Sawadee,

i am planning my trip to thailand. Ive got my ticket date set for april1st-sep30. i went to the embassy to apply for my visa(i know its really late) and i was missing a document from the gym stating the invitation to come train at the camp(i didnt know i needed this), because i was trying to get a 3 month visa, and then extend it in thailand. they told me to go and get that information and bring it by wed, my trainer here is not able to get that information in time... So i was wondering could i just keep the same dates on my flight and apply for a tourist visa and once getting to thailand extend my stay when i go to the embassy there??

please help my dates arent too far away

In a word, yes.

In fact you can go to school on a tourist visa no problem (no legal issues) you just can't work. The only problem with doing it on a tourist visa is the inability to get a (e.g.) 1 yr extension and/or eliminate the need for border runs.

Just get yourself a double entry tourist visa, it's sufficient to cover your 6 months. The only hassle is you'll need to extend it twice (at immigration) and do a border run once, to get six months out of it.

thanks for the reply boss,

the thing is my deadline is sunday this week... so i need to figure something out asap, i was told once im in thailand my gym will take me to the embassy to straighten it out and extend my stay, im only worried at the airport they will hassle me because my ticket is for 6months, but my visa says 30 days?

A tourist visa is 60 days - get a tourist visa from Embassy was the suggestion (two entry) and use that (with 30 day extensions) for your stay. No need for ED visa. And no they can not take care of it for you once here - you would still have to get yourself and likely require exit of country to do.

beaten by lopburi3

Edited March 27, 201214 yr by steve187

A Tourist Visa gives a stay of 60 days and can be extended at Immigration by a further 30 days.

Get a 2 entry Tourist Visa and you get almost 180 days with a border run in the middle.

If that does not give enough time you can do a border run at the end for another 15 days.

You dont need letters or anything to get a tourist visa, do that first and take it from there.

Note that Apr/01 till Sep/30 is 183 days.

I would suggest taking a short roundtrip to a bordering country on last half of April and applying double-entry tourist visa there.

He needs a tourist visa for travel as onward flight is six months away so may as well get now.

forgive me im quite confused i havent really travelled much outside of usa,

care to elaborate?

im taking it i go get my "tourist" visa, get to thailand then extending it is not possible??

Get a 60 day tourist visa from USA.

Once in Thailand, and you have everything from your school, work or whatever, you can change it to Imm B in Bangkok as long as you still have 20 days left.

Or extend the tourist visa another 30 days.

so the jist of all this is i cant stay for 6months, even if i extend my tourist visa in thailand?

Note that Apr/01 till Sep/30 is 183 days.

I would suggest taking a short roundtrip to a bordering country on last half of April and applying double-entry tourist visa there.

If he comes on a double entry on 1st April, his 60+30 will expire Sat 30th June.

Go for a weekend somewhere, on Sat 30th June. Come back on Tuesday 2 July, then 60+30 = 30 September.

Remember: 2nd entry gives you 90 days from 2nd date of entry, not 180 days from 1st entry.

so the jist of all this is i cant stay for 6months, even if i extend my tourist visa in thailand?

Yes you can, read the advice given already.

Remember: 2nd entry gives you 90 days from 2nd date of entry, not 180 days from 1st entry.

Good point, thank you. This is why even if the OP gets visa on March/31st, his last entry would certainly expire before the flight back.

Just get a double entry tourist visa and you will be fine.

You can always do a border run or get 7 days from immigration if you are a few days short.

so the jist of all this is i cant stay for 6months, even if i extend my tourist visa in thailand?

Yes, you can stay 6 months. Just not continuously - you need 1 border run (can be as cheap or expensive as your budget allows) to a neighbouring country.

Lite Beer gave the most succinct answer in post #6.

Next to impossible to stay in Thailand for more than 90 days without having to do something at immigration. For married and retirees, it's 90 day reporting. For tourists, it's border runs... Even for some Ed visas you still need to do border runs.

so the jist of all this is i cant stay for 6months, even if i extend my tourist visa in thailand?

As per your dates - no, you can not.

Say you get visa on the very last working day of the Consulate before your flight, Mar/30. The visa would be valid for 90 days, till June/28.

You enter Thailand on Apr/01 and get stamped for 60 days, till May/30.

On May/30 you come to the Immigration office and extend your stay (not visa) for 30 days, till June/30.

But your visa is valid till June/28, and this means your last entry to the country must occur before this date. Since then you visa is not valid anymore, but your stay is valid.

So you have to make a border run on June/28.

Then you enter again and get stamped for 60 days, till Aug/27.

Another extension will expire on Sep/26, which is final date of leaving the country.

Edited March 27, 201214 yr by bytebuster

You have to leave after 90 days, but can come back the same day.

In this way you come a few days short, but with a ticket out of the country you can extend your 90 day stay with up to 7 days. Enough for your flight home.

Get a double entry tourist Visa, that gives you 60 day 1st entry, extend by 30 = 90 days,then you do a border run to activate the second entry, do the same again with the second entry stay 60 extend 30 = 90. thats 180 in total.

That's your 6 months covered give or take a day or so, if you want a little more just do a border crossing and get another 15 days.

Edited March 27, 201214 yr by CharlieH

Mathematics aside for a moment:

- Get a tourist visa (whichever you can get, single, double, doesn't matter)

- With a visa you can enter Thailand, regardless of return flight / date.

- Sort the rest out here, way easier.

Get a triple entry tourist visa. You can manage your exits/re-entries without worrying about counting the exact days. Only $45 for piece of mind.

I am seeing a different problem for the OP. While you are all advising him on Visa rules etc. You are not seeing that his return flight isnt until September so would they even let him on the plane withough having an onward flight withing that time?

No problem as long as he has a Visa.

I am seeing a different problem for the OP. While you are all advising him on Visa rules etc. You are not seeing that his return flight isnt until September so would they even let him on the plane withough having an onward flight withing that time?

I clearly pointed that out in post 9 of this thread.

I am seeing a different problem for the OP. While you are all advising him on Visa rules etc. You are not seeing that his return flight isnt until September so would they even let him on the plane withough having an onward flight withing that time?

I clearly pointed that out in post 9 of this thread.

Or he can bye a cheap air ticket out from Thailand within 30 days from his arrival, or am i wrong about that?

It seams that he has very short notice to get a tourist visa.

He can arrive on visa exempt 30 day stay but may need to show a ticket out of Thailand so getting a visa prior to travel would be the most effective mode.