Am I Taking A Risk Getting Another METV?

[owenm]

Since June 2015, I have stayed in Thailand on a 3EntryTV, and two METVs, all obtained in Australia. In between visas I've been going back to Australia for a month and coming back again. I've read some posts on imm cracking down on abuse of using tourist visas. I am 59yo, and know I can apply for a Non-OA in Oz with min. 800k in a bank account and stretch this to 2yrs. And locally through a visa agency, apply for a Non-O which can be done in a few days, at a cost.. I am back to Oz very soon for another month. Would I be taking a huge risk getting another METV, or should I just go the retirement route, one way or the other? And yes I do have a Thai GF here.. Would appreciate any opinions thanks..

 

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[Briggsy]

Shouldn't be a problem. I have been doing it a lot longer than you.

 

If possible, when entering, have an exiting plane ticket to hand and the equivalent of 20,000 Baht cash to show in any convertible currency, e.g. Baht or Aussie $.

 

If challenged, be courteous and truthful and be sure to mention your long-term girlfriend.

 

Perhaps refresh your passport earlier than you might have otherwise done.

 

No worries.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, owenm said:

Would I be taking a huge risk getting another METV, or should I just go the retirement route, one way or the other?

Your frequent returns to Oz should keep immigration off your back. You appear to be a frequent visitor rather than someone staying permanently on back to back visas. They are mostly interested in people living in the country as 'tourists', so you should be fine.

[JackThompson]

It all depends on whom you hit at the Immigration checkpoint - assuming you are entering by air.  If coming in by land (except the Poipet crossing) - no problem at all.  But one month "out" for every 6 "in" is going to irk the subset of airport-IOs, who have a problem with longer-stayers, and can target those on Tourist type entries.

If you can get a Non-OA visa, I would get one.  If that is too much trouble, a trip to the Savannakhet, Laos consulate for a single-entry Non-O would also set you up for a 1-year extension in-country.   Another option would be conversion to a Non-O from a tourist-entry - but best if you can do that while "living in" Bangkok, since some offices will not do them - or not without great trouble or agent-cost.  If you let us know which office you would be using, perhaps reports exist indicating their cooperation-level on conversions.

[owenm]

It all depends on whom you hit at the Immigration checkpoint - assuming you are entering by air.  If coming in by land (except the Poipet crossing) - no problem at all.  But one month "out" for every 6 "in" is going to irk the subset of airport-IOs, who have a problem with longer-stayers, and can target those on Tourist type entries.

If you can get a Non-OA visa, I would get one.  If that is too much trouble, a trip to the Savannakhet, Laos consulate for a single-entry Non-O would also set you up for a 1-year extension in-country.   Another option would be conversion to a Non-O from a tourist-entry - but best if you can do that while "living in" Bangkok, since some offices will not do them - or not without great trouble or agent-cost.  If you let us know which office you would be using, perhaps reports exist indicating their cooperation-level on conversions.

Sent you PM

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[mstevens]

If flying in, Suwanabhumi seems to be a slightly better bet than Don Meuang and it seems that at Suwanabhumi it is less likely you will be hassled (although there are no guarantees!)

[owenm]

Just had a another check in my passport and have 1x 3E-TV and 3x METVs.. in a row with 4-6wk break in Australia after each expiry.. Will this ring alarm bells at Suvarnabhumi arriving with another METV next month?

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[scubascuba3]

Just had a another check in my passport and have 1x 3E-TV and 3x METVs.. in a row with 4-6wk break in Australia after each expiry.. Will this ring alarm bells at Suvarnabhumi arriving with another METV next month?

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Maybe, maybe not, give it a shot and let us know. Carry 20,000 baht equivalent. I avoid anything that might piss them off. I try to be friendly, i don't wear red or yellow shirts, try not to stand out

[BritTim]

I think you really know the answers already. Getting the METV should not be a problem. Continuing to enter Thailand on tourist entries carries a small, but real, risk that you can be hassled by immigration. If of a nervous disposition, getting the Non O-A visa would be a little safer.

[samsensam]

 

i've been getting increased scrutiny arriving at DM with my METVs (and i spend 6 months out of the country annually). i've been questioned on what i'm doing here and why, but on my latest arrival this week the IO strangely pointed to my visa and asked 'is this your visa?' to which i, obviously, replied 'yes'! then she had my passport for about 5 minutes - i assumed she was adding up the number of days in the kingdom which is coming up to exceeding 180 in a 12 month period so i was expecting bad news, but eventually she just stamped it and i was on my way.

 

i dont need this so i'm going for a retirement visa based on income to my home bank account when this visa runs out.

[csabo]

What's the big risk? Loss of the fee?Doesn't seem panic worthy. Not like you will be stranded in a foreign country with no options. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by csabo

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, csabo said:

What's the big risk? Loss of the fee?Doesn't seem panic worthy. Not like you will be stranded in a foreign country with no options. 

I think you need to read the OP. He is concerned about having problems entering the country not applying for the visa,

[lordblackader]

2 hours ago, mstevens said:

If flying in, Suwanabhumi seems to be a slightly better bet than Don Meuang and it seems that at Suwanabhumi it is less likely you will be hassled (although there are no guarantees!)

Can do better than that - fly directly into Chiang Mai via Singapore or KL. The reports always seem to come from Bangkok, I don't remember ever reading about anyone being hassled at CNX - I certainly never have been over the years, previously on a mix of tourist visa as well. 

[alex8912]

2 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

i've been getting increased scrutiny arriving at DM with my METVs (and i spend 6 months out of the country annually). i've been questioned on what i'm doing here and why, but on my latest arrival this week the IO strangely pointed to my visa and asked 'is this your visa?' to which i, obviously, replied 'yes'! then she had my passport for about 5 minutes - i assumed she was adding up the number of days in the kingdom which is coming up to exceeding 180 in a 12 month period so i was expecting bad news, but eventually she just stamped it and i was on my way.

 

i dont need this so i'm going for a retirement visa based on income to my home bank account when this visa runs out.

That seems quite strange because that is also my scenario about 6 months out and 6 months in. I thought that was what EXACTLY a six month METV should be used for.  For my six months out I am in my home country for the whole block of time ( working). Are you home for about six months in a row or perhaps 3 months and 3 months or something like that? 

I also tried to avoid a female IO at DM just a couple days ago and 5 out of 7 IO's were female in the section I was in. 

When I went to a male after being in line 10 min or so he was replaced by a female before I got my turn!  By accident I wrote down my visa number from last year and she did not like that and had me write in the correct one. 

[geisha]

SOrry for hijacking, my neighbour gets by on extensions and visa runs, no visas. She’s elderly and does this often, not living here or working.Is this legal ? 

[geisha]

Sorry for the above , I meant « border hops and extensions ».

 

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, geisha said:

SOrry for hijacking, my neighbour gets by on extensions and visa runs, no visas. She’s elderly and does this often, not living here or working.Is this legal ? 

Visa runs and extensions of stay are legal.

[geisha]

elviajero, thanks, is there a maximum limit to how many times she can get an extension without a visa ? She’s been told 3 maximum in a limit of 6 Months by the Paris Thai embassy. They tend to give erroneous information . 

[elviajero]

8 minutes ago, geisha said:

elviajero, thanks, is there a maximum limit to how many times she can get an extension without a visa ? She’s been told 3 maximum in a limit of 6 Months by the Paris Thai embassy. They tend to give erroneous information . 

• You are limited to 2 "visa runs" (visa exempt entries) at land borders. They can both be extended by 30 days.
• There is no official limit when flying in. At airports the limit is at the discretion of the IO. You could be denied entry for any number of previous entries. Any visa exempt entries by air can be extended by 30 days.

Trying to stay long term without a visa is next to impossible now.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, geisha said:

is there a maximum limit to how many times she can get an extension without a visa ? 

Just to aid future communication, an extension of your permission to stay is given at an immigration office inside Thailand. When your initial permission to stay was granted when entering with a tourist visa (an initial 60-day stay) or visa exempt (i.e. without a visa, giving a 30-day stay) you are entitled to a 30-day extension of your initial permission to stay. You then need to leave Thailand to get a visa, or re-enter again visa exempt.

 

If entering Thailand without a visa (remember, this is giving you a fresh 30-day permission to stay) there is a hard limit of doing this twice by land in a calendar year.  As @elviajero correctly advised you, while there is no explicit limit on visa exempt entries by air, immigration officials were instructed in mid 2014 to prevent people using back-to-back visa exempt entries as a way to stay in Thailand (though they were subsequently told to apply this flexibly). If you have already used several visa exempt entries to stay in Thailand, it is unpredictable when an official might decide to deny you another one by air.

 

The best advice is only use visa exempt entries in an emergency once you have been, say, six months in Thailand on tourist entries, and had a few visa exempt entries in the last couple of years. Plan to get tourist visas, and research carefully the best places to get them. Better still, find a less precarious way to stay.

Edited February 14, 2018 by BritTim

[geisha]

Thanks very much BritTim, my neighbour is only 70 and has never had a visa. I tried to explain to her that it’s easy ( she’s Swiss) but she s not buying it, saying all her old friends on the beach just leave the country and come back in and then get an extension. Maybe she’s had no problem because she’s elderly and doesn’t stay more than 6 months. 

I get a visa, always.