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What options do I have for extending my stay in Thailand after my 45-day visa expires?

Visa Extensions Visa Exempt Entry Visa on Arrival Thailand Immigration Border Runs COVID Visa Extensions U.S. Citizens in Thailand Visas for Expats in Thailand

Oct 8, 2022

4 years ago

Michael ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

I’ve been in Thailand for 5 months now and it looks like I’ll be soon enough running out of options from the immigration office to avoid visa/border runs to stay longer. 

What’s the visa process like if I fleet Thailand for 1-2 months and come back?

Can I still get a visa on arrival, a tourist extension, etc?

Nationality: USA

Location: Phangan, but might be in Chang Mai before my visa expires

Type of Visa: Not sure. The visa prior was a covid visa extension. The visa I have today is a 45 day visa given from the Thailand border (went on a border run to Malaysia)

Time in Country: Visa expires Nov 16

Thank you guys in advance. Your help is much appreciated 🙏🏼

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user, currently in Thailand on a 45-day visa exempt entry, is seeking advice on the visa process after their visa expires on November 16. They wish to know if they can obtain a visa on arrival or a tourist extension after leaving Thailand for 1-2 months. Responses indicate that the user can extend their current visa by 30 days at an immigration office and suggests performing border runs to obtain new visa entries. It is emphasized that bouncing back by land is safer than by air and that careful planning can allow for multiple visa exempt entries in a year.

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Tod *********

Okay you're on a free 45 day visa exempt entry that you got from a land crossing when you did a border bounce,

You can extend that ONE time for 30 days at the immigration office where you stay for 1900baht then you're done.

You aren't gonna get those covid extensions out of your passport and when you come back by air even if you're gone a month they'll probably pull you aside.

In Chiang Mai the closest border to bounce out and back at is the Chiang Khong / Huay Xai border with Lao in Chiang Rai province about 5 hours away.

As I said in the other comment you can get TWO free visa exempt entries in a calendar year. So you got one more you can pull this year by bouncing out and back and then once the year rolls over you got two more 🙂

4 years ago

Michael ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Tod ********

Noted! One thing I do gotta see if that at least for the Malaysian border run, it’s was not free. Unfortunately.

They wanted 1300 baht for the visa exemption. I did it on my own. So I was curious to visa specialists near the area and they mentioned the 1300 on the quote they had given me.

But I’m going to stick to the advice you had given me.

Thanks again

4 years ago

Reply to

Michael ******

James ********

May I suggest you read this post of Tod Daniels... it's important for you.

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4 years ago

Michael ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@James *******

Thank you

4 years ago

James ********

@Michael *****

Good Luck 🤞

Follow the good advice given you by

@ ************

s . Land BORDER crossing into Thailand ONLY. AND carefully choose which country's border crossings to use. Laos appears most friendly.

4 years ago

Reply to

James ********

Stephen *********

Depends on your passport.

4 years ago

Tod *********

I doubt you're from one of the 17 countries that BUY a Visa On Arrival when you show up here for 2000baht 😕 I think you're actually talking about a "visa exempt entry" <- where you show up without a visa and get stamped in free because of the country you come from 😉

I'd say your best option is to bounce out and back by land to get a new 45 day visa exempt entry, take the 30 day extension on that, then before the end of the year bounce one more time to get a new 45 day visa exempt entry (which means you used BOTH of the visa exempt entries by land this year) get a 30 day extension on that too.

Then next year (Jan 1) the count resets and you can get TWO more visa exempt entries. If you play the dates right you can get FOUR visa exempt entries (2 this year, 2 next) and the 30 day extensions.

You run a far higher risk of being questioned, and/or denied entry doing those bounces by air than you do bouncing by land.

4 years ago

Michael ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Tod ********

You're the man Todd! That'll be pretty sweet knowing this year is ending and the convenience of getting those two visa exemptions in no time. Thank you for your input/advice!

4 years ago

Reply to

Michael ******

Bobby ********

To get the right advice read this post first

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4 years ago

Michael ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Bobby *******