Getting a visa but using it later

[Gtto]

I am an American and will be in BKK for four days before leaving for Indonesia. I will then be returning to Thailand in September and applying for a work visa through a Thai company. If I get a tourist visa ( single or multiple entry ) can I get it so that it doesn't start until September and just use the visa on arrival for the 4 days I will be here? Or does it not matter since I will need a non immigrant visa in order to get the work permit? Thanks for any advice.

[Crossy]

In line with most other countries, a Thai visa's validity starts on the day of issue so you will run out of validity on a tourist visa before you get to Thailand

It is also becoming increasingly difficult (impossible) to persuade the immigration officer to ignore a valid visa and issue a visa exemption stamp.

If you can get the necessary paperwork from your new employer you should be able to get a single entry non-B (business) visa from a local consulate on your way back from Indonesia (or even in Indonesia).

Others will be able to say where are the best consulates to get this visa and what you need from your new employer.

[gk10002000]

I don't understand why the Visa would be invalid. If I get my tourist visa in advance, I think it is valid for use for one year, and the 60 day period starts when I actually enter Thailand. We all have to get tourist visas in advance, and surely the 60 day clock doesn't start the day the Thai consulate in the USA or whatever country we start from issues the Visa. People have to have lags in their travel plans in order to make sure they get and receive their documents so people would get their Tourist visas at least one or two weeks or even more before they start their trip. Plane tickets and time off from work are harder to change so those dates stay, and we should plan to get tourist visas well in advance to be sure we have everything.

[wayned]

A single entry tourist visa is only valid for entrance to Thailand for 90 days from the date of issue. It has a "must enter by" date on it and must be used to enter Thailand by that date It's just a ticket!! When you enter, you are given 60 days permission to stay which can be extended for 30 days at immigration for 1900 baht. The visa and the "permission to stay" stamp in yoiur passport are totally different.

[Bucko]

A section from the Tourist Visa application--note the first line

Visa must be utilized within 3 months from date of issue.--

Permission of stay will be given at the immigration

checkpoint.

5.1 Tourist Visa is good for a stay of 60 days from the date of entry, with possibility of extension

5.2 Transit Visa is required if the transit time is more than 12 hours at the airport

5.3 Non-Immigrant Visa is good for a stay of 90 days from the date of entry, with possibility of extension

[gk10002000]

thank you. those are the words I was looking for. I wanted to clear up when one has to start using the VISA. The ambiguous part is the words that say the Visa must be utilized within 3 months from the date of issue. That really means one must start using the Visa within 90 days of issue. It does not mean that any time comes off the visa's 60 days.

[Suradit69]

I don't understand why the Visa would be invalid. If I get my tourist visa in advance, I think it is valid for use for one year, and the 60 day period starts when I actually enter Thailand. We all have to get tourist visas in advance, and surely the 60 day clock doesn't start the day the Thai consulate in the USA or whatever country we start from issues the Visa. People have to have lags in their travel plans in order to make sure they get and receive their documents so people would get their Tourist visas at least one or two weeks or even more before they start their trip. Plane tickets and time off from work are harder to change so those dates stay, and we should plan to get tourist visas well in advance to be sure we have everything.

"If I get my tourist visa in advance, I think it is valid for use for one year, and the 60 day period starts when I actually enter Thailand."

No.

A single-entry Tourist Visa must be utilized within 90 days from the date the visa is issued (i.e. holder of visa MUST ENTER Thailand before the date marked below the "ENTER BEFORE" notation on the visa sticker which is usually three months from when the single-entry visa is issued). The Tourist Visa with two or three entries must be utilized within 180 days from the date of issue (i.e. holder of visa MUST ENTER Thailand before the date marked below the "ENTER BEFORE" notation on the visa sticker which is usually 180 days from when the double or triple-entry visa is issued).

http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=25

[TerryLH]

" It does not mean that any time comes off the visa's 60 days."

Nobody said it did.

"I wanted to clear up when one has to start using the VISA."

You were the only one who was confused. Glad you got it cleared up.

[IMA_FARANG]

I don't understand why the Visa would be invalid. If I get my tourist visa in advance, I think it is valid for use for one year, and the 60 day period starts when I actually enter Thailand. We all have to get tourist visas in advance, and surely the 60 day clock doesn't start the day the Thai consulate in the USA or whatever country we start from issues the Visa. People have to have lags in their travel plans in order to make sure they get and receive their documents so people would get their Tourist visas at least one or two weeks or even more before they start their trip. Plane tickets and time off from work are harder to change so those dates stay, and we should plan to get tourist visas well in advance to be sure we have everything.

-------------------------------

No, that is not correct.

For many Thai visas the expiration date starts when they are ISSUED by the consulate or embassy.

A double or triple entry tourist visa as example, has a "mist be used before" date on it.

This is often 180 days after it is issued.

You must use all two or three entries BEFORE that date.

Any unused entries will be voided after that date.

Therefore, it is best to get your tickets and travel arrangements done FIRST, before you get your visa.

In addition, some consulates ask to see verification of your travel plans (especially exit ticket bookings) BEFORE they will issue you a tourist visa.

That may be more common in Europe than in the U.S., but it happens many times.

So, for those reasons, it is best to make your travel plans FIRST, and then get your Thai tourist visa.

The days of getting your visas before you make your travel plans are long over.

If you get a single entry tourist visa good for 90 days or possibly 180 days for the double and triple entry visas.

If you wait for one month to use such a visa you will lose that time in Thailand.

But more importantly in your specific case is that you may have a hassle getting the immigration to allow you to get a 30 day visa exempt entry for 30 days simply because you already have a visa in your passport on arrival.

They may insist that since you have a visa, you MUST use it to enter the country.

Other travelers have had this problem, before.

In your specific case, the problem is that if they require you to use that visa on entry and not a visa exempt entry that tourist visa is a SINGLE ENTRY visa.

That means a SINGLE entry and one SINGLE corresponding exit with that entry.

If you do have to use that single entry visa and you do leave 4 days later those are the single entry and corresponding single exit for that visa.

Therefore, that visa is then terminated ..... no matter how long it was originally good for ..... based on the SINGLE entry and SINGLE corresponding exit rule.

When you exit after 4 days your visa will be stamped USED and you can not reenter on that visa.

To avoid that possibility I highly recommend you do not get that visa until you get to Indonesia and attempt to get a visa there in Indonesia.

Jakarta and Bali have Thai consulates who can issue such a visa.

Just to be safe, I recommend you look seriously into the possibility of getting that visa in Indonesia while you are there and getting the non visa free entry that you qualify for the first time you enter Thailand for your 4 day stay.

[TerryLH]

"If you get a single entry tourist visa good for 90 days or possibly 180 days for the double and triple entry visas.

If you wait for one month to use such a visa you will lose that time in Thailand."

If you have a double valid for 180 days, how do you lose time by waiting 30 days before using it?

"When you exit after 4 days your visa will be stamped USED and you can not reenter on that visa."

Wouldn't it be 'used' when you enter, not when you exit?

[gk10002000]

" It does not mean that any time comes off the visa's 60 days."

Nobody said it did.

"I wanted to clear up when one has to start using the VISA."

You were the only one who was confused. Glad you got it cleared up.

Sorry that you misinterpret things. I see that later you also posted a response when IMA_FARANG posted a slightly different version of the timelines. He recommends gettng the tickets and making reservations first before getting the visa! That is exactly what most people would not want to do, just in case there were visa issues, or passports and visas get lost in the mail etc. That was the whole point of the posts, to clarify exactly what dates mean what.

[Maestro]

The OP should ideally get a double-entry tourist visa, valid for use within six months from its date of issue, before departing from the USA. A less convenient alternative would be to get a single-entry visa in Indonesia.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app