Entering Thailand visa free

[grain]

Just curious if life becomes too difficult here with new tax regulations and I wanted to reduce my time spent in Thailand to under 180 days a year, what's the max time I could be in Thailand entering Visa Exemption with UK and Australian PPs. I have dual citizenships, so 2 PPs. I believe I'd get 30 days on entry and I can extend for a further 30 days for 1900Bt. Is that correct? Could I then get a further 30 days by doing a border entry (have a few nights in Vientiane then back in)? If I could do that I'd spend 3 months in Thailand, then return to Australia for a couple of months and fly back to BKK and enter with the other PP, and do the same again. Is that doable or would I run into problems?

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Is that doable or would I run into problems?

Your plan 3 months in (visa exempt entries) and couple out- wash and repeat is doable.

 

No need to change passports. 

[Toby1947]

Dr Jack is spot on as usual 

[Phillip9]

For about the last 10 years, I've been doing 5-6 months a year in Thailand using visa exempts exactly as you describe.  I spend a few months in Thailand follwed by a few months elsewhere.  The only exception was the covid year I spent entirely in Thailand.  I've never had any problems.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

I spend a few months in Thailand follwed by a few months elsewhere. 

Like that plan.

Out of interest where did you spend time "elsewhere" 

I often suggest Vietnam as a good option. 

[grain]

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Your plan 3 months in (visa exempt entries) and couple out- wash and repeat is doable.

 

No need to change passports. 

The idea of changing PPs is to keep my time spent in Thailand under 180 days in one year. If I spent 3 months in Thailand using the visa exempt method I describe above, then returned to Australia for a couple months, the back to Thailand to do the same 3 months visa exempt thing again on the same PP, that would be it, I'd be sitting on 180 days and couldn't come to Thailand again during the remaining 4 months of that year, or else be classed as a tax resident. However, if one of those visa exempt entries was using the other PP, then I'd never clock over 180 days. That's my plan anyway, unless some can point out a flaw in it. 

[garygooner]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Like that plan.

Out of interest where did you spend time "elsewhere" 

I often suggest Vietnam as a good option. 

Seriously thinking about this too.

3/4 months a year in Cambodia/Vietnam wouldn't be so bad. 

[grain]

1 hour ago, Phillip9 said:

For about the last 10 years, I've been doing 5-6 months a year in Thailand using visa exempts exactly as you describe.  I spend a few months in Thailand follwed by a few months elsewhere.  The only exception was the covid year I spent entirely in Thailand.  I've never had any problems.

Hi Phillip9, are there any danger spots doing this. You do hear of people being refused entry and told they're coming too often and need to get the correct visa. So what are the legal limits? Only one extension at an immigration office for 1900 THB? And how many land border crossings allowed in a 12-month period? I believe it is 2, is that correct? 

[DrJack54]

30 minutes ago, grain said:

And how many land border crossings allowed in a 12-month period? I believe it is 2, is that correct? 

It's not 2 in a 12 month period.

It's max 2 per calendar year.

 

You also ask the following....

" You do hear of people being refused entry and told they're coming too often and need to get the correct visa. So what are the legal limits?"..

 

The problem is immigration does not set a clear limit to visa exempt entries via air.

The scrutiny you refer to is in the main due to very little time spent outside of Thailand.

Some folk even ask about doing return flight same day. Crazy.

 

What's important is time spent out of Thailand between visits 

[Captain Monday]

31 minutes ago, grain said:

The idea of changing PPs is to keep my time spent in Thailand under 180 days in one year. If I spent 3 months in Thailand using the visa exempt method I describe above, then returned to Australia for a couple months, the back to Thailand to do the same 3 months visa exempt thing again on the same PP, that would be it, I'd be sitting on 180 days and couldn't come to Thailand again during the remaining 4 months of that year, or else be classed as a tax resident. However, if one of those visa exempt entries was using the other PP, then I'd never clock over 180 days. That's my plan anyway, unless some can point out a flaw in it. 

You are suffering a fundamental misunderstanding

Any limitations upon entry to Thailand you comtemplate are based on you the person, not the passport.

With same face, birthdate and fingerprints. Swapping passports cant be used as a workaround to any regulation.

[DrJack54]

40 minutes ago, grain said:

I'd be sitting on 180 days and couldn't come to Thailand again during the remaining 4 months of that year, or else be classed as a tax resident.

I think you should chill in relation to any new tax rules mentioned in several threads. 

[Colki]

Being the holder of a passport from two different countries and  having used both  to enter Thailand due to being in either country at different times and wanting to apply for a visa to enter Thailand. I have been asked if I am a passport holder of the other country.

So they of this once they enter your name into the database. As I think Dr Jack advised , no need to worry.

 

 

[grain]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I think you should chill in relation to any new tax rules mentioned in several threads. 

Yes agree, I currently have annual retirement ext + multi-re-entry permit, and that works fine and I hope to just continue that way, all I'm doing here is looking for info for a plan B, should it become necessary.

[Phillip9]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Out of interest where did you spend time "elsewhere" 

I often suggest Vietnam as a good option. 

I like to travel.  It's often somewhere new and usually multiple countries.  My only frequent repeats are Indonesia, Phillipines (both because I like scuba diving), Japan, and New Zealand.

[Phillip9]

9 hours ago, grain said:

Hi Phillip9, are there any danger spots doing this. You do hear of people being refused entry and told they're coming too often and need to get the correct visa. So what are the legal limits? Only one extension at an immigration office for 1900 THB? And how many land border crossings allowed in a 12-month period? I believe it is 2, is that correct? 

 

People posting here that have been refused entry are usually spending a lot more time in Thailand than you are planning.

 

The only defined limit is 2 land borded entries per calander year. 

 

No set limit to air entries.  Personally, I don't enter by air unless I've spent some significant time out of the country. 

 

Correct, you can only extend once per entry, 1900 baht.

[Caldera]

On 1/9/2024 at 10:45 AM, grain said:

The idea of changing PPs is to keep my time spent in Thailand under 180 days in one year. If I spent 3 months in Thailand using the visa exempt method I describe above, then returned to Australia for a couple months, the back to Thailand to do the same 3 months visa exempt thing again on the same PP, that would be it, I'd be sitting on 180 days and couldn't come to Thailand again during the remaining 4 months of that year, or else be classed as a tax resident. However, if one of those visa exempt entries was using the other PP, then I'd never clock over 180 days. That's my plan anyway, unless some can point out a flaw in it. 

 

You're wrong about that. If YOU (not: one of your passports) stay in Thailand for 179+ days per tax year, then YOU are considered a tax resident. Using several different passports makes no difference whatsoever. 

[shdmn]

Does the 2 land border crossings per calendar year also apply to a multi-entry tourist visa?  I just used a border run service from Pattaya.  Cost 3100b and took about 3.5 hours each way plus about 1 hour at the border.  That gave me another 60 days in Thailand which I can extend 30 more days.

 

One thing to be aware of going to Cambodia.  They stick a giant visa in your passport that takes up a whole page, so each time you do that you have one less free page.  I think going to Malaysia is better because no visa required, so no giant stickers in your passport and no visa fees.  Flights to Kuala Lumpur are often the cheapest from Bkk these days.  You can theoretically do a land border run to Malaysia but it would be a long train ride for most people. 

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, shdmn said:

Does the 2 land border crossings per calendar year also apply to a multi-entry tourist visa? 

No.

It's actually "two visa exempt entries via land/sea limited to 2 per calendar year" 

[grain]

1 hour ago, Caldera said:

 

You're wrong about that. If YOU (not: one of your passports) stay in Thailand for 179+ days per tax year, then YOU are considered a tax resident. Using several different passports makes no difference whatsoever. 

OK thanks for that info, you just pointed out a flaw in my plan, which is the reason for this thread.