Tourist Visa options

[trax33]

What are my options after receiving a 60 day Tourist Visa? Can I extend it once?

Or can I go to, for example Mae Sai and get a visa exempt of 30 days?

 

I also want to add that upon entering Thailand on Suvarnabhumi airport with this Tourist Visa I was taken aside by immigration and told me the reason why this was being done was because this year I had gotten a visa exempt after a (same day) border bounce which they found was not acceptable.

Edited April 22, 2023 by trax33

[Caldera]

You can extend your permission to stay once at your local immigration office, for an extra 30 days.

 

You can also do a border bounce, but there will be some in immigration and especially at airports who view that as "abusing the system", as you've already found out.

[BritTim]

Both the extension and the contemplated border bounce will be fine. Be very careful with flying back into the Bangkok airports in the future, unless you have been out of the country for at least half a year.

[trax33]

45 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Both the extension and the contemplated border bounce will be fine. Be very careful with flying back into the Bangkok airports in the future, unless you have been out of the country for at least half a year.

Should I also be careful with flying into Bangkok airports if I do only 1 extension and not a border bounce?

Hereafter I plan to return with a Non-O visa.

[BritTim]

19 minutes ago, trax33 said:

Should I also be careful with flying into Bangkok airports if I do only 1 extension and not a border bounce?

Hereafter I plan to return with a Non-O visa.

If you will be arriving with a Non O visa, there should be no problem. It is only while you are perceived as a long stay tourist that officials have it in for you.

[Badger18]

10 hours ago, trax33 said:

upon entering Thailand on Suvarnabhumi airport with this Tourist Visa I was taken aside by immigration and told me the reason why this was being done was because this year I had gotten a visa exempt after a (same day) border bounce which they found was not acceptable.

Did they ask you any specific questions or was it just a "don't do it again"?

[trax33]

Deleted.

Edited April 22, 2023 by trax33

[trax33]

11 hours ago, Badger18 said:

Did they ask you any specific questions or was it just a "don't do it again"?

He asked me a few questions maybe to find out if I was working or whatever and then let me go.

[Des1]

2 hours ago, trax33 said:

He asked me a few questions maybe to find out if I was working or whatever and then let me go.

Re: specific questions. I got pulled aside awhile back re-entering at DM from a border hop with my METV. The IO asked if I knew anyone in Thailand? Yes. Girlfriend? Yes. Thai? Yes. He nodded, that seemed to satisfy him (I guess). I said next visit I will probably get a retirement visa. He nodded and let me go.

[Red Phoenix]

35 minutes ago, Des1 said:

Re: specific questions. I got pulled aside awhile back re-entering at DM from a border hop with my METV. The IO asked if I knew anyone in Thailand? Yes. Girlfriend? Yes. Thai? Yes. He nodded, that seemed to satisfy him (I guess). I said next visit I will probably get a retirement visa. He nodded and let me go.

There should have been no questioning when you re-entered on your METV.  That 6-month Multiple Entry Tourist Visa is actually MEANT to exit and re-enter Thailand as it only provides a 2-month permission to stay after which you either need to apply for a 30-day extension or leave the country.  

The METV is meant for tourists wanting to explore South-East Asia, and when timed right you can get 9 months of stay out of it (which requires at least 2 exits and re-entries).

[Des1]

49 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

There should have been no questioning when you re-entered on your METV.  That 6-month Multiple Entry Tourist Visa is actually MEANT to exit and re-enter Thailand as it only provides a 2-month permission to stay after which you either need to apply for a 30-day extension or leave the country.  

The METV is meant for tourists wanting to explore South-East Asia, and when timed right you can get 9 months of stay out of it (which requires at least 2 exits and re-entries).

That's true. However, I do have covid extensions and a previous 9 month stay with a METV stamp in my passport (left Thailand for 3 1/2 months then came back with another METV), so I can see how they might not view me as a legit tourist. What I don't understand ... when I apply for the METV back in my home country they have access to my time spent in Thailand. The embassy represents the Government of Thailand, if they grant me a Visa immigration should honour it without the interrogation.

[DrJack54]

34 minutes ago, Des1 said:

The embassy represents the Government of Thailand, if they grant me a Visa immigration should honour it without the interrogation.

Common misconception.

 

[Des1]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Common misconception.

 

so I did a seach on the Ministry of foreign Affairs website, you are absolutely right that I am wrong ...

"Royal Thai Embassies and Royal Thai Consulates-General have the authority to issue visas to foreigners for travel to Thailand.  The authority to permit entry and stay in Thailand, however, is with the immigration officers."

[travelerjim]

On 4/23/2023 at 10:33 AM, Des1 said:

That's true. However, I do have covid extensions and a previous 9 month stay with a METV stamp in my passport (left Thailand for 3 1/2 months then came back with another METV), so I can see how they might not view me as a legit tourist. What I don't understand ... when I apply for the METV back in my home country they have access to my time spent in Thailand. The embassy represents the Government of Thailand, if they grant me a Visa immigration should honour it without the interrogation.

Being issued a Thai Visa is no guarantee you will be able to enter Thailand. It's Up to the Thai Immigration Officer who greets you on arrival into Thailand to admit or deny you entry. 

[Toby1947]

Why bother we're not welcome in Thailand anyway 

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, Toby1947 said:

Why bother we're not welcome in Thailand anyway 

You mean you get the impression that YOU are not welcome in Thailand anyway ???

 

Your mistake is in making the assumption that you speak for all foreigners (westerners) either travelling to or staying in Thailand. 

 

There are some who want to circumnavigate certain rules, regulations and systems and end up feeling they are not welcome when questioned or forced to ‘hoop jump’.

 

Others, make sure requirements are met and have no such impression regarding the degree of welcome they receive or not. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

On 4/23/2023 at 6:29 AM, trax33 said:

On 4/22/2023 at 6:46 PM, Badger18 said:

Did they ask you any specific questions or was it just a "don't do it again"?

He asked me a few questions maybe to find out if I was working or whatever and then let me go.

It seems that Thai Immigration apply an ‘automatic assumption’ of long term foreigners in Thailand that they are working here...  

 

It's difficult for under 50’s who are not married and of moderate means to find a reliable long term solution - the issue of course is that there are no ‘hard and fast rules’ and there is an vague open to interpretation system in place which sees many foreigners attempting to circumnavigate regulations and immigration offers applying their own understanding often based on their impression of the arrival (call that profiling or impression). 

 

In some cases is a specific number of entries per year, or back to back visas or exempt stamps or a combo of....  In others its assurances that a visitor has sufficient funds and is not working. 

 

For the ‘borderline visitors’ the Thai Elite Visa has provided an expensive yet trouble free guarantee of ’no questions asked’ entry into and stay in Thailand..... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lemsta69]

12 hours ago, Toby1947 said:

Why bother we're not welcome in Thailand anyway 

Please seek professional help.