Another 45 day visa exempt air entry possible?

[bbi1]

Aussie passport holder here. I've already done my 2nd visa exempt entry end of DEC 2022 via BKK airport and about to get the 30 days immigration extension. That will take me to the beginning of March.

 

Since it's a new calendar year, would I be ok doing in doing another 45 day visa exempt entry via BKK airport by flying to a neighboring country, spending a few says there then flying back to BKK?

 

Alternatively, if I were to apply for a 60 day tourist visa, which closeby places are the 'friendliest' and best to apply at?

 

Ideally I'd like to get another ~3 months in Thailand before flying back to Oz.

Edited January 9, 2023 by bbi1

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Aussie passport holder here. I've already done my 2nd visa exempt entry end of DEC 2022 via BKK airport

Two entry limit only applies to land crossings.

 

3 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Since it's a new calendar year, would I be ok doing in doing another 45 day visa exempt entry via BKK airport by flying to a neighboring country, spending a few says there then flying back to BKK?

Yes.

[bbi1]

Just now, Salerno said:

Two entry limit only applies to land crossings.

 

Yes.

I remember someone posting last year that 2 entries per calendar year applied to airport entries.

 

Is it really only for land crossings?

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, bbi1 said:

I remember someone posting last year that 2 entries per calendar year applied to airport entries.

 

Is it really only for land crossings?

Airport visa exempt entries have no limit (in theory)

Visa exempt via land entry is two per calendar year. 

[DrJack54]

OP, seems you have already done 2 visa exempt entry via air.

Suggest you do a border bounce for visa exempt entry.

That can be extended by 30 days.

You could do another if required.

Where are you located in Thailand? 

 

Alternatively you could fly out and obtain tourist visa and return no issue.

My favourite joint is Saigon.

Be aware that consulate requires appointment so forward planning required..

Vientiane also requires appointment. 

Edited January 9, 2023 by DrJack54

[bbi1]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, seems you have already done 2 visa exempt entry via air.

Suggest you do a border bounce for visa exempt entry.

That can be extended by 30 days.

You could do another if required.

Where are you located in Thailand? 

Bangkok

 

I believe the 45 day.visa exempt thing is for entries until 30th March.

Edited January 9, 2023 by bbi1

[Salerno]

11 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I remember someone posting last year that 2 entries per calendar year applied to airport entries.

They where wrong, always pays to double check.

 

No written limit for entry by air. There may well come a time where the IO thinks you are extracting the urine and using them to basically live in Thailand (just before covid hit a few people hit that problem with some being refused entry at Swampy and DMK) but I doubt that will kick in again for a while given the past three years and the dearth of "tourists".

Edited January 9, 2023 by Salerno

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Bangkok

Located in Bangkok it's an attractive option to fly to Saigon however being Oz you need an eVisa $25usd

You could fly to Udon Thani return.

Nong Khai border is easy 1 hr run from airport or central plaza minivan. .

That option is for border bounce. 

 

Visa exempt 45 days till March 31

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by DrJack54

[bbi1]

16 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Located in Bangkok it's an attractive option to fly to Saigon however being Oz you need an eVisa $25usd

You could fly to Udon Thani return.

Nong Khai border is easy 1 hr run from airport or central plaza minivan. .

That option is for border bounce. 

 

Thanks. Can the Nong Khai border be crossed and come back to Thailand the same day?

Edited January 9, 2023 by bbi1

[DrJack54]

25 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Thanks. Can the Nong Khai border be crossed and come back to Thailand the same day?

Yes.

For an overnight stay in Udon Thani they have an ok bar area block from central plaza.

Google Top Mansion or "Day Night bars" to give yourself idea of location.

 

Otherwise book return flight with ample time for same day flight back to Bangkok 

 

By way of interest how long do you anticipate your total stay in Thailand? 

Edited January 9, 2023 by DrJack54

[bbi1]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Yes.

For an overnight stay in Udon Thani they have an ok bar area block from central plaza.

Google Top Mansion or "Day Night bars" to give yourself idea of location.

 

Otherwise book return flight with ample time for same day flight back to Bangkok 

How long does it usually take to do a border bounce and back from Nong Khai?

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

How long does it usually take to do a border bounce and back from Nong Khai?

The enter and cross bridge and reenter Thailand is not a long process. 

You don't need a border run company. 

There are recent reports will post tomorrow.

For return to Bangkok same day it's the flights that are more important.

 

By way of interest how long do you anticipate your total stay in Thailand?

Edited January 9, 2023 by DrJack54

[nglodnig]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, seems you have already done 2 visa exempt entry via air.

Before the pandemic I was coming to Thailand monthly (direct to CNX from SIN) and staying a week. Did that half a dozen times on the trot. Never had a problem.

[DrJack54]

6 hours ago, nglodnig said:

Before the pandemic I was coming to Thailand monthly (direct to CNX from SIN) and staying a week. Did that half a dozen times on the trot. Never had a problem.

You stayed a week.

That's very different to staying the 45/30 days obtaining a 30 day extension the flying out of Thailand and returning a day or two later. 

[bbi1]

14 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

By way of interest how long do you anticipate your total stay in Thailand? 

Anticipated stay in Thailand would be 75 days during end of 2022, a few days overseas during end of 2022, and now another 75 days until March. Now looking at possibly a few days overseas in March then another 75 days after that, then fly back to Oz somewhere around early June.

 

Total would be 75 day x 3 = 225 days in total.

Edited January 10, 2023 by bbi1

[DrJack54]

32 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Now looking at possibly a few days overseas in March then another 75 days after that, then fly back to Oz somewhere around early June.

Joining some of the dots I think that your abroad trip end march could be to a place such as Saigon.

There you could obtain a tourist visa for reentry to Thailand after March 31. Giving 60+30 day in Thailand with still one land border bounce up your sleeve which would give you 30+30.

 

If you have not been to Vietnam be aware that it's a ripper. Easily spend couple weeks plus there. 

 

Saigon in particular easy quick access from airport to district 1 which is also very easy access to Thai consulate for a tourist visa. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by DrJack54

[bbi1]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Joining some of the dots I think that your abroad trip end march could be to a place such as Saigon.

There you could obtain a tourist visa for reentry to Thailand after March 31. Giving 60+30 day in Thailand with still one land border bounce up your sleeve which would give you 30+30.

 

If you have not been to Vietnam be aware that it's a ripper. Easily spend couple weeks plus there. 

 

Saigon in particular easy quick access from airport to district 1 which is also very easy access to Thai consulate for a tourist visa. 

Have there been previous reports of the Thai consulate in Ho Chi Minh being unfriendly with people being rejected tourist visas, or is this one of the ones considered to be very easy to deal with?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Have there been previous reports of the Thai consulate in Ho Chi Minh being unfriendly with people being rejected tourist visas, or is this one of the ones considered to be very easy to deal with?

I know Phnom Penh can be so so.

Sometimes on a second time tourist visa application pp being returned with visa sticker attached and a red Void stamp on it as a gift.

 

Can't recall first time application for tourist visa being rejected at Saigon consulate. 

Can occur if it's a second one in shortish time frame. 

 

Saigon is a small helpful office.

By the book but certainly not a place that folk suggest an agent.

Application is made am and picked up next day pm. 

 

It's very handy to Bui Vien street (tourist walking st) 

It now requires appointment so forward planning a must. 

 

I'm actually going in couple of weeks. 

Being Oz I needed an eVisa. That was a 3 working day turn around $25usd. 

The yellow bus #109 is a 20k dong trip (1usd) .

 

[bbi1]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I know Phnom Penh can be so so.

Sometimes on a second time tourist visa application pp being returned with visa sticker attached and a red Void stamp on it as a gift.

 

 

What does that actually mean when it happens? PP issues a visa in your passport and put a void stamp on it so you can't use it at all? Why even issue the visa then? Is it to make it look bad in your passport for if you want to try again at another embassy/consulate or when you return back to Thailand?

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

What does that actually mean when it happens? PP issues a visa in your passport and put a void stamp on it so you can't use it at all? Why even issue the visa then? Is it to make it look bad in your passport for if you want to try again at another embassy/consulate or when you return back to Thailand?

It's (void stamp) normally issued for repeated applications at same consulate. 

[Caldera]

31 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

What does that actually mean when it happens? PP issues a visa in your passport and put a void stamp on it so you can't use it at all? Why even issue the visa then? Is it to make it look bad in your passport for if you want to try again at another embassy/consulate or when you return back to Thailand?

There are several possible reasons for the VOID stamp.

 

A clerk could have assumed everything is alright, prepares and puts in the visa, then sends it to the boss to sign it, but the boss spots an issue and decides to reject the application.

 

If you've used an agent, the VOID stamp serves as proof that the agent actually applied on your behalf, but the embassy rejected your application. So the agent can prove that he didn't just pocket your money.

 

Last but not least, what you said, it alerts other Thai embassies as well as immigration that you were denied a visa you applied for.

[nglodnig]

11 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You stayed a week.

My point was there is no fixed limit (as appears to be for land crossing) on number of visa exempt entries by air - which somebody asked.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

My point was there is no fixed limit (as appears to be for land crossing) on number of visa exempt entries by air - which somebody asked.

Over 90% of folk here that ask about visa exempt entries via air are asking with a history of staying in Thailand not for one week period and followed by time out of Thailand.

It's well know that there is no written rule regarding number of visa exempt entries via air.

That's a given.

It's the time spent in and out of Thailand that starts to cause issues for some.

Your personal travel pattern is an outliner.

[nglodnig]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

It's well know that there is no written rule regarding number of visa exempt entries via air.

If it's well known why did somebody ask it? Is there some point to this? What exactly ARE you contradicting what I posted?

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

If it's well known why did somebody ask it? Is there some point to this? What exactly ARE you contradicting what I posted?

That a week spent in Thailand entering for one week per month visa exempt ongoing is completely irrelevant. 

Enough. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by DrJack54

[nglodnig]

23 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That a week spent in Thailand entering for one week per month visa exempt ongoing is completely irrelevant. 

If it was irrelevant why did you remark on it? As the OP stated/asked:

 

I remember someone posting last year that 2 entries per calendar year applied to airport entries.

 

Is it really only for land crossings?

 

Which I attempted to answer - so why the beef on your part? 

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

If it was irrelevant why did you remark on it? As the OP stated/asked:

That was answered in first couple of replies...here is mine post #2..

 

"Airport visa exempt entries have no limit (in theory)

Visa exempt via land entry is two per calendar year."

 

The irrelevance comes from the fact that the 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year via land borders has been clarified.

 

What folk need to be aware of is that while there is no stated limit to visa exempt entries via air there is a risk of refused entry depending on history in/out of Thailand.

Your history of week visit every month does not require scrutiny. 

[bbi1]

Anyone know how is Penang for a single entry tourist visa?

[nglodnig]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Airport visa exempt entries have no limit (in theory)

And I was pointing out that it it isn't a theory it happens in practise as well. Your snippy comments were unnecessary

[notthai]

On 1/10/2023 at 10:39 PM, bbi1 said:

Anyone know how is Penang for a single entry tourist visa?

I was there earlier this week to apply for a tourist visa - the line was already long outside the consulate building when I got there at 9am (visa application hours is from 9-11am, Mon-Fri; visa collection the next day from 2-4pm. No appointment needed). They only allowed 15 people in at a time and turned away the rest at 11am, so you'll want to get there early. Didn't see anyone having any issues except for a couple who didn't have their photos ready; they only had to go across the street to have them taken then came back in to the counter to complete their applications. I picked up my passport with the tourist visa the next day at 3pm and the place was quite empty. Hope that helps.