60 Day Rule: Need Urgent Clarification

[haven]

Hi,

Someone told me that on Wednesday that there is a 6 month (cumulative) maximum that a visitor can stay in Thailand during the course of 1 year.

I hurried down to Immigration today and asked and that does not seem to be the case. Has anyone else been heard this?

My story is this and I want clarity before I leave on my third run to Laos:

>>Arrived 28 Dec/07 on a visa issued in Hull/Canada.

>>Left 23 Feb/08 to Laos

>>Came back to Thailand and got a stamp for 30 days.

>>Left Thailand for Laos 26 Mar/08 and got a visa (a double entry visa).

>>Came back to Thailand 27 Mar/08 and got 60 days

>>Applied for a 30 day extension on 13 May and so I am extended to 24 Jun.

I am planning on leaving Thailand for Laos this 3rd time on 16 Jun and come back on 20 Jun or sooner to ensure that I get back in before 25 Jun which is when my 2nd entry expires.

I went to Immigration twice to make sure that I will have no problems coming back in and they said I will be fine.

This person I was speaking to that told me about the 6 month maximum has been here for one and half years and she was adamant that there is a cap on how many months in total out of a year that you can stay in Thailand on a tourist visa.

Please help me to get my head straight as I am confused.

I also asked my Thai friend who works for Foreign Affairs and she asked a top guy in the Passport division and he says the same thing (ie there is a 6 month max).

Help!!

[funfun]

visas are a bit complex and you by the sound of it aint got any problems apart from your informant, and the fact im trying to type this quick as you say urgent and im in need of a pint, but basically youve done right thing with tourist x2 but briefly reading i dont know why you have gone back out before but anyways ill spend more time tom if no one else here writes back but they will and in the meantime read this

Vientiane Lao For Thai Visa Update, as of 13/december 2007

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=158561

if nothing else it has what youve done and i posted this on my first tourist x2 to see if id worked it out ok and so far so good,

one more thing

chris

off for a bevy!

[Ubon9]

Hi,

Someone told me that on Wednesday that there is a 6 month (cumulative) maximum that a visitor can stay in Thailand during the course of 1 year.

I hurried down to Immigration today and asked and that does not seem to be the case. Has anyone else been heard this?

My story is this and I want clarity before I leave on my third run to Laos:

>>Arrived 28 Dec/07 on a visa issued in Hull/Canada.

>>Left 23 Feb/08 to Laos

>>Came back to Thailand and got a stamp for 30 days.

>>Left Thailand for Laos 26 Mar/08 and got a visa (a double entry visa).

>>Came back to Thailand 27 Mar/08 and got 60 days

>>Applied for a 30 day extension on 13 May and so I am extended to 24 Jun.

I am planning on leaving Thailand for Laos this 3rd time on 16 Jun and come back on 20 Jun or sooner to ensure that I get back in before 25 Jun which is when my 2nd entry expires.

I went to Immigration twice to make sure that I will have no problems coming back in and they said I will be fine.

This person I was speaking to that told me about the 6 month maximum has been here for one and half years and she was adamant that there is a cap on how many months in total out of a year that you can stay in Thailand on a tourist visa.

Please help me to get my head straight as I am confused.

I also asked my Thai friend who works for Foreign Affairs and she asked a top guy in the Passport division and he says the same thing (ie there is a 6 month max).

Help!!

Hi.I been in thailand since 1 march 2007 and every 3 month i been going to laos to the thai embassy to take a new visa never had a problem,they give me 2 month + one month extencion at the immigration in bangkok.My last reniew was on the 9 of may and they give to me with no problem.

[Crossy]

There is cap on arrival using a VISA EXEMPTION (that's the 30 day stamp you get at the airport) the cap being a maximum of 90 days in Thailand in a six month period, this adds up to a limit of approximately 6 months each year.

BUT

The limit does not apply to entries using VISAS of any kind, so proper tourist visas (from an embassy/consulate) are not counted in the adding up

Looks like you're fine for your planned trips

[lopburi3]

The six month rule has nothing to do with tourist visas. It applies to 30 day visa exempt entry only. There is no restriction to stay on any type of visa.

The rule is that you can not use more than 90 days of visa exempt stay in a six month period of time. You could use it and then immediately return on a visa entry (or if over six months from first visa exempt entry you could return on a new visa exempt stamp).

You do not seem to have any problem.

[jstumbo]

Hi.I been in thailand since 1 march 2007 and every 3 month i been going to laos to the thai embassy to take a new visa never had a problem,they give me 2 month + one month extencion at the immigration in bangkok.My last reniew was on the 9 of may and they give to me with no problem.

You should apply for a double entry tourist visa the next time you go to Vientiane.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It does seem that a lot of visa information/updates are gleaned from bar establishments pretty late in the evening.