I Haven't Used Up My 90 Days But Will Use Up The 180 Days - Please Help

[Jabba]

Hi all ,

As for so many other new posters, I assure you that I have gone through at least 50 threads on this subject, but I am still a bit confused. Hence, I would really appreciate some clarification.

Let me try and sum up my situation:

1) My first Visa Exempt Entry (after October 2006) was on April 29, 2007. I stayed for 10 days.

2) I then entered on July 16 on a 2 month Tourist Visa. Left for China on September 5. But as far as I understand, this stay is not affected by the 90-day rule, as it is not a Visa Exempt Entry. Please correct me if I am wrong.

3) I entered Thailand again on September 12 on a Visa Exempt Entry. I got a 30 day stamp stating that I am allowed to stay until October 11.

4) I would now like to make a Visa run on October 11, to be able to re-enter on another Visa Exempt Entry. I will be returning to Thailand the same day (October 11) and plan to stay until November 10, after which I will return to my home country again.

5) I always have an onwards ticket with me. The flight date is changeable, so I always adjust it according to the Visa period. I have never been asked to provide documentation at immigration though.

6) I am far from reaching the 90 days Visa Excempt Entry limit (as I guess you can tell from the info above).

7) However, the 180 day period is up on October 29 (April 29 - October 29). Or that is how I understand it?

My questions are:

A.

If I re-enter again on October 11, do you think I will be able to get a 30 day stamp allowing me to stay until November 10? Or will it clash with the 180 day period which presumably ends on October 29?

B.

If there is a conflict what will then happen? Will I be allowed to stay until October 29 (instead of November 10) or should I expect something worse?

C.

When making a Visa run, is it okay/safe to leave and return the same day? In other words will immigration make a fuss about it?

D.

Can someone please be so kind and explain the rule about having to leave Thailand for 90 days before being able to enter again (for 90 days)? I assume it is only applicable to Visa Excempt Entries? Does the rule apply to my current situation?

I apologize if I am asking questions which have clearly been placed and answered before, but I am really still quite confused and have not been able to locate concrete answers.

Hence, I would greatly appreciate any help and clarity.

Thank you very much,

Chris

[cali4995]

Jabba, hello and welcome to the jungle. Here is the rule:

"Foreigners who enter the Kingdom under the Tourist Visa Exemption

category may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration

of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the

date of first entry." Please note it says 6 months not 180 days.

First visa-exempt entry on April 29th. 6 month period ends Oct 28th.

Tourist visas are not calculated into the 90 days in 6 months.

Second visa-exempt entry on September 12th through October 11th.

Proposed third visa-exempt entry October 11th.

Two possible scenarios are likely to unfold here. #1 the immigration

officer will give you a visa-exempt entry but only until October 28th.

#2 the immigration officer will realize how ridiculous this all is and give

you a visa-exempt entry until November 10th. I'm betting on #1.

Most people who make border runs do exit and re-enter on the same

day, usually within the same hour actually. I guess your other option

here would be to simply get another tourist visa, then you don't have

to deal at all with this tangled web of maybe/if's and nobody knows.

That probably doesn't help you much, unfortunately this all resembles

some nasty algebra word problem with too many unknowns that

nobody wants to touch with a 3 meter pole. Hope it works out.

Edited September 26, 2007 by cali4995

[PhilHarries]

I have answered your questions to the best of my knowledge but stand to be corrected by anyone with more experience. The only problem you should encounter is the refusal of the 30 days. In this case you will have to do a visa run to make up the time to November 10th but even if you were right up to the 90 in 180 rule by October 29th the remaining days are in a new 180 day period so you start with a clean sheet.

Sorry I can't be 100% on this as, from what I've seen and read, the policy is open to interpretation by the individual immi officer, for example I have never been asked to produce a return/onward ticket when getting my visa exempt stamp, so be tidily dressed and polite and you should have no hassles beyond maybe an extra visa run.

My questions are:

A.

If I re-enter again on October 11, do you think I will be able to get a 30 day stamp allowing me to stay until November 10? Or will it clash with the 180 day period which presumably ends on October 29?

In theory, backed up by previous posters experience, you will not get the thirty days. You will only be permitted to stay to the 29th October when you will then have to do a visa run for the remaining days to November 10.

B.

If there is a conflict what will then happen? Will I be allowed to stay until October 29 (instead of November 10) or should I expect something worse?

I don't see that anything worse will happen. You should be allowed to stay until ctober 29 as a minimum and, depending on theimmi officers attention to detail, may even get away with the full 30 days.

C.

When making a Visa run, is it okay/safe to leave and return the same day? In other words will immigration make a fuss about it?

Done it many times myself the only "fuss" you may encounter is the refusal of the 30 days.

D.

Can someone please be so kind and explain the rule about having to leave Thailand for 90 days before being able to enter again (for 90 days)? I assume it is only applicable to Visa Excempt Entries? Does the rule apply to my current situation?

As you have not amassed 90 visa exempt days in the 180 day period the rule should not apply to you therefore your assumption is correct.

I apologize if I am asking questions which have clearly been placed and answered before, but I am really still quite confused and have not been able to locate concrete answers.

Hence, I would greatly appreciate any help and clarity.

Thank you very much,

Chris

[lopburi3]

A. You should receive a 30 day entry.

B. There should not be a conflict these days but never say never using this type of entry.

C. Yes it is OK - but other country may try to charge extra fees.

D. There is no such rule - the rule is not more than 90 days on visa exempt entry in any six month period. If you exceed that you can still enter using a visa.

[Crossy]

Two possible scenarios are likely to unfold here. #1 the immigration

officer will give you a visa-exempt entry but only until October 28th.

#2 the immigration officer will realize how ridiculous this all is and give

you a visa-exempt entry until November 10th. I'm betting on #1.

I tend to agree with Cali, rediculous as it seems they are most likely to stamp you to the end of your 6 month period (it's easier for them to work out). You'll then have to do another border run wherupon you'll get a full 30 days.

If you can obtain another tourist visa there will be no issues.

[Jabba]

Wow! Thanks a million to all of you for the quick and thorough replies.

I think I am going to take a flight to SIN or KUL and return the same day. Or do you think it is better to go on one of those bus runs to the Cambodian border? Maybe the border police/immigration officers there are less thorough than the ones at BKK airport? In any case, I think I am going to take my chances and hope for another 30 day Visa Exempt Entry.

lopburi3, I would really appreciate if you could be so kind as to further explain your answers. Why do you think that I can get another 30-day stamp? Needless to say I am really hoping you are right but it would be great with some backup information.

I am also still a bit in doubt about the "leaving Thailand for 90 days before entering again" rule (question D). lopburi3 says that such rule does not exist. But PhilHarries acknowledges this rule? Can someone please confirm one or the other? I am fairly sure that I read about this rule on some official Thai Embassy web site. Just cannot recall which, but I found this article: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/07...on_30018231.php

In any event, once again thank you all for your answers. What a great forum!

Edited September 26, 2007 by Jabba

[Lite Beer]

I am also still a bit in doubt about the "leaving Thailand for 90 days before entering again" rule (question D). lopburi3 says that such rule does not exist. Can someone please confirm one or the other? I am fairly sure that I read about this rule on some official Thai Embassy web site. Just cannot recall which, but I found this article: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/07...on_30018231.php

Don`t worry.

I can assure you that any information you get from Lopburi will be 100 % correct.

[Crossy]

I am also still a bit in doubt about the "leaving Thailand for 90 days before entering again" rule (question D). lopburi3 says that such rule does not exist. Can someone please confirm one or the other? I am fairly sure that I read about this rule on some official Thai Embassy web site. Just cannot recall which, but I found this article: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/07...on_30018231.php

Don`t worry.

I can assure you that any information you get from Lopburi will be 100 % correct.

Agreed!!

To clarify, the RULE is no more than 90 days on visa exemptions in a six month (not 180 day) period stating from your first entry. The EFFECT is that, should you do 3 x 30 day entries back-to-back you will then not be permitted to use a further visa exemption for the balance of the six month period (roughly 90 days).

[Mahout Angrit]

4) I would now like to make a Visa run on October 11, to be able to re-enter on another Visa Exempt Entry. I will be returning to Thailand the same day (October 11) and plan to stay until November 10, after which I will return to my home country again.

It is likely you will be allowed another 30day entry but what seems to have been ovelooked is that if you re-enter on October 11th you will only be allowed to stay until November 9th . The 30days include the day you enter and the day you leave.

[Jabba]

4) I would now like to make a Visa run on October 11, to be able to re-enter on another Visa Exempt Entry. I will be returning to Thailand the same day (October 11) and plan to stay until November 10, after which I will return to my home country again.

It is likely you will be allowed another 30day entry but what seems to have been ovelooked is that if you re-enter on October 11th you will only be allowed to stay until November 9th . The 30days include the day you enter and the day you leave.

Thanks for the reply!

I am not sure if I misunderstand you. Every time I have gotten a 30-day stamp, they have deducted only 1 day from the 30 days, i.e. entering on April 29 would admit me to stay until May 28 - not May 27. Why would it be different this time?

Am I missing something here? Are you saying that because I am leaving and re-entering on the same day, that 2 days will be deducted?

Maybe I should rephrase my statement earlier. If I get the 30-day stamp on October 11, I plan to leave on November 10. Is this not possible?

EDIT: I think I know what you mean now. I looked at some of my old stamps, and on many of these, 2 days were deducted. Strangely enough on 3 of these old stamps (including the last 2 stamps I got) they only deducted 1 day. I guess the "human immigration officer error" applies here?

Edited September 26, 2007 by Jabba

[lopburi3]

There were only 30 days in April - there are 31 days in October.

[Mahout Angrit]

they have deducted only 1 day from the 30 days

Nothing is deducted, 30days are added.

Have you counted the days?

Say after me....

30days hath September, April, June and November

All the rest have 31 except February alone which has 28

So maybe when you apply in February you'll get a bonus!

[Lite Beer]

they have deducted only 1 day from the 30 days

All the rest have 31 except February alone which has 28

Sometimes