Extending a 6 month METV to 9 months with the right timing?

[dblaisde]

Anybody know how this works in practice? (There must have been some test cases by now??)

My son's 6 months are about to run out (6 month METV issued in the US. Entered Jan 10th). Since renewals of METV visas are done for 3 month periods, will leaving and reentering the country in the next few days get him an additional 3 months?

If it won't, what's his best course of action?

Thanks in advance.

[ubonjoe]

Tourist visas only allow a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days at an immigration office.

The METV is valid to use for an entry for 6 months from the date of issue. As long as an entry is done on or before the enter before date on his visa he will get another 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days.

[Briggsy]

Has your son exited Thailand since he entered on Jan 10th?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Note, the 10 January entry date is NOT the critical date.

Check the actual visa, it should say something like "Must be used before xx July 2016," that's the date he should re-enter Thailand by.

Mac

[dblaisde]

Has your son exited Thailand since he entered on Jan 10th?

Yes, he's done quite long travels to the surrounding countries, so he's probably spent only 4 months in Thailand of the 6 months of the visa, but would this affect things, since I think the cut-off of re-entries is the use-before date on the visa.

[dblaisde]

Note, the 10 January entry date is NOT the critical date.

Check the actual visa, it should say something like "Must be used before xx July 2016," that's the date he should re-enter Thailand by.

Mac

Yeah, I'm finding out that the critical date is the "enter-by" date, not the initial date of entry. Your 180 days are computed from *this* date (enter-by), so if you got the visa in NYC 2 weeks before flying to Thailand, and you've stayed here, say 175 days, you're already past the enter-by date and can't get another 2 months on the visa.

[Briggsy]

To be honest, I find your posts hard to follow with a lot of irrelevant information. But do not feel slighted or disheartened as I am a constructive sort so I will try to be as clear as concise as possible.

On the METV, there is an ENTER BEFORE date. Your son should aim to enter Thailand 1 day before this date (just to be on the safe side).

He will received 60 days permission to stay. After staying in Thailand for around 45 to 55 days, he should get himself along to the nearest immigraton office and pay 1900 Baht for a 30 day extension.

Et voila, there you have 9 months.

[Suradit69]

Has your son exited Thailand since he entered on Jan 10th?

Yes, he's done quite long travels to the surrounding countries, so he's probably spent only 4 months in Thailand of the 6 months of the visa, but would this affect things, since I think the cut-off of re-entries is the use-before date on the visa.

"...since I think the cut-off of re-entries is the use-before date on the visa."

The visa is valid for entries to Thailand until the "use before" date on the actual visa sticker.

As others have said, if he uses the visa to enter Thailand just before that date he will be given a 60 day permission to stay in Thailand and he can extend that for an additional 30 days at an immigration office.

During these 60 + 30 days he will have permission to be in Thailand, but the visa will have expired so if he plans to do any travelling out of Thailand during this time he would need a re-entry permit or else when he returns again he will only be given a 30 day visa exempt entry (assuming US passport) and his 60 + 30 days will be cancelled.