Will I be able to get a third back to back tourist visa?

[Jaz1747]

I am currently on my second tourist visa, with extensions, and am wondering if i'd be able to get a third after being in the country for six months? When getting my second tourist visa in Hong Kong I was told I may not be able to get another, as you can only stay for six months as a tourist. I have also seen reports from last year saying that people have not been able to re-enter on a third visa. Could anyone let me know if getting a third would indeed be an issue?

[SicTransit]

Hong Kong embassy does not like serial tourists and will advice you to get your next proper visa from your home country. But there is still no rule saying that you can only stay six months as a tourist. Use more friendly embassies in the region, carry 20K THB equivalent in cash on arrival just to be sure.

[BritTim]

I suggest Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon or Savannakhet for your next visa. There should be no problem receiving the visa at any of these consulates. On entry into Thailand, it is just possible that you could receive extra scrutiny because you have been continuously in Thailand for about 6 months, but it is extremely unlikely that you would be denied entry.

[elviajero]

5 hours ago, Jaz1747 said:

When getting my second tourist visa in Hong Kong I was told I may not be able to get another, as you can only stay for six months as a tourist.

There is no official six month limit. 

[Ape1983]

My friend who has been using a mixture of 30 day visa exempts and 60 day tourist visas like myself just got a 60 day in Hong Kong and said it was easy process no questions asked. No proof of funds, flight home, hotel booking etc asked for.

 

But always a good idea to have these when entering Thailand just incase.

Edited December 24, 2017 by Ape1983

[LPCustom69]

12 hours ago, elviajero said:

There is no official six month limit. 

There should be.

[saakura]

I am not sure but i have heard that it also depends on your nationality and skin color.

[JackThompson]

19 hours ago, Jaz1747 said:

I have also seen reports from last year saying that people have not been able to re-enter on a third visa.

If entering by air, you might have an issue.  In all but one case reported here, having 20K Baht was sufficient even at airports for those with many Tourist Visas in their passport - though others reported being questioned and told many non-existent laws/rules.  The trouble with airports, is if they reject-entry, you go to detention until you can get a flight back to where you just came from.

 

But, checkpoints that follow the published  laws /rules on the books (all of the land-border checkpoints, except Poipet/Aranyaprathet) will not give you any trouble.  Some on the border to Malaysia sometimes ask to see the 20K Baht.  At a land-border, even if rejected (very unlikely with a valid Tourist Visa), you could walk back, cancel your exit-stamp from the other country, and try another border for entry.

 

Quote

Could anyone let me know if getting a third would indeed be an issue?

Getting a visa from a consulate is a very different question than entering with it / passing through immigration-checkpoints, which I explained above. 

 

Many have obtained Tourist Visas for years on-end from nearby consulates.  The only issue is that if some consulates see a lot of Tourist-Visas in your passport, they may put a "red stamp" on their visa.  This visa is useable, but it will block you from getting another one at that and some other consulates. 

 

Consulate personnel explained to me, that the solution to the "red stamp" visa, was to get a new passport from my embassy. 

Edited December 24, 2017 by JackThompson

[lkv]

I got my 5th SETV from Hong Kong (the other visas from various other places), and one of my friends got two consecutive visas from Hong Kong, with no questions asked, so again we are getting advice from people that joined 20 hours ago and have one post.

 

Having 6 by now in total, and no red stamp, I have decided to change the passport, although I think I could stretch it for a couple more, but I don't want to get surprises half way through the year.

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2017 by lkv

[Jaz1747]

7 hours ago, lkv said:

so again we are getting advice from people that joined 20 hours ago and have one post.

 

 

 

I am asking for advice, based on what I have read/been told, I am not giving advice. 

[lkv]

On 12/25/2017 at 12:31 AM, Jaz1747 said:

I am asking for advice, based on what I have read/been told, I am not giving advice. 

My bad, I came across the wrong way there. There is a lot information circulating on this forum, sometimes accurate, sometimes not, so I'm trying to substantiate.

 

Having said that, the file attached was posted recently on Thaivisa advice on Facebook.

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by lkv

[ubonjoe]

5 hours ago, lkv said:

Having said that, the file attached was posted recently on Thaivisa advice on Facebook.

What is the date on that announcement?

It looks like one that was posted back in May/June of 2014.

Or this one on Vientiane website from 2013. http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/TouristVisa2013.pdf

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, lkv said:

Having said that, the file attached was posted recently on Thaivisa advice on Facebook.

From my reading, it just states that if it comes to light that the applicant is working illegally, then the visa would be denied.

[lkv]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

What is the date on that announcement?

It looks like one that was posted back in May/June of 2014.

Or this one on Vientiane website from 2013. http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/TouristVisa2013.pdf

The date is not clear, the poster states it is currently on display at the Thai Consulate in Hong Kong.

 

6 hours ago, JackThompson said:

From my reading, it just states that if it comes to light that the applicant is working illegally, then the visa would be denied.

That's not the way I am reading it and it's different than the old one in Vientiane. This one basically says:

 

"Please note that the intention of applicants to repeatedly depart and re-enter via tourist visa issued at the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate in neighbouring countries in recent years upon its expiry, is considered as concealment of real purpose of visiting Thailand. Thus their visa applications will be denied."

Edited December 29, 2017 by lkv

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, lkv said:

That's not the way I am reading it and it's different than the old one in Vientiane. This one basically says:

 

"Please note that the intention of applicants to repeatedly depart and re-enter via tourist visa issued at the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate in neighbouring countries in recent years upon its expiry, is considered as concealment of real purpose of visiting Thailand. Thus their visa applications will be denied."

I read it more carefully and see what you mean ...

• A small percentage of farangs who get Tourist Visas work illegally,
• So we will deny repeat-visas to farangs on the assumption that they must be working illegally,
• Because working an under-the-table job for 10% of the salary one could earn at home is so tempting to them,
• And never-mind that 99.8% of the millions of legal and illegal workers in Thailand - who are used to undercut Thai-wages, steal Thai jobs, and thereby create poverty in Thai families - are not farangs, and don't get visas here,
• Because the bosses say we have to pretend we are doing something about "the problem," as they simultaneously issue millions of "foreign-worker visas" and do not jail wealthy Thais who betray their countrymen by hiring illegal-workers.

Sadly, it reminds me of my own nation's policy on immigration - bust the honest tourist at the airport on "suspicion" to "look tough," but look the other way at those who walk-around the border-post, and hand out "legal" work-visas by the truckload. 

 

It's a good thing so many Thais still have family farms to retreat to when their work-opportunities are stolen via cheap foreign-labor.  At least they still have that advantage - still able to have a place they are allowed to 'be' and grow their own food on Earth.

 

I know someone will point out the new "strict laws" coming into effect - but we all know what that really means, no?  Thicker brown-envelopes 'or else' - plus more "legal" work-visas issued.  Granted, that at least makes it a bit more expensive for those hiring foreign/illegal workers to betray their countrymen, so better than nothing.

Edited December 29, 2017 by JackThompson