Hi Tod, thanks for the update.

Re 7 day extensions: are you referring to 7 day extension denied stamps? Or actual 7 day extensions?

@John *******

there's not much 'traditional' about applying for a visa in-country. The traditional route is to apply for the visa upfront, from your home country. Until recently, that was the only way to get it. And people who didn't get one upfront went to apply in Laos.

And that process is called "change of reason of stay". For obvious reasons.

It would matter whether you were there in the beginning of the year, i.e. have by now been away for a decent amount of time, or you've just recently completed those four months and haven't really been away just yet. In the former scenario, it would be fairly safe to assume that you will get in. In the latter, the odds may still be in your favor, but it might be smart not making yourself too dependent on a positive outcome.

It's not a visa, it's the denial of one rather. That matters a lot: you don't have the right to stay in Thailand, you must leave. And you get 7 days to do so (not actually 7 though; the day you get the stamp also counts, so even if you get it on the very last day, it extends your allowed stay by only 6).

Think about what a problem it would be if they'd still allow visa applications during those days. If that'd be allowed, some would still fail to fulfill the requirements. Those would be required to still leave. How many days would they then give them? 7 again? Then there's no end. So such a "get out" stamp can only be final.

Yes

@Bennett *******

if they hire employees they should do the paperwork so they can work. Difficult or not - that doesn't really change things.

It really is up to your university to arrange this for you. No need to go out and fix it yourself.

That plan seems sound.

@Robert ******

I didn't get different info at any point in time. You cannot extend a 60 day friends and family extension to the 'normal' one year marriage extension; that's what immigrations told me several times, when getting the 60 days and also when stubbornly still trying to get the one year. And I've not been told differently by anyone else before, even in this very group. I don't know what's the matter with all of you but we're giving some very bad advice to a person here. Only someone (that's you Robert) told me about the existence of exceptions to the aforementioned rule. Hence also my attempt.