extending a stay in visa exempt passport - options please

[msmoby]

Hi, I am a UK national and my partner is Russian ...aged 56 and 47, respectively

We arrived on the 10th of Jan and must leave by the 8th Feb

I have booked a place until 25th March

Having never been here before, I have Russians telling me about Visa runs to Laos or Cambodia and stays from 30 to 60 days on re-entry

I..the Brit ..will be coming and going - visiting HK , Malaysia, so I wanted to know if we can pay for an extension on re-entry to Thailand or whether it is simply better for my Mrs to go on a visa run.

I am told if she goes to Laos, she will get 60 days and only 30 from Cambodia..

Wifey has a return ticket for 25th March..I have not bought one as I may go back earlier to Moscow or the UK. Is there a limit to the times I can go in and out ....

As my Russian is tat of a 5 year old, I'd like to hear the score in English

SO..

1/ can one buy an extension to an exempt 30 day stay

2/ if not - can one get 60 days, or is it two visa runs

THANKS

[msmoby]

additional info..We are in the Pattaya region

[sunnyjim5]

Any entry you make with a tourist visa or visa exempt entry can be extended once at any immigration office for 30 days at a cost of 1900 Bht.

Your wife, if travelling on a Russian Passport, will not be able to extend her stay if she arrived without a visa.

[elviajero]

I assume you entered without visas and both were given 30 days.

• You can extend your stay by 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 baht as it is a visa exempt entry, however, your partner can't as she entered under a bilateral agreement. She would need to exit and re-enter to receive another 30 days.
• The only way to get 60 days would be with a tourist visa issued by a embassy/consulate.

[msmoby]

I am very grateful for your prompt, clear and concise answers to my questions ?

May I trouble you, once more ....Based on your advice, my Russian national partner must leave - do a visa run - to get 30 days... can she do this twice - to be able to stay until March 25th ?

1/ I read somewhere last night that re-entry for Russians might be granted for only 7 days - or even that the out and back in a day 'visa run' might result in a refusal...

2/ From Pattaya, which crossing would you recommend ? .. I know one can take a bus, but was thinking of hiring a car or even flying her out and back to Malaysia..From the local airport it appear she can fly Air Asia at 10am and be back by 5pm

I am totally 'green' about all this and if someone knows a firm doing visa runs - specialising in Russians - I'd be grateful . Wifey was quoted 2500 bhat from Pattaya by bus to Cambodia, but she can fly to Malaysia for less.

Mark

[msmoby]

Sorry, one more question

Wifey, insists that Russians can get 60 days from Laos...but does that involve STAYING there ?

Mark

[ubonjoe]

I am very grateful for your prompt, clear and concise answers to my questions ?

May I trouble you, once more ....Based on your advice, my Russian national partner must leave - do a visa run - to get 30 days... can she do this twice - to be able to stay until March 25th ?

1/ I read somewhere last night that re-entry for Russians might be granted for only 7 days - or even that the out and back in a day 'visa run' might result in a refusal...

2/ From Pattaya, which crossing would you recommend ? .. I know one can take a bus, but was thinking of hiring a car or even flying her out and back to Malaysia..From the local airport it appear she can fly Air Asia at 10am and be back by 5pm

I am totally 'green' about all this and if someone knows a firm doing visa runs - specialising in Russians - I'd be grateful . Wifey was quoted 2500 bhat from Pattaya by bus to Cambodia, but she can fly to Malaysia for less.

Mark

1. The 7 days has not happened in a long time. For the crossings to Cambodia you would be going to the limit is 90 days in a calendar year.

2. Ban Pakard and Ban Laem are the nearest crossings.

Flying out and back would be a good option.

Sorry, one more question

Wifey, insists that Russians can get 60 days from Laos...but does that involve STAYING there ?

Mark

To get a single entry tourist visa that would allow a 60 day entry would require at least one night of stay in Laos.

Perhaps she is hearing or reading outdated info from when Savannakhet Laos was doing visas on the same day they were applied for. That ended about a year ago.

[msmoby]

All clear, now

Many thanks, ubonjoe

Mark

[msmoby]

Update

Wifey went to Vientiane and applied for a new Thai tourist visa - stayed the night and received a new 60 day Tourist Visa.

Thanks for all your help

[msmoby]

One year on - same question !

 

Can the Russian national still get 60 days via Laos ?

 

Can she still only get 30 days going to Cambodia - it is a shorter distance from Pattaya 

 

Scenario - she arrived Jan 11 2016, got another 60 days from Laos - leaving 25 March 16 - was out of Thailand for one day

 

This time arrived Jan 13, 2017 - got 30 days - has a return ticket for 22 March 

 

Thanks, again in anticipation

 

Mark

 

 

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, msmoby said:

One year on - same question !

Can the Russian national still get 60 days via Laos ?

Can she still only get 30 days going to Cambodia - it is a shorter distance from Pattaya 

Scenario - she arrived Jan 11 2016, got another 60 days from Laos - leaving 25 March 16 - was out of Thailand for one day

This time arrived Jan 13, 2017 - got 30 days - has a return ticket for 22 March 

 

Thanks, again in anticipation

Mark

60-days via a Thai Tourist Visa in Laos requiring applying in the morning and pickup the following afternoon - same story.  These are also free, right now.

 

Also same at the border - 30-days - but not sure if the Russian bilateral-agreement gets around the new "2 Visa-Exempts per calendar year at land-border crossings" rule which most of us now deal with.  In any case, be sure to avoid Aranyaprathet/Poipet for crossings - they are not friendly.

[msmoby]

Hi Jack

 

Thanks for responding

 

Two questions now arise 

 

1/ 'Free'  - You mean the visa is free... but have the firms doing these visa runs dropped their prices :)?  I appreciated there is the cost of getting there and back - plus the hotel fee 

 

Any recommendations in the Pattaya area folks ?

 

2/ Sorry, what is this new  "2 Visa-Exempts per calendar year at land-border crossings" rule ... and of course, DOES IT apply to Ruskies ? :)

 

 

[ubonjoe]

7 hours ago, msmoby said:

1/ 'Free'  - You mean the visa is free... but have the firms doing these visa runs dropped their prices :)?  I appreciated there is the cost of getting there and back - plus the hotel fee 

 

Any recommendations in the Pattaya area folks ?

 

2/ Sorry, what is this new  "2 Visa-Exempts per calendar year at land-border crossings" rule ... and of course, DOES IT apply to Ruskies ? :)

1. The have deducted the 1000 baht fee for the visa.

    Can't help for Pattaya for the visa run.

2. No it does not apply Russians.

[msmoby]

OK

 

Another Q

 

Can a Russian get 30 days at Cambodia then another 30 days, a month later  - making 90 in total ?

 

This would take my Russian partner to 90 days in 12 months 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, msmoby said:

Can a Russian get 30 days at Cambodia then another 30 days, a month later  - making 90 in total ?

It would depend upon the crossing they go to. At Ban Laem they would be able to get another one.

[visarunner]

both borders are Ok, Ban Laem and Ban Pakkard.

Both will give 2 times 30 days for Russian Nationals.

Coming from Pattaya the crossing Ban Pakkard is a few km shorter than Ban Laem.

 

[msmoby]

Thank you

 

Info much appreciated

 

 

[msmoby]

Yet another 3 years on ..

 

If RU passport holder arrives at BKK without a visa and gets 30 days ...

 

Can they still do a Visa run to Laos - stay overnight - and come back with another 60 days ? 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

3 hours ago, msmoby said:

Can they still do a Visa run to Laos - stay overnight - and come back with another 60 days ?

You would get 60 days if you apply for a tourist visa and have it issued while in Laos.

If not it would only be a new 30 day visa exempt entry.