Can I extend my Thai visa exemption by 30 days upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi?

Jun 20, 2024
6 months ago
Liam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi all,

I land at Suvarnabhumi on 29th June and doubt the exemption will be 60 days by then. Can I extend exemption by a further 30 days at immigration that day or do I have to wait? I’ll be in Samui briefly the following day then in Tao for three weeks. Staying 90 days in total but will fly to Malaysia at some point for a week then return, subject to what I am allowed. Thanks for any advice
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is inquiring about the possibility of extending their visa exemption upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, given that it may not be a full 60 days. Responses indicate that while you can generally apply for an extension in Bangkok, June 29th is a weekend and you won't be able to do so immediately. One suggestion is to apply for a 60-day tourist visa in advance to avoid the complications of extensions and travel out of Thailand.
Bob **********
Why not just apply for a Tourist Visa and you won’t have to fly anywhere
Terary **********
You could apply for a visa now. Come into Thailand on a visa exempt, stay 30 days, fly to Malaysia for the week. When you return your visa should be ready, that's almost 6 weeks from now.
Bob *********
Don't extend, you don't have time to deal with the visa struggle. just fly out to Malaysia after 30 days and come back after a week in Malaysia.
Cliff *********
Unfortunately they are still giving 30 days visa exempt…at least as of Monday
Henrik *****
Apply for a 60 days touristvisa which can be extended 30 days at a immigration office, then no need to travel out of Thailand for the 90 day period.

Since many embassies proces the application by departuredate, rather than date of applying, it could be possibel to get the touristvisa before departure, which will make the trip much easier and simpler.
Liam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ****
thanks for this but my return flight ticket 89 days after arrival and incomplete provision of confirmation of accommodation caused the Thai Embassy to reject my 60 day TR application. I’d been hoping that the exemption increase to 60 days would have been introduced by the time I arrive but it has not appeared in the Gazette yet so seems unlikely
Henrik *****
If you say to a guest to your home, than he may visit your home for 60 days, but that the guest insist, that he will not leave your home until 89 days after he arrived.

How would you react to that ?

Match tickets and visa, makes everything easier.
Tullio *******
@Liam *******
you will need to show a outward ticket within the 30 days visa exempt as this is the rule for entering. As your TR visa got rejected the same applies for the visa exempt and you might not be allowed to board the plane as they normally check. You can get a confirmed booking online for
*****
$ on sites like onward ticket or similar.
John ********
@Henrik ****
how do you know the priority that embassies process applications? Just curious
Henrik *****
Seen answers from different embassies, where they advise not to apply for touristvisa long time before the departure, but apply at the recommanded time listed on the Embassy’s website, and never longer than 90 days, since they will not process touristvisas until 1-2 weeks before departure, in favour of the traveller.

Applying to early, give the embassies an extra work burden, since they then have to answer questions about why people not get their visa early in ex. applyed 90 days before departure.
Brandon ************
In Bangkok you apply up to 45 days in advance, so immediately with visa exempt.

Unfortunately for you June 29th is the weekend so you cannot apply in Bangkok. You will not be able to apply at Koh Samui until the last week of your stay as they only accept tourist extensions when you have 7 days or less left on your stamp. Koh Tao does not have an immigration office.

You're going to need to figure something out if you like returning to Koh Samui in your final week or going to another province and applying, since you cannot do it before you go to Koh Tao.
Liam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
many thanks, that’s just the advice I needed. I’ll cross back over to Samui and apply for an extension 3-4 days before expiry of exemption. Thanks again
Brandon ************
@Liam *******
I was just informed that Koh Tao may in fact have an immigration office on it for small matters such as tourist visa extensions. So you might be in luck. I'm not sure what their policy is as far as how long beforehand you can apply for an extension though.
Stuart *********
@Brandon ***********
Tao does indeed have its own immigration office. I have no idea what their policy on the number of days prior is.
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