Second Entry On A Double Entry Visa (Indian National)

[IamYamYam]

Hello again

I'm just trying to book my return flight for visa application and the re entry issue on double entry visa is rather confusing me.

I am going to apply for a tourist visa: Double entry visa [allowing for 60 days stay for each entry and valid for 6 months]. I have requested a visa for three months, meaning my return flight would be in August.

Considering if I get my Visa granted from 31st May onwards, I should leave the country before 31 July and then enter again. Now here is the confusing bit. Can an Indian national only enter from an Indian port or any neighboring country will be fine?

If I can re enter from a different country then I'll go ahead and book my return flight in August and make a weekend trip to Singapore or Hong Kong in July and return to BKK from there. If not, then I'll simply book a return flight (to India) within my first 60 days stay in Thailand.

Thanks for any advise in advance.

[lopburi3]

As long as you have a visa you should be fine entering from anywhere - it is just getting visas that you have restrictions.

[IamYamYam]

Thanks for this info lopburi3. It will make life a bit easier.

I think read somewhere in this forum that one needs to tell the immigration officer upon departure that they want to re enter Thailand once again. Is it so that IO could give a 're entry stamp'? Is there a fee for this purpose? I thought I read it is 1000 baht?

Thanks again in advance.

[lopburi3]

You only do that if on an extension of stay or you want to keep your current permitted to stay date - for a new visa entry it is not what you want.

[Jdietz]

Also, if you are "only" staying 90 days, a single entry visa can be extended for an additional 30 days in country, for a total of 90 days, saving you a border run / double entry visa.

[IamYamYam]

Hmm Thank you guys for your replies.

Also, if you are "only" staying 90 days, a single entry visa can be extended for an additional 30 days in country, for a total of 90 days, saving you a border run / double entry visa.

Ok, I wasn't aware of this fact. The thing is while I am in Thailand on tourist visa, I would like to enroll in a language school shortly after my arrival. 60 days or 90 days stay is to cover the time it may take to receive my letter of approval. I've read it can take upto 4-8 weeks at the ministry of education (any confirmations on this, please?). Once I have all the required documents I can straight away go back to India and apply for ED visa.

So that is why both me and my boyfriend (who is already on a work permit there) would like to avoid living in two different countries for so many weeks. But what you say might as well be the best option for us.

Thank you for making this clear.

[Jdietz]

This may actually be different for people from India (I really don't know), but in general, once you get your paperwork for the ED visa, all you have to do is go to any Thai Embassy (usual suspect: Vientiane) and get your new visa there. Saves you a trip back to India. On the cheap this can be done for a couple of thousand Baht from Bangkok.

Depending on the school, this visa can then be extended indefinitely within Thailand. Different schools, different options, in order of preference:

- visa run every 90 days

- 90 day extension in country,

- 1 year extension in country.

As I have never been on an ED visa, maybe someone with more experience can check this for correctness, also if anyone knows specific rules for India, please let us know.

[IamYamYam]

Unfortunately the FAQs pages of a number of language schools in BKK (for example Walen), mention that Indian citizens (among few other nationalities) are required to apply from their home countries followed by extensions from Thailand every 90 days. So I guess that one expense we will have to bear in any case. Maybe some other Indian forum members might want to confirm this or a different experience, if any.

[Mario2008]

From my understanding, it is indeed so that Indians need to apply in their home country or, if they legally reside elsewhere, country of residence.