Frequent Short Trips To Thailand From Singapore

[itsgottabedone]

I swore i would never do this, as there's so much great info on this forum, but i'm posting here because i can't find exactly what i'm looking for after doing a search.

Here's my situation:

- im a UK passport holder with no thai wife or kids ..and no where near retirement age!

- from next month i will be working in Asia for 12 months, based in Singapore

- i've had two visits over the last 5 months to thailand totally approx. 25 days (both times were visa on arrival from UK)

- over the next year i would ideally like to have several long weekends and holidays in thailand. estimate 12 days per month (my work is flexible!)

So should i:

- continue to enter on the standard 30 day visa on arrival, taking care my cumilative stay in any 6 month period does not exceed 90 days (this is my understanding of the rules ? e.g. i could have 20 visits for 4 days at a time if i wanted to ?)

- or apply for a multiple entry tourist visa for 60 + 30 days? in this case should i obtain this from the UK before i leave or from Singapore (i received a tourist visa in singapore before for thailand but it was single entry - i dont think they do multiple?) Also can i return to the same embassey / country to obtain another tourist visa after my original one has expired?

- or should i be considering any other type of visa (my employer is sponsoring me in singapore and neighbouring countries where they have presence, for any visa requirements, but there is no business or office in thailand)

I would appreciate any advice.

Many thanks :-)

[kelvinj]

I would suggest that you use the visa on arrival system, you will not exceed 90 days in 6 months at an average of 12 days per month, these stamps have the advantage of being free. If you do exceed the 90 days, simply apply for a tourist visa in Singapore. I believe you are correct about not being able to get multi-entry tourist visas outside the UK, no problem inside the UK I hope, as I do it each winter.

[farangsay]

The only downside is you may well have to be patient at the immigration counter as , even a year on , they don't seem totally up to speed on calculating whether you are still within the visa-exemption limits.

I waited patiently while my passport , which is just about full , was examined from cover to cover. Things were speeded up when the officer's superior came to have a look and explained to her that stamps from 2003 need not be taken into account.

It has been recomended that , if you have many entries on visa exemption for short periods , you compile your own table with dates of entry/exit and number of days spent in Thailand to help the officer should they appear confused.

[the scouser]

Moved to the Thai visas and residency sub-forum.

Scouse.

[stickyb]

I have a friend in a similar position, popping over from HK just about every other weekend. Using the Visa Exempt 30 day stamp hasn't been a problem at all, just the occaisional long wait for the counting process.

(PS, it's not visa on arrival, just to be pedantic. That is something different, and invloves a long queue of its own)

[Sunny Valentine]

There have been several reports of people having been denied 30 Day stamps even when they were way under the 90 out of 180 days limit. Reasons were that Imm officers having problems with either counting or comprehending the rules, or what gives. So, getting a 1 Year Multi Non-Ö Visa, maybe from Hull, might be the safer bet, as you then would be less dependent on the professional qualifications or moods of the Immigration officers. Guess most people are ok with the counting most of the time, but better be safe then sorry!

Sunny

[itsgottabedone]

Thanks for all the good advice. I think i will continue on the 'Visa exempt 30 day stamp' until i get nearer to the 90 day limit. Hopefully they will continue to stamp on the same page or same two pages on my passport, so the officer shouldn't have to scan my passport too much to work out my total no. of days. If the worse that happens is that i have to wait an extra 10 mins, then i can put up with that ....it is thailand after all!

[Captain Chaos]

Thanks for all the good advice. I think i will continue on the 'Visa exempt 30 day stamp' until i get nearer to the 90 day limit. Hopefully they will continue to stamp on the same page or same two pages on my passport, so the officer shouldn't have to scan my passport too much to work out my total no. of days. If the worse that happens is that i have to wait an extra 10 mins, then i can put up with that ....it is thailand after all!

I relocated to Singapore late last year having worked in BKK for 5 years or so. I got a multi entry 12mth Non 'O' visa without any problems (Mrs CC is Thai). I have to say that (i) the Singapore embassy can be a bit of a pain - just because of the sheer numbers of people applying - some days it's mobbed, some it isn't, which could cause you a wasted trip across town, and (ii) even though I go to BKK most weekends I'm still nowhere near the '30 days in 90' limit or whatever it is. Plus the fact that having a cancelled non imm 'B' visa + extension of stay, and a current non-imm 'O', and a Singapore Employment Pass all in the same passport probably causes more confusion than trying to count the days would!

Conclusion: I'd try using your visa exempt status if you're only going to do weekend trips to Thailand, but if you're planning on taking any longer trips, during your vacations or whatever, I think it's probably worth the hassle of applying for a Tourist Visa, and if you can get a 12mth visa before you leave the UK, do so.

PM me if you want any more info about the embassy in Singapore (happens to be next door to my office) or just a chat. There's a few Singapore based members of this forum.

CC

[Prakanong]

I am with the Captain on this one - if you can get a 1 year "O" in the UK before coming out I would do it.

I am in Singapore too and often make trips to Thailand but will not exceed the 90 days in 180 limit. They do take their time counting but the most worrying to me are the reports of people being refused well within the time limits for having more than three stamps.

I have to say though I always ask them on exit if I am OK and the reply is yes. I have two more trips, maybe three, planned for this year and that will be for less than 20 nights in total - I may just get a single tourist visa for the Christmas / New Year hol's but will just send it through the company as we have people to arrange things like that.

I will also in all likliehood have a new passport next month as this one is almost full after 3 years and I will lose another page and a quarter on Friday for Indonesia - the Brit High Commission say 10 day turnaround but a guy I know who works there told me 3 days if I need it.

Multiple Entry Business Visa's are out in Singapore too - this goes for household name MNC guys who cover the region no matter how big the company.

[itsgottabedone]

Captain & Prakanong - thanks for the pointers.

i had an interesting (actually irritating) experience when travelling from Singapore to BKK last week. The Thai Airways staff at Singapore airport were reluctant to issue me with a ticket having seen multiple Visa exempt 30 day stamp in my passport. Although my total number of days in thailand total only about 25 days in the last 180 days they were totally confused and insisted on contacting their BKK office before issuing the ticket. This was 1 hour before the flight and they were unable to get a response in time. I had to educate them on the rules ! They were doublely confused when they saw my Tourist 60 day Visa from Jan-March. I informed them that this was more the 180 days ago and in any case the new rules excluded the time spent on a tourist visa (was i right i.e. if a tourist visa falls in the middle of visa exempt stamps, within a 180 day period, that time is not part of the cumulative days?). They finally agreed to issue the ticket after some time i had to rush to get the flight. Arrived in BKK and of course no problems.

Prakanong - i'm in exactly the same position as you and will be requiring a new passport shortly. Also going to Indonesia this week - why is it 1.25 pages? for a visa on arrival? 10 day turnaround for a new UK passport at the high commission - do you mean in Singapore ? I'm heading back to the UK for 10 days next month i think i'll get a new passport plus a multiple entry thai visa if i can squeeze it in. I may also be doing some work in Thailand in the near future so may ask my company to support a business visa.

Lastly when you refer to the 1 year visa from the UK - is this the one from Hull or can i get this in London?

Thanks again.

ps. if any of you expats fancy a beer one evening in Singapore..PM me.