Wanting To Stay In Thailand For 9 Months..

[stevietime123]

Hi all,

I have been reading through the reports on this site but can't find the information I am looking for.

I am looking to take a year off work and do some travelling, probably around the USA and Central America, this would be for the first 3 months. I would then like to stay in Thailand for 9 months.. mainly pattaya, so I can get a cheap 6 month lease on a room or condo and some travelling, Chang Mai, Kanchanaburi, etc

I have heard that I can stay for almost 9 months on a 6 months triple entry tourist visa. Achieved by arriving (60 days stamp), then extending locally at pattaya office (30 days), then visa run (60 days), then extension locally (30 days), then just before the six month visa expires, going on another visa run to get another 60 days and another extension on that.. Am I correct in my thinking? Is this my best (cheapest) option? Can I get the Visa to start (my first entry to Thailand on it) 3 months after I leave the UK?

I have looked at the Education visa but don't really want the £500 outlay on fees, although some formal learning of thai is something I want to do while i'm there. Oh, If it helps, I'm 37 from the UK, and my closest consulate would be Edinburgh.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Lite Beer]

A Non Imm O Visa Multi Entry would give you up to 15 months.

You would need to do a border run every 90 days.

Apply at the Thai Consulate in Hull.

Apply by post. Only takes a few days to get your Passport back.

Info. Here.

[thaiphoon]

Obtaining triple entry tourist visa before you start your world tour is not going to work for you, because the visa will be stamped with a 6 month ‘use by’ date for all entries. And that date will start from the date the visa was issued, so you will have already lost 3 months before you arrive in Thailand.

Agree multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa on the basis of visiting friends from Hull consulate is the way to go. There is minimal paperwork; send in application form, passport, recent passport sized photograph and fee by special delivery. Suggest you enclose a pre-paid special delivery envelope for return of your passport/visa - will cost about £4, otherwise Hull will charge an £8 return postage fee.

[stevietime123]

Obtaining triple entry tourist visa before you start your world tour is not going to work for you, because the visa will be stamped with a 6 month 'use by' date for all entries. And that date will start from the date the visa was issued, so you will have already lost 3 months before you arrive in Thailand.

Agree multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa on the basis of visiting friends from Hull consulate is the way to go. There is minimal paperwork; send in application form, passport, recent passport sized photograph and fee by special delivery. Suggest you enclose a pre-paid special delivery envelope for return of your passport/visa - will cost about £4, otherwise Hull will charge an £8 return postage fee.

Thanks for the advice, but do I not need a supoorting letter from a Thai friend to get the visiting friends O visa. I am not long back from Thailand but I did not ask anyone if they would help support a visa application, and I will struggle to get back again before i take my year off.

Is there a problem there? or should I just send off the application without supporting letter and wait to see what happens.

[Lite Beer]

You should be OK without the supporting letter.

Give them a ring and check.

[lopburi3]

Although the non immigrant visa is the better choice a three entry tourist visa valid for six months from issue would cover almost nine months of stay (using extensions as OP outlined) and all he would have lost between issue and arrival is the actual time involved (several days for most people).