Answered7 years ago
What Is the Difference Between Canceling a Visa and Canceling an Extension of Stay in Thailand?
Cancel or not to cancel, it seems to be confusing.
When you visit a Thai Consulate and you apply for a Visa and you get this visa attached in your passport it is there.
It is a sticker, glued to your passport page and can not taken out without damaging the passport.
When it is a Single Entry visa, you can see when the Immigration Officer hands back your passport, they he did a few things:
1. Your visa got a stamp used
1. he/she put a new stamp with Admitted untl ../../..
1. The TM6 departure card is sometimes stapled to a page and also stamped with Admitted until ../../..
This visa can not be cancelled, it is used on entry and is nothing more than a memory in your passport.
If you visit the Immigration Office before the Admitted to Stay date stamped into your passport and you apply there for the Extension of Stay, just because you do not like to leave this lovely country, Immigration will put a new big stamp into your passport with the first line the region and name of the office and in the second line: Extension of Stay permitted up to ../../..
To get this Extension of Stay you filed a few documents, one of them is the acknowledgement of understanding the rules of this Extension of Stay.
In these rules it is mentioned that IF the reason why you got this Extension change you have to come back to inform the officer and cancel this extension.
For Example:
You can stay longer to study, but if you do not study you have to cancel this permission of stay.
You can stay longer to work. but if you stop working you have to cancel this permission to stay.
You work as volunteer, but you stop walking the dogs, you have to cancel this permission of stay.
You are married, if you get divorced you have to cancel this permission of stay.
You are over 50 years of age, no problem you will not get younger.
If you go for holiday and on return to do the same, study work or being married you do not need to cancel.
With the Extension of Stay and the reason why you got this stamp change , you go back to inform your Immigration Office, Please do not think, the end date is near or just a few months away, the computer will change the information by it selves.
When you visit a Thai Consulate and you apply for a Visa and you get this visa attached in your passport it is there.
It is a sticker, glued to your passport page and can not taken out without damaging the passport.
When it is a Single Entry visa, you can see when the Immigration Officer hands back your passport, they he did a few things:
1. Your visa got a stamp used
1. he/she put a new stamp with Admitted untl ../../..
1. The TM6 departure card is sometimes stapled to a page and also stamped with Admitted until ../../..
This visa can not be cancelled, it is used on entry and is nothing more than a memory in your passport.
If you visit the Immigration Office before the Admitted to Stay date stamped into your passport and you apply there for the Extension of Stay, just because you do not like to leave this lovely country, Immigration will put a new big stamp into your passport with the first line the region and name of the office and in the second line: Extension of Stay permitted up to ../../..
To get this Extension of Stay you filed a few documents, one of them is the acknowledgement of understanding the rules of this Extension of Stay.
In these rules it is mentioned that IF the reason why you got this Extension change you have to come back to inform the officer and cancel this extension.
For Example:
You can stay longer to study, but if you do not study you have to cancel this permission of stay.
You can stay longer to work. but if you stop working you have to cancel this permission to stay.
You work as volunteer, but you stop walking the dogs, you have to cancel this permission of stay.
You are married, if you get divorced you have to cancel this permission of stay.
You are over 50 years of age, no problem you will not get younger.
If you go for holiday and on return to do the same, study work or being married you do not need to cancel.
With the Extension of Stay and the reason why you got this stamp change , you go back to inform your Immigration Office, Please do not think, the end date is near or just a few months away, the computer will change the information by it selves.
Answer summary
The post explains that a visa cannot be canceled once used for entry into Thailand, as it is a permanent sticker in the passport. However, if a traveler wishes to change the reason for their Extension of Stay (e.g., from studying to working), they must report this change to the Immigration Office and officially cancel the extension. Confusion often arises regarding the requirements for different visa types, such as NON-O vs. NON-OA, and how changes in circumstances affect Extension of Stay permissions.
7 repliesnewest first
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Lynn *******
So, let me see if I understand this. If you have an extension of stay based on an O-A visa, you never have to cancel that extension because you cannot change the reason for the extension. OTOH, if you have an extension of stay based on an O visa, you need to cancel the extension of stay if you want to change the reason for the extension (for example, changing from "marriage to a thai" to "retirement", or vice versa). You can only change the reason for an extension if the original visa has more than one reason the visa can be granted, and if you change the reason for extending, you need to cancel the current extension first. Do I have that right? (I tried to word that as clearly as I could, but not sure I succeeded. lol)
Tod *********
I would have said you have your head wrapped around it EXCEPT I have now seen two yearly extensions of stays based on marriage issued to people who originally held O-A (Long Stay) visas) :/
And no you don't have to cancel an extension to change the reason for an extension. You can change the reason when you apply for your next yearly extension. The only reason you'd cancel one to apply for a new reason would be because you're doing it BEFORE the current extension expires..
And no you don't have to cancel an extension to change the reason for an extension. You can change the reason when you apply for your next yearly extension. The only reason you'd cancel one to apply for a new reason would be because you're doing it BEFORE the current extension expires..
Robert *******
OPSo far it sounds all good to me
Greg *******
It is for this reason I am getting confused on the difference between the original visa being o or o-a. If you have had extensions of stay for retirement /marriage why are they now differentiating rules based on your original visa that you got years ago.
Tod *********
that is just the way they are doing it. People who currently have valid O-A visas AND people who have yearly extensions from previously having held an O-A visa (no matter if that yearly extension is based on being over 50 or based on being married to a thai). IF the extension "chain" started with an O-A visa you NEED to show proof of insurance to get a new yearly extension.
Justin **********
Good explanation....I remember a while back you (or maybe Tod or James) stated it very simply to me......A visa is used to enter the country, therefore you can't cancel something which you've already used to enter the country......An extension of stay is used to extend or allow you to stay in the country, therefore you must cancel it if the reasons for your stay change or you decide to leave........I guess the confusing part is that you need a re-entry permit to re-enter the country on the same extension of stay. So people therefore assume by leaving without a re-entry permit then it would "cancel the extension of stay automatically".....Most people would assume the 2 databases would be linked (like in other some other countries)....But clearly, they're not..... :)
Andy ********
Justin Im a little confused by your above statement regarding the extension of stay is not automatically cancelled unless it refers to a multiple entry visa. IE. If someone enters on a SETV or Visa Exempt and then applies and recieves an extension of stay then surely if they leave the Kingdom then I would assume that the extension of stay ceases immidiately as they have left and they will need another Visa to re-enter or possibly enter as Visa exept. For someone travelling on a METV or OA that is given an extension are you saying you can leave and come back in and the extension remains valid? I think you are as thats how it worked with my Work Visa for the USA that I got extended and I was in and out regularly.
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