Red flagged at immigration, but still need to prolong my stay here

[carpediem86]

Hello, I just arrived to Thailand from Vietnam and had some problems at the immigration check. She said I am red flagged because I went to Thailand too many times the last 3 years. After talking for a few minutes she still let me in,  it said I have 30 days and it seemed like I can't make it longer. But my plan is to stay around 50 days since the flight back to Sweden is already booked. My plan is to pay in the immigration office in Hua Hin to stay longer, as many people do. But now it seems like I can't do that..

 

Question 1: Can I go to the immigration now in a few days and try to prolong my visa in arrival or should I do that around the end of the 30 days I got? 

 

Question 2: any ideas what I can do? I want to stay in Hua Hin until 19/12 2016 so I need 3 weeks more here than I currently got. 

 

I know I could have applied for a visa before I got to Thailand , but I didn't know about this rule that they don't allow you to go on 30 day free Visa on arrivals many times. I have around 6-8 arrivals within 2 years and I prolonged with 30 extra days 2 times, and also forgot one of them so I got 4 days overstay, wich of course looks bad. 

[ubonjoe]

You probably are not flagged in anyway if you were allowed to enter. They get an alert when you reach 6 visa exempt entries.

You can get a 30 day extension of your 30 day visa exempt entry (it is not a visa of any kind) at an immigration office for a fee of 1900 baht.

[carpediem86]

That sounds great! The woman at the immigration of the airport didn't speak so much English but as I understood her I really should apply for a visa before I come here next time, and that I must leave after the 30 days I got now. 

 

Then I will do as you said and pay the 1900b and get 30 more days. Do you know if I can do it now, or if I need to extend in the end of the 30 days I currently got? 

[ubonjoe]

During the last week of the 30 days at most offices. Some might do it earlier.

[anthony0339]

I would recommend you go to immigration right away and apply for the extension, don't wait. That way if they refuse, you have a lot of time to make alternate plans. If you wait till the last day and they refuse, you will get 7 days for the same 1,900 baht. Good luck!

[anthony0339]

Another option would be to use one of the reliable visa run services that can guarantee you entry with their connections with a single entry tourist visa from Laos. They accompany you back accross the border into Thailand so no need to worry about refusal. 

Edited October 29, 2016 by anthony0339

[stevenl]

53 minutes ago, anthony0339 said:

I would recommend you go to immigration right away and apply for the extension, don't wait. That way if they refuse, you have a lot of time to make alternate plans. If you wait till the last day and they refuse, you will get 7 days for the same 1,900 baht. Good luck!

With regards to this and your other post in this thread, don't put the OP in panic mode when there is no need at all for that. He will get a 30 day extension. And if the OP does decide to get a tourist visa there is no reason at all to do that 'with connections'.

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, anthony0339 said:

I would recommend you go to immigration right away and apply for the extension, don't wait. That way if they refuse, you have a lot of time to make alternate plans. If you wait till the last day and they refuse, you will get 7 days for the same 1,900 baht. Good luck!

 

This is bad advice. At most immigration offices they will deny the extension if you apply too early, but the extension is 99.99% automatic if you apply at the correct time.

[sanemax]

I also had a similar experience .

I came back into Thailand on a VES and got flagged and interviewed and although I got a 30 day VES , I had to agree to leave Thailand in 15 days , and that was written on my departure/arrival cards .

   I ended up staying for the full 30 days and getting another 30 extension and nothing was said 

[hawker9000]

I know you might probably prefer to go and obtain the extension right away, and just have it done & done and know you have it.  I don't know that the Immigration Office is enforcing any exact cutoff day before which you can't apply for them,  but it's a better idea to wait until the last week.  Don't wait until the very last day though.  (I did my last one 9 days out, and it didn't raise an eyebrow.) Your previous visa exempt entries triggered the "discussion" you had when you entered, and that entry history is permanent.  The NEXT time you come if it's anytime soon you probably SHOULD do so with an actual tourist visa in hand.  But it won't have any predictable effect on getting the 30d extension you need on this go around unless there's something else going on you haven't told us.

 

 

[carpediem86]

14 hours ago, sanemax said:

I also had a similar experience .

I came back into Thailand on a VES and got flagged and interviewed and although I got a 30 day VES , I had to agree to leave Thailand in 15 days , and that was written on my departure/arrival cards .

   I ended up staying for the full 30 days and getting another 30 extension and nothing was said 

 

Thank you everyone, then I will definitely wait then and apply for an extension around one week before my 30 days are up. For me they wrote 30 days like normal in my passport, and I just talked with the lady at the counter a few minutes before she let me in, even if she laid it out so seriously that I was thinking maybe I will not be allowed to enter at first. 

[carpediem86]

8 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

...  The NEXT time you come if it's anytime soon you probably SHOULD do so with an actual tourist visa in hand.  But it won't have any predictable effect on getting the 30d extension you need on this go around unless there's something else going on you haven't told us... 

 

There is only the 4 days of overstay that I mentioned earlier. I was here and forgot to extend my 30 day visa and did it 4 days late. 

 

Probably it will take some time until I come here again. Maybe one year (my wife is soon moving to Sweden). And probably I will stay less then 30 days that time. Is it okay then you think without applying for a visa in advance ? 

[hawker9000]

3 hours ago, carpediem86 said:

 

There is only the 4 days of overstay that I mentioned earlier. I was here and forgot to extend my 30 day visa and did it 4 days late. 

 

Probably it will take some time until I come here again. Maybe one year (my wife is soon moving to Sweden). And probably I will stay less then 30 days that time. Is it okay then you think without applying for a visa in advance ? 

 

I would think a year away would sort of reset the clock, and you'd be OK coming back in through Suvarnabhumi.  If it were me though, I'd probably spring for the tourist visa, just 'cause I'm risk averse, and for me it's not really all that big a deal.  (By "resetting the clock", I definitely do NOT mean to suggest that all your previous visa exempt entries will fall off the record; they won't and the IO will still see them on your eventual return.)  If you return via a land border crossing however, all bets are off.  If THAT were my plan, I'd definitely want to have the tourist visa in hand.