I'm on a 1 year multiple entry marriage visa and its getting to be that time that my 90 days on my entry stamp are up and I have to exit to get another 90 day stamp-in. I normally just head out to Laos briefly to do that, but wanted to change it up this time. My idea was to go to Ko Lipe for a few days r and r and then exit to Langkawi, Malasysia and return to Ko Lipe for my next entry stamp. However, I don't think I ought to assume that a 90 day stamp is possible at Ko Lipe immigration.

 

So, that is my question, does anyone have any recent experience getting a 90 day stamp at Ko Lipe? Also how is the alternative to Ko Lipe,  a pre-Ko Lipe train trip out of Thailand to Padang Besar I think it is? I ask because it seems to me  I recall that there is quite often various levels of unwillingness inflexibility and paranoia from Thai  immigration that people run into on the Malaysia Thailand border. I can imagine they might frown on someone who leaves Thailand and turns around and comes back 5 minutes later just to get a new stamp in, something they have no problem with at Laos checkpoints. I may be completely mistaken about Thai-Malaysian border immigration being sometimes arbitrary or unduly strict, but would like to hear how people have found crossing by train into Thailand from Malaysia if they have done so recently.

Edited February 7, 20206 yr by Shaunduhpostman

Crossed at padang besar by train twice last year on a SETV with zero issue, always with 1 month between re-entry though.

 

Koh lipe is a really good option, i don't see why they wouldn't give you 90d as your visa allows, they are rather shill there.

I wouldn't go out and back in right away, at least a week or two before re-entry but thats just me.

My advice, go to langkawi first through padang besar and then come back through koh lipe from langkawi.

Edited February 7, 20206 yr by freeman01

Yeah,  just that it occurred to me that a t Ko Lipe they may not even have 90 day stamps or something like that. I can imagine that the occasion for that would be rare, nearly everyone being tourists not needing more than a few weeks in Thailand.

 

Thanks for the Pedang Besar to Langkawi to Ko Lipe suggestion, sounds like a nice trip to take, but one would still be up against the same uncertainty, that they have limited ability or capacity to stamp one in for more than 30 days at Ko Lipe. I will probably just give the Ko Lipe stamp-in a shot and if it doesn't get me more than a month, Just mozy back over to Malaysia for a few days and try to get a longer stamp in on the way out via train.

Edited February 7, 20206 yr by Shaunduhpostman

There are no "special" 90 day entry stamps -  Visa class, entry date and length of stay are indicated within the standard entry stamp.

I cannot recall threads specifically about Non O visa entry at Koh Lipe. However, there have been recent threads on tourist entry, with no one reporting any issues. I believe your plan would be perfectly safe. There is no need for a specific 90-day stamp. A date stamp can be set to whatever the immigration official needs it to be. Check the official has calculated the date correctly immediately the passport is returned to you. Using https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html to calculate the entry date plus 89 days is a simple way of ensuring you have the date correct.

I have non O based on marriage and on Thursday went to Padang Besar to get another 90 days. Got off the train in the morning and back on again in the afternoon, no problem.

If you want to go to Langkawi it is about 500 baht in taxi from Padang Besar to the ferry at Kuala Perlis.

I used to be a regular visitor to Ko Lipe but haven’t been there recently so things may have changed, but about a year ago I got to talking with the farang owner of my regular accommodation about the boat trip to Langkawi, he mentioned that he did his visa run to Langkawi many times. I didn’t ask for details but I know he is married to a Thai so I assume he meant the same 90 day visa run as you.

 I have also met a guy who got a non O in Penang just so he could spend 3 months on Ko Lipe so you shouldn’t have a problem.

On 2/8/2020 at 12:19 AM, Shaunduhpostman said:

Thanks for the Pedang Besar to Langkawi to Ko Lipe suggestion, sounds like a nice trip to take, but one would still be up against the same uncertainty, that they have limited ability or capacity to stamp one in for more than 30 days at Ko Lipe. I will probably just give the Ko Lipe stamp-in a shot and if it doesn't get me more than a month, Just mozy back over to Malaysia for a few days and try to get a longer stamp in on the way out via train.

Was there last month, the immigration booth has been moved and is brand new and they have everything with face camera and fingerprints device and the stamp date can be changed so nothing to worry about really, its a border like any that process a ton of people daily when its open.