Tourist Visa

[chuang]

The Singapore Thai Embassy can only issue a tourist visa to Thailand for only 2 months-stay, at the end of my stay can I renew/extend my visa at the Chiangmai Immigration..any adcice...thanks

[footfall]

I believe they can extend for 30 days in Chiang Mai but ask in the Visa section of the forum for more details.

[Ajarn]

Assuming it's a non-multiple entry (once), That's true. If it is a multiple-entry, you need to get to a border every 60 days..

[meadish_sweetball]

Yes, you can renew a single entry 60 day visa at CM Immigration for 1900 baht, to receive an additional 30 days.

Like Ajarn says, if you need to stay longer, it makes sense to ask for a double or triple entry tourist visa. This visa will give you 60 days for each time you enter Thailand, 2 or 3 times, respectively.

So in practice, you exit Thailand on day 59 and come back again, to receive another 60 days.

[chanchao]

I always wondered if the following is possible (i.e. has someone actually tried)

Suppose you have a double entry tourist visa.

Can you then EXTEND your initial 60 day stay with 30 days, THEN go out of Thailand and come back for an additional 60 days, which you can then again extend with 30 days?

That's the first thing I've always been wondering about.

Second thing is: Suppose someone is travelling in SE Asia, going to stay 2 months in Thailand but visiting Cambodia and Vietnam first. They do however fly into Bangkok and may stick around Bangkok for a couple of days before going to Cambodia. Would it then be possible to NOT use your tourist visa on your first arrival (so opt for the regular 30 day transit stay) but only use the visa on your second arrival, coming back from Cambodia/Vietnam for your two month (60 day) stay ?

Cheers,

Chanchao

Edited August 29, 2006 by chanchao

[adjan jb]

I always wondered if the following is possible (i.e. has someone actually tried)

Suppose you have a double entry tourist visa.

Can you then EXTEND your initial 60 day stay with 30 days, THEN go out of Thailand and come back for an additional 60 days, which you can then again extend with 30 days?

That's the first thing I've always been wondering about.

Second thing is: Suppose someone is travelling in SE Asia, going to stay 2 months in Thailand but visiting Cambodia and Vietnam first. They do however fly into Bangkok and may stick around Bangkok for a couple of days before going to Cambodia. Would it then be possible to NOT use your tourist visa on your first arrival (so opt for the regular 30 day transit stay) but only use the visa on your second arrival, coming back from Cambodia/Vietnam for your two month (60 day) stay ?

Cheers,

Chanchao

I can answer your first question : It depends on the validity of your visa. Usually a tourist visa is valid 2 months, therefore you can't extend your initial 60 day stay.

But when you apply for a visa, you can ask the staff at the consulate to give you a visa with a longer validity. At some consulates they are quite helpful, at others they are not. Anyway, if they agree you can extend your initial 60 day stay with 30 days (1900 . If the validity is long enough, you can get a second extension (15 days - 1900 and even a third (8 days. I don't remember if it's free or not). A few years ago it was even possible to get a fourth extension (7 days. Free)

On your return to Thailand, you can get the 3 or 4 extensions.

For your second question, I don't know. One possibility is to ask the consulate to issue the visa not on your passport but on a piece of paper that you show on your second arrival. (some countries allow the issuance of a visa on a piece of paper that you later clip together with your passport)

[adjan jb]

Sorry for the smileys. I typed "b" for baht.

[Axel]

Sorry for the smileys. I typed "b" for baht.

\

That's off-topic, but thanks I am not alone.

I always (when I don't forget) type 'b with the apostophy.

[chuang]

Thanks folks for all the info....the Thai Embassy in Singapore does not issue mulitple-entry visa...

[lopburi3]

The information above is wrong.

A tourist visa to Thailand is valid for a period of 3 months from date of issue. A two or more entry is valid for six months from date of issue. A visa need not be valid to extend your stay. The visa only has to be valid for the day you enter the country.

So yes, you can use a 2 entry tourist visa to stay almost 6 months.

If you want to use your tourist visa later you should not fill in the visa information of TM.6 card for arrival and ask the immigration officer to please stamp you with a visa exempt 30 day stay (if qualified) because you plan to travel to other country. It is up to the officer but many have done this.

[adjan jb]

The information above is wrong.

A tourist visa to Thailand is valid for a period of 3 months from date of issue. A two or more entry is valid for six months from date of issue.

No, the information I gave is not wrong (not always wrong)

If I find a way to fix my scan, I'll borrow some friends' passports and post some of their tourist visas. The Thai consulates play by different rules. For example, while the staff in Munich is very friendly and helpful and give whatever you ask for, in Vientiane they're are ..... (expletive deleted).

In France whether you go to Paris, Lyon or Marseille, the rules are very different.

some tourist visas are valid only 2 months, some 2 entry visas are valid for only 3 months. It all depends to where you go.