What is the longest tourist visa I can get?

[JonMac]

We missed our Winter vacations in Samui in 2020 and 2021. We usually do 6 weeks visa on arrival.

 

We would like to stay longer this Winter.

 

I've been reading up on Samui Plus, which seems to be getting less stringent.

 

We are Irish citizens. What length can we get? I'm a bit confused!

 

I know we would need to get visas from London as the Dublin consulate is closed.

[KhaoYai]

As far as I know its 60 days with a possible 30 day extension - subject to current quarantine requirements of course.

 

The 6 month Multi Entry Tourist Visa was suspended and I don't think the suspension for that has been lifted yet.

 

As you will no doubt have found, clicking on 'Tourist Visa' on the Embassy website takes you to the Thai language version of the Embassy's home page - not at all helpful, they're just too bloody lazy to actually write a page explaining the situation.

 

You're expected to know that you should be looking here:

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/requirements-for-foreigners-travelling-to-thailand-during-covid-19-tra

 

If you're over 50 I believe you can get a 1 year 'retirement visa'. The Special Tourist Visa programme ends at the end of this month if that's what's causing the confusion.

Edited September 13, 2021 by KhaoYai

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, JonMac said:

 

We are Irish citizens. What length can we get? I'm a bit confused!

You can obtain single entry tourist visa 60days or visa exempt currently 45 days. Both can be extended by 30 days.

STV are done.

Normally you could do border bounce for visa exempt entries to extend your stay. Currently not possible.

There are 60 day covid extensions that you would obtain here in Thailand.

Currently things in Thailand are very restricted. Personally I would delay visit at this time. 

What things do you enjoy as possibly a no go currently.

What months would you be planning to visit?

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by DrJack54

[clearance]

theoretically, the longest tourist visa that you can get is 20-year elite visa ????

[JonMac]

DrJack54 - We usually visit in January and February. In the last 25 years we have visited Thailand about 30 times.

 

We've seen all we want to see and now spend the whole visit at the resort, with walks to the nearby Fishermans Village.

We are retired and just appreciate being away from the Winter gloom.

 

When we go back to our favourite resort, the bed is decorated in flowers saying "welcome home," and that is what it feels like!

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, JonMac said:

DrJack54 - We usually visit in January and February. In the last 25 years we have visited Thailand about 30 times.

 

We've seen all we want to see and now spend the whole visit at the resort, with walks to the nearby Fishermans Village.

We are retired and just appreciate being away from the Winter gloom.

 

When we go back to our favourite resort, the bed is decorated in flowers saying "welcome home," and that is what it feels like!

January+ is a good thing.

Even today talk of  reducing quarantine. That could and will occur well prior to January.

Would mean that you can go straight to the hotel that you mentioned. 

Keep an eye on what's happening with borders. If you entered with tourist visa that gives you 60days plus 30 day extension. So already up to end March 2022. You could then do best/easiest border bounce for 30 day visa exempt entry which also can be extended by 30days. 

Just for future knowledge be aware that you can do two land border entries per calendar year, so that gives 4 months in itself counting extension for each one.

You will need to be fully vaccinated.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by DrJack54

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, JonMac said:

DrJack54 - We usually visit in January and February. In the last 25 years we have visited Thailand about 30 times.

 

We've seen all we want to see and now spend the whole visit at the resort, with walks to the nearby Fishermans Village.

We are retired and just appreciate being away from the Winter gloom.

 

When we go back to our favourite resort, the bed is decorated in flowers saying "welcome home," and that is what it feels like!

A snowbird life is the best of all worlds ... been doing it since 2003, but want to stay long term for a few years when I retire next year ...

[JayBird]

15 hours ago, clearance said:

theoretically, the longest tourist visa that you can get is 20-year elite visa ????

Technically it's a 5 year visa.  Thailand Elite will issue the visa as often as you like depending on how much you pay them

[wpcoe]

With a 60-day tourist visa, do you need a round-trip booking when you check in at the airport, like you do with a 30-day visa-exempt entry? 

 

i.e. Would I need to make a dummy reservation for a return flight that would occur within 60-days of my entry to Thailand, or could I either (a) make just a one-way (to Thailand) airline booking or (b) make a round-trip airline booking with the return between 60 and 90 days after my arrival (even though technically the visa I'd be holding at the time of check-in would require a return within 60 days)?

 

I know some airlines have Check-In Nazi agents and would want to make sure they didn't create a problem.

[DrJack54]

26 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

With a 60-day tourist visa, do you need a round-trip booking when you check in at the airport, like you do with a 30-day visa-exempt entry? 

 

i.e. Would I need to make a dummy reservation for a return flight that would occur within 60-days of my entry to Thailand, or could I either (a) make just a one-way (to Thailand) airline booking or (b) make a round-trip airline booking with the return between 60 and 90 days after my arrival (even though technically the visa I'd be holding at the time of check-in would require a return within 60 days)?

 

I know some airlines have Check-In Nazi agents and would want to make sure they didn't create a problem.

Any visa or reentry permit would not require an onward ticket for boarding pass airline check in.

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by DrJack54

[roobaa01]

G day

I think the non-xo 10 yrs tourist visa is cheap er than the elite one.

 

Wbr

Roobaa01

Edited September 15, 2021 by roobaa01

[ubonjoe]

18 minutes ago, roobaa01 said:

I think the non-xo 10 yrs tourist visa is cheap er than the elite one.

The non-ox visa is only for those 50 years or older for retirement and it is not a tourist visa.

You also have to have money in the bank or proof of income to get it.

[roobaa01]

@ubonjoe yes but the money is still Mine in comparision to 20 yrs elite thb 1.5 mil gone.

 

Cheers

Roobaa01

Edited September 15, 2021 by roobaa01

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, roobaa01 said:

@ubonjoe yes but the money is still Mine in comparision to 20 yrs elite thb 1.5 mil gone.

You have to remember that the non-ox visa is only for those 50 or over. Also there is the medical insurance requirement for the non-ox visa that is certainly not cheap.

There is a Thai Elite visa valid  for 20 years that costs 1 million baht.

See: https://www.thailandelite.com/at-your-service/card/elite-superiority-extension-membership?locate=en&popup=false

For some people the Thai Elite visa is a very good option.

 

[Petsma]

On 9/14/2021 at 7:24 AM, JonMac said:

 We usually visit in January and February. In the last 25 years we have visited Thailand about 30 times.

At the moment the only tourist visa available is the "single entry tourist visa" which allows a stay of 60 days, which you can extend for a further 30 days.

Hopefully the "special tourist visa" will be continued or the "multi entry tourist visa" reintroduced (providing visa-runs can happen). There are many people who go to Thailand, especially the South for 4-6 months over winter. As things stand, they will either only stay for 3 months or go elsewhere.