Back to Back Tourist Visas - Update from previous post

[loltron]

I previously posted a question (Am I a tourist? Am I a border-runner?). My question was essentially "How long do I need to be outside Thailand before returning if I'm using Visa Exemptions?".

 

The consensus seemed to be "If you can get a tourist visa, do that instead to avoid trouble. Even if you're only going to be in the country less than 30 days and outside for a couple weeks per visit, if you're doing a lot of in and out over an extended period of time, get a visa."

 

In the mean time I've headed over to the NYC Thai Consulate and gotten myself a 2-entry Tourist Visa. They no longer offer 3-entry visas. Further, the Consular Officer at the desk hadn't been given any additional guidance in regards to the new visa rules.

 

He told me he can give me a new visa no problem, but it's obviously always up to the Immigration Officer as to how long I can stay in country per entry and whether or not I'll be allowed in at all. No guidance on how long I should wait before applying for another visa and reentering Thailand, and in fact he explicitly said back to back Tourist Visas were ok. Seeing how far he is removed from Immigration in Thailand, I'd say we should take this with a grain of salt.

 

Additionaly, I contacted my old visa run company I used to use, Bangkok Buddy. They've reduced the number of weekly trips from Koreatown to Poi Pet down to 5, but are continuing to run them. I was advised by them that trips are running normally, except that those with an overstay are no longer able to join them and are being turned away at the border, and additionally that they are seeing back to back Tourist Visas being honored. Perhaps this will change soon, but I'll ask them again after the new regs take effect.

[KhnomKhnom]

With a string of REAL tourist visas, many, you still should be safe and between the place u get the visa and the airline allowing you to fly in, you have huge assurance all will be ok.

 

Meanwhile, upon entry every time, LOOK LIKE A TOURIST, not a biz man nor a backpacker.  Have ready answers;  look bored;  look respectable.  Wear a mali.

 

Immigration's job is to treat every entering person INDIVIDUALLY;  that is why some can report variations in application of rules.  This is normal, so do not give the agent any reason to doubt you.

 

"So, why are you coming back so soon??"  Answer, "I did not get to pray at ...name... wat and my monk told me to do that."

[shawn82]

One thing with ”its ut to the border control how long you can stay”.

In Sweden the Royal Thai embassy demands confirmed airplane tickets for a visa. Not fun buying 6 air tickets for a 3 entry visa and than have some person just say ”nope. Only 30 days”. 

 

I start to think getting new passports is the way to go since the officials seems just to look at the passport. When I have to many Thai stamps = get a new passport. 

[larsjohnsson]

One thing with ”its ut to the border control how long you can stay”.
In Sweden the Royal Thai embassy demands confirmed airplane tickets for a visa. Not fun buying 6 air tickets for a 3 entry visa and than have some person just say ”nope. Only 30 days”. 
 
I start to think getting new passports is the way to go since the officials seems just to look at the passport. When I have to many Thai stamps = get a new passport. 

Yes the Swedish Embassy demands to see airplane tickets. But you don't have to show 6 tickets for a triple entry visa. A return ticket to Thailand is enough.

[thairookie]

I'm not getting anymore advice from the Thai company at KlongTan with which I often had my border run trips.  I used to enjoy the trips to Vientiane and Ban Laem etc., but with the announcement of the crackdown on border runners, the company has since taken down its website.

[loltron]

Oh wow, they took down their website? Interesting. BangkokBuddy is still going strong. Give them a call, Tanya speaks very good English and is calm, collected and well spoken. Maybe you can get some info out of her.

[Sarana]

I understood the crackdown was on overstaying without passport, visa or visa exemption/extension then it spread to border runs that ppl were using instead of visas then they backtracted on issuing 3 back to back visas but I think two is OK and perhaps two visa exemptions. There is a difference between tourism and travel that may require crossing borders several times such as exiting Southern Thailand and entering Northern Thailand. Visiting Mae Sot in Myanmar for a day has been spoiled by border runners for example.

[kolchuga]

I believe I have a valid question related to the discussion here, but the circumstances will be somewhat different. I usually come to Thailand once a year, but when here I usually wind up going to Cambodia or VietNam for ten days, to two weeks, or just slightly longer. Would I have a problem, with possibly being denied entry back into the land of smiles, if I were to fly into BKK, entering on a 30 day visa waiver, then fly out to Yangon this trip, to see Burma, after spending approximately a week in BKK, returning to Thailand via land crossing at Mai Sai, about two weeks to eighteen days, after flying out of BKK? I'd be taking the train to Mandalay and spending a few days there, then flying to Kyaingtong, spending a few days in that area, then eventually busing down to Tachileik, where I'd want to reenter on the ground at Mai Sai two to three weeks later. Would that be considered a "back to back" 30 day entry, and would it be prohibited? I'd probably want to stay in Mai Sai a couple of days, bus down to Chang Rai or Chang Mai, spend a day or two there, then fly, or take the train back to BKK for a few days, then fly out of BKK within two weeks or so, after re-entering at Mai Sai.   ( I need to do it that way, as I have a single entry visa for Burma, and would need to get back to Thailand to fly back home ). 

[larsjohnsson]

I believe I have a valid question related to the discussion here, but the circumstances will be somewhat different. I usually come to Thailand once a year, but when here I usually wind up going to Cambodia or VietNam for ten days, to two weeks, or just slightly longer. Would I have a problem, with possibly being denied entry back into the land of smiles, if I were to fly into BKK, entering on a 30 day visa waiver, then fly out to Yangon this trip, to see Burma, after spending approximately a week in BKK, returning to Thailand via land crossing at Mai Sai, about two weeks to eighteen days, after flying out of BKK? I'd be taking the train to Mandalay and spending a few days there, then flying to Kyaingtong, spending a few days in that area, then eventually busing down to Tachileik, where I'd want to reenter on the ground at Mai Sai two to three weeks later. Would that be considered a "back to back" 30 day entry, and would it be prohibited? I'd probably want to stay in Mai Sai a couple of days, bus down to Chang Rai or Chang Mai, spend a day or two there, then fly, or take the train back to BKK for a few days, then fly out of BKK within two weeks or so, after re-entering at Mai Sai.   ( I need to do it that way, as I have a single entry visa for Burma, and would need to get back to Thailand to fly back home ). 

You should start with a triple entry tourist visa, if going out/in so many times

[kolchuga]

" So many times"? Actually it's not "many times", at all! It's in twice, and back out twice, in a span of thirty to forty days, for strictly tourism. No overstay, extensions, or other complicated problems. I've done this many times before, ie., arrived in BKK, as air tix from the states are MUCH less expensive to BKK than flying to either Phnom Penh, OR Yangbon. As I pointed out, I've arrived in BKK and stayed for a week or two on the 30 day visa waiver exemption, then bus to Cambodia for week or two, then come back to Thailand, where they'd give me 15 days for re-entering on the ground.  Last year, I did the day trip from Mai Sai, to Tachileik, and on return they told me at immigration that US passport holders were now given 30 days, instead of the previous 15, when crossing back into Thailand, ( all I really need is 15 days as I won't want to spend more than two more weeks in Thailand before flying back out of BKK,  once I've spent two to three weeks in Burma on a single entry Burmese visa ). My question is, would trying re-entering the kingdom on the ground at a land crossing, constitute some sort of prohibited "back-to-back" 30 day visa exempt entry and exit, after exiting the kingdom for a few days, on a visa exempt entry, what with new rules and enforcement in effect?     

[dazzau]

I went and got  my 30 day extension on my first entery on Tuesday in Jomtien...

 

No Questions Asked - and they didnt even look back at my passport that shows this is my 4th TV in a row. " i dont do boarder runs i actually return home twice a year as well as visit other countries in SEA".  dont consider myself a Digital Nomad - yes i can work anywhere but i do make $$$ on a computer in my home country....

 

Additionally I recently contacted the Brisbane Consulate and asked about the issuing of TVs - there has been no order not to issue them to people that have had "X" amount in a row.

The site however  has a warning on the 15/30 Visa Runners    http://www.thaiconsulate.org/  .....

 

Lots of different opinions on this and other related subjects - will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

[louse1953]

One thing with ”its ut to the border control how long you can stay”.

In Sweden the Royal Thai embassy demands confirmed airplane tickets for a visa. Not fun buying 6 air tickets for a 3 entry visa and than have some person just say ”nope. Only 30 days”. 

 

I start to think getting new passports is the way to go since the officials seems just to look at the passport. When I have to many Thai stamps = get a new passport. 

Regarding new passport,you know that screen immi look at when you arrive,its called a computer,and you and all your trips are in it.

[tingtongtourist]

With a string of REAL tourist visas, many, you still should be safe and between the place u get the visa and the airline allowing you to fly in, you have huge assurance all will be ok.
 
Meanwhile, upon entry every time, LOOK LIKE A TOURIST, not a biz man nor a backpacker.  Have ready answers;  look bored;  look respectable.  Wear a mali.
 
Immigration's job is to treat every entering person INDIVIDUALLY;  that is why some can report variations in application of rules.  This is normal, so do not give the agent any reason to doubt you.
 
"So, why are you coming back so soon??"  Answer, "I did not get to pray at ...name... wat and my monk told me to do that."

[bertty]

Being caught lying and using Buddha as the excuse for the lie, all the best when you get found out.

Just tell the truth, Why are you back in Thailand so soon ?   I didn't get to shag number 7.

[RTH10260]

" So many times"? Actually it's not "many times", at all! It's in twice, and back out twice, in a span of thirty to forty days, for strictly tourism. No overstay, extensions, or other complicated problems. I've done this many times before, ie., arrived in BKK, as air tix from the states are MUCH less expensive to BKK than flying to either Phnom Penh, OR Yangbon. As I pointed out, I've arrived in BKK and stayed for a week or two on the 30 day visa waiver exemption, then bus to Cambodia for week or two, then come back to Thailand, where they'd give me 15 days for re-entering on the ground.  Last year, I did the day trip from Mai Sai, to Tachileik, and on return they told me at immigration that US passport holders were now given 30 days, instead of the previous 15, when crossing back into Thailand, ( all I really need is 15 days as I won't want to spend more than two more weeks in Thailand before flying back out of BKK,  once I've spent two to three weeks in Burma on a single entry Burmese visa ). My question is, would trying re-entering the kingdom on the ground at a land crossing, constitute some sort of prohibited "back-to-back" 30 day visa exempt entry and exit, after exiting the kingdom for a few days, on a visa exempt entry, what with new rules and enforcement in effect?     

a couple of days after question asked, but want to add this:
you intend to enter by land visa exempt. remember that this is now only granted for short stay of 14 (7??) days. yoou may want to have that tourist visa to be able to dtay longer! Edited August 9, 2014 by RTH10260

[paz]

a couple of days after question asked, but want to add this:

you intend to enter by land visa exempt. remember that this is now only granted for short stay of 14 (7??) days. yoou may want to have that tourist visa to be able to dtay longer!

It is 30 days for citizens of G7 countries. 15 for days most others.

Starting 29/8, can be extended further 30 days at any immigration office for Bt. 1,900.