Back To Back 30 Day Visas

[Leesoi2]

Are back to back 30 day visas still available for an American with 10,000 baht in pocket? If so is there any limit to the number of times he can do this? Do travelers checks count if they require him to show cash? Mai Sai still ok?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Are back to back 30 day visas still available for an American with 10,000 baht in pocket? If so is there any limit to the number of times he can do this? Do travelers checks count if they require him to show cash? Mai Sai still ok?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A search on here will answer all of your questions.

[thalenoi]

Are back to back 30 day visas still available for an American with 10,000 baht in pocket? If so is there any limit to the number of times he can do this? Do travelers checks count if they require him to show cash? Mai Sai still ok?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A search on here will answer all of your questions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very helpful answer indeed

[thaiflyer1]

Firstly what we are talking about are 30 day stay exemption stamps (not 30 day visas) that are available to citizens from 40 countries and Hong Kong SAR. They were not designed for people staying in Thailand for prolonged periods which is what you are effectively doing by obtaining "back to back" exemption stamps, you should be applying for the appropriate visa if you wish to stay for 30+ days. This said there are many people who are staying here by doing "border runs" every 30 days......is there a limit, well any stamp is always at the discretion of the immigration officer if they choose to be "awkard" with you they could be as you are to all intents and purposes contravening the intention of the 30 day stamp. As far as show of funds at Mai Sai is concerned ive no idea , i know at the Thai / Cambodian border there is no requirement at the present time (as of 6/12/04) but who's to say, maybe tommorow there will be!............Try asking about Mai Sai in the Chiang Mai Forum.

[Leesoi2]

Firstly  what  we  are  talking  about  are  30  day  stay  exemption  stamps  (not  30  day  visas)  that  are  available  to  citizens  from  40  countries  and  Hong Kong  SAR. They  were  not  designed  for  people  staying  in  Thailand  for  prolonged  periods  which  is  what  you  are  effectively  doing  by  obtaining  "back  to  back"  exemption  stamps, you  should  be  applying  for  the  appropriate  visa  if  you  wish  to  stay  for  30+ days. This  said  there  are  many  people  who  are  staying  here  by  doing  "border  runs"  every  30  days......is  there  a  limit, well  any  stamp  is  always  at  the  discretion  of  the  immigration  officer  if  they  choose  to  be  "awkard"  with  you  they  could  be  as  you  are  to  all  intents  and  purposes  contravening  the  intention  of  the  30  day  stamp. As  far  as  show  of  funds  at  Mai  Sai  is  concerned  ive  no  idea , i  know  at  the  Thai / Cambodian  border  there  is  no  requirement  at  the  present  time (as  of  6/12/04)  but  who's  to  say, maybe  tommorow  there  will  be!............Try  asking  about  Mai  Sai  in  the  Chiang  Mai  Forum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Leesoi2]

Firstly  what  we  are  talking  about  are  30  day  stay  exemption  stamps  (not  30  day  visas)  that  are  available  to  citizens  from  40  countries  and  Hong Kong  SAR. They  were  not  designed  for  people  staying  in  Thailand  for  prolonged  periods  which  is  what  you  are  effectively  doing  by  obtaining  "back  to  back"  exemption  stamps, you  should  be  applying  for  the  appropriate  visa  if  you  wish  to  stay  for  30+ days. This  said  there  are  many  people  who  are  staying  here  by  doing  "border  runs"  every  30  days......is  there  a  limit, well  any  stamp  is  always  at  the  discretion  of  the  immigration  officer  if  they  choose  to  be  "awkard"  with  you  they  could  be  as  you  are  to  all  intents  and  purposes  contravening  the  intention  of  the  30  day  stamp. As  far  as  show  of  funds  at  Mai  Sai  is  concerned  ive  no  idea , i  know  at  the  Thai / Cambodian  border  there  is  no  requirement  at  the  present  time (as  of  6/12/04)  but  who's  to  say, maybe  tommorow  there  will  be!............Try  asking  about  Mai  Sai  in  the  Chiang  Mai  Forum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dear Thaiflyer,

Thanks for your reply. I am asking for myself and my father. He is an American in his 80's and wants to come hang out in Thailand with me for 4-6 months. I do not know what kind of visa would be appropriate for this kind of stay. He will be visiting family and primarily be a tourist.

I stay roughly six months per year and have found back to back 30 days to be the most convenient way to stay even though I am married to a Thai and have kids with her. Primarily because we stay close to Mai Sai and it only cost 30 dollars for six months at $5 a pop in Burma which makes it cheaper than any other visa (I think) and because it seems to be excessive hassle to get a marriage/depenent visa instead.

I enjoy the border runs and have always had a fairly simple time doing it with the polite immigration people as I can speak Thai.

Felt bad about asking such an elementary question but things are always changing in Thailand so I wanted an update and a long search on the site did not answer the questions directly. Any other enlightenment on the subject will be appreciated....Lee

[astral]

I suggest your 80 year old father apply for a double entry Tourist visa from the consulate in Houston. Just saying he is visiting family and thinking about retirement in Thailand.

He will get 2 months on his first entry. That can be extended for a month.

Then you can then take him on a border run, to activate the second entry of 2 months, also extendable.

That will give him 6 months with only one border run.

I doubt he wants too much hassle at that age?