ED visa to tourist visa overlap

[Toastface]

Hi all. I'm writing as I'm confused about my visa situation. I've been here the past year on an ED Visa which is valid until the 22nd January 2015, but I went out of the country and in again in November, so passport now has a stamp until the 1st February. I'm going back to the UK for xmas and will be re-entering Thailand on the 4th January and was planning to get a tourist visa whilst back. However, this means that the two visas will overlap.

Can anyone recommend the best way to go about this? If I fly back and enter on the ED Visa, will t be stamped for another three months, or just until the current expiry date of the 1st Feb? If I get a tourist visa when back and enter on that, will there be any issues with the two overlapping?

Any advice or clarification would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

If you have a multiple entry non-ed visa you will get a 90 day entry every time you enter up to the date it expires on the 4th of February.

I think I would wait and get the tourist visa near to the end of the 90 days you will get when you enter on January 4th.

There would be no overlap because if they issued you a tourist visa the would probably cancel the ED visa.

[Toastface]

Thanks for replying. The ED visa is indeed multiple entry. I originally thought the situation was the same as what you've described, meaning that if I come back on the 4th of January then it will be stamped until the 4th of April, effectively giving me nearly an extra 3 months, but have heard (repeat 'heard') that immigration will no longer stamp for any longer than the visa is valid until, preventing getting the 15 months in total. Just in case, do you know if there is any chance at all of not getting the additional 3 months or have you heard of this happening to anyone? As if this happened it would be a real pain to go elsewhere to get a tourist visa. Probably being over cautious but also probably better than not checking and hoping for the best!

[ubonjoe]

All multiple entry visas allow an entry up to the date the visa expires that gives another 90 day entry.

I don't know where you heard what you heard but it is wrong.

[Toastface]

Ok that's good news. Thanks very much for your help - saved me a lot of time and hassle so much appreciated!