can i put a 2 month visa on HOLD whilst i visit other country?

[yogavnture]

im going to Vietnam for a month. when I come back to bkk its only for 6 days before going to india. can I get a 2 month visa while in Saigon , redeeming when come to bkk and then after 6 days in bkk somehow put the 2 month visa on hold, using the remainder of it when I get back to bkk from india ? OR should I just buy two 2 month visas in saigon for Thailand, and just waste one when coming to bkk for the 6 days and use the second one when coming to bkk after india trip.................how much of a hassle is it to put the 2 month visa on hold while in bkk and leaving for india? fee? ..........if its a hassle maybe better off just pay for the TWO 2 month visas and just make it easy.. maybe its the same price either way,, so do whats easy. thanks

[lopburi3]

There is no such thing as putting a visa on hold - once you enter you have used that visa - and your permitted to stay time will be set. You can keep that permitted to stay time with a re-entry permit (if you plan to return during that period and want to use what is remaining) but that will not add any days to the original time allowed.

[elviajero]

On entry with a tourist visa you'll be granted a 60 day stay. You could buy a re-entry permit (1,000 baht) before leaving for India. This will keep your original 60 day stay alive. E.g. If you were to leave after 6 days and returned 20 days later you would be granted 34 days on re-entry being the remainder of your original 60 days on re-entry.

[yogavnture]

thanks for the good info. in essence u can put one on hold , but u lose the days that you are out of kingdom. so I guess my best choice is to get 2 ,, two month visas for Thailand in Saigon, and then just use one of them when I return to Thailand even though its for only 6 days. easier. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT, THAI IMMIGRATION ALWAYS USES THE TOURIST VISAS THAT ARE IN PASSPORT, U CANT SAY TO THEM , OH IM ONLY HERE FOR 6 DAYS CANT U GIVE ME A FREE 30 DAY ENTRY. THEY WONT DO THAT, THEY ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE PAID VISAS IN PASSPORT AND USE THEM, THANKS

On entry with a tourist visa you'll be granted a 60 day stay. You could buy a re-entry permit (1,000 baht) before leaving for India. This will keep your original 60 day stay alive. E.g. If you were to leave after 6 days and returned 20 days later you would be granted 34 days on re-entry being the remainder of your original 60 days on re-entry.

[elviajero]

thanks for the good info. in essence u can put one on hold , but u lose the days that you are out of kingdom. so I guess my best choice is to get 2 ,, two month visas for Thailand in Saigon, and then just use one of them when I return to Thailand even though its for only 6 days. easier. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT, THAI IMMIGRATION ALWAYS USES THE TOURIST VISAS THAT ARE IN PASSPORT, U CANT SAY TO THEM , OH IM ONLY HERE FOR 6 DAYS CANT U GIVE ME A FREE 30 DAY ENTRY. THEY WONT DO THAT, THEY ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE PAID VISAS IN PASSPORT AND USE THEM, THANKS

On entry with a tourist visa you'll be granted a 60 day stay. You could buy a re-entry permit (1,000 baht) before leaving for India. This will keep your original 60 day stay alive. E.g. If you were to leave after 6 days and returned 20 days later you would be granted 34 days on re-entry being the remainder of your original 60 days on re-entry.

What nationality are you?

How long are you out of the country for?

I don't think you can get a double entry tourist visa in Vietnam.

[steve187]

just enter on visa exempt both times, then on the 2nd entry if needed get a 30 day extension

[Jingthing]

Years ago I successfully asked an officer to "save" my tourist visa at BKK. Basically I did not write the visa number on the boarding card, but when I approached the desk, I came clean about the visa and politely asked him to stamp me in for 30 days as I wanted to reenter and use it later. This request was pleasantly granted without hassle. However, since then I have read it is policy NOT to allow that.

My current impression is that what I did would FAIL now.

But that said, I would not suggest trying to fool the officer by not writing the visa number on the boarding card and not pointing out the visa.

That would be deceptive and might have unpleasant consequences.

I don't see any harm in TRYING what I did even now. In that case, you are being honest. I think the worse that could happen is they say no and they stamp your visa USED.

To add, any recent reports of people trying to have their tourist visas SAVED on entry would be interesting to hear about. Successes or failures. I think the current info here is that is not allowed so it would be news to hear cases where it IS allowed now.

[oncearugge]

just enter on visa exempt both times, then on the 2nd entry if needed get a 30 day extension

Visa exempt entries are only available to those who qualify.

Are you certain the OP qualifies ?

[BritTim]

NOTE: You cannot (I do not think) get a double entry tourist visa in Ho Chi Minh City. DEFINITELY, you cannot get two single entry tourist visas.

As suggested by others, use visa exempt entries if you qualify.

[ParadiseLost]

METV?

[lopburi3]

or Multi Entry Tourist Visa.

[yogavnture]

thanks steve I think u might be onto something. I am American. so I get 30 days free entry. flying in each time. I'm interested in your idea. what u suggest is to not get any visas and just use the 30 day freebes each time. I'm only staying more than 30 days only one time. so during that time u suggest I extend that one at my cost. i think its 1900 baht. but i thought u couldn't extend the free 30 day visa more than ten days or so? NOT30 days extra..........bottom line is I am coming to Thailand for lets say 50 days, and if i have NO paid visas in my passport and I'm us citizen how long can i pay for extension to the free 30 day visa?

just enter on visa exempt both times, then on the 2nd entry if needed get a 30 day extension

[oncearugge]

thanks steve I think u might be onto something. I am American. so I get 30 days free entry. flying in each time. I'm interested in your idea. what u suggest is to not get any visas and just use the 30 day freebes each time. I'm only staying more than 30 days only one time. so during that time u suggest I extend that one at my cost. i think its 1900 baht. but i thought u couldn't extend the free 30 day visa more than ten days or so? NOT30 days extra..........bottom line is I am coming to Thailand for lets say 50 days, and if i have NO paid visas in my passport and I'm us citizen how long can i pay for extension to the free 30 day visa?

just enter on visa exempt both times, then on the 2nd entry if needed get a 30 day extension

All 30 day"visa exempt entries" (it is not a visa) are extendable by 30 days at any immigration office for a fee of 1900 Bht

Your status as a US citizen is irrelevant.

[yogavnture]

one last question, why cant I just pay for the 30 day extension on my free 30 days ...........at airport? if I'm on ko sarn road, is it a full day trip to get the 30 day extension in Bangkok.? is the immigration office a huge hassle their? this is new to me that I can just pay 1900 baht and get 30 day extension on the free 30 day entry.

thanks steve I think u might be onto something. I am American. so I get 30 days free entry. flying in each time. I'm interested in your idea. what u suggest is to not get any visas and just use the 30 day freebes each time. I'm only staying more than 30 days only one time. so during that time u suggest I extend that one at my cost. i think its 1900 baht. but i thought u couldn't extend the free 30 day visa more than ten days or so? NOT30 days extra..........bottom line is I am coming to Thailand for lets say 50 days, and if i have NO paid visas in my passport and I'm us citizen how long can i pay for extension to the free 30 day visa?

just enter on visa exempt both times, then on the 2nd entry if needed get a 30 day extension

[steve187]

all extensions are only available at local immigration offices, not at the airport on arrival,

obtaining a visa exempt is ok as along as you have a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days of arrival, this is to keep the airline happy or they may deny boarding

[thaiman]

Years ago I successfully asked an officer to "save" my tourist visa at BKK. Basically I did not write the visa number on the boarding card, but when I approached the desk, I came clean about the visa and politely asked him to stamp me in for 30 days as I wanted to reenter and use it later. This request was pleasantly granted without hassle. However, since then I have read it is policy NOT to allow that.

I did this a few times many years ago also, but recently have had no luck doing it.

[Jingthing]

Years ago I successfully asked an officer to "save" my tourist visa at BKK. Basically I did not write the visa number on the boarding card, but when I approached the desk, I came clean about the visa and politely asked him to stamp me in for 30 days as I wanted to reenter and use it later. This request was pleasantly granted without hassle. However, since then I have read it is policy NOT to allow that.

I did this a few times many years ago also, but recently have had no luck doing it.

As I suspected. Oh well.

[yogavnture]

thanks to steve 187 for concise good info. above. in the end I am going to just not get any visas. please note it is helpful to be us citizen because I get 30 day free entry upon arrival. and ps. I suspect immigration is a bit less concerned about stamping some nationalities than others although they don't admit it.

so what I will do is when I want to stay more than 30 days in Thailand, i will go to immigration, and pay 1900 baht to extend my free 30 days to another added 30 days.

I will have at that time at immigration (trying to get extension), an onward ticket for months later. and I suspect that will be good enuf. I will end up buying an onward ticket before that, but maybe not have bought it by then,

BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, WHEN IM EXTENDING THE 30 DAY FREEBE TO ANOTHER 30 DAYS NOW MILITANT IS IMMIGRATION TO SEE AN ONWARD TICKET???????I WILL EXTEND IN BKK NEAR WEEKEND MARKET LOCATION

[yogavnture]

I DISAGREE THAT MY STATUS AS US CITIZEN IS IRREVALANT.........AS I SEE IT, IMMIGRATION CAN GIVE U A HASSLE IF THEY CHOOSE TO ...........AND AS I SEE IT , US CITIZENS GET A CLEAR QUICK PASSAGE IF WE LOOK PRESENTABLE. MY GUESS IS CERTAIN NATIONALITIES ABUSE THE THAI SYSTEM MORE THAN OTHERS AND OVER TIME THAI IMMIGRATION JUST POLICES THOSE COUNTRYS MORE DILIGANTLY, THAN OTHERS ALTHOUGH ITS NOT SPOKEN OF

thanks steve I think u might be onto something. I am American. so I get 30 days free entry. flying in each time. I'm interested in your idea. what u suggest is to not get any visas and just use the 30 day freebes each time. I'm only staying more than 30 days only one time. so during that time u suggest I extend that one at my cost. i think its 1900 baht. but i thought u couldn't extend the free 30 day visa more than ten days or so? NOT30 days extra..........bottom line is I am coming to Thailand for lets say 50 days, and if i have NO paid visas in my passport and I'm us citizen how long can i pay for extension to the free 30 day visa?

just enter on visa exempt both times, then on the 2nd entry if needed get a 30 day extension

All 30 day"visa exempt entries" (it is not a visa) are extendable by 30 days at any immigration office for a fee of 1900 Bht

Your status as a US citizen is irrelevant.

[lopburi3]

Well if you do with immigration as you have done above do not believe being American is going to be of much value.

Full capital shouting?

[yogavnture]

so now it must be asked. firstly their are good people from every country so I don't want to pigeonhole anybody. but does anybody know which countries citizens game the thai immigration rules the most????????? . I'm guessing Russia?