Best option for 46 day stay

[koolaukid]

I've got, hopefully, my last visa question.  I'm a US citizen, been in Thailand for 4.5 years.  I'm moving out of the country and my flight out is October 4, 2019.  However I just realized my current Non-O visa with retirement extension expires August 19, 2019.  What is my best visa option for the roughly 45 days I need to stay here before my flight out?  It seems I've spent half my life waiting around Cheng Wattana Immigration so would prefer to avoid any options that involve visits to CW.  I expect to spend some of my last days lounging on some of the southern islands, are there any options near Raynong?  I've never done a border run but have read and heard of them.  If flying out is the best solution is there somewhere close and easy where I could fly out and just turn around and hop on a return flight?  

 

[ubonjoe]

You can do a border hop from Ranong to Myanmar for a 30 day visa exempt entry and then extend it for 30 days at a immigration office.

You would need a local address to put on the TM7 form to apply for the extension. 

[glegolo]

Rayong???????  And on top of that what shall he do with the 5-6 extra days without a valid VISA or extension???

 

glegolo

Edited July 11, 2019 by glegolo

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Rayong???????  And on top of that what shall he do with the 5-6 extra days without a valid VISA or extension???

 

glegolo

30 + 30 = 60

OP wanted 45.

Do border run reenter visa exempt and extend. 

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Rayong???????

Fixed my typo.

He said he was  going to be in south Thailand and mentioned Ranong (but spelt it wrong).

 

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

30 + 30 = 60

OP wanted 45.

Do border run reenter visa exempt and extend. 

That is what I suggested . Read my post again.

[koolaukid]

How long do I have to be out of the country?  And I assume I'd have to get a Myanmar visa?

[ubonjoe]

30 minutes ago, koolaukid said:

How long do I have to be out of the country?

Only long enough to turn around and return to Thailand.

 

30 minutes ago, koolaukid said:

And I assume I'd have to get a Myanmar visa?

No visa needed. You will pay $10 or 500 baht for a Myanmar border pass.

[koolaukid]

UbonJoe forgive me for being nervous but when I look at the Immigration website it says overland visa on arrivals are only good for 15 days but you're saying 30?  And how much does it cost to extend a visa on arrival?  Is it 1,900 baht?  Is this done at Cheng Wattana Immigration?  How long does this extension take to obtain?  Thank you.  You helped me several times over the course of my time in Thailand.

 

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, koolaukid said:

UbonJoe forgive me for being nervous but when I look at the Immigration website it says overland visa on arrivals are only good for 15 days but you're saying 30?  And how much does it cost to extend a visa on arrival?  Is it 1,900 baht?  Is this done at Cheng Wattana Immigration?  How long does this extension take to obtain?  Thank you.  You helped me several times over the course of my time in Thailand.

You do not qualify for a 15 day visa on arrival it is only for those from certain countries and the 15 days cannot be extended.

See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/contents/filemanager/VISA/Visa on Arrival/VOA.pdf

You will get a 30 day visa exempt entry that can be extended at any immigration office for a fee of 1900 baht. No need to do it at Chaeng Wattana unless you are staying in Bangkok when you do it.

[koolaukid]

Thank you again for all your help over the years.  I first ran into you when inquiring about getting a retirement extension, you've been a reliable and consistent source of good info over the years.  

[koolaukid]

I wanted to get back with you and report on my experience with my border run.  Thanks to all, especially UbonJoe who has been an incredible resource.  

 

I did the border run as you all recommended, my first ever.  Departed Ranong for Kawthaung but not before getting the 3rd degree from the Thai Immigration officials.  They wouldn't process me until I proved to them that I was leaving the country within 60 days.  I didn't have my plane ticket on my phone, only an itinerary and they pulled me into a back office and questioned me about why I was here, what my intentions were and whether or not the itinerary was legitimate.  Ultimately they determined that it was but not before spending probably about 20 minutes explaining to several different officers in the back office.  Not a seamless or straightforward experience.  

 

Did my first ever extension in Ubon Ratchathani last week.  Checked into the hotel and confirmed the owner had reported my stay on the TM30 online.  Went to Immigration to get my extension only to have them tell me the TM30 wasn't showing up in their system, they gave me a manual form and told me to have the owner of the hotel fill it in.  Went back to the hotel but the owner refused to complete the form, instead had me take a picture of the confirmation of receipt of the TM30 on her computer.  So I had spent time at the Immigration office, drove back to the hotel and then back to the Immigration office.  Told the officer what happened and she refused to process my extension until they received a completed TM30.  The staff in the office thought it was pretty funny and they all laughed while I showed them the photo of the confirmation on my phone.  The woman who was helping me told me to wait and went to eat.  Hung out until lunch was over, she checked again but the form still wasn't showing up in their system.  At this point the Immigration officer decided to call the hotel and put some muscle on the owner to complete the manual form.  I watched as the situation was explained, then as the officer pulled the phone away from her ear, the owner apparently unloaded on her over the phone.  After hanging up the officer didn't want to lose face and give in so told me to wait.  I asked to see a supervisor and when she came over she looked at the situation, listened to the processing officer give her side of the story and told her to go ahead and process my extension.  I think the officer helping me was annoyed and made me run around for copies individually.  Ended up taking almost 3 hours to get the extension.  Fortunately the office was almost empty and there were no lines.  A disheartening experience.  

 

I won't go into my escalating frustrations with having to provide a passport everywhere (paying utilities, changing my postpaid phone plan, depositing money to my own bank account, topping off a BTS card), getting grilled at Don Mueang at 1AM to see how well my girlfriend's spoken/written Thai was (they wanted her to write a one page essay to prove proficiency) or the dance with my landlord who refused to complete the TM30 form.  In the last case, I ended up self reporting and paying the landlord's fine.  While paying the fine, I told the Immigration officer that my landlord refused to file the TM30.  She decided to call the landlord but when she hung up the Immigration officer told me the landlord refused to file the TM30 and that I should move.  No satisfaction there.

 

I've been in Thailand for 5 years and, for the most part, loved it.  But things have changed and I truly feel singled out as a foreigner and unwelcome.  I depart next week to spend a couple of months in the Philippines to see how I like it.  If that doesn't work out I'll try Ecuador, been to South and Central America and enjoyed that part of the world.  I wish you all luck and hope for the best.  Adios.

Edited September 18, 2019 by koolaukid

[Peter Denis]

Hi koolaukid,

Thanks for sharing this with us. 

Must have been quite frustrating experiences.

Indeed, the normal thai easy-going mentality which we all love so much, does not match with a complex, non-transparent, authoritarian bureaucracy.

But hope that the good experiences colour your memories more than these dark encounters.

Cheers and hope you find greener pastures outside the Land of Smiles.