I have been trying to follow all the information here on ThaiVisa about the changes in, and the enforcement of, immigration policy. There is a lot of discussion but I have not seen anything recently about my specific concerns. I am worried that I might be denied entry on a visa exemption at Suvarnabhumi because of multiple border runs for visa exemption entries earlier this year.

I understand that immigration matters in Thailand are in a period of particular fuzziness. I hope that people can report on their recent personal experience concerning entry on visa exemption status. There are 2 issues at play in my own case. I am interested in hearing any reports of recent entry attempts where either factor was relevant. First, in my USA passport there have been multiple same day out/in's at the same border crossing in this calendar year. Second, already in 2014 I have stayed in Thailand for more than 5 months on visa exemptions. After that, and most recently, I stayed for about 5 weeks on a tourist visa and then flew out of the region. I would like to return after an absence of about 8 weeks. I am not interested in applying for any other category of permission to enter.

In late December last year, I flew into Suvarnabhumi without a visa and was admitted on a 30 day visa exemption. After that one month, I enjoyed the convenience of doing border runs to Poipet for 5 consecutive months, each time returning to Thailand the same day. ( I was staying not all that far from Aran and had no desire to go to Phnom Penh or Vientiane when it was legal, practical and economical to do out/in's at the closest border.) After the government announced changes to policy related to visa exemption entry in May, I went to Vientiane in June and received a single entry tourist visa. My re-entry at Nong Khai was uneventful. I flew out of the country in the middle of July.

In early September I wish to fly into Suvarnabhumi once again. (The time away from Thailand will be about 8 weeks.) I am currently visiting friends in Japan. The Thai embassy in Tokyo will not issue visas to non-residents of Japan. Therefore, I would be landing in Bangkok without a visa and would depend on getting a visa exemption for entry.

I can show enough cash to satisfy the published minimum money for visitors and I can show an air ticket to a neighboring country before the end of the 30 days allowed by the visa exemption. (I can also show that I am arriving in Bangkok on the return portion of a round trip ticket, if that has any weight.) I will have no hotel bookings.

I am concerned about the response of the immigration officials to the story my passport tells. Not only consecutive in/out's, but also almost 7 months in Thailand already this calendar year. The question is: Will they allow me a visa exemption entry for 30 days?

How much emphasis are officials giving to a past history of border runs? From several reports on this forum, it seems that people who overstay and pay the penalty on departure are welcomed back on their return. Do former border runners get the same consideration?

Overstayers who paid and left have reported coming back immediately after getting tourist visas in neighboring countries. This appears to indicate that there is no maximum time per year to stay in Thailand without having a long term visa. These entries happened in July and August so the applicant had already been in the country for a minimum of 7 months this calendar year. The logic seems to be that after the past irregular status is resolved to be in line with guidelines, it is erased from consideration in granting future permission to enter. Is this actually the case in practice? Does it apply to border runners, too? Does the receipt of a tourist visa after a string of out/in's "clean the slate"? Does an interval of some particular length out of the country "clean the record"?

Could longer term travel history be of possible importance? I have been spending between 3 and 7 months in the country for each of the past 4 years, beginning by flying into Bangkok from outside of the region. Sometimes I traveled to neighboring countries and back to Thailand, stayed a few weeks, and then flew out of the region from Bangkok. Sometimes I used tourist visas and extensions to them, and sometimes I did border runs to get 30 day visa exemption entries. Does such a record establish one's bonafides as a tourist?

I have not had an overstay in this period. I travel on a USA passport. I have never stayed in Thailand under any permission other than tourist visa or visa exemption.

Thanks for any help.

immigration aside, you may be refused boarding in Japan if not having a visa, or an outgoing ticket. See.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/754481-boarding-to-thailand-without-return-ticket/

Nobody can tell predict how a particular officer will see the situation on that particular day, so be prepared for any possible eventuality.

To be on the safe side, you should have a visa all the time, unfortunately that is virtually impossible to get in Japan. It also seems opportune that you get a new passport.

I just arrived in Thailand by plane from Vientiane. Been in Thailand over 9 months total already during the last 11 months, with two tourist visa's, two airborne border runs, three extensions, an accidental overstay and a trip back to the Netherlands - in total two, now three visa exemptions. As I'm only 32 and spoke Thai it must've seen obvious I'm working here too - not as an English teacher btw. The officer just smiled at me and my passport and let me in at BKK airport. Flying in seems to be very safe, especially when you don't look like a bum. Can get a month extension for that here in Thailand but will swiftly apply for an education visa which is much less stressful. You'll get back in. Way to busy at Suvarnabuhmi to check properly. Good luck

So for you OP - is getting a visa - Tourist Visa or whatever totally impossible for you .. ? This is the part I do not really understand about entry into Thailand -- Visas can be obtained -- yes it sometimes means flying to a place where there is a Thai Consulate or Embassy ... But is it that difficult or that expensive or WHAT?

There is an Embassy of Thailand in Tokyo which grants visas. I've gotten several there in the past. You can Google the location. Good luck.

Thanks for the replies.

An update on my case. I came through immigration at Suvarnabhumi with no problem last week. The official flipped through my passport and asked if I had a visa. When I said no, he stamped me in for a visa exempt entry with no other words. (I understood his single question as a way of checking that he had not missed a visa among all the other stickers and stamps in the passport.)

I still have questions about what policies are being practiced. Reports are that the extension of this 30 day stay will be easy at an immigration office. After that, I'll be wondering if, with my history, a double entry tourist visa will be granted in Vientiane in November, and then honored at the border at Nong Khai for the first entry. The next question will be whether an extension will be granted in January. In February I will be anxious about doing a 2 hour out/in probably in Aranyaprathet/Poipet. Will the second entry permission be honored then and there? I'll be out of the region before those 60 days are up, so that will be my last concern about immigration policy in Thailand for a while.

Thanks in advance for any relevant comments.

One more thing. Delta Airlines in Tokyo asked how long I was planning to stay in Thailand. It came up on the monitor of the check in machine. The staff who had taken my passport to scan it punched my reply of 30 days into the database and she and the machine had no further questions. This was the first time I have encountered this issue.

Is it being done in other areas?

I still have questions about what policies are being practiced. Reports are that the extension of this 30 day stay will be easy at an immigration office. After that, I'll be wondering if, with my history, a double entry tourist visa will be granted in Vientiane in November, and then honored at the border at Nong Khai for the first entry. The next question will be whether an extension will be granted in January. In February I will be anxious about doing a 2 hour out/in probably in Aranyaprathet/Poipet. Will the second entry permission be honored then and there? I'll be out of the region before those 60 days are up, so that will be my last concern about immigration policy in Thailand for a while.

In Vientane or Savannakhet you will not be denied a visa without having been a warning or a single entry before.

Tourist extensions are granted routinely.

An update on my case. I came through immigration at Suvarnabhumi with no problem last week. The official flipped through my passport and asked if I had a visa. When I said no, he stamped me in for a visa exempt entry with no other words. (I understood his single question as a way of checking that he had not missed a visa among all the other stickers and stamps in the passport.)

I still have questions about what policies are being practiced. Reports are that the extension of this 30 day stay will be easy at an immigration office. After that, I'll be wondering if, with my history, a double entry tourist visa will be granted in Vientiane in November, and then honored at the border at Nong Khai for the first entry. The next question will be whether an extension will be granted in January. In February I will be anxious about doing a 2 hour out/in probably in Aranyaprathet/Poipet. Will the second entry permission be honored then and there? I'll be out of the region before those 60 days are up, so that will be my last concern about immigration policy in Thailand for a while.

Thanks in advance for any relevant comments.

What are your purpose of stay in Thailand? You're not a regular tourist are you?

What are your purpose of stay in Thailand? You're not a regular tourist are you?

You're not an immigration officer, are you ?

This is good to know.

I will be arriving in December after 5 months out the country but have a passport with a double entry visa + 6 back to back border runs at the same border and was worried it might cause problems.

I will return on a triple entry visa if possible from the UK, have proof of funds, proof of income from abroad + i'll probably book a cheap flight to Cambodia within 60-90 days to make it seem like I'm not staying.

I will return on a triple entry visa if possible from the UK, have proof of funds, proof of income from abroad + i'll probably book a cheap flight to Cambodia within 60-90 days to make it seem like I'm not staying.

You don't need an outgoing ticket, especially when having a visa, it would be wasted money.

Outgoing ticket is never asked by BKK immigration, not even for visa exempt entry.

AirAsia flight to PP costs like $50 USD.

I think if challenged about my recent history in Thailand it would be a useful thing to show so it seems like I have plans to leave Thailand. I might even use it.

I don't fancy doing border runs anymore at all. Hate them. So after 90 days might go party in PP for a few days before returning to activate the next entry of my visa.

Sure I'll lose a few days on my triple entry visa overall but such is life.

AirAsia flight to PP costs like $50 USD.

I think if challenged about my recent history in Thailand it would be a useful thing to show so it seems like I have plans to leave Thailand. I might even use it.

Up to you, but really not necessary. Tourist visa means you will be allowed in country no questions asked.

Even with a history of 6 months of border runs?

There are stories on here of people with valid visas being asked lots of questions and even stories of being refused so I'm not as confident as you are.

Even with a history of 6 months of border runs?

There are stories on here of people with valid visas being asked lots of questions and even stories of being refused so I'm not as confident as you are.

As mentioned before, there is people doing years not months of tourist visa. Their reports are here everyday for you to read.

An outgoing ticket is not asked, and not needed.

I was going to write you don't worry, I see you already had your stamp. Cheers.