I'm planning to be in Thailand from mid-september to mid-december, with a 2 week break in some other country in november. I would also like to be there from mid-january to mid-april. I have a German passport and was there for a week in august using the 30 visa exemption. I will only be there as a tourist and not work there.

To me it seems like the best way is this:

- Enter in mid-september with a visa exemption

- Extend the visa exemption by 30 days

- Leave Thailand for 2 weeks in early november

- Come back in mid-november with a another visa exemption

- Leave in mid-december

- Get a 60 day tourist visa in Germany

- Enter Thailand in mid-january

- Extend that 60-day tourist visa by 30 days

Does this seem like it would work? Would it be better to get a 60-day tourist tourist visa for the first part?

On the one hand I'm nervous that they might reject me, but then I also read stories here about people who get tons of visas and visa exemptions and had never any problem.

I appreciate any feedback. Thank you

Why they should reject you? You are a tourist and are welcome. I'm not being sarcastic.

It would be best to get a single entry tourist visa now. You could even get a 3 entry that would let you do all your trips.

Without a visa or a ticket out of the country within 30 days you can be denied boarding of your flight to here.

Otherwise you could do your trips as planned.

Agree with ubonjoe above, getting a visa is also cheaper than 30 days extension.

However regarding the boarding issue read

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

What would be the benefit of getting a single entry visa? Basically the issue of possible being rejected if I don't have a ticket out again in 30 days? They don't take the possibility of extending it into consideration?

Isn't a 3 entry tourist visa only valid for 6 months? At least that's the information I found online.

They do not take into account the 30 day extension when you want to board your flight.

Six months from now is March, The 6 months validity is to use all the entries not the amount of time you can stay here.

Extension is Bt 1,900, a little more than tourist visa 30 Eur.

Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. Definitely seems like the tourist visa is best option then. However, I'm only in Japan before heading to Thailand again and the requirements there seem pretty strict:

http://www.thaiembassy.jp/rte2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=607%3Atourist-visa&catid=51%3Avisa&Itemid=61

"For non-Japanese applicant, a copy of resident card or certificate of alien registration. The applicant is also required to present the original documents of identification upon visa application."

"An original copy of bank statement showing the balance at the amount equal to no less than 20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family."

It would be a huge hassle to find a guarantor, I have enough funds, but I don't have any original bank statement with me. I also don't think Japan is the kinda country where the give you any leeway on this. I've read that the visa application is more complicated here in general.

Any suggestions what would be the best solution then? Do as I've posted originally and just have a cheap ticket out for the first 30 days to avoid trouble during immigration?

You will not be able to get the visa in Japan.

You will need to enter and get a visa exempt entry. You could get a low cost one way flight to a nearby country to meet the 30 day ticket requirement.

Thanks so much for the fast reply! Out of curiosity, is it just the lack of original bank statements and guarantor that makes it impossible or something else?

When entering with a visa exempt entry, it's no problem to extend it by 30 days, so I can stay 60 days? Is there any chance that they would deny the extension?

I assume you don't have residency in Japan. That is the reason. There have been reports of them not doing a visa for that reason.

Yeah, I'm only here as a tourist.

But the extension of the visa exempt to get 60 days total should work?

Thanks

You can get the 60 days total by doing the 30 day extension.

Thank you