I am currently on a Non Im B visa that expires April 30th. I have been researching for hours and I cannot for the life of me make sense of any of this. What are my cheapest/best options to get 60 more days in Thailand?

Facts about me:

US Citizen, 24 years old

2 years of employment with Thai school

Non Immigrant B visa (which was an extension from last year) AND work permit are valid until April 30th, 2016)

Potential offer from legitimate school. If it's happening, I won't know until May 4th at the earliest.

Every penny (baht?) counts.

1. If I go to Laos for the weekend and come back by plane, I can get 30 days visa exempt on arrival back to Thailand, right? Is it imperative that I come back to Thailand by airplane or can I also come by land for the same 30 days, since I'm a US citizen? Will the immigration officer have cause to deny my application for a tourist visa if they see a 4 day expired NonImB?

2. Can I extend a visa exemption for 30 more days or is it smarter/cheaper to get a tourist visa in Laos?

3. When I get my tourist visa, should I imply that I'm done with Thailand or should I be honest about waiting for an offer from a specific school? I also have my old school as a backup in case I don't find anything better.

4. Do I need to be at the border by the 29th or the 30th? If I am on a night train that gets in to Laos on the 1st, will I pay 500 or 1000 baht?

I will be very grateful to anyone who can help me make sense of my current options. Thank you in advance!

1. You will be given 30 days by land or air. There is no reason why you would be declined a visa exempt entry.

Yes you can extend a 30 day visa exempt entry by 30 days for 1,900 baht. A single entry Torist visa (SETV) will give 60 days and costs 1,000 baht. It too can be extended by 30 days for 1,900 baht.

If applying for a SETV or entering the country with a SETV or visa exempt entry you should be clear that the purpose of your latest entry/visit is tourism. Do not mention work.

If your permission to stay expires on the 30th you should exit on or before midnight on the 30th. If you exit on the 1st you'll be charged 500 baht and get an overstay stamp.

elviajero, I really appreciate you taking the time to give a concise and serious answer. Really, thank you. Is there a recommended place to get a SETV? Do most places require a bank statement for either the exempt or the SETV? Would my SCB passbook be enough? Do I need to make copies of the passbook or is it enough to just show them a page? I currently don't have 20k baht to show...

elviajero, I really appreciate you taking the time to give a concise and serious answer. Really, thank you. Is there a recommended place to get a SETV? Do most places require a bank statement for either the exempt or the SETV? Would my SCB passbook be enough? Do I need to make copies of the passbook or is it enough to just show them a page? I currently don't have 20k baht to show...

You can get a SETV from the Embassy in Vientiane or the Consulate in Savannakhet. You will not need to provide bank statements. Its a simple application with copies of your passport, 2 x photos and 1,000 baht.

If you re-enter without a visa using visa exemption you simply hand over your passport and the IO will stamp you in for 30 days.

If I were you I would get a SETV as you are less likely to get questioned when re-entering the country.

Again thank you very much for your concise answers. Two more questions if you don't mind:

1. Do I need to go to immigration to cancel my work permit and non-B or is everything nullified as soon as I leave the country? Keeping in mind I will be hopefully switching from a SETV to a Non IM B in two weeks

2. Is Laos the best country to do this from?

Edited April 27, 201610 yr by ConfusedAmerican77

Laos is likely best if going for an SETV. However, if literally every baht counts, there is a possible alternative.

If you travel by train on the 29-30 April to Sungai Kolok,you can cross to Malaysia with no need for a visa (unlike in Laos). It is walking distance from the train terminus to the border, and there is public transport on the Malaysian side. You can then apply for a tourist visa in Kota Bharu on May 1 (yes, a Sunday) receiving the visa Monday early afternoon and return. However, you would need to hurry to make the 15:10 special express from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok. Unfortunately, the direct bus leaves even earlier. This is a looooong journey.

Also, if you decide only to do a border hop for a visa exempt entry, doing so to Cambodia involves less travel than Laos (and thus less expense). If you do not have prior visa exempt entries, this is safe.

Again thank you very much for your concise answers. Two more questions if you don't mind:

1. Do I need to go to immigration to cancel my work permit and non-B or is everything nullified as soon as I leave the country? Keeping in mind I will be hopefully switching from a SETV to a Non IM B in two weeks

2. Is Laos the best country to do this from?

1. If you depart the country at the Nong Khai or Mukdahan crossings you will need a termination letter to cancel your current extension. The best way to avoid problems would be to get a termination letter and go to immigration a few days before the termination date and immigration will post date the cancellation to that date. That would give you time to leave the country on or before that date.

Since plan on working again you will also need to be sure your work permit is canceled.

.2. To do a crossing for a new visa exempt entry you can do the border hop at any crossing other than 3 crossing to Myanmar that don't allow them (see the pinned topic Border Run Alternatives )

For a tourist visa Vientiane or Savannakhet if in the northern part of the country and Penang in the south.