Reader question: What if I want to stay in Thailand longer than planned?

Robert

Have you ever contacted the Thai consulate in the Dominican Republic?

Thailand Consulate, Dominican Republic

#49 Fantino Falco
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
phone:
+1-809-5417445

Dear Robert,

It's strange that a place listed as the Consulate of Thailand can't give you solid advice. It might be old information that was on the net. So be it, but that obviously won't help you.

In general, it means that you will have to get a visa in a Thai Embassy that is located in another country.
In that case, Foreign Affairs of Thailand advises to contact the Thai Embassy/Consulate in advance and ask whether they can issue the requested visa.
Normally this is not a problem for the classic visas such as Tourist or Non-Immigrant “O”, but it is best to contact us first

Also something about the ticket, because it is important.
If you are going to depart without a visa with a single ticket, you must ensure that the airline of your choice will accept that you are going to depart without a visa and that you therefore have no proof that you are leaving Thailand within 30 days. Check this carefully and request confirmation by email if this is not a problem so that you have proof.
Another solution is to order a return ticket. The price difference is often not that big, or book a cheap connecting flight from Thailand to a neighboring country of Thailand. You may find this useful later in “Option 2”.
Please note that the return ticket or connecting flight must be within 30 days of your arrival.

Also remember that if you apply for a visa in a country other than your home country, you may be without a passport for a few days. In that case, be sure to ask for proof that you had to leave your passport behind for that reason and be sure to take a copy of your passport.

Possibility 1
You are going to get a visa for Thailand in another country before departure.
You don't have much choice so I'm thinking mainly of the US
I would first, as previously advised, contact the embassy in the US. (Tel/Email)
They may be able to tell you where people staying in the Dominican Republic can apply for a visa for Thailand without having to come to the US in person, or what procedure they need to follow. The Thai embassy in the US, I think, has that entire region under its jurisdiction. It is therefore possible that for such matters, given the large area they have to serve, they collaborate with an Embassy/Consulate of another country that is represented in the Dominican Republic. You can submit your request here. They then send the application via their diplomatic post to the Thai embassy in the US. Afterwards it will be sent back to that Embassy/Consulate where you can pick it up again. So you may not have to go to the US personally.
If you contact the Thai Embassy in the US, tell them that you are Dutch, reside in the Dominican Republic and want a Non-Immigrant “O” visa. Ask how long this can take, whether you can send the application by post/email in the meantime (if you are going to the US in person, make sure you do it by registered post and make a copy) and what documents they require from you (normally these are the documents already described in the visa article), or a declaration of income may be required (Dutch embassy) and I suspect that everything will have to be in English.
You can of course also apply for a tourist visa as a basis for your stay. Fewer supporting documents are required and you can usually have this converted into a Non-Immigrant “O” without any problems in Thailand.
If you obtain the visa, it is of course no longer a problem for your plane ticket because then you have a visa and you do not have to take it into account.
It's all a run, and maybe flew to the US, which will also have its price.

Possibility 2
You leave for Thailand and enter on the basis of a Visa exemption. As a Dutch citizen you are eligible for this, as you could already read in the visa article.
Here you have to be careful with the airline and if they do not accept you without a visa, book a return ticket or connecting flight within 30 days of arrival.
In Thailand you are given 30 days upon arrival, which gives you time to obtain a Non-Immigrant “O” or a tourist visa in a neighboring country (you can also use the previously booked connecting flight). In principle, you can then have the latter converted back into a Non-Immigrant “O” in Thailand.
Normally you can apply for these visas in, for example, Laos. Vientiane is just across the border so not far. Here too, if you want to be sure, always first contact the Embassy(s) you wish to go to, but normally this should not be a problem.
Thai Embassy in Vientiane -Laos
http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/
Thai Embassy in Phnompenh – Cambodia
http://www.thaiembassy.org/phnompenh/th/services/1435/21862-VISA-Application.html

Possibility 3
You fly from the Dominican Republic to Vietnam, for example. At the border you will then obtain a visa for Vietnam. In Vietnam you go to the Thai Embassy and apply for your visa for Thailand. You then fly from Vietnam to Thailand.
Thai Embassy in Hanoi -Vietnam
http://www.thaiembassy.org/hanoi/th/services/26656-Working-Hours-Visa-Section.html

It goes without saying that when applying for a Non-Immigrant "O" you must meet the requirements and provide the necessary evidence.

To answer your question if it is possible to get a visa upon arrival at Bangkok airport.
Yes, you can get a visa at the airport, but the only visa normally issued at the airport is the Visa-On-Arrival.
This visa is only for travelers from certain countries. This visa is not possible for Dutch/Belgians. By the way, it is of no use to us because it costs money and you only have 15 days for it, where we have an exemption for free for 30 days.

Maybe there are still possibilities that I lose sight of and there are other bloggers who are thinking about it, but for now I see these 3 as possible solutions.

Good luck and maybe see you in Thailand

Dear Robert. On the Thailandblog website you will see topics on the left. Open it and you will see Hua Hin, among other things. Do you have an overview of all Hua Hin postings and the reactions of the readers to these postings. Really all subjects are covered and you will certainly be able to benefit from it.