Can Pilots Do This?

[mildred]

Hi all,

I am planning to spend a few months in Koh Samui. I know for sure that I will be flying out once a month so I assume it should be fine for me to get the 30 day stamp as a tourist every time I come back in.

My husband is a pilot and technically is based in Hong Kong. However his company does not require him to live there because under his schedule he works one week (meaning gone for an entire week), and then comes home for a week.

If we live in Samui for a while, and he is flying in and out of Thailand twice a month, will he just continue to get stamped in his passport with no problems?

Or, will they query him and ask why he is entering Thailand so often?

Any other pilots using Thailand as a base for their flying jobs in Asia?

Thanks for your help!

Edited May 31, 2010 by mildred

[haveaniceday]

Chances are very high he would be coming on the crew 'Gen Dec', so would not even be stamped in or out. Depends on how the company does it.

[mildred]

Chances are very high he would be coming on the crew 'Gen Dec', so would not even be stamped in or out. Depends on how the company does it.

Well, his company does not really have any part in this.... meaning that his decision to go "home" to Samui for 6 months would be his and his alone. Wouldn't he just be entering as a tourist just like any other foreigner entering the country?

[wordchild]

I was sat next to a BA pilot on a Bangkok -Hong Kong flight a couple of years ago. he was on his way to HK to start a tour of duty. Funnily enough he was also based part of the time on Samui , where he also had a small business , he told me he spent on average 10 days a month there. He also told me there were quite a few pilots based part-time on Samui,Phuket and also Bali . I did not ask about visas or work permit etc but it sounds like there are others who have a similar life-style to the one you maybe planning and dont seem to have issues.

[ricwoo09]

I used to work in Singapore but live in Bangkok and I came and went at least once a week for over a year and Thai immigration never asked one question.

[mildred]

Yes, we also know other pilots who live in Bangkok, Bali, Phuket, etc. and have not heard of any issues.

But as you know, visa rules seem to change all the time in LOS!

It sounds as though with the new rule about entering by land vs. entering by air, he should have no problem flying in to Samui twice a month.

Would be good to hear from any other pilots currently living under this kind of schedule!

[innerspace]

Chances are you will be fine doing this since its coming and going rather than continuos stay.

However when a passport gets too filled up with free visa on arrivals and you meet an immigration officer who is having a bad day they could pull out the stamp saying you must purchase a visa before returning to the country. At this point you would have to visit an embassy outside the country and buy 1 60 day tourist visa before your next entry.

Chances are you could do it on visa on arrivals for several years without an issue, but Thai visa rules are always changing.

If you want to avoid any worry then obtain a 12 month multiple entry non immigrant O visa from your home country.

About 5000 baht and you get 90 days every entry with as many entries as you like.

[mildred]

thanks innerspace for the advice.

even though we will be both coming and going regularly (by air) over the border, perhaps it is better to go the embassy here in hong kong and apply for a 3-month or 6-month visa as a tourist.

[lopburi3]

A tourist visa only allows one entry. Not needed for husband and if you want to leave that often not by you either.