Early application for extension on tourist visa

[CrankyCarrot]

Apologies if this is answered elsewhere. I searched and couldn't find the specific info I'm after

If you travel into Thailand on a 60 day tourist visa (or the double/triple equivalent), is their any limitation to how early you can apply for the 30 day extension? Could you theoretically do it within a day or so of commencing the first 60 day stay?

Looking to book flights for the first visa run, and obviously being able to confirm a 90 stay in advance allows for earlier/better/cheaper flight bookings.

[monty]

No, they wouldn't accept that.

But you are virtually guaranteed to get the extension, especially if you hold a valid airfare already! No reason at all to hold of booking your ticket until you actually get the extension.

I can't recall ever having somebody report that a 30 day extension on a tourist visa has been refused.

[Mario2008]

Extensions of stay are accepted during the last 30 days, but that is for non-immigrant visas. For a tourist visa (probably) the same goes, but 2 weeks early should be enough.

As said, an extension of a tourist visa is as good as never refused. (The only case of a refusal I heard of was a person who had 3 overstays of several weeks in a row and immigration didn't want to accommodate him as a result).

[CrankyCarrot]

Ok guys, thanks.

So the ballpark figure for earliest extension would be somewhere in the 30-45 day in range (or between 2 weeks to a month prior to the 60 day visa expiring), but it's a relatively moot point since the average Joe is almost never likely to be refused an extension.

Good to know.

[CrankyCarrot]

On that subject, doing a border cross (to initiate the 2nd or 3rd entry on a multiple entry visa) from Phuket via air, it looks like the cheapest and quickest return routes would be via either KL (flights as low as $50 each way) or Singapore (lowest $30). Is that about right?

[lopburi3]

Most likely as those countries do not require payment for a visa for most travelers so the airfare is the only cost. But suspect the real price will often be more than the advertised price.

[CrankyCarrot]

Yeah, I use Skyscanner to get a basic feel for prices, but they almost always jump up the second you follow through on any of them. At least you can get by without paying for checked baggage on a border run.

I wonder what it'd be like if you could get an easy 90 days just for crossing the border into Thailand, then get another 90 without leaving as you can in Malaysia...

[notmyself]

On that subject, doing a border cross (to initiate the 2nd or 3rd entry on a multiple entry visa) from Phuket via air, it looks like the cheapest and quickest return routes would be via either KL (flights as low as $50 each way) or Singapore (lowest $30). Is that about right?

Phuket is only just up the road from Sadao (2 1/2 hours?

[lopburi3]

499 km, 6 hours 16 mins

Sadao border crossing to Nimit Circle.

[notmyself]

499 km, 6 hours 16 mins

Sadao border crossing to Nimit Circle.

Far out. Would never have guessed anywhere close to that. Burma?

[CrankyCarrot]

I think it's about 300km to Ranong.

Quick Google search shows a few companies doing runs from Phuket through there. Going rate seems to be 1500 Baht and around a 10-12 hour round trip. Way more economical than taxis to the airport and flying etc... might try doing one of those - just need to bring a couple of good books or something.

[notmyself]

I think it's about 300km to Ranong.

Quick Google search shows a few companies doing runs from Phuket through there. Going rate seems to be 1500 Baht and around a 10-12 hour round trip. Way more economical than taxis to the airport and flying etc... might try doing one of those - just need to bring a couple of good books or something.

Plus $US10 (or is it 20) for the Burmese visa. No the most exiting day but it's only once every 90 days and it gets the job done.

[moe666]

Met a german who was refused a extension on the first 60 days but after talking a bit he would have lost his 3rd entry if they had given him the extension.

[CrankyCarrot]

I think it's about 300km to Ranong.

Quick Google search shows a few companies doing runs from Phuket through there. Going rate seems to be 1500 Baht and around a 10-12 hour round trip. Way more economical than taxis to the airport and flying etc... might try doing one of those - just need to bring a couple of good books or something.

Plus $US10 (or is it 20) for the Burmese visa. No the most exiting day but it's only once every 90 days and it gets the job done.

The site quotes the $10 visa fee as being included in the B1500 price.

http://www.phuket-visarun.com/visa_run_ranong.html

[CrankyCarrot]

Met a german who was refused a extension on the first 60 days but after talking a bit he would have lost his 3rd entry if they had given him the extension.

Yeah, I'm being mindful of this. On a triple entry, which has a validity period of 180 days, I'm looking at extending only the third entry, and maybe the 2nd, if I can squeeze it in prior to that 180 days.

[notmyself]

I think it's about 300km to Ranong.

Quick Google search shows a few companies doing runs from Phuket through there. Going rate seems to be 1500 Baht and around a 10-12 hour round trip. Way more economical than taxis to the airport and flying etc... might try doing one of those - just need to bring a couple of good books or something.

Plus $US10 (or is it 20) for the Burmese visa. No the most exiting day but it's only once every 90 days and it gets the job done.

The site quotes the $10 visa fee as being included in the B1500 price.

http://www.phuket-visarun.com/visa_run_ranong.html

Which makes it 1200, seems pretty good. Costs 1900 from Samui not including visa but Phuket is closer. By the time you pick up a carton of cigarettes and bottle of something in Burma the price drops even more.

Would be worth asking in the Phuket section of the forum for a good company to use. Could be a Baht bus that goes to Ranong.

[ubonjoe]

Met a german who was refused a extension on the first 60 days but after talking a bit he would have lost his 3rd entry if they had given him the extension.

Yeah, I'm being mindful of this. On a triple entry, which has a validity period of 180 days, I'm looking at extending only the third entry, and maybe the 2nd, if I can squeeze it in prior to that 180 days.

The most important thing is not to get your visa to early that is what eats away your time more than anything else.

Do first entry then extension, make border run for 2nd entry, do extension of it and then make border run to use 3rd entry just before the enter before date of your visa.

[CrankyCarrot]

I think it's about 300km to Ranong.

Quick Google search shows a few companies doing runs from Phuket through there. Going rate seems to be 1500 Baht and around a 10-12 hour round trip. Way more economical than taxis to the airport and flying etc... might try doing one of those - just need to bring a couple of good books or something.

Plus $US10 (or is it 20) for the Burmese visa. No the most exiting day but it's only once every 90 days and it gets the job done.

The site quotes the $10 visa fee as being included in the B1500 price.

http://www.phuket-visarun.com/visa_run_ranong.html

Which makes it 1200, seems pretty good. Costs 1900 from Samui not including visa but Phuket is closer. By the time you pick up a carton of cigarettes and bottle of something in Burma the price drops even more.

Would be worth asking in the Phuket section of the forum for a good company to use. Could be a Baht bus that goes to Ranong.

I know I've heard the term "baht bus" before, but I can't remember what it entails. Will have to search it.

For sure I'll post in the Phuket forum about which companies people recommend/warn against doing a visa run from there with.

[CrankyCarrot]

Met a german who was refused a extension on the first 60 days but after talking a bit he would have lost his 3rd entry if they had given him the extension.

Yeah, I'm being mindful of this. On a triple entry, which has a validity period of 180 days, I'm looking at extending only the third entry, and maybe the 2nd, if I can squeeze it in prior to that 180 days.

The most important thing is not to get your visa to early that is what eats away your time more than anything else.

Do first entry then extension, make border run for 2nd entry, do extension of it and then make border run to use 3rd entry just before the enter before date of your visa.

Since I'm mailing away to Brisbane for it, I'd rather err on the side of caution and just forgo one of the extensions. Planning on sending away about 2-3 weeks out from my departure date. My budget can only really stretch to a 6-7 month stay at the most anyway, so I don't need to squeeze the full 9 odd month potential out of a triple entry.

[CrankyCarrot]

Just got the Brit passport back with the triple entry tourist visa from Brisbane, Aus. Was quite speedy. I mailed it away last Wednesday and have it now the following Monday.

Only thing is, they've filled it out with a purple texta/marker pen for some reason, and made a couple of mistakes that have been crossed out and amended - ie; the date I have to enter before and the passport number (they wrote my other Aus passport number first)

I hope this doesn't cause probs at the borders/airports. Every other Thai visa I've had has been printed rather than hand written, and texta?

Anyone had a Thai Visa like this? Hopefully I'm just being paranoid, but it does look a tad... dodgey.

[lopburi3]

Should not be a problem - believe some other small Consulates still use stamps/hand entry of information.

[CrankyCarrot]

Right.

I'd just hate to be marooned at a border somewhere during a visa run.