6 Month Stay

[bluxed]

My wife and I want to visit Thailand for about 6 months and stay a week in Laos and Cambodia. Whats my best option to being allowed to stay in Thailand for 6 months. I am a US Citizen in Florida.

Is it difficult to be able to stay 6 months or should this be relatively easy?

[Mario2008]

Apply for a double entry tourist visa.

A tourist visa allows you to enter for 60 days, which can be extended by 30 days. After that you can leave Thailand and come back again for the second entry of 60 days + 30, giving you almost 180 days.

Note that you have to make use of the visa within 3 months of the date issued, for both entries. So don't apply to early.

After you have used up the visa you can always get a 30 day entrie without a visa. You can have a total of 90 days within a 6 month period on these visa exempt entries.

[ubonjoe]

My wife and I want to visit Thailand for about 6 months and stay a week in Laos and Cambodia. Whats my best option to being allowed to stay in Thailand for 6 months. I am a US Citizen in Florida.

Is it difficult to be able to stay 6 months or should this be relatively easy?

No problem at all. Suggest that you apply at a Thai consulate in the US for a 2 entry tourist visa (this can be done by mail). The visa is for 60 days each entry and extendable for 30 days here at any immigration office. If you can plan your trip to Laos or Cambodia at the end of your first entry you would use the 2nd entry when you come back. If you wish to make a trip out of the country and still have time left on your current entry or extension you can go to Immigration and apply for a re-entry permit which would allow you to depart and return and then finish out the remainder of the time you have left on your visa.

The following link will take you to a page on the Thai embassy in DC website. Using the pull down menu you can find a listing of conulates in the US. The honorary conulates often give the best service. Also on this website you can find additional information about visas and download an application for the visa.

http://www2.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

[ubonjoe]

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post. When you contact a conulate about the visa be sure and inquire about the how long the visa will be valid for. It needs to be be valid for at least 6 months. I saw a report today of some conulates not giving a 6 month validity unless it was for a 3 entry visa. There is a consulate in Coral Gables so that might be a good one for you.

Enjoy your trip.

Joe

[digitalchromakey]

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post. When you contact a conulate about the visa be sure and inquire about the how long the visa will be valid for. It needs to be be valid for at least 6 months. I saw a report today of some conulates not giving a 6 month validity unless it was for a 3 entry visa. There is a consulate in Coral Gables so that might be a good one for you.

Double entry tourist visa only needs to be valid for entry for 3 months, if you get it just right before you arrive in Thailand. There are 4 steps:

1) 1st 60 day entry.

2) After 60 days, extend 30 days at your local Thai immigration.

3) Border run (must be before 'Enter Before' date on visa), get second 60 day stamp.

4) After 60 days, extend 30 days at your local Thai immigration.

There are your 6 months (give or take a few days) with only one border run required.

[ubonjoe]

Would only 3 month validity work if they choose not to make a border run and go to Cambodia or Laos for a week as the OP mentioned in their post.

[digitalchromakey]

Would only 3 month validity work if they choose not to make a border run and go to Cambodia or Laos for a week as the OP mentioned in their post?

Yes, with no extra work; provided they plan to go for a week and then combine the trip with their required border run, say 8 days before the "Enter Before" date.

Otherwise, they would need to purchase a re-entry permit to keep whichever existing passport stamp alive and then also do the border run.

[ubonjoe]

After reviewing the costs for tourist visas (2 entry $70) and extensions (2 extensions $112).

If either of you are over the age of 50 you would be eligible to apply for a multple entry non immigrant-o visa ($175) which would be less costly than the tourist visa route.

This type of visa allows you to stay for 90 days each entry and you can leave and re-enter as many times as you wish. The validity of this visa is one year.

[Maestro]

Bluxed, I depends a lot on your itinerary. Is it

USA – Thailand (6 months) – Laos (one week) – Cambodia (one week) – USA?

Or is it

USA – Thailand (how long?) ¬– Laos (one week) – Thailand (how long?) – Cambodia (one week) – Thailand (how long?) – USA?

--

Maestro

[bluxed]

Bluxed, I depends a lot on your itinerary. Is it

USA – Thailand (6 months) – Laos (one week) – Cambodia (one week) – USA?

Or is it

USA – Thailand (how long?) ¬– Laos (one week) – Thailand (how long?) – Cambodia (one week) – Thailand (how long?) – USA?

--

Maestro

I would want to do something like:

USA TO THAILAND (3 Months)

THAILAND TO LAOS ( 4 Days)

LAOS TO CAMBODIA ( 4 days)

CAMBODIA TO THAILAND (3 Months)

[ubonjoe]

You can do it with a tourist visa that has a validity of more than 4 months. Just talk to the consulate and see if they wll issue visa with six month validity for 2 entry visa.

If over 50 the non immigrant o visa is still the best option.

[digitalchromakey]

You can do it with a tourist visa that has a validity of more than 4 months. Just talk to the consulate and see if they wll issue visa with six month validity for 2 entry visa.

If over 50 the non immigrant o visa is still the best option.

If you do have a double entry tourist visa with only a three month validity period then you still could do

USA TO THAILAND (2 Months & 2(ish) weeks) [60 days Entry + 30 Day Extrension]

THAILAND TO LAOS ( 4 Days)

LAOS TO CAMBODIA ( 4 days)

CAMBODIA TO THAILAND (3 Months) [60 days Entry + 30 Day Extrension]

You could of course visit Laos/Cambodia using a re-entry permit bought from immigration during either of your 60 day entries or for that matter your 30 day extension (you can get the original permission stamp date again in your passport, when you return to Thailand). You would need to re-enter Thailand before the 'Use Before' on your visa and also to get the Tourist Visa just before you travel since the 'Use Before' clock starts ticking the day the visa is issued by the consulate.

As has been already posted; it certainly the case that you would have a lot more flexibility with a one year non O multiple entry visa.

However if you have fixed travel plans then the above is certainly possible.

[Maestro]

I would want to do something like:

USA TO THAILAND (3 Months)

THAILAND TO LAOS ( 4 Days)

LAOS TO CAMBODIA ( 4 days)

CAMBODIA TO THAILAND (3 Months)

In your case, I would apply at a Thai consulate for a tourist visa valid for two journeys to Thailand within six months from the visa’s issue date. If you submit your visa application with a covering letter indicating your tentative travel dates and ask for a 6-month or 180-day validity I see no reason why the consulate should not give it. In fact, tourist visas valid for two or more entries are usually valid for 6 months or 180 days. A 30-day validity is an exception, notably used by the consulate in Vientiane, and usually applied to foreigners who live long-term in Thailand on back-to-back tourist visas.

--

Maestro

[sjaak327]

Yep, I too don't see a reason why a double entry would not be valid for 6 months, if obtained back in the US.

[bluxed]

Yep, I too don't see a reason why a double entry would not be valid for 6 months, if obtained back in the US.

Ok thanks. I have one more question. Is it possible for me to get this from a consulate in Europe? My wife and I might fly to Europe before we fly to Asia for like a month and a half and want the visa to last as long as possible.

[ubonjoe]

Ok thanks. I have one more question. Is it possible for me to get this from a consulate in Europe? My wife and I might fly to Europe before we fly to Asia for like a month and a half and want the visa to last as long as possible.

Yes you can do it in Europe. Link to worlwide list of Embassies/Consulates follows.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2712.php

You could contact a consulate in the US and tell them your traval plans and see if they will give you a longer period of validity for your visa. That could save you spending your time getting it in Europe.

The non immigrant visa is still an option if you qualify since it will be valid for one year. It does have a 90 day use by period though meaning you would have to enter Thailand before the 90 days is over.

Joe