Last week my wife and I applied and was granted a 6-month multi-entry visa in New York City. From what I understood on the Thai Consulate Immigration website the more expensive Visa which cost me $200 each and would cover a period of 6 months. The only reason I applied for the multi-entry visa was to get away for the winter and also because we didn't want the hassle of visa runs and trips to the immigration office in Thailand. We are also planning on doing short trips around south Asia (Bali, Vietnam, Lao, Cambodia, Singapore HK) and wanted to just leave our things at the hotel in Thailand while visiting other neighboring countries for a few days. The Thai consulate in NY stamped our passport with a tourist "TR" multiple visa. On arrival in Chaing Mai, this week immigration stamped my passport with a TR-60 with an entry date and valid until Jan 8th, 2019 giving me only 2 months stay now it looks like we will have to leave Thailand in 8 weeks. Had I known all this I would have just applied for a 2-month visa for $45 each and saved myself money and time. Anyway is there anything I could do at this point to get the full 6 months, do I need to check in at their immigration dept in Chaing Mai and try to extend it for an additional 4 months will this cost me extra, what exactly do I need to do? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The multiple entry tourist visa allows unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date it is issued. You got the correct entry from your visa.

The visas 6 month validity is not the permit to stay you get on entry.

If you want to stay longer than 60 days you will need to apply for a 30 day extension at immigration or you could leave and re-enter the country to get another 60 day entry.

The six-month multiple entry tourist visa does, indeed, allow you six months (actually up to over eight months) in Thailand, but assumes side trips out of Thailand at least every two to three months. I hope you did not apply for the visas too far in advance. Your last entry to get a fresh 60-day stay must occur on or before the 'Use By' date on the visas. These visas allow a lot of flexibility. You do not need to worry about applying for new visas over the six or eight month period. However, you have fallen into the common trap of assuming that Thailand has the principle of 'visa' = 'permission to stay'. In Thailand, they are different things.

As per your post.

If your intention is to visit nearby countries for a few days and return to your Thai hotel then each time you come back you will be stamped in for another 60 days in Thailand. You can do this as many times as you want up til the use by/enter by date on the 'visa' sticker on your passport.

On your Landing card there's a box for the visa number, make sure you put the number on there and before you leave the Imm' desk at the airport check they have stamped you in for 60 days.

 

eg.

visa start date 1/jan/2019

enter by 31/june/2019 ish.

you can leave for Vietnam/Malaysia/Cambodia as many times as you want and each time you return you will get a 60 day stamp.

If you leave and return on 

29/june/2019 you will be stamped in again for 60 days til 27/aug/2019 ish.

I'll edit with photo of Landing card in a minute.

This is the TM6 you fill in.

Slight change in design now but almost the same.

Edited November 10, 20187 yr by overherebc

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The multiple entry tourist visa allows unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date it is issued. You got the correct entry from your visa.....

If you want to stay longer than 60 days you will need to apply for a 30 day extension at immigration or you could leave and re-enter the country to get another 60 day entry.

3

thanks ubonjoe. I wasn't aware of the 60-day limit doh! So just to be clear if I need to apply for a 30-day extension I would need to pay an additional $60 more or less at the immigration office here in Chaing Mai within 60 days is that right? The second option would be to leave Thailand within 60 days and come back within 6 months if I were to do that would I need to pay any additional visa fees or is that waived? Does it matter if I leave by bus or plane?

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

However, you have fallen into the common trap of assuming that Thailand has the principle of 'visa' = 'permission to stay'. In Thailand, they are different things.

 

Yes, I fell in it beautifully:-( At this point I just would like to know if I leave Thailand and come back within 6 months to I pay an additional 2-month visa fees or am I already covered because I paid for the multi-entry visa?

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

 I hope you did not apply for the visas too far in advance. Your last entry to get a fresh 60-day stay must occur on or before the 'Use By' date on the visas. things.

 

I applied for the visa 2 weeks in advance.

6 minutes ago, kajito said:

Yes, I fell in it beautifully:-( At this point I just would like to know if I leave Thailand and come back within 6 months to I pay an additional 2-month visa fees or am I already covered because I paid for the multi-entry visa?

There is no further charge provided you enter before or on the Valid Until date on the visa sticker.

1 hour ago, kajito said:

The second option would be to leave Thailand within 60 days and come back within 6 months if I were to do that would I need to pay any additional visa fees or is that waived? Does it matter if I leave by bus or plane?

You would not have to pay anything to use your visa for entry. It allows unlimited 60 day entries for the 6 months it is valid. You could leave and re-enter every two weeks or less and always get a 60 day entry if you wanted to,

You can do the departures and entries by land, sea or air.

Edited November 10, 20187 yr by ubonjoe
corrected typo

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You would not have to pay anything to use your visa for entry. It allows unlimited 60 day entries for the 6 months it is valid. You could leave and re-enter every two weeks or less and always get a 60 day entry if you wanted to,

You can do the departures and entries by land, sea or air.

I think you mean "You would NOT have to pay....." ????

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

As per your post.

If your intention is to visit nearby countries for a few days and return to your Thai hotel then each time you come back you will be stamped in for another 60 days in Thailand. You can do this as many times as you want up til the use by/enter by date on the 'visa' sticker on your passport.

On your Landing card there's a box for the visa number, make sure you put the number on there and before you leave the Imm' desk at the airport check they have stamped you in for 60 days.

 

 

 

Every time I come back to Thailand will I be charged any visa fees at the airport?
Which of the 2 is the visa # for the landing card? My guess is the one that starts with the letter D. Please see pic.

 

22 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

There is no further charge provided you enter before or on the Valid Until date on the visa sticker.

ok so no charge thanks

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You would not have to pay anything to use your visa for entry. It allows unlimited 60 day entries for the 6 months it is valid. You could leave and re-enter every two weeks or less and always get a 60 day entry if you wanted to,

You can do the departures and entries by land, sea or air.

so I would not have to pay anything thanks so much.

23 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

I think you mean "You would NOT have to pay....." ????

typo but I understood him:-)

1 hour ago, kajito said:

typo but I understood him:-)

One other option is a thirty day extension at your local Imm' office that you can get near the end of any 60 stay stamp.

That however costs 1900 baht.

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

One other option is a thirty day extension at your local Imm' office that you can get near the end of any 60 stay stamp.

That however costs 1900 baht.

so the only reason to use this option is if I don't want to leave the country is that right?

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

This is the TM6 you fill in.

Slight change in design now but almost the same.

This is the new one. Not really almost the same.

Rear of what is torn off and given to you.

 

52 minutes ago, kajito said:

so the only reason to use this option is if I don't want to leave the country is that right?

That is correct. No need for the extension if you leave the country.

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

I think you mean "You would NOT have to pay....." ????

Fixed now thanks.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You would not have to pay anything to use your visa for entry. It allows unlimited 60 day entries for the 6 months it is valid. You could leave and re-enter every two weeks or less and always get a 60 day entry if you wanted to,

You can do the departures and entries by land, sea or air.

I just thought of something I could just take a bus and go to the nearest border cross into either Lao or Burma then make a U-turn same day and return to Chaing Mai to get my 60 day entry, is this permitted? I rather do that for now so I could leave my belongings at my hotel.

 

13 minutes ago, kajito said:

I just thought of something I could just take a bus and go to the nearest border cross into either Lao or Burma then make a U-turn same day and return to Chaing Mai to get my 60 day entry, is this permitted? I rather do that for now so I could leave my belongings at my hotel.

 

Many people choose doing a border hop for a new 60 days instead of the extension. 

From Chiang Mai the best crossing to do it at is the Mae Sai crossing to Myanmar. It is only 500 baht for a Myanmar border pass.

For Laos you would need to get a visa on arrival. The fee for is it 1500 baht or $35. The crossing to Laos is at Chiang Kong.

4 hours ago, kajito said:

Which of the 2 is the visa # for the landing card? My guess is the one that starts with the letter D. Please see pic.

You correct. The visa number on your visa is D5454242.

" you have fallen into the common trap of assuming that Thailand has the principle of 'visa' = 'permission to stay'. In Thailand, they are different things. "

 

And in many other countries. You can have a USA multiple entry tourist visa that is valid for 10 years but you will only get stamped in for the period of time decided upon by the Immigration officer. Maximum 6 months per visit, maximum 6 months total in a rolling one year interval.

 

So yes it's a common trap but there's nothing really unusual about the way it works in Thailand.

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

This is the new one. Not really almost the same.

Rear of what is torn off and given to you.

 

this is what they gave me on the plane.

15 hours ago, BritTim said:

You correct. The visa number on your visa is D5454242.

thanks!

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That is correct. No need for the extension if you leave the country.

thanks again!