Staying long term as tourist

[mark333]

I've spent the last two years mostly in Thailand using tourist visas and visa exemptions. Last time the IO at Don Meiang asked me for an onward ticket. I said I didn't have one but I could buy one of necessary. He referred me to his superior and I was let in after a chat. 

 

I will be 50 soon, so he suggested going for a retirement visa, but I will need to be a tourist for a bit longer before changing visa type.

 

I'm in Cambodia now but I'll head back to Thailand soon. Every time I leave the country I leave for around 10-20 days, but they still see it as doing a border run and living as a tourist in Thailand. 

 

I believe they will let me in again, but should I apply for a tourist visa? There doesn't seem to be much point since the visa exemption gives the same length of stay. Should I buy an onward ticket just in case they ask? Is it actually better to do a land border run now? I was under the impression that they were stricter on land crossings.

 

One more thing: I'll need to get a new passport because my old one is running out of pages, so I could really do with 60 days in Thailand too take care of that. Thank you.

 

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, mark333 said:

Should I buy an onward ticket just in case they ask? Is it actually better to do a land border run now? I was under the impression that they were stricter on land crossings.

Yes SETV is only 60 days so not much point.

Enter Thailand via land border best option.

Avoid PoiPet 

 

[mark333]

Thanks. So a land border like Koh Kong would be simpler now than flying into Bangkok? They used to say that land border crossings were limited but any number by air was probably OK. Has this situation now reversed?

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, mark333 said:

They used to say that land border crossings were limited but any number by air was probably OK. Has this situation now reversed?

There previously was a rule of limit of 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year via land.

That has recently been removed.

There is no limit to visa exempt entry via air, however if your history shows extensive stays in Thailand with little time out then you can be denied entry.

This leads to very unpleasant situation. 

 

With your history I suggest you enter Thailand via land border. 

The safest entry via air would be CNX

[mark333]

Thank you, DrJack. I guess the simplest thing since I'm in Kampot now would be too go to the Koh Kong border. I guess they won't check for an onward ticket there? I can always buy one on the spot if required.

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, mark333 said:

Thank you, DrJack. I guess the simplest thing since I'm in Kampot now would be too go to the Koh Kong border. I guess they won't check for an onward ticket there? I can always buy one on the spot if required.

 

That's a quiet and friendly border crossing, so if you don't mind the terrible state of the road to Koh Kong, that's not a bad option.

[mark333]

Thanks. I may well try it this week. But I'm getting a little worried about the small chance of getting turned away. But apparently they can turn you away even if you have a visa, so perhaps I'll just give it a go!

[Cameroni]

You can get  a dummy ticket for 16 bucks online

[Rob Browder]

4 hours ago, mark333 said:

Thanks. I may well try it this week. But I'm getting a little worried about the small chance of getting turned away. But apparently they can turn you away even if you have a visa, so perhaps I'll just give it a go!

The turn-backs happen almost exclusively at the Bangkok airports, sometimes Pukhet, and the Poi Pet crossing.  We do not hear a lot about other border-crossings, because fewer reports of bad things happening. 

 

If they have an issue, you could ask them if a visa would make any difference.  Let us know what happens, in any case.

 

I don't know how long until you are 50, but there is also the DTV to consider - and those have been issued in Phnom Penh.

Edited August 12 by Rob Browder

[mark333]

A guy told me that he had paid a Khmer guy $10 to "help with paperwork" at the border and this guy talked to the Thai officers and everything went smoothly for him. I don't suppose it's necessary to use such a service and it might just be a waste of money. But does anyone recommend doing this at the Cambodia border? Maybe it does help?