raz0r21

I´m seeing a pattern here. The IO probably wants OP to come in with Non O because of his age. The same thing happened in another thread just recently. Even though its not a rule, I think they are using this as common practice now and turning away people who are eligible for retirement visas. I am just speculating, but this is what it looks like.

What I think is happening here is that the IO wants the OP to switch to a Non-O based on his/her age. It´s a bit of a weird way to do it but, thats probably the case. Just as an example how rules differ from officer to officer....I just extended my visa exempt with 30 days in Lak Si and the guy sitting next to me was getting grilled and scolded because he didnt have a TM30. "You stay in Thailand long time already!" etc etc. The IO that was handling my passport however, didnt even want to look at my TM30 when I presented it. I dont know what to make of this really.

I have a really hard time believing this. Did you spend any time outside of Thailand? Anyway, if its true you have been very lucky. Impressive.

Hey OP, just a suggestion for a long stay: You get a higher chance of success by using visa service companies for your border runs and tourist visa applications in neighboring countries (usually Laos/Cambodia). The reason for this is that you don´t get questioned as much by immigration officials if you are part of a visa run group. However nothing is ever guaranteed, but I would always choose a visa run company instead of trying to do it myself - especially if I got many stamps and a long history. I have used www.thaivisaservice.com many times without any issues. But there are others too. Good luck! Just a small update as well, last time I did a border run to Cambodia they didnt put the whole page visa in my passport for Cambodia, and only used small stamps. That was a positive surprise.

I know this might sound silly but try to scope out the most relaxed looking IO in the booth at the airport. But yeah, you should get a SETV at least to even attempt an entry. If you are 100 % sure you want to come back so soon, prepare yourself with all the required documents as stated in this thread, and also bring something that shows income from abroad, especially since they dont want you working here illegally.

Hello, There should be no issues at all. You have spent 5 months out of Thailand which most definitely eliminates the "working in thailand without a visa" questioning. If you want to be safe, apply for a single entry tourist visa online (SETV). It is a quick process and very cheap to get, and it also helps with immigration since it is considered "stronger" than a visa exempt. I stayed 8 months last trip using 1 SETV + 2 visa exempt + 3 extensions. Stayed in Sweden for 5 months after that, got back in October with a SETV. Just stamped through without a word. Good luck and enjoy Thailand!

Thats crazy, took me 2 hours to get mine from Sweden.

How long you can stay is a guessing game to be honest, and it depends completely on what immigration officer you run into. However, be prepared for questioning some time around the 10-12 month mark at the latest. If you want to stay 6 months out of a year its usually not a problem as long as you can show the usual: ticket out of Thailand, 20k baht in cash, hotel booking, and a bank statement or document that convinces the IO that your income is coming from another country than Thailand. If you want to stay a longer time, you can minimize the risk of questioning with land borders that are friendly (Friendship bridge in Laos for example), or visa run agents (like www.thaivisaservice.com). Also, there is a multiple entry visa for up to 9 months or so.

Hey, By air there is no official limit, by land its 2 times per year.

and to reply to your question, sorry... there is no rule about how long you can do it - but after 10 to 12 months you will almost certainly run into questioning. It has happened to many of who have come to stay for a full year. Around the 10 month mark one of my friends was told in Don Mueang to get a tourist visa in his home country instead, as it would be the "last time" he could come in with a tourist visa from a neighbouring country. He switched over to a ED visa after that.

Yes, Laos has higher success rate. You can use a visa service aswell to get a even higher chance of success. My suggestion is to use www.thaivisaservice.com. Have been with them many times, never any issues.

Hello, You can enter "Passport Number" in the booking system, and leave ID Card number blank. Please note that Ho Chi Minh is no longer a "friendly" embassy, and the requirements are much more strict compared to Laos.

At least 1 month. They want to see that you dont live in Thailand on a tourist visa, or work without a permit. If you are worried, prepare evidence of your income from another country. Even with long stays out of Thailand you can still get questioned tho. With your history I would bring every single document possible. Flight out, 20k baht cash, income statement, bank statement, travel plan, paid hotel booking, etc etc.

In another thread OP wrote that he has stayed 10 months out of 12 in total, which is usually the time Immigration will start to tell you to have another visa. No time out of the country is frowned upon in my experience, and i strongly suggest you dont play with fire. Get another type of visa, stay out of the country for at least a month, or prepare to roll the dice.

Yeah, it would be better for everyone if there was more clear rules. But TIT , this is thailand. Just have to go with it

which rules are being broken specifically?

Lol. Now you are just trolling. Since there is no limit on tourist visas, or how long you can stay as a tourist... its up to the immigration officer to decide. Like someone else wrote, this has been discussed ad nauseam. The reasons for someone staying a long time as a tourist differs a lot. Some people take a year off from work, there are so many different scenarios (2 of which i just used as an example).

Ever heard of sabbaticals? Snowbirds? Such a narrow minded comment.

So, back on topic. The OP had a tourist visa... which requires a flight out of Thailand. Or at least my embassy does. So why did he have to book a flight on the spot? Didnt have the ticket with him? So many questions.....

There are many foreigners who own properties and stay in them during the winter months, or rent apartments for longer periods of time in Thailand. And as you wrote, METV visas can be applied for to be able to stay longer than 180 days. As far as I know, the 6 month rules can sometimes be used as a guideline to decide if a tourist is actually a tourist. But there are also other factors to take into consideration, and every case is different.

since you have a visa issued by a thai embassy, and months inbetween last entry... i dont see the problem. However, its always a guessing game. I would bring proof of being a tourist, 20k baht, ticket out of thailand, hotel booking, maybe even income/bank statement.

As far as I know a tourist visa should be fine since its granted by an embassy. I have however witnessed the IOs telling my friend to "go back to his home country and get a visa", after back to back stays and TR:s from Vietnam. I dont know where you are entering from but if you have a TR from a embassy from your home country and have spent some time outside of Thailand it should be ok. Just saw you are gonna enter on your second entry. Afaik it should be fine.

You are going to get all kinds of answers, but after coming and going here since 2015 I can say that there is no "upper limit". It all depends on the immigration officer and their mood that day, and also which consulate or embassy you are applying from. I myself have been questioned thoroughly for "staying too long" in Thailand, but still got granted entry. As long as you dont do anything illegal you should be able to get in to the country, if you have a valid tourist visa. In my experience tourist visas are better to use than visa exempts, especially when flying in to Thailand.

Every time I have been at Lak Si I go very early. I am there at 8 AM already, ready to start filling in the forms which they bring out a bit before opening at 8:30. Usually theres only 5 to 6 people there during that time so it doesnt take more than 30-45 minutes in total. Just a suggestion for those who want a smoother experience. Thanks for the tip about the online application handymax.

My guess is they are still using windows XP on old computers ???? too much of a hassle. Im sure they can look it up if they have to