What Is The 90 Day Rule?

[Maestro]

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One other point: the non-Imm O application has a section for "Have you ever overstayed in Thailand?". Don't know if it makes a difference, but it's on the form.

Interesting. Application form of which Thai consulate? Each consulate seems to be using its own form.

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Maestro

[uptou]

I agree wholeheartedly that it's dumb and difficult impossible to enforce consistently.

Amen to that.The fact that they have to spend some time looking through your passport (inconvenience to them) is proof that its not working,especially when theres a good chance that the stamps are randomly spread all through the pages of the passport.

I'm still not 100% sure how they work it,as the rule is so vague.

So for my recent history,i've done one tourist visa with extension=3 months,

another tv,no extension=2 months

then one month out of the country,Dates=28sept 2007 to 21 march,08.

So now after re entering thailand on the 21 march i get 1 month,& i can do 2 more border crossings,which is my 90 days???BUT I HAVE TO COUNT THE DAYS?

Cheers for any help.

[jstumbo]

yes, and if you just make a border run, it will count as the last day of one entry, and the first day of the next entry. So you will not really get 90 days.

[astral]

I agree wholeheartedly that it's dumb and difficult impossible to enforce consistently.

It should be very easy to control and enforce.

Once your passport number is entered on the terminal the pattern of your recent

stays should appear, and the number of days left in the current 6 months should be displayed.

That is what computers are for.

[Bonio]

The 90 day rule does not usually affect me but I have been caught out this month.

I first started using the VoA in Feb 2007 after I quit my job in Bkk to work abroad on a 28day rotation.

I had some minor issues at the airport where it was finally explained to me that the 6mth periods ran in blocks from Oct 1 - Mar 31 and from April 1 - Sept 30.

I then kept a tally of my days based on these reporting periods. Normally the absolute maximum I would ever be in Thailand is 84 days in a 6mth period.

This month, for various reasons, I have been here for 6weeks and had to go to Poipet to get a new 30 days stamp. Using the system as advised to me by airport immigration I was ok but the Thai immigration at Poipet only gave me 16 days (initially they were only going to give me 5 days). This assessment was based on a 6mth rolling total. This method is exactly the same as the example posted on the Hull Consular website. I have no problem with the assessment method. As long as I know how they plan to check the dates I can arrange my travel accordingly. What does frustrate me is having to stand at the Immigration Desk for 20mins while they try and determine the days. They have not managed it yet and I am always referred to another officer away from the queues for him to sort it out. I always carry my spreadsheet that shows my dates of entry and exit + days in country and now the rolling six month total. However, no immigration officer is interested in looking at it..they prefer to trawl through my passport checking & noting each individual stamp.

I will be leaving Thailand a few days earlier than planned this month as I need to be in Thailand in June and I can't afford to be turned away based on the opinion of an Immigration Official who may not interpret the regs in the same way that I or other officals do. Even then, I suspect that they will only give me 10 days (which will be enough) - then when I come back in early July the whole thing will start again.

Although, it is unlikely that I will be in Thailand for longer than 28 days at any one time in the future I have decided to look at getting a visa of some sort just so that I don't have the hassle at the airport again.

I have uploaded a spreadsheet that shows my dates based on the info from the Hull website for anyone who is unsure of how it is calculated. I think there is a small error of one day that I have missed but the rest should be ok.

Thai_Visa_Entry_Exit_Dates.xls