Hi. New to the forum. I just entered Thailand via Bangkok airport today and was expecting to be granted the 30 days on arrival visa.

It was only later that I realised that I've actually been stamped for two months, entering on the 3rd of August and leaving on the 1st of October.

This is good, as I would like to stay a little longer, but I wonder if this is simply a mistake and I will be in trouble if I try and take advantage of it. I don't want to do anything illegal or have to pay a fine, but he stamped it right next to an existing visa from last year. I have several three used two month tourist visas in my passport already, and one of them was issue on 8th of August 2011. I'm wondering if maybe he just got confused and thought it was a current one.

It clearly is stamped as used and all the things ticked, and he did nothing new to them nor did he stamp it again, so I'm not sure if I was just granted 60 days at his discretion or if this is a mistake that will be a problem when I leave

Has anybody else had a similar experience? I've been in and out of Bangkok since October of last year, but every time I left I was always gone for at least one month or more, not just border runs. Should I take advantage of it, or play it safe and leave after thirty days? Some people here have told me they sometimes do that when somebody comes and goes a lot, but that doesn't sound right. I didn't write any visa numbers on my arrival card either, and on the departure card he has stamped it but not written a departure date. The departure date is only written on the page of my passport.

Is this legit? I also don't want to jeopardise my ability to re-enter the country if they do count it as an overstay. Help?

It seems to have been a mistake. You can visit immigration at Cheang wattana Road to have it corected or simply leave after 30 days. If you stay longer then 30 days and they spot it, you will be fined for overstay at 500 baht a day and that is that.

But if he make a new passport & tell to the Immigration he loose the passport, I guess the Immigration can't spot it, & it will be fine working for 60 days..

but so, if the officer put a 30 days in computer ( so we don't know it.. ) can't take this advantage. So, anyway is better to rectify at the Immigration I guess, to avoid any problem, they can accuse you to declare a tourist visa expired etc.. better to have correctly stamped passport before to exit Thailand, will avoid some probably problem maybe.

I guess he use the wrong buffer

Edited August 3, 201213 yr by Danielsiam

Officer used the wrong stamp - it happens often. Overstay would be noted on exit as computer will show the proper stay time as no valid visa number could have been entered. Best to visit immigration for correction or at least leave before 30 days.

By all means go check with Immigration, but the reality is usually that the entry stamp you were given (it is not a visa by the way) allows you to stay for 2 months - that is what you were granted by the officer - in exactly the same way as having a visa in your passport when you arrive at the immigration counter does not automatically provide you a grant of entry - it is totally up to the officer at the gate. I very much doubt that you could be fined for overstay when the entry stamp has a 2 month validity - how are you to know what they enter on their computer - one can only go by the stamp itself.... but check if you wish to be certain of course...

"I very much doubt that you could be fined for overstay when the entry stamp has a 2 month validity -"

Doubt if you want but there are plenty of examples where Immigration does not honor mistakes such as this.

Think of it like a bank giving you an incorrect deposit. When the mistake is detected in an audit you better not have spent the money.

Please close this thread, the contribution of the last 2posters are wrong.

A wrong day has been stamped into your passport, go to Immigration and correct that mistake OR leave before the 30days allowance are up.

You will be help accountable for overstay.

You will be help [sic] accountable for overstay.

Right, so what's wrong about my post?

He will be charged overstay if he entered visa exempt and the wrong stamp was used and he remains beyond the allowed period of visa exempt entry. He knows he did not have a visa allowing a 60 day entry and even if he did not it would still be up to him to know the normal allowance and question anything else.