Is it possible for somone in the UK to get Tourist Visa whilst in Thailand

[VoucherBoy]

Hi all,

 

I will be entering Thailand soon on a METV and wondered once that's expired what would be the best thing to do. I assumed it was still possible to go to another neaby country and get a 60 day tourist visa and renter but it seems you can apply for this visa online now and have to be flying from your home country (the UK).

 

Is the only option then to do visa exept border runs after the METV?

 

 

Any advice is much appreciated.

 

 

[treetops]

44 minutes ago, VoucherBoy said:

I will be entering Thailand soon on a METV and wondered once that's expired what would be the best thing to do.

Return home?

[Sheryl]

Single (not multi) entry tourist visas can be issued in neighboring countries but whether you can get one is another matter.  Back to back tourist visas are frowned on as is spending more than 6 months a year in Thailand on tourist status and if you time your entries right you'll have already gotten 9 mos off your METV. Chances of a SETV at yhat point are flim IMO. 

 

How old are you? If over 50 could consider converting to a type O and getting a retirement extension.

[VoucherBoy]

I'm 42 so retirement is not an option. I think the only option will be to get an education visa - we are very happy to learn thai properly so won't be an issue in that sense. 

 

 

[VoucherBoy]

39 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Single (not multi) entry tourist visas can be issued in neighboring countries but whether you can get one is another matter.  Back to back tourist visas are frowned on as is spending more than 6 months a year in Thailand on tourist status and if you time your entries right you'll have already gotten 9 mos off your METV. Chances of a SETV at yhat point are flim IMO. 

 

How old are you? If over 50 could consider converting to a type O and getting a retirement extension.

also would it be unlikely to get in on a visa exempt after the METV? just planing on the options for the expiration of that.

 

Thank you all for helping

[Sheryl]

You might also run onto issues entering visa exempt unless there was a time gap. Sometimes get in, sometimes taken aside for questioning but eventually let in;  Occaisonally refused entry. Note that if entering by plane you'll be asked to show a flight out within 30 days. 

 

Basically they go not want people living in Thailand long term  on TVs . Some people manage it but there is always some doubt as to whether next entry will be allowed.

 

At your age options are:

 

- Thailand Elite visa

-work visa

- educational visa but careful on those as there have been crack downs on some schools. 

 

And marriage visa but for that you need to marry a Thai.

[BritTim]

A visa exempt entry by land should be possible, but you can only get two of those per calendar year. Visa exempt entries by air will be very risky, though you might be lucky if entering at friendlier airports, such as Chiang Mai, especially if you have spent, say, a month in Vietnam. You will probably not be able to get a tourist visa at embassies/consulates in neighbouring countries. You might possibly get one in Vientiane, Kota Bharu or Yangon. Trying in Vientiane might be considered because you can enter visa exempt via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai if the tourist visa application fails.

[bbi1]

8 hours ago, VoucherBoy said:

I'm 42 so retirement is not an option. I think the only option will be to get an education visa - we are very happy to learn thai properly so won't be an issue in that sense. 

 

 

On that note, does anyone know if it's possible to get another ED visa to study Thai again if you've already done option about 8-9 years ago and already studied it for about 1.5 years the last time?

[bbi1]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

A visa exempt entry by land should be possible, but you can only get two of those per calendar year. Visa exempt entries by air will be very risky, though you might be lucky if entering at friendlier airports, such as Chiang Mai, especially if you have spent, say, a month in Vietnam. You will probably not be able to get a tourist visa at embassies/consulates in neighbouring countries. You might possibly get one in Vientiane, Kota Bharu or Yangon. Trying in Vientiane might be considered because you can enter visa exempt via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai if the tourist visa application fails.

Crossing via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai by land, if you have a valid METV are there any risks of them not stamping you in for 60 days and only giving you the same as a 30 day visa exempt stamp?

[DrJack54]

57 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Crossing via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai by land, if you have a valid METV are there any risks of them not stamping you in for 60 days and only giving you the same as a 30 day visa exempt stamp?

No 

[JayClay]

2 hours ago, bbi1 said:

On that note, does anyone know if it's possible to get another ED visa to study Thai again if you've already done option about 8-9 years ago and already studied it for about 1.5 years the last time?

Yes it's possible 

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Crossing via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai by land, if you have a valid METV are there any risks of them not stamping you in for 60 days and only giving you the same as a 30 day visa exempt stamp?

Immigration officials sometimes make mistakes. It is prudent to ensure they saw your visa, and to ask them to make a correction if they do not stamp you in using it.

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, bbi1 said:

On that note, does anyone know if it's possible to get another ED visa to study Thai again if you've already done option about 8-9 years ago and already studied it for about 1.5 years the last time?

People have had problems trying for serial Non Ed visas to study the same language. Consider trying for a Non Ed visa to study, say, Chinese this time.

[scubascuba3]

14 hours ago, VoucherBoy said:

I'm 42 so retirement is not an option. I think the only option will be to get an education visa - we are very happy to learn thai properly so won't be an issue in that sense. 

 

 

You can get another METV if you go back home, i used to do that

[VoucherBoy]

Thanks everyone for helping - still unsure what to do, but we think we will have to attend a good school as we would like to learn the language anyway.

 

????

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, VoucherBoy said:

Thanks everyone for helping - still unsure what to do, but we think we will have to attend a good school as we would like to learn the language anyway.

 

????

If you can find a program at an actual university (there are some) this should work fine. It is the stand alone language programs (some of which people enrol in but rarely attend) that are looked at more dubiously