changing a 15 day tourist

[thequietman]

Hi Guys,

I haven't been keeping up to date on regulations so I am asking here please.

Cousin has 30 day on arrival visa. He needs to extend it. Its up on the 28th this month. He is in Pattaya.

Options please to extend ? Border hop to get 15 days more and then extend that further at immigration ?

He would like to do it in country if possible please. Options ?

Thanks in advance.

[ubonjoe]

Best option is to go out for tourist visa that would give him 60 days on entry extendable for 30 days.

The only extension possible for a visa exempt entry is 7 days.

[jrtmedic]

When did your cousin arrive ? ( He has a visa exempt entry BTW)

These can not be "extended".

Applying to immigration will secure 7 days if you have a ticket to leave the country within that time.

Leaving the country by land and returning will provide a 15 day visa exempt entry. Returning by air will give a 30 day visa exempt entry.

[Lite Beer]

Immigration will give 7 days to leave the country.

Visit a Thai Consulate in a neighbouring country and apply for a Tourist Visa 60 days.

Or enter by land to get 15 days Visa Exempt entry. 30 days by air.

[stig44]

The Thai lady handling visa issues in our resort said this morning that it is possible to extend a 30 day tourist visa by one year at Immigration, provided You have all required documents for an OA visa and pay the 1900 baht, same as for normal extension of OA visa.

Is this correct, can we trust this and come to Thailand without visa and stay for six months?

[lopburi3]

No that is not correct but if person is over age 50 can can meet the financials for retirement extension of stay they can obtain a non immigrant O visa entry for 2,000 baht which can then be extended for one year for additional 1,900 baht. But first is the non immigrant O visa entry.

[ubonjoe]

The Thai lady handling visa issues in our resort said this morning that it is possible to extend a 30 day tourist visa by one year at Immigration, provided You have all required documents for an OA visa and pay the 1900 baht, same as for normal extension of OA visa.

 

Is this correct, can we trust this and come to Thailand without visa and stay for six months?

You would not get a OA visa it would be an extension of stay for retirement.

It can be done with a 30 day visa exempt entry but it is two step process. First you go to immigration with financial proof (800K baht in a Thai bank or proof of 65k income) and apply for a non immigrant visa entry (90 days). Then after 60 to 90 days you return and apply for an extension of stay again showing financial proof (by then 800k would be in bank for 60 days).

[stig44]

Thank You! The persons concerned are well over 50 yrs and have enough financial resources to fulfil the requirements. Ig it is in two steps, no problem.

To further explain - we are about 200 Scandinavian nationals living in same place. In Sweden, everybody will have to travel in person to the Thai Embassy in Stockholm to get visa. So even with two steps at immigration is is much simpler than travelling long way to an embassy two times.

I think You have answered my question!

[jrtmedic]

200 people all wanting to retire in Thailand at the same time via a two stage process ?

Please advise when you all plan to visit Thai immigration !

[ubonjoe]

Thank You! The persons concerned are well over 50 yrs and have enough financial resources to fulfil the requirements. Ig it is in two steps, no problem.

To further explain - we are about 200 Scandinavian nationals living in same place. In Sweden, everybody will have to travel in person to the Thai Embassy in Stockholm to get visa. So even with two steps at immigration is is much simpler than travelling long way to an embassy two times.

I think You have answered my question!

The embassy will only do OA visas.

But you could check with one the two honorary consulates in Sweden about getting your single entry non immigrant O visas before you leave. They probably allow mail in applications.

You can find contact info here: http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/honcon-europe.php

[stig44]

200 people all wanting to retire in Thailand at the same time via a two stage process ?

Please advise when you all plan to visit Thai immigration !

Well, we have lived in Thailand 10 years already, during high season. Not all, but we have become more over the years. You can visit our website at

http://www.scandinavianvillage.se/

I think many companies in Thailand have more than 200 expatriates employed, people who need to visit Immigration every 90 days and extend visa every year.

[stig44]

Thank You! The persons concerned are well over 50 yrs and have enough financial resources to fulfil the requirements. Ig it is in two steps, no problem.

To further explain - we are about 200 Scandinavian nationals living in same place. In Sweden, everybody will have to travel in person to the Thai Embassy in Stockholm to get visa. So even with two steps at immigration is is much simpler than travelling long way to an embassy two times.

I think You have answered my question!

The embassy will only do OA visas.

But you could check with one the two honorary consulates in Sweden about getting your single entry non immigrant O visas before you leave. They probably allow mail in applications.

You can find contact info here: http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/honcon-europe.php

Minor correction - only the embassy will do OA visas.

Actually I think many have used the O visa option so far, maybe from some consulate. But if it is possible, more easy and maybe cheaper to do it in Thailand, so why not! Some also use 60 or 90 day visas.

[ubonjoe]

Price would be the same for visa (2000 baht) except for bad exchange rate they will probably use.

If they accept mail in applications it might well be easier than a trip to immigration.

[jrtmedic]

Joe

"If they accept mail in applications it might well be easier than a trip to immigration."

Did you mean Consul or Embassy ?

[ubonjoe]

lmmigration for converting to non immigrant visa from visa exempt entry.

[jrtmedic]

Joe - sorry it must have been a long day !

"If they accept mail in applications it might well be easier than a trip to immigration."

Mail in for the first step in converting to a non immigrant visa ?

[ubonjoe]

Mail in to consulate for visa instead of conversion step at immigration.

[jrtmedic]

ok