spambot

Thanks Joe - I am going to songkhla for pleasure and fitting in a border run while I am there. Are there any issues with requirement to stay overnight in Malaysia before returning to Thailand from this border crossing?

Thanks for that - Good info. I also remember also coming on the train from Butterworth on a different time and the commuter train waiting. Hence I need to factor in time as part of this crowd for processing to get back on the train before it leaves. It sounds like you are familiar with this border crossing, hence are able to confirm that it can be accomplished (ignoring the time constraints) that a border run would be possible from inside the station and immigration officers are normally prepared to provide both the In / Out passport stamps for both countries similar to any other border run.

Thanks Joe for your response, I will be leaving from pratumnak hill Pattaya, flying from Bangkok and targeting songkhla for a visit. I remember the last time I tried to do this you provided advice on the merits of the different border crossing with Malaysia and some required overnight stays before returning to Thailand. This information may now be different since that was in 2016.

I was planning to fly to Hat Yai and get the local train to Padang Besar. Last time I did this was many years ago. It seemed simple then, just left the train and stamped out of Thailand and then stamped into Malaysia while in the station. Due to no trains running that day to Hat Yai I took the roadway from the station (next to the canteen) and then got stamped out of Malaysia and back into Thailand, got a local bus back to Hat Yai. Questions: Is there now a rule prohibiting leaving Malaysia on the same day and needing to spend at least one night in Malaysia or is this just at specific border crossings with Malaysia? Rather than take the road and the bus as before, this time I will only use the train since the return to Hat Yai leaves 45min after arriving at Padang Besar. Is it possible to Stamp out of Thailand, stamp into Malaysia, stamp back out of Malaysia and finally stamp back into Thailand (with a 2nd Visa exempt for this calendar year) without leaving the station? Is Padang Besar the best Malaysian border to do a visa run?

It is generally accepted that two entries into Thailand by border crossing would be accepted in the same calendar year, but much less likely that attempting a second flight into Thailand would be acceptable to gain entry with a visa exempt. Does this flight acceptance for the second Visa exempt depend upon when the flight was taken, being in the same calendar year as the first original entry flight from the home country into Thailand or is the date of the attempted re-entry by flight irrelevant and Is it simply unlikely a Visa exempt would occur no matter of what are the dates?

Hi parafareno, You ask a great question. I had the same concern on how the Visa exempt would work with multiple back to back Visa exemptions. However in my case I wanted to get a total of 4 back to back exemptions. The accepted rule seems to be that 2 visa exemptions are allowed per calendar year by land border crossing. Hence I wondered if a new calendar year opportunity might exist, doing 2 Visa exemptions in 2022 and 2 Visa exemptions in 2023. In my particular case I will be attempting the 6 month trip exiting from Thailand after a second Visa exemption and returning to Thailand in the new calendar year with two further Visa exemptions (without returning back to the UK). Hence my trip while being 6 months as your own would be different in the aspect of 4 Visa exemptions rather than 3. My concern was exactly the same as your own, being while these rules might exist in theory, but what is the probability of being stranded at the border and not being granted entry with a new Visa exemption. You can see the dates I will use to get these 4 Visa exemptions and also the responses I received here. To summarise this response feedback I got from my post, the key highlights were as follows. Ubonjoe: Gave a clear assurance that this would be possible. DrJack54 Gave an emphatically clear assurance that this would be possible, emotional in that this should even be questioned. sometimewoodworker Gave a more nuanced response, “Immigration officers are quite prone to looking at numerous entries and deciding that people are “abusing” the system, even though you are within the rules, and giving you a hard time, giving a short (7 day) entry or even refusing entry.” While some respondents were more certain than others, all three were clear that the border entry should not be attempted at Poipet/Aranyaprathet since this would reduce the probability of multiple back to back Visa exemptions being accepted. If the 3 or 4 back to back Visa exemptions are possible because of the 2 per calendar year rule, then it might be worth considering timing the 3rd entry for Visa exemption to occur in 2023 to improve probability of success, if you can manage this.

B+)

1 hour ago, spambot said: My understanding from information on this forum is that two visa exempt entries are allowed per calendar year if by land border crossing. Indeed you did provide information that two visa exempts were allowed per calendar year and I found none of that information confusing, but rather I found it very useful. My concern was supplementary to this information, in that because this is Thailand and nothing is straight forward someone might have information that went something like.... "Yes in theory two visa exempts are permitted, but since you are doing them so close together, then this might be a problem". I am not sure why this would be considered confusing.

Thanks Lemsta69 - However its really not that important this consideration since these dates are about the general principle of using Visa exempt in this general area of time, changes of a single day is very easy to incorporate in a trip I have not yet made and currently simply planning.

B+)

Thanks Joe - I have particular reasons not wanting to get extensions on the 30 days. I have changed the dates to reflect the fact that I will arrive receiving the first exempt for only 30 days. It this now viable?

That is very good point Hotandsticky - Hence I have made correction to the dates in order to reflect this

My understanding from information on this forum is that two visa exempt entries are allowed per calendar year if by land border crossing. Ignoring extensions or any other visa options, would the following be viable: Calendar year 2022 - Two Visa exempts Arrive Thailand Visa exempt 24th Sep 2022 Leave Thailand (30 days later) 24th Oct 2022 Arrive Thailand Visa exempt 16th Nov 2022 Leave Thailand (42 days later) 27th Dec 2022 Calendar year 2023 - Two Visa exempts Arrive Thailand Visa exempt 2nd Jan 2023 Leave Thailand (45 days later) 16th Feb 2023 Arrive Thailand Visa exempt 18th Feb 2023 Leave Thailand and Return to home country (30 days later) 20th Mar 2023

Thanks Bruno123 for the contribution. Can you clarify out a little more on what you have said, namely "The monthly plans are simply normal SIM" - I am assuming you are referring to a new SIM (posted / available in-shop) rather than the USSD code applied to an existing user SIM? Also I am not sure what you mean "No need to purchase online" - Is this just a different way of saying that once you get a SIM then all you need is the USSD code or are you saying something other than this?

Hi Dart12 - Thanks for the input. Just to help in clarification to understand eSim's. An eSIM (embedded subscriber identity module) is a small electronic chip built into the phone or device that serves the same function as the small plastic SIM cards. As its name suggests, the embedded SIM card or eSIM is built into the phone's board. Hence using this as a solution does depend upon your phone hardware - The mobiles currently offering this are mostly the high end devices that are from Apple, Samsung, Huawei.

Good clarification which was required for the bps - when I think about it, this was the same limits I had initially, but later removed from my unlimited True View tariff - Done when I asked to cancel to move to AIS.

Ah - Great post - Just what is needed. This gets me the sim, albeit at a small cost greater than from a dealer. Kongkrapan SIM 4Mbps 850THB Unlimited data with no speed drop 4Mbps 6 months validity 4 Mbps Unlimited data no speed drop 6 months validity

My assumption was that you get max speed (defined in small print somewhere the tourist will not bother looking) for a period 15 days, until 30Gb is used. The point you make is good. The offer makes no sense until you define bps before and after 30 Gb limit.

Ha - Looking at the tourist rates available from Dtac, 15-day Unlimited Internet 30 GB at Max Speed 599Baht https://www.dtac.co.th/en/prepaid/products/tourist-sim.html OK - So this looks like the solution - Is the process: Get the sim from an online vendor or would it work if get the sim (with a different tariff) from a 7/11 store and then apply the vendor code / USSD code?

Perfect response Dart12

Good points about checking the speed available in the actual location. My last tariff was in a Bangkok condo and the data speeds changed when I once moved rooms to a higher floor. Likely location will be Pratumnak.

I hear all the feedback and there are some good comments made. I do accept that my approach is scattergun, but in defence I was listing anything that was better than the tariff I was last on with True View for about 9 yrs, post paid unlimited 1,200 Bht / month. I initially could not find these deals on Shopee and Lazada (using poor search keywords), then after finding some either being 6 or 12 month tariffs just seemed too unbelievable. However now finding the responses to this post tells me that many of these deals are real and should be a considered as a solution. I am not back in Thailand for a few weeks and I have been looking at my unlimited tariff here in UK - I am currently averaging around 120Gb / month and hence as identified the 100Gb monthly limit should probably not actually be a consideration.

Seems like I'm answering my own question - Suddenly finding solutions. AIS Unlimited SIM Internet (with a fixed speed of 15 Mbps, 100GB/month for 6 months) 870 Thb https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ais-15-mbps-100gb-6-ais-i2513611758-s8917644113.html?clickTrackInfo=undefined&search=1&spm=a2o4m.searchlistcategory.list.i172.697d6908iZ6YUy

I can not believe this price on Shopee - Unlimited internet for 6 months 599 Thb - Can this be correct? https://shopee.co.th/-เน็ตไม่อั้น-6-เดือน-NT-wireless-net-Thunder-599-i.235326805.7778954438

Thanks Charlie - I was trying find the right forum and picked general.