Will my visa be valid if I enter Thailand before it's approved?

Jul 17, 2023
a year ago
Tom ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
If I have applied for my visa but it hasn’t been approved yet and then I enter Thailand, will the visa be valid if/when it gets approved?

I applied for my visa on the 14th July and I have a flight booked into Bangkok on the 21st July.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
If you enter Thailand before your visa is approved, it will not be valid for your initial entry. You'll need to exit Thailand and re-enter once your visa is approved to use it. You can enter Thailand on a visa exemption stamp for 30 days and potentially extend it, but to activate your approved visa, you must leave and re-enter.
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Bob **********
You can enter on an exempt stamp 30 days free and extend for 30 more 1900 baht if you need then exit and return on the e visa
Brandon ************
If you don't receive it before you arrive to Thailand you won't be able to use it for your initial entry.

The visa itself will be valid but you can only use it when you enter the country, so if you want to use it you'll need to leave Thailand and enter again to activate the visa.
John *********
Bet you get it on time.
John **********
Before I left without it on the 11th July I had ring them twice 1st lady was rude more or less saying I shouldn t ring saying 1st come 1st served it s common sense I asked where it says that on the web and 2nd hadn’t a clue what she was saying and the rest phone calls did not answer after queuing for 2-3 hours
John **********
@John ********
haven't got mine from my 1 st application on 21 St June then sent another document on 28th left without it and today 17th July still has arrived
John *********
@John *********
Sorry to hear that if everything is in order in my experience only they will endeavor to get it on time but...Anyway the lad can arrive on visa exempt.
John **********
@John ********
the lad (68years old) is me John haha
John **********
No. You will need to exit Thailand and re-enter using the visa.
Thomas *********
You left it tight. Good luck
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