Korean Job Discussion Forums

[duderdude]

So AMericans can stay in Thailand for 30 days, what exactly happens if you overstay that visa for, say another 30 days? Thanks :?

[camel96]

You really want to find out...?
Get a 90 day visa in advance or leave after 30 days and come back.
You can easily either head across to Cambodia, do a day trip over to Myanmar, head down to Malaysia or go up to Laos. Going to any of these places and returning will give you another 30 days. There's even a scam where some travel agencies will take your passport down to the Malaysian border without you, get it stamped and bring it back. It's more expensive than doing it yourself and you run the risk of having your passport disappear but plenty of people do it.

[Mosley]

Right. But if I'm not mistaken, I think you have to get visas for Burma* and Laos before you go there.











*Damned if I'll call it Myanmar.

[Patong Dong]

For every day you overstay you have to pay 200 baht when you leave. With a 30 day visa you can go to any immigration office and get a 10 day extension for 500 baht. This must be done before it expires and there was some talk of increasing it when I left in August. I was there for almost 2 years and I regularly paid 1000baht and had my passport taken down to Malaysia and back without incident, as was mentioned though periodically to look good the Thai police grab a courier and that works out to be a pain - happened to a co-worker.
If you are only going to overstay a few days don't sweat it, the only problem could come if you have a bike accident (common) and then the police will hold you for being on overstay as technically you should not be in the country (lose $$$)
I did do the Myanmar run and it can be easy if you're close to the border and you do not need a visa.

[JennyJJ]

Do the border run yourself. Over the last several months immigration has arrested people with bogus border stamps that were used by some of the visa services. My understanding is that in August they changed stamps, but some of the visa services did not. Bingo! Arrested! Though there are many visa services it is technically illegal to have a service do your visa run for you.
At least for the time - do it yourself. No visa is needed for Burma or Laos.
The 10 day extension thing - I tried and was refused in Phuket. It may work other places though.
There are VISA RUN places that charge small amounts to take you there and back for your new visa. Then you don't have to mess with buses, taxis and all the other stuff.
Be safe, do it right.

[camel96]

If you do a day trip to Myanmar from Mae Sot or Mae Sai you don't need a visa. Whether the border is open is pendant on whether there is rebel activity on the Burmese side or whether the government has another hoard of speed passing through that day. Cost is $10 or 500 baht for the day permit. Pay the $10. It works out cheaper.
Many of the travel agencies that arrange the visa services actually take your passport to the border and get it stamped. When you cross into Malaysia the van driver usually takes all the passports of the tourists on board into the immigartion office and gets them all stamped without you even having to leave the car. Immigration has absolutely no idea who is in the van or who the passports belong to. They just stamp them. One time there were only 3 of us in the van and the driver went inside with seven passports. You need a visa for Laos but if you cross to Vientiane you can get it at the border (Friendship Bridge or some crap)
You could always smuggle some crack. Then you could stay for as long as you like. Apparently Bang Kwang Prison even has beds these days.