42 Day Stay In Thailand

[MeganPozza]

Hello everyone,

I am in desperate need of some guidance! I leave in one week for Thailand, and will be staying for 42 days. I am a university student and have received conflicting information from my advisers concerning Visa's and this trip.

As a United States Citizen, I know I am permitted to stay for 30 days. Everyone is telling me that I ought to just take a weekend trip to Cambodia and re-enter and I'll be fine for the 42 days I need, but I can't seem to find any information on the web about whether or not this will work. Can I just pay extra at the airport to stay for the extra 12 days? No one seems to know the answer...

I've never traveled abroad so this is all very confusing for me. I would be so thankful if someone could tell me what to expect!

Thank you!

Edited July 8, 2011 by MeganPozza

[surayu]

Hi Megan, yes you will get an additional 14 days when you cross the border, you can come back into the country straight away, it will probably take you 30 minutes once there, don't forget the pictures.

[bobo42]

As an American with no Thailand visa, you will be entering Thailand on a 30-day visa-exempt stamp. As far as I know, there is no easy way to extend this, you can't just pay at the airport. But you are correct that with the quick trip out to Cambodia (or any neighbouring country), you can re-enter on another visa-exempt stamp. If you exit Cambodia overland, you only get a 14 day stamp, rather than to 30 you got when you entered at the international airport.

Normally, you should have just picked yourself up a standard 60-day tourist visa, and you wouldn't have to deal with this, but not enough time to change that now. You'll get to see more this way anyway, enjoy yourself.

[Cuban]

Can I just pay extra at the airport to stay for the extra 12 days?

No, this is not possible. *

Cross into another country at a land boarder, turn around and come back in to Thailand and you will be given a fresh stamp in your passport for valid for 15 days.

Fly out to another country, and come back you will be given a fresh 30 day stamp.

These are the easiest things in your situation.

You could obtain a Tourist Visa before you leave your country, valid for 60 days - can be extended by 30 day for a fee, then extended again by 10 days for an extra fee. If you do this work out exactly what date you expect to be stamped in your passport before passing through Thai immigration. Most of the time they are on "auto pilot" and will stamp every passport as 30 days at the airport - getting a mistake corrected after you walk away from the counter is difficult.

* (You could, pay for the overstay of your visa by 12 days as you leave the country, however this is probably a bad idea, as it is illegal to overstay the stamp date in your passport. If you are caught during that 12 days you will be arrested and imprisoned. The fee at the airport is 12,000 Baht?)

Edited July 8, 2011 by Cuban

[CharlieH]

You may have a serious problem !

If you do not have a valid Visa then you will need proof of onward travel (leaving Thailand) after 30 days or the Airline may refuse to let you board the plane.

You can get a Tourist Visa very easily and quickly at a Thai Consulate, there are many in the US, do that and you'll have no worries anywhere.

Edited July 8, 2011 by CharlieH

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Megan

There's a Thai consulate in Chicago, give them a call and ask if they can turnaround a Tourist Visa that'd fit your time frame for departure. You could UPS your passport and application out on Saturday, they'd have it by Monday, to send back to you via Expedited Mail.

http://www.thaiconsulatechicago.org/clate/visa.html

Royal Thai Consulate-General

700 North Rush Street,

Chicago, IL 60611-2504

Telephone: (1-312) 664-3129 Facsimile: (1-312) 664-3230

E-mail: [email protected]

Office-Hours : 09.00 hrs. - 12.00 hrs. and 13.00 hrs. - 16.30 hrs. (Monday - Friday)

Consular Services Hours : 09.00 hrs. - 12.00 hrs. and 13.00 hrs. - 14.00 hrs. (Monday - Friday)

Visa

Tel: 312-664-3129 extension 121

email: [email protected]

Mac

[Jingthing]

If you don't have time to get a tourist visa, there is another option. Buy a throwaway AIR ticket to Malaysia (one way) that leaves before the 30th day you'll be in Thailand. It must be an air ticket. Shop around for the cheapest, such as Hat Yai Thailand to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Most likely you will NOT be boarded in the US with your current plan. It would be foolish to show up at the airport that way because if the agent lets you board, basically they didn't do their job, wouldn't rely on that even though possible. The tourist visa would be best, but the ticket out within 30 days should also work. The problem is boarding in the US, in Thailand, they don't ask so you don't tell ...

Edited July 9, 2011 by Jingthing

[lopburi3]

As you have little time to obtain a proper tourist visa I would advise arriving at airport early enough to purchase a ticket out within 30 days if required. As said airline can require to see this (although with your round trip ticket they may allow travel anyway). You will not have a problem on entry as it is not checked for first world travelers and a simple trip to another country/immediate return will get another 15 days by land or 30 days by air.

If you must buy ticket a refundable fare (if you can afford it) might be cheaper than a cheap throw away. Or you might just get a r/t ticket to Malaysia or Singapore (no visa fee) and spend a day or two there as part of your trip and get a new 30 day stamp on return.

[phuketrichard]

Buy an air asia ticket to KL or Phnom Penh business class and that's fully refundable. Or buy a ticket u will use along with the return part back to Thailand

After 29 days head to any border and cross over and cross back, 15 days!!

or fly anywhere and fly back 30 days.

No problems

Edited July 9, 2011 by phuketrichard

[moe666]

Megan you have recieved good info here many options. I would then take a stick to your advisers if they cannot help you any better than they have they owe you an apology. The airline ticket is your big problem and being allowed to leave. Where are you located many consulates around the states that should be able to help you with a visa. Google is your friend

[Jingthing]

It is true if you don't have a tourist visa and you are boarded, as you will be getting a 30 day stamp at BKK, you will need to do a border run later. A land border run gives you 15 days so you will need to do that near the end of your 30 day stay. Where you go for your land border run depends on where you are in Thailand. Get specific advice here on border runs to the country you choose, either by posting or searching the forum. Alternatively, instead of the land border run you can do a quick roundtrip air border run or maybe stay there a few days. With that you get a new 30 day stamp so more flexibility on the date. If you decide in advance to do that, of course your throwaway one way air ticket would be replaced with a RT air ticket to Malaysia or another regional country that you WILL use. I agree with the poster who said arrive very early without a ticket out within 30 is an OPTION. It would be a more stressful option though and you would have no opportunity to do the research you need to buy the cheapest throwaway one way ticket. Yes, it is possible they will just board you anyway, so if you buy a throwaway one way ticket, you may be angry with us for telling you to buy it. I can live with that, as we know for a fact that they have a right to challenge your boarding. I have also heard some reports that sometimes they will board you without a visa or ticket out within 30 if you sign a document relieving them of any financial responsibility if Thailand denies entry to you (if that happened, which it won't, the airlines would normally be responsible for paying for your flight back). You simply can't count on being boarded with the visa or ticket out, or being given the option of signing a document. Those are possibilities but if you arrive at the airport that way, you really won't know. Most people want certainty that they will be boarded, so that is the intent of the advice here.

Does this sound complicated? Well, maybe it is. You really should have asked these questions MUCH earlier when you had plenty of time to get a TOURIST visa.

Have a nice trip.

Edited July 9, 2011 by Jingthing

[MeganPozza]

Thank you everyone for your help!

Basically I'm madder than a hornet's nest right now at my University for putting me in this situation. I KNEW there was something fishy about their advice, but it wasn't until the other day that I became really nervous. Indeed, I should have investigated this much earlier, but I trusted my advisor (who's actually Thai!) and didn't.

At any rate, I will call the Thai consulate in Chicago first thing Monday morning when they open and ask their advice about getting a Tourist Visa in a hurry. Alternately, I'll buy a roundtrip ticket to Singapore or Malaysia BEFORE I leave next week for a weekend trip out of Thailand within 30 days of entry. Hopefully they'll let me board the plane to Thailand in that case!

Ugh, next time I travel abroad (if I ever do after this horrible experience) I'm going through a travel agent.

[Jingthing]

I would suggest Penang Malaysia for tourist value for a short trip. Especially Georgetown. Singapore is great too, especially if you are into food, but it's very westernized for an Asian city. Good luck.

[moe666]

Megan be your own travel agent next time just start planning earlier. Travel agents are not that well versed on the many different area of the world unless they speacilize in that area and I still wouldn't trust them.

Do not let this little hiccup get you down traveling can be fun and rewarding, I have met many people the world over and some are still friends. Thailand is a great place and you should have a great time.

There are many people who post here in the same or similiar situation and it seem it always works out. Please let us know how it works out and what a great time you have in Thailand.

[jdinasia]

Honestly,

I would simply book a ticket on Air Asia for a weekend shopping trip to Singapore (weekdays would be fine too. You can fly in and out on the same day if you need to (and you won't need a visa for Singapore. When you come back into Thailand you'll get another 30 days and you have your proof of onward travel for both sections if needed.

Singapore is a 100% change from Thailand and a nice trip. You won't need ANY visas this way Just make sure the trip is booked before your first 30 days in Thailand is up.

AirAsia is a decent commuter airline on that route and there will be almost no learning curve for visiting Singapore as it is very clean, quite Western, and shopping in Chinatown, Little India, or the Muslim 1/4 is interesting.

[phuketrichard]

Why go to Singapore and pay outrageous prices for hotels??

head to Phnom Penh or Vientaine.

This is all assuming ur in Bangkok. If u really want save money and ur in Bangkok, take the train up north and cross over to Laos for a few days or take a bus to Cambodia. (both u buy visas at the border).

That way when u return by the land border ur on a 15 day no visa situation and under ur 42 day total.

Singapore is not much different than the states and there is NOTHING you can buy there you cant buy cheaper in the states (except Little India )

You have 100's or options once ur here.

[lopburi3]

You have 100's or options once ur here.

And that is the issue - getting here. A discount ticket to Singapore is likely to be a cheaper option than flights to Vientiane or PP and no visa is required. This is a first time traveler and suspect Singapore would be a lot easier (for her?) to navigate.

[Gonsalviz]

If you don't have time to get a tourist visa, there is another option. Buy a throwaway AIR ticket to Malaysia (one way) that leaves before the 30th day you'll be in Thailand. It must be an air ticket. Shop around for the cheapest, such as Hat Yai Thailand to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Most likely you will NOT be boarded in the US with your current plan. It would be foolish to show up at the airport that way because if the agent lets you board, basically they didn't do their job, wouldn't rely on that even though possible. The tourist visa would be best, but the ticket out within 30 days should also work. The problem is boarding in the US, in Thailand, they don't ask so you don't tell ...

Where is it that the OP said she did not have a round trip ticket?

While what you are saying is true. there is no real need to throw an extra scare in.

[samadhi]

Dear Megan,

The members of this forum are very knowledgable, but sometimes I feel they try to be too clever with their answers. I have traveled to Thailand from the USA many times on open-jaw and one-way tickets, have never had to get a visa in advance, and have never been denied boarding on the plane. IMHO this is all hyperbole.

Yes, a toursit visa good for 60-days makes the most sense. Or you can cross a border after 30 days and get another 14 days on return to cover your stay. In a pinch you can extend your 30-day entry permit for another 10 days at Immigration (cost 1900 baht) without leaving Thailand and while that won't cover the full 42 days it leaves you only 2 days short and you will NOT be arrested for overstaying 2 days but will have to pay 500 baht a day fine at the airport when you go home.

Enjoy your stay in Thailand

[Lite Beer]

Some false information above.

A Visa is needed to enter Thailand if staying longer than 30 days.

Airlines can and do refuse entry to the flight. If you are refused entry they are fined and responsible for taking you back. You maybe lucky , you may not.

A land entry gives 15 days,

The most you could expect from Immigration would be 7 days to leave the country.

Interactive website to check passport, visa and ticket requirements for travel to Thailand

[jdinasia]

Why go to Singapore and pay outrageous prices for hotels??

head to Phnom Penh or Vientaine.

This is all assuming ur in Bangkok. If u really want save money and ur in Bangkok, take the train up north and cross over to Laos for a few days or take a bus to Cambodia. (both u buy visas at the border).

That way when u return by the land border ur on a 15 day no visa situation and under ur 42 day total.

Singapore is not much different than the states and there is NOTHING you can buy there you cant buy cheaper in the states (except Little India )

You have 100's or options once ur here.

The flights to Singapore are cheap. A cheap hotel in Singapore costs about what a visa to Cambodia or Laos costs. She is in country for a short period of time and for a brand new traveler immigration at Changi is certainly easier than Poipet. She doesn't lose a day just to travel to a crappy border outpost. She may be denied boarding in the USA without a visa to the US without proof of onward travel in 30 days. There ARE many options but that onward travel ticket for coming with no visa is an issue.

BTW .. .. if you think Singapore is too expensive for hotels (there are decent relatively cheap ones available for online booking) then fly there first plane out in the morning and last plane back at night and no hotel is needed. Lots of stuff in Chinatown and Little India are less expensive than in the US or Thailand. Sentosa is worth a visit. There is no learning curve for Singapore. Fly in, take the light rail into town. etc etc etc

Samadhi's information is incorrect.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Dear Megan,

The members of this forum are very knowledgable, but sometimes I feel they try to be too clever with their answers. I have traveled to Thailand from the USA many times on open-jaw and one-way tickets, have never had to get a visa in advance, and have never been denied boarding on the plane. IMHO this is all hyperbole.

Yes, a toursit visa good for 60-days makes the most sense. Or you can cross a border after 30 days and get another 14 days on return to cover your stay. In a pinch you can extend your 30-day entry permit for another 10 days at Immigration (cost 1900 baht) without leaving Thailand and while that won't cover the full 42 days it leaves you only 2 days short and you will NOT be arrested for overstaying 2 days but will have to pay 500 baht a day fine at the airport when you go home.

Enjoy your stay in Thailand

FYI, last September checking in with United Air at Portland, OR, the gal asked for my Thai visa since I was on a oneway trip. Don' t have one, but do have a Re-Entry Permit. She'd never seen one of these before and kept asking for my "visa." I explained that the last visa I had was in 1998 and I've just been extending it since then. Finally she gave up and let me check in.

However, if I'd not had the Re-Entry Permit, or a visa, she'd have denied me getting on the plane back to Bangers.

It does happen, perhaps not every time, but some times.

Mac

[Jingthing]

If you don't have time to get a tourist visa, there is another option. Buy a throwaway AIR ticket to Malaysia (one way) that leaves before the 30th day you'll be in Thailand. It must be an air ticket. Shop around for the cheapest, such as Hat Yai Thailand to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Most likely you will NOT be boarded in the US with your current plan. It would be foolish to show up at the airport that way because if the agent lets you board, basically they didn't do their job, wouldn't rely on that even though possible. The tourist visa would be best, but the ticket out within 30 days should also work. The problem is boarding in the US, in Thailand, they don't ask so you don't tell ...

Where is it that the OP said she did not have a round trip ticket?

While what you are saying is true. there is no real need to throw an extra scare in.

Your charge against me, throwing in an extra scare, I think is FALSE; where did I say she didn't have a RT ticket, USA to Thailand?

She has a RT ticket USA to Thailand but it does not return with 30 days, and she has NO visa.

Thus we have been advising on various strategies to be assured she will be boarded on the plane in the USA.

A visa would be the best but probably not enough time.

Another option is buying a one way ticket out of Thailand before the 30 days in Thailand (which will allow boarding) to do either a quickie air visa run or a quick side trip. She doesn't have to use the regional one way air ticket, but she would still need one visa run during the trip, such as a land border visa run near the end of her 30 days giving another 15 days.

A probably better option as it takes care of both getting boarded and the visa run (which it sounds like she is doing, good idea) is buy a RT air ticket out of Thailand (also leaving before 30 days) to give another 30 days in Thailand, so recent posts have been ideas on suggesting a short trip within a trip.

BTW, I still suggest Penang and staying a few days. The architecture and feel of Georgetown is charming and definitely different than Thailand. It is compact and more walk around than Singapore, more exotic than Singapore, and at the end of the day while I love Singapore as one the great food cities in the world, it's another westernized big city. The USA has better shopping, no point for an American going there for shopping. Also no visa needed to get into Malaysia.

Cheers.

Edited July 10, 2011 by Jingthing

[lopburi3]

Also no visa needed to get into Malaysia.

With tear gas on the streets of KL and over 1,600 arrests in one day may not be a good choice currently for first time traveler.

[Jingthing]

Also no visa needed to get into Malaysia.

With tear gas on the streets of KL and over 1,600 arrests in one day may not be a good choice currently for first time traveler.

Fair enough, though I said Penang, not KL.

[Orac]

Before buying an extra ticket check with the airline on what their rules are regarding boarding without a visa - as per Samadhi's post, I have been able to board flights on one way tickets without a visa on a couple of occasions from the UK to Thailand and Indonesia after signing a waiver with the airline but this was 3-4 years ago.

[jdinasia]

Before buying an extra ticket check with the airline on what their rules are regarding boarding without a visa - as per Samadhi's post, I have been able to board flights on one way tickets without a visa on a couple of occasions from the UK to Thailand and Indonesia after signing a waiver with the airline but this was 3-4 years ago.

The airline may or may not offer you that option. It is discretionary on their part. The rules state that you MUST have proof of onward travel without a visa and the airline itself can be fined and obligated to transport you away from Thailand should you be denied entry into Thailand. Mostly this doesn't happen for people from the West, but it certainly can. Governments change, visa rules change, companies change their policies etc etc etc ..... With a visa OR proof of onward travel the OP is safe. Without it the OP is at risk.

[phuketrichard]

where the adventure in u all??

An American coming to Thailand and u suggest they visit Singapore for shopping??

I was in Singapore in Jan and it is not cheap. Yea u can stay in a backpackers dorm room in little india for 45 S$ but why travel half way around the world for that? And there is very few things you would want to buy in Asia u cant buy cheaper in the states.

My last r/t air from BKK to PP was less than $150, ( which included the departure tax but not Cambodian visa) which is about the same as u would pay for a discount ticket to Singapore

Penang is a much better place to visit if ur worried and it is a great place for Food and Hotels can be had for under 1,500 baht that are very decent.

Edited July 11, 2011 by phuketrichard

[Gonsalviz]

If you don't have time to get a tourist visa, there is another option. Buy a throwaway AIR ticket to Malaysia (one way) that leaves before the 30th day you'll be in Thailand. It must be an air ticket. Shop around for the cheapest, such as Hat Yai Thailand to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Most likely you will NOT be boarded in the US with your current plan. It would be foolish to show up at the airport that way because if the agent lets you board, basically they didn't do their job, wouldn't rely on that even though possible. The tourist visa would be best, but the ticket out within 30 days should also work. The problem is boarding in the US, in Thailand, they don't ask so you don't tell ...

Where is it that the OP said she did not have a round trip ticket?

While what you are saying is true. there is no real need to throw an extra scare in.

Your charge against me, throwing in an extra scare, I think is FALSE; where did I say she didn't have a RT ticket, USA to Thailand?

She has a RT ticket USA to Thailand but it does not return with 30 days, and she has NO visa.

Thus we have been advising on various strategies to be assured she will be boarded on the plane in the USA.

A visa would be the best but probably not enough time.

Another option is buying a one way ticket out of Thailand before the 30 days in Thailand (which will allow boarding) to do either a quickie air visa run or a quick side trip. She doesn't have to use the regional one way air ticket, but she would still need one visa run during the trip, such as a land border visa run near the end of her 30 days giving another 15 days.

A probably better option as it takes care of both getting boarded and the visa run (which it sounds like she is doing, good idea) is buy a RT air ticket out of Thailand (also leaving before 30 days) to give another 30 days in Thailand, so recent posts have been ideas on suggesting a short trip within a trip.

BTW, I still suggest Penang and staying a few days. The architecture and feel of Georgetown is charming and definitely different than Thailand. It is compact and more walk around than Singapore, more exotic than Singapore, and at the end of the day while I love Singapore as one the great food cities in the world, it's another westernized big city. The USA has better shopping, no point for an American going there for shopping. Also no visa needed to get into Malaysia.

Cheers.

As far as I read she doesn't say if she has a ticket at all. In any case the travel date should changeable (is that a word?). Make the ticket for 30 days and arrange whatever is needed on this end. I am sure it is cheaper to do any arrangement on this end.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Gonsalviz