Visa extension after many covid-19 extension

[anotherfarangishere]

Hi everyone,

I arrived in Thailand in December 2021 without visa, got visa exemption and with 30 days extension and 4 covid-19 extensions, stayed until 2nd week of October 2022 before to fly to Japan where I'm still right now.

I'm thinking coming back to Thailand next week, without visa, (so, getting a visa exemption, BTW it's 30 days or 45 days ?) and I would like to know if some people less or more in the same situation that mine did get some trouble at immigration office in DM (or even in Suvarnabhumi). I mean people with 4 or more covid-19 extensions who came back to Thailand after some weeks outside the kingdom and didn't have any visa. Thanks in advance.

[Lemsta69]

There's been a few recent posts on this subject. Scroll through the last 3 pages of this branch (Thai Visas, Residency and Work Permits). They should be easy to spot.

[ubonjoe]

I see no reason for you to have problems after being out of the country since October. People that had problems just left the country and came right back.

You will get a 45 day visa exempt entry that can be extended for 30 days.

[BritTim]

How many visa exempt entries into Thailand have you had over, say, the last five years? It is known that once you hit six visa exempts, the immigration official used to receive an alert that you should be subjected to enhanced scrutiny to determine whether you are a regular tourist. (I do not know it this alert still exists, but suspect it likely does.) Against you will be that you have spent over 10 of the last 12 months in Thailand as a tourist. That might be a problem if the official decides you need extra scrutiny.

 

If you return by air to Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang, the odds are that you will be OK. However, it would be safer to fly somewhere like Penang and enter Thailand by land. It would be good if you could get a tourist visa for your return, but the Thai embassy in Japan does not issue visas to foreign visitors. Although short notice, maybe it would be possible to get a tourist visa through the e-visa system. Another option would be to fly somewhere like Kuala Lumpur (appointment required) for a tourist visa before flying to Bangkok.

[anotherfarangishere]

To ubonjoe

Thanks for your answer. Well, in 2019 I left Thailand for 6 weeks and when I came back from Philippines (via Malaysia) DM immigration refused me the entry, saying I past too many times in Thailand... in 2018 ! I was forced to go back to Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, for more than 10 years I left Thailand for few days or even few hours to come back immediately without any problem. I can even say that since 2005, 2018 is the year I spent the least time in Thailand. It's so irrational, so it's why I I'm looking for people with more or less the same background as me with recent experience.

Anyway, thanks again for your comment.

Edited November 29, 2022 by anotherfarangishere

[anotherfarangishere]

6 minutes ago, BritTim said:

How many visa exempt entries into Thailand have you had over, say, the last five years? It is known that once you hit six visa exempts, the immigration official used to receive an alert that you should be subjected to enhanced scrutiny to determine whether you are a regular tourist. (I do not know it this alert still exists, but suspect it likely does.) Against you will be that you have spent over 10 of the last 12 months in Thailand as a tourist. That might be a problem if the official decides you need extra scrutiny.

 

If you return by air to Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang, the odds are that you will be OK. However, it would be safer to fly somewhere like Penang and enter Thailand by land. It would be good if you could get a tourist visa for your return, but the Thai embassy in Japan does not issue visas to foreign visitors. Although short notice, maybe it would be possible to get a tourist visa through the e-visa system. Another option would be to fly somewhere like Kuala Lumpur (appointment required) for a tourist visa before flying to Bangkok.

Since they refused me entry in 2019, I stopped to go to Thailand until December 2021. And I've a new passport since 2021.

I won't find a cheap ticket between Japan and Penang. And anyway, I passed the border à Padang Besar so many times by the past before to take a night train in Hat Yai, I'm a little tired about it. And BTW, the last time I tried to get a Thai Visa in Penang, they refused to give me one because I didn't have a flight ticket between Malaysia and Thailand.

[NanLaew]

After that visa-exempt history, I don't fancy the OP's chances of getting a hassle-free visa-exempt entry. Taking a year off and getting a new passport doesn't erase the prior history from Thai immigration database.

 

After the Penang visa refusal, maybe the OP should make sure he has a return ticket, just in case?

 

Then again, they are gagging for tourists and income so the OP may manage dodge the bullet.

[easydoor]

It is clear you are someone who wants to go to the bottom of what is possible. You have been refused already before. So why you want to take the risck of being refused again? Get the right visa but we know very well why you don't fo this.... CC or not able to fullfil the conditions.....

You are one of those what makes it more and more difficult for people who go the right way. In fact, to be right we you: we don't need you.

[BritTim]

15 hours ago, anotherfarangishere said:

Since they refused me entry in 2019, I stopped to go to Thailand until December 2021. And I've a new passport since 2021.

I won't find a cheap ticket between Japan and Penang. And anyway, I passed the border à Padang Besar so many times by the past before to take a night train in Hat Yai, I'm a little tired about it. And BTW, the last time I tried to get a Thai Visa in Penang, they refused to give me one because I didn't have a flight ticket between Malaysia and Thailand.

You have other reasons to avoid going via Penang, but a taxi from Penang to Hat Yai airport (around US$100) and onward flight to Bangkok is not that painful.

 

I think your risk is fairly high if you fly into Bangkok without a visa, relying on a visa exemption.