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What should I do about my overstay situation in Thailand while switching from an ED visa to a 30-day visa exemption?

ED visaoverstayvisa exemptionvisa extensionimmigration adviceThailand visa rulesNON-O visaChaengwattana immigration
July 2, 2019
5 years ago
Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hey all, Got myself into a little overstay situation and looking for some advice as I keep getting conflicting information. I know, I know, my fault and silly thing to let happen... Long story short, I'm coming off an extension of stay on an ED visa and want to go get a 30 day visa exemption to give myself some time to sort out the paperwork for a non-O, and I didn't know I was going to need a letter from the school to cancel my extension of stay. Initially, I didn't know I was going to have to cancel the visa/extension of stay at all, thought I could just go out on the day it expired and it would be fine, I have since been informed this isn't the case.

My extension of stay just expired on Sunday June 30th, and the school isn't going to have my cancellation letter ready until sometime this week. I'm looking for advice/clarification on what to do once I have the cancellation letter in my hands, and how to best handle the overstay I will have. Do I have to take the letter to Bangkok immigration and have the extension cancelled before I go out of the country? If so, am I able to just pay the overstay fine right there at Chaengwattana? Is there any risk to walking into Chaengwattana immigration with overstay in my passport? Thanks in advance for any advice you guys have.

US passport.

No visa exemption stamps in my passport.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is dealing with an overstay situation on their ED visa and is seeking advice on how to manage it while planning to switch to a 30-day visa exemption. They need clarification on the process of obtaining a cancellation letter from their school and what steps to take once they have it. Various suggestions include going to Chaengwattana immigration to pay the fine and cancel the extension, potentially utilizing a visa run company to handle things at the border, or flying out of Thailand and returning to activate a visa exemption stamp.
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Tod *********
okay I think the O/P has an idea of what their choices are.

Good Luck (y)
5 years ago
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Tony ********
Don't go with an overstay to Changwattana..I would go with Thai visa co to Laos and get them to 'help'.
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ha,I was just starting to feel a bit relieved and then
@Tony *******
 chimes in with this.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
there is almost NO risk at all showing up at Chaengwattana on an overstay, paying the fine and then getting the 7 day get outta dodge stamp :/

I know many many people who have done just that and not one had a problem.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Tod *********
Another option which you could do (even without the letter from your school) would be to FLY out and back in.

They won't ask you for anything at the airport stamping out (other than the overstay fine) and then you can fly out and back in for a 30 day visa exempt entry
5 years ago
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Tod *********
OR

You could get the paperwork stating you are stopping studying from your school, take it to Chaengwattana and go to the section you get your ED visa extensions in (Section N) cancel your extension, pay the overstay, and then BUY a 7 day application for extension denied stamp that gives you a week to get out of thailand for 1900baht .
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 The last thing that just kinda won't leave the back of my mind, maybe kind of silly...I know about the rules and punishments for overstay, and the difference between, 'surrendering myself', and getting, 'caught'...If I go into Chaengwattana to pay the fine and get the 7 day stamp, that's surrendering myself, right? As in, no one's gonna come out and slap the cuffs on me if I go in there and declare I have overstay, right?
5 years ago
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Tod *********
@Will ******
 it's actually an application for extension denied stamp (they issue it in situations where you can't get another extension and need time to get out of the country)

I can't see why they would deny selling you that stamp. :/
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 This sounds like the way I'm gonna go. I can get the letter from the school tomorrow and be at Chaengwattana in the afternoon...Regarding the 7 day stamp, is that something that they could/would deny me for any reason?
5 years ago
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Tod *********
@Will ******
, nope, but obviously the way to do it (especially if a visa run company told you to do that) would be to cancel the extension, pay the overstay, get the 7 day get out of thailand stamp for 1900 THEN border bounce to get a new 30 day stamp.
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 This whole situation is making me nervous..Do you ever hear stories of people getting denied visa exemption entries for a reasons other than having 2 in a calendar year already?
5 years ago
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Tod *********
@Will ******
 believe me it's the overstay stamp you need to worry about far more than the 7 day extension denied get out of thailand in a week stamp. I
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Does an extension denied stamp look bad in the passport as far as they are concerned if I'm then trying to get get a 30 day visa exemption?
5 years ago
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Will *******
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Tod *********
You MIGHT, as in may be able to take a visa run company to the border with the letter from your school stating you are stopping studying and have them cancel the extension THERE when you stamp out, pay the overstay fine, stamp in and out of another country and then stamp back into thailand on a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp.

BUT

You'd have to contact a visa run company and tell them what you need to do at the border to see if they can arrange it that way.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
@Will ******
 right the extension has to be canceled before they stamp you out of the country BUT they can cancel it at the border, fine you for overstay, THEN stamp you out ;)

OR maybe because you're already on overstay they can't do it. I know people who have had ED visa extensions canceled at the border before stamping out with that letter BUT they weren't on overstay.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
@Will ******
 you contacted the wrong one :O :/

I know for a fact that there are ones that will help get it done at the border IF you have the letter from the school.
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I have contacted the visa run company and they said pretty clearly I would need to get the extension of stay cancelled before I go out.
5 years ago
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Will *******
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Tod *********
And what is the reason the school gave you for not being able to just pound out a letter saying you stopped studying while you wait?
5 years ago
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James ********
@Will ******
 Stand on their doorstep
5 years ago
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Will *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
They didn't give one. When I found out I was going to need one and contacted them (Friday) they said it wouldn't be ready until midweek this week.
5 years ago
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Will *******
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