How long can a US citizen stay in Thailand each year on tourist visas and/or stamps?

[uzynkotak]

I'm a US citizen, still have a few years until I can qualify for a TH retirement visa. I don't live in the US, just visit occasionally, so I don't know if I can get a Thai tourist visa in the US if it requires applying from your home country. 

 

If I decide spend winters in Thailand, how much time can I realistically spend there each year and what's the best strategy? For example, get a tourist stamp on arrival, extend 30 days, do a  border run twice and extend each time, so 180 days in total. Is that realistic? Or is it better to get a tourist visa in another country like Laos? 

 

If someone stays about 6 months per year in Thailand for a few years in a row on tourist stamps or visas, how likely are they to get in trouble? 

[eisfeld]

Recently a rule was introduced that limits visa-exempt entries to a max of 90 days in a 180 day period starting from the first entry.

 

Quote

Airplane entries may be made any number of times. Entries by land and sea are limited to a maximum of 2 times per calendar year.

Please note that a total stay of 90 days within 180 days (from the first day of entry) may not be exceeded. If a longer stay is planned, a visa must be applied for in advance.

 

Visas have to be obtained via the e-Visa system now and are handled by the embassy/consulate of your regular place of residence. Your best option for now might be to go for a multi-entry tourist visa which allows you to stay 60+30 days per entry. It is valid for 180 days so if timed perfectly it can give you up to 6months + another 90 days so a total of nearly 9 months. Enough to bridge the winter.

 

There are no clear rules as to the limit of back-to-back tourist visas that one can use as far as I know. If you stay 6 months a year chances are it should be OK but there are no guarantees whatsoever and you might be refused at any point.

 

[Captain Monday]

29 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Recently a rule was introduced that limits visa-exempt entries to a max of 90 days in a 180 day period starting from the first entry.

 

 

That would be great if they could set a clear limit.

 

Unfortunately this sounds like the famous many years incorrect andoutdated info from a govt website. 

 

 

[DrJack54]

33 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Recently a rule was introduced that limits visa-exempt entries to a max of 90 days in a 180 day period starting from the first entry

Nup.

 

OP, for 6 months stay what you outline is feasible.

From visa exempt entry + 2 border runs all entries with extensions= 6 months.

OR include a tourist visa.

METV provides up to 9 month stay.

Perhaps overkill but certainly an option..

[eisfeld]

9 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Unfortunately this sounds like the famous many years incorrect andoutdated info from a govt website.

 

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Nup.

 

OP, for 6 months stay what you outline is feasible.

From visa exempt entry + 2 border runs all entries with extensions= 6 months.

 

Can you provide any evidence that the 90 day per 180 days rule is not applied? I quoted directly from the official website of my local german Thai consolute which on the same page has very recent information about new rules so it's not some outdated forgotten page. It was also confirmed to me by the staff two weeks ago.

[nglodnig]

50 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Recently a rule was introduced that limits visa-exempt entries to a max of 90 days in a 180 day period starting from the first entry.

 

Is there a link to this rule? Asking for a friend 🙂 

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

I quoted directly from the official website of my local german Thai consolute which on the same page has very recent information about new rules so it's not some outdated forgotten page. It was also confirmed to me by the staff two weeks ago

They are wrong

[Captain Monday]

19 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

 

Can you provide any evidence that the 90 day per 180 days rule is not applied? I quoted directly from the official website of my local german Thai consolute which on the same page has very recent information about new rules so it's not some outdated forgotten page. It was also confirmed to me by the staff two weeks ago.

 

 

 I have found wrong and contradictory information regarding entering Thailand on these websites.  

-US Department of State

-Royal Thai Consulate - Los Angeles

 

You can enter Thailand by air as many times as you like visa exempt or with a tourist visa, until an IO at the airport says you can’t. I wish they would again publish/set a clear limit instead of arbitrary and capricious decisions made by power trippers with a badge (with a component of racism). 

 

 

[eisfeld]

11 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

They are wrong

 

Can you maybe provide a little bit of information or sources instead of just saying "Nup." or "They are wrong"? That would be much more helpful.

 

18 minutes ago, nglodnig said:

Is there a link to this rule? Asking for a friend 🙂 

 

Here for example a recent (end of September and the rule they say is about to be implemented) announcement (for french passport holders but you get the idea): https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/thfrvisaexemption-2?page=5d5bd3da15e39c306002aaf9&menu=5d5bd3dd15e39c306002ab1d

 

My quote was from the Royal Thai Consulate-General Munich: https://munich.thaiembassy.org/de/page/visaexemption

 

There's a note that changes to the visa application system mainly regarding the e-Visa stuff have gone into effect just just a few days ago (28th October).

[eisfeld]

2 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

 

 

 I have found wrong and contradictory information regarding entering Thailand on these websites.  

-US Department of State

-Royal Thai Consulate - Los Angeles

 

You can enter Thailand by air as many times as you like visa exempt or with a tourist visa, until an IO at the airport says you can’t. I wish they would again publish/set a clear limit instead of arbitrary and capricious decisions made by power trippers with a badge (with a component of racism). 

 

 

 

The information I'm seeing on my local consulates website seems pretty clear (I quoted it earlier). Unlimited visa-exempt entries via air and 2 by land. That though doesn't mean that an officer wont find it strange if someone enters a lot of times by air and might ask questions. It's also in the immigration officers discretion to deny entry if they suspect someone might be working on a tourist visa or similar. This limitation does not apply to people holding a valid visa.

[bigt3116]

9 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Here for example a recent (end of September and the rule they say is about to be implemented) announcement (for french passport holders but you get the idea):

 That is for holders of "for holders of valid official/service passports", not your average Joe

[HauptmannUK]

"Foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption category may only do so for 30 days at one time with a maximum of 3 times in a 6 month period by flight and 2 times a year for overland crossing."

 

From London Embassy.  https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84256-tourist-visa?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

Apparently updated Oct. 2022.  

 

But who knows....?  6-7 years ago I was working in the region and continually in and out on visa exemption.  Just one time an IO pulled me over and told me to 'get the correct visa next time'.

[Chris Daley]

You can get the tourist extensions for 6 months.  The the cop will tell you to get an ED visa.

[eisfeld]

9 minutes ago, bigt3116 said:

 That is for holders of "for holders of valid official/service passports", not your average Joe

 

The second link I provided speaks of general visa-exempt entries. The reason why I included the the link regarding french nationals was because it is very recent and from the offical website of the Ministry of Foreign affairs. I doubt holders of official passports (diplomats) will have more stringent rules than people with ordinary passports.

[Captain Monday]

This link is interesting in reference to official/service passports. In my country these powerful documents are a reddish coloring and held (separate of personal passports)  by State Department staff, Military Officers, etc., for travel

on official government business. 

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, eisfeld said:

Recently a rule was introduced that limits visa-exempt entries to a max of 90 days in a 180 day period starting from the first entry.

 

You presumably found that on an embassy website, or had a consular official tell you it existed. That rule existed for a few months over a decade ago, but was found to be impracticable to enforce and was scrapped. Ignore what embassies tell you about anything but the services they provide themselves (including rules enforced by the Immigration Bureau). They are usually convincing and often wrong.

 

At this time, there are no hard limits for stays as a tourist. Many embassies/consulates have local guidelines they use when granting tourist visas. For visa exempt entries, there is a hard rule of maximum two visa exemptions by land (or sea) during a calendar year. At airports, it is completely according to the discretion of the officials whether they consider that you are using visa exemptions in a manner consistent with regular tourism.

 

Occasionally, airport officials will suggest that there is a maximum of 180 days possible per year as a tourist (and some members here will say that is logical because a tourist cannot be a tax resident). However, there is no such official rule.

[eisfeld]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

and some members here will say that is logical because a tourist cannot be a tax resident

 

Tourists can be tax residents of course. The tax code does not care about what visa one has when it comes to determining tax residency. Over 180 days in the country? => tax resident. Never understood why people want to mix these two different topics 🙂

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, eisfeld said:

The reason why I included the the link regarding french nationals was because it is very recent and from the offical website of the Ministry of Foreign affairs. I doubt holders of official passports (diplomats) will have more stringent rules than people with ordinary passports.

 

Rules that are based on bilateral agreement are usually reciprocal. In the agreement, the rules for French and Thai diplomats for entry into the respective countries are probably set to be the same. Thailand may choose to apply a more liberal policy for French diplomats, but European countries are usually less generous towards Thais.

[Captain Monday]

3 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

The information I'm seeing on my local consulates website seems pretty clear (I quoted it earlier). Unlimited visa-exempt entries via air and 2 by land. That though doesn't mean that an officer wont find it strange if someone enters a lot of times by air and might ask questions. It's also in the immigration officers discretion to deny entry if they suspect someone might be working on a tourist visa or similar. This limitation does not apply to people holding a valid visa.

 

I would accept  your local consulate info as a good guideline.

 

As long as one spends much more time outside of Thailand than in Thailand it should be not a problem to enter visa exempt. But as you should know people who followed the visa exempt rules and did NOTHING wtong have been denied entry, even some with a valid tourist visa.  

 

Since  ”staying too much in Thailand” is not a valid reason to refuse and no way to prove working illegally these rougue IOs just stamp the  passport insufficient funds to support in Kingdom and knock themback.  It does not matter how much money you once they decide to deny you, it is ignored. Many reports of this.

 

The consulates are under Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I guess Immigration cops Ministry of Justice. As we know, the organs of the Thai govt often work at cross purposes. One hand trying to promote tourism, the other denying entry to USD ｍillionaires for ”coming too many times”.

 

 

 

 

 

[foreverlomsak]

4 hours ago, eisfeld said:

There are no clear rules as to the limit of back-to-back tourist visas that one can use as far as I know. If you stay 6 months a year chances are it should be OK but there are no guarantees whatsoever and you might be refused at any point.

If the 6 months happen to equate to 180 days or more, you could find yourself subject to Thai tax on the money you bring in to spend during the whole year.

[freeworld]

US citizens are theoretically rich.

 

Can just buy an elite visa and stay/enter however many times as one likes.

[SiSePuede419]

7 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Just one time an IO pulled me over and told me to 'get the correct visa next time'.

I got the correct visa (one year Non-O "wife support" and the guy at IM DMK still have me a hard time and told me "you have a lot of visas.  Which one you want to use"

 

Me: Uhhh.  The valid one year visa in my passport that I just got (6 weeks prior, 46 weeks remaining on the visa), sir.  🫡

[Jaggg88]

9 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

 

Can you provide any evidence that the 90 day per 180 days rule is not applied? I quoted directly from the official website of my local german Thai consolute which on the same page has very recent information about new rules so it's not some outdated forgotten page. It was also confirmed to me by the staff two weeks ago.

There are many official and unofficial websites around the globe that give conflicting and inaccurate information. You will quite commonly read that land border visa-exempt entries are only for 15 days but that rule together with the 90-day in 180 days (more commonly written as 3 visa-exempt entries every 6 months) was abandoned many years ago. Don't quote me but I think Ubonjoe said 2008. The reason the staff tell you it is correct is because they don't know any difference - despite where they work they are not experts.

[BusyB]

9 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

The information I'm seeing on my local consulates website seems pretty clear (I quoted it earlier). Unlimited visa-exempt entries via air and 2 by land. That though doesn't mean that an officer wont find it strange if someone enters a lot of times by air and might ask questions. It's also in the immigration officers discretion to deny entry if they suspect someone might be working on a tourist visa or similar. This limitation does not apply to people holding a valid visa.

 

Eisfeld I can confirm your research. It's on the Berlin site as well, also updated end of October. So I initially also thought they'd reimplemented it.

 

However I'm inclined to think Dr.Jack is right. I can recall they announced this a few years ago, maybe ten, only to ditch it fairly quickly. 

 

Since there's been no official statement about it being resurrected I suspect it's just bad website housekeeping, or, because no official cancelling of the measure, it's left there by website maintenance who don't feel able to remove it.

 

I've never heard of anyone refused entry with this 180 in 6 month issue, and I follow this forum almost daily for some 15 years.

[BusyB]

10 minutes ago, Jaggg88 said:

There are many official and unofficial websites around the globe that give conflicting and inaccurate information. You will quite commonly read that land border visa-exempt entries are only for 15 days but that rule together with the 90-day in 180 days (more commonly written as 3 visa-exempt entries every 6 months) was abandoned many years ago. Don't quote me but I think Ubonjoe said 2008. The reason the staff tell you it is correct is because they don't know any difference - despite where they work they are not experts.

 

The 180/6 month visa exempt is straight off the official Thai Embassy website in Germany.

 

It's probably bad website housekeeping. Or minions too scared to remove what has not yet been officially revoked. I have never heard of it being implemented before it was speedily ditched.

 

Par for the course.

[Sandboxer]

Until an immi officer at the airport decides to put you back on the sae flight you just arrived on because you're not a real tourist and just trying to game the system. Totally arbitrary.

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, Sandboxer said:

Until an immi officer at the airport decides to put you back on the sae flight you just arrived on because you're not a real tourist and just trying to game the system. Totally arbitrary.

 

... and even if you have a valid visa. That has happened before although hardly ever. So far.

[eisfeld]

2 hours ago, BusyB said:

 

... and even if you have a valid visa. That has happened before although hardly ever. So far.

 

It even happened to me when leaving Thailand. The young immigration officer claimed my visa wasn't real. She said 2 year permission of stay don't exist. Took nearly 30min and a whopping 3 officers wondering about my passport if the stamps are real and looking through their system even though I explained it's from the BOI until a senior officer got a look and told them it's real... so yea anything can happen really :)

[DrJack54]

18 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

It even happened to me when leaving Thailand. The young immigration officer claimed my visa wasn't real. She said 2 year permission of stay don't exist. Took nearly 30min and a whopping 3 officers wondering about my passport if the stamps are real and looking through their system even though I explained it's from the BOI until a senior officer got a look and told them it's real... so yea anything can happen really :)

By all means continue to polute the the OP thread.

All your previous posts re 90 out of 180 day are nonsense and now you post an irrelevant BOI info.

Take a break.

Check your facts next time

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

It even happened to me when leaving Thailand. The young immigration officer claimed my visa wasn't real. She said 2 year permission of stay don't exist. Took nearly 30min and a whopping 3 officers wondering about my passport if the stamps are real and looking through their system even though I explained it's from the BOI until a senior officer got a look and told them it's real... so yea anything can happen really :)

 

Bureaucracies just can't get their heads round exceptions 555