A little advise needed...

[BillStrangeOgre]

Hi, i'm a Brit here in Thailand on a 30 day permission to stay

I first arrived in Thailand last August on a 30 day permission to stay. I have been going out for a month to neighbouring countries and then re-entering on 30 day permission to stay ever since.

This year in January i went to immigration and got a 30 day extension. When that expired I went to Cambodia for a month and entered again two days ago. At the border they queried why i was in Thailand so long and what i was doing. Fair enough and they stamped me in again for another 30 days

My question is by the rules i'm allowed 2 x 30 day extensions in a calendar year. I have only used one so far this year but due to the fact i have been coming and going to much over the past 8 months and they began to question this what are my chances of getting another extension at immigration when i apply for it?

Any help appreciated

Bill

 

 

[Ralf001]

30 day visa exempt entry, not 30 day permission to stay.

[BillStrangeOgre]

5 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

30 day visa exempt entry, not 30 day permission to stay.

...okay fine

[KannikaP]

Brush your teeth before going to Immigration.   555

[Ralf001]

10 minutes ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

...okay fine

To ensure you get accurate answers to your question your initial information also needs to be correct as well.

 

sorry if you feel Iam nit picking.

[BillStrangeOgre]

1 minute ago, Ralf001 said:

To ensure you get accurate answers to your question your initial information also needs to be correct as well.

 

sorry if you feel Iam nit picking.

Okay understood...now can anyone please answer the question? Thanks

[DrJack54]

OP, do one more visa exempt. 

You could consider purchase of "rent a ticket" . Not expensive.

In case of any hassle you could show and explain your going back to own country..

Some borders with Cambodia were playing the "show flight out" rubbish..

 

Suggest Nong Khai if it's not too inconvenient 

[BillStrangeOgre]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, do one more visa exempt. 

You could consider purchase of "rent a ticket" . Not expensive.

In case of any hassle you could show and explain your going back to own country..

Some borders with Cambodia were playing the "show flight out" rubbish..

 

Suggest Nong Khai if it's not too inconvenient 

Thanks for the reply. I just didn't want to waste time and money going to immigration and the chance i'm refused

Your point of having proof of an outward ticket when i go for the extension is a good one. I will have to leave Thailand then anyway so will buy one and take it with me

Cheers 

[JayClay]

1 hour ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

My question is by the rules i'm allowed 2 x 30 day extensions in a calendar year

You are allowed 2 visa exempt entities by air each calendar year.

 

There's no limit to the amount of extensions you can get in any one year; if you manage to enter 5 times visa exempt, then each time you enter you can extend for an additional 30 days.

[kingstonkid]

If you are going to be in and out why not get a 3-month tourist visa.  Seems that would solve all your problems and it is not tht hared to get I am told.

[Jackbenimble]

45 minutes ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

Thanks for the reply. I just didn't want to waste time and money going to immigration and the chance i'm refused

Your point of having proof of an outward ticket when i go for the extension is a good one. I will have to leave Thailand then anyway so will buy one and take it with me

Cheers 

you can't just stay here on 30 day visas, they're not intended to be used for that purpose (even though they have been by many over the years). If IO thinks that IS what you're doing then of course he/she can refuse to stamp you again and insist that you secure the correct visa for your intended stay in The Kingdom. it's discretionary anyway and they dont need to explain why they wont let you back in - you already know though so you also already know that you're taking the mickey. 

[Sigma6]

17 minutes ago, JayClay said:

You are allowed 2 visa exempt entities by air each calendar year.

 

There's no limit to the amount of extensions you can get in any one year; if you manage to enter 5 times visa exempt, then each time you enter you can extend for an additional 30 days.

You are allowed 2 visa exempt entries by land*

 

There is no official limit by air.

For the OP: you will be able to get an extension for your current entry at immigration.

 

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, Jackbenimble said:

you can't just stay here on 30 day visas

It's not a visa.

[Lemsta69]

18 minutes ago, JayClay said:

You are allowed 2 visa exempt entities by air each calendar year.

 

There's no limit to the amount of extensions you can get in any one year; if you manage to enter 5 times visa exempt, then each time you enter you can extend for an additional 30 days.

I think you meant to say 2 by land per CY

[JayClay]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

I think you meant to say 2 by land per CY

Sorry. Yes; 2 by land.

[Tropposurfer]

So glad, so fortunate to not live in that reality.

[AgMech Cowboy]

11 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

To ensure you get accurate answers to your question your initial information also needs to be correct as well.

 

sorry if you feel Iam nit picking.

Actually it is a Visa Exempt permission to stay.  Quit quibbling with the person.

 

@BillStrangeOgre the 30 day extension from immigration (from my experience) is usually not a problem.  Your problems will come at the border or airport with multiple entries. Staying out for the 30 days was to you advantage.  Good luck in you travels. @DrJack54or @ubonjoeare you best sources for info, and maybe @BritTim

[Sticky Rice Balls]

21 minutes ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Actually it is a Visa Exempt permission to stay.  Quit quibbling with the person.

 

@BillStrangeOgre the 30 day extension from immigration (from my experience) is usually not a problem.  Your problems will come at the border or airport with multiple entries. Staying out for the 30 days was to you advantage.  Good luck in you travels. @DrJack54or @ubonjoeare you best sources for info, and maybe @BritTim

confirmed  Ubon Joe saved me on a onwards tix last time--just in case-but they didnt ask to see it....all sources reliable imo

[BritTim]

No problem with getting one 30-day extension at immigration for each 30-day visa exempt entry, or each 60-day permission to stay from entering with a tourist visa.

 

No problem with getting two visa exempt entries by land in a calendar year at most crossing points. The crossings with Myanmar and Laos are to be preferred. The only crossing to avoid at all costs is Aranyaprathet/Poipet.

 

While there is no hard limit to visa exempt entries by air, they carry a risk of a denied entry if you are a long stay tourist (especially after 180 days nearly consecutive, but possibly with other history that a specific official finds objectionable).

 

Entry by land with an actual tourist visa is unlimited, and is safe at almost all land crossings.

 

Entry by air with an actual tourist visa should also be safe at airports. However, historically, it has been known for immigration at some airports to refuse to honour a long stay tourist's visa. That has been seen in the past at both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang, but never at Chiang Mai for instance. The risk of airport immigration refusing to honour a visa seems to be very low at the current time so, if a land entry will be inconvenient, risking an airport entry with a visa is not really reckless.

[itsari]

14 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

So glad, so fortunate to not live in that reality.

You are missing out on the excitment of walking up to the immigration counter not knowing if you will obtain the 30 day exemption or not . 

[Caldera]

20 hours ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

At the border they queried why i was in Thailand so long and what i was doing. Fair enough and they stamped me in again for another 30 days

My question is by the rules i'm allowed 2 x 30 day extensions in a calendar year.

Which border was that?

 

You've got your limits mixed up. You can enter twice per calendar year overland without a visa (visa exempt). You can extend each visa exempt entry once, by 30 days, no matter if you flew in or came overland - so for these extensions, there's a limit of "once per entry", not "twice per calendar year".

[2baht]

21 hours ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

what are my chances of getting another extension at immigration when i apply for it?

Try it and find out!

[bigt3116]

20 hours ago, JayClay said:

You are allowed 2 visa exempt entities by air each calendar year.

 

There's no limit to the amount of extensions you can get in any one year; if you manage to enter 5 times visa exempt, then each time you enter you can extend for an additional 30 days.

No! You are allowed 2 visa exempt via land or sea in a calendar year, and there is no limit on the amount of air entries.

 

OP, there is also no limit on the amount of 30 day extensions you can get.

 

[Lemsta69]

12 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

No! You are allowed 2 visa exempt via land or sea in a calendar year

He already corrected this.