Tourist Visa extension of stay now only for emergency use, recent change ?

[ukrules]

I stumbled across this in another thread and if it's correct this could affect a lot of people.

On the Hull consulates website the tourist visa guidance document has been updated, here's a link to the PDF :

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/pdf/v1-general-visa-rules-and-regs02015.pdf

The part I'm referring to is near to the bottom of page 2 in the document and it says this :

Please note it is not generally possible to extend a stay in Thailand. Extensions of stay are granted only in exceptional circumstances and are at the discretion of the Thai immigration officer

It's always been a routine matter to extend your 60 day single entry tourist visa and stay for 90 days in the past by paying 1900 Baht for an extension of stay.

Is this no longer the case ? According to the document above it's sure looking like it.

[The manic]

Can somebody answer this please. Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

Looks like rubbish to me a honorary consulate in the UK would not have much knowledge about immigration procedures. There has been no change.

[BritTim]

It is my impression that extensions of tourist visas (and visa exempt entries) were more likely to be refused long ago, but are now routinely provided. I think the information on the Hull consulate website reflects policy from about 20 years ago.

[manchesterlalala]

When I first started applying for the triple-entry tourist visa from Hull in early 2012, I contacted the office by phone to discuss the visa and ask a few questions.

When I told the lady at the Hull Consulate that I planned to squeeze just under 9 months from the visa, she immediately corrected me, telling me that it was for 6 months: 3x 60 days. Armed with the information I had garnered from this very forum, I explained that I was intending to get 30-day extensions on the entries.

Her response was interesting. IIRC, she essentially paraphrased the line from the official information you quoted in the OP. She didn't scold me, but she wanted to convey that I should in no way take getting an extension for granted.

Obviously, this ran counter to what I had read on this forum and others. Fast forward nearly 4 years, and my passports are full of extension stamps and, on them, the initials of immigration officers.

In conclusion, I concur with the sentiments above. Consulates and Embassies provide the official line; the reality in the immigration offices – and, by extension, the information on this forum – is different.