Another Same Day Out/In by Air

[hsoa]

I have spent a lot of time as a temporary visitor in Thailand in past years with no official problems. For the first visit of the year 2017, I entered Thailand in October by air, receiving a 30 day visa exempt stamp in my USA passport. In November, I extended in Bangkok for 30 days. In December, I flew to Kuala Lumpur and back to DMK the same day with no questions asked. I extended 30 days at Chaeng Wattana in January with no complications.

 

What is the outlook for the same routine in February?  Should there be any problems with an out/in same day flight to KL in February (and an extension in March)?

 

Comments based on experience especially appreciated.

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

You may be able to do it again without a problem.

Dependent upon how much longer your plan on staying here it might be best to get a single entry tourist visa that would allow a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days.

[BritTim]

Back to back visa exempt entries by air are potentially problematic. The odds are strongly in your favor, but you could be in trouble if you hit the wrong immigration official.

 

Back in mid 2014, immigration was told to block use of back to back visa exempt entries as a means to spend extended time in Thailand. Almost immediately after implementation, the prime minister intervened to say the policy "should be applied flexibly". Most officials seemed to take this as a signal that they should return to the previous liberal policies. However, some officials are unhappy with what they see as inappropriate use of visa exempt entries. The written ministerial orders give them the power to give you grief should they decide to do so. It is worth mentioning that six visa exempt entries since mid 2015 will result in an alert to the immigration official on entry. It is supposed to prompt the official to scrutinize you more closely as a genuine tourist, but you may find an official who claims it is an instruction to deny you entry.

[observer90210]

And what about those who enter annually with a METV for 6 months, leave  and return to Thailand by air, say for 1 night and 2 days every 60 days, and at expiration of the METV go back home for 6 months.

 

Does that arrouse any issues if repeated each year ?

[hsoa]

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You may be able to do it again without a problem.

Dependent upon how much longer your plan on staying here it might be best to get a single entry tourist visa that would allow a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days.

Are tourist visa available in regional embassies? I was under the impression that they had been eliminated. Or was that only for double entries?

Could I get a single entry tourist visa in Vientiane?

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

And what about those who enter annually with a METV for 6 months, leave  and return to Thailand by air, say for 1 night and 2 days every 60 days, and at expiration of the METV go back home for 6 months.

 

Does that arrouse any issues if repeated each year ?

There are immigration officials who dislike that also. However, there are no Ministerial Regulations that give them the power to deny entry just because you are entering often with tourist visas. They would need cause to justify their decision, most often lack of cash to finance your stay (not having 20,000 baht equivalent in cash gives them an excuse to deny entry) or a well founded belief that you are working illegally. In practice, there are very, very few cases where people have been denied entry without the officials having at least a fig leaf of a justification.

[baneko]

Are tourist visa available in regional embassies? I was under the impression that they had been eliminated. Or was that only for double entries? Could I get a single entry tourist visa in Vientiane?

Yes, you could get a Tourist Visa in Laos and other neighbouring countries.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, hsoa said:

Are tourist visa available in regional embassies? I was under the impression that they had been eliminated. Or was that only for double entries?

Could I get a single entry tourist visa in Vientiane?

Single entry tourist visas are available at all nearby countries. Vientiane is one of the best places to get one.