Another Tourist Visa Question

[Malani]

I read a lot of topics here on tourist visa and renewal.

So I just want to make clear with all the things...

1. Do you need a return ticket to get tourist visa?

2. How many entries I can ask multi or single?

3. I read that the visa is valid for 2 months and then I have to renew it. So I do the border run (closest is Malaysia) or I go to the immigration office?

4. Is there a fine for that and what papers I need for renewal?

5. Also, I saw that gives 30 more days to stay in the country. How many times I can renew the tourist visa?

6. Any other ideas how to stay in Thailand on tourist visa as long as possible..

Thanks ...

[Lite Beer]

A Tourist Visa gives a stay of 60 days. It can be extended at Immigration for a further 30 days (1,900 Baht)

You can ask for 1,2 or 3 entries. What you actually get depends on where you apply.

After you have used up all your entries you can apply for another Visa at a Thai Consulate or cross the border and return to get a stamp of 15 days at a land border or 30 days at the airport.

[Mario2008]

1. With a tourist visa there is no need to arrive on a return ticket. A few consulates might however want to see a ticket before they issue a tourist visa.

2. Tourist visa's come in a number of entries. 1, 2 or 3. More than 2 entries are not often given.

3 and 4. the visa is valid for 3 months or 6 months, depending on the stamp the consulates gives you. You have to make use of the entries before the VISA itself expires, any entry not used before that date is lost.

When you enter Thailand you get a permission to stay, which will be for 60 days. You can extend these 60 days with another 30 days for 1,900 baht at an immigration office. You need to fill in a form and supply a photo.

After that you leave the country. If you have another entry and the VISA itself is still valid you can return the same hour and get a new permission to stay for 60 days, which you can again extend by 30 days.

There is no official limit to the number of tourist visa you can get, as long as the consulate is willing to provide you can get a new one.

Note that the 60 days depend on your nationality, some nationality only get 30 days on a tourist visa.

There is also the 30 day visa exempt entry and the 15 day visa on arrival, if you qualify all depends on your nationality.

[Malani]

thanks.. helps a lot

My country doesnt qualify for those 30/ 15 days. I can only enter in Thailand with visa.

Have one more question. So at the embassy they will give me 1 or 2 entries. What happens if they give me 1 entry and I want to stay more than 90 days? I go to the immigration office at 60th day and get a stamp for next 30 days. What happens after that if I still want to stay? I have to go to Kuala Lumpur to get a new visa?

And what happens when my visa expires? I go to KL again for new visa or what?

[Mario2008]

You can get the extension one or two weeks before the end of the 60 days, it will start at the end any way so you won't lose any days.

If you only have one entry you will have to leave the county after 90 days and get a new tourist visa. Vientiane, Laos, is advised as there you can try to get a double entry visa.

[Malani]

We called the embassy and they told me that I need a return ticket to get a tourist visa...

[Robby nz]

Last time I got a tourist visa in NZ I had to have a ticker out of the country (TL) not a return ticket, went and bought the cheapest I could find, BKK to KL and didnt use it.

The date on the ticket didnt matter as long as it was within the time of the visa.

[Malani]

thanks..

at the embassy they said that they can give only tourist visa for 1 month. so how everything goes with visa renewal and immigration if I have only 1 month permission to stay in Thailand..

[Phatcharanan]

thanks..

at the embassy they said that they can give only tourist visa for 1 month. so how everything goes with visa renewal and immigration if I have only 1 month permission to stay in Thailand..

What nationality are you?

[Lite Beer]

thanks..

at the embassy they said that they can give only tourist visa for 1 month. so how everything goes with visa renewal and immigration if I have only 1 month permission to stay in Thailand..

What nationality are you?

And what Embassy did you phone?

[lopburi3]

And who is posting? You started this as asking for information for your friend not yourself. Now you have posted as first person.

[Malani]

it is for my friend... but it is easier to ask if it is about me..

Croatian, and we called embassy in Croatia. Since Serbia, Bosnia and countries around it dont have Thai embassy we go to Croatia or Hungary for visa. I didnt have any problems but I had a letter from University since I study here. But my friend he will come here and probably to stay and the only way since he doesnt have a job yet, is to come on tourist visa. And we called the embassy and travel agency that do visas and they all said that he needs a return ticket to get a tourist visa for Thailand. He will call tomorrow again to see if it is possible with a ticket from a country ex Malaysia. He will try tomorrow to explain why he needs a 3 month visa (he will travel around Thailand and we will go to counties around, and it is not possible to do that in a month, and also he is thinking to stay in Thailand).

So what he can do? Any ideas...

[lopburi3]

The Embassy can set the requirements and often require a round trip ticket for applicants from another country as a tourist is expected to return. Perhaps your friend should also look for an education entry (it does not have to be full time study at a University) if buying a round trip ticket is a serious problem.

[moe666]

Buy open ticket with no specific return date it should be good for 6 months to 1 year.

[Malani]

there is a problem with open ticket... the agencies in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia dont allow that. I wanted to do that, since I will be in Thailand for at least 3 years, and I dont know when I will go back to my country but at the agency didnt allow that. Why? I dont know... We must have a return date even if we dont use it.

he would buy the round ticket and then not use it, but it is much more expensive then a one way ticket. he looked on line and at the agencies and there is a big price difference between round and one way ticket. He wont study here, he will come to visit me and then try to get a job.. So I dont how would he get an educational visa...

[Mario2008]

There is no need to buy a return ticket, a ticket out of the country with a price fighter should be enough.

An open ticket would do you no good, as those are limited to 1 year.

[Malani]

ok.. thanks for the information... he will call the embassy today and to see if that will be enough.

[Malani]

So if he gets only 1 month toursit visa, after that he goes to the immigration for extension? or to Malaysia for a new visa?

[Lite Beer]

So if he gets only 1 month toursit visa, after that he goes to the immigration for extension? or to Malaysia for a new visa?

That is up to him.

Whatever he prefers.

[thaikahuna]

Tourist visas obtained in your HOME country can be had in single OR multiple entry variety.<br><br>1. Single entry, good for 60 days upon arrival<br><br>2. Multiple entry, good for 60 days on arrival then<br>    a) go get a FREE 30 days extension at immigration and after that<br>    make a border run and have another 60days. Then,<br>    c) Repeat sub-item a) for an additional 30 days FREE<br><br>3. Without a multiple entry visa you will get a max of 2 weeks from immigration or border run.<br>

[lopburi3]

Tourist visas are either valid for 30 or 60 day stay depending on nationality and all can be extended 30 days but that requires TM.7 and payment of 1,900 baht at an Immigration office.

You never get 30 days free on a tourist visa entry.

There is no such thing as a multi entry tourist visa - they are all the same. Only the number of entries can vary. The stay or extension of stay is the same for all.

[gudtymchuk]

So let me see if I understand this correctly. I can get a double entry 60 day tourist visa. This will allow me to stay 60 days then extend for 30 days. At the end of 90 days I can do a border crossing at Laos, re-enter Thailand for another 60 days and extend for 30 days for a total of 180 days?

[lopburi3]

Only if you use both entries while the visa is valid. That might be 90 days from date of issue. So it might have to be a day or two less.

[Lite Beer]

So let me see if I understand this correctly. I can get a double entry 60 day tourist visa. This will allow me to stay 60 days then extend for 30 days. At the end of 90 days I can do a border crossing at Laos, re-enter Thailand for another 60 days and extend for 30 days for a total of 180 days?

Yes but make sure your Visa is still valid when you use your second entry.

[gudtymchuk]

So let me see if I understand this correctly. I can get a double entry 60 day tourist visa. This will allow me to stay 60 days then extend for 30 days. At the end of 90 days I can do a border crossing at Laos, re-enter Thailand for another 60 days and extend for 30 days for a total of 180 days?

Yes but make sure your Visa is still valid when you use your second entry.

How long is a double entry tourist visa valid for? I thought when the Thai Consulate issued the visa they started counting when you first enter Thailand? It was my understanding that you can apply up to 90 days before you plan to travel.

[lopburi3]

A visa is valid from date of issue by Consulate.

7. Please note that the period of visa validity is different from the period of stay. Visa validity is the period during which a visa can be used to enter Thailand. In general, the validity of a visa is 3 months, but in some cases, visas may be issued to be valid for 6 months, 1 year or 3 years. The validity of a visa is granted with discretion by the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General and is displayed on the visa sticker.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2487

[gudtymchuk]

Thanks Lopburi... I was going to apply to the Thai consulate in Los Angeles next week and planning on going end of September but now I understand I should wait until a couple of weeks before I leave and hope I get my passport and visa back before my plane takes off........ Is it possible to request a 6 months validity when I apply for the tourist visa? Or do they normally valid for 90 days?

[lopburi3]

You could ask but it would probably be more likely provided with itinerary showing travel out/return rather than using for long stay in just Thailand if you are talking a 2 or more entry visa.

[gudtymchuk]

I have another question for you Lopburi. Can I get an extension of stay based on retirement on a 60 day tourist visa or can this be done only on a non-immigrant visa?

[lopburi3]

You would need a non immigrant visa entry but that can be obtained from Immigration inside Thailand with proof of meeting retirement criteria. It is an extra 2,000 baht step and should be done with at least 3 weeks remaining on permitted to stay.