Tourist visa/ non o visa

[raptorea]

Can I arrive in Thailand on a tourist visa then switch to a non o visa by crossing the border and coming back? Thank you

[elviajero]

No. 

 

You can apply for a non ‘O’ as a prerequisite to an extension of stay at immigration once you’re in the country.

 

Or you can apply for a non ‘O’ visa at a Thai embassy/consulate in one countries neighbouring Thailand.

[stud858]

Am I right in saying things are more likely to go smoother when dealing with your own countries Thai embassy for longer visas.

That has been my experience for B and O visas in the past. But I have had some kookey looney situations occur in the past. Maybe just my bad luck.

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, stud858 said:

Am I right in saying things are more likely to go smoother when dealing with your own countries Thai embassy for longer visas.

That has been my experience for B and O visas in the past. But I have had some kookey looney situations occur in the past. Maybe just my bad luck.

Each country is different. Thai consulates in most Western countries issue visas to their citizens more readily than consulates in countries close to Thailand. However, there are exceptions. France is known to be one country where visa applicants often run into trouble. Thai visa applicants in the Indian subcontinent and most African countries can find visa applications denied for unknown reasons.