Hi all, I am a new member and would be very grateful for any advice on the following scenario:
I have a 5 year Thailand Elite visa that expires in 10 days, but my one year permission to stay stamp does not expire until July 2020, when I last entered Thailand.
Ideally I don’t want to leave Thailand again until May, for when I already have a flight booked back to my native UK. I plan to rejoin Thailand Elite again at the end of this year when I am in funds.
A couple of days ago I got an email from TE that scuppers my plan to next leave Thailand in May; the email states I need to leave or renew when the visa expires, not when the stamp expires.
Before posting my question here I located previous Thai visa advice posts on this subject where there were inconclusive debates about which of the two dates determines by when a TE member has to leave in reality and whether TE is perhaps trying to get us to renew sooner than we have to.
I spoke to TE yesterday to collect my passport after a successful 90 day report and I put the matter to a senior member of their staff. I was told I could leave the country in May and that whether I not I will have a problem will depend on the particular immigration officer that happens to view my passport. I was hoping for more certainty.
Perhaps this informal answer from TE is the highest level of certainty I can get before I decide to either a)risk exposing a possible overstay in May or b) take an unwanted trip abroad now for a single entry tourist visa.
Does anyone have any direct or vicarious experience of leaving Thailand after their TE visa expired but before the permission to stay stamp expired?
Provided this all comes to the fore at the airport itself on travel day what is the worst that can happen do you think: a ฿20,000 fine, an airport delay while its being dealt with, and a 70 day overdraft stamp in passport that does not affect most future visa applications?
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is seeking advice on the implications of having an expired Thailand Elite visa while still holding a valid permission to stay stamp. They express concerns over the differing interpretations of expiry dates by Thailand Elite and immigration officials. Various community members provide input, suggesting that the entry stamp remains valid even after the visa expires and discussing potential risks and penalties associated with overstaying.
