Maximum visa exempts by air?

[spambot]

I will return to Thailand next week, but will only be there for 8 weeks and will need to return back to UK for 6/9 months.

 

I am now planning to get a Visa exempt at Bangkok airport on entry - 28 days latter fly to Vietnam for seven days and then re-enter Thailand with a second visa exempt before flying back to UK 20 days latter. From the info on website London Embassy this would be possible - Is there any issues as long as I have the required 10K THB cash and onward flight ticket to show on each entry to Thailand?

 

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

 

"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."

[elviajero]

There is no formal set limit. 
 

You shouldn’t have a problem with two VE entries for your planned trip, as long as you don’t have a recent history of long stays for tourism.

[UKresonant]

I can't see that being a problem, especially if all your flights are pre-booked in the UK (some travel insurance would look for that I believe). 28 days noted on the first arrival TM6 and 20 days on the next, should be fine!

 

[jacko45k]

I don't envisage any problem. Although I might suggest having 20,000 baht equivalent on you. You are correct that 10,000 is the stated requirement for Visa Exempt entry, but I wouldn't like to argue with an IO over the matter. 

[spambot]

11 hours ago, elviajero said:

There is no formal set limit. 
 

You shouldn’t have a problem with two VE entries for your planned trip, as long as you don’t have a recent history of long stays for tourism.

Good stuff - My history in last 3 years =  last year 1 year O based upon retirement, year previous was 1 year O-A and the year prior to these two I had 1 year on tourist visas from neighbouring countries. 

Can I assume this would not be considered a long history of tourist visas?

[spambot]

11 hours ago, UKresonant said:

I can't see that being a problem, especially if all your flights are pre-booked in the UK (some travel insurance would look for that I believe). 28 days noted on the first arrival TM6 and 20 days on the next, should be fine!

 

Thanks for that - The comment on travel insurance - Can you explain further - I am not sure if you are saying this would allow me to get some improved travel insurance from an insurance company or the pre-booking of flights from UK will give me insurance at immigration as a better story (insurance) when I arrive?

[spambot]

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I don't envisage any problem. Although I might suggest having 20,000 baht equivalent on you. You are correct that 10,000 is the stated requirement for Visa Exempt entry, but I wouldn't like to argue with an IO over the matter. 

Thanks - Yes good point. The extra cash takes away the uncertainty.

 

What I planned to do was carry two wallets - One with 20K THB and the other with 80K THB and present the first to get feedback so as to establish if there was a manufactured figure used by an immigration officer.

 

If challenged hopefully after presenting the first amount of 20K THB I would then have the resources ready to satisfy this different amount.

 

This is rather than presenting 100K THB straight off and hearing the cash requirement being manufactured was higher than even the excessive amount I was presenting.

[elviajero]

48 minutes ago, spambot said:

Good stuff - My history in last 3 years =  last year 1 year O based upon retirement, year previous was 1 year O-A and the year prior to these two I had 1 year on tourist visas from neighbouring countries. 

Can I assume this would not be considered a long history of tourist visas?

I can only offer opinion, but I don’t see any reason for them to deny entry based on your history.

 

Anorher option to consider would be to enter with a Tourist Visa (60 days). Then buy a Re-entry Permit (1,000) baht for your side trip.

[spambot]

7 minutes ago, elviajero said:

I can only offer opinion, but I don’t see any reason for them to deny entry based on your history.

 

Anorher option to consider would be to enter with a Tourist Visa (60 days). Then buy a Re-entry Permit (1,000) baht for your side trip.

Yup - Thanks for that. It was going to be tight getting the TV before I fly and I am only making the trip to Vietnam for the 2nd Visa exempt as a  way around the lack of TV.

[BritTim]

4 minutes ago, spambot said:

Yup - Thanks for that. It was going to be tight getting the TV before I fly and I am only making the trip to Vietnam for the 2nd Visa exempt as a  way around the lack of TV.

In that case, get a 30-day extension at immigration of your visa exempt entry instead ... much cheaper and safer.

[BritTim]

If you are not aware, if you live close to an honorary consulate, it is usually possible to get a tourist visa while you wait if visiting there in person.

[spambot]

1 minute ago, BritTim said:

If you are not aware, if you live close to an honorary consulate, it is usually possible to get a tourist visa while you wait if visiting there in person.

Actually a good point - I am in Yorkshire and hence Liverpool or Hull would it.

[spambot]

6 minutes ago, BritTim said:

In that case, get a 30-day extension at immigration of your visa exempt entry instead ... much cheaper and safer.

Ahh - Yes of course - This is much simpler - Thanks for that.

[elviajero]

34 minutes ago, spambot said:

Yup - Thanks for that. It was going to be tight getting the TV before I fly and I am only making the trip to Vietnam for the 2nd Visa exempt as a  way around the lack of TV.

In that case a SETV or VE + 30 day extension would be better options. SETV being favourite if you can get one in time.

[Tomate]

Ok guys... here my story (WALL OF TEXT):

 

I've been in Thailand a year in 2012-2013 on SETV/Visa exempt, then when back to Canada. Then from October 2015 to now all in Thailand on SETV/Visa exempt except for about a year half 2017 to half 2018 I was in Cambodia. It's my 2nd passport and it's at page 23, so two-third full.

 

I have a Thai GF since late 2015 who travel with me every time. I have avoided both BKK and Phuket airport since coming back in 2015 because I know how brutal they are with the crackdown. We have lived mostly in Chiang Mai and around Khon Kaen (we are now in Chum Phae).

 

Everything was fine up until 2 months ago. I try to back to back Tourist visa attempt in Savannakhet. They didn't even take my passport because they told my GF I had the "too many tourist visa" stamp which I receive 3 months prior also in Savannakhet. They told her that even if I try, I would get denied so they are saving me time. I didn't even notice that stamp which is 100% my fault.

 

Long story short we then took the bus from Savannakhet to Luang Prabang, and then we flew direct flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai (the only way to avoid BKK). I got my first 30 days visa exempt by air in 2019 (already got the two by land). It was actually my only time entering by air this year (others were exempt or tourist visa from Laos, as I live near the border). I don't think being my first time by air in 2019 is that relevant but never know. Chiang Mai was easy, before going to the counter some officer was reading the arrival card of everyone to ask for their reason to be in Thailand. I told him I had a Thai GF and pointed to her. I was not asked anything else, nor anything at the counter.

 

Anyways, fast forward now, my plan for 2020 is set. I will do the two border run and then either get a new passport with probably 5-6 pages left, or get married and get the proper visa. BUT, I still have one exit-entry to do this year (I have to leave at worse November 30).

 

The cheapest option for me/Thai GF (she always travel with me), is to direct flight KK - Hat Yai (1.5k baht each), and then take whatever bus or train to Kuala Lumpur and the next day fly back KL to Surat Thani (which is crazy cheap like 750 baht each), and then bus or train back to KK. I've done worse before.

 

I could also do a Tourist visa in KL. I have not been in Malaysia since 2016, and my last tourist visa there... I don't even think I ever got one. My friend got one few months back and he has been here 10 years and he told me the process was easy. The issue with that option is that it will be overall way more costly and I don't think it will increase my chance in Surat Thani airport. I don't think visa exempt or tourist visa matter anymore, they are both equivalent by air entry, it's totally up to IO.

 

The third option could be to get a tourist visa in Kuala Lumpur and try to fly to Laos to land entry from there, as IO there know me and laugh everytime I try to come in. Land entry in Nong Khai and Mukdahan are just as easy as Mae Sai. Very very easy no question asked, but I am out of border run.

 

Another option is to try to go to Vietnam for a SETV, I actually never went to Vietnam but if I am denied there how the **** am I getting back in while avoiding BKK? (I could go to CM from Vietnam if denied but I was in CM 2 months ago), this is why I want to try Surat Thani.

 

So to me it comes down to Surat Thani. I know that BKK, Phuket, Krabi, etc, are tough, and Chiang Mai a piece of cake but I would like to avoid back-to-back 30 days visa exempt from there. 

 

So yeah if Surat Thani is easy I will try to KL - Surat Thani, but if not, what is my best option? This will most likely be my last ever visa exempt entry ever, as i'm tired of this.

 

Thx!

[Fireyfish]

I do it every year, some times twice, with 6 months between visits,  ie 4 entries., no problems so far

[spambot]

On 11/26/2019 at 8:30 PM, Fireyfish said:

I do it every year, some times twice, with 6 months between visits,  ie 4 entries., no problems so far

Thanks for that - Just to understand when you say that you do this every year - this being: You enter on an exempt, leave country within 30 days and then return in a few week afterwards and get the second exempt entry - is this correct?

 

Then when you do this twice (every year) - You enter on an exempt. leave the country within 30 days and then renter a few week later on a second exempt - Then you go back to your own country and do the repeat of this enter with exempt, leave for few weeks and enter back on an exempt, but 6 months afterwards from the first - Is this correct?

 

If so that is reassuring to hear - And this seems to be inline with what is on the London Embassy website since it says:

"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."

 

 

[BLACKJACK2]

"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.

 

Not seen this before, until recently I was on a 3 week on/off rotation so normally had 8 or 9 visa exempts a year, never had a problem.

[elviajero]

3 minutes ago, BLACKJACK2 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.

 

Not seen this before, until recently I was on a 3 week on/off rotation so normally had 8 or 9 visa exempts a year, never had a problem.

That is not a limit set in law or regulation. Only the 2 by land entry limit is.

[spambot]

4 minutes ago, BLACKJACK2 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.

 

Not seen this before, until recently I was on a 3 week on/off rotation so normally had 8 or 9 visa exempts a year, never had a problem.

I must admit that I had not seen this either before when I went searching previously and only searched again recently after seeing a number of posts on this forum where some members had problems with visa exempts, but as normal it was not clear if exempt entry limits were actually in place or not - after being told by immigration officer this was the actual problem (by air into BKK).

[elviajero]

3 hours ago, spambot said:

I must admit that I had not seen this either before when I went searching previously and only searched again recently after seeing a number of posts on this forum where some members had problems with visa exempts, but as normal it was not clear if exempt entry limits were actually in place or not - after being told by immigration officer this was the actual problem (by air into BKK).

There was a 90 day in any 180 day limit about 10 years ago. It was an official regulation, but it was withdrawn because it was impractical for immigration to enforce.

 

Since then various statements along the lines of the repealed regulation have appeared on various embassy websites and is still on the MFA website.

 

Immigration definitely have an unofficial line in the sand of 180 days per year, but because it’s discretionary we see inconsistent enforcement.

Edited November 28, 2019 by elviajero

[spambot]

12 hours ago, elviajero said:

There was a 90 day in any 180 day limit about 10 years ago. It was an official regulation, but it was withdrawn because it was impractical for immigration to enforce.

 

Since then various statements along the lines of the repealed regulation have appeared on various embassy websites and is still on the MFA website.

 

Immigration definitely have an unofficial line in the sand of 180 days per year, but because it’s discretionary we see inconsistent enforcement.

Good info - sometime the backstory is more relevant than the current story - Thanks.