VISA CHANGES For people entering Thailand by land

I take it you got a VOA - so you will have to do so again (by flying in) or go to the Thai consulate.
Paul

what about Transit Visa? it should be possible get on the border , isnt?

Hannyz

I have read only a little bit about transit visas - can't remember where but I think it might be OK but they may be only for people who were refused reentry under an old 180 day max rule.
I used Google to find information about Check Republic rules - I can do more - but so can you.
Paul

thanks for help ;) I've just bought a fly ticket.

I entered Thailand today at Chiang Khong (from Huay Xai in Laos) using a Tourist visa I acquired while I was in Vientiane. This visa SHOULD be valid for 60 days but the f**kwit at the border has stamped me in for just 15 days. He has also stamped the visa "USED", so he didn't just overlook it.

Kiwi Passport, expires in November.

Significant issue: although it has plenty of space for stamps, my Passport has only one full page unused. This means that I have room for only one visa or vis extension.

What are my options? As I see it I have several but they all involve hassles. I'd like advice on the least damaging.

The main options that I can see are ...

A1. Return to Chiang Khong tomorrow (I'm now in Chiang Rai) and ask to have the entry stamp corrected to allow me my legitimate 60 days. Is this feasible - will they correct the entry stamp or would it be a wasted trip? At 65 Baht each way this is probably the cheapest option and quickest fix - if feasible.

A2. Wait three days until I get to Chiang Mai and get a travel agent to correct the duration (A2a) or to extend the visa (A2b). Problem with A2a is that I doubt an agent can do that. Problem with A2b is that the extension will cost at least 1900 Baht (plus commission) and only be for 28 days. Any ideas on this?

A3. Wait until I get to Nong Khai (near Vientiane) and do a visa run, re-entering Thailand without entering Laos. Is it even feasible to exit Thailand at the Friendship Bridge then re-enter Thailand without entering Laos? I really don't want to use up my remaining free page to buy a Lao visa-at-the-border as without another free page all I can then do is re-enter Thailand on the visa waiver scheme for 15 days. That sucks.

B1. Run down to Bangkok and apply to have the duration corrected. This differs from A2 in that it may be possible for the bureaucrats in Bangkok to do what the travel agent in Chiang Mai cannot, i.e. give me the full 60 days on my existing visa. Is this feasible? Anyone know?

Edited by: BAH, HUMBUG.

I'd start a new thread with this one to get more replies.

Maybe the official simply made a mistake. They usually have two dated ink stamps sitting on their desk - one for visa exempt entries (15 days) and one for tourist visa entries (60 days). He may well have just screwed up and gave you the wrong stamp while marking your tourist visa "used".

Did you point out this "error" at the time (???) and if so did he simply refuse to change it or what was the response?? It's always good to watch closely and point out any errors immediately. Ultimately it's at the descretion of the officer how many days you get but always try to sort it out on the spot.

Next step is go to Immigration in Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai. You may well get it corrected, but that would be pretty much the last chance. Immigration can also give a 1-time extension for 1900 baht (30 days if a tourist visa but only 7 more days if it's a visa exemption). Good luck.

SOLVED - thank you to those who provided constructive advice on solving the problem. (Wandabug, you should have checked the recent posts before telling me to start a new thread - because I had already done so.)

I used Captain Bob's advice here and Kwaidaeng and Keirseck's from the other thread to construct a plan of action. About 10:30 I took a bus from Chiang Rai to Mae Sai (about 1.5 hours, 39 Baht). At the Mae Sai bus station I hopped the jumbo that goes past the Immigration Office (15 Baht). The office is about 1.5 to 2 km south of the border post and is the same one you go to for extensions, permits and 90-day procedures. The landmark is a pedestrian overpass (the second one you see coming north from the bus station). If you pass the "An Noor Maesai Mosque" you've gone too far. The Immigration Office is near the Customs one. The office is open 8:30-12:00 and 13:00-16:30. I arrived there at 12:20 and walked a minute or two north to a nearby cheap eatery to have lunch while waiting for the office to reopen.

When I got back there were a number of people queued up but I only had to wait a few minutes until I reached the counter. I handed in my Passport, explaining simply that there was a "problem" and asking if they could "change" it to allow me my full 60 days. They took my Passport and used up my last full page to note the change, then crossed out the original "until" date (20 Mar) and stamped 4 May beneath it. This took about half an hour. They then sent me to a nearby photocopy booth to get copies of my photo page, visa page, and the two-page spread with all the new and amended information (6 Baht). There was no charge for the correction itself.

I walked back to the bus station - about 3 km - and caught a bus back to Chiang Rai, arriving about 16:15. So the whole adventure took me less than six hours.

Captain Bob, I'd just stuffed my Passport in a pocket and set off for the bus station. I didn't see the bad date until checking into my guesthouse in Chiang Rai.

Edited to add: the Immigration Office is on the west side of Phahon Yothin opposite and between Th 18 and Th 20. See B.

Thanks for the report and good it was so easy to sort out.
Sorry to sound like a jabbering parrot but I'll just stick this in bold one more time in case someone headed to Thailand is reading this:

Always watch closely as immigration stamps your passport, and deal with any errors then and there. Once you "walk away" it gets harder to resolve, and yes - immigration officers do make mistakes.

Cheers and happy travels =)

There was also another case of this discussed at reply #792 , page 53.
I had my passport stamped for visa exempt entry rather than 60 days for the visa I had . I didn't go to immigration but got it fixed up at the airport at departure without any problems . However getting it fixed up at an immigration office would be best as it could cause confusion if police ask to see your passport. So as Bob says check before leaving the immigration booth.