Have I got this right?

[poshglasgow]

Greetings!

Can some kind, well-informed soul confirm if my understanding of the current visa on arrival condition (and possible extension) is correct?

I plan to spend 30 days in Pattaya in December/ January. On arrival, I will receive a 30-day visa. If I decide to make a short visit to Cambodia by air before my 30-day visa expires, do I receive a new 30-day visa on arrival when I fly back into Thailand, thus allowing me to stay longer in Thailand than 30 days?

On the other hand, I understand that I can obtain a 60-day visa from the Thai Embassy in London but there is a fee and some paperwork to complete.

Finally, if I enter on the standard 30-day visa on arrival is it possible to obtain a short extension - say by a further two weeks - at the immigration office in Pattaya for a fee?

Thanks in anticipation.

PG

[bkkguy]

if you enter the country by air visa exempt you will be granted a 30 day permission to stay on arrival. this can be extended by 7 days at an Immigration office for 1,900 BHT

if you enter the country with a single entry Tourist Visa you will be granted a 60 day permission to stay on arrival. this can be extended by 14 days at an Immigration office for 1,900 BHT

if you leave the country your permission to stay expires on departure, however if you obtain a Re-entry Permit at an Immigration office before departure you can leave the country and re-enter before the expiry date of your previous permission to stay you will be granted a new permission to stay up to that expiry date. I am not sure of the current price of a Single Entry Re-Entry Permit

if you enter the country with a Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa you will be granted a 60 day permission to stay on arrival. if you leave the country and return before the expiry date of your visa (not the expiry date of your previous permission to stay) you will be granted a new 60 day permission to stay. Multiple-Entry Tourist Visas may not be available at your nearest embassy and consulate - check with them

there are limits to the number of visa exempt entries, particularly back-to-back entries, and there are limits to the total number of days in a year you can stay visa exempt, and these may or may not be consistently enforced, someone else may have more experience with this and be able to advise

your easiest option is probably to arrive visa exempt then if needed do the 7 day extension and/or the re-entry permit, but I am not a UK citizen so perhaps others can advise on the ease and cost of obtaining single or multiple entry tourist e-visas there!

[francois]

Greetings!

Can some kind, well-informed soul confirm if my understanding of the current visa on arrival condition (and possible extension) is correct?

I plan to spend 30 days in Pattaya in December/ January. On arrival, I will receive a 30-day visa. If I decide to make a short visit to Cambodia by air before my 30-day visa expires, do I receive a new 30-day visa on arrival when I fly back into Thailand, thus allowing me to stay longer in Thailand than 30 days?

On the other hand, I understand that I can obtain a 60-day visa from the Thai Embassy in London but there is a fee and some paperwork to complete.

Finally, if I enter on the standard 30-day visa on arrival is it possible to obtain a short extension - say by a further two weeks - at the immigration office in Pattaya for a fee?

Thanks in anticipation.

PG

First of all, you enter Visa Exempt and receive a 30 day permission to stay. The Visa on Arrival is only for some countries and UK is not one of them. Once here you can extend your permission to stay by another 30 days at an Immigration Office for a fee. If you do that and then leave Thailand for Cambodia you start the process over and you will receive another 30 day Visa Exempt when you arrive back in Thailand. The only problem is your airline may not let you board if your return date is beyond the 30 day limit.Likely not but possible. To avoid that you could purchase a flight to Cambodia and either use it or throw it away.

[poshglasgow]

First of all, you enter Visa Exempt and receive a 30 day permission to stay. The Visa on Arrival is only for some countries and UK is not one of them. Once here you can extend your permission to stay by another 30 days at an Immigration Office for a fee. If you do that and then leave Thailand for Cambodia you start the process over and you will receive another 30 day Visa Exempt when you arrive back in Thailand. The only problem is your airline may not let you board if your return date is beyond the 30 day limit.Likely not but possible. To avoid that you could purchase a flight to Cambodia and either use it or throw it away.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply. Much appreciated.

[poshglasgow]

Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply. Much appreciated.

[christianpfc]

if you enter the country by air visa exempt you will be granted a 30 day permission to stay on arrival. this can be extended by 7 days at an Immigration office for 1,900 BHT

if you enter the country with a single entry Tourist Visa you will be granted a 60 day permission to stay on arrival. this can be extended by 14 days at an Immigration office for 1,900 BHT
The extensions are 30 days.

Over the years, I have moved from visas plus extension to visas to visa free entry. Can't be bothered with applying for visas or going to immigration to extend, and there is so much to see and do in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar that 30 days in Thailand between these trips should be enough for me in the future.

But keep in mind that airline (but not not immigration) will probably ask about proof of leaving Thailand within 30 days when you enter visa free.

[gerefan2]

[QUOTE=bkkguy;294906]
there are limits to the number of visa exempt entries, particularly back-to-back entries, and there are limits to the total number of days in a year you can stay visa exempt, and these may or may not be consistently enforced, someone else may have more experience with this and be able to advise

/QUOTE]

There is no limit to the number of “border runs” by air.
The limits only apply to border runs overland.

[billyhouston]

The present cost of a Single Entry Re-Entry permit is Bht 1000.

[2lz2p]

I plan to spend 30 days in Pattaya in December/ January. On arrival, I will receive a 30-day visa. If I decide to make a short visit to Cambodia by air before my 30-day visa expires, do I receive a new 30-day visa on arrival when I fly back into Thailand, thus allowing me to stay longer in Thailand than 30 days?


Yes! As mentioned by others, you will be entering "Visa Exempt" which grants you a 30 day permission to stay. If you leave Thailand and return by air, you will received Visa Exempt entry for another 30 day permission to stay. There is no limit doing this by air, but if Visa Exempt land border entries are limited to two per year. However, if done by air several times, especially back to back, Immigration may question whether you are really a tourist and in most cases tell you next time to get Visa, but depending on the Officer, they could deny entry.



On the other hand, I understand that I can obtain a 60-day visa from the Thai Embassy in London but there is a fee and some paperwork to complete.

If you obtain a Tourist Visa, when you enter you will receive a 60 day permission to stay. A Tourist Visa is valid for entry from the date of issue up to 90 days later.


Finally, if I enter on the standard 30-day visa on arrival is it possible to obtain a short extension - say by a further two weeks - at the immigration office in Pattaya for a fee?



Both a Visa Exempt (30 day stay) and Tourist Visa (60 day stay) can be extended at any Thai Immigration Office in the country for another 30 days - the fee is 1,900 baht.

As mentioned by another poster, your airline may deny boarding if you do not have an onward ticket within 30 days of your arrival if you do not have a Visa (visa exempt entry). This is because it is an Immigration requirement which could make the airline liable if denied entry (even though that is very unlikely as Immigration Officers at the airports rarely if ever ask to see an onward ticket).

[poshglasgow]

Many thanks for this most comprehensive reply.

The area I'm having difficulty with is this question of the return ticket to the UK from Bangkok. Although in thirty years of visiting Thailand I have never been asked to show proof of a return airline ticket, I am under the impression that there could be problems if, during the 30-day stay, you go to the immigration office and ask for an extension of the visa and it shows that the return ticket is in fact valid for a date in excess of the 30-day on arrival visa. In that situation it looks as if I am confident of being granted an extension to the 30-day visa. I'm not even sure if airlines flying between the UK and Thailand will let you book a return to the UK that exceeds the 30-day visa date for departure from Bangkok.

My ideal scenario is: fly to Thailand and return to the UK after six weeks, during which time in Thailand I will take a short trip to Cambodia by air.

[billyhouston]

My ideal scenario is: fly to Thailand and return to the UK after six weeks, during which time in Thailand I will take a short trip to Cambodia by air.

You should have no problems if you have purchased your flight to Cambodia before you depart UK and it takes place less than 30 days after your arrival. While it is technically possible that without the Cambodia trip you could be denied boarding, experience suggests that it is highly unlikely. With the Cambodia trip it's straightforward and, after all, you are only looking to stay 42 nights or thereabouts. You would not need to visit immigration to obtain an extension, that you would get when you fly in from Cambodia, or even if you return overland.

[christianpfc]

There is no limit doing this by air, but if Visa Exempt land border entries are limited to two per year. However, if done by air several times, especially back to back, Immigration may question whether you are really a tourist and in most cases tell you next time to get Visa, but depending on the Officer, they could deny entry.
From my experience, only an issue if you stay more than half a year within a year in Thailand on tourist visas or visa exempt.


...I am under the impression that there could be problems if, during the 30-day stay, you go to the immigration office and ask for an extension of the visa and it shows that the return ticket is in fact valid for a date in excess of the 30-day on arrival visa. In that situation it looks as if I am confident of being granted an extension to the 30-day visa. I'm not even sure if airlines flying between the UK and Thailand will let you book a return to the UK that exceeds the 30-day visa date for departure from Bangkok.

From memory, I was never asked for proof of leaving or date of leaving when I applied for an extension.

I was denied boarding (Eva Air in Taipei) on a trip to Thailand without visa and flight out of Thailand about 55 days later. I had to buy a flight out of Thailand within 30 days, did it on the spot and got it quick enough to get on my original flight.

[2lz2p]

Many thanks for this most comprehensive reply.

The area I'm having difficulty with is this question of the return ticket to the UK from Bangkok. Although in thirty years of visiting Thailand I have never been asked to show proof of a return airline ticket, I am under the impression that there could be problems if, during the 30-day stay, you go to the immigration office and ask for an extension of the visa and it shows that the return ticket is in fact valid for a date in excess of the 30-day on arrival visa. In that situation it looks as if I am confident of being granted an extension to the 30-day visa. I'm not even sure if airlines flying between the UK and Thailand will let you book a return to the UK that exceeds the 30-day visa date for departure from Bangkok.

My ideal scenario is: fly to Thailand and return to the UK after six weeks, during which time in Thailand I will take a short trip to Cambodia by air.


As you mentioned, it is very rare for Thai Immigration at an air entry port to ask to see an onward ticket. Based on your scenario, you should have no difficulty with Thai Immigration - if, during your initial stay of 30 days, you go to an Immigration Office for a 30 day extension and they want to see your onward ticket, your departure will be within the next 30 days. So no problem there.

As mentioned, the likely problem, and this depends on your airline, will be in boarding in the UK for travel to Thailand, as they may require your onward ticket show departure within the 30 day permission to stay granted upon entry for Visa Exempt arrivals. As I understand it, there are websites that for a small fee, cab provide a "ticket" for that purpose (not a real booking).

[maump]

Has anyone used the onwardticket.com scheme to have a cheap "flight" onward?

[Armando]

As mentioned, the likely problem, and this depends on your airline, will be in boarding in the UK for travel to Thailand, as they may require your onward ticket show departure within the 30 day permission to stay granted upon entry for Visa Exempt arrivals.
Not only departures from the UK. I have been stopped at Hong Kong (twice) for not having an onward ticket and once in Sydney. In Sydney I was told that Singapore has the same ruling.

[thaiophilus]

I'm not even sure if airlines flying between the UK and Thailand will let you book a return to the UK that exceeds the 30-day visa date for departure from Bangkok.

My ideal scenario is: fly to Thailand and return to the UK after six weeks, during which time in Thailand I will take a short trip to Cambodia by air.

They will certainly let you book it. I have done exactly this (for various other destinations as well as Cambodia) on several occasions.

They may ask questions when you check in but it has only happened to me on one occasion. SInce I had already made a genuine booking for an onward flight to the other country there was no problem ( i don't think they even asked to see it :) ).

[christianpfc]

Has anyone used the onwardticket.com scheme to have a cheap "flight" onward?

Twice. In both cases, I wasn't asked for an onward ticket.