How many visa exemptions can a person use in a year

[bigqueso26]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone knows the limit to how many visa free waivers you are allowed per year when entering by air to Thailand.

 

I have used a two month visa which i extended (June – Aug 22′) then two visa waivers (Sep - Aug & November - January, extending this one by a month) with visa runs in between.

 

I am about to come back to Thailand in Feb and am a bit worried they are going to question me at the airport or refuse entry.

 

I’ve seen conflicting reports online that you are allowed up to six per calendar year when flying in and some say only two. I'm hoping to come in and out of Thailand for most of this year with visa runs in between (if I'm allowed) until I return home.

 

If anyone can answer my question or suggest any advice I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

[MJCM]

How long is a piece of string springs to mind!

 

Why not get a Tourist visa in your Home Country?

[DrJack54]

34 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

I'm hoping to come in and out of Thailand for most of this year with visa runs in between (if I'm allowed) until I return home

Obtain a METV.

When you return to Thailand for next visit how long since last exit ? 

[mockingbird]

There's no limit when flying in.

 

You've been in Thailand for the last 7 months on 1 tourist visa and 2 exemptions, all extended. Is that correct?

I assume you are back in your home country. If I was you I would get a tourist visa. You may get questioned, but you almost certainly won't be denied entry. Entering visa exempt with a very recent history of basically living in Thailand on tourist visas/exemptions increases your chances of being denied entry.

 

That being said, the longer you stay out of Thailand between trips the better. Border hopping, in and out on the same day or a day or 2 later, isn't as easy as it once was. Some borders are more friendly than others. 

 

If this is your plan to stay in Thailand for the rest of the year (visa exemptions and tourist visa's), then you'll have to be strategic in your planning. 

 

Edit: .. or just get a METV. Will give you almost 9 months.

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by mockingbird

[BritTim]

As others have pointed out, there are no rules on this. It depends on where you enter Thailand, the individual immigration official you encounter, and the overall impression you make on the official. You can often help yourself in marginal cases by arriving well groomed, and conducting yourself confidently but politely.

 

Your immigration history is not extreme at this time. I would not be surprised if you encountered some questioning if you enter visa exempt, but a denied entry is highly unlikely. Going forward, though, if you want to be a long stay tourist, use actual visas, and try to use land crossings or the safest airports (such as Chiang Mai).

[bigqueso26]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Obtain a METV.

When you return to Thailand for next visit how long since last exit ? 

If I'm honest I wasn't aware of the METV until you mentioned it. I am assuming i have to be in my home country like most visa applications and i won't be returning home until July (I already had a visa application rejected due to not being in home country)

 

So that's why for now I'm planning on using visa exemptions.

 

When I return to Thailand it will be about 18 days since I was last there. I've gone from the Philippines to Vietnam then i will fly back to Bangkok.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

When I return to Thailand it will be about 18 days since I was last there. I've gone from the Philippines to Vietnam then i will fly back to Bangkok.

Ah!!

So a total of 18 days out of Thailand after extensive stay. 

Your plan seems to be fly from Saigon to Bangkok visa exempt.

 

Good luck. Not saying that you would be refused entry but my my you are pushing it. 

 

You won't be able to obtain tourist visa at Thai consulate Saigon as they now require appointment and booked out ahead several weeks. 

You could fly Saigon to CNX to hedge your bets. 

 

Have not read a report of refused entry in this post covid period. 

 

You will need onward flight when flying from Saigon to Thailand for airline. 

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by DrJack54

[bigqueso26]

3 hours ago, mockingbird said:

There's no limit when flying in.

 

You've been in Thailand for the last 7 months on 1 tourist visa and 2 exemptions, all extended. Is that correct?

I assume you are back in your home country. If I was you I would get a tourist visa. You may get questioned, but you almost certainly won't be denied entry. Entering visa exempt with a very recent history of basically living in Thailand on tourist visas/exemptions increases your chances of being denied entry.

 

That being said, the longer you stay out of Thailand between trips the better. Border hopping, in and out on the same day or a day or 2 later, isn't as easy as it once was. Some borders are more friendly than others. 

 

If this is your plan to stay in Thailand for the rest of the year (visa exemptions and tourist visa's), then you'll have to be strategic in your planning. 

 

Edit: .. or just get a METV. Will give you almost 9 months.

 

Hi thanks for your reply.

 

Yes thats correct, 1 tourist visa and two exemptions. And no i'm not in my home country I am in Vietnam after travelling to the Philippines for a week. I will be going back to Thailand after around 18 days out of the country. 

 

So with the METV you can stay for a maximum of two months at a time is the correct? but it's valid for 6 months in total?

 

When applying for my first Thai visa I did not see this option to be honest. I'm a British citizen if that helps.  

 

Any advice to help me extend my stay there for as long as possible is welcome

 

Thanks again

 

 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, bigqueso26 said:

So with the METV you can stay for a maximum of two months at a time is the correct? but it's valid for 6 months in total?

You are stamped in for 60 days .

Every entry can be extended by 30 days. 

By exit and reenter just prior to METV expiry you can obtain 9 months out of the visa.

Border bounces do not count on your 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year. 

Prior to eVisa the METV needs to be applied for in home country.

 

There have been few posts asking if the METV can be applied for eVisa while in neighbouring countries such as Vietnam.

I would not recommend that. 

[bigqueso26]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

As others have pointed out, there are no rules on this. It depends on where you enter Thailand, the individual immigration official you encounter, and the overall impression you make on the official. You can often help yourself in marginal cases by arriving well groomed, and conducting yourself confidently but politely.

 

Your immigration history is not extreme at this time. I would not be surprised if you encountered some questioning if you enter visa exempt, but a denied entry is highly unlikely. Going forward, though, if you want to be a long stay tourist, use actual visas, and try to use land crossings or the safest airports (such as Chiang Mai).

Ok thanks for the advice.

 

I know of people that were in and out of Thailand for over two years on exemptions and tourist visas and although faced a lot of questioning were allowed in every time. I do believe the borders are much tighter now and since covid the world has changed

 

[bigqueso26]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Ah!!

So a total of 18 days out of Thailand after extensive stay. 

Your plan seems to be fly from Saigon to Bangkok visa exempt.

 

Good luck. Not saying that you would be refused entry but my my you are pushing it. 

 

You won't be able to obtain tourist visa at Thai consulate Saigon as they now require appointment and booked out ahead several weeks. 

You could fly Saigon to CNX to hedge your bets. 

 

 

Hi thanks for the reply.

 

I'll be flying from Da Nang to Bkk. People keep mentioning CNX what makes Chiang Mai easier to enter do you think?

 

And yes unable to obtain a visa for now so I'm left with no other option. I'm thinking this next one will be ok but I may face problems for my next entry around April or May. Also do you think I'll have problems extending this exemption?

 

(Don't worry I know I'm trying my luck a lot here)

 

I only really need two more entries then I will be going home in the summer and can hopefully apply for a METV. 

 

Thanks

[bigqueso26]

18 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

Hi thanks for your reply.

 

Yes thats correct, 1 tourist visa and two exemptions. And no i'm not in my home country I am in Vietnam after travelling to the Philippines for a week. I will be going back to Thailand after around 18 days out of the country. 

 

So with the METV you can stay for a maximum of two months at a time is the correct? but it's valid for 6 months in total?

 

When applying for my first Thai visa I did not see this option to be honest. I'm a British citizen if that helps.  

 

Any advice to help me extend my stay there for as long as possible is welcome

 

Thanks again

 

 

By the way i haven't just stayed in Thailand for 7 months solidly, in between each expiry (visa & exemptions) I went to Indonesia for 3 weeks, Vietnam for 10 days and now Philippines and Vietnam for almost the past 3 weeks. I don't know if that makes a difference

[bigqueso26]

4 hours ago, MJCM said:

How long is a piece of string springs to mind!

 

Why not get a Tourist visa in your Home Country?

Hi, I won't be returning home until July

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

 

I'll be flying from Da Nang to Bkk. People keep mentioning CNX what makes Chiang Mai easier to enter do you think?

That's only mentioned as it refers back to 2019 when BKK and DMK airports went crazy and refused entry to some folk. 

CNX at that time did not.

 

I notice in your post to someone else just now that you have actually been out of Thailand on and off.

Think you just give it a go and fly Da Nang to one of the Bangkok airports.

You WILL need onward flight for airline at departure. 

[bigqueso26]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That's only mentioned as it refers back to 2019 when BKK and DMK airports went crazy and refused entry to some folk. 

CNX at that time did not.

 

I notice in your post to someone else just now that you have actually been out of Thailand on and off.

Think you just give it a go and fly Da Nang to one of the Bangkok airports.

You WILL need onward flight for airline at departure. 

Yeah that's the plan for now. I'm thinking this time won't be too much of an issue if I explain myself coherently but I may have issues trying to extend this exemption and most probably coming back after this one expires. We'll see.

 

I'm also starting to think it may be easier flying into a smaller airport as they are usually way more relaxed than the bkk immigration.

I know its not at the airport but for instance extending my visa in Krabi was a 10 minute process and extending in Bangkok was an almost 3 hour ordeal with a lot of questions and much more paper work.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

I know its not at the airport but for instance extending my visa in Krabi was a 10 minute process and extending in Bangkok was an almost 3 hour ordeal with a lot of questions and much more paper work.

Extensions are pretty much automatic regardless where you apply. 

You need a TM30 that enables you to apply at a particular immigration office.

Few basic photocopies of pp.

That's it. 

History in Thailand should not come into it. 

 

 

[Saigon]

Hi,

 

Maybe you'd try to come back to Thailand

from VN via Laos by land. There should be

an international bus from Da Nang in VN to

Savannakhet in Laos, and then you could

re-enter Thailand through Mukdahan. I did

do the reverse 12 years ago, though.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Saigon

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, bigqueso26 said:

I'll be flying from Da Nang to Bkk. People keep mentioning CNX what makes Chiang Mai easier to enter do you think?

Historically, the officials there have been reluctant to deny entry, only doing so when their guidelines on visa exemptions clearly identified someone as "using visa exempt entries to stay longer than is compatible with normal tourism". Unlike some other airports, there are no cases I am aware of where they ever refused to honour an actual tourist visa, wherever it was issued.

[spambot]

I am not sure if this is useful or not, but Flights from DAD to Hanoi going next week cost just over 1,000 Thb  and you can apply for a tourist visa. There is lots of availability to Make appointment i.e 6 available on Monday, cost of Visa is $40. You will need: Passport, Application Form, photograph (size 3.5 x 4.5 cm.), Flight itinerary for ROUND TRIP ticket, Copy of lease contract or hotel accommodation, A bank statement in the past 6 months showing the minimum fund of THB 20,000. Processing time of application will take 1-3 working days it says on the website, but as I understand if you apply in the morning you can usually collect the next day.

 

[Caldera]

I think you'll be fine, but might get questioned upon arrival in Thailand. So make sure you have a flight out within 45 days, cash and a hotel booking ready to show if challenged for any of those.

[bigqueso26]

1 hour ago, spambot said:

I am not sure if this is useful or not, but Flights from DAD to Hanoi going next week cost just over 1,000 Thb  and you can apply for a tourist visa. There is lots of availability to Make appointment i.e 6 available on Monday, cost of Visa is $40. You will need: Passport, Application Form, photograph (size 3.5 x 4.5 cm.), Flight itinerary for ROUND TRIP ticket, Copy of lease contract or hotel accommodation, A bank statement in the past 6 months showing the minimum fund of THB 20,000. Processing time of application will take 1-3 working days it says on the website, but as I understand if you apply in the morning you can usually collect the next day.

 

 

Hi, thanks for the advice.

And how long will the visa be for? I’m assuming it’s 30 days whereas if I risk the visa exemption it is 45 days currently

[Caldera]

11 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

Hi, thanks for the advice.

And how long will the visa be for? I’m assuming it’s 30 days whereas if I risk the visa exemption it is 45 days currently

60 days

[spambot]

11 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

Hi, thanks for the advice.

And how long will the visa be for? I’m assuming it’s 30 days whereas if I risk the visa exemption it is 45 days currently

A Tourist Visa will allow for 60 days of stay  

[bigqueso26]

1 hour ago, spambot said:

A Tourist Visa will allow for 60 days of stay  

This maybe a more wise option for me to go for. Again will my history or being in and out of Thailand for the past 7 months affect my chances of getting a visa approved? Are you allowed as many visas per year as you like or is there a limit? 

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, bigqueso26 said:

Are you allowed as many visas per year as you like or is there a limit?

No limit but in reality continuous back to back tourist visas with minimal time spent out of Thailand will not work. 

[bigqueso26]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

No limit but in reality continuous back to back tourist visas with minimal time spent out of Thailand will not work. 

I’ve used one tourist visa (June - August) and two exemptions with breaks in between so maybe it won’t be too much of an issue? 
I will expect questioning from the officials though.  

[Mad mick]

13 hours ago, bigqueso26 said:

Hi thanks for your reply.

 

Yes thats correct, 1 tourist visa and two exemptions. And no i'm not in my home country I am in Vietnam after travelling to the Philippines for a week. I will be going back to Thailand after around 18 days out of the country. 

 

So with the METV you can stay for a maximum of two months at a time is the correct? but it's valid for 6 months in total?

 

When applying for my first Thai visa I did not see this option to be honest. I'm a British citizen if that helps.  

 

Any advice to help me extend my stay there for as long as possible is welcome

 

Thanks again

 

 

Why not just stay in Philippines lm moving back to mactan island opposit Cebu You can renew visas internally $30 US  per month or after 2cnd month fo 6 month visa for up to 3 years on tourist Visa Thailand does not want foreigners full stop ! I personally l gave up on Thailand 2018 ! I will probably only go for holiday from philippines Too much red tape  Thailand has become Vasil state of China like military authorities under millatary coup ! dont understand why anyone other than someone married to Thai wants stay in Country does like you or westerners in general Not so much people Military Government only wants ???????????? via CCP Criminal Organisation . Go too or stay Philippines second language English girls are great easy to meet Not talking about bar girls Normal everyday girls are great for dating + like foreigners not just about your money there Gold diggers  in every country , if meet some can marry and stay as long as ypu want no visas married couple register apply all over soo simple !, l have lady friend  known for years unfortunately its Thailand that ended our intensions to live together  l don't meet the Thai criteria on Aussie pension Not US  ! Told her sorry but Thailand made it so difficult for us to be together l broke off our sorta relationship not going to work for us under Thai military Governmen system ! all paper work house registration visa runs this & that ! How much money you have in thai bank !! l gave up we still friends ! she also understands why l chose understand why Philippines better option for me ! Compared to Thailand VISAS & you're welcomed to come stay live ! Ok infrastructure wi-fi , food supply , not the greatest , Best part  access to visa internally renew just go local immigration 15 to 20 minutes all done and out easy rent property no bs how much money you have or anount of ypur pensions is $ just come if you like stay have nice day ????  

Edited January 28, 2023 by Mad mick

[blazes]

Why all the frenetic toing and froing in and out of the country?

Is there a lovely hotty involved somewhere in your plans?

[bigqueso26]

1 hour ago, blazes said:

Why all the frenetic toing and froing in and out of the country?

Is there a lovely hotty involved somewhere in your plans?

Of course, why else ????

[geisha]

Just get a tourist visa as advised 60: days, plus you can extend this for 30 days., Easy.