@James *******

yeah I know they do. Thanks

@James *******

thanks James for the clarification. Also thanks so much to you guys for the expert advice and support. Now I have the correct visa for my stay in Thailand 😃

I contacted them this week and started the process. They told me it can be done without leaving Thailand, however if you do leave you cannot return yet as this visa won’t allow reentry under the current rules. They were very keen to stress that.

The background check period is 1-2 months with no guarantee on timescales. Nor did they suggest any shortcut - it is out of the elite teams hands.

My suggestion is to contact them and fill in the forms now. As you don’t need to pay the fee until they are ready on their side. You can see where you are when the fee becomes payable.

Thai immigration is going to be the highest authority of information on this topic and you’ve asked them twice. I’m not sure what else can set your mind at rest.

QF are stopping flying by the end of March and I don’t expect Scoot and Emirates will fly those routes for long without many pax either. So you may choose to gamble that the embassy stance changes from the end of March when there will literally be no flights to the continent. However you are surely stuck if they don’t change their stance then. Tough choice I’m afraid, as half Oz I’m in the same boat

@Robert ******

i read there it was information being passed along from the US consulate about an internal thai directive. Maybe the OP can clear it up

Thanks for the report

I’m dual UK and OZ and have done this many times by air but never by land. Usually it’s because the next country visited gives something additional by swapping passports (eg longer stay, cheaper visa cost) or simply to manage page usage.

I’ve never done anything though where applying for a new visa to the country just left from.

Thanks all I really appreciate your comments. I’m eligible for retirement visa in 18 months and my husband we will get elite for him. Or we will go for METV at that time and live 9 months in Thailand and 3 months back home.

For now I think I’ll go for the extension and next get a SETV and return by Hua Hin or land. I’m hoping to cross into Thailand only one more time this way

@Robert ******

that’s interesting as Hua Hin will let me fly to KL and back so it could be quite a painless trip