How long to enter Thailand after you have a tourist visa issued?

[finy]

Does anyone happen to know how long you have to enter Thailand after they issue you with a tourist visa.

You won't believe how hard it is to find on Google no matter what you type.

I'm thinking it's possibly 3 months to enter, but not quite sure.

Cheers

[lopburi3]

Normally it is 90 days but could be longer at some Consulates if they issue more than one entry. In all cases the date will be on the visa. Although the wording is confusing you have until the end of that day to make your entry.

Google search brings up this for me:

http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=25

[ubonjoe]

It will be the enter before date on the visa sticker.

If you have a tourist visa with more than one entry allowed every day you do not use it from the date it is issued is a day lost on the total amount of time you can stay in the country.

[CFC]

You want to apply for the tourist visa a few days before your flight, otherwise you will lose time that you can spend in the country as all the visa's have a used by date, which is the date that the last entry has to be made by.

[lopburi3]

The use by date only applies to entry - you can enter on the last day and still obtain normal stay (60 plus 30 extension for most).

[finy]

The use by date only applies to entry - you can enter on the last day and still obtain normal stay (60 plus 30 extension for most).

Yeah I figured this was the case and since it's just a single entry it doesn't matter about entering the country straight away.

I won't get the visa back until end of next week to read the sticker, but just wondered if it was valid for 3 months not that I'll leave it that long to enter anyway.

[CFC]

Its good to point out about the Use By Date as someone reading this who is going to apply for a double or triple entry visa will be affected by applying for there Visa to early.

[Suradit69]

You want to apply for the tourist visa a few days before your flight, otherwise you will lose time that you can spend in the country as all the visa's have a used by date, which is the date that the last entry has to be made by.

" ... otherwise you will lose time that you can spend in the country"

Not really. If it's a single entry visa, you need to use it before the expiry or use-by date printed on the visa, but you will still get the full 60 day permission to stay and can extend it for another 30 days at immigrations even if you make your entry just before the visa expires. Your permission to stay in-country has nothing to do with the expiration date printed on the visa.

If it allows more than one entry, you can still get the full 60 + 30 day permission to stay each time you enter, but you'll have to make the second and/or third entry before the expiration printed on the visa, which will limit how much time you have to make the final entry if you get the visa well before you make your planned first entry.

[shaurene]

Normally they date the visa not before date/not after date. This all depends on the arrival date you put down.

[paz]

Normally they date the visa not before date/not after date. This all depends on the arrival date you put down.

Incorrect. The visa is dated with "enter before" only, that is a fixedperiod from date of issuance. What is put on application form is irrelevant.