Thai Visa on Arrival for a visit longer than 30 days
I am going to visit Thailand as a tourist. I arrive on August 19 in Bangkok, and leave on September 20, which makes my trip last for 32 days. I am leaving at 02:05 am, though, so I could check-in at the airport before noon on the 19th, making my time in Thailand 31 days.
From information I've found, a tourist Visa on Arrival may be obtained for a maximum of 30 days, when coming by plane, which applies to me. I also heard about the possibility to extend this visa, at the Bangkok Immigration Centre, for another 7 days, which would be sufficient for me.
Will I be able to get a Visa on Arrival at the airport, if my returning tickets are later than 30 days from arrival? If so, how much does it cost to extend this visa for another 7 days, or at least 1-2 days? Is overstaying 1 day and paying a fee an option?
If I will not be able to get VoA at the airport, would it be okay if I bought tickets to another country (for example, tickets to Laos on 2 September, spend a week or two there, and then go back to Thailand to catch my flight on 20 Sept? This way I would be in Thailand twice, each time for two weeks, and I could get two visas. Is it legal?
My nationality is Polish.
Best Answer
I am a U.S. citizen, so your experience may be different.
I have overstayed twice. Once was for two days, and once was for two weeks. When I was exiting through passport control during the two day overstay the immigration officer stamped me out without a word. When leaving after the two week overstay, I had to pay a couple hundred Baht fine before being stamped out. The fine was 15 years ago, so prices/policies may have changed.
I have also visited Thailand with an itinerary that indicated a longer than 30 day stay. I was stamped in with no problem or question about the timing or length of my stay, nor did I have to show proof of onward travel. I made a trip to Cambodia during the trip and hence was not subject to the 30 day limit.
One thing to be aware of: If you cross in Laos via land (not flying), then when you return to Thailand you are only allowed to stay for 15 days; too many people were doing visa runs for the Thai gubmint's liking, so they reduced the "return" visa to 15 days.
tl;dr: I am not sure how Polish citizens are treated, but you may well have no problem at all getting the visa on arrival.
Pictures about "Thai Visa on Arrival for a visit longer than 30 days"
How To Get Your Thai Visa Extended 30 Days (What They Don't Tell You!)
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, George Pak, Farhad Ibrahimzade, Mateusz Sałaciak