Whats The Maximum Stay In Thailand ?

[balo]

Hi

If i goto the Norwegian Thai embassy in Oslo they can give me a tourist visa for 60 + 30 days . I understand I can re-entry so I can use it 2 times. Thats 6 months.

Then I have to leave the kingdom , so my question is:

Do I have to fly back to Europe or can I get a new visa for another 60+30 in Asia ?

Can I just cross the border and find another embassy?

Thanks!

[thaiclan]

Hi

If i goto the Norwegian Thai embassy in Oslo they can give me a tourist visa for 60 + 30 days . I understand I can re-entry so I can use it 2 times. Thats 6 months.

Then I have to leave the kingdom , so my question is:

Do I have to fly back to Europe or can I get a new visa for another 60+30 in Asia ?

Can I just cross the border and find another embassy?

Thanks!

You should be able to get a Non Immigrant O multiple entry thats 3 x 90 days plus the last stamp which means you can reside in Thailand for a year with 3 simple border runs to obtain a new stamp. Here are 2 tips:

1, If Norway has a Thai Consulate then use this to get your non O visa rather than the more bureaucratic embassy.

2, It isn't 100% certain you can secure a new visa from bordering countries. A better idea would be to Fed EX from a country outside Thailand, or schedule a visit home once per year.

[Briggsy]

You should be able to get a Non Immigrant O multiple entry thats 3 x 90 days plus the last stamp which means you can reside in Thailand for a year with 3 simple border runs to obtain a new stamp. Here are 2 tips:

1, If Norway has a Thai Consulate then use this to get your non O visa rather than the more bureaucratic embassy.

2, It isn't 100% certain you can secure a new visa from bordering countries. A better idea would be to Fed EX from a country outside Thailand, or schedule a visit home once per year.

Are you suggesting posting a passport from, say, Malaysia to, in this case, Norway. I don't think that is legal and I don't understand why you advocate this.

[jstumbo]

You should be able to get a Non Immigrant O multiple entry thats 3 x 90 days plus the last stamp which means you can reside in Thailand for a year with 3 simple border runs to obtain a new stamp. Here are 2 tips:

1, If Norway has a Thai Consulate then use this to get your non O visa rather than the more bureaucratic embassy.

2, It isn't 100% certain you can secure a new visa from bordering countries. A better idea would be to Fed EX from a country outside Thailand, or schedule a visit home once per year.

Are you suggesting posting a passport from, say, Malaysia to, in this case, Norway. I don't think that is legal and I don't understand why you advocate this.

I wonder if it is legal. I know that there are some posters that have two passports for work purposes. If they are in Nigeria on one passport, and their employer back in Europe has their second passport and they send it off to some consulate for a visa to a different country while the person is not in the country.

How different would it be if someone sent you passport to the embassy in another country while you were not in that country? Maybe you could run into problems if you did not have your passport on you while in Thailand.

Maybe you could get around this if you had two passports. You could enter Thailand with one, someone back in Falangland could send your second to the embassy in your home country to get a new visa, they send it to you, you fly to KL and come back on the new visa, then you send your first passport back to Falangland when it gets close to the time for visa to expire. They get a new visa and send it back. This would make it appear that you are always getting the visa from your home country and you would always have the passport that you entered Thailand on you. I don't think there is any requirement for the visa holder to show up in person at the embassy, so this should be legal if you have two passports.

Edited November 20, 2007 by jstumbo

[mattias33]

I wonder if it is legal. I know that there are some posters that have two passports for work purposes. If they are in Nigeria on one passport, and their employer back in Europe has their second passport and they send it off to some consulate for a visa to a different country while the person is not in the country.

How different would it be if someone sent you passport to the embassy in another country while you were not in that country? Maybe you could run into problems if you did not have your passport on you while in Thailand.

Hmmmm

Now there´s an interresting question we not seen before on this forum. Anybody with legal knowledge in this? I been working like that for many years (employer in Sweden had a extra passport for me that was sent for visa-appl. while i was abroad with another passport), makes me wonder if it realy was leagal? As far as i know you are suppose to be in the same country that your passport is. And as far as i know you are suppose to have a passport when you are in a country you are not a member of. But then again, what about when you have 2 passports?

[LivinginKata]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

[gzu88bv]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

Do you really think this is legal?

Here my take:

I once owned 3 normal Swiss passports while working for a Swiss exporting company and had to travel to countries like the Eastern Block and Africa.

I was allowed to travel with just one passport at a time, while the other 2 passports were either at an embassy back home in Switzerland or with the company itself I was employed for. Never ever it was allowed to send passports around or outside of Switzerland, except from the base of my employer to an in-country embassy.

My employer had to guarantee that in writing and was responsible for any wrongdoings. And I only remember that when I applied for this feature, Swiss authorities did check thoroughly on me and when the agreement for 3 passports was signed, I also had to hand in a so-called police report.

And as a side note, early this year I wrote a personal letter to my Ambassador here in Bangkok and asked him explaining my past, if a second passport would be possible and he wrote back and told me that this is only meant for business people and companies Swiss authorities could really trust on.

[stevemiddie]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

Jeeeeeeez really?

If it was legal...............great! I suspect though it is not legal.

I can just imagine you being stood in queue at the airport, Imm official notes the visa.............but no corresponding exit/entry stamps. Whilst you are being escorted to the IDC I can just imagine you protesting............" But DHS says its ok! "

I wish you luck.

[jstumbo]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

Jeeeeeeez really?

If it was legal...............great! I suspect though it is not legal.

I can just imagine you being stood in queue at the airport, Imm official notes the visa.............but no corresponding exit/entry stamps. Whilst you are being escorted to the IDC I can just imagine you protesting............" But DHS says its ok! "

I wish you luck.

Maybe it is just a Swiss requirement that his company has to hold one of his passports, because many people have more than one passport in their possesion. So if his company can do it and it is not a problem, I do not see why a private citizen would not be able to do it.

I can't see a problem as long as you have the passport that you entered Thailand on with you. Your second passport should be able to go wherever it wants. Sure if you send it to Malaysia, they might look for the Malay stamp, and there should be one. But as a US citizen, when I go back to the US, they do not stamp my passport. The Thai embassy the US in would have no way to tell when I entered the US.

That said, if the Thai embassy has some way to check to see if I am in Thailand at that moment, then they might be able to do something. Plus, does Thailand have a rule for visas that you have to be in the country where you are applying for a visa? If so, then it seems like it would stop the previous posters employer from getting a visa for thailand for employees, because they would not be in the country.

[LivinginKata]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

Jeeeeeeez really?

If it was legal...............great! I suspect though it is not legal.

I can just imagine you being stood in queue at the airport, Imm official notes the visa.............but no corresponding exit/entry stamps. Whilst you are being escorted to the IDC I can just imagine you protesting............" But DHS says its ok! "

I wish you luck.

Perhaps I should explain that my (one & only) passport was returned to me in Thailand prior to expiry of current entry/exit permit, therefore the fact that the passport had been out of the Thailand would not be known to the exit Thai immigration officer. Cleary it is vital that your passport must return to Thailand BEFORE the expiry of current visa or entry/exit stamp, else you would be in big trouble.

[lopburi3]

1. You can not obtain a valid Thai visa from outside Thailand when in Thailand. Although seldom has been checked in the past, by most accounts, I would not make any bets on the future. Your name/DOB are great search terms.

2. Consulates will normally only issue a visa to those that show themselves to be within there consular districts when making application. Obviously not all are created equal and some have failed to check very closely. This seems to be watched closer these days.

[Manchester]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

Jeeeeeeez really?

If it was legal...............great! I suspect though it is not legal.

I can just imagine you being stood in queue at the airport, Imm official notes the visa.............but no corresponding exit/entry stamps. Whilst you are being escorted to the IDC I can just imagine you protesting............" But DHS says its ok! "

I wish you luck.

Perhaps I should explain that my (one & only) passport was returned to me in Thailand prior to expiry of current entry/exit permit, therefore the fact that the passport had been out of the Thailand would not be known to the exit Thai immigration officer. Cleary it is vital that your passport must return to Thailand BEFORE the expiry of current visa or entry/exit stamp, else you would be in big trouble.

You are riding a tiger with this one.

Any visa obtained by post in another country whilst you are IN Thailand is void and you are liable to arrest and deportation if it is discovered.

[LivinginKata]

1. You can not obtain a valid Thai visa from outside Thailand when in Thailand. Although seldom has been checked in the past, by most accounts, I would not make any bets on the future. Your name/DOB are great search terms.

2. Consulates will normally only issue a visa to those that show themselves to be within there consular districts when making application. Obviously not all are created equal and some have failed to check very closely. This seems to be watched closer these days.

In the distant past I applied for a non-imm visa from the Thai consulate in Brisbane with passport DHL from Phuket to Thailand. I had heard of other people doing this and I had been sceptical of the legality of this. So I made email contact with the Brisbane Thai consulate and was assured 'no problem' so long as enough time to DHL my passport back before expirt of current visa etc.

As an interesting side note, I was shocked to receive the wrong passport, and had some anxious days waiting for MY passport to arrive. I guess the Maltese seaman was also anxiously waiting for HIS passport.

It's my understanding that the Brisbane consulte ceased this practice after just a few months.

[stevemiddie]

It's my understanding that the Brisbane consulte ceased this practice after just a few months.

They probably read the Thai Immigration rules and thought..................Ooooooooops!!

[gzu88bv]

How different would it be if someone sent you passport to the embassy in another country while you were not in that country? Maybe you could run into problems if you did not have your passport on you while in Thailand.

I just want to add that visas I needed were applied for at embassies in Switzerland. Never ever my employer forwarded a passport to i.e. Lagos / Nigeria in case I had to go to Czech Republik and the Czech visa was missing in my passport. In such a case I always had to come home and pick up another passport with the corresponding visa. Quite often my flight schedule was such tight that my secretaries had to bring the passport to Zurich airport.

[zink]

2. Consulates will normally only issue a visa to those that show themselves to be within there consular districts when making application. Obviously not all are created equal and some have failed to check very closely. This seems to be watched closer these days.

That definitely isn't true. What about those geographically large countries with a single Thai consulate? Is it very feasible to require applicants to travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers to just make an application. Actually, working hours for visa applications are so inconvinient in many consulates, that's it sometimes difficult to make an application in person even if you live nearby.

About two passports: different countries seems to have different rules. I was able to get a second passport just by writing a short explanation (my passport was at embassy because of visa application and I had to make an urgent trip abroad). I got my second passport after 30 minutes of waiting.

Edited November 20, 2007 by zink

[lopburi3]

I said nothing about doing it in person. I said you needed to be in the Consular district of administration (which may be more than one country in some cases). Your mailing address shows that.

[astral]

Perhaps I should explain that my (one & only) passport was returned to me in Thailand prior to expiry of current entry/exit permit, therefore the fact that the passport had been out of the Thailand would not be known to the exit Thai immigration officer. Cleary it is vital that your passport must return to Thailand BEFORE the expiry of current visa or entry/exit stamp, else you would be in big trouble.

It is unlikely that the Embassy/Consulate will issue a new visa whilst the current stamps show that you are still in Thailand.

They do look at your previous history, more so today tan ever in the past.

[zink]

I said nothing about doing it in person. I said you needed to be in the Consular district of administration (which may be more than one country in some cases). Your mailing address shows that.

How exactly is consulate supposed to check wherever the person is really located in "Consular district of administration" at that moment? You can ask your friend living in your home country to go to consulate and leave your application, or just mail it from his/her address. In addition, it's possible for you to have a valid address in your home country even thought you're basically living in Thailand.

[Manchester]

I said nothing about doing it in person. I said you needed to be in the Consular district of administration (which may be more than one country in some cases). Your mailing address shows that.

How exactly is consulate supposed to check wherever the person is really located in "Consular district of administration" at that moment? You can ask your friend living in your home country to go to consulate and leave your application, or just mail it from his/her address. In addition, it's possible for you to have a valid address in your home country even thought you're basically living in Thailand.

If you have been in Thailand............the consulate etc would probably be aware that there should be an exit stamp. How does one get around that when a passport is posted from Thailand?

[balo]

HI

So I can apply for a Non Immigrant O multiple entry , without any problems, will they ask me any questions?

We only have one embassy here in Oslo.

Im planning to stay for 12 months , so that would be perfect and I dont have to spend money for a ticket back to Europe after 6 months...?

Hi

If i goto the Norwegian Thai embassy in Oslo they can give me a tourist visa for 60 + 30 days . I understand I can re-entry so I can use it 2 times. Thats 6 months.

Then I have to leave the kingdom , so my question is:

Do I have to fly back to Europe or can I get a new visa for another 60+30 in Asia ?

Can I just cross the border and find another embassy?

Thanks!

You should be able to get a Non Immigrant O multiple entry thats 3 x 90 days plus the last stamp which means you can reside in Thailand for a year with 3 simple border runs to obtain a new stamp. Here are 2 tips:

1, If Norway has a Thai Consulate then use this to get your non O visa rather than the more bureaucratic embassy.

2, It isn't 100% certain you can secure a new visa from bordering countries. A better idea would be to Fed EX from a country outside Thailand, or schedule a visit home once per year.

[lopburi3]

I suspect there would be questions asked and unless you have a valid reason a non immigrant visa would not be issued. Very few consulates issue that type of visa for those without specific qualifications. If you have a Thai wife there is a better chance; but even then it might only be a single entry visa. A double tourist entry is probably the best you can reasonable hope for and you may not be able to do that a second time (although that can only be guesswork this far in advance). You can probably obtain at least one more tourist visa in the local area but beyond that is a gray area. If you intend to study (University or language) that may open a new road. Employment would open another.

[emmezeta]

I suspect there would be questions asked and unless you have a valid reason a non immigrant visa would not be issued. Very few consulates issue that type of visa for those without specific qualifications. If you have a Thai wife there is a better chance; but even then it might only be a single entry visa. A double tourist entry is probably the best you can reasonable hope for and you may not be able to do that a second time (although that can only be guesswork this far in advance). You can probably obtain at least one more tourist visa in the local area but beyond that is a gray area. If you intend to study (University or language) that may open a new road. Employment would open another.

Same in Italy. Only TV any numer of entry.....and any number needed. There is no limitation of TV for real turists (words form my embassy...)

After 50 a non O but only 3 month.

[corkscrew]

In the past I have used DHL to send my passport out of Thailand. DHL first take the passport to the nearest Immigration Office to register the passport is being sent out of the country. I am assured by DHL that this is all proper and legal.....

Jeeeeeeez really?

If it was legal...............great! I suspect though it is not legal.

I can just imagine you being stood in queue at the airport, Imm official notes the visa.............but no corresponding exit/entry stamps. Whilst you are being escorted to the IDC I can just imagine you protesting............" But DHS says its ok! "

I wish you luck.

Maybe it is just a Swiss requirement that his company has to hold one of his passports, because many people have more than one passport in their possesion. So if his company can do it and it is not a problem, I do not see why a private citizen would not be able to do it.

I can't see a problem as long as you have the passport that you entered Thailand on with you. Your second passport should be able to go wherever it wants. Sure if you send it to Malaysia, they might look for the Malay stamp, and there should be one. But as a US citizen, when I go back to the US, they do not stamp my passport. The Thai embassy the US in would have no way to tell when I entered the US.

That said, if the Thai embassy has some way to check to see if I am in Thailand at that moment, then they might be able to do something. Plus, does Thailand have a rule for visas that you have to be in the country where you are applying for a visa? If so, then it seems like it would stop the previous posters employer from getting a visa for thailand for employees, because they would not be in the country.

Whenever I return to the US they always stamp my passport. It's only when leaving the US that they don't stamp my passport.

[lopburi3]

I have not entered the USA since 2003 but have no stamps between 1997 and 2003 and made trips every year or two. Have they started to stamp US passports on entry again?

[oldmerlin]

We (wife & I, both retired) are resident in the UK, but have grandchildren in Thailand. We go over a few times a year to visit them, sometimes for a few days, sometimes for longer. So far we've always just turned up at BKK airport, had our passports stamped for 30 days and, if we planned or expected to stay for longer, either did a visa run or took a few days trip to a neighbouring country.

Do I gather that we might now be better off getting a multiple entry visa? Especially as the children are getting older and their plane tickets for the family more expensive! If so, how long can we stay in Thailand each time, and how many trips can we make a year?

[alyx]

Speaking from experience:

It is legal to send your passport through DHL or any other secure mean: your passport is checked at the exit (about 24 Hours) then another check of 24 hours when it reaches destination

It takes the same lenght of time and the same checking points by border police of every country it crosses

You might get a visa issued abroad while you are in Thailand and you will receive your passport accordingly stamped by the Thai Consulate of the country of your choice: this passport, bearing a brand new legal Thai visa, will reach you at home

BUT IT IS ILLEGAL TO USE THIS VISA AND THE IMMIGRATION POLICE MAY AND WILL TAKE NECESSARY ACTION IF YOU HAVE DONE THIS ON PURPOS

I did thatvery thing a couple of years ago thinking that it was 100 % legal ( why would consulate issue them otherwise?)

I was lucky enough to travel on another visa (that one issued while I was staying at my country of origin) and the immigration officer understood that I hadn t meant wrong and he purely and simply cancelled that new visa telling me that it is a punishable offence

That was confirmed later at the main immigration office where I enquired about the matter when I asked for an extension: as the officer put it Consulate do their jobs and Police do theirs and no contradiction in that

So now you know : Don't do it as visas issued while YOU are in Thailand are illegal

Edited November 25, 2007 by alyx

[lopburi3]

We (wife & I, both retired) are resident in the UK, but have grandchildren in Thailand. We go over a few times a year to visit them, sometimes for a few days, sometimes for longer. So far we've always just turned up at BKK airport, had our passports stamped for 30 days and, if we planned or expected to stay for longer, either did a visa run or took a few days trip to a neighbouring country.

Do I gather that we might now be better off getting a multiple entry visa? Especially as the children are getting older and their plane tickets for the family more expensive! If so, how long can we stay in Thailand each time, and how many trips can we make a year?

Not sure why you would want to obtain a multi entry visa for one or two trips a year or how airfares would enter into the decision. What you need to be aware of is that the 30 day entry you now use requires a ticket out within 30 days or airline my refuse your carriage. You can always obtain a tourist visa for up to 60 day stays (or 90 days with extension). Unless you are making frequent trips do not believe a multi entry would be better. The non immigrant visa entry allows a 90 day stay and you could exit/return to obtain another it that is in the cards (and in that case it would make sense).

[oldmerlin]

Not sure why you would want to obtain a multi entry visa for one or two trips a year or how airfares would enter into the decision. What you need to be aware of is that the 30 day entry you now use requires a ticket out within 30 days or airline my refuse your carriage. You can always obtain a tourist visa for up to 60 day stays (or 90 days with extension). Unless you are making frequent trips do not believe a multi entry would be better. The non immigrant visa entry allows a 90 day stay and you could exit/return to obtain another it that is in the cards (and in that case it would make sense).

Lopburi3; Thanks.

Never yet had an airline ask for proof of departure plans, although the official at BKK the last but one time counted up my days spent in the Kingdom VERY carefully!

I've heard somewhere that there's a maximum stay in 12 months on repeated 30 day visas. Anyone any idea what that it is, and is it a rolling limit, or in any calendar year? We are highly unlikely to come over again in 2007.

Airfares enter into the decision because although our son brings his wife and children over to the UK at the moment reasonably cheaply before long he will be looking at 2 adult & 2 child fares!

[lopburi3]

You plan on doing the travel rather than your sons family in the future so will be spending more time in Thailand. The airlines normally do check but if you have a return ticket within 30 days there is not a problem and probably some don't pay too much attention to the dates. But many of us can assure you that some airlines from some locations are very careful.

The 30 day visa exempt entry can not be used for more than 90 days in a six month period now. So if you think you will be spending more time than that here it would probably be good to obtain the multi entry non immigrant O visas. It also makes airline happy and shortens the day count at immigration.