Help! Question About Visas

[kurtconroy]

So here is my predicament...

Myself and 2 of my friends are in Vietnam right now...

our trip started off in bangkok on september 27, 07.. then we did a visa run to burma 1 month later, and then a visa run to malaysia 1 month after that (where we bought a 2-month tourist visa. we went to laos mid-january, and we're in vietnam now.. our flight leaves bangkok march 6th.

so we've been in thailand for more than 90 days, and we've done two visa runs in that time. We plan on going back to thailand before we fly back home, will it be a problem getting back into the country? ive read many posts on the board, but i still find it very confusing the rules and such regarding this!

Thanks for the advice!

[Maestro]

It is not clear what you mean with visa run, or rather it seems that use “visa run” to mean different things at different times. If I read your post correctly, your history is as follows:

September 27, 2007: you entered Thailand without a visa = visa-exempt stay for 30 days

One month later: you went to Burma and re-entered Thailand the same day without a visa = visa-exempt stay for 30 days

One month later: you went to Malaysia, obtained a tourist visa from a Thai consulate, and returned to Thailand about two days later = permission to stay for 60 days

Mid-January: you went to Laos and from there to Vietnam, where you are at present

The rule is that you are allowed a maximum of 90 days visa-exempt stay stay in Thailand within six months. If the above chronology is correct you have so far used up only 60 of the allowed 90 visa-exempt days and therefore can return to Thailand again without a visa and receive permission to stay for 30 days. Please note that the Thai immigration officer may, at his discretion, ask you to show proof of confirmed onward travel out of Thailand within 30 days from your arrival and funds of 20,000 Baht.

The time you spent in Thailand on your tourist visa does not count towards the maximum 90 days visa-exempt stay within six months.

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Maestro