Flight changes during Visa Application

Is there a specific reason you needed to apply for a tourist visa?

Your profile looks like you are American, so by default you have 'Visa Exempt' status for what I believe is the same length of time an actual tourist visa would give you.

Unless you have a specific reason for a tourist visa, then just have your up to date passport (doesn't expire within 6 months I believe) a return ticket, and to be safe $1000 or so of USD in your pocket (never been asked for this myself, but I hear it is a requirement and you can be turned awawy if they think you are a bum ...and I don't believe they take a bank or credit card as evidence.)

Yes.  I'm American  I'm planning on a visit in March to see my GF with a known arrival but an unknown departure. It might be 2 weeks or it might be for a few months, a year or forever.  I'm trying to give myself maximum flexibility for the unknown and this seemed to be the best way to do it and at least discover Thailand.

The Visa exempt is good for 30 days, with mixed opinions if that can be extended.  People here say yes, Thai Embassy website says no, US embassy says yes

The Tourist visa will give 60/90 days and that should be enough to make decisions

Always open to comments and help.  Thanks!

Before I moved here permanently, I had a flight issue when I was still working in the US and living here.  My flight was scheduled to leave 6 days after my visa expired. I went to immigration and asked for an extension because of the flight issue and brought the airline paperwork with me.  I asked for a 7 day extension. They didn't bat an eye and  gave me 15 days.

However, in Thailand, what happens for you or me or someone else today, may not happen for any of us tomorrow -- or may only happen for one of us. Lots of things at immigration are based on the judgment of the immigration officer and the office where you go to inquire.

@Paul_Adams

The 60/90 day visa has to be used within 90 days and gives you 60 days with a 30 day extension.

A stamp gives you 30 days and officially no extension, but unless things have changed drastically a 30 day extension is no problem. Worst case you have at least 1 land/sea entry ("border run") to get you another 30 days, and if you need more you can take a cheap flight to Lais/Cambodia/etc and get another 1 or 2 (maybe more) 30 exempt stamps

If you do plan on trying to convert I think the usual 'wisdom' is that you should not *expect* to get a conversion while in Thailand (you can, I have done it myself, twice (tourist to education, then tourist to marriage.) The rules are that almost every visa that isn't a tourist visa has to be applied for and granted from outside of Thailand (usually from the applicant's current country of residence.)

So legally, a 60/90 day visa will get you a longer stay in Thailand, but also legally will not get you any special privilege in terms of converting to a new non-O (long term stay visa ie. retirement, marriage, etc) ... that said, using the 90 days to look around Thailand and find where you would like to live for and then getting a lawyer or a reputable immigration agent, the conversion process is certainly possible. Just make sure you don't leave that to the 'last minute' as there are going to be requirements and hiccups that will slow you down every step of the way (my marriage visa for instance, the head manager of the Amphore we lived in was away for a month, and since he was the only person with the legal ability to sign the certificate we had to wait!)

@Karambit

so true ... it even at times differs between officers in the same office. Usually not significantly, but enough to where it can be a stressful inconvenience if you get someone who decides they want to make your life miserable ... which is why spending the money on a reputable immigration agent is really the way to go (25 to 50K baht for the initial non-O, and 7 to 10K baht annually) .... they tell you what papers you need this year, help you get them if needed, and do all the 'face to face' work with the immigration officer to make sure no random or unusual requests pop up just because some officer was having a bad day and was angry at the world.)

Follow up info....I received a letter from the Embassy.  They didn't seem to have any issue with the flight change.  However, my flight change moved me out of the 90 day window by a few days...oops.  It's only valid for 90 days after issuance.  I don't know if they will sit on it for me for a few days to keep the 90 day window or just deny it at this point. 

@bdlandry

Being married to a Thai government employee smooths out everything. Never a hitch.

@Karambit

lol. Then you've never been married to a Thai ;-) 

Actually, I'm going to switch over to a retirement visa next year I think. Too much paperwork for marriage (and while I haven't been hassled about it, lots of people do experience immigration visits to verify you are living with your spouse )

Being a Canadian (also potentially applicable to some other European countries) and our embassies & consulates still provide the 'income verification' letters (here in the Chiang Mai Immigration office at Central Festival) all I need to provide is the local consulate's income verification letter ... to get that all I need is to print off a copy of my latest income tax assessment from the Canada Revenu website, bring it to the consulate and sign an affidavit for them and they will write a letter for me, which the immigration office accepts ... no need for going to the local Amphoe for a stamped copy of my marriage certificate, an up to date bank book, a 12 month print off of all my bank transaction to show the at least 40K baht per month international deposits, and various other forms, that both my wife I have to waste 45 minutes signing and initialialing, then both of us having to go to the immigration office and waste another hour or more waiting our turn to sign some more papers, then waiting another month and return to the office to get the actual stamp ... instead, just a 15 minute trip to the consulate for the letter, a simple form to sign, and then off to the immigration office where I get verified and the visa stamp the same day.

If your embassy/consulate doesn't provide income letters (USA, UK, AUS for example) then you're still on the hook for a trip or two to the bank to get all your banking info in line. Plus answer any questions immigration might have about those transactions.

    @Karambit
lol. Then you've never been married to a Thai ;-) 

And you're very wrong.

However, I don't go the marriage visa route for the stack of paperwork required. I do the standard retirement 800,000 baht requirement route.