More than 90 day tourist visit help please

[Duggsie]

Hello, can someone please offer me some advice.

I am from the UK and planning a trip around Asia and then onto Australia.

Without checking the visa requirements, flights into and out of Thailand have already been booked.

Arriving middle of September and departing middle of January which will be over 90 but slightly under 120 days.

Plan is to use Thailand as a base as I have friends I can meet up and maybe stay with whilst I explore Thailand as well as Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos - possibly Burma as well.

I expect to leave Thailand on my first trip to either Vietnam or Cambodia within the first 30 days.

Firstly, can I stay for nearly 4 months in Thailand even if I do leave and come back - are there limits to how many times I can leave and return for instance?

Secondly, what sort of visa should I apply for at the UK Thai Embassy, before I leave, or will I not even need a visa.

Totally confused by the UK Thai Embassy website and wish this had all been checked out properly before the flights were booked and paid for.

Any advice would be wonderful.

[paz]

You will need a double or triple entry tourist visa, plus as many re-entry permits as necessary. The latter you can get at the airport when leaving for side trips.

You also have the option of doing first entry on a visa waiver, then getting a single or double entry visa in a nearby country, but that would save little money, and could cause trouble when airline wants to see a return ticket within 30 days.

[Duggsie]

You will need a double or triple entry tourist visa, plus as many re-entry permits as necessary. The latter you can get at the airport when leaving for side trips.

You also have the option of doing first entry on a visa waiver, then getting a single or double entry visa in a nearby country, but that would save little money, and could cause trouble when airline wants to see a return ticket within 30 days.

Thank you for the advice paz, but I am still unsure about what is best to do.

I am finding the visa descriptions and fees really confusing as in the following clips from the Embassy website:

Tourist Visa Exemption

(maximum stay: 30 days)

Tourist Visa

(maximum stay: 60 days)

Transit Visa

(maximum stay: 30 days)

And:

Visa Type

Fee (£)

1. Tourist (per entry)

25.00

2. Transit (per entry)

20.00

3. Non-Immigrant (3 Month/ Single Entry)

50.00

4. Non-Immigrant (1 Year/ Multiple Entries)

125.00

As from the date of arrival until the eventual date of departure is just shy of 120 days but not all that time will be spent in Thailand with trips to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos also on the agenda but without firm planned dates yet, which of the above visas or combination of visas should be applied for before travelling?

Any ideas????

[ubonjoe]

A tourist visa is what you need to get.

Tourist visas are issue by the number of entries you apply and pay for. That is why the fee says 25 pounds per entry.

You get a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days at immigration.

[Duggsie]

A tourist visa is what you need to get.

Tourist visas are issue by the number of entries you apply and pay for. That is why the fee says 25 pounds per entry.

You get a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days at immigration.

Thank you.

So should I just purchase a single 60 day tourist visa and then just leave Thailand at the end of that 60 days and re-enter with another 30 days and then do the same again at the end of that 30 days?

Or, can I also buy those two 30 day extensions along with my initial 60 day tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in London before I go?

Sorry if I appear dumb, but that's because I am ignorant as to the correct procedures and even telephoning the Thai Embassy for advice has proven to be fruitless.

Thanks again for your patience.

[paz]

The 30 day extension is done at Thailand at cost of 1,900 Bt, if required.

[Duggsie]

The 30 day extension is done at Thailand at cost of 1,900 Bt, if required.

Thanks for all your help. You guys have been brilliant in helping me see through this visa fog.

One final two-part question though...In regard to what you say above, do I have to leave Thailand to get the 30 day extension @ 1,900Bt?

If so, am I allowed to do that again at the end of the 30 day extension as once only will give me a total of 90 days and I need almost 120?

[paz]

You do only one extension in Thailand, for 30 days.

Before that expires, you must leave country and re-enter.

[ubonjoe]

The 30 day extension is done at Thailand at cost of 1,900 Bt, if required.

Thanks for all your help. You guys have been brilliant in helping me see through this visa fog.

One final two-part question though...In regard to what you say above, do I have to leave Thailand to get the 30 day extension @ 1,900Bt?

If so, am I allowed to do that again at the end of the 30 day extension as once only will give me a total of 90 days and I need almost 120?

You do the 30 day extension at an immigration office here in Thailand.

[Duggsie]

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You do only one extension in Thailand, for 30 days.

Before that expires, you must leave country and re-enter.

The 30 day extension is done at Thailand at cost of 1,900 Bt, if required.

Thanks for all your help. You guys have been brilliant in helping me see through this visa fog.

One final two-part question though...In regard to what you say above, do I have to leave Thailand to get the 30 day extension @ 1,900Bt?

If so, am I allowed to do that again at the end of the 30 day extension as once only will give me a total of 90 days and I need almost 120?

You do the 30 day extension at an immigration office here in Thailand.

Oh my giddy aunt!!!

I so wish I had just come and asked my questions here in the first place instead of being driven near insane trying to figure it out for myself.

Thanks to both of you for all your helpful advice.

Can't tell you how much you've cheered me up.

[DrTuner]

I'll add my 0.02:

When you enter Thailand using a Tourist (TR) visa, you get a stamp in your passport giving you a permit to stay for 60 days. This is called "entry".

Before this 60 days is over, you may go to an immigration office in Thailand and apply for a 30 day extension to the permit to stay. This is called "extension". Cost 1900b.

If you leave Thailand at any time, the permit to stay you have will end, unless you get a re-entry permit in an immigration office or at the airport before leaving. In that case your original permit to stay stays valid. This is called "re-entry". Costs 1000b for a single trip outside Thailand, 3800b for multiple trips.

In your case a double-entry tourist visa should be enough as it gives 60+60 days. The maximum you could stay with a double entry and two extensions would be 60+30+60+30 = 180 days.

Most confusion comes from mixing the terms visa (permission to enter the country), permit to stay (exactly what it says) and extension (extending the permit to stay). Once those are clear it's actually quite straight forward.

[Duggsie]

I'll add my 0.02:

When you enter Thailand using a Tourist (TR) visa, you get a stamp in your passport giving you a permit to stay for 60 days. This is called "entry".

Before this 60 days is over, you may go to an immigration office in Thailand and apply for a 30 day extension to the permit to stay. This is called "extension". Cost 1900b.

If you leave Thailand at any time, the permit to stay you have will end, unless you get a re-entry permit in an immigration office or at the airport before leaving. In that case your original permit to stay stays valid. This is called "re-entry". Costs 1000b for a single trip outside Thailand, 3800b for multiple trips.

In your case a double-entry tourist visa should be enough as it gives 60+60 days. The maximum you could stay with a double entry and two extensions would be 60+30+60+30 = 180 days.

Most confusion comes from mixing the terms visa (permission to enter the country), permit to stay (exactly what it says) and extension (extending the permit to stay). Once those are clear it's actually quite straight forward.

Ye gods. Is it any wonder I was like a lamb lost in the fog?

A wonderfully constructed and detailed answer! And yet................still a few wisps of fog remaining.

So, for full clarity, I'm assuming I can't get a 60 day multi-entry visa which permits me to stay for two 60 day periods, instead I can have an initial 60 day period followed by a further 30 day extension without having to leave but I must leave and return with a new 30 day visa which permits me to remain for the last quarter of my stay but should obtain a re-entry permit first to save cash.

Or have I still got it wrong?

I trust you, cuz you're a Doctor.

[DrTuner]

So, for full clarity, I'm assuming I can't get a 60 day multi-entry visa which permits me to stay for two 60 day periods, instead I can have an initial 60 day period followed by a further 30 day extension without having to leave but I must leave and return with a new 30 day visa which permits me to remain for the last quarter of my stay but should obtain a re-entry permit first to save cash.

Or have I still got it wrong?

I trust you, cuz you're a Doctor.

The Dr is another abbreviation, not telling you what

Anyway, what you seem to be thinking is:

Get a single entry TR visa and enter: 60 days permit to stay. Get a re-entry permit if visiting other countries during this time.

Get a 30 day extension of stay in Thailand: another 30 days. Get a re-entry permit if visiting other countries during this time.

Leave Thailand.

Now, after this, if you don't want to get a new visa in the country you leave to, since you're from UK you are eligible for an entry to Thailand without a visa, called the "visa exempt entry". I'm not 100% sure how things are currently, but in general if you enter Thailand without a visa at a land/sea border, you get a permit to stay for 15 days, if by air, 30 days. Check the latest from the threads here at TVF.

So if you re-enter Thailand by air, you would get the extra 30 days you need, giving you 60+30+30. Again, get a re-entry permit if visiting other countries during this time.

Take note that the immigration is getting hard on people using back-to-back visa exempt entries in order to stay in Thailand. If you only get one, shouldn't be a problem. It will be a good idea to have a return ticket out of Thailand and a way to show you have cash with you when entering without a visa. You may be questioned at the border.

[rhodie]

You would get 30 day permit to stay if you enter by land as well if you have a UK passport.

[ALFREDO]

assuming I can't get a 60 day multi-entry visa which permits me to stay for two 60 day periods, instead I can have an initial 60 day period followed by a further 30 day extension without having to leave but I must leave and return with a new 30 day visa which permits me to remain for the last quarter of my stay but should obtain a re-entry permit first to save cash.

Try to get a Double entry Tourist Visa, in your home country, each good for,

60 + possible 30 days extension for 1.900 Baht at a Thai Immigration inside TH.

So, you come to TH and get than the 60 days, you stay only 30 you write in your first mail, so before you leave TH you make a

Re-entry permit at a Thai Immigration inside TH for 1.000 Baht same time you could also make the extension of your Tourist visa for 1 month, that you can do, maximum 30 days before the Tourist visa runs out, but not before, as far as I know.

After that Visa is finished, you can start the next one with a entrance to Thailand.

You can also only stay 30+ days and leave Th and come back with the second entry and extend than that Visa to 60 + 30 days.

Anytime you come to TH by air or land without a Tourist Visa you get 30 days Visa exempt entry, as a British Passport holder.

Only, now unforeseen tighter restrictions regarding back to back entrances of the Visa exempt entries make that solution -back yo back- entries maybe not easy.

Have a nice trip..

[Duggsie]

Thanks to everyone who has replied.

Sorry I've not responded earlier (have been away).

So, to clarify (as I see it):

1: FIRST 30 days, as a UK citizen, are “Visa Exempt” (ie. I don’t need any visa at all).

2: SECOND 30 days will have been purchased at the London Thai Embassy as part of my “Multiple-Entry” Visa.

3: THIRD 30 days can be paid for (1,900BT) and stamped into my passport at any Thai Immigration Office (so I don't have to leave).

4: FOURTH 30 days are “Visa Exempt” and stamped into your passport as you cross back into Thailand from a neighbouring country.

Additionally, I must be sure to get a "Re-Entry" permit if I leave temporarily or else I will lose the remainder of my visa duration.

So, do I buy a Double-Entry or a Triple-Entry visa, at the UK Embassy?

Many thanks.

[paz]

It is not exactly as you wrote, anyway try to keep it simple:

If you want to stay up to 180 days with one border hop, double entry.

If up to 270 days with two border hops, triple entry.

[Duggsie]

It is not exactly as you wrote, anyway try to keep it simple:

If you want to stay up to 180 days with one border hop, double entry.

If up to 270 days with two border hops, triple entry.

Thank you.

Which part(s) did I get wrong, please?

The stay will be for up to 120 days.

Also, I've just seen on the UK Thai Embassy website that land borders now limit the visitor to only 15 days. Is that from anywhere, including Vietnam, do you know?

Thanks again.

Duggsie.

[paz]

That you made your own interpretation of how all that stuff works.

Do not worry really. Just get your double entry visa in the days immediately before your travel, and you will be fine.