60 Day Entry Ends Tonight, Nathon Immigration Not Open Til The Morning - ?

[BigSkookum]

I"m hoping to be calmed about my situation. My visa expiry is the 9th, ending tonight at midnight; Nathon immigration office has been closed for the weekend. All but one of the people I've talked to, from my landlord to a German across the street who's been here for 17 years, says not to worry, no problem, one day no problem, they might even waive the 500 baht overstay because I'm in first thing at 8:30 (which is the plan). My regular buddy here had had a problem in Chiang Mai and if not for his rich girlfriend he would have been in prison for a while; she had bail. He's said I should pack everything up tonight and stash it in someone else's room "as you never know what will happen" and "[samui]'s jail is full of farang". My latest conversation was with the German, who said he knows people who've overstayed by 7 months and just paid the overstay. I didn't realize until too late Friday afternoon that it was the 7th and that the visa would end on a Sunday; you know how resort life is, you lose track of which day of the week easy. I was in fact kinda sick and with a hip pain I was taking muscle relaxants that made me dopey and less inclined to check/think about it, being caught up in the net and the gym, as per my usual day here.

Do I really have to worry and prep for the worst? I wanted a 30-day extension but might it only be a 48 hour or 7 day extension, or will they, too, just smile and say "no problem, we were closed yesterday that's fine" and process the 30 day extension......or should I be making plans to leave......or to stash my stuff and/or have someone on-tap ready to put up bail if needed? My sixty-day entry was one of two, I have another pending for later use (from the Kota Bharu consulate, obtained by Herbert's Visaruns, just as a heads-up that yes, double-entry visas ARE avaiable in Malaysia). If I'm in trouble, does it affect the further visa?

I should add that that double-entry visa was issued even though I had already been in Thailand 150 days, starting in July with a two-month sojourn in Manila in the fall..... I know about the 180 days in a year rule, if it's a rule (doesn't seem to be, or they wouldn't have issued me the double-entry 60-day visas, right?).....will this affect the viability of a 30-day extension in any way, i.e. rejection and a permit to stay long enough to "get outta Dodge"?

I have high blood pressure, I'd like to calm out for the night. Maybe I'll hear horror stories here, too, but this is the obvious place to ask what's going to go down, and what to expect.....thanks for the advice and input, hopefully of the positive kind.

[beechguy]

I have no idea why you guys wait until the last minute, you do not lose anything by going a few days early for the extension. The good news, in most places, they will grant the extension by appearing the next business day.

Also, the 180 day rule hasn't existed since December, 2008 when a new Police order was implemented, and it never had anything to do with visa entries, just visa exempt entries.

Edited June 9, 2013 by beechguy

[TerryLH]

Calm down. Nothing to stress about as long as you go the first work day after your permission to stay ends on a weekend or holiday.

"...I know about the 180 days in a year rule,"

That went out a couple of years ago.

[BigSkookum]

Thank you both; and yes, re the first reply, I would have gone in Friday for sure - had I realized what day of the week it was. It's been very hot, I've been very absorbed in my routine (busy writer and also doing the gym to maintain my health) and there's a great muscle relaxant here, Norgesic (orphenadrine), which doesn't make you dopey though it IS a euphoric and you get kinda daze-y on it...I threw my hip a bit two weeks ago, better now as of this weekend. I'll be much more relaxed heading into Nathon in the morning, thanks again both of you.

[aarn]

I hope you are writing an autobiography and will post it here 'coz already reference to euphorics, injury and missed appointments is making for great reading, please at least let us know what further misadventures occur at Immi.

Keep up the good work, AA

[Sophon]

Thank you both; and yes, re the first reply, I would have gone in Friday for sure - had I realized what day of the week it was. It's been very hot, I've been very absorbed in my routine (busy writer and also doing the gym to maintain my health) and there's a great muscle relaxant here, Norgesic (orphenadrine), which doesn't make you dopey though it IS a euphoric and you get kinda daze-y on it...I threw my hip a bit two weeks ago, better now as of this weekend. I'll be much more relaxed heading into Nathon in the morning, thanks again both of you.

His point was, why would you even wait until Friday to go for the extension, seeing that the extension starts at the end of your current permission to stay anyway? In the future go for the extension a week or two before your permission to stay ends, that way you don't risk having problems should you fall sick or have other unexpected complications.

Sophon

[ubonjoe]

Lots of worry over nothing and whole lot of false information given to you.

Just go to the immigration office and get your extension. Normally they will (not) charge 500 baht for a 1 day overstay if your permit to stay ends on a weekend or holiday. But just have a 500 baht note ready just in case.

As said before the 180 day rule for visa exempt entries went away almost 5 years ago when the 15 day rule for border crossings came into effect and never applied to visa entries anyway.

Edited June 10, 2013 by lopburi3
corrected per request

[lopburi3]

Your above post does not read right - we say normally they will charge 500 baht which is not true and believe what you wanted to say will not charge as you followed by saying have 500 baht just in case. The official policy is not to charge if you apply on the first workday after a holiday but if you apply later and it is accepted you will have to pay all overstay days first.

[ubonjoe]

Sorry

An error I missed and cannot correct now. I left out the not.

Thanks Lop

Edited June 10, 2013 by ubonjoe