Is It 30 Or 60 Or 90 ?

[Altos]

Hi All - It seems there have been some recent changes ?

I have Australian and UK passports but by what I read on the net they are treated equally.

I was under the impression I could visit LOS on a tourist visa and have it extended almost indefinitely by doing the Visa runs. I would preferebly be based around the Hua Hin area but in fact could go near anywhere. I see posters in here talking about 90 day extensions but everywhere else I look on the net a tourist visa is 30 days in any 90 day period. I just spoke to the Brisbane, AU consul and they say 30 days.

Is there any legal way round this to enable staying long term ? Visa runs no problem.

Copied from another website *******************

the Thai government has decided to enforce stricter new immigration policies beginning 1 October 2006.

Currently it is possible for nationals from 42 countries to

enter Thailand without a visa for a 15 or 30 day period. These 'Permission to

Enter (Visa Exemption)' stamps or 'Visa on Arrival', as they are also often

known, are free of charge and can very simply be renewed by doing what is known

as a visa run, or a border hop. This entails simply leaving the country, in some

cases for as little as a few minutes, and then returning to get a new stamp.

The changes that will come into effect 1 October 2006, will

allow nationals from 39 countries to remain in Thailand for no more than 90 days

in a six month period. This means that someone who enters Thailand without a

tourist visa provided by a consulate or embassy outside of Thailand, will be

able to travel to Thailand as frequently as needed, as long as the amount of

time spent in the country does not exceed 90 days from the date of the first

arrival stamp. The arrival stamps remain, as now, at 15 or 30 days depending on

nationality. Therefore, if a traveller were to try to spend more than 90 days in

Thailand within a six month period, with for example, 3 back to back 30 days

visa exemption stamps, then it is believed they would be refused entry and would

have to remain outside the country for 90 days before being permitted to

re-enter.

The changes have caused much confusion, and concern among

frequent travellers to Thailand and those that are currently using the loophole

to stay in Thailand indefinitely.

At press time, there had been no official statement as to how

these revisions would be enforced, whether they are retroactive (although it is

believed not), and how the Thai government will enlist the help of airlines

bringing travellers to Thailand who have already spent more than 90 days in the

country within the allotted time.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Altos

[lopburi3]

Your information is old and false.

You can enter on visa exempt entry - 15 days by land/sea or 30 day by air.

You can enter on tourist visa - 60 days and can extend 30.

You can enter on non immigrant visa - 90 days.

The is no limitation on number of entries of any type and there is no limitation on the number of days you may stay in a month/year/lifetime.

[InterestedObserver]

A single-entry Tourist Visa will get you a 60 day entry stamp upon arrival plus the ability to extend for 30 days at immigration, or 90 days (60+30=90) maximum stay per entry into Thailand. You can repeat this process for as long as you can obtain another Tourist Visa. There is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in Thailand with back-to-back visa entries.

[Lite Beer]

Just to agree. There are no limits on back to back Visas or entry stamps.

[Altos]

A single-entry Tourist Visa will get you a 60 day entry stamp upon arrival plus the ability to extend for 30 days at immigration, or 90 days (60+30=90) maximum stay per entry into Thailand. You can repeat this process for as long as you can obtain another Tourist Visa. There is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in Thailand with back-to-back visa entries.

Well, that's better news - I will talk to a travel agent tomorrow and see what they say - oh, Saturday - tomorrow is easter Friday. If they can't give me satisfaction I will go into the consul in a weeks time. Apparantly it is a Thai holiday for next Tues & Wed. If I have to I can pull some funds and get a retirement visa - no problem with that one - I just don't want to pull funds while we are around market bottom - too many buy opportunities at present to have cash sitting in a Thai Bank not working - but if needs be I guess. Thanks guys.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Altos

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

A single-entry Tourist Visa will get you a 60 day entry stamp upon arrival plus the ability to extend for 30 days at immigration, or 90 days (60+30=90) maximum stay per entry into Thailand. You can repeat this process for as long as you can obtain another Tourist Visa. There is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in Thailand with back-to-back visa entries.

Well, that's better news - I will talk to a travel agent tomorrow and see what they say - oh, Saturday - tomorrow is easter Friday. If they can't give me satisfaction I will go into the consul in a weeks time. Apparantly it is a Thai holiday for next Tues & Wed. If I have to I can pull some funds and get a retirement visa - no problem with that one - I just don't want to pull funds while we are around market bottom - too many buy opportunities at present to have cash sitting in a Thai Bank not working - but if needs be I guess. Thanks guys.

You don't really have to pull funds to get a retirement visa if you have a pension of at least 65,000baht per month, or if the embassy will issue a letter stating that you have a guaranteed monthly income of that or more. The alternate route is to keep 800,000 baht in your thai bank account starting at least 3 months before your visa is to be renewed.

The benefit of a retirement visa is you do not have to leave the country, but you do have to report to immigration every 90 days to verify your address. This is no big deal in Hua Hin as they have a desk for just doing that.

It's a nice place to retire to.

[Altos]

A single-entry Tourist Visa will get you a 60 day entry stamp upon arrival plus the ability to extend for 30 days at immigration, or 90 days (60+30=90) maximum stay per entry into Thailand. You can repeat this process for as long as you can obtain another Tourist Visa. There is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in Thailand with back-to-back visa entries.

Well, that's better news - I will talk to a travel agent tomorrow and see what they say - oh, Saturday - tomorrow is easter Friday. If they can't give me satisfaction I will go into the consul in a weeks time. Apparantly it is a Thai holiday for next Tues & Wed. If I have to I can pull some funds and get a retirement visa - no problem with that one - I just don't want to pull funds while we are around market bottom - too many buy opportunities at present to have cash sitting in a Thai Bank not working - but if needs be I guess. Thanks guys.

You don't really have to pull funds to get a retirement visa if you have a pension of at least 65,000baht per month, or if the embassy will issue a letter stating that you have a guaranteed monthly income of that or more. The alternate route is to keep 800,000 baht in your thai bank account starting at least 3 months before your visa is to be renewed.

The benefit of a retirement visa is you do not have to leave the country, but you do have to report to immigration every 90 days to verify your address. This is no big deal in Hua Hin as they have a desk for just doing that.

It's a nice place to retire to.

Yeah, I thought about this overnight. I will come in on the retirement visa and review the situation. Seems the other way I am going to be constantly running about the place. Depends where one has to go to get a new initial tourist entry visa. Am going to have a chat with the local (Brisbane) consul next week but if I can renew once a year right in HH then I think the decision is half made. The single entry may be a nuisance as I may have to pop over to HongKong periodically. Dunno yet.

I am glad to hear you say it is still a nice place. There seems to be some disillusionment in that it is maybe becoming a ghost town with many incomplete or empty high rises (apartment blocks). I just need good internet and somewhere to go kayaking. Seems there is is a good lake up behind HH but in the gulf the water doesnt start to get clear till Bang Sapan - I believe. I will make my own decisions about it all when I get there but HH is my start point. Pity the flights stopped - it's quite a jog carrying luggage from BK.