6 months stay do I have things right? Visa exempt way

[parafareno]

Just to confirm I am gonna book a ticket after this. 

So I will travel from europe to BKK in october 5th. 

I will use emirates for that. 

I will buy a 6 months return ticket. So I will be back around april next year.

But just for any trouble i will buy a onward ticket from here https://onwardticket.com/  that has BKK to saigon lets say on 3rd of november to show to airline company before I arrive to BKK.

Will this work?

And I will extend for 30 days then do border run get 45 days extend for 30 days and do another border run and go home, so that will be around 6 months...

please confirm I dont want to be stuck at airport or be denied entry

Edited September 19, 2022 by parafareno

[rankric]

Proof of onward travel is wise and should put the airline at ease. Showing an email with booking is all they needed to alleviate that concern. 

[Padthaigoong]

I think the consensus of opinion is that back to back visa exempt entries raise eyebrows at airports so three in a row is pushing your luck.

 

Land border crossings ( Max. of two in any calendar year ) are a safer option I believe.

[BritTim]

Your plan (assuming a border bounce by land, avoiding Poipet/Aranyaprathet) should be perfectly fine.

[spambot]

Hi parafareno,

You ask a great question.

I had the same concern on how the Visa exempt would work with multiple back to back Visa exemptions. However in my case I wanted to get a total of 4 back to back exemptions. 

The accepted rule seems to be that 2 visa exemptions are allowed per calendar year by land border crossing. Hence I wondered if a new calendar year opportunity might exist, doing 2 Visa exemptions in 2022 and 2 Visa exemptions in 2023. 

In my particular case I will be attempting the 6 month trip exiting from Thailand after a second Visa exemption and returning to Thailand in the new calendar year with two further Visa exemptions (without returning back to the UK). Hence my trip while being 6 months as your own would be different in the aspect of 4 Visa exemptions rather than 3.

My concern was exactly the same as your own, being while these rules might exist in theory, but what is the probability of being stranded at the border and not being granted entry with a new Visa exemption.

You can see the dates I will use to get these 4 Visa exemptions and also the responses I received here.

To summarise this response feedback I got from my post, the key highlights were as follows.

Ubonjoe: 

Gave a clear assurance that this would be possible.

DrJack54

Gave an emphatically clear assurance that this would be possible, emotional in that this should even be questioned.

sometimewoodworker

Gave a more nuanced response, “Immigration officers are quite prone to looking at numerous entries and deciding that people are “abusing” the system, even though you are within the rules, and giving you a hard time, giving a short (7 day) entry or even refusing entry.”

While some respondents were more certain than others, all three were clear that the border entry should not be attempted at Poipet/Aranyaprathet since this would reduce the probability of multiple back to back Visa exemptions being accepted.

If the 3 or 4 back to back Visa exemptions are possible because of the 2 per calendar year rule, then it might be worth considering timing the 3rd entry for Visa exemption to occur in 2023 to improve probability of success, if you can manage this.

[steve187]

doing 3 0r 4 visa exempt entries with 30 day extensions is possible, but no one can guarantee that immigration will allow that many entries, it's a gamble on each entry you attempt

[daejung]

If you enter visa exempt you need to have a return ticket before the visa exempt period expires (30 days or 45 days after oct. 1st in my case)

 

it your airline checks you will be denied boarding, so better to have a flexible ticket I think and change the return date in case they check.

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

Can you not get a multi-entry tourist visa that would give your six month plus and you only buy the visa once? That seems a lot easier to me if you are eligible.

[parafareno]

8 hours ago, Thai Visa Member 999999 said:

Can you not get a multi-entry tourist visa that would give your six month plus and you only buy the visa once? That seems a lot easier to me if you are eligible.

it is not guaranteed....

they can deny it and give you only single entry visa and than you are in trouble....because you need to go home after 90 days

 

 

[parafareno]

this is concerning

"If entering Thailand by land or sea, eligible travelers holding normal passports will be granted visa-free travel to Thailand twice per calendar year. There is no limitation when entering by air."

so you can only go out once and return?

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, parafareno said:

this is concerning

"If entering Thailand by land or sea, eligible travelers holding normal passports will be granted visa-free travel to Thailand twice per calendar year. There is no limitation when entering by air."

so you can only go out once and return?

Allowed two visa exempt entries via land per calendar year. 

So 45+30(extension) wash and repeat. 

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, parafareno said:

it is not guaranteed....

they can deny it and give you only single entry visa and than you are in trouble....because you need to go home after 90 days

Why would you need to go home? There are embassies and consulates in nearby countries.

 

8 minutes ago, parafareno said:

"If entering Thailand by land or sea, eligible travelers holding normal passports will be granted visa-free travel to Thailand twice per calendar year. There is no limitation when entering by air."

so you can only go out once and return?

Visa exempt entries are limited to 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

There is no limit by air.

[parafareno]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

Why would you need to go home? There are embassies and consulates in nearby countries.

 

Visa exempt entries are limited to 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

There is no limit by air.

oh i get it, first time arrival is by air, then second by land and third by land....and then go home...they always hassle me at the border , last 2 times i arrived to thailand

[bbi1]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Visa exempt entries are limited to 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

There is no limit by air.

Is this 100% the case that there's no limit for visa exempt entries via air?

 

I confused now because others have said 2 entries by air is the max for visa exempt and doing a 3rd by air could result in being denied entry. Other's advised if I want a 3rd then to do the 3rd via a land border. See below thread:

 

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by bbi1

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Is this 100% the case that there's no limit for visa exempt entries via air?

I confused now because others have said 2 entries by air is the max for visa exempt and doing a 3rd by air could result in being denied entry. Other's advised if I want a 3rd then to do the 3rd via a land border.

There is no written rule that limits visa exempt entries by air.

Doing them back to back to stay here could result in greater scrutiny when entering the country. They could ask for a ticket out of the country within the 30 or 45 days allowed for entry and 20k baht or its equivalent in cash.

[bbi1]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

There is no written rule that limits visa exempt entries by air.

Doing them back to back to stay here could result in greater scrutiny when entering the country. They could ask for a ticket out of the country within the 30 or 45 days allowed for entry and 20k baht or its equivalent in cash.

Ok, that's good to know. Is there a set amount of days between each entry back to Thailand for immigration not to consider them "back to back" entries?

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Ok, that's good to know. Is there a set amount of days between each entry back to Thailand for immigration not to consider them "back to back" entries?

No

They will look at your history of entries where you stayed on a visa exempt entry for the entire allowed stay plus a extension and then left to get a another entry.

They don't have a fixed rule since some people make frequent short trips for a short stay in the country. There are people that use them for business reasons or working outside the country and return for their breaks from work.

[bbi1]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No

They will look at your history of entries where you stayed on a visa exempt entry for the entire allowed stay plus a extension and then left to get a another entry.

I presume they get this info to show up on their computer screen via TM30 via hotels and landlords, but if the hotel or landlord doesn't lodge a TM30 they won't have this info on where you stayed.

Edited September 21, 2022 by bbi1

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I presume they get this info to show up on their computer screen via TM30 via hotels and landlords, but if the hotel or landlord doesn't lodge a TM30 they won't have this info on where you stayed.

Nothing to do with TM30 or hotels 

It's all there in pp..

Entry and exit stamps.

Shows how much time you have spent in Thailand and time between those visits. 

Back to back (meaning short time out) using visa exempt entries via air is not a sustainable plan. 

As usual can depend on the io and what they had for breakfast.

Edited September 21, 2022 by DrJack54

[ultramarine]

This thread addresses some of my questions about land vs air visa exemptions.  It sounds like the land visa exemptions are strictly limited to two per calendar year but they are less likely to hassle you as long as you stick to the limit. 

 

But while the number of air visa exemptions are unlimited, you are more likely to be scrutinized and forced to produce evidence of a forward ticket and perhaps even 20K in cash, especially if the travel out of Thailand was obviously for a border bounce only for a day or two.  Presumably the chances for getting hassled at the airport increases with each successive visa exemption.

 

I'm thinking of flying to Cambodia after my 60 day TV+30 day extension runs out and then come back to Thailand after about spending a week in Siem Reap. 

 

It should be no problem getting back in but my question is: if I get a visa exemption, will this count against my total number of allowable visa exemptions per calendar year.  I think not, since that limit of two applies to land entry only.  Is this correct? 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by ultramarine

[DrJack54]

18 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

I think not, since that limit of two applies to land entry only.  Is this correct? 

The two per calendar year visa exempt entries is for entry via land.

Obviously if you fly from Siem Reap to Thailand it's a visa exempt entry via air.

 

Obviously anyone obtaining a entry visa exempt via land prior to Dec 31 will have the 2 count clock reset in 2023. 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by DrJack54

[ultramarine]

18 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The two per calendar year visa exempt entries is for entry via land.

Obviously if you fly from Siem Reap to Thailand it's a visa exempt entry via air.

 

Obviously anyone obtaining a entry visa exempt via land prior to Dec 31 will have the 2 count clock reset in 2023. 

 

Thanks. 

 

So it seems that this unlimited visa exemption via air could be for real as long as you stayed outside of Thailand for a while (like 7-14 days), rather than just an same day or an overnight border bounce.  That's pretty amazing.  Are there any cases where entry was refused after say, four or five visa exemption entries by air in the same year?

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, ultramarine said:

Are there any cases where entry was refused after say, four or five visa exemption entries by air in the same year?

There are exceptions to visa exempt entries via air.

Commonly referred to as Rafferty's Rules. 

 

Your suggestion of visa exempt entry via air and then spend say minimum 7 days out of Thailand wash and repeat.....

That would be great if it was a written rule. 

However it's worse than KFC "secret herbs and spices" 

There are no set rules for visa exempt via air..

 

Good plan is to stay in tune with platforms such as AseanNow.

Watch for any reports of issues with visa exempt at airports.

This was occuring often prior to covid pandemic and DMK in particular were giving some folk grief and in some instances refused entry. 

 

Personally for a long stay I would suggest get the first two entries with visa exempt via air.

Followed by visa exempt via land.

Keep in mind that SETV is also available at nearby consulates. HCMC being one option. 

 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, ultramarine said:

Presumably the chances for getting hassled at the airport increases with each successive visa exemption.

An even bigger factor is the total time recently spent in Thailand as a tourist. For instance, those who have been in Thailand continuously for two years on an initial tourist visa followed by Covid extensions would run a serious risk if flying out and back for a visa exempt entry. On the other hand, there would be absolutely no issue doing a border bounce at almost all land crossings.

[BritTim]

33 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

Are there any cases where entry was refused after say, four or five visa exemption entries by air in the same year?

There most definitely have been. Most unfortunately, there were cases of offshore workers (often oil workers) who have a one month on, one month off schedule who wanted to use visa exemptions to spend their off duty time in Thailand (mostly with Thai wives or girlfriends). IMHO, this ought to be a slam dunk reasonable use of visa exempt entries, but some such workers were denied entry in 2019 after several entries.

[parafareno]

if i am in pattaya where is the best border run to do via land? Poi pet is not recommended....I always did cambodia with a bus before and once from pattaya to laos with a van

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, parafareno said:

if i am in pattaya where is the best border run to do via land? Poi pet is not recommended....I always did cambodia with a bus before and once from pattaya to laos with a van

Ban Pakard is where most people go to from Pattaya.

[parafareno]

On 9/23/2022 at 12:37 PM, ubonjoe said:

Ban Pakard is where most people go to from Pattaya.

how long does it take? Can you return immidiately back to thaialnd?

[0james0]

On 9/21/2022 at 8:22 AM, ubonjoe said:Visa exempt entries are limited to 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

There is no limit by air.

After October 1, Will the land border crossing be a 30 day stamp or a 45 day stamp?

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, 0james0 said:

After October 1, Will the land border crossing be a 30 day stamp or a 45 day stamp?

It will be for 45 days.