Tourist Visa For Thailand - Queries

[Mehul]

I am a US citizen and I am traveling to Bangkok for 49 days.

I called the Thai consulate today in Los Angeles to find out about my VISA status

The consulate says that they will not let me in the country because they only give you a VISA for 30 days upon entering

However I can get a 60 day VISA if I go to the Thai consulate in LA, CA but that's a big road trip for me during a busy time.

I need to know if I have any other options other than actually going to the Thai Consulate in LA. Please provide your valuable advice on the following:

1) I want to know will they let me in the country with a return flight 49 days later and no 60 day VISA

2) I need to know if there’s any other way around this problem - Can I handle it in Bangkok when I'm there, can I hire someone to do it for me quickly, is there any other way?

3) If I can get into Thailand with a 30 day tourist VISA that they give at the Bangkok airport, can I renew it or get a 60 day once I'm there or do I have to cross the border of a neighboring country and come back?

Please guide.

Looking forward to your early response on this.

Thanks

Mehul

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Do your Thai visa by MAIL with the LA Consulate, should take less than a week.

FYI, your airline might just not let you board if you don't have a visa. United gave me a hard time last October even tho I had a one-year visa extension and a re-entry permit, the gal just hadn't seen such before.

If you are flying "right now," one option would be to buy a cheapie ticket online out of Thailand within your 30 day window, then cancel it and get a refund on arrival.

Note, tho, you won't get a two week extension in Thailand to the 30-day airport chop. You'd have to depart Thailand, say to Cambodia or Laos, and return, and then you'd only get 15 days.

Getting a 60-day Thai visa is your best bet.

Mac

[lopburi3]

if I go to the Thai consulate in LA, CA but that's a big road trip for me during a busy time.

As a check to find the nearest Consulate for your location found you are apparently posting from outside the US. If American you can obtain a Thai visa at any Thai Consulate.