Strict 30 Day Rule To Enter Thailand?

[RenaeLindsay]

I know I can get a 30 day stay in Thailand if I come in by air. However, I want to know what the stamp date is when you arrive at the airport at 11:30 and make it to customs after midnight. Which date is stamped. The plane arrival date? or the actual date you arrived at customs.

I know is a measily day, but for me is important because I'm making plans to leave the following month and need to know the exact date.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Mario2008]

The date you pass immigration is used.

[rubl]

The date you pass immigration is used.

As not everyone is really fully awake past midnight and assuming that one day is important you might want to check the stamp before leaving the immigration post.

[RenaeLindsay]

Thank you so much for the prompt response. I need that extra day so I'm coming in on a plane at 11:30pm. Is there a place to hang before entering customs at BKK so I can wait till after midnight? Just in case. Again, thanks!

[Sophon]

Thank you so much for the prompt response. I need that extra day so I'm coming in on a plane at 11:30pm. Is there a place to hang before entering customs at BKK so I can wait till after midnight? Just in case. Again, thanks!

Just one question. You say that you need the extra day, is that because you will be staying 31 days if we include the day you actually arrive? If so you have another problem, as the airline may not let you board your plane since you will technically be staying 31 days and therefore don't qualify for the 30 day visa exempt entry.

Sophon

[yiiim2]

I tried what the Op is proposing a couple of years ago.

My flight arrived about 11.30 pm and I hung around the duty free shops at Suvarnabhumi killing time and went through immigration after midnight.

Unfortunately for me it didn't work because Immigration used the date my flight arrived and not the date I went through immigration.

When I queried with the immigration officer who processed me he told me that my flight arrived before midnight and they worked on flight arrival date rather than the date I went through immigration. He actually referred to my flight number and knew that it had arrived before midnight.

[E1717007]

no penalty for 1 day overstay, thereafter B500 for each day.

[TerryLH]

Don't forget, the arrival date, even if it's 11:30PM, counts as Day 1.

Terry

[Digitalbanana]

I arrived on a scheduled flight that was due to arrive about 11:30pm and due to delays touched down on runway about 12:15am next day. I got though passport control about 12:45 am with previous days arrival stamp.

[rkidlad]

I came from Hong Kong and arrived about 11.30 PM. I got through immigration just after midnight and was stamped for the actual date and not the date the plane arrived.

[rkidlad]

I came from Hong Kong and arrived about 11.30 PM. I got through immigration just after midnight and was stamped for the actual date and not the date the plane arrived.

Actually, the plane was due to arrive just after midnight but we were ahead of time. My bad.

[lopburi3]

no penalty for 1 day overstay, thereafter B500 for each day.

Not true. All overstay is 500 baht per day up to 20,000 baht. If less than two days and departing from Bangkok airport no fine will be collected but if you stay two days or more all days will be collected at 500 baht per day.

[koolbreez]

Spend the money for a real tourist visa before you leave, and there won't be any problem at all, even if there are unforeseen problems closing the airport for a few weeks.

[wayned]

If you don't have a ticket leaving Thailand within 30 days, you might have a problem with the airline letting you get on the aircraft!

[paulbrun]

You should be able to extend the 30 days by another week, at a cost of about 50 dollars, by going to any immigration office..?

[mahjongguy]

Unfortunately, planning on getting a 7-day extension doesn't help because you may be denied boarding the plane to Thailand. Best response above: get a Tourist Visa.

[Stjohnm]

Thank you so much for the prompt response. I need that extra day so I'm coming in on a plane at 11:30pm. Is there a place to hang before entering customs at BKK so I can wait till after midnight? Just in case. Again, thanks!

It will take longer than 30 mins to clear immigration no matter what time of day you arrive (especially if you come cattle class & are one of the last off)

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[dddave]

Thank you so much for the prompt response. I need that extra day so I'm coming in on a plane at 11:30pm. Is there a place to hang before entering customs at BKK so I can wait till after midnight? Just in case. Again, thanks!

It will take longer than 30 mins to clear immigration no matter what time of day you arrive (especially if you come cattle class & are one of the last off)

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Not true at all. I travel in and out of Survanabhumi frequently and many times have walked up to immigration and had only 1 or 2 people in front of me, sometimes none. It's all a crapshoot and entirely depends on whether other large flights are landing at the same time.

[andygordon]

When you arrive @ the immigration counters they will stamp and sign your passport, this is the date you should work, the stamp on your passport will also have your departure date...

Hope this helps you

Andy

[glegolo]

It is now reported from SEVERAL swedish tourists that they all have problem att the immigration counter. The airway-companies are selling their so called 30 days-tickets, while in fact it is 31 days.... They just dont care when asking them, why they are selling these.

People are having red stamps in their passports and are being forced to pay 500 baht for that extra day. F.y.i. flights always more or less leave the airport in Bangkok 00.45 passing into a 31st day. According to many of you guys it should be enough to pass the check in before midnight and you will be "home-free"..... WRONG... The immigration has stated time after time for us that they do not care when we are passing the check in, but they are using the planes take of date instead.

In my personal opinion this seems to be VERY strange. Because when we are passing check in we are no longer on Thai soil, we are on international territorium. So consequently passing the check in would be the correct date to count.....

But but but,,,,we are in Thailand, the country of pretend...

Glegolo

[Mario2008]

It is now reported from SEVERAL swedish tourists that they all have problem att the immigration counter. The airway-companies are selling their so called 30 days-tickets, while in fact it is 31 days.... They just dont care when asking them, why they are selling these.

People are having red stamps in their passports and are being forced to pay 500 baht for that extra day. F.y.i. flights always more or less leave the airport in Bangkok 00.45 passing into a 31st day. According to many of you guys it should be enough to pass the check in before midnight and you will be "home-free"..... WRONG... The immigration has stated time after time for us that they do not care when we are passing the check in, but they are using the planes take of date instead.

In my personal opinion this seems to be VERY strange. Because when we are passing check in we are no longer on Thai soil, we are on international territorium. So consequently passing the check in would be the correct date to count.....

But but but,,,,we are in Thailand, the country of pretend...

Glegolo

At the airport a 1 day overstay fine is not charged, at least not at Suv. And immigraiton stamps you out at the time you pass immigration. So this seems very strange.

[sport]

Arrived from Tokyo last Wednesday 16 Oct 00.50hrs. Should have arrived Tues 15 23.00hrs Passport stamped Wed 16 Oct. From reading previous replies to this post, the date stamp on entry is not consistent.

[PoorSucker]

At the airport a 1 day overstay fine is not charged, at least not at Suv. And immigraiton stamps you out at the time you pass immigration. So this seems very strange.

Majority of Swedish tourists travel charter to Phuket.

[Mario2008]

Yes, apperently Phuket is charging a 1 day overstay fine, but he is talking about the plane leaving Bangkok.

Might be an option not to go through immigration at Phuket but at Bangkok.

[zepp]

its 500 baht for each day you overstay they wont make you miss your plane you will go in immagration pay your 500 baht and off you go.

[Suradit69]

In my personal opinion this seems to be VERY strange. Because when we are passing check in we are no longer on Thai soil, we are on international territorium. So consequently passing the check in would be the correct date to count.....

But but but,,,,we are in Thailand, the country of pretend...

Glegolo

In some cases, once passengers have passed through Immigrations and even boarded a plane, police have removed one or more of them from the plane or before being allowed to board. If local police or immigrations officers still have legal authority over you, then you are still in that country. You have not entered the mythical land of "International Territorium" if you are still subject to the laws of the country.

If you enter a foreign embassy, then the local police do not have the authority to enter or detain people because once on embassy grounds you have technically left the host nation.

Every country has the right to formulate their own rules & regulations regarding immigrations. If you enter the country, you have accepted to abide by those laws.

People who come to Thailand often pretend-pretend many things, but they can't pretend their own immigrations procedures.

[Maestro]

It is now reported from SEVERAL swedish tourists that they all have problem att the immigration counter. The airway-companies are selling their so called 30 days-tickets, while in fact it is 31 days.... They just dont care when asking them, why they are selling these.

People are having red stamps in their passports and are being forced to pay 500 baht for that extra day. F.y.i. flights always more or less leave the airport in Bangkok 00.45 passing into a 31st day...

It would have been helpful if you had mentioned the airline in question and given a link to the specific web page on their website that offers these "so called 30 days-tickets". I know that some airlines offer special fares for return tickets valid for short periods, eg 30 days or three months, but without a link there is no way for readers of your post to check this out.

We should also take into consideration the fact that for Thai immigration the 30-day visa-exempt permission to stay includes both the day of arrival and the day of departure, whereas an airline may add 30 days to the day of arrival, making it 30 nights, which for immigration then is 31 days. It is this that I would like to verify.

[PoorSucker]

Yes, apperently Phuket is charging a 1 day overstay fine, but he is talking about the plane leaving Bangkok.

Might be an option not to go through immigration at Phuket but at Bangkok.

Charter flight from Sweden flies direct to Phuket.

[glegolo]

Yes, apperently Phuket is charging a 1 day overstay fine, but he is talking about the plane leaving Bangkok.

Might be an option not to go through immigration at Phuket but at Bangkok.

I do not know what you guys are talking about. I am talking about people leaving BANGKOK Suvarnabhumi airport. And yes, there is a lot of swedes passing through into Phuket. But I am talking, as wrote, about Bangkok.

They are enforcing obviously this one single day.

Glegolo

[bazzle351]

Ok another question

If i go BKK Dec 5 i need to leave by Jan 3 , but if i fly to Honkers and back in between these dates(taking GF for trip) do i need to get multi visa ??