I had a small problem with immigration at AEK on Friday and want to see if anyone knows what is actually correct.

I came to Thailand on a multi entry (3 entries) tourist visa. Each visa is good for 60 days and a 30 day extension. No problem with the first two visas and activating the third one. My third visa expired on 4 Jun which is why I was at AEK to extend it. Basically what the guy said is that my original tourist visa had expired and my last visa entry that expired on 4 Jun was actually illegal and never should have been granted as it went past the date he was referring to. My tourist visa was issued on 14 Sep 2006, valid until 14 Mar 2007 and I entered Thailand 11 Oct 2006. He told me that not only could I not extend the last visa but I needed to leave the country today and re-enter on another visa. My understanding was these dates on my original visa gave my six months from the time I obtained it at the consulate in Houston to activate it by entering Thailand. I thought I could have entered any time before the six months expired and still could have got the full 9 months. Anyway, I went to Nong Khai and stopped at immigration there and they extended the last visa, no questions asked. I was afraid to bring this question up to them in Nong Khai after they issued my extension. Anyone know what is correct?

Craig

Not quite following all that you wrote - but the time begins the date that the visa is issued - not at the time that it is used to enter Thailand.

Doc,

That is what the guy at AEK immigration told me. But before getting my visa in the US, the consolate told me I could get it up to six months in advance and the dates on the visa were actually the six months I had to activate the visa by entering Thailand (I purchased the visa in Sep 2006 and entered Thailand Oct 2006). After entering the country they said I would get my full time in Thailand, in this case 60 days per visa times three and three extensions each for a total of 9 months.

If what you are saying is true and immigration at AEK is saying the same thing, if you obtain your visa in advance of entering the country your time allowed to stay in Thailand will be reduced by the amount of time you buy your visa in advance. Also if true, I may have been allowed entry once and extended once eroneously as my tourist visa validy date is Mar 14 2007. My third entry was good until Jun 4 2007 and my last extension is good until Jul 4 2007. I will be in country for 3 1/2 months after the expiration date of my original tourist visa.

AEK had a problem but Nong Khai said no problem. I am not sure what is correct but it is a good question. Thanks for your help.

Craig

The biggest problem that I, you and every other falang that does not speak fluent Thai is communication.

I got my original Non-Immigrant B Visa in Houston for one year. Can't find my old passport right now - but memory tells me that it said it was valid for only one year from the date of issue. So, if I had waited 11 months to make it to Thailand - it would have been valid then for only 1 month rather than 12 months from the time of entry. The consulate told me to go as quickly as I could to get maximum use of the visa.

As for advice: I really - and no one here either for the most part - can give you anything that you can totally rely on.

From a personal perspective - I would go with what has been stamped in my passport rather than what has been told to me verbally. I recently had a similar situation as follows:

My passport expired, so after getting the new one, I had to go back to Immigration and get the visa transferred. Because I wasn't really paying attention (too busy looking at a couple of the interns there in NK) I didn't notice that they had stapled the check in form on the last page of my new passport. When trying to calculate my 90 day check in, I was relying solely on the stamp on the visa in my passport. Needless to say - the check in form was for something like 32 days prior to what was stamped in my passport, which meant I was looking at a daily fine of something like 16,000 Baht.

The guy was going to go strictly on the check in form until I was able to convince him that since my passport stamp showed the last time I checked in was exactly 90 day previously. He finally concurred that it had been an honest and legitimate mistake or misunderstanding and no fine - just a small reminder that the check in form would be the prevailing factor next time. No problem as I was quite happy at having saved 16,000 Baht. (Major sigh of relief on my part as well.)

So my simple advice is to go with what is stamped in your passport and not what someone says. That is your best uncontroverted evidence that you can state you have relied upon.

If what Nong Khai tells you is more beneficial to you - get them to make a notation in your passport with a new stamp. That way you are covered for sure.

I recently obtained a multi visit "O" visa from the Thai Consulate in Hull, UK. Was told the visa is valid from the day of issue, which would take me through to the 12th August.
Immigration at the airport stamped it 3rd Sept.
Think I'll be playing it safe and get it renewed on the earlier date.

This is the explanation from the Immigration website.
Hope this helps and not confusing more....


What does the Visa Expiration Date Mean?
The visa expiration date is shown on the visa. Depending on the alien

I always believed (and still do) that the visa is valid for xxx months means you must activate it within that timescale (ie 1 year). Once it is 'activated' then you are granted entry according to the type of visa you have paid for (eg tourist visa - 60 days). At the end of that period (60 days)you must either extend the segment of the visa you entered with - or leave the country.
If its a single entry visa then thats it - goodnight, if its a multi entry visa then you can exit then re-enter and get another 60 days -and then again (3rd time) PROVIDING you are still withing the original 1 years validity of the visa when first issued. Or after each 'segment' - extend it by a further month.

What I find very worrying is that the visa was extended (as expected) in Nong Khai with no questions asked and yet THE SAME STAFF from the same office on detachment to Udon twice a week told the guy he had to leave today and his visa was invalid.
This is ludicrous and makes the whole system a joke.
Is Nong Khai office going to have ANY credibility left after the recent postings on here in the last few days ???
There should be some sort of hotline where we can report these incidents and they WILL get looked at. This is our lives they are messing with !

Confused ?? you will be

Paul wrote:What I find very worrying is that the visa was extended (as expected) in Nong Khai with no questions asked and yet THE SAME STAFF from the same office on detachment to Udon twice a week told the guy he had to leave today and his visa was invalid.
This is ludicrous and makes the whole system a joke.
Is Nong Khai office going to have ANY credibility left after the recent postings on here in the last few days ???
There should be some sort of hotline where we can report these incidents and they WILL get looked at. This is our lives they are messing with !

A few year back the Pattaya City Ex-Pats Club, www.pattayacityexpatsclub, invited one of the head honchos from the Immigration Dept. in Bkk. to come and speak and answer questions at one of their weekly meetings.
This was at a time when many ex-pat's were frustrated with the Pattaya Immigration Office. Unnecessary charges, bad attitudes, incompetence, etc.
The Immigration Officer spoke and answered questions and listened to comments and frustrations. And, guess what? Within a few months, things changed at the Pattaya Immigration Office. It became more user friendly! Today, Pattaya Immgration is probably one of the most efficient in the country.
I've searched the site to find the minutes from that meeting so I could get the officers name, but to no avail.
But, I guess my point is, the big boys in Bkk. do listen and will take action.
The last time I was at Nong Khai office, I did notice a comment box in the hallway. But, probably best to mail any comments directly to Bkk.

I second your remarks about the Pattaya office.
It is modern very well staffed and you get treated like a normal human being.
They have an automated ticket system where you take a number according to what your business is. therefore (for example) all those doing 90 day reports get seen by desk number xx and means you have just a 10 or 15 minute wait as people get processed so quickly.
They also have an information desk - always staffed where staff (sometimes helpful students on work experience) will do their best to give you the correct forms or advice as required.

I think what has happened above is quite frankly disgusting.
Someone comes here for a relatively long time (9 months) and is told (wrongly or otherwise) that his visa is invalid and he must leave the country immediately - with all the stress that would go with being told that news - and yet staff from the same office renew the visa with no questions asked. Its not even a different office in a different region. It sucks
Thank goodness the person had the sense to go to the Nong Khai Office.

When I had problems (yep me too) a year or so ago - I obtained the number of the head honcho of Immigration in Bkk. (via Val). I think I actually got his PA but he spoke perfect English and agreed that what had happened should not have happened and he saw no reason why I was being treated this way. It was resolved satisfactory.
Unfortunately the chap was removed after the coup for polital reasons