Visa Question For A 34 Day Stay In Thailand.

[patekatek]

We are arriving in Thailand for a total of 33-34 days in Jan-Feb, 2007. What is the best thing for me to do to avoid departure issues? I've read that they allow one day grace and 200 baht for each day after that. Then I read that it is 500 baht.

I would appreciate any recommendations you experienced falang have. I have been to Thailand many times but this is the first "over-stay" situation.

Regards.

dj

[britmaveric]

Get a visa before you go then you don't have to worry about overstay - you certainly have plenty of time to do so. Then no overstay fines nor worries.

[jdinasia]

yeppers get a real tourist visa then don't worry about it...

overstaying is illegal and even though you may have no hassles other than paying a 500 baht/day fine ... if you get stopped while on overstay prior to leaving ... well ... it could be pure hel_l for you

[patekatek]

I assume that would be obtained from a Thai embassy in the USA?

[joinme2leave]

4x500=2000. how much for a tourist visa back home? 1-2 days overstay i would not worry about a visa and just pay....but anything over 2 days....better do what the other expats told you....

[britmaveric]

I assume that would be obtained from a Thai embassy in the USA?

Yes indeed.

[jdinasia]

I assume that would be obtained from a Thai embassy in the USA?

embassy or one of the consulates

for almost everything ... if you are near an honorary consulate you will get faster easier service (Denver is awesome!)

Edited August 9, 2006 by jdinasia

[Sophon]

We are arriving in Thailand for a total of 33-34 days in Jan-Feb, 2007. What is the best thing for me to do to avoid departure issues? I've read that they allow one day grace and 200 baht for each day after that. Then I read that it is 500 baht.

I would appreciate any recommendations you experienced falang have. I have been to Thailand many times but this is the first "over-stay" situation.

Regards.

dj

A couple of points to consider:

If you don't get a visa before leaving, you might not be allowed to get on the plane, as the 30 day visa exemption requires a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days (which a assume you don't have).

If you are unlucky enough to be stopped by the police while you are on overstay, the consequences are far worse than just the 2,000 baht overstay fine (incarceration, deportation and possibly blacklisting).

Chances are that you could come to Thailand, overstay 3 or 4 days and just pay your fine when you leave. However, should you be one of the unlucky ones, you will most certainly regret not getting a tourist visa before coming. The choice is yours, but I would get the visa.

Sophon

Edited August 9, 2006 by Sophon

[Lacoste]

Or you can just go and get your 30 day stamp extended by 10 days while you are in Thailand, very easy to do and will cost you very little. Realy no need for you to obtain a visa or overstay.

Edited August 9, 2006 by Lacoste

[Maestro]

I assume that would be obtained from a Thai embassy in the USA?

No. If you’re in Afghanistan, get it from the Thai consulate in Afghanistan. In other words, from a Thai consulate in whatever country you live at the moment.

And you don’t have to go personally to the consulate. Everything can be done by mail. Get the application form by mail or download it from the consulate’s web site, fill it it out and send it back with your passport, the required number of passport photographs, visa fee and return envelope, then get your passport back by mail. Easy!

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Maestro

Edited August 9, 2006 by maestro

[Maestro]

Or you can just go and get your 30 day stamp extended by 10 days while you are in Thailand

This means a visit to any Immigration Office in Thailand and a fee of 1,900 Baht. Compare this to the cost of a tourist visa ($25) and consider also which of two you find more convenient to apply for, then make your choice.

As everybody else said, do not consider overstaying as an option.

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Maestro

[britmaveric]

Only problem with extension suggestion, airline might not let you on the plane since 30days is max allowable time without visa or proof of onward travel prior to the 30days.

[Maestro]

Only problem with extension suggestion, airline might not let you on the plane since 30days is max allowable time without visa or proof of onward travel prior to the 30days.

You’ve got an excellent point there, Britmaveric.

If the airline uses standard procedures to limit its risks and if the check-in staff do their job, patekatek and his companion(s) won’t be allowed to board without a visa.

patekatek, the only safe advice to give you is to get a tourist visa.

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Maestro

[visarunner]

Get a Single Entry Tourist Visa which will be good for 60days and have a worry free stay in LOS .

[Crossy]

You don't need yet another "Get a visa, do not overstay" post do you?

Here's one anyway, just in case the others didn't register

Do NOT even CONSIDER overstaying, it really isn't worth the tiny risk of being apprehended along with the associated stay in the detention centre etc.

Get a VISA

[Kerryd]

No. If you’re in Afghanistan, get it from the Thai consulate in Afghanistan. In other words, from a Thai consulate in whatever country you live at the moment.

Maestro[/size]

Speaking from first hand experience, Thailand doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Afghanistan.

I know. I came here from there. Couldn't get a visa before arriving. Been living off the 30 day Transits since then.

I understand what you were trying to say though.

Note: If you are sending your passport by mail, use REGISTERED mail. You will have to include a pre-paid return envelope (they don't usually accept cash, and won't buy a return envelope for you).

Other option is to use a courier (i.e. Fed-Ex). Same deal, you will have to pre-pay the return package.

Here is a list of the Thai Embassies and Consulates around the world:

www.ThaiEmbassy.org

Find the embassy/consulate closest to you and check out the site. They should have a Visa section and instructions on how to get it.

Buddy of mine did this in January. Not the brightest bulb in the box, but he was able to do everything by mail and get a 3 month Tourist Visa with no problems.

Good luck !

[Thaiquila]

In my experience, when checking into hotels, they usually look at the passport stamp. Do hotels even check in guests with overstay dates on arrival or a date that would become an overstay during a booked stay? Aren't hotels required to report all foreigners on a regular basis?

[Pakboong]

You could always do a quick visa run to Cambodia.

[jdinasia]

No. If you’re in Afghanistan, get it from the Thai consulate in Afghanistan. In other words, from a Thai consulate in whatever country you live at the moment.

Maestro[/size]

Speaking from first hand experience, Thailand doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Afghanistan.

I know. I came here from there. Couldn't get a visa before arriving. Been living off the 30 day Transits since then.

I understand what you were trying to say though.

Note: If you are sending your passport by mail, use REGISTERED mail. You will have to include a pre-paid return envelope (they don't usually accept cash, and won't buy a return envelope for you).

Other option is to use a courier (i.e. Fed-Ex). Same deal, you will have to pre-pay the return package.

Here is a list of the Thai Embassies and Consulates around the world:

www.ThaiEmbassy.org

Find the embassy/consulate closest to you and check out the site. They should have a Visa section and instructions on how to get it.

Buddy of mine did this in January. Not the brightest bulb in the box, but he was able to do everything by mail and get a 3 month Tourist Visa with no problems.

Good luck !

Strangely the honorary consulate in Denver will not accept couriers .... only US Mail

[Kerryd]

You could always do a quick visa run to Cambodia.

Hardly worth it though, except for peace of mind. Lose a whole day getting to/from the border, and pay 1,800+ baht, to get a 30 day visa, to cover those 4 days of overstay.

It would be the safe way to go though.

(Remember the story of the Rayong 12 ? They were on a visa run to the border when their bus was pulled over by the police. 12 of them were on over-stay and were hauled off the bus and taken to jail.

Another 2 measly hours and they would have been home-free. Of course, if they hadn't overstayed their visas in the first place, there wouldn't have been a problem).

[Maestro]

In my experience, when checking into hotels, they usually look at the passport stamp. Do hotels even check in guests with overstay dates on arrival or a date that would become an overstay during a booked stay? Aren't hotels required to report all foreigners on a regular basis?

Hotels must report the arrival of foreigners (aliens) to the Immigration Office or local police within 24 hours from arrival (Immigration Act, Section 38) with form TM.30, listing, among other details, the following:

Date of arrival

Type of visa

Expiry date of stay

I don’t think a hotel would refuse to check in an overstayer, but Immigration should have it easy to follow up on the information they receive if they chose to do so.

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Maestro