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Can I enter Thailand on a 30-day no visa and then extend my stay while waiting for my 60-day tourist visa?

Thai visa30 day visa exempt60 day tourist visavisa extensionimmigration proceduresThailand travel tips
Nov 23, 2023
a year ago
Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi,

If I apply for a 60 day tourist visa beforehand, but ends up not being sorted in time, is it still feasible to just enter on a 30 day (no visa required) and just +30 day at immigration at BKK on arrival, or sort an immigration office a few days later after arriving? I have onward travel (by air) booked around the 45 day mark.

I had an issue on the Thai embassy website (whilst trying to sort the 60 day online from the UK) where it was 'payment processing' for ages (and no update to say what the issue was), but I found (guessed)it might be due to the 'billing address' that couldn't be changed on their worldpay page (it was set to their location and I couldn't change it to my own) - super frustrating!

I reapplied from scratch again once I realised this error many days later having left it to see what would happen - but aware that it may now just not be processed in time.

Thanks
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is inquiring about the possibility of entering Thailand with a 30-day visa exempt status if their 60-day tourist visa is not processed in time. Responses indicate that it is feasible to enter on a 30-day visa, followed by an extension at an immigration office. Users also clarify that if the 60-day visa is approved after entry, it cannot be activated while in Thailand, but the individual can still apply for an extension of their 30-day entry. One user provides a personal update, mentioning they went through with their initial plan and successfully extended their family members' stays at an immigration office post-arrival.
Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
UPDATE to anyone reading this in the future with the same issue..

So the visa's for 4 out of 5 people eventually arrived AFTER we arrived in Thailand, so I went through immigration with my 60 day pre approved visa, and the rest of the family entered with the standard 30 day no visa. So the approved ones 'invalid'.

When we got to Samui, about a week later we went to immigration here and it we got all visa's for them sorted (1900 baht p/p) in less than an hour. Super easy.

So apart from the downside of losing £120 worth of pre approved visas, the rest wasn't an issue.
a year ago
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Graham ******
@Chris *******
 What do you mean by "So the approved ones 'invalid'."? If a Visa is issued after you arrive in Thailand it is still valid but you'd need to border bounce to activate it. Sounds like at Immigration your party got the 30 dat Tourist extension for 1900B not a Visa.
a year ago
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Graham ******
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
UPDATE (and a question)

I submitted all docs, and 1 visa got approved (mine), and the other 4 in my family are 'on hold' for more documents, which is odd as they are literally the same (apart from the name) for everyone. So submitted as many docs again as I could get to the requested email@ but god knows if it'll actually get there, or how long it'll take now.

So... if their visa's don't come through by Monday (when we fly) I think I'll have to enter on my approved 60 day, and the rest of the family will have to enter on the usual 'no visa 30 day' and work it out from there...

So the question is, if they enter on the 30 day no visa (assuming that the 60 day won't be approved by then) and then the visa is granted AFTER we arrive, what is the process?

Do they need to still head to the office in Bangkok to move from 'no visa' to 60 day visa?

Thank you in advance!
@Brandon ***********
 - you said "If you receive your visa after you enter Thailand you can also use it later on to enter Thailand again within the 90 day validity of the visa"

So does that mean it has be used on a NEW entry, or can they 'upgrade' the 30 day no visa WHILST already in Thailand on the '30 day no visa'?

THANK YOU.
a year ago
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Brandon ************
@Chris *******
 only on a "new" entry after leaving and returning to Thailand as they cannot active the visa once they're already in Thailand.
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 ok, so basically even if it does finally get approved whilst we are there and they don’t want to leave and come back to start fresh with the approved 60 day, I assume it’s still ok for them to apply for the +30 days when there? (And the approved one is just ignored?)
a year ago
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Brandon ************
@Chris *******
 Of course. Immigration won't know or care that they have an unused visa.
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 Thank you 🙂
a year ago
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Chris ********
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Dave *********
Iam flying with Eva but Thai embassy say still prosseing going 7th December can I still fly
a year ago
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Adam ********
FYI my TR took 4 working days so you might get it back in time.
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Adam *******
 hope so! thank you for letting me know 🙂
a year ago
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Gillian ******
@Chris *******
 we also received ours via email in the early hours of Sunday morning, so it’s not even necessarily working days either 👍 we got ours 3wks ago and it took 6 days.
a year ago
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Gillian ******
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Graham ******
Be aware that your airline may require proof of onward travel within 30 days of arrival if you have no visa so check their policy
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Good point, I guess if I still don't have the visa through before the day I leave the UK I'll order a flight through one of the 'onward travel' one way flights websites?
a year ago
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Chris ********
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Brandon ************
You can do 30 day visa exempt + 30 day extension from an immigration office.

If you receive your visa after you enter Thailand you can also use it later on to enter Thailand again within the 90 day validity of the visa.
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 Hi, OK thank you. So I could enter on a no visa 30, then add another 30, and then leave country and come back in on the 'then approved' 60?
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Great, thank you 🙂
a year ago
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Chris ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thank you.

Hopefully the thai london visa will eventually go through, do you have any idea it usually takes these days?
a year ago
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Brandon ************
@Chris *******
 London is 3-5 days
a year ago
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Brandon ************
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Brandon ************
@Chris *******
 yes you can do that
a year ago
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Brandon ************
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