Sorry another Tourist Visa query

[intel4004]

Okay have been reading the threads regarding upcoming enforcement of immigration rules over the last few months and in particular from August 12th? ....and it's tiring. It seems the deeper I read down into a thread the more confused I'm getting.

I have therefore started this thread as I seem to be in a unique position with regard to 95% of the other posters I've seen. I understand that in 100% of cases it is down to the immigration officer on duty and there are no guarantees but there are guidelines under which IOs (immigration officers) operate.

This is my very first time in Thailand and I received my double entry visa from London where I live. This allows me a max of 6 months here. I arrived at the beginning of June and will be returning to the UK for good, middle of October, I have a return ticket. So my stay is 4.5 months.

I am based in Chiang Mai and was going to apply for the one month extension at the beginning of August when my first 2 months are up. But now with the strict enforcement from Aug 12th and IOs possibly being over zealous should I leave now and activate the second entry of my TV.

My original plan was to get the extension taking me up to early Sept and then to go to Laos in September for a week when my girlfriend is planning to come here for a couple of weeks. But with the way things are now and some of the threads on here there does not seem to be any guarantees. As I see it I have 2 options:

1. Doing a border run before Aug 12th so at least if I'm refused I've got time to plan.

2. Fly out to a neighbouring country for a week and return before Aug 12th.

Am I worrying over nothing? This whole tourist visa storm makes me very angry. I am a genuine tourist but because of this visa storm there seems to be so much unpredictability I can't plan, my girlfriend can't plan, grrr!

[enuff said]

.

You have no worries. They are not looking for you.

~

[Satcommlee]

You are a genuine tourist and have absolutely nothing to worry about... the scaremongering applies only to those that are not genuine tourists!

[intel4004]

You are a genuine tourist and have absolutely nothing to worry about... the scaremongering applies only to those that are not genuine tourists!

Thank you, unfortunately when other tourists...ahem! are posting on here they don't always reveal they have a history and all you get is "I'm a tourist and I've been turned away" hence the worried look on my face.

[francis1987]

Hi out there! I have aquestion that so far nobody really brought up, but I think there are some more people with the same issue... so:

I'm in a realationship with my thaiboyfriend since almost two years now. I'm gonna go back to europe soon end of august for one or two months to get a new visa for thailand. but of cousre I'm afraid they'll not accept my 6 month visa with 3 entries. If you have to proof that you're just a tourist, not working illegal in thailand, what am I then? I'm not a typical tourist, I'm not working here, I come of course to be with my boyfriend. I don't know If I should bring that up at the airport when they ask me what I do here or if I should just lie, show some hotel bookings.. whatever, and probably get rejected then anyway cause 90 days " should be enough" to travel Thailand as Immigration says. I also don't want to get married just to get a visa. For me that's something you should do if you're 100% shure to live together with your partner and after a little bit more than a year relationship that's way to early for me. Anybody in the same situation or has some info for me? I don't know what to do....

[paz]

I'm in a realationship with my thaiboyfriend since almost two years now. I'm gonna go back to europe soon end of august for one or two months to get a new visa for thailand. but of cousre I'm afraid they'll not accept my 6 month visa with 3 entries.

Why not? In your case I recommend you arrive with 20,000 thb or equivalent. Do not be afraid to say that you have a boyfriend as, course, there is nothing wrong with that. You will be visiting him within the regulations of a Tourist visa. That's all. If you're afraid, go together to have a chat at the Immigration office before you leave.

[wayned]

Nobody knows exactly what will happen on August 12th, but it mostlikey won't affect your plans! There have been reports of people with valid tourist visas being turned away in the south when they tried to activate their second entry but they had many out/in stamps in their passports. There have been no reports of this happening in the north. If a border run now with a 30 day extension will cover your stay until your planned departure in Octomber, to keep piece of mind, I would do it now. If, for some reason you are turned away, then you have time to replan before your GF arrives, if not, your home free without the trip to Laos. But there are many places to visit in Thailand if you want a change of scenery. Just my opinion! Good luck!

[ubonjoe]

I have removed a troll post and the expected replies to it.

To the OP, Just stick to your original plans. The changes will have nothing to do with you.

Just ignore the rumors and false info you hear or read.

[Thai dive]

This week I spoke with Visa personnel in the Thai embassy in L.A. California and Washington D.C.. I'm still confused. I enquired about a Tourist Visa with multiple entries.

Both stated 90 day max stay, every six months. They could not answer weather the six months was per calendar year or six months between visits.

Both stated if you leave before the visa expired and return, 90 day max per 6 months is still in effect. Multiple entries did not extend time. Is this new, or is it a different game in country?

thanks

[AYJAYDEE]

This week I spoke with Visa personnel in the Thai embassy in L.A. California and Washington D.C.. I'm still confused. I enquired about a Tourist Visa with multiple entries.

Both stated 90 day max stay, every six months. They could not answer weather the six months was per calendar year or six months between visits.

Both stated if you leave before the visa expired and return, 90 day max per 6 months is still in effect. Multiple entries did not extend time. Is this new, or is it a different game in country?

thanks

that is plain wrong

[Thai dive]

This week I spoke with Visa personnel in the Thai embassy in L.A. California and Washington D.C.. I'm still confused. I enquired about a Tourist Visa with multiple entries.

Both stated 90 day max stay, every six months. They could not answer weather the six months was per calendar year or six months between visits.

Both stated if you leave before the visa expired and return, 90 day max per 6 months is still in effect. Multiple entries did not extend time. Is this new, or is it a different game in country?

thanks

that is plain wrong

How does it work there? My question to them was what's the max time you could spend there with tourist Visa and multiple entries. I don't want to leave anything to chance. I was timing round trip ticket with Visa max stay.

Thanks

[AYJAYDEE]

This week I spoke with Visa personnel in the Thai embassy in L.A. California and Washington D.C.. I'm still confused. I enquired about a Tourist Visa with multiple entries.

Both stated 90 day max stay, every six months. They could not answer weather the six months was per calendar year or six months between visits.

Both stated if you leave before the visa expired and return, 90 day max per 6 months is still in effect. Multiple entries did not extend time. Is this new, or is it a different game in country?

thanks

that is plain wrong

How does it work there? My question to them was what's the max time you could spend there with tourist Visa and multiple entries. I don't want to leave anything to chance. I was timing round trip ticket with Visa max stay.

Thanks

well a triple with extensions has always been almost 270 days. the officials have been quoted as saying they are targetting back to back visa extensions and visas. a triple is a single visa and so far they are allowing back to back entries. for safety its probably a good idea to plans n a few days in the outside country on your out/in trip. there is nothing firm as yet.

[francis1987]

thanks everybody for your infos! :-) I'll stick up with my plans and hope everythings gonna be finde, have a much better feeling about this now, you helped me a lot ;-)

[paz]

This week I spoke with Visa personnel in the Thai embassy in L.A. California and Washington D.C.. I'm still confused. I enquired about a Tourist Visa with multiple entries.

Both stated 90 day max stay, every six months. They could not answer weather the six months was per calendar year or six months between visits.

Both stated if you leave before the visa expired and return, 90 day max per 6 months is still in effect. Multiple entries did not extend time. Is this new, or is it a different game in country?

thanks

that is plain wrong

How does it work there? My question to them was what's the max time you could spend there with tourist Visa and multiple entries. I don't want to leave anything to chance. I was timing round trip ticket with Visa max stay.

Thanks

There is no set maximum. If you want 180 days get double entry. For 270 days, triple entry.

You will get much friendlier and better service from an honorary consul in the US.

http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/honcon-americas.php

[intel4004]

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Nobody knows exactly what will happen on August 12th, but it mostlikey won't affect your plans! There have been reports of people with valid tourist visas being turned away in the south when they tried to activate their second entry but they had many out/in stamps in their passports. There have been no reports of this happening in the north. If a border run now with a 30 day extension will cover your stay until your planned departure in Octomber, to keep piece of mind, I would do it now. If, for some reason you are turned away, then you have time to replan before your GF arrives, if not, your home free without the trip to Laos. But there are many places to visit in Thailand if you want a change of scenery. Just my opinion! Good luck!

I have removed a troll post and the expected replies to it.

To the OP, Just stick to your original plans. The changes will have nothing to do with you.

Just ignore the rumors and false info you hear or read.

Thanks again guys for putting my mind at rest. My plans seem to change by the day but at least I'm now more confident. A trip to Cambodia for at least a week seems like a good idea. I might even pop along to immigration office near the airport just to query a few things.

I've gone to the UK Royal Thai embassy & Immigration bureau (CM) web pages but for the life of me I can't seem to find a schedule of charges for the 1 month extension to my tourist visa, I did see it before When I re-enter and activate my second entry is there any extraneous charge I need to worry about (did pay for each entry in London already)?

I hope I'm not putting the cat amongst the pigeons here but what would the charge be if I overstayed (see last paragraph) the first part of my double entry tourist visa by 3 or 4 days (? I'm asking cos if I stay in Cambodia for a couple of weeks and some days I won't actually need to apply for an extension at all since that leaves me with roughly 4 months in total for Thailand perfectly covered by the double entry visa.

You're probably wondering if I'm tempting fate too much here. There is a concert I really want to go to in CM just 3 days after my first entry expires. Should I just shell out for the extension and be done with it and stop penny pinching? Would it be an obstacle on re-entry weeks down the line? Possibly a query for the Immigration bureau here.

Thanks for all your help again

[paz]

I've gone to the UK Royal Thai embassy & Immigration bureau (CM) web pages but for the life of me I can't seem to find a schedule of charges for the 1 month extension to my tourist visa, I did see it before When I re-enter and activate my second entry is there any extraneous charge I need to worry about (did pay for each entry in London already)?

I hope I'm not putting the cat amongst the pigeons here but what would the charge be if I overstayed (see last paragraph) the first part of my double entry tourist visa by 3 or 4 days (? I'm asking cos if I stay in Cambodia for a couple of weeks and some days I won't actually need to apply for an extension at all since that leaves me with roughly 4 months in total for Thailand perfectly covered by the double entry visa.

You're probably wondering if I'm tempting fate too much here. There is a concert I really want to go to in CM just 3 days after my first entry expires. Should I just shell out for the extension and be done with it and stop penny pinching? Would it be an obstacle on re-entry weeks down the line? Possibly a query for the Immigration bureau here.

Thanks for all your help again

Extension is 1,900 Bt. You can decide later what is more convenient to you, no need to stress now.