Does extension of stay stamp (non B) reset the 90 day reporting count?

[lowp]

Hi, Here is the situation. I have a non B visa that has been extended annually for several years to match my work contract/permit. This year I went out of the country in July meaning that my 90 day report would be in October. BUT my renewal date for my extension of stay is in Sept (before my next 90 day report in oct). I thought that by showing up and renewing my extension in Sept I would not have to do a 90 day report about 3 weeks later in Oct, but rather 90 days from my non B extension renewal date.

So I went to do my 90 day reporting at Suksuwat yesterday and the 2 people behind the counter seemed clueless and said I needed an appt slip. I told and showed them the new visa ext date etc. They then asked what year did I first come here etc. (not relevant etc... implying that one has to report every 90 days from the date of first arrival, not from the most recent entry or appearance.

It ended by him saying I had to go to Changwattana...

I then decided to go to Samat Prakan, but they said I couldn't report there since my address was in BKK not SP... even though I did re-entry permits there before.

Can you guys give me some input on whether renewing ones non-B extension resets the 90 day reporting calendar OR am I screwed with at least a 2000 fine plus wasting a day at Changwattana or worse? thanks

[lopburi3]

Only the first extension of stay counts as a 90 day address report - so you have not reported on time and are indeed subject to fine if your return to Thailand was more than 90 plus 7 grace days ago.

The date you arrived was very relevant - as it showed this was not your first extension of stay from that entry.

[bigt3116]

Only the first extension of stay counts as a 90 day address report - so you have not reported on time and are indeed subject to fine if your return to Thailand was more than 90 plus 7 grace days ago.

This is certainly true in Bkk, but up here in the "sticks", they made me do a 90 day report at the same time as my first extension, so it would seem that it can vary office to office.

[lopburi3]

At any rate you did a 90 day report at first extension and with the online reporting system that may now be a positive thing - but by rules of immigration the first extension counts as a 90 day report.

The first application for extension of stay by the foreigner is equivalent to the notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=90days

[lowp]

Here is an update. So indeed the extension of ones non-B doesn't count as a 90 day report (except the first time). Of course the question is why not since you show up in person, provide your address, photo, signature, phone number etc. The current Thai system is clearly not logical from the user perspective. User are never informed that the 90 day desk doesn't communicate with the visa ext desk even though it is the same organization. The kicker is that my situation happens so often that the officer's has the following notice laminated to her desk so she doesn't have to repeat herself hundred times a day. She even suggested for me to take a picture of it with zero prompting from me. I wonder how much the 90 day office provides additional income to the department and staff. Since, the prudent thing to do would be for someone to say boy this happens a lot, maybe we should find a way to communicate this rule to visa holders "BEFORE" they violate the rule. The proactive logical thing would be for staff to inform those that are getting non - Bs extended to remind them that it doesn't count. The notice on the 90 day reporting violation officers desk should simply be laminated on the renewal-extension officers desk as well and clients should be reminded of it - wouldn't this be the simple logical solution? Basically, I had no idea that my visa ext didn't count as a 90 day report until it was too late as there is no advance notification process in place.

Below is the exact relevant text - English word order errors and all to save those that don't want to view the attached gif.

• Application of visa extension is not deemed to be the notification of residence every 90 days.
• … you have to report your residence on the ninetieth day from your last entry date (not from the date of visa extension.)

[Eclipse]

Extensions of stay and 90 day reports are two totally different procedures and are not linked in any way apart from the first application.

Having said that, some offices will do the 90 days at the same time as any application.

You will made aware and a receipt stapled in your passport.

[TerryLH]

OP, what did the piece of paper stapled in your passport say?

[steve187]

trying to get Thais to use logic to fit in with your logic would be hard work at best.

90 day reports are just that reporting every 90 days, trying to use logic to understand the reasoning behind these reports is pointless.

[lkv]

Extensions of stay and 90 day reports are two totally different procedures and are not linked in any way apart from the first application.

Having said that, some offices will do the 90 days at the same time as any application.

You will made aware and a receipt stapled in your passport.

trying to get Thais to use logic to fit in with your logic would be hard work at best.

90 day reports are just that reporting every 90 days, trying to use logic to understand the reasoning behind these reports is pointless.

The only time offices will do the 90 day report in the same time with the extension application is when coincidentally the extension application date happens to fall within the 22 day timeframe as below:

"The notification must be made within 15 days before or after 7 days the period of 90 days expires."

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=90days (Procedures no 4)

Now in regards to the 90 day reporting, the logic is if you are staying consecutively 91 days in Thailand from the moment you enter the country, the government wants an update of your whereabouts.

Tourist Visas - 60 days, even with 30 day extension you can never legally stay 91 days continuously in Thailand without going out, and when you come back in that's your address reporting on your immigration card

Non B multiple - it resets the clock every 90 days when you leave the country, no need for a report anymore, your report is on your new arrival card when you come back.

Non B single visas, you get 90 days, so therefore again when you extend that being your first extension it counts as a 90 day report.

Why does the first extension count as a 90 day report? Because you could not have stayed more than 90 days before that, extensions are given on Singles, and none allows you to stay more than 90 days.

Why does only the first extension count as a 90 day report and not the next ones? Well you could be getting a 12 month extension not necessarily a 3 month extension.

If you do get a 3 month extension for example, then you can do your 90 day reporting there and then, the dates will match. The confusions appear when you leave the country somewhere in the middle of your extension so that resets the whole thing and the clock starts again on those 90 days.

I mean I kind of get it. Say you are on a 3 month extension and you happen to leave Thailand for 1 month (reentry permit). When you come back you are in month 2 or 3 of your extension, but when you get your next 3 month extension not enough time would have passed for you to be eligible to make a 90 day report - 15 days before or 7 days after - and should you be allowed to do the report then, it would only be like one month after you've reported your address on the arrival card when you came in. So you would be reporting your address too often.

I know the above may sound ridiculous to some but that's the only twisted logic I can see. Apart from the one of course where a lot of people don't know about this or they forget so it creates another stream of revenue for Immigration (2,000 baht fine)

[lopburi3]

The reason for 90 day reporting is section 37, para 5 Immigration Act, B.E. 2522 (1979) [Thailand], 30 May 1979, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/46b2f9f42.html

5. If the alien stays in the Kingdom longer than ninety days, such alien must notify the competent official at the Immigration Division , in writing , concerning his place of stay , as soon as possible upon expiration of ninety days. The alien is required to do so every ninety days. Where there is an Immigration Office , the alien may notify a competent Immigration Official of that office. The provision of ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) shall not apply to any cases under Section 34 by any conditions as prescribed by the Director General. In making notification under this Section , the alien may make notification in person or send a letter of notification to the competent official , in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Director General .