Visa ending, what to do? - Visa exempt by land, or extension at immigration?

[craigp]

Hi TV,

Please help me with this one.....

A friend of mine is panicking, as her tourist visa is coming to an end, and her flight out is booked after the tourist visa expiry.

What would be her best option?

1-Extension at immigration, I think it costs 1900B, but how long will she get?

2-Visa exempt at Mai Sai, (how much would that cost her and is it 15 or 30 days?) USA citizen

3-Or, overstay a few days and pay 500B per day?

(I don't know the exact difference between her visa and flight yet)

She's being given mixed advise, so I want to ask TV on her behalf as UB, Paz, and many others advice in TV is second to none.

Thank you all very much!

By the way, she's is Chiang Rai.

[Lite Beer]

1. 30 Days.

2. 30 Days

3. Not a good idea.

[craigp]

1. 30 Days.

2. 30 Days

3. Not a good idea.

Thanks Lite Beer,

Is there any difference is cost from 1 or 2?

Is 1 and 2 100% correct? Sorry to ask twice, but I must be sure.

I don't want to give her the wrong advice else I'll be in trouble.

[craigp]

Also, she must have proof of her flight out the country if that'll help her get what she needs. . . . .

[Mario2008]

The cost is the same for any kind of extension, a visa exempt entry is of course free (but one need to pay for the visa to enter the other country).

Mai Sai immigration will probably tell her to get the extension instead of getting a visa exempt entry and might not allow her to leave.

[craigp]

The cost is the same for any kind of extension, a visa exempt entry is of course free (but one need to pay for the visa to enter the other country).

Mai Sai immigration will probably tell her to get the extension instead of getting a visa exempt entry and might not allow her to leave.

Thanks Mario,

But, at the moment her tourist visa is still valid/in date, so couldn't she hop over the border at Mai Sai and come straight back in and get a 30 day visa exempt?

[Lite Beer]

1. 1,900 Baht

2. The cost of travel and possibly a Visa to enter another country.

[craigp]

1. 1,900 Baht

2. The cost of travel and possibly a Visa to enter another country.

With a valid Thai tourist visa, and USA passport, will she need another visa to jump over the border and back at Mai Sai?

[Mario2008]

The cost is the same for any kind of extension, a visa exempt entry is of course free (but one need to pay for the visa to enter the other country).

Mai Sai immigration will probably tell her to get the extension instead of getting a visa exempt entry and might not allow her to leave.

Thanks Mario,

But, at the moment her tourist visa is still valid/in date, so couldn't she hop over the border at Mai Sai and come straight back in and get a 30 day visa exempt?

A while back their policy was that they would tell people to get an extension instead of allowing the boarder run.

[Suradit69]

The cost is the same for any kind of extension, a visa exempt entry is of course free (but one need to pay for the visa to enter the other country).

Mai Sai immigration will probably tell her to get the extension instead of getting a visa exempt entry and might not allow her to leave.

Thanks Mario,

But, at the moment her tourist visa is still valid/in date, so couldn't she hop over the border at Mai Sai and come straight back in and get a 30 day visa exempt?

"But, at the moment her tourist visa is still valid/in date, so couldn't she hop over the border at Mai Sai and come straight back in and get a 30 day visa exempt? "

If she entered the country on a single entry tourist visa it is no longer valid. It's been used. She would have been given a 60 day permission to stay by immigrations. Before the permission to stay expires she can get a 30 day extension of her permission to stay at immigrations. They will add 30 days onto her current permission, so going in a week or so early will not cause her to lose any days.

If she has a 2 or 3 entry tourist visa and has not used all the entries AND if the "use by" date printed on the visa sticker has not passed, she could just cross in and out of a border to activate another entry for 60 days. In that case there would be no need for a visa exempt entry.

If an additional 30 days on her current permission to stay (the stamp from immigrations) would be sufficient, that would probably be the cheapest, easiest thing to do since she won't have the travel expense or the need to obtain a visa to enter a neighboring country.

The permission to stay shown by a hand stamp from immigrations at the airport or border is not a visa. That stamp and the date show on it when she must exit the country are the important consideration as to how long she can stay in the country or when she needs to get an extension. The expiration date printed on the actual visa is irrelevant unless she has not used all the entries.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Suradit69

[ubonjoe]

1. 1,900 Baht

2. The cost of travel and possibly a Visa to enter another country.

With a valid Thai tourist visa, and USA passport, will she need another visa to jump over the border and back at Mai Sai?

It is a visa to enter the other country a person is going to after leaving Thailand. At Mae Sai that would be for border pass (500 baht or $10) to enter Myanmar.

If she has not gotten a 30 day extension of her 60 day entry yet that is the best option. Mae Sai immigration would probably not let her leave the country for a visa exempt entry if she has not gotten it yet.