First 180days Nearly Up

[visarunner]

Thought it might be a good idea to put some info together.

The new regulation , valid for entries AFTER the 1.10.2006 affects only people entering Thailand on the 30-day visa exempt stamp , which is NOT a Tourist Visa as many think .

The regulation stipulates that visitors can only spend 90 days out of every six months (180days) on the visa-exempt stamp.

However, days spent in Thailand on any other kind of visa do not count towards that 90-day total.

Further, Immigration only counts the days actually spent within Thai borders, as long as you don’t exceed 90 days in a six-month period, the number of visa-exempt entries are unlimited.

Please calculate your days very carefully. There is no emergency visa allowance at the border.

Following scenario is possible : get a Tourist Visa at a Embassy/Consulate in a neighboring country which is valid for a stay of 60 day , after that period you can apply at the BKK Immigration@ Soi Suan Plu for a extension of 30days for THB 1,900.-.

A Tourist Visa will always be extended for 30days.

Extension of a Visa exempt stamp and any Non Immigrant Visa will be granted for 7 days only.

After this you can do 3 x 30 days Border Runs and apply again for a Tourist Visa.

Please remember you are allowed to stay only 90days with a visa exempt stamp (3x30days) in any 180day period starting after your first entry since 1 of October 2006.

If you plan a trip to Laos please refer to the Office and Holiday Schedule for Year 2007 of the Thai Embassy and Consulate in Laos.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/about_officetime.html

If you are not sure about the days please you can PM me or check thaivisa.com and give following specific and complete information.

Example:

1. Entry @ Aran 11.10.06 exit @ Ban Laem 9.11.06, 30days, visa type: visa exempt (30days)

2. Entry @ Ban Laem 9.11.06 exit@ Mukdahan 7.12.06, 29 days, visa type: visa exempt (30days)

Enter @ Mukdahan 8.12.06 exit @ Ban Laem 5.2.07 , 60days, and visa type: Tourist Visa (60days)

3.Entry @ Ban Laem 5.2.07 exit date @ Aran 6.3.07 , 30 days , visa type : visa exempt (30days)

This person has not yet completed 180days but already used up 89days out of the 90days allocation.

If the person would go to the border he/she will only be allowed to stay for 1 day .

The person spend 149days in Thailand.

In this case the person has to apply for a new Tourist Visa on or before the 6th of March 2007.

it is also recommended to apply for the extension at the Immigration Office.

Visit a Thai Embassy/Consulate twice a year to get a Tourist Visa, or going legal is set to get easier.

Please note that your Passport needs to be valid for at least another 6 month for any Visa application.

Foreigners can convert their 30day visa exempt stamp to a Non-Immigrant Visa by going to the Immigration Department with the proper documents and 21 day stay remaining, meaning you have up to 9 days time after your entry.

All Embassies/Consulates in SEA issue only Single Entry Tourist Visas.

[Krub]

Thought it might be a good idea to put some info together.

The new regulation , valid for entries AFTER the 1.10.2006 affects only people entering Thailand on the 30-day visa exempt stamp , which is NOT a Tourist Visa as many think .

The regulation stipulates that visitors can only spend 90 days out of every six months (180days) on the visa-exempt stamp.

However, days spent in Thailand on any other kind of visa do not count towards that 90-day total.

Further, Immigration only counts the days actually spent within Thai borders, as long as you don’t exceed 90 days in a six-month period, the number of visa-exempt entries are unlimited.

Please calculate your days very carefully. There is no emergency visa allowance at the border.

Following scenario is possible : get a Tourist Visa at a Embassy/Consulate in a neighboring country which is valid for a stay of 60 day , after that period you can apply at the BKK Immigration@ Soi Suan Plu for a extension of 30days for THB 1,900.-.

A Tourist Visa will always be extended for 30days.

Extension of a Visa exempt stamp and any Non Immigrant Visa will be granted for 7 days only.

After this you can do 3 x 30 days Border Runs and apply again for a Tourist Visa.

Please remember you are allowed to stay only 90days with a visa exempt stamp (3x30days) in any 180day period starting after your first entry since 1 of October 2006.

If you plan a trip to Laos please refer to the Office and Holiday Schedule for Year 2007 of the Thai Embassy and Consulate in Laos.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/about_officetime.html

If you are not sure about the days please you can PM me or check thaivisa.com and give following specific and complete information.

Example:

1. Entry @ Aran 11.10.06 exit @ Ban Laem 9.11.06, 30days, visa type: visa exempt (30days)

2. Entry @ Ban Laem 9.11.06 exit@ Mukdahan 7.12.06, 29 days, visa type: visa exempt (30days)

Enter @ Mukdahan 8.12.06 exit @ Ban Laem 5.2.07 , 60days, and visa type: Tourist Visa (60days)

3.Entry @ Ban Laem 5.2.07 exit date @ Aran 6.3.07 , 30 days , visa type : visa exempt (30days)

This person has not yet completed 180days but already used up 89days out of the 90days allocation.

If the person would go to the border he/she will only be allowed to stay for 1 day .

The person spend 149days in Thailand.

In this case the person has to apply for a new Tourist Visa on or before the 6th of March 2007.

it is also recommended to apply for the extension at the Immigration Office.

Visit a Thai Embassy/Consulate twice a year to get a Tourist Visa, or going legal is set to get easier.

Please note that your Passport needs to be valid for at least another 6 month for any Visa application.

Foreigners can convert their 30day visa exempt stamp to a Non-Immigrant Visa by going to the Immigration Department with the proper documents and 21 day stay remaining, meaning you have up to 9 days time after your entry.

All Embassies/Consulates in SEA issue only Single Entry Tourist Visas.

Do we know when the new 180 days period starts ? Is it after a blank of 90 days out of the country from the last departure from Thailand ?

[PeaceBlondie]

visarunner, that looks excellent (to a non-expert like me), but it's so lengthy that sooner or later you probably stated something that's debatable.

I would add two things you know but hardly mentioned:

a. Theoretically, the limit is on number of days in Thailand without a proper visa, not the number of entries into the kingdom on an arrival stamp.

b. In practice, the process varies considerably, at the discretion of the immigration police officers.

[visarunner]

The re-enter day after the first 180days will be debatable.

Example if first day has been 10.10.06 , will the person be allowed to return 10.4.07 or 11.4.07 or do they use a own way to calculate .