Real dumb question re: flying out for visa

[haplo]

real stupid question for you all - my O visa is expiring, and I might be going off to work on a major project, so i don't want to renew yet - i want to wait to see what happens before I decide. so the solution's simple : i need to leave the country, come back, get my 30 day tourisy visa, then see how the work thing pans out. simple. But here's my dumb question :

 

Let's say I have a ticket to singapore or KL or whatnot. I go to the airport, go thru immigration, just like normal... but I don't get on the plane. I stay in suvarnabhumi for an hour or two, have a coffee, then head to arrivals and come in. Is that even possible? (ie is there access to arrivals from departures?) and if so would it work? I'm happy to pay for the ticket, just trying to avoid all the flying if poss as i am a nervous flyer... I know the answer is probably "no you idiot you can't do that" but I hold out hope someone can prove me wrong

[Mark Roberts]

Even if you could you would be 'arriving' so to speak from a country your passport had no stamp from. I find it hardly likely you could do it   

Edited March 14, 2017 by Mark Roberts
Had to correct

[ubonjoe]

If you have a multiple entry non-o visa from a embassy or consulate you can get a new 90 day entry by leaving and re-enter the country to get another entry.

You have to leave the country and enter another country and return to get new entry. It is not possible or legal to do what you suggest.

You could could do a border hop to get a 30 day visa exempt entry. No need to fly for that.

If you are married to a Thai or have a Thai child you can apply for a 60 day extension to visit your them.

[haplo]

1 minute ago, Mark Roberts said:

Access to departures by skirting customs? Surely you jest?

no that's not what I said. I would have already cleared customs and be in departures. I would then go to arrivals, clear immigration, and go thru customs again. All the same steps as if i took the flight, except not flying

 

[haplo]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

If you have a multiple entry non-o visa from a embassy or consulate you can get a new 90 day entry by leaving and re-enter the country to get another entry.

You have to leave the country and enter another country and return to get new entry. It is not possible or legal to do what you suggest.

You could could do a border hop to get a 30 day visa exempt entry. No need to fly for that.

If you are married to a Thai or have a Thai child you can apply for a 60 day extension to visit your them.

can you clarify? In the first part you said "you can get a new 90 day entry by leaving and re entering". But my O visa is expiring (as in my one year visa is finished) my understanding is you can't get another 90 days once that happens without going to get a new 1 year O visa,

 

and in your last line you say I can apply for a 60 day extension if i have a thai wife (i have, my O visa was a spousal visa). where is this doable - my local immigration office??

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, haplo said:

can you clarify? In the first part you said "you can get a new 90 day entry by leaving and re entering". But my O visa is expiring (as in my one year visa is finished) my understanding is you can't get another 90 days once that happens without going to get a new 1 year O visa,

 

The enter before date on your visa means just that it is not the last day you can be in the country. It is only the last day you can use your visa for a new 90 day entry. 

10 minutes ago, haplo said:

and in your last line you say I can apply for a 60 day extension if i have a thai wife (i have, my O visa was a spousal visa). where is this doable - my local immigration office??

You would apply for the 60 day extension at your local immigration office. Your wife will need to be with you when your apply. You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy, copies of your wife's house book registry and ID card. You will also need proof of residence unless living where your wife's house book is for.

[Mattd]

As far as I know, access to arrivals is now restricted from departures, before it wasn't.

Not so sure that it would work anyway, even if not restricted.

[lkv]

The only place that does not stamp is Hong Kong (ie no physical proof in the passport that you have ever been there).However there is an arrival card that you have to complete whenever you land in Thailand. Even if you had an extra blank one, this card includes details like flight number (that gets written also on the stamp in the passport), arriving from, etc.

 

I am pretty sure that putting fake info on this card -arriving with flight XYZ when you have not been on that flight -,even though you may not have entered Thailand yet, could be looked upon as fraud committed in Thailand and would get you into big trouble.

Edited March 14, 2017 by lkv

[somethingnice]

It's not a good idea. They will normally check for enter/departure stamp from neighboring countries. Especially if you come back the same day. If you don't have it, its likely that they instead will cancel your exit stamp, like you never left (which you didn't)

 

A better option - especially if you don't like flying, go to the Cambodia, Laos, border - enter and get your right stamps- have your coffee, turn around, exit - get your stamps, end reenter Thailand again. (You can max. do 2 entry's by land border per calendar year for 30 days visa exempt. - All countries get 30 days now starting from 31st December 2016).

[overherebc]

Go to Imm' with your wife and get a 60 day stamp for 1900 baht.

[BritTim]

Today, you would not even be able to get to the arrivals area. Even if you could, immigration has access to the passenger lists from incoming flights. Years ago, at Don Muang, I was behind someone at immigration who was trying to do what you suggest. They were asking to see his boarding card from his return flight to prove he had really been out of the country. He was carted off to talk to the supervisor, and I am pretty sure he never made it in. I imagine he was in serious hot water.

 

Do not even think about it!