Visa Advice Please

[Matt636]

I've been reading through these forums and am a little confused regarding visa requirements..... I am hoping someone can advise me on what I need to do. I have listed what I believe to be all the relevant information below.

UK Passport

Want to stay in Thailand 6 months plus

Require ability to go in and out of the country for work (work outside Thailand)

Previous / Current Visa's

08 Sep 07 to 07 Oct 07 - departed 17 Sep 07 (issued Suvarnabhumi)

17 Sep 07 to 16 Oct 07 - departed 22 Sep 07 (issued Mai Sai)

10 Nov 07 to 09 Dec 07 - departed 18 Nov 07 (issued Suvarnabhumi)

22 Dec 07 to 20 Jan 08 - departed 06 Jan 07 (issued Suvarnabhumi)

03 Feb 07 to 03 Mar 08 - not departed (issued Suvarnabhumi)

Any information / advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Matt

[dr_Pat_Pong]

What visa's have you arrived on Matt ?

[astral]

Those look like 30 day visa exemption stamps, but not sure how you managed so many?

Try for a double entry tourist visa,

this will give you 60 days, 30 day extension, two times.

If you need to leave during one of the 60 or 30 day periods

you can apply for a re-entry permit to keep that stay period valid.

[Maestro]

Matt, from your list of arrival and departure dates it looks like you always entered Thailand without a visa. You are allow a total of 90 days visa-exempt stay in Thailand within 6 months. Therefore, if bases on your travel schedule you never spend more than 90 days within 6 months in Thailand you never need to get a visa from a Thai consulate, but you have to expect delays at the immigration desk when entering Thailand while they tot up the total number of days and you have to keep your fingers crossed hoping that they calculate correctly.

The ideal visa with your travel schedule would be a multiple-entry non-O visa if you can get it. You don’t say to which country you have to travel to for work. In some countries some consulates would give you this visa even if you are not married to a Thai.

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Maestro

[sjaak327]

Yep these look like visa exempt entries, that means you were very lucky, as these are limited to 90 days in any 6 month period.

This could mean that the next time you enter thailand, they might decide that enough is enough, and you will get a 7 day stamp to sort out your affiars.

As above, multi entry non immigrant O might do the trick for you, but to obtain such a visa might mean having to go back to europe.

[Maestro]

Matt, I did some calculations with the dates you provided.

Your current six-month period stared on 08 SEP 07 and will end on 07 MAR 08. During this period you are allowed a maximum of 90 days visa-exempt stay in Thailand. Until today, 18 FEB 08, you have used up only 57 days:

The formula for the calculation of days in column C is B-A+1.

Your first entry after 07 MAR 08 will start your next six month period. With a travel schedule like that you will not exceed the permitted maximum of 90 visa-exempt days within 6 months but you must expect delays at Thai immigration and the possibility that the make a calculation error. If you continue to use visa-exempt entries it would be advisable that you print out a table like the one I made to show to the immigration officer, to speed up things.

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Maestro

[sjaak327]

blast, I was not reading the departed bit, I was assuming it was 30 days each entry.

Then indeed you are nowhere near the limit of 90 days, and if returning after the first 6 months period, you have the fulll 90 days on visa exempt available to you, so therefore you could just rely on visa exempt, no need for tourist visas and re-entry permits.

[Matt636]

Thanks for all information. I now understand my current position - my 2nd 6 month period will begin 08 March 08 and I can stay in Thailand for 90 days during the following 6 months just using the standard 30 day tourist visa. My current visa runs out on 03 March 08 so I can go to Mai Sai 02 March 07 and get another 30 days. Please let me know if I am wrong!

Now my next question - in the next 6 months I will spend more than 90 days in Thailand. I assume I must get a different visa to allow me to do this?

Thanks in advance. Mat

[Lite Beer]

Matt. You are not getting Visa , you are getting 30 day entry stamps.

It would be a lot easier for you if you could get a Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa. As you have a UK Passport you could probably get it from Hull Consulate in UK.

Cost 100 pounds and would give you the ability to come and go as many times as you want for up to 15 months with no problems.

[Lite Beer]

Royal Thai Consulate Hull

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/visas1.asp

[Maestro]

...Now my next question - in the next 6 months I will spend more than 90 days in Thailand. I assume I must get a different visa to allow me to do this?

As Lite Beer mentioned, the entry stamps you get are not visas. To spend more than 90 days in Thailand you will indeed have to get a visa, from a Thai consulate, at least for the part that exceeds the maximum of 90 days visa-exempt stay you are allowed.

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Maestro