Can I change my non-immigrant B visa to a tourist visa at the immigration bureau in Thailand?

Dec 21, 2023
a year ago
Camille *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello, I am currently holding a non-immigrant B visa but need to shift to a tourist visa (left my job but want to stay in Thailand longer). Can I do this at the immigration bureau (if yes, just Bangkok or any bureau) or do I have to leave the country? Thanks!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
You cannot change a non-immigrant B visa to a tourist visa at the immigration bureau in Thailand. If you have not extended your initial 90-day Non-B visa stamp, you can stay for that period and will need to exit the country afterward. Depending on your nationality, you may be eligible for a free entry stamp upon re-entry or can obtain a tourist visa from a Thai consulate in a neighboring country. If you have already extended your Non-B visa, you must cancel that extension at the immigration office with employer documentation before leaving Thailand and re-applying for a tourist visa.
Tod *********
๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—œ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜‚

That would be NO, you can't 'shift to a tourist visa'.

There are two possibilities of you being on a "Non-B"

If you are on the initial 90 day stamp from a Non-B visa (as in you never got it extended at the immigration office) you can stay the 90 days and then you have to exit the country.

Depending on your nationality you can re-enter on a free entry stamp OR you can go to a thai consulate in a nearby country and BUY a tourist visa before you come back

Now if you already got an extension from that original 90 day Non-B stamp you have to go to the immigration office with documentation from your employer and cancel that extension officially,

THEN you can leave the country and either come back free entry stamp or on a tourist visa you got from a thai consulate.

Any way you look at it you have to exit/re-enter the country to stay longer ๐Ÿ™‚
Camille *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Super helpful, thank you so much!
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