Do I need to fly from the US to stay 30 days in Thailand?

[danield]

Hello! I am a US citizen and read that I can enter Thailand without a visa for tourism and stay up to 30 days. However I am flying from Romania to Thailand (nationals from Romania need a visa and can stay up to 15 days) and my return plane ticket is back to Romania as well. Not sure if this is relevant - I also have a Romanian passport because I was born in Romania but do not use as I am a US citizenship and use my US passport. 

 

My question is, do i need to fly to Thailand from the USA to stay 30 days or it does not matter as long as I have a US passport?

 

Also a side question.. can i apply for a 30 days extension (in order to stay 60 days total) at an immigration office in Thailand? I cannot do it ahead of time in the US because I am in Romania now. Looking forward to your advice! 

Edited December 9, 2019 by danield

[DrJack54]

Enter with your USA pp and you will obtain 30 day visa exempt entry. You can extend that at imm office by 30 days. 1900 baby.

Heck you could take trip to border and re-enter with another visa exempt. All on your USA pp

[danield]

@DrJack54 thanks for the info! Great that I could also do a border trip! That would have to be after the first 30 days expire I assume? Or anytime within the 30 days?  

Edited December 9, 2019 by danield

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, danield said:

@DrJack54 thanks for the info! Great that I could also do a border trip! That would have to be after the first 30 days expire I assume? Or anytime within the 30 days? 

Whatever you do exit Thailand before your "UNTIL DATE" on your entry stamp. 

If your staying bkk there are borders not far and minibus companies do runs and return you same day. 

Another option is take flight to udon thaini (just one eg) take one hour minibus straight flat rd to Nong Khai. Spend night or few in udon. (Nice friendly bars).

That's another 30 days permission of stay.

Can also be extended 

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by DrJack54

[danield]

@DrJack54 great advice thank you! This is my first time visiting Thailand. I am meeting some friends for a week but i decided to stay solo longer afterwards. Looking forward to exploring the country. 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, danield said:

@DrJack54 great advice thank you! This is my first time visiting Thailand. I am meeting some friends for a week but i decided to stay solo longer afterwards. Looking forward to exploring the country. 

Welcome. It's a great country. You have many options to extend stay. First up you can obtain visa exempt entries 2 times per calendar year. Each entry can be extended by 30 days. Also consider Saigon. With USA pp you will need visa. Easily done online. With your zero history you can obtain ve entry at airport. Best do flight entry before border entry. 

[gk10002000]

4 hours ago, danield said:

@DrJack54 thanks for the info! Great that I could also do a border trip! That would have to be after the first 30 days expire I assume? Or anytime within the 30 days?  

The border trip will get you a new "visa exempt" stamp that starts running on the day you do the border trip.  So you don't want to do that early or else you would use up your first visa exempt time sooner than you want. 

[jacko45k]

9 hours ago, danield said:

@DrJack54 thanks for the info! Great that I could also do a border trip! That would have to be after the first 30 days expire I assume? Or anytime within the 30 days?  

Anytime you choose during the 30 days, on a USA passport you can come and go. There is also the possibility to extend your stay by 30 days for each entry by applying at a domestic immigration office. At the airport they will stamp you in with a  'Admitted Until' date. Do not overstay that. 

[Suradit69]

16 hours ago, danield said:

@DrJack54 thanks for the info! Great that I could also do a border trip! That would have to be after the first 30 days expire I assume? Or anytime within the 30 days?  

You can stay 30 days and a week or so before that ends go to an immigration office to get an additional 30 days. The extension is added on to the original 30 days so you'll get  the full 60 days (which includes the day you first arrived).

 

 So 60 days on your original entry. A border hop by the end of the 60 days and you should be able to repeat the 30 plus 30 again.   You might be asked for flight out info and to see if you have cash equivalent to Baht 20,000 (or 10,000?) .

 

Two back to back visa exempts should not be a problem.

[KhunBENQ]

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Another option is take flight to udon thaini (just one eg) take one hour minibus straight flat rd to Nong Khai. Spend night or few in udon. (Nice friendly bars).

?

Fly to Udon Thani and drive to the border at Nong Khai.

Over to Vientiane (Laos). Immediate return possible.

Costs you a visa on arrival for Laos.

 

Udon Thani and Nong Khai are both in Thailand.

 

[natway09]

Should be no problem

[Captain 776]

They don’t issue based on where u flew in from..........they based on where your passport is from

[AgMech Cowboy]

You can also go to the Thai embassy in Romania with your US Passport and apply for a visitor's visa. That's 60 days without a border trip.

[danield]

11 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

You can stay 30 days and a week or so before that ends go to an immigration office to get an additional 30 days. The extension is added on to the original 30 days so you'll get  the full 60 days (which includes the day you first arrived).

 

 So 60 days on your original entry. A border hop by the end of the 60 days and you should be able to repeat the 30 plus 30 again.   You might be asked for flight out info and to see if you have cash equivalent to Baht 20,000 (or 10,000?) .

 

Two back to back visa exempts should not be a problem.

@Suradit69 thank you for the help! So I can pay for an extension any time and it will be added to the 30 days from day 30th? Or will I get the additional 30 days from the day I apply for an extension? For example if i apply on day 18 will it be 18 + 30 days or 18 + 42 days (counting the remaining 12 days)

[danield]

7 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

You can also go to the Thai embassy in Romania with your US Passport and apply for a visitor's visa. That's 60 days without a border trip.

@AgMech Cowboy i tried that but they told me that i need some proof of residency in romania.. like work or if i own something. Which i dont in Romania. I just have a romanian passport but i travel with my US one

Edited December 10, 2019 by danield

[Suradit69]

9 hours ago, danield said:

@Suradit69 thank you for the help! So I can pay for an extension any time and it will be added to the 30 days from day 30th? Or will I get the additional 30 days from the day I apply for an extension? For example if i apply on day 18 will it be 18 + 30 days or 18 + 42 days (counting the remaining 12 days)

You'll probably have to wait until the last week of your initial 30 day entry, but whenever you get the extension it will be added to the first 30 days so that you get a total of 60 days.  But if you're calculating when you have to leave, it's the day you first arrived plus 59 more days = 60 days.

[AgMech Cowboy]

18 hours ago, danield said:

@AgMech Cowboy i tried that but they told me that i need some proof of residency in romania.. like work or if i own something. Which i dont in Romania. I just have a romanian passport but i travel with my US one

@danield Well, I guess they have their rules. I used to live here on Tourist Visas from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, but I left every 26 days for 30-32 days. Point is, I only had my Thai address.  I just assumed you could put your address in the USA.  Like I said, though, every place has it's own rules.

[danield]

3 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

@danield Well, I guess they have their rules. I used to live here on Tourist Visas from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, but I left every 26 days for 30-32 days. Point is, I only had my Thai address.  I just assumed you could put your address in the USA.  Like I said, though, every place has it's own rules.

@AgMech Cowboy in Romania it also matters who you talk to. Everyone will tell you something different. Maybe i just have to go ask again. Although my flight to Thailand is in a week and don't know how long it will take to get the visa from the embassy. 

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, danield said:

@AgMech Cowboy in Romania it also matters who you talk to. Everyone will tell you something different. Maybe i just have to go ask again. Although my flight to Thailand is in a week and don't know how long it will take to get the visa from the embassy. 

The fact that you have to be a citizen or permanent resident of Romania is clear show on the website.

"7. ID or residence permit as a proof of permanent residency in Romania or Bulgaria and a copy of the document"

Source: http://www.thaiembassy.org/bucharest/en/services/2723/26857-Tourist-Visa.html

[ubonjoe]

12 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Well, I guess they have their rules. I used to live here on Tourist Visas from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, but I left every 26 days for 30-32 days. Point is, I only had my Thai address.  I just assumed you could put your address in the USA.  Like I said, though, every place has it's own rules.

Many embassies and consulates require you to be citizen or permanent residency of the country where you are applying.

For example they require it to apply in Japan, China, UK, France and most European countries now.

[brianthainess]

On 12/9/2019 at 9:34 PM, DrJack54 said:

Whatever you do exit Thailand before your "UNTIL DATE" on your entry stamp. 

If your staying bkk there are borders not far and minibus companies do runs and return you same day. 

Another option is take flight to udon thaini (just one eg) take one hour minibus straight flat rd to Nong Khai. Spend night or few in udon. (Nice friendly bars).

That's another 30 days permission of stay.

Can also be extended 

 

by your post you are saying if you go to Nong Khai you get another 30 days that is why i am confused. thought you had to cross the boarder.

[brianthainess]

On 12/10/2019 at 2:54 PM, KhunBENQ said:

?

Fly to Udon Thani and drive to the border at Nong Khai.

Over to Vientiane (Laos). Immediate return possible.

Costs you a visa on arrival for Laos.

 

Udon Thani and Nong Khai are both in Thailand.

 

Take the Train over the bridge.

[AgMech Cowboy]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Many embassies and consulates require you to be citizen or permanent residency of the country where you are applying.

For example they require it to apply in Japan, China, UK, France and most European countries now.

@ubonjoe Hi Ubonjoe, no argument from me. This is your area of expertise. I was only relating to my experience.  I'm not going to chase up the rules from other countries.  Thank you for making it clear.