Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sjv8603]

I heard a while back, if you enter Thailand overland (lets say from Laos or Cambodia), you're only given 2 weeks to stay. Can anyone verify that? And more importantly what is the recommended action if I wanted more time without having to bother with a visa run? Can you buy longer visas at Thai consulates? or visa extension once in country?

[Drew345]

Yes, it is true, it you enter Thailand buy air you get a 30 day "visa except" stamp. If you enter by land you get a 15 day "visa exempt" stamp.
I know you can extend the 30 day stamp by another 7 days at Thai immigration for 1900 Bt' but not sure if you can extend the 15 day stamp. You probably can, but never done that.

I think the best bet is this:
Get a Thai visa from here in Korea before going. You can get a single entry or double entry visa. If you have the Thai visa in your passport, you get a 60 day stamp whether you enter air or land.
If you get only a single entry Thai visa, then when you first fly to Thailand, tell immigration to NOT USE the Thai visa. Ask them for the regular 30 day visa-exempt entry stamp, and save the Thai visa.
Then when you go out of Thailand by land and come back, you use the Thai visa and get a 60 day stamp, not the 15 days visa-exempt stamp.

Other options would be to get a Thai visa in Phnom Penn or Vientienne while on you trips there. But I hear those Thai embassies are crazy compared to the nice, quiet one in Seoul.

[Drew345]

Another option would be to fly on Air Asia to Cambodia/Laos and back. They are about as cheap as a bus, check their bookings. Flying Air Asia you would enter by air and get the 30 day visa-exempt stamp.

One thing to remember. If you are flying into Thailand and you don't have an onward air ticket out of Thailand within the next 30 days (and don't have a visa), then the airline check-in agent (not the Thai immigrations) may give you problems and not let you on the plane. For more information about this, search things like "onward ticket Thailand" "one-way Thailand" on google or thaivisa.com.
The way to beat that problem is to either have a Thai visa (then no problem), or to have an Air Asia ticket to your next destination within 30 days. Other creative ways may be possible.

[sjv8603]

Hey Drew. Thank you for the thoughtful reply! I will arrive in Thailand by land. I'm in China now so can't go to Seoul embassy. I'll try to find a consulate here, or HK probably has one.

thanks again!
-Josiah