Is Jack Correct?

[sniffdog]

http://www.jackgolf.com/en/news/65.php

In this article Jack Golf makes a calculation for Mr. X:

quoted:

Oct 10 Got 30days stamp at Cambodia　*counting starts

Nov 8 Got 30days stamp at Cambodia again *remains 60days

Dec 7　 Got 30days stamp at Cambodia again *remains 30days

Jan 5 Got Tourist visa and extend at immiration *remainds 0 day

Apr 4 You can stay until this date.

Apr 5-9( or 10?) this term still within 6 months so you can not stay without visa= you won't be given 30days at Cambodia border!

Is this correct or do they make the error that they calculate 6 months and not 180 days?

I received 3*30 starting on Octoiber 29, 2006

Then entered on Jan. 27, 2007 on a TR which was extended on March 27 until April 26, 2007

October 3 days

November 30 days

December 31 days

January 31 days

February 28 days

March 31 days

April 26 days

A total of exactly 180 days after October 29. Will I have a problem getting a new 30 day VOA? Is it possible to extend another 7 days after the intial 30 days extension to be sure?

Edited April 6, 2007 by sniffdog

[Maestro]

It is indeed correct that the rule is a maximum of 90 visa-exempt days within six months, not within 180 days. Your six-month period started on 29 OCT 2006 and will end on 28 APR 2007. Therefore, the earliest date you can get another visa-exempt entry is 29 APR 2007, if the Immigration officer looking at your passport understands the rule correctly and knows how to count the days correctly.

--

Maestro

[soap]

[A total of exactly 180 days after October 29. Will I have a problem getting a new 30 day VOA? Is it possible to extend another 7 days after the intial 30 days extension to be sure?

i have been told by mae sai immigration office that you can extend your tv for another 7 days after the 30 day extention as run out for a fee of 1,900 baht

[sniffdog]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Initially, the immigration officer at Ban Laem told me that this would be possible as per October 1:

3*30 VOA followed by 2*30 days + 30 days extension. Then the 3*30 days VOA could be done again.

It seems another 1,900 should be invested then ..... or take another trip to Penang. Only problem is that you will get

only 2 TRs per year ...

Edited April 6, 2007 by sniffdog

[sigmondfreed]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Initially, the immigration officer at Ban Laem told me that this would be possible as per October 1:

3*30 VOA followed by 2*30 days + 30 days extension. Then the 3*30 days VOA could be done again.

It seems another 1,900 should be invested then ..... or take another trip to Penang. Only problem is that you will get

only 2 TRs per year ...

Now I am totally confused (but then again, when has that ever been unnatural).

I was already on a 30 day stamp when Oct 1 arrived (if that matters):

Arrived Thailand, by air, from Malaysia on Sept 25

Departed by air, from Bangkok, 12 Oct 2006

Arrived by air, from Japan, 18 Nov 2006 (first ‘post 1 Oct’ 30 day entry stamp).

Departed via border run to Myanmar, 17 Dec 2006 = 30 days (got second 30 day stamp)

Departed Thailand by air 9 Jan 2007 = 24 days

Arrived Thailand by air Feb 6 2007 (got third 30 day stamp)

Departed Thailand by air Mar 5, 2007 = 28 days for a total of 82 days on 3- 30 day stamps.

Arrived Thailand, by air, from Kuala Lumpur, Mar 9 on first 60 day Tourist Visa

Extended TV 30 days at Chiang Mai immigration until 6 Jun 2007

I was planning on doing 3 more border runs after expiration of the TV. When I asked the immigration official what I would need to return to Thailand after departure on 6 Jun 2007, he asked ‘When will you arrive again?’ I told him sometime after 6 June. He looked through my passport and at my notes above regarding the dates and said, ‘You must have another Tourist Visa to return. You cannot have more than 3 entry stamps in the last 6 months’.

Can anyone help me understand if this is correct? Should I attempt to do another border run or am I at risk of not being allowed back into the country? And did it turn out to be true that I need proof of onward travel?

[cali4995]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Initially, the immigration officer at Ban Laem told me that this would be possible as per October 1:

3*30 VOA followed by 2*30 days + 30 days extension. Then the 3*30 days VOA could be done again.

It seems another 1,900 should be invested then ..... or take another trip to Penang. Only problem is that you will get

only 2 TRs per year ...

some time ago, the wise elders on the board were discussing how policies always seemed to be formed with built-in provisions for saying no, without actually saying no. this seems to be an exceptionally classic example. it's expensive, you're inconvenienced, you might even need to stay outside thailand a few days.

Edited April 7, 2007 by cali4995

[tropo]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Why not reverse the order. ie. 3*30 day VISA EXEMPT entries followed by TR (60 + 30 days) followed by TR (60 + 30 days) followed by 3*30 day VISA EXEMPT entries followed by TR followed by TR.....(and so on)

...or mix them up a little with 1 or 2*30 day visa exempt entries in between your TR's just to relieve the boredom.

Edited April 7, 2007 by tropo

[jeebusjones]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Why not reverse the order. ie. 3*30 day VISA EXEMPT entries followed by TR (60 + 30 days) followed by TR (60 + 30 days) followed by 3*30 day VISA EXEMPT entries followed by TR followed by TR.....(and so on)

...or mix them up a little with 1 or 2*30 day visa exempt entries in between your TR's just to relieve the boredom.

This is the best plan. Personally, I plan to do the following:

Tourist Visa (60+30)

One Visa Exemption (30)

Tourist Visa (60 + 30)

One Visa Exemption (30)

ETC...

This seems to be the safest option, as it will never put me near the limit of 90 visa exemption days. I will also be able to show an onward ticket for my visa exemptions, as I will have already booked my flight for my next tourist visa.

[visarunner]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Initially, the immigration officer at Ban Laem told me that this would be possible as per October 1:

3*30 VOA followed by 2*30 days + 30 days extension. Then the 3*30 days VOA could be done again.

It seems another 1,900 should be invested then ..... or take another trip to Penang. Only problem is that you will get

only 2 TRs per year ...

That was also my understanding in the beginning , but nowadays you need to extent one of the 30day stamps in order to jump over the SIX-Month period.

Edited April 7, 2007 by visarunner

[cali4995]

That would mean that no one can use the 3*30 VOA and 3*30 TR scheme ... Everybody would have a few days short.

Initially, the immigration officer at Ban Laem told me that this would be possible as per October 1:

3*30 VOA followed by 2*30 days + 30 days extension. Then the 3*30 days VOA could be done again.

It seems another 1,900 should be invested then ..... or take another trip to Penang. Only problem is that you will get

only 2 TRs per year ...

That was also my understanding in the beginning , but nowadays you need to extent one of the 30day stamps in order to jump over the SIX-Month period.

that information about only being able to get (2) tourist visas per year originally appears on that jack golf news page. http://www.jackgolf.com/en/news/65.php i can't find it anywhere else. ( immigration.go.th page almost non-functional) and with the volume of business they do, they may be right, they seem to know more about this than most. i can see possibly getting a second extention on your tourist visa 1st extention 30 days, 2nd extention 7 days. if of course you wanted to pay 1,900 baht twice in a row for the privilege of staying 37 days to put you over the 6 months. what i'm not sure about is whether or not they will give a 7 day extention on a visa exempt entry if you already have 90 days of these? it would seem to be bending their own rule of 90 days in 6 months? however T.I.T. i suppose anything's possible. and of course it probably doesn't need to be said again, but anytime you go for an "extention" approval is based solely on the discretion of the immigration officer. so it's a bit like playing russian roulette and sooner or later you're going to run out of empty chambers.

Edited April 7, 2007 by cali4995

[sniffdog]

===============================================================================

This is the best plan. Personally, I plan to do the following:

Tourist Visa (60+30)

One Visa Exemption (30)

Tourist Visa (60 + 30)

One Visa Exemption (30)

ETC...

This seems to be the safest option, as it will never put me near the limit of 90 visa exemption days. I will also be able to show an onward ticket for my visa exemptions, as I will have already booked my flight for my next tourist visa.

================================================================================

This will not work if you would like to stay a full year .... There is a limit of 2 TRs in one year.

[jeebusjones]

===============================================================================

This is the best plan. Personally, I plan to do the following:

Tourist Visa (60+30)

One Visa Exemption (30)

Tourist Visa (60 + 30)

One Visa Exemption (30)

ETC...

This seems to be the safest option, as it will never put me near the limit of 90 visa exemption days. I will also be able to show an onward ticket for my visa exemptions, as I will have already booked my flight for my next tourist visa.

================================================================================

This will not work if you would like to stay a full year .... There is a limit of 2 TRs in one year.

There is technically no limit. Jack's Golf is the only one reporting that. If anything, there might be a limit of 2 tourist visas per year from that single consulate.

I plan to go to a different consulate every time, or at least rotate. Penang - KL - Singapore - Vientienne - Penang - KL ...

[sniffdog]

Indeed, Jack Golf has said two TR is the limit in a year.

This thread proves otherwise ... http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=115315