What is the best way to approach this? Me, my mother and my four children will be coming to Thailand for a little over 2 months. We will be staying with friends. What type of visa do we need and how do we go about it?

Thanks!

Obtain single entry tourist visas for everyone from a Thai Consulate or visa service prior to travel. That will cover the first 60 days and those above age 14 will have to extend for another 30 at local immigration office at cost of 1,900 baht each unless you reduce stay to 60 days or less.

Apply for a Tourist Visa at a Thai Consulate.

This will give a stay of 60 days.

A few days before the 60 are up go to Immigration and apply for a 30 day extension.

The extension will cost 1,900 Baht.

Thank you both! Is there an immigration office in Chiang Mai?

Yes right at entry to airport compound.

Bumping this with additional question...

My mother is thinking she'd like to stay beyond our original timeframe (after my kids and I go home). What can she do as far as a visa if she'd like to stay for, say, 4.5 months total? Is that even an option? Will she have to do a border run?

Thanks!

She would have to get another tourist visa. She could get a 2 entry visa in Vientiane Laos.

From Chiang Mai the easiest way to get there is to fly to Udon Thani on Nok Air and by then by mini bus to the bridge in Nong Kai.

Apply for a double entry tourist visa in the US.

each entry will give you 60 days that can be extended by 30 days at immigrations.

To activate the second entry you will have to get to a border ad re-enter Thailand once more.

If you plan to stay longer than 180 days, get a triple entry tourist visa.

Perhaps Mom could apply for a non-immigrant O visa for the purposes of considering retirement. That will give her a stamp for 90 days from when she enters the country with the rest of the family. During that last month of that 90 day period she could go to Chiang Mai Immigration and get a 12-month extension due to retirement. Same cost as the 30 day extension -- 1900 baht and no need to do a border run.

She will, however, need to demonstrate "financial worth". This could be either with a bank account, solely in her name in a Thai bank with a balance of 800,000 baht, on deposit for at least 60 days (probably not an option), or with an "Income Letter" from the American Consulate in Chiang Mai. At the consulate she will need to swear that she has a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht. Doesn't have to be money coming into Thailand, just that much income someplace in the world. Am. Consulate won't ask for "proof" of the income, but CM immigration might. A copy of her most recent tax return, with 1099 slips, should be sufficient. They rarely ask for proof of income, especially from nice, polite older American ladies.

Cost for notary stamp at the American Consulate is $50. Of course, Mom must be over age 50, also, to qualify for a retirement extension.

Just a thought -- this may not be practical if Mom's income is less than 65,000 baht/month, but if it is that much then why not just eliminate the need for her to do border runs by getting her an O visa and putting her on the path to get a 12-month extension of stay due to retirement.

PM me if you'd like more info about activities for ladies of Mom's age here in CM. There's quite an active little group of older western women having a great time in retirement.

get a double entry visa$70

but then u need do a border run so after 58 days hop over to Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia depending on where u are in Thailand

or the single for $35 an 1,900 for an extension and u dont need go out of the country