Visa waiver -30 days how many times by land/air?

[Airbagwill]

If one enters the kingdom on a 30 day visa waiver, how many times can one do this?

 

1. I understand it is 2 times in one year - is this a calendar year or very 12 months?
2. does it make any difference if one arrives by air or land?

[PoorSucker]

Two entries per calendar year at land borders.

No restrictions via air.

[elviajero]

1. Two times per calendar year by land. 
2. At the discretion of the IO by air. There is no officially published limit.

[overherebc]

They say the computer flags you at 6 at the airport.

After 6 prepared to be asked why you come so often and have a flight ticket out, proof of where you're booked into and 20,000 baht to show.

On the other hand some people  post they have way more than 6 entries and have never been asked anything. Number of entries and the time between each one will be a factor.

It would be nice if we all knew the 'for sure' answer.

Edited November 15, 2017 by overherebc

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

They say the computer flags you at 6 at the airport.

After 6 prepared to be asked why you come so often and have a flight ticket out, proof of where you're booked into and 20,000 baht to show.

On the other hand some people  post they have way more than 6 entries and have never been asked anything. Number of entries and the time between each one will be a factor.

It would be nice if we all knew the 'for sure' answer.

It would be nice if a "for sure" answer actually existed on Visa Exempts by air.  Based on the conflicting statements from reports, they just make up what they (and/or the boss) feels like "should be" the rules, that day.

 

I sure would not try more than 2 in a row back to back - and only then if I hadn't been here for a year and never stayed more then 3 mo/year for the past 3 years.  No need for others to say how many more they did than this without any trouble - it's the consequences of a bad roll of the dice more than the "fairly good odds" one can make it.

[Airbagwill]

Thanks for the info.

I have younger family members who are in the region for a few months and were going to use my home as a hub...it seems these restrictions will necessitate a few extra flights.

We were hoping to do a couple of trips by car to Laos and Malaysia which would use up their allowance.

[BritTim]

21 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

Thanks for the info.

I have younger family members who are in the region for a few months and were going to use my home as a hub...it seems these restrictions will necessitate a few extra flights.

We were hoping to do a couple of trips by car to Laos and Malaysia which would use up their allowance.

Make one of the trips a visit to Vientiane Laos, and get single entry torist visas there (apply in the morning, receive passport with visa afternoon of the next day). Returning by land with a visa does not eat into your visa exempt by land limit.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Airbagwill said:

Thanks for the info.

I have younger family members who are in the region for a few months and were going to use my home as a hub...it seems these restrictions will necessitate a few extra flights.

We were hoping to do a couple of trips by car to Laos and Malaysia which would use up their allowance.

If they were to get a single entry tourist visa before arriving the could get a re-entry permit to keep the 60 day entry valid when they enter the country.

[lopezkoa]

I used to always get scared everytime I go to the Airport because I always read about being questioned and playing russian roulette and being rejected entry... but so far from all experience in the 2 years that I've been here... I've only been questioned twice.  They just want to know why you are in Thailand and if your working.

 

If they see see that you are constantly traveling, with no overstay, this is a good thing.  If they see other recent stamps in your passport, that's a Tourist in their mind, so having a Tourist visa and choosing to fly back into the airport should be a good thing, not something to be afraid of.

 

from my experiences at the airport, the officer I get at arrivals just spends a few minutes flipping through each page in my passport checking to see my history, so they know how long I've been here.... but I've only got questioned twice, the first time was when I was just entering solely on back to back Visa exemptions, on the 7th entry, he asked me "Why do you come to Thailand? Are you working here? Next time apply for Tourist visa" this was before I was educated about Tourist visas because like everyone else when they first come to Thailand, US Passports are eligible for visa exemption, so people think this is the "tourist visa" that we are priviledged to have.

 

but once he noticed I was leaving and entering on the same day, with the visa exemption, the officer was the one who recommended the Tourist visa, and told me next time to apply for Tourist Visa. So that's what I've been doing ever since. It seems like as long as they see that you are actively traveling they haven't had a problem with people using Tourist visas. They just want to make sure your not working on a Tourist visa. 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by lopezkoa

[LeoTex]

I do 4 each year by air, last year had 5 with no problem.

It just take immigration a little while because of all the entries stamped.

 

LeoTex