Returning to Thailand after staying for over 2 years on Covid extensions.

[AusDieMaus]

Hello,

 

I came to Thailand on a Tourist visa on January 26th 2020. I extended this entry by 30 days up until April 24th. Then the Covid Amnesty hit and I was granted stay until September 26th 2020. After that I held a non-immigrant ED visa from September 25 2020 until January 19 2021. I was on Covid extensions since January 19th 2021 to March 14th 2022. Then I flew back to Germany and have been here since. My question is: Will I be able to enter Thailand again in November? I heard that immigration is very suspicious of people traveling and staying to Thailand too often and will hesitate to grant entry. What would be my best course of action here? Apply for a tourist visa or try for visa exempt entry and extend it in Thailand? I would like to stay until January if possible.

 

Kind Regards,

AusDieMaus

[BritTim]

No guarantees but, if you have been out of Thailand since March and are entering in November, there is no reason Immigration should treat you with suspicion. A single visa exempt entry (45 days) should be no problem, and the 30-day extension automatic.

[DrJack54]

10 hours ago, AusDieMaus said:

Then I flew back to Germany and have been here since. My question is: Will I be able to enter Thailand again in November?

Not a problem.

8 months out no issue to return. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by DrJack54

[daviddunham]

Just have a new passport made. All blank, voila.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, daviddunham said:

Just have a new passport made. All blank, voila.

Won't do a thing.

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, daviddunham said:

Just have a new passport made. All blank, voila.

That will not work.

Immigration can check their database and do a search using your name to find you previous history and link your new passport to it.

[AusDieMaus]

Yes, I tried the new passport thing in the past and it had no impact. The IO instantly pulled up my history on the computer and the hassle was on. 

 

A friend of mine with almost exactly the same immigration history as mine tried to enter Thailand on a tourist visa last month. They questioned him for 30 minutes and also checked his story of wanting to get married by calling his girlfriend and verifying what he had said. I am very reluctant to go back as I am really uncertain if they will let me in or not. I have passive income from Germany renting out a house. Would you think it would make a big difference if I show evidence of this income stream to immigration? What kind of evidence could I present for them to believe my story?

[Caldera]

4 minutes ago, AusDieMaus said:

I have passive income from Germany renting out a house. Would you think it would make a big difference if I show evidence of this income stream to immigration? What kind of evidence could I present for them to believe my story?

Why bother? There are no guarantees that they'd even look at it. If money isn't a concern, just fly to a neighboring country and enter overland from there.

[Pla Simon]

Op - this is my experience.

 

I've been back in Thailand 5 Years since finishing a work stint in the UK.

 

Travelled around a bit, but have stayed predominantly in Thailand, on tourist visas - aswell as covid extensions since the start.

 

I just border bounced today on the last day of covid extension with no problems whatsoever.

 

Sat at home now with a nice cup of tea, and 30 days.

 

Safe travels.

[AusDieMaus]

3 minutes ago, Pla Simon said:

Op - this is my experience.

 

I've been back in Thailand 5 Years since finishing a work stint in the UK.

 

Travelled around a bit, but have stayed predominantly in Thailand, on tourist visas - aswell as covid extensions since the start.

 

I just border bounced today on the last day of covid extension with no problems whatsoever.

 

Sat at home now with a nice cup of tea, and 30 days.

 

Safe travels.

Which border crossing did you use? I did this before before by flying into Malaysia and crossing via a land border at Padang Besar. The hassle was intense there too.

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by AusDieMaus

[Pla Simon]

1 hour ago, AusDieMaus said:

Which border crossing did you use? I did this before before by flying into Malaysia and crossing via a land border at Padang Besar. The hassle was intense there too.

 

Hi there.

 

I bounced @ O'smach (Chong Chom)  Cambodian border point outside of Surin.

 

I swear man - in over 26 Years of living in Thailand,  I have heard plenty of horror stories concerning Thai immigration, but have yet to experience one myself - I have never had a problem - ever.

 

I don't know if speaking Thai has helped me ?

 

Safe travels.

[DanielFR]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That will not work.

Immigration can check their database and do a search using your name to find you previous history and link your new passport to it.

What if you have dual citizenship ? 

[geisha]

Maybe with a visa there will be no problem .

[moana]

9 hours ago, DanielFR said:

What if you have dual citizenship ?

Won't work. You will need a dual set of fingerprints these days....

[DanielFR]

1 hour ago, moana said:

Won't work. You will need a dual set of fingerprints these days....

True regarding the finger print, however, there is nothing wrong with using a different passport when you have dual citizenship. 

[AusDieMaus]

My  friend just told me that the IO told him that if he had stayed outside Thailand for at least 6 months that there would have been no hassle to enter, even with the many stamps in his passport (He came back after 5 months abroad). Seems that 6 months of being somewhere else is needed to raise no eyebrows. Can anyone reconfirm that? Or was this just made up to tell my friend that his 5 months abroad were not enough.

Edited September 22, 2022 by AusDieMaus

[Caldera]

9 minutes ago, AusDieMaus said:

My  friend just told me that the IO told him that if he had stayed outside Thailand for at least 6 months that there would have been no hassle to enter, even with the many stamps in his passport (He came back after 5 months abroad). Seems that 6 months of being somewhere else is needed to raise no eyebrows. Can anyone reconfirm that? Or was this just made up to tell my friend that his 5 months abroad were not enough.

That might well be that particular IO"s opinion and MO for questioning people. Other IOs will invariably have other ideas. You will never get a definitive answer to this question.