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Can I extend my tourist visa in Thailand by leaving for Vietnam and re-entering?

Visa ExtensionThailand Tourist VisaVisa RegulationsTravel to VietnamImmigration Procedures
Nov 12, 2023
a year ago
Stefania *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello guys.

After extending my 30 days tourist visa at the immigration office, I now need to extend for 30 more days.

Question - if I book a flight to Vietnam and visit Vietnam for a few days as the flight is cheap and Hanoi is a city I really want to see, will be my visa renewed for 30 more days as I exit Thailand?

Sorry if the question is stupid.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user seeks clarification on whether exiting Thailand for a short visit to Vietnam will allow for an extension of their 30-day tourist visa. The responses clarify that after a one-time extension of the initial 30-day stamp, leaving Thailand will not renew the visa. Instead, upon re-entering, the user will receive a new 30-day free entry stamp, which can also be extended once.
Paul *********
Mods here are removing comments about how to enter Vietnam. I did only comment to correct some outdated info that had been posted but that’s how it is here.

Try Vietnam Visa Forum if you have any questions.
a year ago
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Debbie **********
@Paul ********
 thank you, just joined for current up to date information that may have been deleted here.
a year ago
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Tod *********
@Debbie *********
 &
@Paul ********
 sorry this group has a specific scope and that is entry/visa/extension to THAILAND, not how to get into, how to stay or where to go if you need to exit/re-enter..

Nothing personal but it's not a go see Vietnam info-mercial 😛
a year ago
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Paul *********
@Tod ********
 lol, fair enough. It’s just that the info someone else posted was incorrect. And it’s difficult to explain why it’s incorrect without also saying what is correct.

I didn’t want to be giving misleading or incomplete info, so it turned into a long winded explanation of how not to stuff it up.
a year ago
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Tod *********
@Paul ********
 correcting errant information is always a plus, even if it's unrelated to visa for thailand,

(y)
a year ago
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Debbie **********
@Tod ********
 ummm yes I figured that out by the name of the group, I was actually thanking Paul for the recommendation where to find particular current information, not querying the scope of this one, but than you for your thoughts 🤦‍♀️
a year ago
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Debbie **********
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Paul *********
Hanoi is a great city for a visit. Stay somewhere in or close to the Old Quarter. If you’re there over a weekend it can be particularly lively.
a year ago
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Stefania *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ********
 thank you Paul!
a year ago
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Paul *********
@Stefania ************
 visa free for 45 days on a UK passport. Always check all these things first, don’t take my word or anyone else’s. But you’re in luck if you’ve got a UK passport.
a year ago
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Stefania *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ********
 thank you Paul. I ll give that a read but I am literally planning to stay 2 days so I guess that would be fine?
a year ago
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Paul *********
@Stefania ************
 if you’re on a passport that qualifies you for the 45 day visa free entry, then you’re fine.

Vietnam Immigration officers are notoriously uninterested in anything about you except whether or not you fulfil the most basic requirements (such as having a visa or qualifying for visa free entry). I’ve entered Vietnam a dozen times and I’ve never had an Immigration officer say a single word to me.

But of course it’s like any country: they can ask to see an onward/return ticket or proof of funds or hotel booking or something else if they decide to do so. It’s extremely unlikely that would happen but it’s not impossible.
a year ago
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Paul *********
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Tod *********
Not a silly question but a little mixed up in the terminology 🙂

Let's see if we can't answer your query

As you found out, you can get ONE 30 day extension on a 30 day free entry stamp at the immigration office then you're done.

Leaving and coming back isn't going to extend anything, or renew any visa (because you don't have a visa to begin with 😮 you are here on just a free 30 day entry stamp 🙂 ).

What happens when you leave and come back (by air or land) is you get a NEW free 30 day entry stamp <- and that you can extend one time for 1900baht at the immigration office.
a year ago
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Stefania *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 thank you Tod.

So let’s recap and sorry for the terminology 🙂

I came to Thailand on the 20th of September. Extended my tourist visa at the immigration office already until the 20th of November.

So you say, if I fly to e.g. Vietnam by the
*****
, I will get a new 30 days entry stamp?
a year ago
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Tod *********
There is no such thing as a 30 day tourist visa 😕 And the dates you list show you came in on a free 30 day entry stamp 😕

It works like this

You either bought a real tourist visa from a thai consulate before you came here and got stamped in for 60 days (which you could extend once for 30 more days)

OR

You showed up here without any thai visa in your passport and you got stamped in FREE on a 30 day visa exempt entry <- it is not a tourist visa, it is not a visa at all, just a free entry stamp and I think THIS is what you did com in on 20 Sept for 30 days, get a 30 day extension taking you to 20 Nov

IF you exited and re-entered the country the stamp you're on now (the 30 day extension stamp) would cancel. AND you'd get stamped in on a NEW free 30 day entry stamp when you came back into the country (which you could get a 30 day extension on
a year ago
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Stefania *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 got it now. Sorry the information on the internet still confuse me a lot. Thank you so much for explaining.

So last question - yes this is what I did. Got stamped in free on a 30 day visa exempt entry + got a 30 day extensions at the immigration office.

If I exit and re enter they will stamp me in on a new free 30 day entry stamp (like they did in the beginning) and I can then get a new extension on that at the immigration?

Basically If I exit I will repeat the process, is that right?
a year ago
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Elise ********
@Stefania ************
 I would just double check your dates because if you came in on Sept. 20 you should only have until Nov. 18. (Caught my eye because I arrived the day after you.)
a year ago
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Phil ******
@Stefania ************
 to add to
@Tod ********
 reply you may need a visa to visit Vietnam. Maybe try Malaysia?
a year ago
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Tod *********
Now you got it 🙂
@ *********************
a correct, (y)

You can fly out and back in to get a new free 30 day entry stamp and extend that like you did on this one for 30 more days

OR

You can exit/re-enter by land to get that new 30 day entry stamp (you're limited to TWO free 30 day entry by land in a calendar year Jan 1 - Dec 31)

IF you decide to do the bounce out and back by land search for a service that takes people in your area to the border and back because often times people doing it on their own find (at least at some borders) that you can't get right back in to thailand
a year ago
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Stefania *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 you are amazing Tod! Thank you for what you do and for all the super useful information!!!!
a year ago
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Tod *********
Thanx for the thanx,

you
@Stefania ************
 are a quick study (y) (y) you caught right on to the difference between entering on a real visa and entering 'free stamp', many people do not..

Good luck with your bounce out and back 🙂
a year ago
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Tod *********
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