Advice on whether this would work, please

[DNSEA]

Hi all, I've lurked here for a while but this is my first post. 

 

I want to stay in Thailand for a year. My passport history is thus:

 

Sept 2022: Entered on 60 day tourist visa. Didn't extend and went to Vietnam for 1 month. 

 

Dec 2022: Entered on 45 day exempt, extended and left Thailand on last day and went to Malaysia for 6 weeks. 

 

March 2023: Entered again on 45 day exempt. Asked about onward journey at Don Muang. Didn't have but let me in anyway. I'm currently extended until 1st June. 

 

I just read that I can get the METV and stretch that out to 9 months. I'm thinking of leaving a few days before 1st June, going to an embassy (not sure where yet so any advice on that is welcome) getting the METV, entering and extending for 30 days. Leave, re-enter and extend for 30 days. Leave, re-enter on last day of visa validation and extend that for 30 days. Finally, coming back in on a visa exempt, this will be around Feb 24. Extend that and then go back to UK. For the final exemption I will have my ticket back to the UK booked before re-entering Thailand. 

 

I realise this is pushing it with immigration but I will actually be sticking to the rules as stated, of course TiT but that's the best I can do. I will only have had 1 exempt stamp in the calendar year if doing it this way and I will have a valid METV visa so I should be OK but any thoughts on the feasibility of this plan will be welcome, thanks. 

[DrJack54]

METV you need to be in your passport country or where you have permanent residence status to apply. 

 

Since eVisa has been introduced in some countries people have been asking if it's possible to "get around" the requirement I mentioned above. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by DrJack54

[Celsius]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

eVisa

 

A truly pain in the butt to get

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

A truly pain in the butt to get

Depends on type of visa and which country.

 

[Red Phoenix]

1 minute ago, Celsius said:

 

A truly pain in the butt to get

Yes, but if applying for an eVisa (e.g. METV or Non Imm O-A] can be done when you are not in your home-country or country of permanent residence, that would be very convenient.

Anyone on this Forum that has succeeded with doing that?

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

Anyone on this Forum that has succeeded with doing that?

I haven't seen one. 

It's come up in a few threads.

Some asking if they can apply while not in there own country as per this thread.

 

Recent one where the evisa was issued after he appealed decision however by that time had entered Thailand.

 

Here is one thread with some chit chat. Nothing definitive. 

 

 

[Red Phoenix]

58 minutes ago, DNSEA said:

I just read that I can get the METV and stretch that out to 9 months.

You can only apply for an METV in your home country or country of residence (which in your case is UK). 

You could try applying for an eMETV from a neighbouring country of Thailand and setting your VPN to UK, as that would spare you having to fly to UK to do the application from there.

Do let us know if you succeeded in doing that, as it looks like that would be a first.

 

However, looking at your travel history I see that in the last 8 months you have been staying in Thailand for 6 months on TouristVisa/VisaExempt.  With something like 3-4 months already this year.  So I doubt whether an METV will guarantee you an additional stay of almost 9 months.  You would probably be let in on the fresh METV providing you with a 60 days permission to stay, but I think you will encounter trouble when trying to use that METV for additional entries.  

If that is the case - as I suspect - you might be better off with applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa at an Embasssy/Consulate in a neighbouring country (e.g. at Savannakhet).  

 

@Brittim might provide you with more concrete advice on your options.

   

[Celsius]

52 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Depends on type of visa and which country.

 

 

Canada non-o marriage,

 

They asked me for a list of 12 documents, way more than I had to provide when border hopping to Laos.

[DNSEA]

Ah I didn't realise I would have to be in my home country to get an METV. Guess that idea is out of the question then. I suppose my only other option is an education visa but they seem to be coming down on that now too. Nevermind, I'm not wedded to Thailand I think I'll try other places and then come back a few months later.

 

It's a shame, I love Thailand but they make it so difficult to stay longer than a few months. I just read that the Philippines let you extend a tourist visa for up to 3 years! You don't even have to leave the country either. Think I'll pop over there on my next exit from Thailand and see what that's like. Thanks for the replies.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

Yes, but if applying for an eVisa (e.g. METV or Non Imm O-A] can be done when you are not in your home-country or country of permanent residence, that would be very convenient.

Anyone on this Forum that has succeeded with doing that?

Some time ago, there were reports by two people who had successfully applied for an received e-visas without being in home country. One applied while in Thailand.

 

However, there have been clear statements that you must apply for an e-visa only when physically present within the jurisdiction of the issuing embassy/consulate (as in pre e-visa days). It appears that, at least, some embassies/consulates are now trying to enforce this.

[BritTim]

48 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

So I doubt whether an METV will guarantee you an additional stay of almost 9 months.  You would probably be let in on the fresh METV providing you with a 60 days permission to stay, but I think you will encounter trouble when trying to use that METV for additional entries.  

I do not think there would be the slightest difficulty in fully utilising the METV by using border bounces by land at most crossings. It is also unlikely that there would ever be a problem flying into airports like Chiang Mai that have historically invariably honoured visas.

[Red Phoenix]

12 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I do not think there would be the slightest difficulty in fully utilising the METV by using border bounces by land at most crossings. It is also unlikely that there would ever be a problem flying into airports like Chiang Mai that have historically invariably honoured visas.

Thanks Brittim,

Reason for my caution was that after the first 60 days of his METV, he would already be 180 days in Thailand this year on TouristVisa/VisaExempt. 

So I was not sure whether it would be a smooth ride for him, but your post provides confidence that the METV is indeed a trouble-free way to stay in Thailand even with his history.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Red Phoenix

[BritTim]

2 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

Thanks Brittim,

Reason for my caution was that after the first 60 days of his METV, he would already be 180 days in Thailand this year on TouristVisa/VisaExempt. 

So I was not sure whether it would be a smooth ride for him, but if Chiang Mai invariably honours Visa that would probably be his best option for using the last re-entries on his METV.

When dealing with Thai immigration, a little paranoia is healthy.

[connda]

Tour the Philippines or Mexico.  You may never want to come back to Thailand.
The PI and Mexico actually want your tourism dollars.  Better beer in both places, PI girls are hot and they virtually all speak English. Mexico - great food and Latina gals are hot and family oriented.

[Badger18]

4 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

You could try applying for an eMETV from a neighbouring country of Thailand and setting your VPN to UK, as that would spare you having to fly to UK to do the application from there.

Don't you have to send them confirmation of your flight to Thailand though? They will see where you are departing from.

[Red Phoenix]

2 minutes ago, Badger18 said:

Don't you have to send them confirmation of your flight to Thailand though? They will see where you are departing from.

That's where an onward-flight reservation booking comes in handy, which only costs 12 to 15 US $ and is a fully legit reservation (but it is automatically cancelled by the company providing that service 2-3 days before flight departure).

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, Red Phoenix said:

That's where an onward-flight reservation booking comes in handy, which only costs 12 to 15 US $ and is a fully legit reservation (but it is automatically cancelled by the company providing that service 2-3 days before flight departure).

That wouldn't work.

People are advised to apply for eVisa few weeks early.

The "onwardticket.com" flights are only valid for few days.

Good option for flying visa exempt to satisfy airline. 

You can pay extra and have longer valid status however don't think few weeks available. 

 

In any event imo this loop hole will soon close.

Your passport will show country of departure. 

Thinking it was poorly planned in first place. 

 

[Sandboxer]

4 hours ago, DNSEA said:

Philippines let you extend a tourist visa for up to 3 years! You don't even have to leave the country either. Think I'll pop over there on my next exit from Thailand and see what that's like

Their official tourism slogan is "It's better in the Philippines" - definitely give it a try. I lived there over a decade (and after 2 years away I've already decided to return sooner rather than later, even though I have also enjoyed my time in T) and although you'll run into some infrastructure issues and the food is not as great and varied, I think you'll love the people and the beaches/islands are far better (think more "Caribbean" blue water in nature). Just avoid Manila, s-hole, except for a few modern areas of town.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Sandboxer

[Lorry]

Passport doesn't necessarily show country of departure,  but boarding pass does. Immi at arrival wants to see it.

 

But if you get your e-visa 8 weeks in advance,  you are free to travel around SEA or wherever for 8 weeks before coming to Thailand. You don't have to come directly from home-country to Thailand. 

 

As long as you didn't get the e-Visa when you were staying in Thailand, 

immi would have to check foreign stamps to figure out retrospectively were you were at time of application. 

 

As for the flight ticket that you have to show to get the visa, there are plenty of fully refundable tickets. Not cheap, though, reckon thousands of dollars.

[NanLaew]

9 hours ago, connda said:

Tour the Philippines or Mexico.  You may never want to come back to Thailand.
The PI and Mexico actually want your tourism dollars.  Better beer in both places, PI girls are hot and they virtually all speak English. Mexico - great food and Latina gals are hot and family oriented.

So not very good for the average non-monger with a gypy tummy who is intensely focused on maintaining his singlehood.

[bigt3116]

15 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

You would probably be let in on the fresh METV providing you with a 60 days permission to stay, but I think you will encounter trouble when trying to use that METV for additional entries.  

IF the METV is issued there would be NO problems entering as many times as you like within the validity, a far more likely senario is that an SETV would be issued.