Tourist Visa

[ubonrthai]

I have an American friend interested in living with me for 6 months and using my home as a base for relaxing and touring Thailand. I read that he can get a 60 day tourist visa before coming to Thailand and then extend it for 30 days. What are his options beyond that if any?

He's not old enough for a retirement visa and while he's interested in learning some language, there are no schools in Ubon he could get an Ed visa through.

[Mario2008]

He can try to get a double entry tourist visa, meaning he can enter Thailand twice for 60 days and each entry cna be extended by 30 days so that would be almost a half year with 1 border run after 90 days.

If over 50 he might have more options.

[wayned]

He can apply for a double or triple entry tourist visa. With a double you can get almost 180 days with one border run and 2 extensions. With a triple you can get almost 270 days with 2 border runs and 3 extensions. The visa is $40 per entry. The extension are 1900 baht each. He would have to enter a neighboring country for the border run to activate a new entry and 60 day stay. Cost, Laos, $35, Cambodia, $20, Myanmar 500 baht, Malaysia, free in addition to transportation costs.

He can get the visa via courrier service in the US. He should get the visa just prior to leaving the US to get maximum utilization. I would get a triple. A friendly Consulate is Portland. Here's the info:Visa application porcedures, Portland Oregon.doc

[ubonrthai]

Is this what you mean?

Apply for 60 day tourist visa outside Thailand

Go to a land border for a 30 day extension.

Leave the country again and apply for another 60 day tourist visa.

Go to a land border for a 30 day extension.

Or do you mean he can ask for double/triple entries on the line at the top right of the application that says "Number of Entries Requested"?

He's already in Singapore and is willing to fly to whatever embassy in the region is the easiest. Which embassy is the quickest lately and how many days will it take?

[ubonrthai]

Disregard previous post. Found this. So you write "double" on the line at the top right of the application that says "Number of Entries Requested"? He can do the 30 day extension at any immigration office and at the end of the 90 days he only goes to the border to re-enter with a new 60 days correct? Thanks!

[lopburi3]

If he is in Singapore it is highly unlikely he will get more than a single entry. Laos is the only reliable place for more in immediate area. You said only American and easy to get two or three entry inside USA but not so easy in border countries. You get 60 day stay and if want longer extend for 30 days at nearest immigration office inside Thailand for 1,900 baht. Normally you can go and get another several times before you risk being refused

[ubonrthai]

So he can go to Savannakhet and apply for a double entry tourist visa. He could cross into Mukdahan by bus where I could pick him up.

At the end of 60 days, he can do a 30 day extension at our local immigration office (Phibun).

At the end of the extension, he can cross a land border (Chong Mek) to get another 60 days? Or is a flight required?

At the end of the 2nd set of 60 days he can do a 30 day extention at our local immigration office (Phibun).

What does the visa actually say? When I hear "double entry" visa it sounds like a 60 day visa that allows you to leave the country twice within the 60 days, not an additional 60 days.

[wayned]

Sorry when you said American I assumed he was in the US. He can get a double entry visa in Laos as stated abve. The visa will only be valid for 3 months from the date of issue and will have "a must enter by" date printed on it. Both entries must be made on or before that date. The visa will have printed on it "number of entries", for a double it will have 2.

When he gets the visa, the first time he enters Thailand he will get 60 days permission to stay. During the last 30 days of that permission, he can extend for 30 days. The 30 days will be addded to the end of his current permission to stay.

On or before the "enter before date" printed on the VISA he must exit and reenter Thailand. That will be the second entry, He will get 60 days permission to stay and that can be extended for 30 more. He will have permission to stay in Thailand even though the visa has "expired". The visa only controls the number of times that you can enter Thailand during the period that the visa is valid, not the length of time you can stay in Thailand.

[lopburi3]

It says 2 in number of entries. And you use as stated except you must make the second entry before the visa expires (which will be 90 days from date of issue for 2 entry issued in Laos) so you may have to leave a day or two before the 30 day extension expires.