TB Immigration Infobrief 007/19 – The Thai visa (2) – Period of validity, length of stay and extension

Period of validity and length of stay
There are two main periods that are directly linked to a visa. Namely the period of validity of a visa and the length of stay that you can obtain with that visa. Both have a direct link to the visa, but it is still important to see them separately. They have nothing to do with each other directly. It is therefore very important to understand what they mean, because they are often the cause of many misunderstandings.

What is the validity period?
When we talk about the period of validity, we mean the period during which the visa can be used. You can find this period on the visa. The start date is the date stated at “Date of Issue” and the end date, until when you can use the visa, is stated at the “Enter before”. The period of validity of a visa is always determined by the person who issued the visa. So that is a Thai embassy or Thai consulate.
The validity period of a Thai visa is expressed in months or years and can be 3, 6 months to 1, 3 or 5 years.
Keep an eye on. A visa becomes unusable after its validity period. Whether you have used this visa or not does not matter.

What is the length of stay?
The length of stay is the period that you receive upon arrival. It will determine how long you can stay in Thailand without interruption. That length of stay will be determined by the immigration officer and will depend on the visa you currently hold. The immigration officer will first stamp an “arrival” stamp in your passport. In the center of that stamp will be the date you arrived and next to the word “Until” will be the date you must leave. You may then stay in Thailand uninterrupted until that date.
The length of stay is expressed in days or years. Such length of stay can be 15, 30, 60, 90 days to 1 or 5 years.

What is a Single entry or Multiple entry?
How often you can now enter Thailand during the validity period of your visa and how often you can obtain a stay period with that visa, will be determined by the number of entries stated on your visa.
The number of entries (entry) is stated on your visa under “No of Entry”.

This can be a “Single Entry” (1 time). This means that you can only enter once within the validity period of your visa.
This will usually be stated on the visa under “No of Entry” by the letter “S” for “Single”.

It is also possible that you have a “Multiple entry”. In that case, you may enter Thailand without restrictions within the validity period of your visa. You will then receive a new period of stay that is in accordance with your visa upon each entry. This will usually be stated on the visa under “No of Entry” by the letter “M” of “Multiple.

What is an extension?
It is also possible that you want to stay in Thailand for a longer period of time. In that case, the period of residence that you received upon entry is usually insufficient.
You can then activate a new period of stay through a new entry, or you can go after a new visa. In both cases you will have to leave Thailand for a short or longer period of time and re-enter.
But if you do not want to leave Thailand, there is still the possibility to request an extension of your stay.
A great misunderstanding often arises here. It is always the period of stay that you are going to extend, never the visa itself.
You cannot extend a visa, it stops at the end of the validity period (with the exception of a Non-immigrant “OX visa, but we will come back to that later).
An extension is expressed in days or a year. This can be standard 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 days or a year. But it may also depend on the decision of the Immigration Officer, if they consider that a different period is more appropriate in that case. Usually this will be shorter than the requested standard period. We will come back to the few standard renewals and how to apply for them later.

Can my entry be denied if I have a visa?
You may have a visa, but a visa does not automatically give you the right to enter or stay in Thailand. Even with a valid visa, the immigration officer can still refuse you entry if he believes there is a reason to do so.
That will certainly not happen on the basis of some wet finger work, as people sometimes think. Such a thing will not be the decision of the immigration officer at the immigration desk, but will be taken by the manager of the moment and he will have to motivate his decision.
The Immigration Act contains a list that can be a reason to refuse entry. This list is not limiting;

• Improper use of the visa type.
• Have insufficient means to stay in Thailand.
• Entering Thailand to be employed as an unskilled or untrained worker, or to work in violation of the Foreigner Work Permit Act.
• Being mentally unstable or having an illness as described in the ministerial regulation.
• Not yet being vaccinated against smallpox, or undergoing medical treatment for the disease, and refusing a vaccination administered by the immigration doctor.
• Have incurred imprisonment by a judgment of a Thai or foreign court, except for minor offenses or those listed in the exceptions to the ministerial order.
• Engaging in dangerous, violent, or disruptive behavior that poses a potential threat to the peace or security of the people and nation, or if a warrant of arrest has been issued by foreign authorized officials.
• There would be reason to believe that the entry was for the following purposes: involvement in prostitution, trafficking of women and children, smuggling of drugs or other forms of smuggling that are against public morals.
• To be denied entry to Thailand.
• Have been deported from Thailand or another country, or have had their right of abode revoked by Thailand or another country, or been expelled by authorized officials at Thailand's expense, unless exemption has been granted by the Minister on an individual basis.
• Not in possession of a valid passport or passport replacement document, or in possession of a valid passport or passport replacement document, but without a valid visa issued by a Thai embassy, ​​consulate, or the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the exception of those who meet visa exemption requirements.

(To be continued)

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