Phuket town immigration today, Good News....

[glassdude007]

Was at Phuket town immigration today at around 10am..

Needed a 7 day extention of my 30 day stamp.USA passport.

Place was packed but all running smoothly the system with tourist cops checking paperwork and giving numbers to que worked well I have never over the years had any problems with getting extentions of my stamps at Phuket immigration. The only problem i saw was dumb farangs that can not fill simple form correctly slows everthing down but even so i was in and out less than 45 minutes. They gave me a 30 day extention, only 7 is required.Never been offered a 30 day extention with entry stamp before so since i got a 30 day extention i figured while in the neighborhood and i am in need of a Thai drivers license car qnd bike go ask if i can get this with stamp extention? Girl at info desk looked at my 30 day extention stamp said sure no problem you got extention so can apply but just 1 year licence...fine with me, just need house paper and medicial form...thinking that the girl was wrong as to not having a non imm visa needed for licence and i need house paper from immigration anyways i went back to immigration chatted with the tourist cop and he explained all i needed to do was fill out form with copies and house lease etc. To get house paper from immigration then he said along with my home countrys drivers licence and my 30 day extention stamp i will have no problem getting a 1 year car and 1 year motorbike thai license.....

Looks like new immigration rules better than before the crackdown,for me anyways.

[LivinginKata]

Yes, I was there about 11.10 today for a re-entry permit. I have had enough of the Patong office 'extra' charges. Had my TM 8 pre-printed, photo attached, presented this and passport copies to the volunteer for a queue ticket. The front area looked quite busy and no place to park car in car park, but the 3 volunteers were waiting with no customers. Q ticket 46, sign at 42, 4 officers on the front desk. Called in less than 5 minutes, bang bang stamps, pay the 1,000 baht, wait for back desk to authorise and make receipt. In and out in about 10 minutes. Great service.

[steelepulse]

This was a new law announced starting on I believe August 29th that extensions are now 30 days for most situations. There was a thread about it on TV somehwere.

[Jimi007]

This was a new law announced starting on I believe August 29th that extensions are now 30 days for most situations. There was a thread about it on TV somehwere.

Correct! If your are from one of the visa exempt countries, you now get a 30 day, rather than a 7 day extension for 1,900 Baht.

[Jimi007]

Yes, I was there about 11.10 today for a re-entry permit. I have had enough of the Patong office 'extra' charges. Had my TM 8 pre-printed, photo attached, presented this and passport copies to the volunteer for a queue ticket. The front area looked quite busy and no place to park car in car park, but the 3 volunteers were waiting with no customers. Q ticket 46, sign at 42, 4 officers on the front desk. Called in less than 5 minutes, bang bang stamps, pay the 1,000 baht, wait for back desk to authorise and make receipt. In and out in about 10 minutes. Great service.

I agree! That cue is easy and usually pretty quick. The extension cue is rather slow due to people that have no clue, don't seem to be able to read English and are most likely trying to do their first marriage visa without all the needed paperwork. At least that was my experience back in June. Oh well, I'm good until next June.

[EBlair48]

Are they giving out 30 day extensions on B visa entries? That's the one I'll need in about 30 days.

[steelepulse]

I couldn't find the exact thread, but I did send a message to a friend that comes every year for a few months and pasted this info from the actual thread about the 30 day extensions

"The Immigration Bureau has approved a new regulation that allows tourists to extend their stay in Thailand by a further 30 days, effective from August 29. That will mean holidaymakers from 49 countries who enter Thailand under a 30-day visa exemption can stay for 60 days, while those who hold a 60-day tourist visa are eligible for the ''extra temporary stay'' to 90 days.

[LivinginKata]

Are they giving out 30 day extensions on B visa entries? That's the one I'll need in about 30 days.

No - B visa gets a 90 day entry stamp. That's the limit for stay in Thailand unless you get the one year extension. Even then we have to report to Immigration each 90 days.

[glassdude007]

There are also threads on here that say you can not enter Thailand on back to back 30 day

Stamps and that is just not true.

No need to waste time and money on an un needed visa if this option is still available..

Just because its posted here does not make it rule buy law..

I only needed 4 days but ended up with 30..

But this all changes day to day welcome to Thailand

Just reporting what happened to me to day...

The best part is from what i learned today I can now apply for Thai driver's license with this extension no need for the non imm o visa I guess?

Will see what happens

I couldn't find the exact thread, but I did send a message to a friend that comes every year for a few months and pasted this info from the actual thread about the 30 day extensions

"The Immigration Bureau has approved a new regulation that allows tourists to extend their stay in Thailand by a further 30 days, effective from August 29. That will mean holidaymakers from 49 countries who enter Thailand under a 30-day visa exemption can stay for 60 days, while those who hold a 60-day tourist visa are eligible for the ''extra temporary stay'' to 90 days.

Edited September 2, 2014 by glassdude007