6 Month Period

[curious9]

Here's the scenario. Arrived Oct 1 2007. Used most of my 90 days and purchased a visa to return to Thailand in late March. New 6 month period begins April 1. Leave the country to travel toward the end of April and return on June 1, issued 30 day visa waiver. In and out of Thailand during the next 6 months all on visa waiver.

On Oct 10, 2008 arrive in BKK and issued a 30 day arrival visa. Leave a few days later to Lao. Upon returning to Nong Khai am pulled aside and told the 6 month window began on June 1. I now only have 15 days left and have the choice of taking 15 days or going back to Laos to purchase a visa.

The immigration official spoke clear English. However he didn't want to acknowledge that BKK gave me a 30 day visa 2 weeks earlier, nor that my 6 month period should have been April 1 to Oct 1 (not June 1 to Dec 1 as he stated).

Here are my questions/thoughts. Does the 6 month window begin the day of first entry with a visa waiver (seems odd)? Will I be hassled if returning before Dec 1 (his stated 'end of 6 month period) to BKK or another location that actually uses computers?

In the end I come out with only 15 days in country (not that problematic this time) and a written entry on stamp indicating 90 day period is used up. Oh, I have a US passport and mid 30's.

If this is confusing let me know and I'll clarify those portions. Just wanting to know if I'll be hassled at a later time and/or is this common at Nong Khai immigration.

thanks

[ubonjoe]

Your original 6 month period ended on April 10. But you didn't make a new visa exempt entry until June 1 so your new 6 months started on that date.

Any time you get a tourist or any other visa that takes you over the original 6 months you will start another 6 months on your first visa exempt entry. It would be the same if you had not returned at all until June 1 after you left in March.

You cannot make another visa exempt entry until Dec. 2.

I know this doesn't help but thats the way it works from my understanding.

[ubonjoe]

As a continuation of my previous post.

You will need to get a tourist visa to return. But if you are going to make short trips out of the country. You can apply for a re-entry permit(s) that will allow you to leave and re-enter up until your current entry (permited to stay until date)ends and then do an extension of 30 days.

[curious9]

Your original 6 month period ended on April 10. But you didn't make a new visa exempt entry until June 1 so your new 6 months started on that date.

Any time you get a tourist or any other visa that takes you over the original 6 months you will start another 6 months on your first visa exempt entry. It would be the same if you had not returned at all until June 1 after you left in March.

You cannot make another visa exempt entry until Dec. 2.

I know this doesn't help but thats the way it works from my understanding.

You're saying a 6 month period doesn't begin with entry into Thailand, it begins with a visa exemption entry? This is the first time I've heard an interpretation in this manner. If this is correct it would be contrary to all that I've heard/read previously. Also, as stated above, I was given a 30 day stamp two weeks ago in BKK, of which I only used 4 days, and I'd suspect, though I could be way off base on this, that a computerized system at BKK would be more reliable than an individual hand counting days on a well read newspaper.

Not that I doubt your veracity, but it would be nice to have another chime in to second this claim.

[digitalchromakey]

You're saying a 6 month period doesn't begin with entry into Thailand, it begins with a visa exemption entry? This is the first time I've heard an interpretation in this manner. If this is correct it would be contrary to all that I've heard/read previously.

Not that I doubt your veracity, but it would be nice to have another chime in to second this claim.

It's correct, the '90 days in six month visa exempt clock' is started when you make your first Tourist Visa Exempt entry.

[Mario2008]

You're saying a 6 month period doesn't begin with entry into Thailand, it begins with a visa exemption entry? This is the first time I've heard an interpretation in this manner. If this is correct it would be contrary to all that I've heard/read previously.

Not that I doubt your veracity, but it would be nice to have another chime in to second this claim.

It's correct, the '90 days in six month visa exempt clock' is started when you make your first Tourist Visa Exempt entry.

I second that too.

The 90 day period for visa exempt entries only applies to visa exempt entries and not in combination with a proper visa.

[tropo]

Here are my questions/thoughts. Does the 6 month window begin the day of first entry with a visa waiver (seems odd)? Will I be hassled if returning before Dec 1 (his stated 'end of 6 month period) to BKK or another location that actually uses computers?

They don't use computers to calculate your 90 day limit in BKK or anywhere else.

You'll be at the mercy of the immigration officer's determination when you arrive in BKK not matter what the actual facts are. You'll be stuck with that no matter how much you object. They have the final say.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

One can only wonder why he is so shy about getting a real visa. He seems to be the type of visitor that caused the tightening up of visa requirements.

[curious9]

One can only wonder why he is so shy about getting a real visa. He seems to be the type of visitor that caused the tightening up of visa requirements.

Not at all, but nice try to peg me yahoo. I've had a visa previously, but I don't stay in Thailand continuously like all those who abused the system. As I travel often I'd prefer not to purchase a visa when I can avoid it, but I'm up against a 5 day gap in when I planned to return and when I apparently can.

Simple enough, don't get on your high horse.

[ubonjoe]

As I travel often I'd prefer not to purchase a visa when I can avoid it, but I'm up against a 5 day gap in when I planned to return and when I apparently can.

In a previous post I gave you an of option of getting a re-entry permit so that you don't loose a portion of a tourist visa entry when you need to go outside the country. If you get a 2 entry tourist visa in Vientiane with extensions and watching the use before date along with re-entry permits you could avoid the problem of counting days and months that occurs when using visa exempt entries.

You say you have a 5 day gap. If it's for this entry you might be able to go to immigration and get a 7 day extension on your current entry which will cost 1900 baht.

The next time you go to the states you should consider contacting an honarary Thai consulate and see about getting a multiple entry O visa to visit friends or family. A simple email to one of them explaining your situation might be enought to get a favorable response from one of them. With this visa you could come and go as many times as you want for a year without counting days and months. Link to the DC embassy wefsite follows, using the pull down menu at top of page you can get a list of honarary conulates. LinK: http://www.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

[curious9]

In a previous post I gave you an of option of getting a re-entry permit so that you don't loose a portion of a tourist visa entry when you need to go outside the country.

The bottom line is my misunderstanding of the 90 day in 6 month rule. Operating under the premise that only 90 days in any period can be under a visa waiver, regardless of what type of visa is initially entered upon was my undoing. As I do keep track of how many days in any period I'm within the Thai border on a waiver this came as a surprise to me. And I'm not sure the reasons why it would be the case.....

For my purposes, staying in Thailand as a base for travel within SE Asia, I'll be sure to use a tourist visa in the middle of a period that might be pushing the limits of the 90 waiver rule, OR, as you mentioned, trying to get a re-entry permit. In this particular case, spending 1000 Baht for a visa, or 1900 for an extension, may or may not be money well spent. That I'll need to figure in the next few days.

I do appreciate the clarification, less so insults from those who deem themselves to be holier-than-thou.

[ubonjoe]

The re-entry permit is a way to avoid having to make a visa run and spending all the time needed to do it. You can even get a re-entry permit at the airport when you leave. It just keeps your current entry alive until it runs out. You can also get the extension a ltttle early along with a re-entry permit to avoid wasting your entry.

The six month rule does not continue unless you make an exempt entry the day after the six months ends.

It does not run Oct. to April and then Oct again unless you enter the day after in April and then enter the day after again in Oct which would take it to April again all using visa exempt entries.

No entries into Thailand and using any visa are the same. Its just the exempt entries that count.

[curious9]

The re-entry permit is a way to avoid having to make a visa run and spending all the time needed to do it. You can even get a re-entry permit at the airport when you leave. It just keeps your current entry alive until it runs out. You can also get the extension a ltttle early along with a re-entry permit to avoid wasting your entry.

The six month rule does not continue unless you make an exempt entry the day after the six months ends.

It does not run Oct. to April and then Oct again unless you enter the day after in April and then enter the day after again in Oct which would take it to April again all using visa exempt entries.

No entries into Thailand and using any visa are the same. Its just the exempt entries that count.

Again, I assumed that once the initial period ended, and I was still in the country, the next 6 month period would begin. I was incorrect and will unfortunately it cost me this time.

In regards to the re-entry permit, how do I go about getting it? And at what cost?

[ubonjoe]

In regards to the re-entry permit, how do I go about getting it? And at what cost?

Go to immigration and fill out form TM8 attach 1 photo and pay 1000 baht.

Link to download form: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/tm8.doc

You can also do it at the re-entry permit office at the airport which is behind the glass and to the left just before you go do the departure check for immigration. You need to check in for your flight before you can get to the office since it requires a boarding pass to get behind the glass. Allow about 30 minutes extra to do it.

[tropo]

One can only wonder why he is so shy about getting a real visa. He seems to be the type of visitor that caused the tightening up of visa requirements.

That was a surprising semi-flame coming from an administrator...I'm shocked.

If you read the OP's post carefully you can deduce that this person is not a perpetual visa runner but a person who spends a lot of time traveling to different countries and spends a lot of money. He's definitely not the type who were being targeted by the tightening up of visa requirements.