raz0r21

That is true, but nowadays the land borders have been tightening up a lot. Many of them require overnight stays, or even two night stays outside of Thailand before you can re-enter. With a visa agent you don't need to worry about this requirement, or any other new "rules" they come up with.

You can try by yourself, but I would not recommend it. The fee you pay is to make sure that you are pre-cleared and not hassled by immigration - before you even arrive at the border. They also mark your TM6 card with the Visa agency service sticker, and usually have you wear a little sign on your clothes that identify you as part of the group. If you want to do it yourself it is of course possible, but you might have issues returning the same day. They could ask you to stay in Cambodia a few nights, or you might be questioned if you have a long history of visa exempts/tourist visas in your passport. In the absolute worst case you will not be let back in at that border, and then you have to try to make your way back through another one. Not a fun time.

I usually go there around 8 AM to avoid waiting the whole day. If you arrive just before they open you should be out around 9.30.

Probably incomplete application... I have seen a guy sitting next to me at lak si immigration get sent out for not having a tm30. Was told to come back next day.

I just stumbled upon this video from Immigration Division 2 and their Instagram channel: (https://www.instagram.com/p/DEEjJ0TSCdm/) In the video they actually push for the DTV visa, which is the first I have seen from any official channel so far....instead of using multiple exempts or tourist visas. I put a screenshot of it here aswell.

A friend of mine has done 4 entries this year, with border bounce companies. I don't know if its unlimited, but there is no stated limit anymore, and the "rules" are now the same as with air entries. I wouldn't test my luck without a visa run company though.

Yeah but during covid you could only get 30 or 45 days. Now its 60 days visa exempt which is why it costs more.

Yes, both at airport (Suvarnabhumi)

A friend of mine got told yesterday that this was his last time entering visa exempt. He spent a week in Vietnam before arriving. The reason he stays in Thailand for longer periods of time is because he trains muay thai on a high level, something he told the IOs as well. They wanted him to get a DTV for muay thai for next entry. The previous time he entered was also "the last time" according to the IO, so I don't know what the real last time is... but he probably shouldn't push it. Just a FYI for anyone in a similar situation.

OP until you get your things in order, there are many "safe entry" services available at all the big airports in Thailand - for a fee of course. A quick search in this forum will give you the results you need.

They seem to be much more harsh towards people who qualify for the retirement visa but still try to stay long term as a tourist. I have seen this type of thread a few times already. Not saying OP did anything wrong, but this area seems to be very sensitive for the IOs.

This is the first I have heard about IO:s pushing people to get a DTV. I guess it was just a matter of time. But soon they will be cracking down on the DTV:s too when they realize people are in fact not cooking krapow every day for 8 hours.

I suggest to get the DTV now since I am pretty sure they will make the requirements tougher sooner rather than later. Someone staying in Thailand 5 years doing "cooking classes"... yeah right.

Thats a crazy amount of money to pay. But I guess if you dont have the 500k atleast you can get it with 100k. I wonder how they do the showing of required funds.

What I have read so far, they dont question DTV holders. But time will tell in a few years or so. I will also be applying for DTV next trip, I have had it with these guessing games while using tourist visas.

You dont have to supply hotel bookings for the whole trip, just for a few days. I usually book 5 days, and it has never been a problem. Document indicating current location I just take a photo of my drivers license, always works. Photo you can take yourself with your phone against a white background.

Dont worry everyone, you will soon be filling them out electronically with the ETA.

The mistake OP did is to fly out and do a visa exempt run by air by himself/herself. Never ever do that if you are at the slightest concerned about questions at entry. There are many visa run services running daily in Thailand for this exact reason. This is Thailand, and these are the unwritten rules. Best to get with the program, or face the consequences.

It´s normal to have that feeling. I always feel very anxious about flying here. Everything would be so much easier if there were some clear rules.

lets summarize this then: There should be no problem entering visa exempt for OP after being out of Thailand for 4 months. Having a Tourist Visa would improve odds considerably. A new passport will probably not have any effect (but it could, since the IO would not have to scroll through several pages of stamps and start to get concerned). To guarantee entry, there are several services available (for a price). With any questions on arrival it's a good idea to have clear itinerary, accommodation, 20k baht cash etc. Airline at departure may/will require proof of onward flight. If denied entry, there is a chance that you could be sent to a neighboring country (if you are guaranteed entry in said country). In other cases, you will be sent home to your home country at your own expense.

From what I have read, you could be given the chance to fly to a nearby country rather than sent back to Finland. But to be honest OP, you have been out of Thailand for several months. I would not worry about that. Mostly denials happen when people live here back to back and never exit the country. Just prepare yourself to answer questions, 20k baht or equivalent in cash, flight out of Thailand during 60 days, and some hotel booking. Before you get denied you will most probably get a warning first, to switch to another type of visa. I have been coming and going to Thailand since 2015 (excluding covid years), and so far I have only been questioned why I am here so often during 2019, a time that was quite notorious for that. And that was with a visa exempt flying in. Best to have a tourist visa when you fly to Bangkok, it is much better than just an exempt.

But if you want to ease your mind OP, contact one of the visa companies in Bangkok. Next time I am entering with DTV, hopefully that will stop all the questioning. But who knows....

Nah, they can see all your passports. They even asked me to confirm my picture from one of my old passports from their monitor. But I have changed passports like every 2 years, since I travel a lot. That answer was sufficient.

OP, I have basically the same history of stays as you, and i got through without presenting any outbound ticket, hotel reservation or 20k baht in cash. I did bring it all with me though, just in case. However I was questioned. They asked who I came with, how long I am staying, and why I had changed my passport so often.

What I could observe at Suvarnabhumi last Saturday was that the immigration officers were asking alot of questions for people arriving, and they had 3 different buttons to press: green, yellow and red. I dont really know what their purpose is, but when I was getting questioned the yellow button was pushed, and a supervisor appeared. Red is probably not a fun time. Another thing I saw was that they took some people aside for further questioning. Also looked like there was a lot of new staff manning the booths. All I could see were young or middle aged women. If this is of interest to anyone.....