30-Day Extensions On A Double / Triple Entry Tourist Visa

[manchesterlalala]

I plan on travelling to Thailand on a triple entry tourist visa arriving on 7 April. I will be initially staying for a few months in Phuket before moving to Pattaya toward the end of the year to meet up with friends.

Having done a fair bit of reading on the triple-entry tourist visa on this forum, what I have understood is that – used correctly – one can milk this visa for nearly nine months: 3 x 60 days = 3 x extensions of 30 days (60+30+60+30+60+30 = 270 days). This appears to be accepted wisdom, and people appear to be being advised to plan based on this suggestion.

That’s why I was a little perturbed by my telephone conversation with the Thai Consulate in Hull today. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Hi, I’m travelling to Thailand on 7 April and I’d like to get a triple-entry tourist visa. How long does it take to process realistically? When would be the best time to post my passport to you so that I can be sure not to lose any of the visa’s period of validity?

Consulate lady: Oh, send it to us today. We give you six months from the stamp date, so you’ll have no problem with your three entries, because that’s only six months.

Me: Yes, but I will be doing extensions to get a possible nine months.

Consulate lady: Oh, well you can’t bank on that! You cannot just assume you will just get nine months, that might not happen. You can’t go to immigration thinking you will definitely be granted an extension - that’s up to the immigration officer! They may say, “Well, you have unused entries here that need using. Use these up first before asking for an extension.”

It sounded like she was warning me not to count my chickens, and to emphasise that extensions are not a formality. Yet a lot of the (albeit innocent, friendly and constructive) advice on this forum seems to be “(60+30+60+30+60+30 = 270 days) Hey presto!”

I know that all decisions in this regard are totally at the individual discretion of the immigration officer I deal with, but:

What is the likelihood of actually being refused an extension on such a visa? What are the grounds upon which they may refuse it? What are the experiences of my fellow TV colleagues? Does this happen regularly? Specifically in Phuket and in Pattaya, are they sometimes unwilling to do grant the 30-day extensions for this visa?

Thanks for all your thoughts,

manc

[Ohyesuare]

Never heard of an extension for a tourist visa being rejected, seems pretty much a guarantee. I think it is a good money earner for them so I doubt they would reject someone unless there was a pretty good reason.

[stoneyboy]

I've extended mine before on the first entry of a triple without any problems in the past,as stated above it's more revenue for them after all.

These were all obtained from Hull and the turn around time has always been exceptional,if I apply on a monday I have it back on the wednesday,I send my passport royal mail guaranteed by 1pm the next day I may add.

[Maestro]

From the OP:

...Having done a fair bit of reading on the triple-entry tourist visa on this forum, what I have understood is that – used correctly – one can milk this visa for nearly nine months: 3 x 60 days = 3 x extensions of 30 days (60+30+60+30+60+30 = 270 days)...

The best thing is not to ask a consulate about extensions of stay and not to ask an immigration office about visas, lest you get confusing answers.

The triple-entry visa will be valid for three entries into Thailand within six months from the visa's date of issue (some consulates may make it 180 days). Therefore, after the second entry plus extension you must closely examine the visa expiration date and the extension expiration date. If the visa expiration date is earlier than the extension expiration date, as it will likely be, you must make your border run to activate the third entry before the visa expiration date. This is very important.

In other words, you probably get a little less than 270 days out of the triple-entry tourist visa. The variables affecting it are the visa expiration date and the date of first entry into Thailand.

[bobl]

Consulates the world over are all following the same "rulebook", but all of them have different interpretations and implementations of the rules - and change their policies quite frequently especially when a new boss steps in.

On the subject of 30 day extensions technically she's 100% correct, just as it would be correct to say even if you pitch up in Thailand with a visa, you're not 100% guaranteed to be allowed entry.

However in the real world, unless you pitch up steaming drunk and acting like Mad Jock McMad, you've about as much chance of winning the lottery as not getting an extension...

[manchesterlalala]

Thanks for the constructive comments above. You have allayed my concerns. The consulate lady was probably just warning me of the protocol as she understands it - and fair play to her for doing so.

I have always seen the extension as a money spinner for the immigration offices, too, and that it would be crazy for them to refuse on spurious, whimsical grounds.

So, as long as there's no appearance of "Mad Jock McMad" - that should be case closed.