border run? As 'Mario2008' points out his airline might not even board him without a visa.

[CaptainFantastic]

Thanks for the replies.

Easiest, in theory, would be to just cough up the 2 x 500Bhts but the thought that my airline might not even board me is terrifying!!!!

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

I don't live anywhere near the Thai Embassy in UK. Can I apply for a Tourist Visa by post or on-line, does anyone know?

Sweating a little here, now and it ain't due to the air-temperature .

[jdinasia]

Thanks for the replies.

Easiest, in theory, would be to just cough up the 2 x 500Bhts but the thought that my airline might not even board me is terrifying!!!!

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

I don't live anywhere near the Thai Embassy in UK. Can I apply for a Tourist Visa by post or on-line, does anyone know?

Sweating a little here, now and it ain't due to the air-temperature .

Assuming you are in the UK with your passport ...

You can send it to Hull and get a fast turn-around time.

[Soutpeel]

Easiest, in theory, would be to just cough up the 2 x 500Bhts but the thought that my airline might not even board me is terrifying!!!!

and of course the "overstay" stamp in your PP.....

[Ricardo]

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

If you're going to Burma anyway, then plan your return to be less-than 14 days from final-departure, and you'll be given 30 days on-first-arrival (by air) and 14 days on-return-from-Burma (by land), which should solve your problem, without needing a tourist-visa in-advance ?

[jdinasia]

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

If you're going to Burma anyway, then plan your return to be less-than 14 days from final-departure, and you'll be given 30 days on-first-arrival (by air) and 14 days on-return-from-Burma (by land), which should solve your problem, without needing a tourist-visa in-advance ?

Still runs the risk of the airline not allowing him to fly to Thailand.

[Crossy]

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

If you're going to Burma anyway, then plan your return to be less-than 14 days from final-departure, and you'll be given 30 days on-first-arrival (by air) and 14 days on-return-from-Burma (by land), which should solve your problem, without needing a tourist-visa in-advance ?

But it won't get him on the flight at Heathrow unless he already has his air tickets to Yangon.

[CharlieH]

Thanks for the replies.

Easiest, in theory, would be to just cough up the 2 x 500Bhts but the thought that my airline might not even board me is terrifying!!!!

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

I don't live anywhere near the Thai Embassy in UK. Can I apply for a Tourist Visa by post or on-line, does anyone know?

Sweating a little here, now and it ain't due to the air-temperature .

Its not the Embassy you need its a CONSULATE and they are in Brimingham Cardiff and Hull

ALL will take applications by post and turn around quickly.

[janverbeem]

Thanks for the replies.

Easiest, in theory, would be to just cough up the 2 x 500Bhts but the thought that my airline might not even board me is terrifying!!!!

That's a great pity as, coincidentally, I'm planning to visit Burma while I'm there.

I don't live anywhere near the Thai Embassy in UK. Can I apply for a Tourist Visa by post or on-line, does anyone know?

Sweating a little here, now and it ain't due to the air-temperature .

That would in fact be the easiest and cheapest solution, but if you might have the unlucky coincidence to get an accident or experience a police check during those last 2 days you might end up sleeping in a police cell and be fined a considerable amount.

[BlueScouse]

Also a consulate in Liverpool,if nearer.

[IMA_FARANG]

Best and surest solution is to get a single entry tourist visa in the U.K. before you leave.

You will have to pay for it...but it's not expensive. If you can't pay for the visa, you probably can't afford to come to Thailand for a month. (just joking).

I believe it can be extended here in Thailand...so you don't have to worry about paying for the overstay time.

You can get it in the U.K. either at the nearest Thai consulate or by mail. You can use "express" mail...or the equivalent service in the U.K. and the whole process shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 days...maybe five if it's over a weekend and the Thai consulate is closed.

Also getting a visa before you leave will short-circuit annoying questions from the airline such as,"Do you have a visa to enter Thailand, sir?".

I'm not sure if you need an "onward ticket"...a ticket exiting Thailand before the nearest Thai consulate will issue a tourist visa or not. So it would be best to book a ticket before you try to get that visa. Just give yourself enough time to get it before you actually leave.

If for some reason you can't get or don't have the time to get that tourist visa before you leave...you can extend your 30 day arrival stamp here in Thailand...I believe for 7 days at the local immigration where you are in Thailand. There is a small fee for that also. But it will avoid the problem of leaving at 32 days with a two day overstay.

In fact, although this is not always true, usually the immigration will forgive you the fee for the first 24 hours overstay. You will get it written into your passort in Thai, and they wil tell you not to do that again...but an overstay does not stop you from coming back to Thailand again. A two day overstay, with the first day overstay "forgiven" will cost you a little over 10 pounds and get you the "you've been a bad boy" lecture on your departure from the airport immigration people. The overstay fee is 500 baht, a litle over 10 pounds for eac day you are charged with overstay ...so anything over a 3 or 4 day overstay can quickly get expensive. It starts cutting into the "beer and women" money you budgeted for your holiday quickly.

The maximum overstay fee right now is 20,000 Baht or about 500 pounds.

[CaptainFantastic]

Thanks to everyone who offered your advice and experience.

I was completely unaware that my airline might refuse my boarding if I didn't have a visa for the entire duration of the trip.

Thank Buddha I asked

Have taken the advice on-board and, as someone correctly pointed out, the Thai Embassy in London don't offer a postal service but there are consulates dotted around that can.

I've spoken with one who said their turnaround is only 3 days (but I'll give it a good six weeks in case of mishap - passport lost in post etc).

The current charge for a 60 day Tourist Visa is £28 + the cost of 2 x recent passport photos + Recorded Delivery for my passport to them + return pre-paid Recorded Delivery envelope for the passport/visa's return. A bit steep for an extra 2 days but cheap for the peace of mind it affords.

Thanks again for all the help.

It could, oh so easily, have turned quite ugly at check-in denial .

Another problem sorted. Another weight off my mind.:jap: