Hello, in the last 13 months I spent approx 6 in Thailand. I am 45, US citizen. I know about the squeeze that has been put on those entering frequently: it's happened to 2 of my acquaintances this year and of course I sometimes lurk on these forums.

 

I stayed 6 months with the following : 30 day on arrival - 30 day extend - 30 day extend after visa run - 3 month educational visa 

 

I exited Thailand almost 6 months ago. 

 

I would like to go back for 2.5 months, with a visit to Bali in between. Arrival and departure at BKK because the prices are by far cheaper.

 

I realize it would be simpler for just 2 months (VOA+30 day extend) but who wants to go back to the cold if they don't have to? 

 

Assuming I don't have issues on initial arrival, what's best for me: 

 

Thailand 30 then Bali 30 then last 2 weeks in Thailand?

 

or

 

Thailand 30 + 30 day extend then Bali then go back to Thailand 2 days before departure?

 

Or is it too close to call? 

Roll the dice!

Your risk of denied entry is low, but real. On balance, a return to Bangkok with a confirmed flight out within two days might be the lesser risk. A rational immigration official is not going to see a planned two day stay as evidence of illegal working!

As a US Citizen myself, have entered Thailand this year 8 times on visa exempts, and nothing was ever said to me. I always use the arrival service and use fast track lanes. Like some have said on here, a US passport is like a hall pass.   

3 minutes ago, Billpro785 said:

Like some have said on here, a US passport is like a hall pass.  

Almost as good as one from a bit further north. 

 

You know the sticker/patch that Americans put on their backpacks when travelling abroad!

Billpro, 

 

Do you fly business/First class or economy?

 

If economy, what company did you use?

 

Anyway, I'm not that worried about initial arrival, it's more the reentry from Bali or wherever I end up going.

But maybe I should be, I don't know.

 

 

19 hours ago, Billpro785 said:

As a US Citizen myself, have entered Thailand this year 8 times on visa exempts, and nothing was ever said to me. I always use the arrival service and use fast track lanes. Like some have said on here, a US passport is like a hall pass.   

Hall Pass???? elaborate on that please as I'll arrive next week from the states as well....what maked a US passport a hall pass as you say????

19 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Almost as good as one from a bit further north. 

 

You know the sticker/patch that Americans put on their backpacks when travelling abroad!

Sticker-Patch????

21 minutes ago, acenase said:

 

Not sure about that. The system automatically alerts the IO to question you after 6 Visa Exempts.

 

I almost feel like you're lying that you entered Thailand 8 times this year without anything said to you.  That's a huge red flag for officers to question you. And it's people like you who they are screening for who are coming to Thailand often with a free Visa that many times in 1 year.

So you are saying Us folks allowed 6 exempts per calendar year???

8 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

Hall Pass???? elaborate on that please as I'll arrive next week from the states as well....what maked a US passport a hall pass as you say????

Nothing

3 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

Nothing

thanks for.....nothing.

There is no limit to number of visa exempt entries allowed by air.  IOs do look at your history and the amount of time spent in Thailand and there have been reports of 180 days in a year being a trigger for possible questioning. For people always staying the full 30 days then 6 entries would be 180 days. But 6 or even 10-20 exempt entries with stays of just a few days would not.

 

I know a lot of people living in the region who make frequent weekend trips to Thailand and never a problem.

"Foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may only do so for 30 days at one time with a maximum of 3 times in a 6-month period by flight and 2 times a year for overland crossing."

 

From the Thai Embassy London's website.

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84451-Tourist-Visa.html

14 minutes ago, JoeSuperCool said:

"Foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may only do so for 30 days at one time with a maximum of 3 times in a 6-month period by flight and 2 times a year for overland crossing."

 

From the Thai Embassy London's website.

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84451-Tourist-Visa.html

This information is wrong

10 minutes ago, JoeSuperCool said:

"Foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may only do so for 30 days at one time with a maximum of 3 times in a 6-month period by flight and 2 times a year for overland crossing."

From the Thai Embassy London's website.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84451-Tourist-Visa.html

The 3 months in 6 months has been out of date since 2008.

As has been said many times the 90 days in 6 months rule was rescinded in 2008.

21 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The 3 months in 6 months has been out of date since 2008.

As has been said many times the 90 days in 6 months rule was rescinded in 2008.

They're saying 3 times in 6 months not 3 months in 6 months or 90 days in 6 months.

4 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Sticker-Patch????

Canada

2 hours ago, JoeSuperCool said:

They're saying 3 times in 6 months not 3 months in 6 months or 90 days in 6 months.

It does not matter how it is written since no such rule exists.

20 hours ago, jackdd said:

This information is wrong

So Im solid arriving next week into Bkk for 30+extend+walk across border into Burma 30+extend=120 days

 

30+30+30+30=120 then back home for a year to work-save=rinse =lather=repeat.....right?

 

Its hard to know who knows the current info etc...of course except for Ubon Joe-The Go To Guy!

So what happened was they gave me a hassle at immigration. The first agent aggressively questioned me about why did I have an educational visa, why didn't I spell the entire name of the hotel I listed as my address, he asked me how many letters in the Thai alphabet, etc.

He passed me on to a supervisor who took me aside to a table of older officers....they were more polite.

 

Bottom line, I used some Thai words I know, I cracked a few jokes, and they let me in with a warning to come with a tourist visa next time if I'm going to stay longer than a month, regardless of visa free entry plus 30 day extension and side trip to Bali or wherever.

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, MrWilliams said:

So what happened was they gave me a hassle at immigration. The first agent aggressively questioned me about why did I have an educational visa, why didn't I spell the entire name of the hotel I listed as my address, he asked me how many letters in the Thai alphabet, etc.

He passed me on to a supervisor who took me aside to a table of older officers....they were more polite.

 

Bottom line, I used some Thai words I know, I cracked a few jokes, and they let me in with a warning to come with a tourist visa next time if I'm going to stay longer than a month, regardless of visa free entry plus 30 day extension and side trip to Bali or wherever.

 

 

 

 

Curious on the age/sex of the initial officer and the older ones.

Initial officer was male, maybe 30. He passed me off to an older woman, who acted like a supervisor; she took me to a table with 2 older men, about 60 and 65 yo.

 

1 of the men did most of the talking, the slightly younger one. I cracked a joke about going to train muay Thai because I am too poom poey. At that the oldest man made a joke in Thai using the word poom poey and the whole table laughed. He seemed to have the most gravitas so I'm assuming he was the senior officer. He also never spoke once in English.