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Can Australians Stay in Thailand for 55 Days Without a Visa and What Are the Procedures for Extensions?

Tourist Visa Visa Extension Thai Immigration Australian Citizens Thailand Travel Visa Regulations

Jun 11, 2023

2 years ago

Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hello

My husband & I want to travel to Kho Samui for about 55 days from 7 Sep to 31 to Oct 2023.

As Australians we understand that we can stay 30 days without a Visa. We have been advised we can apply for a Visa extension for an additional 30 days through the Thai Embassy closer to the end of the first 30 days.

Can you please advise on three questions:

- Would citizens of good character normally be approved for a Tourist Visa as long as we supply required documentation & fee?

- If challenged by customs would the response be we are requesting 30 days as a an Australian tourist, then seeking a further Visa extension for an additional 30 days? 

- Is anyone aware of other issues that regularly cause problems for tourists with customs?

We appreciate any assistance greatly, many thanks 💁🏼‍♀️

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TLDR : Answer Summary

An Australian couple plans to travel to Kho Samui for 55 days, relying on the initial 30-day visa exemption and seeking a possible 30-day extension. They inquired about the likelihood of obtaining a tourist visa, what to say to customs if challenged, and other potential tourist issues. Community responses suggest applying for a 60-day tourist visa before departure or confirming a flight out of Thailand to satisfy airline policies regarding proof of onward travel. Most community members agree that getting a 30-day extension is generally straightforward, and concerns about customs issues are minimal for visa-exempt travelers.

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Tod *********

I'd dial back the paranoia just a notch. Face it you're not the first Aussiez to enter the country visa exempt and want to get the 30 day extension

you won't have ANY issue at all entering visa exempt on a 30 day free stamp and then extending it for an additional 30 days.

You won't do it at a thai embassy <- seeing as there are no thai embassies in thailand 😛 ) but at a thai immigration office that serves the area where you're staying. The cost of the 30 day extension is 1900baht.

You'll be fine..

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hello Brandon

Many of our issues arise from not being able to commit to a Visa until now 90 days out, where as it would have been easy from Australia.

I am interested in your point on the flight out of Madrid to Bangkok & need to have a Visa when the Thai’s themselves do not require a Visa as long as we do not go beyond 30 days (we could extend later).

Would be interested in your thoughts and anyone else who may have had a similar experience.

We have booked flights to Thailand & then onto Australia, where does that leave us??

Thank you for all of your assistance.

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Shaughn ***********

@Suzi **********

call the airline to see if they will allow you to board with you having the onward travel to Australia at the 55 day mark, not 30 while using visa exempt.

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Shaughn ***********

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Bill **********

In France, you cannot apply for a visa personally at the Thai embassy or consulate. You must try again online at

***************************

You will have to submit a number of scans. For the proof of legal residence in France, send a scan of your Schengen visa ie the visa you’re staying in France on. If you’re renting a house or apartment, send the rental agreement. You’ll need to send a copy of a bank statement and show some means of income. If you’re living off a pension or investment income, some statement to that effect, even one you write yourself and scan. They’re trying to prevent global nomads making a living on the internet from living in Thailand on tourist visas.

The visa will come as an emailed pdf document that you should print out and bring with you to Thailand for a 60-day stay.

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Bill **********

If you decide in the end not to get a tourist visa, just book a flight within the 30-day period of stay to anywhere outside Thailand on one of the low-cost carriers. Could be Cambodia, Malaysia etc. And show that at check-in as Proof of Onward Travel, so you don’t get denied boarding. Thai Immigration usually won’t check. It’s a regulation enforced by airlines.

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Bill **********

There’s a section in the online application for “other supporting documents.” You could write a brief declaration explaining that you’re in the middle of a year-long trip and not resident in France, and sign it, then scan that and upload it. If you want, you could even provide your itinerary. That would explain any inconsistencies in your application re residence, employment etc.

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Bill *********

oh thankyou so much that’s brilliant!!

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Suzi ***********

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Bill **********

Did you get a visa on entering France? Are you living in an apartment?

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Bill *********

Thanks Bill great info, but we are not living here we are touring around the world for a year only in France for a couple of weeks.

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Bill **********

When I apply for a Thai visa in Germany, the online application is directed to the embassy in Berlin, and I usually get the visa within 48 hours — one time I got it 6 hours after submission.

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Bill **********

, is there another country you’ll be staying in longer?

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Bill **********

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Ian ***************

If you already intend to stay 55 days get a tourist visa in advance, problem solved.

P.S. Extension of stay would be obtained at Thai immigration, not embassy or customs.

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Ian **************

yep, that’s what we are trying to do, but it’s more difficult than we expected.

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Suzi ***********

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Brandon ************

If you decide not to purchase the 60 day visa before traveling, please contact your airline. Thai immigration is not going to ask to see proof that you're leaving Thailand within 30 days, but your airline may require this proof before they let you board your flight to Thailand. You need to check their policy for people who travel to Thailand without a visa.

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Brandon ***********

thanks we were wondering about that .

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Suzi ***********

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James ********

Welcome too Thailand 👍

You should have no problem with your getting the 30 days extension of stay at your local Thai immigration office.

The 30 days extension are ADDED to your ending date of the 30 day stamp you will receive on arrival into Thailand.

So no need to wait until the ending week of your initial arrival to get the extension of stay.

Here are the common found requirements for the 30 days extension of stay for 1900 Thai baht...

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

thanks so much this is so helpful.

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Suzi ***********

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Pauline *******

Easy solution is to get a 60day tourist visa from Thai Embassy in your country before departure, that way you're fully covered without having to go to any immigration for extensions

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Pauline ******

thanks, we are already 7 months into our world trip unfortunately didn’t realise it was going to be so difficult for us.

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Pauline *******

@Suzi **********

in that case your 30days visa exempt followed by 30day extension from immigration office is your best option. It's not customs or immigration who query your length of stay but sometimes the airline at check-in, I've been asked about onward flights by a couple of middle eastern airlines in the past and also checking in in Vietnam. Their thinking is that if you're refused entry the onus is on them to fly you back

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Pauline *******

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Pauline ******

too late unfortunately we have been travelling for 7 months already.

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Wannikea *********

@Suzi **********

you can apply at most any Thai consulate in whatever country your currently legally in. You can also apply at the Thai evisa website if it serves that country and get an electronic/pdf visa.

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Wannikea ********

we have already tried to apply online and got halfway through and their website was down for repairs? So we went to the Thai Embassy in Paris, they wouldn’t see us unless we were living in Paris, they told us to go to ou Australia embassy in Paris, we did, they said they have never issued Thai visas from Paris embassy 😫

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Suzi ***********

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Laurie ******

Just get a 60 day visa from Canberra Thai consulate Quick and easy

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

we are travelling around the world for 12 months, currently into our 7 th month in Paris.

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Dave ***********

@Suzi **********

your can get a 60 day Tourist visa in the Royal Thai embassy in Paris. Download the application documents, and fill in before you go to the embassy. You should be able to get your visas in 2 to 3 days. If you want to stay in Thailand longer than 60 days you can extend the visa for 30 days, in any Thai immigration office in the country.

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Suzi ***********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Dave **********

unfortunately they wouldn’t even let us in the door, we had a translator who explained to us, that the Paris Thai Embassy does Not issue visa’s to anyone but French citizens.

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Dave ***********

@Suzi **********

ah, OK. In Asia this can be done. Maybe you could go to Veitnam for a few days before going to Thailand, because I do know that you can go to the Thai Embassy in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. Just a suggestion

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Bill **********

@Dave **********

in France as in many countries in Europe, you must apply online. No personal visits to the embassy are possible.

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Bill **********

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