Travel tips: Is it cheaper to extend my visa or rebook my Scoot flight?

I HAVE BOOKED A SCOOT FLIGHT TO THAILAND AND NOW REALISE I AM OVER THE 30 VISA-FREE DAYS. WOULD IT BE CHEAPER TO ALTER THE RETURN DATE TO UNDER 30 DAYS OR PURCHASE A VISA FOR THE EXTRA DAYS? N. GOVE, BONDI NSW

The cost of altering your return date with Scoot will probably be more than the visa extension. You can extend in Thailand at Thai Immigration offices in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket for a fee of 1900THB ($76AUD) for an extra 30 days. But there's an easier way.

Apply for a three-month tourist visa from the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra [canberra.thaiembassy.org].

The cost is $55 and it saves you a heap of hassle when you could be doing better things in Thailand than hanging around in an immigration office.