Extending 30 day visa exempt stamp

[laphanphon]

I would pop into HH Imm and ask them what is needed for your country, passport you hold. Imm website would give you the basics, but best to ask where you'll be applying at what they want.

Long term visas require a more permanent residence (lease), or listed on someone's house book (referred to as yellow book).

[nil]

You have to leave the country and get a new visa. Tourist visa is 60 days and can be extended for another 30. Easiest place is Laos, either Savannakhet or Vientiane.
For longer stay you can go the retirement visa route or get an education visa.

[laphanphon]

Plan on one overnight, at least, depending what time you arrive. 2 should be enough. But, since paying the Laos visa, make a short week on long weekend. Depending which crossover point.

I always went to Vientiane, since living in Udon Thani, when doing the visa runs / 90 dayers.

[nil]

You need to submit the application in the morning and then pick it up the next day. Do a search for what documentation you need to include ( I think it might need hotel, airline bookings).

[laphanphon]

There's limo service from the airport, if want to go straight away to the border. About 200 baht. Udon Thani is quite nice, with excellent night markets (3) at the train station. Worth staying a night.

Stamp out of Thailand, queue up on Laos side, fill out VOA, pay (USD), wait a bit, recover PP w/visa, get stamped into Laos. Don't bother using a visa service on Thai side if solicited, as silly surcharge, and really is too easy to do in Laos. Need couple photos.

There's a bus into town after Laos Imm, used to be at the far left, or private transport, as plenty of touts will approach you. Further away from everyone, and prices for transport go down.

Returning, there is an international bus from 'morning market', best and cheapest way to return to Udon Thani bus station. 80 Baht, used to be.

Can't take it to Vientiane, as supposed to have visa before getting on bus.

I haven't done in about 10 years, so maybe someone else can fill in the blanks, or ask on UdonTalk.com forum, for some current info.

Nice riverside town, Nong Khai on Thai side, and nicer on Laos side, Vientiane.

ENJOY

[Takiap]

Alternatively, fly from Bangkok to Penang with Air Asia and book a room for one or two nights. Visa applications must be submitted before 14h00 (I think) and can be collected the following afternoon at around 15h00.
While you are in Penang, enjoy some of the best Indian food I have ever tasted, and incredibly affordable.

Visa wise, you will get a 90 visa without any difficulty.

Another option would be to go by train, which you can book and catch right hear in Hua Hin. It's quite a pleasant trip, down to Butterworth, and once you arrive, ignore the taxi touts and simply about 500 meters or so to the ferry terminal for a free ferry ride across to Panang

I have just this minute seen that Air Asia has flights from HH to KL, so that would be another option worth considering. BTW, no visa is required for Malaysia if you are staying less than 90 days.

[Pleng]

A lot of it depends on how much longer you want to stay.

If you just want another 30 days then you can go out the country to anywhere you like then comeback in and get another 30-day stamp (there's a limit to how often you can do this so only do it if you're sure that 30 days is all you need).

If you want 60 days you could theoretically do the same as above (return on a 30 day stamp), and then extend at immigration for 30 days. But if you're making the point of leaving the country anyway, you may as well go to Laos or Malaysia and apply for a 60-day tourist visa there. You then have the advantage of being able to extend that for another 30 days.

If you want 90 days then you need to apply for a tourist visa, as detailed above, and extend it for 30 days.

If you want longer than 90 days then you have to look at long-term visa options. As you're above 50 a retirement visa would be a possibility, or if you want to study Thai language then an education visa is an option.

[lomuamart]

The limit on overland 30 day visa exempt stamps is 2 in a year. They can be extended by a further 30 days as discussed.

[laphanphon]

First need to set up a residence w/long term lease, one year, self renewing monthly onward.

Then open a bank account, and wire / transfer money over. TransferWise seems to get used with good reviews and inexpensive.