Hi, I would just like to know if the rules have changed regarding the 6 month tourist visa. Before the visa was activated from when the visa was issued.I am now lead to believe that the visa starts from when you enter Thailand. So for example I plan to arrive in June so if I got my visa in may,would I still have 6 months from when I arrive in June? Or is my visa still activated from when its issued in may? I can't find anything on the website that tells me either way. Anyway thank you in advance for any information.

The visa starts ticking down from the moment it is issued !

Your last entry is the relevant factor I think.... If you're second entry is one day before the visa expiry then you will get an additional 2 months (+ option to extend).. someone will no doubt come along and confirm this shortly.

Ok thank you for the replies.like I said before,it used to start from the day it was issued therefore if I was to get the visa 1 month before entering Thailand then I would only be left with 5 months by the time I actually arrive in Thailand so i would alway's leave it to the last minute but i just wondered if this had changed. It also seems like I have to aply for a visa at the thai embassy in London now as where before you could aply at the royal thai consulate in hull by post which was a brilliant service so I'm just wondering why this has changed. Anyway thank you for you're help.

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Ok thank you for the replies.like I said before,it used to start from the day it was issued therefore if I was to get the visa 1 month before entering Thailand then I would only be left with 5 months by the time I actually arrive in Thailand so i would alway's leave it to the last minute but i just wondered if this had changed. It also seems like I have to aply for a visa at the thai embassy in London now as where before you could aply at the royal thai consulate in hull by post which was a brilliant service so I'm just wondering why this has changed. Anyway thank you for you're help.

It is possible to get a tourist visa at any of the Thia Honorary Consulates in the UK if attending in person. Postal applications must be made to the Embassy.

You can blame all the visa scammers and the "friendly" consulates for the changes.

A visa is "active" from the day issued so to get the maximum time from a visa it should be applied for as close to departure time as is practical.

standingroomonly, I find your posts a bit confusing and believe that you can benefit from reading this information:

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/content/visaxpiredate.html

In your opening post of this topic you mention a "6 month tourist visa". Adding a hyphen for it to make sense to me, a six-month tourist visa is a tourist visa valid for travel to Thailand within six months from its date of issue for the number of entries shown on the visa. Actually, the period of validity is not stated on the visa itself; it gives the date of issue and the date before which the visa must be used. With some tourist visas the "enter before" date is three months after the issue date, with others it is 90 days or six months or 180 days. I have seen all variations in my passports over the years.

OK, let's see if I can figure this so called 6-month tourist visa

If you decided to select:

One entry, you will get 3-month tourist visa:

You have 3 months to use the visa to enter Thailand. Once you have arrived to TL, you will be given 60 days to stay. After 60 days, you must go to immigration office to get extension of 30 days.

Two entries, you will get 6-month tourist visa, double the fee.

This one looks like once you leave TL (after a total of 60-90 days), you can re-enter and repeat the above process?

If anyone who has used the 6-m tourist visa, please let us know.

The validity of the torist visa depends on the consulate. Some give 6 months for a double entry, some only 3 months.

In Europe it is most times 6 months, while in neighbouring countries 3 months only.

All entries must be made while the visa is still valid.

The 30 day extension can be done early, i would go about 2 weeks bore your 60 days expire. The extension still starts when the original 60 days end, so you do not lose any days.