Extending 60 Day Tourist Visa Past 90 Days?

[Jessy]

Can someone please explain once and for all. If someone goes to Thailand with a 60 day tourist visa that they acquired at the Thai embassy in London, and then they are able to extend that visa by 30 days at immigration, can they stay in Thailand past 90 days?? What happens after that?? Can one do a visa run and apply for another 60 days tourist visa?? Is the new rule about the number of visa runs a tourist can do, or about the time allowed in Thailand. It's all a bit confusing. Be grateful for advice.

[lopburi3]

You can not remain in the country beyond 90 days without an extension of stay for a valid reason - but don't believe that is really your question.

If you obtain a new visa and return as far as anyone is aware there should not be any problem returning for another visit. If you exit and return for a 30 day entry there should not be any problem. What is not clear is how easy tourist visas will be to get in the long term. At this point they seem to be available but probably only in single or two entry versions.

The 90 day rule you have probably read about is for entry without visa in a six month period and is not expected to be applied to visa entry.

[The Coder]

You can extend a tourist visa 3 times. So you get 60 days plus optional 30+14+7 day extensions each for 1900 baht for a max 111 days before you must leave. Note the 30 day extension starts from the day it expires (so you can go early and not lose days) where as the 14+7 extensions start from the day you show up. You don't need a reason other than tourism to get extensions but the 14+7 don't make financial sense unlike before '02 when extensions were something like 500 baht.

[princealbert]

Can someone please explain once and for all. If someone goes to Thailand with a 60 day tourist visa that they acquired at the Thai embassy in London, and then they are able to extend that visa by 30 days at immigration, can they stay in Thailand past 90 days?? What happens after that?? Can one do a visa run and apply for another 60 days tourist visa?? Is the new rule about the number of visa runs a tourist can do, or about the time allowed in Thailand. It's all a bit confusing. Be grateful for advice.

You should have no problem. I came on a 60 day tourist visa acquired at the Thai consulate in Hull early September and did my first visa run end of October , 2nd run late November and will be doing one more late december before i go to KL mid/late January to get 60 day tourist visa.

[lopburi3]

You can extend a tourist visa to 90 days total stay. Anything further would be at the discretion of immigration officer and probably not as likely now as in the past.

[princealbert]

You can extend a tourist visa to 90 days total stay. Anything further would be at the discretion of immigration officer and probably not as likely now as in the past.

I came on a 60 day tourist visa acquired at the Thai consulate in Hull early September and did my first visa run end of October , 2nd run late November and will be doing one more late december before i go to KL mid/late January to get 60 day tourist visa.

I will have had 90 days here today (2/12) do you anticipate me having problems with my next Mae Sai run Dec ? or would you adise that i go to KL or Penang to get new single entry 60/90 day December instead ?

Many Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[lopburi3]

You should not have a problem as you will not have not been here 90 days on visa free entry.

[The Coder]

You can extend a tourist visa to 90 days total stay. Anything further would be at the discretion of immigration officer and probably not as likely now as in the past.

I presume this is baseless speculation or is there something useful you wish to share? There is no more or less discretion than the first extension which in essence means it is automatic. You do it at the same counter with the same form processed by the same people as before who simply put their heads down like before and crank it out. I suggest any readers interested in extra extensions simply go to the information counter at the immigration office yourself as in my expereince (as well as others who have done this) they will be more than happy to offer extra extensions to you without any questions or scrutiny at all, just like the first one.