2nd 6 Month Period

[LivinLOS]

If the immigration are manually counting the days by the stamps in your passport, what happens if you have renewed your passport, do you have to take the old one and show it as well?.

I was issued a new Passport in January, and was asked to show my old one also, at Aranyaprathet in March when coming into Thailand.

I never had it, but as the new passport has the old passport number in it, they checked the old passport entries up on the computer, I was over the new rule limit of days since October and was told I could not come back into Thailand, after some considerable delay I was stamped in.

I was stamped in on 19th March at 3 pm and my entry stamp permitted me to stay till 19th March, I got 9 hours.......

It was impossible for me to leave till the next day, I told the officer that I would be on overstay in 9 hours and it was not possible for me to arrange tickets and leave Thailand by midnight, his words were " I don't care ", he wouldn't even give me one day. I was leaving Thailand within a few days to work abroad, it made no difference, " You leave Today ".

I eventually got home I had called my travel agent from my car and collected my ticket at 7 pm to fly to Singapore the next day. I was on overstay driving to Bangkok Airport, I left Thailand to Singapore, 2 Nights in Singapore recieved a Tourist Visa for 50 Singapore Dollars from The Thai Embassy, flew back to Thailand, was stamped in for 60 days then left for work outside Thailand for a 3 month contract 2 days later..........

So yes, they can still check up your old passport details on the computer, even without you having it on your person.

I have multiple passports.. And of the multiple PP's they are all replacing previous full passports.. None of them have any indication that they are either a second passport or the number of the passport they have replaced..

What nationality are you ??

[LivinLOS]

you are totally wrong. he has simplified it. never did it say that if you come at the end of the year you must leave on before the new year. all it says is you are allowed 180 days of every calander year. period. what could be more simple than that.

thats the most simplfied system ive ever seen.

You seem unfamiliar with how the block system was implemented..

When you start your block by your first entry you now have a fixed period of 180 days or 6 months (this was never really clear).. Then if you came into Thailand near the end of your block.. You would only get a visa exempt entry up to the end of your block, even if you had less than 90 days.

One of my friends had a low amount of days.. (thinking 40 something but definately less than 60) when he came back they would only give hima few days stamp up to the end of his block even though he would have been no where close to 90 !!!

Now do you understand the problem with blocks ??

[mr_hippo]

I can't understand what all the fuss is about. You are allowed 90 days in every 180 days/6 months. The count starts on day one, in this case October 22, 2006. If we use 180 days then the end of that period is April 20, 2007, using 6 months, it will be April 22, 2007. Siddy wants to return on July 29, 2007, his first 'block' is over, finished, devoid of life extinct, ceases to exist and a new block will start on July 29, 2007.

Those who think that it is a 'rolling block', let's examine the following scenario - Tourist A leaves the Kingdom after spending 85 days on visa exempt stamps (5 days left) today (28 May 2007). He re-enters the Kingdom in two years time - same passport - on 27 May 2009. will he be granted a 30 day visa exempt stamp? Those who are in the 'rolling block school' will probably say 'No, he has only one day left.'

[Digitalbanana]

I have multiple passports.. And of the multiple PP's they are all replacing previous full passports.. None of them have any indication that they are either a second passport or the number of the passport they have replaced..

My embassy doesn't indicate second or renewed pp's but if a foreign pp is renewed whilst in Thailand a trip to Thai immigration is needed for the current Thai immigration stamp to be transferred to the new pp and Thai Immigration then write in the new pp the old pp number and immigration stamp source.

[LivinLOS]

I have multiple passports.. And of the multiple PP's they are all replacing previous full passports.. None of them have any indication that they are either a second passport or the number of the passport they have replaced..

My embassy doesn't indicate second or renewed pp's but if a foreign pp is renewed whilst in Thailand a trip to Thai immigration is needed for the current Thai immigration stamp to be transferred to the new pp and Thai Immigration then write in the new pp the old pp number and immigration stamp source.

Hence why I would always plan ahead and 'flip' my aging / filling up passport to a empty one BEFORE getting a new one here in Thailand.. Then theres no issue with immigration as the full passport does not have my current entry and exit chops.. No visits to any immigration needed and no trail..

You just have to think about what your doing..

[PhilHarries]

you are totally wrong. he has simplified it. never did it say that if you come at the end of the year you must leave on before the new year. all it says is you are allowed 180 days of every calander year. period. what could be more simple than that.

thats the most simplfied system ive ever seen.

The real time indications, as reported on other threads, are that your visits cannot flow seamlessly between the time blocks. No matter how few days you have used in your first six month period you cannot enter for a period that overlaps the six month date line. You could enter Thailand for a long weekend Jan 1st to the 4th (4 days) then not re-enter until June 28th and you'll only get 3 days having to exit on the 30th and re-enter on July 1st.

I stress that these are the indications and it is not clear whether immigration would apply the same intrpretation at all border posts nor whether they would be so harsh in the above scenario. But they have set the precedent.

I agree that the fixed block system is the simplist but only if they allow visits to overrun and the clock automatically resets to zero at the six month date but it seems they are not doing this without a border run.

I still think the rolling period is the best approach but maybe not the simplist to administer. This works okay for frequent short term visitors but not long term stayers. If, under the rolling period system, you stay in country for 90 days (3 X 30 days visa exemptions) and then leave for 90 days you cannot re-enter on day 181 because the count back only gives you 1 day. Using this system you can only be permitted to stay in country but the number of days you are past the 180 mark to a maximum of 30. But if you are staying in country for long periods the visa exempt system is not the correct way to be going about things.

[Zeberdee]

Hi (great forum btw, my first post)

I was going to post a question regarding my current situation, but its pretty much the same as the OP of this thread anyway so i'll post it here.

Im planning to come back to Thailand on the 23rd june, this will be the 164th day after i first entered (11 Jan), i left on the 20th March (this was my 70th day), so when i return in June will i just get stamped in for 16 days? then on 9th July (180th day) just do a border run to start the process all over again?

Thanks.

[Maigo6]

I have multiple passports.. And of the multiple PP's they are all replacing previous full passports.. None of them have any indication that they are either a second passport or the number of the passport they have replaced..

What nationality are you ??

British.

[Digitalbanana]

Hence why I would always plan ahead and 'flip' my aging / filling up passport to a empty one BEFORE getting a new one here in Thailand.. Then theres no issue with immigration as the full passport does not have my current entry and exit chops.. No visits to any immigration needed and no trail..

You just have to think about what your doing..

I always think about what I am doing ;-)

If you try and renew a second pp (at the UK embassy in BKK at least) that wasn't used to enter Thailand you will need, in addition, an authorizing document explaining the requirement for the second pp renewal.

[LivinLOS]

Hence why I would always plan ahead and 'flip' my aging / filling up passport to a empty one BEFORE getting a new one here in Thailand.. Then theres no issue with immigration as the full passport does not have my current entry and exit chops.. No visits to any immigration needed and no trail..

You just have to think about what your doing..

I always think about what I am doing ;-)

If you try and renew a second pp (at the UK embassy in BKK at least) that wasn't used to enter Thailand you will need, in addition, an authorizing document explaining the requirement for the second pp renewal.

I did exactly that only a couple of months ago.. Took my passport that I didnt use for entry to Thailand up to BKK.. Showed them there was only 1.5 pages spare.. Made an application and paid the money.. Fresh clean new passport with no notes or other passport numbers EMS'ed to my Phuket home I think 4 days later.

I hold 2 passports from the UK but they never asked or mentioned it.

[Digitalbanana]

I did exactly that only a couple of months ago.. Took my passport that I didnt use for entry to Thailand up to BKK.. Showed them there was only 1.5 pages spare.. Made an application and paid the money.. Fresh clean new passport with no notes or other passport numbers EMS'ed to my Phuket home I think 4 days later.

I hold 2 passports from the UK but they never asked or mentioned it.

Ah ok. I went last year and was told to produce a company headed letter explaining need for a second passport even though I had used two for several years before they would proceed. Faxes and copies of said letter not allowed then. It also took them 10 working days = two weeks inc weekends to process as for any pp so you must have been lucky with 4 days?

Edited May 31, 2007 by Digitalbanana

[LivinLOS]

That sounds similar to when I got a first second passport (also in BKK but going back a couple of years).. They needed a letterhead but they did accept a faxed one with the condition an original was to be posted from the UK 'for the file'..

Ever since then its been full passports needing fresh ones and nothing said.

[tropo]

I don't live in Thailand and I don't like having to mail my passport to Los Angeles to get a tourist visa stamp good for 60 days when I only stay in Thailand 3 weeks max every 3-4 months. Seems like over kill to me. It also seem that someone traveling my schedule will never hit 90 days w/in 180 days. The question I posed I thought was a simple one albiet nobody knows what the heck is going on given the range of interpretations. I shoud be ok even if the 2nd period started April 22, 07 for me rather when I actually come back to LOS on July 29 for another 3 weeks. Anyway thanks.

If you only come for 2 weeks, it does not matter when your 180 days period starts

You should be able to get a tourist visa at the nearest Thai Embassy, no need to send your passport away.

The OP really doesn't stay long enough to warrant going to the trouble (and expense) of applying for a tourist visa. His longest stay was only 25 days. He fits into the category of people who really need visa exempt entries.

[TommyGun]

This whole thing confuses me. Where do i stand.

I had a 1 years multi non O which started June 06. I returned to the UK sept 06 for just over a month then returned back to Thailand. I returned to the UK again only last week and i'm hoping to go back to Thailand within the next 6 weeks. I have a brand new clean passport, my visa is still cuurent for a few days in my old so i need to re-apply. Can i apply again for a 1 years multi entry non O or B.

[tropo]

again everyone still does not get it.

the rules are only being made as excuse for you to get out of thailand and dont come back.

why is it so difficult for you to understand this?

What's there to get. You're making unsubstantiated assertions without evidence.

If you can offer some hard evidence rather than just your personal feelings about this, we'll all manage to "get it".

[lopburi3]

This whole thing confuses me. Where do i stand.

I had a 1 years multi non O which started June 06. I returned to the UK sept 06 for just over a month then returned back to Thailand. I returned to the UK again only last week and i'm hoping to go back to Thailand within the next 6 weeks. I have a brand new clean passport, my visa is still cuurent for a few days in my old so i need to re-apply. Can i apply again for a 1 years multi entry non O or B.

On what basis and with what paperwork would you apply? I see you have a Thai GF and in March needed a work permit but other than that can find no mention of how you obtained the current O visa (I suspect you may be able to obtain another the same way) or if you have paperwork that would allow the issue of a B visa.

Sorry - be can not be of much more help than above with the information.