How can I extend my 30-day visa in Thailand to stay until May while considering teaching English?

Feb 21, 2024
8 months ago
Keihera *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hey everyone, my 30 days visa is almost coming to an end and I would like to extend until May. What is the best way to go about this?

I would like to teach English here but I’m not sure how long that will take. Or renting a place out? Can I do that without having to extend my visa. I would rather rent a place than to continue to hotel hop

My visa expires March 8 to be specific

Please advise

Thank you all 🙌🏾
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is looking to extend their 30-day visa, which expires on March 8, to have time for teaching English and finding rental accommodation in Thailand. Comments suggest applying for a 60-day tourist visa, doing a border run for an additional 30 days, and the necessity of a degree for teaching English legally. There's also advice to consult immigration services before their visa expires and consider options like enrolling in a language school for an ED visa.
Tom *********
You can't get a work permit and teach English on a tourist visa. You can change visa categories in country, but to teach you'll need a school to sponsor your visa and work permit.
Law *****
see immigration before expiration
Deanna *******
I would like to add that you DO need a degree to teach, but the degree does not have to be in education specifically.
Keihera *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Deanna ******
perfect! Thank you
Deanna *******
@Keihera ******
Best of luck! We have lived in Thailand for 8 years now. The visa stuff can be very complicated.

Also, look at a language school to learn Thai. You can get an ED visa by doing that. The school should handle everything.
Christopher *************
Unless you have a degree you can forget about teaching English legally. All you could really do is teach English on line.
Jan ******************
Yes, you have to leave
@Keihera ******
as
@Henrik ****
says, but you could just do a border bounce one day to get another 30 days visa exemption which can be extended with another 30 days. I assume you’re an US citizen and hold a US passport. Which border to use depends on where you are right now, but I recommend to use a company and it’s done within a day for 3000-3500 thb.
Robert *********
@Jan *****************
4000 at Jomtien for 30 day extension
Jan ******************
@Robert ********
This is for work with visa extension at the local immigration including fee 1900 thb for extension I quess. I did it several years ago and paid 3200 thb for the same service. The price I referred to is one day border bounce in minivan including transport, lunch and free new visa exemption at the border.
Henrik *****
You should have applied for a 60 day touristvisa which can be extended with 30 days.

That way you could have stayed up to 90 days without leaving Thailand.

Now you can only extend with 30 days, and then you have to leave Thailand.
Natasha ********
@Henrik ****
or do a border bounce
Keihera *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ****
what’s the accurate website to apply? For future references
Simon **********
@Kei****
if you are serious about staying longerterm, I would recommend asking an agent what your viable options are.

As already confirmed, you can extend your current 30 day exemption for another 30 days at immigration for 1900baht, I think as early as a week before your current stamp expires and you will get 30 days beyond the stamp date regardless.

Border bounce is an option, but they don’t like to see too many of those, it raises suspicion you are trying to game the system.

You can apply for a sixty day tourist visa in Singapore or Hong Kong etc too
Robert *****
@Keihera ******
be sure and check. Our Thai embassy in Los Angeles wouldn’t do it. They said do it online at their website.
Henrik *****
See at your local Thai embassy.
Keihera *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ****
thank you for your feedback. I just did a visa upon arrival hoping they would give 60 days upon my request but no lol.

Thank you
Keihera *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ooooo okay got it! So I can extend for another 30 days under this visa exemption. Thank you both for being kind and helping me
@Henrik ****
@Lyndon ***********
! 🙏🏽✨
Bart **************
@Keihera ******
it's not that you can choose how many days you get. That's not how visas (& alternatives) work.
Henrik *****
To avoid confusion, visa on arrival is 15 days.

Visa excempt is 30 days.
Keihera *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ****
is this not 30 days?
Lyndon ************
Extend your visa exemption for 30 days at your local immigration office. Then border bounce out and back in to Thailand, and do the same again, extending your new 30 day stamp a further 30.
Lyndon ************
@Keihera ******
that's a 30 day visa exemption. Very different to a visa on arrival. You can extend a visa exemption in thailand, once for 30 more days. A visa on arrival, is only 15 day, and can't be extended
Henrik *****
It’s not visa on arrival which you must pay for at arrival

it’s visa excempt.
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