I am in the process of applying for non imm guardian visa but my daughters school say the paperwork may not be ready until after the school holidays which takes me over my 30 days visa exempt limit. I'm a uk passport holder and have been here for over a year on an Ed visa ( the ed visa expired while I was away in macau, hence the 30 day visa exempt I have now) .

Will I be OK to apply a 30 day extension?

A friend was up at immigration yesterday and said there was a notice for '30 day extension- except Hong Kong, Macau ...._' .

I had always taken this to mean passport holders from those countries couldn't get extensions, but my friend thinks it is if you have entered from those countries, which I have. So I'm now concerned that I will have to leave the country again rather than extend my visa exempt stamp for another 30 before my paperwork is ready!

Apologies for the rambling post, but if anyone can clafify this for me is be grateful thanks.

It is only for passport holders from HK and Macao because they get their exempt entries based upon a bilateral agreement not the normal visa exempt scheme.

"Will I be OK to apply a 30 day extension?"

Nothing to be concerned about you can extend your visa exempt entry by 30 days. (1,900 baht)

Thank you both.

I had thought this was the case but you know what it's like when someone throws a spanner into your way of thinking!!

I shall proceed as planned while I wait.

1.900 baht for a further 30 days at any Immigration Office.

I'd be interested to know about the notice that your friend is talking about. But if you're a UK passport holder currently in country on a valid visa exempt stamp, and aren't in some exceptional situation resulting from previous overstays or other imm. problems, I can't imagine why you wouldn't be eligible for the 30d extension, regardless of where you entered from. I can see questions being asked as a result of the previous ED visa if the IO suspects you're now illegally working or trying to reside more-or-less permanently without an "appropriate" visa, but having come in from HK shouldn't have anything to do with anything.