The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

diaw

The Thai Immigration mob are beginning to get rather serious about the whole 90-day reporting thing. There does seem to be some confusion about if & how a visa extension resets the 90 clock, or not. I had a case where I received an annual extension a few months ago, with an upcoming 90-day report due within a few days. I understood that the extension rest the 90 clock. Well - it does not. I have an A4 sheet of paper with how the whole thing actually is supposed to work (I'll scan & upload it soon). The nice people then stuck me with a B2,000 fine & a stamp in the 'visa section' of my passport saying I'd paid the fine. The fine itself is not the major beef I have - this is the usual Thai Immigration money-grinder, but the fact that the officer had no problem with defacing the centre of the 'visa section' of my passport & wasted a new page. Why did he not turn to the rear section which makes place for this kind of thing. These folks seem to feel zip about following most accepted international protocol when it comes to matters of this nature. Wierd. Be careful of this, folks.

Thetyim

The 90 day report clock starts when you enter Thailand.

Any extensions of stay (not visa extension please) will not affect the 90 day reporting.

NickA

^I think it's quite clear that extending your "permission to stay" (not visa) does not reset the 90 days - the only way to reset it is either do a 90 day report or leave the country and re-enter.

(edit: Damn, Thet, I knew you'd get there first)

stroller

They made the stamp prominent, so everybody will notice, you're marked for life now!

lom

There is nothing new with this and you are just another one of those who
believes it is working in another way than it does in reality.

You could have done your 90 day reporting at the same time as you did the extension since it was "upcoming within a few days".
But it is up to you to keep track of your reporting due day, not the immigration officers.

To assist you in this, they affix a coupon in one of the last pages of your passport.
But if you don't bother to check it , then shit like this will happen.

__________________
No panic please! And last out is a loser.

diaw

Did you know that the "first" extension resets the 90-clock to zero?

diaw

Ok, so why the big deal about it, then? It's against most international rules to deface a visa section like that, anyway. When folks get a black mark, for instance, it is placed at the rear of the passport.

NickA

I can't count the number of people in the last few years who have told me they are special and don't have to do 90 day reporting....they're all doing it now

diaw

As a matter of interest, can I ask how folks feel every time they have to go in & report themselves? Compare this with my homeland where you go in for an annual extension & after 2 - 3 years the Home Office asks you to apply for permanent residence. In the USA, on a H1B visa - you're good for 3 years, renewable for another 3 years.

kingwilly

my work place did every 90 day extension for me - i never had to go in once

Thetyim

I do it by post.
It is no big deal, I have no problems with having to report 4 times a year

lom

I do it by personal visit. It feels good diaw

Thetyim

I'm not at all sure that it does.
If your original entry permit was for 90 days then this would co-incide with the beginning of your extension.

lom

You are right Thetyim.
The only way of changing the timing is to leave and reenter Thailand.

Thetyim

LOM,

I was recently issued with a yellow Tabien Baan .
This registers my permenent address.
Do you think there is any chance that I might be excused the 90 day reporting now ?
I guess my chances are almost zero but it might be worth asking.

What do you think ?

diaw

Ok, until I upload the pics, I'll quote 'Procedures & Notification', #5 "The first application for extension of stay by the foreigner is equivalent to the notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days."

---

Confusion anyone? Now, what if, sending by post, the mail got lost? Also, the Immi officer said that you can only send it to the Sua Amplu address, but my extensions are granted at One-stop. He implied that it was not so good.

Thetyim

I would say that you have a bad translation

diaw

This is the "official" version with Thai one side & Engrish on the other - handed out at 'One-stop' Ratchadapisek Road, this morning. I have quoted verbatim & checked the wording with the officer. He concurred.

Thetyim

No need to scan it, Diaw.

Immigration Bureau

From the same website :

"visa extension"

"Wait for queue for an assigned counter "

diaw

Nice link. The 5 points they list up top are actually the last say 1/3 rd of the sheet I was handed today. There was a lot of gumf in the top 2/3rd trying to 'cralify' the situation (most covered by your list anyway). I must say that this is the first time I've seen that link. I think I'd listened to a little too much to the crap over on the other channel. They are giving out a very different story to this official line. At least now it's perfectly 'crear'... as mud... I must say - if you folks send in all the paperwork required for the postal version, it must cost you more than it does for me to go in person. Strewth... (I'm not sure I'm gonna stick around for too much more of this visa malarky - its beginning to grate somewhat after nearly 5 years of various changes & whatever. I'm looking to go off on an expat package elsewhere in Asia.)