13 replies to this topic

[looselips]

Hi UK citizen will be arriving in Bangkok with no visa, so will obviously only get the 30 day permit/visa ...but i want to stay for 3 months. Can anyone please tell me the best way of going around this safetly. I don't really want to be going out and flying back in if i can help it. Infact being a lazy sod i don't really want to go anywhere, quite happy to stay in Pattaya,if i have a visa!
Many thanks for any help.

[tamarind]

There are loads of agencies in Pattaya that will arrange for you to do a one-day minibus "visa run" to the Cambodian border (if Thailand isn't at war with Cambodia by the time you arrive). I think this will extend your visa by another 30 days. You can definitely do this several times without any problems since you are clearly a tourist and not someone trying to live in Thailand on a tourist visa. Alternative visa runs are available to Laos, Malaysia or Singapore. The Singapore one would be a nice one, and this would require an overnight stay but I think you would get a two-month tourist visa. You could use a budget airline airline for the two-hour flight.

The easiest option is to find a Thai consulate (it doesn't have to be an embassy) in the UK and get a tourist visa before you arrive.

I should add that there is a Pattaya Immigration Office in Soi 5, Jomtien (same soi as Sallys' bar), where visa extensions or applications can be made. The problem is that you cannot extend a 30 day tourist stamp on arrival; you must leave and re-enter the country in this case.

Edited by tamarind, 31 May 2011 - 11:35 AM.

[snick]

The current rules are a 15 day visa is granted for those entering Thailand by land.
To get a 30 day visa you will need to fly into Thailand, probably the cheapest way to do that is AirAsia to Kualu Lumpur.

Best advice is get a 60 day dual entry tourist visa in your home country.

[Beerlao]

if you still have time, get a tourist visa from Hull in the UK - they are extremely helpful and very fast - you can post
your stuff to tem and get it back in 2 days. the tourist visa might be free still as it has been for a while now - will
save you a lot of trouble when you get there - and a lot of expense as well.

[niftyjohn]

coolroom, on 31 May 2011 - 01:57 PM, said:

if you still have time, get a tourist visa from Hull in the UK - they are extremely helpful and very fast - you can post
your stuff to tem and get it back in 2 days. the tourist visa might be free still as it has been for a while now - will
save you a lot of trouble when you get there - and a lot of expense as well.

This,,,
Get a 60 day tourist visa in uk and you can extend for 30 days for 1900baht at immigration at jomtien you will not have to leave pattaya.

[Twoshots]

Just a question. Every time Im standing in line at Bangkok immigration for leaving the country I notice to the left theres a kiosk that has a sign on it saying, 'Re-entry Visa," or similar. Anyone know why thats there ? I did briefly or consider that there may be a possibility of renewing a visa just by crossing into airside at swampy and then coming back in, without actually flying anywhere. Ever the Optimist I suppose. Hypothetically it would be handy if that was the case, if an individual, who maybe, as is often the norm, escorted by their Girl to the airport and seen safely off through passport control, who could, if so wish, wait around for an hour and then come back in when the coast was clear !! Just a thought.

[luv u long time]

niftyjohn, on 31 May 2011 - 02:20 PM, said:

This,,,
Get a 60 day tourist visa in uk and you can extend for 30 days for 1900baht at immigration at jomtien you will not have to leave pattaya.

 up-arrow.jpg   44.37K   1 downloads

What he said !

[looselips]

SORRY I FORGET TO SAY I DO NOT LIVE IN THE UK ( ALTHOUGH I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN) AND AM NO-WHERE NEARE ANY THAI EMBASSY..EVEN TRIED PAYING WELL OVER THE ODDS AND SENDING MY PASSORT TO THE UK TO AN AGENCY BUT CUSTOMS STOPPED MY PASSPORT AND RETURNED IT!!..BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!! IS THERE NOBODY IN PATTAYA I CAN GIVE SOME BAHT TO GET A VISA WITHOUT GOING?..DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO TO CAMBO AS SAID ABOVE ONLY 15 DAYS NOW BY LAND ANYWAY.. THANKS FOR REPLIES.

[niftyjohn]

lis2, on 01 June 2011 - 03:21 AM, said:

Just a question. Every time Im standing in line at Bangkok immigration for leaving the country I notice to the left theres a kiosk that has a sign on it saying, 'Re-entry Visa," or similar. Anyone know why thats there ? I did briefly or consider that there may be a possibility of renewing a visa just by crossing into airside at swampy and then coming back in, without actually flying anywhere. Ever the Optimist I suppose. Hypothetically it would be handy if that was the case, if an individual, who maybe, as is often the norm, escorted by their Girl to the airport and seen safely off through passport control, who could, if so wish, wait around for an hour and then come back in when the coast was clear !! Just a thought.

When you are in thailand on a none imm visa or a retirement visa or any other visa if you are leaving thailand and do not want to lose your visa you need to get a re entry visa failure to do so results in you visa being null and void when you re enter.

[grandy]

lis2, on 01 June 2011 - 03:21 AM, said:

Just a question. Every time Im standing in line at Bangkok immigration for leaving the country I notice to the left theres a kiosk that has a sign on it saying, 'Re-entry Visa," or similar. Anyone know why thats there ? I did briefly or consider that there may be a possibility of renewing a visa just by crossing into airside at swampy and then coming back in, without actually flying anywhere. Ever the Optimist I suppose. Hypothetically it would be handy if that was the case, if an individual, who maybe, as is often the norm, escorted by their Girl to the airport and seen safely off through passport control, who could, if so wish, wait around for an hour and then come back in when the coast was clear !! Just a thought.

That is not what a reentry visa is. No airport has a lane you can just go in and come out 5 minutes later with a new visa. A reentry visa is giving permission to come back after leaving on certain types of visas.

[Moo Yung]

A lot of visa companies will offer you services to get you a 60 day visa once your 30 days have expired, but if you do a little reading up you can easily do it yourself cheaper.

My preferred option these days is to get a cheaper Airasia flight to Phnom Pehn. Fantastic city with a great bars scene and different bvibe of LBs and lots of agencies where you can get your 60 day hassel free Thai visa, or an embassy where you can get it sorted yourself.

Also 3 months in Pattaya is a long time, wouldn't hurt to split that up a little with some side trips - otherwise it might be a case of 'Pattaya has him now..'

[Ass Splitter Jones]

snick, on 31 May 2011 - 11:46 AM, said:

The current rules are a 15 day visa is granted for those entering Thailand by land.
To get a 30 day visa you will need to fly into Thailand, probably the cheapest way to do that is AirAsia to Kualu Lumpur.

Best advice is get a 60 day dual entry tourist visa in your home country.

Yes, this is the way to go in my opinion. I did it in Australia. Went to Thai embassy and filled out two forms in about 20 minutes time, paid 90 AUD and I was sweet for 4 month stay. You basically can stay for 60 days then you leave the country, which I did by taking train to Aprathet which on Thailand border and cross into Cambodia (Poi Pet) Pay about $20 USD and then on your return you get another 60 days. You can take full advantage of your trip by shopping at the markets on both sides of the border. Thai's travel the train for free so you can take a companion with you. I left mine on Thai side Thai side (Aprathet market) while I got my stamp and some quick alcohal purchases. If you run into lengthy lines, you can pay a Cambodian agent to express you. They charged me 300 baht and Cambo agent personally pushed it through and I was off.

I think this is the cheapest way to go without taking a flight. The train is about 4 to 5 hours as I recall, and certainly not comfortable. Mostly Thai's and backpackers. You can take buses and vans through travel agents, but those are more expensive. It's a long day either way.

[Albert Steptoe]

You can extend your 30 day visa at the immigration office in Pattaya for 1900 bht but only for 7 days, I did it last time because I couldn't be arsed going to Cambodia and wanted to stay for 6 days extra, the other alternative was to overstay and pay 500bht a day fine for every day over.
Not much use to the OP but maybe for anyone who is happy to stay another week extra and like me couldn't be arsed wSting a day going to Cambo and back

[Nob Hoskins]

Currently double entry tourist visas are still handed out free from the Thai consulate in Vietchiang, you should get 7 months in total with a one month extension tagged on the end of it from any immigration office in Thailand... Just get there about 8.00am to avoid the ques & if any locals say that they can arrange a visa or jump the que for you tell them to f.... off!

Hope that's of some help.

Edited by Nob Hoskins, 06 November 2011 - 03:42 PM.