Help with visa extension conundrum

[revelstone]

I have a somewhat curious issue that hopefully someone with first hand experience can shed some light on. I currently have a non-B visa, issued in Thailand (I originally entered Thailand on a Visa Waiver), and a work permit, both expiring this Sunday 19 March, Today I went to Chamchuri Square to cancel the work visa. They put a stamp in my passport voiding the visa extension. It is labelled with the date of voiding (today) and a note that I must leave the country by Sunday the 19th.

 

Simultaneously, I have purchased the Thailand Elite 5 year visa, which is not yet entered into my passport. The Thailand Elite folk have informed me that since I originally entered Thailand on a visa waiver, I don't need to leave the country in order to get the Elite visa in my passport. However, I will now need a 7 day extension, as I am scheduled to get the Elite visa at Chaeng Wattana on Wednesday 22 March.

 

The conundrum is that the earliest I can go to get the 7 day extension is on Monday the 20th, technically one day after my cancelled extension requires me to leave Thailand. The folk at Chamchuri Square told me that it's not a problem, since Sunday being a holiday, Immigration won't consider coming on the 20th for the extension to be an overstay. Apparently, an overstay of even one day will jeopardize my Elite visa. According to Thailand Elite, they had one customer who had a one day overstay and Chaeng Wattana refused to issue the Elite visa.

 

So, I'm interested in hearing any reports from someone who has had a non-B expire on a weekend and then successfully had a 7 day extension applied on the Monday with no overstay penalty (I don't care about the money - I care about not getting my Elite visa because of the overstay). My other possible (as well as inconvenient and expensive) option is to fly in an out of the country on Sunday, which given the current enforcement climate, I'd probably need to buy a BKK - SGN return and then a one way BKK --> somewhere just in case I get asked for my return ticket on entry to Thailand.

 

So, what's the consensus? Stay and just go to Chaeng Wattana on Monday morning for the 7 day extension, or fly in and out on Sunday?

[ubonjoe]

Thai Elite is correct. Immigration does not consider you to be on an overstay if your permit to stay ends on a weekend or holiday when immigration is closed.

[revelstone]

Thanks Joe. However, the report in this thread is particularly worrying. The OP had a one-day-overstay stamp put in his passport, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. 

[revelstone]

Given the above report, I plan to make a quick in and out trip tomorrow. The two alternatives I have are flying to Phnom Penh via Suvarnabhumi or doing a quick Bangkok-Poipet border run so that I don't run the risk of a one-day-overstay stamp. 

 

Is there any recent info on the viability of a border run via Poipet? While the two options take roughly the same amount of time (given check in times at the airport and such like), the Poipet land border run is the much cheaper option (about 1/4 of the price). I assume the visa waiver option at the land border is exactly the same as at Suvarnabhumi, just 15 days as opposed to 30 days. 

 

Any reason I should not be taking the land border option?

[revelstone]

I decided to take a flight instead and enter through Suvarnabhumi, as the Thailand Elite staff will take me through immigration - less chances of any issues this way

[ubonjoe]

6 hours ago, revelstone said:

I decided to take a flight instead and enter through Suvarnabhumi, as the Thailand Elite staff will take me through immigration - less chances of any issues this way

If your application has already been approved and fee paid you will get your 5 year PE issued at the airport and will be stamped into the country.

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, revelstone said:

Thanks Joe. However, the report in this thread is particularly worrying. The OP had a one-day-overstay stamp put in his passport, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. 

Not sure what the stamp he got said or was about since he did not post a scan of it. It would certainly not effect you getting the PE visa.