Visa extension within the next 2 weeks

[lvartist]

•  

I have been in BKK since March 4. My 30 days concludes the end of the day April 2.

I have a flight to Hanoi on April 2. But now that won't happen. Perhaps after April 15 if Vietnam cancels it's current restriction. I also have a flight out of HCMC to the USA on June 25.

I hope to extend my stay in Thailand 30 days while awaiting the Vietnam Government's decision on April 15. 

2 questions:

1. If I apply now successfully for an extension will the new 30 days start after my 30 stamp concludes on April 2 rather at the date of issue?

2. My flight out of Thailand on April 2 now void. Will Thailand Immigration require a new flight out of the country even though I can't predict what Vietnam will do on April 15? I can certainly show them my flight booking out of Vietnam to the USA on June 25 but I don't know if that will satisfy immigration.

I plan to go to an an immigration office here (Bangkok) early next week. I would like to know before I go the answers to my questions.

I also posted on BKK Addicts a few minutes. Also on Thai Visa. 2 people responded on Thai Visa providing answers to questions I never asked. Completely ignored my questions. 

Hopefully I will do better here or on the Bangkok forum.

Thanks 

[bonlondon]

I am confident that answer to question 1 is 30 days from date of issue (not April 2)

I am in same boat with a date of April 3

I am starting to fear the closing of the immigration office due to cluster concerns

Also saw an article n Bangkok post about relaxing overstay prosecution for older Euros

[striderman]

1. 30 day extension starts from the day old 1 expires

2. they don't ask for onward flight details. they do ask for the 1900 bht

note. the office in pattaya does not like to process an extension till a few days before the old one expires

 

EDIT bonlondons first answer is not correct

Edited March 19, 2020 by striderman

[bonlondon]

Thank you for correcting me

I was told that by a guy I know who is a regular at Jomtien immigration on my incorrect date - good to know

issue now is risk of closing of office for clustering prior to request

[lvartist]

Thank you striderman. Appreciate the answer.  Simplifies my life a lot. 

To boblondon....not a problem. 

Will now decide whether to come to Pattaya or stay in Bangkok for the extension.  

Thanks again 

[tj916]

Be prepared to pay another 1600. Baht if your hotel/landlord has failed to inform immigration you are staying there.

[bestmate]

1 hour ago, tj916 said:

Be prepared to pay another 1600. Baht if your hotel/landlord has failed to inform immigration you are staying there.

This is incorrect. My hotel failed to inform immigration and the hotel was required to pay a fine of 2000 bht (not me) before i got the 30 day extension.

Note: A member of staff at your hotel can either go and pay the fine or give you the money to pay on their behalf (this was my case) and get a receipt for the fine which you can give to the hotel. Dont pay for the hotel or you prob will not get the money back!

Edited March 19, 2020 by bestmate

[sulu]

18 hours ago, lvartist said:

•  
•  

I have been in BKK since March 4. My 30 days concludes the end of the day April 2.

I have a flight to Hanoi on April 2. But now that won't happen. Perhaps after April 15 if Vietnam cancels it's current restriction. I also have a flight out of HCMC to the USA on June 25.

I hope to extend my stay in Thailand 30 days while awaiting the Vietnam Government's decision on April 15. 

2 questions:

1. If I apply now successfully for an extension will the new 30 days start after my 30 stamp concludes on April 2 rather at the date of issue?

2. My flight out of Thailand on April 2 now void. Will Thailand Immigration require a new flight out of the country even though I can't predict what Vietnam will do on April 15? I can certainly show them my flight booking out of Vietnam to the USA on June 25 but I don't know if that will satisfy immigration.

I plan to go to an an immigration office here (Bangkok) early next week. I would like to know before I go the answers to my questions.

I also posted on BKK Addicts a few minutes. Also on Thai Visa. 2 people responded on Thai Visa providing answers to questions I never asked. Completely ignored my questions. 

Hopefully I will do better here or on the Bangkok forum.

Thanks 

Not sure about in Bangkok but in Jomtien they typically won't renew until you are within about a 7 day window of the expireation of your permission to stay. So in Jomtien, "early next week" may be too soon.

Your other questions were answered but I have a question for you.

With the U.S. raising the level to the highest level (4), and if you don't get home asap you should be prepared for a possible LONG stay out of the country, may I offer you some advice ?

 

 

 

 

GO HOME WHILE YOU STILL CAN !!!

 

Sorry for shouting................ 

[Soi7]

18 hours ago, striderman said:

the office in pattaya does not like to process an extension till a few days before the old one expires

I knew of a case where they sent the guy away telling him to return the day before it expires 

[lvartist]

Here is an update on my extension....I

Since I am in Bangkok, and given all the uncertainty, plus even a lockdown of Thailand, yesterday I decided to go to the Immigration Government Complex in north Bangkok. Huge facility. Packed with foreigners dealing with all the issues of the C Virus. 

Received my Section Cue number and confirmed that the extension starts after expiration of the visitation stamp which in my case is end of the day April 2. Got a yes.

My cue number Section K 660. Many other sections fully functioning at the facility. At about 9:30am Section K was on number 100. Not a good sign . All other sections the same. I was finally called at 5:30 pm. Processed quickly. Staff at the facility clearly doing their best working under difficult circumstances. Friendly and accomodating. I was processed quickly, but then waited another 45 minutes for my completed passport. 

I was at the facility for 9 1/2 hours. My extension stamp clearly shows a date of May 2 just as striderman stated. 

Nobody at the facility was upset that I was applying early. But then these are unprecedented times. A really long day. But at least some of my uncertainty has been resolved. Now I wait to see what happens next.

A side note. .....during a 9+ hour wait I talked to a lot of foreigners. One, a fellow from England who has lived here for 10 years. He works for a pharmaceutical engineering firm. Quite knowledgeable as expected about the virus situation. He believes a lock down is coming. He thinks Bangkok could be isolated. No one gets in or out. Military will enforce the isolation. This is just his opinion. He advised me to go elsewhere in Thailand and wait. Chiang Rai, Hua Hin or similar destinations. He could be right. Weighing my options now. May also consider Jomptien.  Pattaya  a maybe. These are not normal times.