Figuring out the best visa strategy - your thoughts

[Baron Samedi]

I've been reading about Thai visas lately.

Have a few questions and thoughts that I'd like to share with you.

Feel free to share your views on the different topics.

Let me know what you think ????

 

Tourism eVisa (1) - Thai immigration is asking for the copy of an "air ticket paid in full from Thailand".

Is there a way to bypass that if you're planning to leave by land (typically for a visa/border run) ?

If not, is it ok to provide a cheap flight ticket from Airasia to Malaysia ?

In that case, would a round trip to Malaysia be enough to validate a new tourism eVisa?

(would be pretty convenient as Malaysia offers 90 days visa exemption - could even stay there for a bit)

 

Tourism eVisa (2) - I've heard that an eVisa is something that you have to pay for twice. Once online and then at the border.

How much does it costs all together?

Does it end up being more expensive than a regular Tourism visa from an embassy/consulate?

 

Border run - Border runs are fairly cheap (2000THB) but what kind of stamp do you get from that?

Is it a 30 days visa exemption with a 30 days optional extension for 1900THB?

 

Visa run - Visa runs are expensive (10000THB) and long (3 days or so).

Is it worth it?

It seems to me that you would be better off doing an Airasia round trip with your eVisa in the pocket.

 

No visa at all ! -  Are Tourism visas really worth it ?

At the end of the day:

- Thailand offers 60 days visa-free  @ 1900THB

- Malaysia offers 90 days visa-free

- Airasia offers Thailand-Malaysia trips @ 1600THB (one way)

- Wherever you stay you'll find mini vans for border runs @ a decent price (2000THB or so)

 

Wondering if I should even bother with a visa...

 

So anyway. Just a few thoughts. Thank you for reading ????

 

 

[DrJack54]

I think you have described the options pretty well.

Clearly you have looked into it extensively.

As they say in Thailand..."up to you".

You did not mention your age.

Clearly under 50.

Nor indicate desired length of stay. 

 

[BritTim]

The best I can suggest is based on the situation as it existed in 2019. There is too little data on the current situation to know how attitudes might have changed.

 

My assumption is that you intend to spend almost all your time in Thailand and/or nearby countries for a long period.

 

Leaving aside the eVisa system, these are the main considerations:

1. You have two visa exempt entries by land in any single calendar year. These are safe, and can be used to reliably enter Thailand at almost all entry points. They should be husbanded carefully, generally used only in an emergency.
2. All embassies and consulates in the region now impose limits of some kind on the issuing of tourist visas. The policies vary from one embassy/consulate to another, but the common factor is that they make their decision based on what they can see in your current passport. Common limitations are the number of tourist visas you have been granted in the last year (total), the number of tourist visas in the passport (issued at any time) at that specific embassy/consulate or the number of tourist visas issued ever at any embassy/consulate in the region. In some cases, they may also look at the amount of time they can conclude you have spent recently in Thailand, especially (though not exclusively) as a tourist. Embassies and consulates in the region can be divided into impossible, strict, medium and relaxed. Even with relaxed consulates, there will still be limits.
3. For the most part, you can wipe the history clean as far as the embassies/consulates you use is concerned by replacing your passport.
4. If you have spent significant recent time in Thailand as a tourist or even on some other kind of visa, trying to enter visa exempt by air is extremely risky, and should be avoided except as a last resort.
5. While, by law, you should be safe entering with a tourist visa, immigration officials at some entry points (including Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang) have decided that embassies/consulates are unqualified to issue visas, and will sometimes refuse to honour your tourist visa. Almost all land crossings are safe (the main exception is the Poipet/Aranyaprathey crossing from Cambodia) and refusing to honour a tourist visa has never been reported at Chiang Mai airport.

The ease with which you can get many tourist visas through the eVisa system will depend on the embassy in your home country. Some embassies have historically been pretty relaxed. Some are much more strict, possibly refusing to grant you more than one tourist visa per year. To meet the travel requirements as a condition for a tourist visa, a local air ticket within the region should be fine. However, take note of the warning I wrote above about some airports not honouring tourist visas.

 

Your general strategy should be:

• Starting with a fresh passport (no or very few Thailand stamps)
• Look to get tourist visas initially at the hard embassies/consulates
• Plan to enter by land or via safe airports if you have spent long periods recently in Thailand.
• Steadily move on to the medium and then relaxed embassies/consulates.
• If unexpectedly denied a tourist visa, use one of your emergency visa exempt entries and carefully evaluate your future plans.
• When getting further tourist visas in the region becomes too hard, apply for a replacement passport and start again.

If your home embassy is generous about granting tourist visas, use the eVisa system to get the visas but still usually enter by land. (even if you use cheap air tickets or rental tickets to apply for the visa). [You can fly out of Thailand, but be careful about flying back. In the past, I have flown to Yangon, one of the easy embassies, but returned by land at the border crossing at Maesot (sometimes flying domestically to Bangkok from there).]

 

Note that some embassies that list an air ticket in/out of Thailand as part of their requirements for a tourist visa will accept an itinerary that shows you entering/leaving Thailand by land instead. This is less common than formerly.

[Baron Samedi]

Thx guys for your replies.

Rules on visas are pretty chill right now.

Immigration is even planning to extend the visa exemption duration by 15 days.

So you would get 45 days visa-free + optional extension.

 

 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Baron Samedi said:

Thx guys for your replies.

Rules on visas are pretty chill right now.

Immigration is even planning to extend the visa exemption duration by 15 days.

So you would get 45 days visa-free + optional extension.

 

 

I saw that report also. Free tourist visas from embassies/consulates may also be available for a while. There are powerful players in the Thai establishment that want long stay tourists. However, Thailand as a whole is schizophrenic. The limit of two land based visa exempt entries per calendar year will remain, and some immigration officials will still not want long stay tourists. I still advise avoiding visa exempt entry by air once you have been more than a few months in Thailand. Using the visa exempt entries by land at the end of each calendar year, however, can be part of a good overall strategy. Just do not use them prematurely early in the year, and leave yourself with a potential major problem if your application for a tourist visa is ever unexpectedly denied.

[Baron Samedi]

Ok. Got it. Thanks @BritTim ????

[DrJack54]

Don't think METV was on OP list. 

Worth a consideration.

Approx 9 months in itself especially with borders opening.