Wish to enter Thailand not using my visa tourist but a 15 days exemption visa , possible ?

[charlesgenv5]

Hello guys,

the title says it all. I'm in Laos where I already made a visa toursit for Thailand. But I changed my mind and I wish to stay in Laos a little bit more. Soon my 1 month Laos stamp will expire, so I plain to do a visa run to Thailand and come back the same day in Vientiane.

Will the Thai imigration be ok to give me a 2 weeks stamp if I say I do not want to use my visa tourist now ?

Well my guess is the answere will be no ... but I think there are people here with many more knowledge than I got.

Thank you very much !

[terak]

Correct - No

[Mario2008]

You can ask them not to use the visa. Sometimes they do allow it, but not always. It will depend on the officer.

[terak]

You can ask them not to use the visa. Sometimes they do allow it, but not always. It will depend on the officer.

I have never seen or heard of them bypassing current visa in passport - would be very surprised if they allowed it

[ovenman]

You can ask them not to use the visa. Sometimes they do allow it, but not always. It will depend on the officer.

I have never seen or heard of them bypassing current visa in passport - would be very surprised if they allowed it

It's been years since I have done this myself but... I have done it successfully in the past. As Mario points out, no guarantees and it's up to the individual officer.

[Mario2008]

The regularry did that at the airport, until a couple of years ago. Now they reportedly do it again sometimes. Can't count on it, but certainly can't hurt to try. It is no longer a sure "no".

[terak]

Shocked - but Good Luck

[ovenman]

I even have a vague recollection of signing a statement stating that I had asked immigrations to not use my visa, i.e. to cover their butts in case I wanted to later claim that I should have received a sixty-day entry rather than a thirty-day entry.

[charlesgenv5]

OK thank you very much for every answeres. I'm going to try because as one of you told, it doesn t cost anything. Grrr, but I've got many packages with me, I wanted to leave them in the room in Vientiane, but if they will use my tourist visa, I prefer to stay in Thailand for a while ...

Thanks for the quick answeres !

[ubonjoe]

If you have to use the visa you could get a re-entry permit (1000 baht) from immigration in

Nong Kai.

This would keep your 60 day entry valid until it runs out.

[bangkokstick]

They can, especially if you pay the overwork fee :-)

But also it is possible that they don't see it...

How to proceed: just say nothing and do not write any visa number, if they see it, explain the situation and bargain.

[lopburi3]

Illegal activity post removed.

[sometimewoodworker]

You can ask them not to use the visa. Sometimes they do allow it, but not always. It will depend on the officer.

+1 on that

I did manage to get the officer not to use one of my visa entry's at Suwanaphum this year (I was flying out the next day to Singapore for a week before a 5 week stay here) in Feb. this year but it wasn't easy and the officer on exit almost canceled an entry as he said the first officer had made a mistake in not using the visa.

So it is a positive maybe.

[klfopera]

I have never had a problem not using a tourist visa and just coming in with a 30 day. Done this many times at S and also Phuket.

[NomadJoe]

I asked this once and they said no.

[lujanit]

I entered HKT several yeas ago and had a Tourist Visa yet asked the Immigration Officer for an entry stamp as I was only there for 3 days. He graciously granted the 30 day entry permit without marking the Tourist Visa as Used. So I guess I am only confirming what others have said. Just ask. Being polite, dress well (no singlets, shorts, thongs) helps lots too, anyway IMHO.

[aussiep]

I did this many years ago.

Arriving and staying 1 night in BKK, then going to Vietnam for 3 weeks.

Coming back to BKK and staying 5 weeks using tourist visa.

Had a Thai friend in Sydney type up a letter in Thai explaining what I wanted to do.

Went to a lady immergration officer, she read the letter said "no problem"

aussiep.

[Jingthing]

I asked at BKK one time and they said YES. Long time ago though.

My advice. Be open about it ... actually show them the visa you want saved. Be super polite, speak softly and not demanding, making it clear you know this is a FAVOR and you respect their power. Might get lucky.

[jrtmedic]

If successful in achieving this one needs to be careful when exiting !

The immigration officer may cancel the visa in belief that it has been "used" and should have been stamped as such on entry !