Urgent: Asked for 30 day extension but got 1 year?

[Najinsky]

Quick background: Before coming to Thailand, I paid for 3 Entry Tourist Visa in London (each entry valid for a 60 day stay), I am on my First Entry of the 3 and need to leave the Kingdom on 7th Dec ( 3 days from now).

But I heard that rather than go and do a visa run now, I could extend the first entry by 30 days, meaning I would then have until the 6th Jan 2015. At that point I would do the visa run and get my 2nd entry. By doing this with each of the 3 entries, I would be able to stay to the end of June 2015 at which point I would get a new visa.

So I went to Chonburi immigration this morning, applied for a 30 day extension to my tourist visa. Paid 1,900 baht and got my passport back within 40 mins.

However, rather than a 30 day extension, it LOOKS like I have been given a one year extension!

Please see attached image of the stamp I got in my passport. It says, "Extension of Stay Permitted Up To 6 DEC 2015"

Now this might be good news, or a big problem, and I really don't know which.

It's my understanding that people on a year visa have to report to immigration every 90 days with appropriate paper work, and the next date of that visit is specified on some kind of official paperwork (but I don't know what thats called). However, I don't have this official paperwork, all I now have is the stamp in my passport saying "Extension of Stay Permitted Up To 6 DEC 2015".

So now I have no idea what I am supposed to do.

If the 'one year' stamp is an error, then it probably isn't valid and so I probably need to leave the kingdom on the 7th (do a visa run to Cambodia).

If I have really been given a one year extension then I guess I need to find out more about the 90 day reporting requirements, and decide whether I will be able to produce the required paper work and find out how to get that official document that gives the reporting date.

So I really only have until the 7th to found out where I stand, and as immigration is closed for Kings Birthday on 5/6/7, it only leaves me the rest of today and tomorrow to get it sorted.

Is there actually someone I can speak to at Chonburi Immigration on Soi 5?

The whole place is geared up a big automated processing machine and I didn't see any kind of assistance desk where I could go and find out what my actual status is now. They seem to assume you know what you are doing, and I went through the entire process this morning without any kind of conversation, just "wait for number here".

Thanks for any help or advice you can offer.

[ubonjoe]

The immigration officer used the wrong stamp. Just go back to immigration to have it fixed.

[Fatherfluffybottom]

Wrong stamp buddy, unlucky!

[Coaster11]

That happened to me many years ago and i didn't notice that the wrong year had been stamped.

It was also a 30 day extension on a TV.

Upon going back to immigration for a letter of residency they did notice and started grilling me about how long my permission to stay was.

A bit of talking around the room and close examination of my permission to stay/extension stamp and they then told me that the extension was a mistake and proceeded to change it to what it should have been.

My advice,same as ubonjo'e,is to take it back and get it changed to the correct year.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

But, get back to Immigration quickly, by 7 Dec, to get the stamp corrected to 6 January.

If you're late, past 7 Dec, you will be on OVERSTAY at baht 500 a day.

No charge for anyone right now for their screwup and correction of the stamp should be free.

Mac

[mca]

Its always best to double check your stamp before leaving the immi office. A few years back the officer stamped my yearly marriage extension with that days date instead of the following year. Luckily I flicked through my passport while leaving the office.

[stevenl]

But, get back to Immigration quickly, by 7 Dec, to get the stamp corrected to 6 January.

If you're late, past 7 Dec, you will be on OVERSTAY at baht 500 a day.

No charge for anyone right now for their screwup and correction of the stamp should be free.

Mac

Please explain.

[weegee]

That happened to me many years ago and i didn't notice that the wrong year had been stamped.

It was also a 30 day extension on a TV.

Upon going back to immigration for a letter of residency they did notice and started grilling me about how long my permission to stay was.

A bit of talking around the room and close examination of my permission to stay/extension stamp and they then told me that the extension was a mistake and proceeded to change it to what it should have been.

My advice,same as ubonjo'e,is to take it back and get it changed to the correct year.

Correct coaster....nice photo in your avatar.....Burleigh from the car park hey?

[pacovl46]

The 90 day report is just a form you have to fill out conforming your address and that's it, no paperwork needed, but as the others said, get the stamp fixed because they will check your passport when you hand it in for the report and they will notice.

[how241]

Wrong stamp buddy, unlucky!

Don't wait, get it corrected.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Steven

The stamp for 6 Dec 2015 is incorrect. The OP's actual permission to stay ends 7 Dec 2014, so irrespective of the incorrect stamp date, Immigration can hold him at fault for an overstay. Of course, might get a kind hearted Immigration guy who would just say, oops, and forgive the OP, but I'd not bet on it.

Need to remember, the responsibility for Immigration issues resides with the foreigner, not Immigration, which is why it's best to check your stamps before leaving the office, or the counter at the airport.

Mac

[boike]

This happens once in a while. The problem is that you are responsible to check if your stamp is correct according immigration.

Sent from my S4 LTE

[Coaster11]

That happened to me many years ago and i didn't notice that the wrong year had been stamped.

It was also a 30 day extension on a TV.

Upon going back to immigration for a letter of residency they did notice and started grilling me about how long my permission to stay was.

A bit of talking around the room and close examination of my permission to stay/extension stamp and they then told me that the extension was a mistake and proceeded to change it to what it should have been.

My advice,same as ubonjo'e,is to take it back and get it changed to the correct year.

Correct coaster....nice photo in your avatar.....Burleigh from the car park hey?

Cheers.

You're not far out. It's from Greenmount.

[Nuddy]

It seems errors by IO can translate to the foriener problem. This does not seem fair.

I quote from Thanyaburi Mac "Need to remember, the responsibility for Immigration issues resides with the foreigner, not Immigration, which is why it's best to check your stamps before leaving the office, or the counter at the airport."

By crikey my bank messed up once with the certificate of balance for my bank book on an extension of stay for reason of retirement and the sneaky sh.t asked for a incentive to make said problem go away.

Does not seem fair but then you get that sort of stuff everywhere.

Regards

[laislica]

Regarding the 90 days reporting to immigration.

The count starts from the day you enter Thailand.

If you will stay more than 90 days, you must fill in the form and give it to immigration.

If you leave before the 90th day,no need to report and a new 90 day count starts from your next arrival date.

[lvr181]

It seems errors by IO can translate to the foriener problem. This does not seem fair.

I quote from Thanyaburi Mac "Need to remember, the responsibility for Immigration issues resides with the foreigner, not Immigration, which is why it's best to check your stamps before leaving the office, or the counter at the airport."

By crikey my bank messed up once with the certificate of balance for my bank book on an extension of stay for reason of retirement and the sneaky sh.t asked for a incentive to make said problem go away.

Does not seem fair but then you get that sort of stuff everywhere.

Regards

TIT

[emass spomgiform]

Thanks for any help or advice you can offer.

I'd say its a bird

[maidee]

they might just ask you for another 1900 baht, for their mistake

[masuk]

That happened to me many years ago and i didn't notice that the wrong year had been stamped.

It was also a 30 day extension on a TV.

Upon going back to immigration for a letter of residency they did notice and started grilling me about how long my permission to stay was.

A bit of talking around the room and close examination of my permission to stay/extension stamp and they then told me that the extension was a mistake and proceeded to change it to what it should have been.

My advice,same as ubonjo'e,is to take it back and get it changed to the correct year.

Correct coaster....nice photo in your avatar.....Burleigh from the car park hey?

Well spotted Weegee. Another Gold Coaster!

[Najinsky]

Many thanks for all the excellent replies. I won't post multiple thanks but I read them all.

As ubonjoe correctly identified, it was a case of the IO using the wrong stamp. Following his advice I set out for Soi 5 again to get it sorted. The interesting thing was that while on my way, I got a phone call from the IO to say they had made a mistake on my passport and could I bring it back so it could be corrected. I told them I was already on my way.

When I got there, the lady at the desk took me straight to the IO who processed it, he immediately stopped what he was doing, said he was sorry and then corrected the date for me. I was in and out in 2 minutes.

It could be they have a secondary check which picked it up, or it could be someone else had the same issue leading them to check the batch the IO was working on, but it also makes me wonder if this forum is actually monitored by Thai Immigration.

Either way, a speedy and satisfactory resolution was obtained. If I'd had my whits about me I'd have realised straight away it was a mistake, but there was a lot of background to this particular visa (I turned 50 this year and applied for a one year multi entry but the document requirements seemed to change half way through the process - the Thai Embassy web site actually changed between me submitting the docs and the application - and I got a phone call saying I needed to be 55 for what I'd applied for, or I also had to submit a medical and police report to continue the application) so they offered me a 3 entry tourist visa instead, and when this happened today I thought it might be related to that in someway.

Thanks again for the helpful comments.

[Najinsky]

But, get back to Immigration quickly, by 7 Dec, to get the stamp corrected to 6 January.

If you're late, past 7 Dec, you will be on OVERSTAY at baht 500 a day.

No charge for anyone right now for their screwup and correction of the stamp should be free.

Mac

Mac, this is why I wanted to get it sorted quickly. It's not so much the overstay fines, but it's my understanding that there are two very different consequences of overstay.

As I understand it (from a year or 2 back), if I book a ticket home and turn up to the airport, when going through passport control (or at check-in) the overstay will be picked up, you are taken to immigration police, and the fine will be charged. But this is considered to be a 'voluntary surrender' as you are already leaving the country and they will simply make a note in a register.

However, if you get yourself into a situation with the police that requires you to show your passport (road traffic accident, crime victim, bar raid, etc) if it turns out you are on overstay, this is a much more serious crime that will first lead to you being placed in a holding centre while you book your flight home, the fine will be charged, and in addition, you will be placed on a blacklist that will result in you being permanently barred from entering the Kingdom again.

I know they have recently issued new overstay rules, but I don't know whether this applies to 'voluntary surrender', criminal overstay, or both.

A few years back, I overstayed my trip by 10 days and went through the voluntary surrender process, paying the 5000 baht fine, but since I found about about this distinction between voluntary surrender and criminal overstay, I have never risked overstay since. That's why I was so keen to get this sorted before the 7th (actually the 4th - tomorrow - because immigration is closed for the King's birthday).

Regards.

[FiestyFarang]

_{I only read the first few lines but I would go back to Immigration asap and ask them to correct it. If you do not and next time you leave etc they might think you are insulting them as you know it is the wrong stamp and they lose face they can kick you out anytime. Remember you are a guest in Thailand a Visa is not an automatic right to stay. Don't play games with Immigration I think they win.}

[stevenl]

_{I only read the first few lines but I would go back to Immigration asap and ask them to correct it. If you do not and next time you leave etc they might think you are insulting them as you know it is the wrong stamp and they lose face they can kick you out anytime. Remember you are a guest in Thailand a Visa is not an automatic right to stay. Don't play games with Immigration I think they win.}

Yes, it shows you only read the first few lines.

[FiestyFarang]

_{I only read the first few lines but I would go back to Immigration asap and ask them to correct it. If you do not and next time you leave etc they might think you are insulting them as you know it is the wrong stamp and they lose face they can kick you out anytime. Remember you are a guest in Thailand a Visa is not an automatic right to stay. Don't play games with Immigration I think they win.}

Yes, it shows you only read the first few lines.

Thank you for your very profound comment. I have now read the entire comment, same applies he has not been back.

[Sophon]

_{I only read the first few lines but I would go back to Immigration asap and ask them to correct it. If you do not and next time you leave etc they might think you are insulting them as you know it is the wrong stamp and they lose face they can kick you out anytime. Remember you are a guest in Thailand a Visa is not an automatic right to stay. Don't play games with Immigration I think they win.}

Yes, it shows you only read the first few lines.

Thank you for your very profound comment. I have now read the entire comment, same applies he has not been back.

Read again, especially post no. 20.

Sophon

[bobthomas]

Many thanks for all the excellent replies. I won't post multiple thanks but I read them all.

As ubonjoe correctly identified, it was a case of the IO using the wrong stamp. Following his advice I set out for Soi 5 again to get it sorted. The interesting thing was that while on my way, I got a phone call from the IO to say they had made a mistake on my passport and could I bring it back so it could be corrected. I told them I was already on my way.

When I got there, the lady at the desk took me straight to the IO who processed it, he immediately stopped what he was doing, said he was sorry and then corrected the date for me. I was in and out in 2 minutes.

It could be they have a secondary check which picked it up, or it could be someone else had the same issue leading them to check the batch the IO was working on, but it also makes me wonder if this forum is actually monitored by Thai Immigration.

Either way, a speedy and satisfactory resolution was obtained. If I'd had my whits about me I'd have realised straight away it was a mistake, but there was a lot of background to this particular visa (I turned 50 this year and applied for a one year multi entry but the document requirements seemed to change half way through the process - the Thai Embassy web site actually changed between me submitting the docs and the application - and I got a phone call saying I needed to be 55 for what I'd applied for, or I also had to submit a medical and police report to continue the application) so they offered me a 3 entry tourist visa instead, and when this happened today I thought it might be related to that in someway.

Thanks again for the helpful comments.

What type of Visa would you need to be 55 years old in order to qualify for?

[Mario2008]

That would be 65, not 55, at the Thai embassy in London.

[Najinsky]

That would be 65, not 55, at the Thai embassy in London.

Could have been, it was a Thai lady over the phone and though her English was quite good, it was a struggle to understand everything she said, so I eventually just said yes to a 3 entry tourist visa.

[fakser]

The 90 day report is just a form you have to fill out conforming your address and that's it, no paperwork needed, but as the others said, get the stamp fixed because they will check your passport when you hand it in for the report and they will notice.

The 90 days report requires a form (downloadable from the immigration site), photo copies of your passport, departure card, and entry stamp. It can be done by registered mail.

[trianglechoke]

don't knock it................. It's worth more than (Thai) gold