Not too sure how many Russians we have in this group but if you are or have friends who are then this may help.
From the 1st of November last year Russians were able to get a visa waiver stamp of 90 days on entry to Thailand. They actually have a choice of 30 days or 90 days although many are not aware of that choice.
With the 90 day option their entry stamp is not changeable to any other visa or extension within Thailand and they MUST leave within the 90 days.
We are seeing a significant rise in Russians coming to immigration to get “an extension” from their 90 day entry. Whether they believe it should be 30 days or 90 days is about 50/50. The fact is they can’t. They have to leave.
If they opt for the visa waiver 30 day entry then they are free to change their entry to another visa/extension such as marriage, family, education or whatever.
Please note that visa waiver and visa exempt are two separate entry schemes. Russians using a visa waiver based on a bilateral agreement are not subject to the “two entries per year via a land border”.
TLDR : Answer Summary
As of November 1st, Russians can enter Thailand with a visa waiver option for 30 or 90 days. The 90-day entry stamp cannot be changed to another visa while in Thailand, necessitating an exit within 90 days. In contrast, the 30-day entry allows for visa changes/extension applications. It's important to note that the visa waiver and visa exempt systems are distinct.
