If I turn up at Swampy with a return flight back to the UK 3 days over a 30 day tourist visa will there be a problem with immigration? Do I need to extend before I fly or is it something that can be resolved in Thailand on arrival? Can I overstay by three days and just simply pay the 1,500 baht? I tried to get in touch with the Thai consulate in London but, after 4 attempts to actually get to speak to someone, I finally gave up.

BUT, the airline might NOT let you onboard since you don't have a ticket OUT of Thailand within th 30 day Visa Exempt limit.

Suggest either get a visa, or alternatively, book a flight out of Thailand within your 30 days.

FYI, I noticed that AirAsia has some real cheapies on "promotion" from Hat Yai to KL. Non-refundable, it seems, but still under baht 1,000 oneway. Check it out. Might be cheaper than a visa.

Mac

Beware the natives are restless this morning. Something about the phase of the moon. Antway:

One of the first problems that you might have is with the airline. If you do not have a visa and do not have a ticket exiting Thailand within the 30 day period, the AIRLINEmight not let you board the flight! You might have to purchase a cheap ticket on line exiting during the 30 days, say Hat Yai to KL.

When you do get to Thailand, you will get 30 days permission to stay. If you want to stay 33 your optios are:

1. Do a border run by land and get another 15 days permission to stay on reentry. You will have to purchase a visa to enter the neighoring country and the price differs. Loas, $35, Cambodia, $20, Myanmar, 500 baht, Malaysia, free. So the cost will be the transportation + visa.

2. Apply for an extension of your visa exempt entry on the last day of your permission to stay. They will deny it, but will actually give you 7 days to leave the country. You must have a ticket exiting Thailand during the 7 days. Cost 1900 baht at any immigration offfice in Thailand.

3. Overstay. Cost 500 baht/day. 3 days = 1500 baht. But if you are stopped for any reason during that 3 days you are on overstay, you could be arreseted and end up in IDC (crossbar hotel).

4. Contact a Thai Consulate and get a tourist visa.

Edited November 27, 201213 yr by wayned

There is another option. Turn up 3 hours before the flight and get refused so you hot foot it to the nearest internet cafe and book any flight out of Thailand within 30 days at what could be a huge cost, print out the flight details when you finally get them and then hot foot it back to check-in hoping the plane has not already left. Up to you.

Many posts removed as troll, replies and false information.

I am well beyond Australian retirement age and can comply with the financial requirements to obtain a Thai retirement visa/extension. However, I would like to keep on working in Thailand for a while and obtain a work permit. Therefore I do not want to apply for a retirement visa/extension at this stage. Instead, I would like to book a return ticket to Thailand, get a visa on arrival and look for a job.

The question is if this will enable me to obtain a (business?) visa in Thailand, return to Australia and then ship household goods/personal belongings without having to pay duty, and subsequently return to Thailand when I have found an employer willing to arrange a work permit.

Alternatively, how difficult is it to change a retirement visa/extension (which does not allow me to work) to a business visa?

My terminology may be somewhat mixed up, but I hope that I have my myself clear.

Edited December 7, 201213 yr by CeeBee

Duty free import would require being here on one year extension of stay so that is likely not going to be available. Finding a job is also not a given, especially if well over retirement age but you might be lucky or have something needed so can not rule it out. You need a job and have made application for a work permit if employment is anything other than teaching to obtain a non immigrant B visa in the local area and this would require exit of country to obtain. There is no visa on arrival available to Australians so you are talking about a visa exempt entry and without an exit ticket within 30 days airline may not even allow you to fly here.

If here on a retirement visa or extension of stay you can find employment and then change to a non immigrant visa without any more trouble than arriving without so if you can obtain that visa first I would do so. But remember duty free is not a normal option so would advise getting rid of most things and using an experienced forwarding service for anything you need as they can normally arrange a fair duty payment price.

Thanks a lot for your comprehensive response, Lopburi3 .

It is my intention to initially return to Australia within 30 days. Since you state that it is not difficult to change from an extension of stay based on retirement to a non-immigrant visa, to enable me to obtain a work permit, will I be able to apply for an extension of stay if I come here on a visa exempt entry, and then still return to Australia within the 30 days?

Edited December 7, 201213 yr by CeeBee

Extension of stay for retirement requires a non immigrant visa entry, financials in Thailand and being here at least 60 days normally. Or are you asking about work permit application? If only going to be here 30 days you can wait until back in OZ and if planning to retire I would then get a single entry non immigrant O visa for return (or non immigrant B if you find work).

is there such a thing as a 30 day tourist visa ?

There are some nationalities that get a 30 day stay on a tourist visa but the same visa provides 60 days stay for most. Most people are talking about visa exempt entry when they say 30 day.

There are some nationalities that get a 30 day stay on a tourist visa but the same visa provides 60 days stay for most. Most people are talking about visa exempt entry when they say 30 day.

Indeed. thread title VOA but OP says 30 day tourist visa., neither are 30 day visa exempt so what entry does the OP have ?

Edited December 8, 201213 yr by Spoonman

The OP was writing about a 30 day visa exempt entry but incorrectly called it a visa on arrival in topic title and then tourist visa in post which is something entirely different. A VOA is only good for 15 days and costs 1000 baht and can only be obtain by those from certain countries.

BUT, the airline might NOT let you onboard since you don't have a ticket OUT of Thailand within th 30 day Visa Exempt limit.

Suggest either get a visa, or alternatively, book a flight out of Thailand within your 30 days.

FYI, I noticed that AirAsia has some real cheapies on "promotion" from Hat Yai to KL. Non-refundable, it seems, but still under baht 1,000 oneway. Check it out. Might be cheaper than a visa.

Mac

air asia don't make a full refund but you can simply claim back the airport tax minus a 200 baht fee,

those flights cost 920 baht and 900 baht is claimable tax,

to claim you have to wait until after the flight and claim online,

i claimed it back once and got the money returned to my credit card approx. 5 weeks after the flight.

i wouldn't recommend booking a flight unless you definately can't check in, chances are with a 33 day return flight they may not worry too much also there maybe something you can sign with the airport to say you'll pay for any fees - ask to speak to a manager if the check in clerk seems inexperienced.

if your flight gets in late to bkk maybe you could wait and walk through immigartion just after midnight to save 1 day ?