Help...Best method of a 3-6 month stay in Thailand

[StewB1]

Question for those more knowledgeable than I on the subject of extended ( 3-6 month) stays in Thailand:

A 50+ year old Canadian planning a 3-6 month stay in Thailand (non work related) wants to know what is the easiest and most reliable way to arrange my stay in Thailand.

Do I have only two options?

1) OA visa (retirement Visa) sounds like a lot of work !?

2) Exit Thailand every 30 days... and re-enter up to 6 times. Does not seem so easy or practical either?

 

Please anyone with first hand knowledge on the subject I would appreciate your help.

[duanebigsby]

Multiple Entry Tourist Visa. Only obtainable from your home country.

[gk10002000]

get a single entry tourist visa.  It is good for an initial 60 day stay, then can be extended for another 30 days.  After those 90 days are up, take a short trip over to Cambodia or Laos or any nearby country and you can get another 60 day single entry tourist visa, that again, after the initial 60 days are up, you can extend it for another 30 day.  Thailand is getting a bit picky on back to back or too many tourist visa, but one from your home country and one from a country near Thailand should not be any problem.  I defer to other posters which country would be the easiest or best to get that second SETV from.  I don't recommend and I don't think you will be allowed in by getting 6 contiguous visa exempts.

[helloagain]

Do what i did work it out for yourself. But the first person is correct. Look up thai consolute in your own country if not another country and get an o visa. I went home every 89th day to visit mother until she died then got retirement visa.

[Acharn]

7 hours ago, duanebigsby said:

Multiple Entry Tourist Visa. Only obtainable from your home country.

I agree with this. I assume the rules for Canadians is the same as for Americans (they might be more generous). A tourist visa is good for three months, and you can get a double-entry tourist visa, good for two three-month stays. You will have to get it from an embassy or consulate, and I trust duane when he says you can now only get them in your home country. 23 years ago, after my wife died I was able to get them in Penang, Malaysia, until I became eligible for the retirement visa.

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, Acharn said:

I agree with this. I assume the rules for Canadians is the same as for Americans (they might be more generous). A tourist visa is good for three months, and you can get a double-entry tourist visa, good for two three-month stays. You will have to get it from an embassy or consulate, and I trust duane when he says you can now only get them in your home country. 23 years ago, after my wife died I was able to get them in Penang, Malaysia, until I became eligible for the retirement visa.

 Two and 3 entry tourist visas have not been issued since the multiple entry tourist visa became available in November of 2015. A multiple entry tourist visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and allows unlimited 60 day entries.

[Acharn]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 Two and 3 entry tourist visas have not been issued since the multiple entry tourist visa became available in November of 2015. A multiple entry tourist visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and allows unlimited 60 day entries.

Oh, how nice. Shows how much I travel. I haven't had to leave Thailand since August 1997, and just got my stay extended another year.

[Bullie]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 Two and 3 entry tourist visas have not been issued since the multiple entry tourist visa became available in November of 2015. A multiple entry tourist visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and allows unlimited 60 day entries.

I don't know about the Americas, but in the Netherlands tourist-visa are only issued to people who can prove through bankstatements that they are employed somewhere. Anyone else has to get a non-immigrant- O single visa, unless you are formally retired (again, bankstatements) when you can obtain a non-immigrant -O  multiple visa.

[Nyezhov]

My problem right now is logistics on these visas. I too want to stay 5-6 months in Thailand but 7 months or so overall. I was gonna get a SETV here but that would entail Driving to Atlanta or DC at a cost of approximately $100 in gas plus hours of time,or use express mail at $24 a pop.....that's like using an agent in Cambodia. But then I worry about getting 2SETVs from Cambodia. Plus I'll need at least one exempt....ugggg

 

Driving for 7hours twice or trusting my passport to the mail twice is a Hobson's choice. I hate driving. 

 

Would two SETVs and an exemption all from Cambo be a problem?

[Langsuan Man]

45 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

My problem right now is logistics on these visas. I too want to stay 5-6 months in Thailand but 7 months or so overall. I was gonna get a SETV here but that would entail Driving to Atlanta or DC at a cost of approximately $100 in gas plus hours of time,or use express mail at $24 a pop.....that's like using an agent in Cambodia. But then I worry about getting 2SETVs from Cambodia. Plus I'll need at least one exempt....ugggg

 

Driving for 7hours twice or trusting my passport to the mail twice is a Hobson's choice. I hate driving. 

 

Would two SETVs and an exemption all from Cambo be a problem?

What is wrong with the US Mail ? Do you think everyone drives to the nearest Thai Consulate to obtain a visa ?  ( USPS Express Mail is cheaper than gas)

 

[Nyezhov]

18 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

What is wrong with the US Mail ? Do you think everyone drives to the nearest Thai Consulate to obtain a visa ?  ( USPS Express Mail is cheaper than gas)

 

That didn't answer my question,but thanks for educating me about mail *inserteyeroll*

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

My problem right now is logistics on these visas. I too want to stay 5-6 months in Thailand but 7 months or so overall. I was gonna get a SETV here but that would entail Driving to Atlanta or DC at a cost of approximately $100 in gas plus hours of time,or use express mail at $24 a pop.....that's like using an agent in Cambodia. But then I worry about getting 2SETVs from Cambodia. Plus I'll need at least one exempt....ugggg

Driving for 7hours twice or trusting my passport to the mail twice is a Hobson's choice. I hate driving. 

Would two SETVs and an exemption all from Cambo be a problem?

I have never applied for a visa in the states in person. They were all done by mail or courier (FedEx). Never had a passport lost.

Perhaps 

I see no reason why you could not get 2 single entry visas in Phnom Penh.

For the 30 day visa exempt entry you many need to show a ticket out within 30 days of arrival to board your flight.

 

[phuketrichard]

On 7/17/2018 at 6:45 AM, gk10002000 said:

get a single entry tourist visa.  It is good for an initial 60 day stay, then can be extended for another 30 days.  After those 90 days are up, take a short trip over to Cambodia or Laos or any nearby country and you can get another 60 day single entry tourist visa, that again, after the initial 60 days are up, you can extend it for another 30 day.  Thailand is getting a bit picky on back to back or too many tourist visa, but one from your home country and one from a country near Thailand should not be any problem.  I defer to other posters which country would be the easiest or best to get that second SETV from.  I don't recommend and I don't think you will be allowed in by getting 6 contiguous visa exempts.

EXACTLY

except day 89  leave
any embassy/consolute will issue him a tourist visa, Phnom Pehn, Yangon, Vientiane, Savanakhet, Penang,

some immigration's ask for a flight ticket out to issue the extension.