lucasdude Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I'm leaving for Chiang Mai on jan 1 and haven't applied for a visa. I'll be in Thailand for 90 days for massage school. I have all of the paperwork from the massage school and a return flight ticket showing a departure date of March 30. What's my best course of action? Thank you in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 You still have time to get a visa dependent on where you are at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David48 Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 What nationality are you? If I remember correct, some Nationalities now get a full month of land crossing on a Visa exempt. You said that you will be in Chiang Mai ... close enough for an easy border run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Get a (tourist) visa, they could refuse you to board the plane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasdude Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 I am an American. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I am an American.Where are you located in the states.Here is list of honorary consulates that give faster service than the embassy or the 3 official consulates. http://www.thaiembdc.us/dcdp/Thai_Consulate_Directory2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasdude Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 I live in Birmingham Alabama, just a couple of hours from Montgomery which is on the list. I'll call them in the morning. Think I should arrive in person? Thank you so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanaRaphael Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 What nationality are you? If I remember correct, some Nationalities now get a full month of land crossing on a Visa exempt. You said that you will be in Chiang Mai ... close enough for an easy border run? I actually did this a few years back now...if it's in Chiang Mai it's very close (and easy+cheap) to cross the border then return...easy as pie back in the day...hopefully still easy now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 He needs a Visa to avoid being refused entry to the flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I live in Birmingham Alabama, just a couple of hours from Montgomery which is on the list. I'll call them in the morning. Think I should arrive in person? Thank you so much!Not sure you can do a mail application now a few months ago the embassy told the honorary consulates they could not do them any more. It would be faster to do it in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxy1128 Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Go to the nearest Thai Consulate to you in America and get a tourist visa. It allows you to stay in Thailand for 60 days, you then go to immigration in Chang Mai and get a 30 day extention for 1900 baht and,,, Walla ,,, 90 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Issanman Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I got my long-stay O-A visa back from DC exactly one week after mailing it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 (edited) Because of X-mass nearby i would go in person asap Edited December 19, 2013 by FritsSikkink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasdude Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 Would someone be able to give me a link to a visa application? I've found one but I'm not sure it's the right one and the consulate has not yet returned my call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Issanman Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 http://dc.thaiembdc.org/FORM/1a001.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasdude Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 Thank you all for your help. Looks like I've gotten everything sorted out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Good. Have a nice trip, Lucas, and enjoy your vacation in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gk10002000 Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 he doesn't need a visa to get on the plane. USA citizens get 30 day visa exemption at the airport. I rarely plan my trips to Thailand in advance and have never bothered to get a tourist visa in advance. I routinely stay longer than 30 days and make the appropriate visa runs as necessary after I am in Thailand. Now that you get 30 days at land crossing entries, it would not be too much trouble to make two border runs while there. Or, if he is busy, I believe you can arrange to get a tourist visa and make one crossing after your first 30 days in Thailand is up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeverSure Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 (edited) he doesn't need a visa to get on the plane. USA citizens get 30 day visa exemption at the airport. I rarely plan my trips to Thailand in advance and have never bothered to get a tourist visa in advance. I routinely stay longer than 30 days and make the appropriate visa runs as necessary after I am in Thailand. Now that you get 30 days at land crossing entries, it would not be too much trouble to make two border runs while there. Or, if he is busy, I believe you can arrange to get a tourist visa and make one crossing after your first 30 days in Thailand is up. Yes I agree, but he is only 2 hours from a consulate and can get the below. It looks a lot easier to me. Go to the nearest Thai Consulate to you in America and get a tourist visa. It allows you to stay in Thailand for 60 days, you then go to immigration in Chang Mai and get a 30 day extention for 1900 baht and,,, Walla ,,, 90 days. OP, If for any reason you can't get a tourist visa in Montgomery soon enough, Jk's idea with visa runs will work. Edited December 20, 2013 by NeverSure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasdude Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 I'll keep the border run option in mind. Will it be an issue that I have a return flight already booked in regards to the 30 day visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayned Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 The issue is not with immigration, but with the airline. If you don't have a visa and do not have a flight exiting Thailand during the 30 day allowable "visas exempt" entry, the airline might not let you board your flight. You might have to buy a last minute cheap flight exiting Thailand or they might not let your board, say Hat Yai to KL. The visa shouldn't be a problem but because it's holiday season who knows. If you haven't heard from Montgomery, you might call the Consulate in Atlanta first thing Monday morning and see what they suggest. If they will do it by mail, mail, even Fed Ex, is a push this time of the year and you have to send your passport so you would be SOOL if you didn't get it back in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirineou Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Since I usually come to Thailand for 2-3 months at the time and since live in Khon Kaen, not too far from the Laos boarder, I never got a visa I buy a ticket, show up at the airport, and get a 30 day visa when arriving in Thailand, only takes a couple of minutes at the airport., and the cost is insignificant enough for me not to have noticed, so I don't know what it is. I have done this tenths of times and never had a problem, Me and the family like to take a ride to Nog Khi , it is a nice place to visit, and the girls like to shop there and at the duty free area between Laos and Thailand at the Friendship bridge, I cross in to Laos , The ladies get a kick out of spending Thousands and Thousands of Kips, ( 10 dollars ) and I get a visa extension, All and all a fun day Sure you can do something similar in Chiang Mai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocky Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 That's not the issue. The airline can refuse you boarding because the return date on the ticket is after the 30 days stay granted on arrival. Depends on the airline and on what sort of day the check-in clerk has been having but it could seriously mess your day up. So to be safe, better to get a visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 That's not the issue. The airline can refuse you boarding because the return date on the ticket is after the 30 days stay granted on arrival. Depends on the airline and on what sort of day the check-in clerk has been having but it could seriously mess your day up. So to be safe, better to get a visa. Did you read the bit where OP states has return ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upnotover Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 He has a return date more than 30 days after arrival. That is the issue. The airline might deny boarding, or they might not, but given that they are within their rights to do so it would surely be prudent to get a visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucasdude Posted December 22, 2013 Author Share Posted December 22, 2013 Working on visa. Looks like I should be able to get it assuming I didn't botch the application paperwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirineou Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Working on visa. Looks like I should be able to get it assuming I didn't botch the application paperwork. Even though I fly to Thailand with out a visa and get a 30 day visa upon arrival and extend my visa stay while there, (now you can get a 30 day visa by crossing the boarder by land, it used to be 15 days) I had a return ticket of with the first 30 days , and I always extend the return ticket while I am in Thailand ( there is usually a fee for ticket extension) so that might be the reason why I was never challenged by the airlines.The reason why I do this is that because of the nature of my job, I am guarantied 30 days vacation ,,by then I know what my work load is and can decide if I can extend my stay or not. In your case if you unable to get a visa in time, I would suggest that you call the airline, explain to them that you lave a later return because you will be getting a visa extension while there, and see what their policy is regarding that, If thy absolutely positively have a policy where you will be refused to fly because of your later day departure flight, and you have not received your 3 month visa by then, Dont despair , see what their ticket change police is and change it to an earlier 1 month return, then when in Thailand you can change it back to a later 3 month date. No doubt it will cost you some money, but depending on your airlines ticket change policy, it might be a lot cheaper than buying a new return ticket. Best case scenario is that you get your 3 month visa on time. Good luck and enjoy your stay in Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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