Very Strange Experience At Immigration Today - But Am I Right Or Wrong?

[pete66]

I flew back into BKK today from UK. I have non-immigrant O Visa, which i presumed was good until august, because I first used the visa to enter Thailand in August 2005.

But the immigration officer told me different. He said the visa was expired, because I obtained the visa from Thai embassy in UK on 10th March 2005, and it says "must be utilized before 10th March, 2006". So he gave me 30 days and told me to get another visa.

I probably should have argued but after 24 hours of travelling and having a 6-year old with me, I decided that he must know what he is doing (he he) and I had wrongly presumed my visa would be good until August.

But now after a couple of hours sleep I am 95% sure I am right. The visa is valid for a year after I first used it right? The "10th March 2006" means when I have to first use it (or lose it), not the last day I can enter Thailand with it?

If I am wrong fair play, I will get another one. But if I am right, where do I go to get this sorted, and get a 3-month visa-based stay in this country, not 30 days?

By the way, no complaints about the officer. He was very pleasant, just I don't think he knows what he is doing ... ;-)

Cheers,

[george]

The officer was right. A multiple entry non-immigrant visa is valid for one year from date of issue.

[pete66]

The officer was right. A multiple entry non-immigrant visa is valid for one year from date of issue.

ok cool. I can live with that. Guess the visa extension idea goes out of the window as well ...

He suggested going to Laos or Vietnam to get a new non-immigrant visa.

I found getting the "married to Thai" visa remarkably easy to obtain (twice) in my home country (UK), but I'm not sure whether the same thing will happen at an Asian embassy? If there is a much bigger ris k of failure, I will probably go back to the UK and do it in a couple of months. Any advice?

[ray23]

There really should be no difference.

[lopburi3]

There is a difference if he wants a multi entry type. They are very hard to find in Asia.

But if he plans to extend all that is needed is a single entry and he should not have a problem getting that with his marriage certificate and a copy of wife ID card. After he is here for 60 days on that he can do the extension process.