P4K Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 So Im enjoying thailand a lot, I really like it here and like the culture and stuff. I've been here 2 months on a visa exempt entry so far (i gotta do a border run soon) but I was wondering how many of these border runs can I do before they dont allow me to stay any longer? And how exactly do you "reset" the process. So what is that absolute longest I can stay here each year by doing border runs. Would it be possible to stay like 8-10 each year. I work online and make about 35k/y. Also what is the visa situation like in thailand, is it constently changing and would this be a maintainable strategy? Im a noob with this so dont troll Im still like level 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Rather than trying to stay on visa exempt entries you should get a single entry tourist visa from a nearby embassy or consulate. That would allow a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days. You can get these back to back up to 2 or 3 at the same location. A border crossing for a visa exempt entry will give you 15 days unless you are from a G7 country that would allow a 30 day entry. How many you could do would depend upon the crossing you use. A mixture of tourist visas and exempt entries and extensions for them could be done. After the total stay of 90 days form the visa you could do a border crossing and then an extension that would give you 5 months total if you get 30 days at a border crossing. Then go out for another tourist visa. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve187 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 your safest bet is to get an elite visa at a cost of 500,000 baht, that would last for five years and give you a one year permission to stay stamp on each entry, you could get 6 years in Thailand on this visa. search on here for ' elite visa' another way is education visa, not such a sure way, search on here for ' ed visa' the only other way would be tourist visa's either single entry which would give you a 60 day stamp which could be extended by 30 days (1900 baht). search on here for ' tourist visa ' a new multi entry tourist visa which is only issued in your home country and valid for 6 months, ( about 6,000 baht ) would give you a 60 day permission to stay stamp on each entry, and could be extended for 30 days this could give you almost 9 months in Thailand. search on here for ' metv' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4K Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 thanks for the answers, and ubon you said that you can get up to 2or3 at the same location. my previous quetion being how do you reset this proccess? So if I got 3 back to back and stayed a total of 9 months (if i understand correctly?) would I never be able to get a 4th one from this location? or how long would i need to wait or what would I need to do to be able to repeat this process again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Once you reach the limit at one location you use another embassy or consulate to get one. The best way to break the chain of back to back visa is to get one in your home country. By combining single entry tourist visas with visa exempt entries you could get almost 15 months without reaching the limit on back to back visas if you got one tourist visa form another location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4K Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 so could I string this out for possibly like 3-4 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I cannot predict 3 or 4 years in the future. Doing tourist visas you could possibly do it if you got some of the visas from you home country. If you can qualify for a multiple entry tourist visa (METV) back home that would make it a lot easier to do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackThompson Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 thanks for the answers, and ubon you said that you can get up to 2or3 at the same location. my previous quetion being how do you reset this proccess? So if I got 3 back to back and stayed a total of 9 months (if i understand correctly?) would I never be able to get a 4th one from this location? or how long would i need to wait or what would I need to do to be able to repeat this process again? For more detail (my take) on VisaExempts and nearby consulates, and "how to reset," see: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/870343-what-are-my-options-to-stay-longer-in-thailand/#entry10118023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4K Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 thanks awesome Ill check out that link, so yea I rn im here on a 30 day visa exempt entry that I got a 30 day extension on for 1900 baht and dec 7 i need to do my border run so I go to laos right? and how much will it cost me to get the single entry tourist visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You need to do a visa run to Laos to get a single entry tourist visa. The fee for it is 1000 baht. You will have to go to Savannakhet Laos to get the visa. The embassy in Vientiane is closed until the 10th. Savannakhet will be closed on the 7th and the 10th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4K Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 oh wow, my visa expires dec 7 so if I were to overstay and go to laos on the 10th would this be a big problem? how much would the fee be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You could go early to Savannakhet.and leave the country on the 7th. Then apply for the visa on the 8th. If you went on the 10th you would have to wait until the 14th to pick up your visa after applying on the 11th. You could also go to immigration and apply for a 7 day extension, pay 1900 baht and be given 7 days to leave the country. This would be the best option since it will cost you 500 baht per day for an overstay. Immigration will also be closed on the 7th. You should go this week to apply for it. If you went on the 8th though you would not be charged an overstay because the were closed on the day your permit to stay ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackThompson Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You could go early to Savannakhet.and leave the country on the 7th. Then apply for the visa on the 8th. ... Do this if you can. I consider the 7-day option better than overstay, but far from ideal, given you get a "visa refused" in your passport with it. Maybe that wouldn't hurt you down the road, maybe it would. Better than an overstay - yes - but I would strongly suggest you just go a few days early to Savanakhet and get a new SETV. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You could go early to Savannakhet.and leave the country on the 7th. Then apply for the visa on the 8th. ... Do this if you can. I consider the 7-day option better than overstay, but far from ideal, given you get a "visa refused" in your passport with it. Maybe that wouldn't hurt you down the road, maybe it would. Better than an overstay - yes - but I would strongly suggest you just go a few days early to Savanakhet and get a new SETV. It is a denied extension not visa refused. Immigration only does visas under special conditions. Can you find a substantiated post of anybody having a problem because of a denied 7 day extension application. I don't recall any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB300 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) You could go early to Savannakhet.and leave the country on the 7th. Then apply for the visa on the 8th. If you went on the 10th you would have to wait until the 14th to pick up your visa after applying on the 11th. You could also go to immigration and apply for a 7 day extension, pay 1900 baht and be given 7 days to leave the country. This would be the best option since it will cost you 500 baht per day for an overstay. Immigration will also be closed on the 7th. You should go this week to apply for it. If you went on the 8th though you would not be charged an overstay because the were closed on the day your permit to stay ended. If I've read the OP correctly he's already extended his Visa Exempt for 30 days, can he really extend it a second time for a further 7 days on top of this? Edited December 2, 2015 by JB300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You could go early to Savannakhet.and leave the country on the 7th. Then apply for the visa on the 8th. If you went on the 10th you would have to wait until the 14th to pick up your visa after applying on the 11th. You could also go to immigration and apply for a 7 day extension, pay 1900 baht and be given 7 days to leave the country. This would be the best option since it will cost you 500 baht per day for an overstay. Immigration will also be closed on the 7th. You should go this week to apply for it. If you went on the 8th though you would not be charged an overstay because the were closed on the day your permit to stay ended. If I've read the OP correctly he's already extended his Visa Exempt for 30 days, can he really extend it a second time for a further 7 days on top of this? There is no 7 day extension. He could apply for an extension which will be denied. Immigration will then put a stamp in his passport saying an extension of stay was denied and give him 7 days to leave the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 oh wow, my visa expires dec 7 so if I were to overstay and go to laos on the 10th would this be a big problem? how much would the fee be? Overstaying is not an option. If you get caught on overstay you can be arrested and held at the International Detention Centre (IDC) pending deportation. If you decide to overstay and make it to any border you will be allowed to exit as long as you pay the fine which is 500 baht per day up to a maximum of 20,000 baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You can stay 12 months a year, until they impose restrictions on number of back to back setv. Plenty of people have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You can stay 12 months a year, until they impose restrictions on number of back to back setv. Plenty of people have. Correct. 12 months minus the minimum 12 days outside of Thailland you will spend securing those SETVs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted December 2, 2015 A post bringing working online into the discussion and the resultant replies to it has been removed. The OP dd not ask for info about it so posts about it are off topic. No need to turn this topic into another long topic about it there are enough of them already. Any further post about it will be removed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ape1983 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I am currently in Vientiane (Laos). Yesterday I successfully obtained my ED visa for Thailand, based in Chiang Mai Ill be attending hand to hand combat school for fours a week. Visa and school fees cost 33000 baht. This is not including the trip to Laos, the actual Ed application at the Thai consulate costs 2000 baht. When I return to CM the school can apparently turn the 3 month ED visa into a 1 year visa which is renwable every year. Outside the embassy in Vientiane i paid 100 baht for a someone to fill out my ED form. He then said he could take care of the whole application for 4000 baht including the 2000 baht fee. This was a complete waste of money because I still queued with everyone else. My paperwork was all in order from the school so I shouldn't have bothered. All these people do is make you think they will guarantee you get your visa because they have contacts inside but in reality they don't. Never mind 2000 baht lesson learned, not the end of the world. They are only issuing single entry tourist visas now but this is also a good option, spoke to a few people whilst waiting in line and seems to be an easy process. As for Vientiane, its an okay place to spend a couple of days, unfortunately I came for four days. The METV visa is still the best option for a 6 month stay if you are in your home country and meet the criteria. When I take into consideration the cost of flights to Laos, school that I'm not interested in etc its well over 50000 baht already. Just my experience and opinion, everybody else will have different variables. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Digitalnomade Posted December 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) do everything by yourself. cheaper and you learn the system. friends of mine pay agencies, now it's over, they freak out because they don't know what to do. I m the specialist of tourist visa.... got plenty, never been refused and I have saved so much money that I can now buy a condo. Edited December 2, 2015 by Digitalnomade 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackThompson Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 You could go early to Savannakhet.and leave the country on the 7th. Then apply for the visa on the 8th. ... Do this if you can. I consider the 7-day option better than overstay, but far from ideal, given you get a "visa refused" in your passport with it. Maybe that wouldn't hurt you down the road, maybe it would. Better than an overstay - yes - but I would strongly suggest you just go a few days early to Savanakhet and get a new SETV. It is a denied extension not visa refused. Immigration only does visas under special conditions. Can you find a substantiated post of anybody having a problem because of a denied 7 day extension application. I don't recall any. Thanks for the clarification - yes - "extension refused" - not "visa" - my bad. I admit being paranoid about anything "different" in my passport regarding visas, extensions, etc - perhaps unjustifiably so. I had one of those stamps in my old passport - big and red. IOs and Consulate personnel seemed to take notice of it, though I did recieve a couple more visas after that (prior to a new passport), and was not denied entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jspill Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Outside the embassy in Vientiane i paid 100 baht for a someone to fill out my ED form. He then said he could take care of the whole application for 4000 baht including the 2000 baht fee. This was a complete waste of money because I still queued with everyone else. My paperwork was all in order from the school so I shouldn't have bothered. All these people do is make you think they will guarantee you get your visa because they have contacts inside but in reality they don't. Never mind 2000 baht lesson learned, not the end of the world. Maybe it's changed now since the introduction of the new METV (multiple entry tourist visa) last month, but before that there was no need to queue, you just went back home and they brought your passport to your hotel the next day with visa sticker in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Love the way thaivisa go off on tangents. Makes zero difference what the OP does, for example DN. Fact is he asked if he could stay here for majority of year. 10 months or more. Answer YES. End of story. Can be done with combo of setv and visa exempt . Stir the pot repeat process. Welcome to los brother. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) Love the way thaivisa go off on tangents. Makes zero difference what the OP does, for example DN. Fact is he asked if he could stay here for majority of year. 10 months or more. Answer YES. End of story. Can be done with combo of setv and visa exempt . Stir the pot repeat process. Welcome to los brother. In Post #1 he said what he does: He's a "tourist" (his quotes) who works online. or per the American Navy WW II slogan: Loose lips sink ships. welcome to Thailand. Edited December 2, 2015 by JLCrab 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Yes Crab point taken. I know this is off topic, but if I was a DN I would not be on tv advertising the fact. I don't even get all the DN debates. Bit like sex life. Keep it private 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Yes Crab point taken. I know this is off topic, but if I was a DN I would not be on tv advertising the fact. I don't even get all the DN debates. Bit like sex life. Keep it private Well he hasn't done that either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jspill Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 or per the American Navy WW II slogan: Loose lips sink ships. welcome to Thailand. I don't know of any examples of the Thai authories hearing something from loose lips, and there being any consequences. If so they need only drive up to the nearest coworking space, or read the main Facebook group with 8000 digital nomads in. Or turn up to the regular meet ups. I do know of moody expats telling police other expats work without a permit, it happened to a friend of mine and I started a thread about it. Although he was immediately released when they realised he works online, not anything with a physical presence here. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783955-digital-nomad-told-hes-not-a-criminal-for-blogging-released-without-charge/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Topic is going off topic again. Time to end it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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