Regular visitor- forced to make visa now any time?

[yanwana]

Am aware this topic has been on this forum at least twice, but seems to have gone down, could not easily find it back.

My travel pattern: escape the cold winter in Europe and enjoy the cool season in Thailand and around. Usually make 2 longer trips in that time; buy return to BKK, depart late oct/early nov, stay up to 30 days on normal visa-exempt, thanks AirAsia make a visit to nearby country-no direct turnback (f.e. now in Cambodia), return (by air, as that gives me 30 days, no G7 country) and stay again for up to 30 days-fly back home around Xmas. Have never overstayed (well once- 2 hrs due to plane failure).

Same again with a departure sometime in january-back home mid march. For this I may make the normal touristvisa for 60 days (cost me 30 eur, easy to do, as its just a short bikeride from normal route).

Myself; Dutch national, now 65, untill that day working half time-in the Europe summer, single. Am aware of other options re visa, but these ask for much more paperwork and cost also more.

Entry history: Untill about 1 year ago entry went always very smooth-they have all details in the system, just a stamp and off. No remarks ever, no problems.

Entry at DMK last year coming from Malaysia-early dec: lady (was directed to ASEAN/Thai line as there were noone waiting there) suddenly started to ask all kind of questions,but mostly about how long to stay. She said something about 90 days max in 180-but I thought this was tried and forgotten/cancelled some time ago. Answer was simply ''untill xx/12-less as 30 days''-my suggestion to show the flight bookings as proof was waved away however and after some gruntling was stamped in. Entry in jan.15 was on tourist 60 ay at BKK/Swampy-no problem.

made a short sidetrip to Thailand in sept '15, landed at BKK/Swampy (stay for 6 days) and the elder and amiable, but very limited englsih speaking official told me I should make visa in the future, s ''I visit Thailand so often''. Again the questions were mainly about how long I would stay and again the offer to simply show airbookings was waved away. He scribbled something beside the entry stamp-not just the flightnr, but this is unreadable also for Thai friends.

Having booked my flights already for the trips I am in now (planning 2 visa-exempt and a 60-day tourist for entry jan '16) I decided to not risk it and make 1 of the last triple entry and thus pay 90 eur inlieu of 30, this went without a hitch.

Entry at BKK/Swampy early nov '15: again was sternly asked several times, and with some apparent disbelief about answer, how long I intended to stay-which was thus even shorter as 30 days. Eventually got my stamp- no remarks or questions about this when I left last week for PnPn via DMK on AirAsia. Why they ask especially this question also escapes me.

Questions for now:

Am aware there seems to be some kind of yellow flash on their systems when someone has entered TH more as 5?6? times in what?period. Do visa count or not for that? Is it for the person or does it expire with the passpt (mine lasts till next year when I have to apply for a new one).

But now that he simple double/triple entry have also been cancelled and not really wiling to shell out 150 eur to be granted entry, I plan to do like this:

shorten stay in Thailand to once for 30 days around nov-do a trip to other nearby before or after that, and do 60 day for the jan-march period. (have to be in EUR around 1/1, hence the long flights there and back in between).

Is there a real chance that entry in nov could be denied due to all this? or better to swallow the pill and make a tourist visa again for this-which would mean the passport gets full of single entries in a few years time.

Or what about short stays of just a few days or 1 week when I (have to) travel to ASEAN anyway in other times of year?

Again: aware this topic has been asked about more times, but if there (hopefully) is any more news about it eager to know it.

[overherebc]

Why give yourself all the hassle and worry. Get a single entry visa that can be extended for 30 days at any Imm' office for 1900 baht.

No worries about 6 entry questions etc.

You can get another one easily, nearby, and carry some cash when entering 10,000 baht I believe. Have a booking for a hotel or something to prove where you are going to stay. Not much different from the the requirements Thai's need to show for a visa to enter UK or mainland Europe.

Many countries are getting this kind of standard requirement for a visa.

We, Europeans, had it very easy for a while in this part of the world as regards visas. It was always a privilege, and was abused by many.

Now Thailand is getting in line with our standards why should we complain ?

[ubonjoe]

There is no written rule that limits the number of entries or days for visa exempt entries.They can only deny entry under section 12 of the immigration act. The most common reason is a lack of financial proof. If you can show the equivalent of 20k baht in cash that would overcome that problem.

A immigration officer just gets an alert that you have reached 6 entries or more. It is only to inform them so they can check your history to see if you are doing them back to back to live here.

[4evermaat]

There is no written rule that limits the number of entries or days for visa exempt entries.They can only deny entry under section 12 of the immigration act. The most common reason is a lack of financial proof. If you can show the equivalent of 20k baht in cash that would overcome that problem.

A immigration officer just gets an alert that you have reached 6 entries or more. It is only to inform them so they can check your history to see if you are doing them back to back to live here.

Is it 6 entries of any type (same border or different border?), or 6 visa exempt entries that get the alert?

[ubonjoe]

I think it is 6 visa exempt entries into the country no matter where you do them.

[yanwana]

Thanks as always for swift answer, Ubonjoe. However- the question still remains that WHY I was advised to get a visa all the time then. Perhaps could you provide a link here the the other topics on this matter which have more discussion and info?

Though I re-entered Th a few days ago, on nr 2 of the triple tourist at PoiPet border coming from Cambodia and nothing was asked nor said, event though it was clear the lady got special message on her screen.

@Overhere: thats NOT the answer to what I asked-there are also people, like me, who like to travel and see more as just TH. Why this should be labelled as misuse completely escapes me.

[kingalfred]

Number 2 of triple entry, so whats problem? You have another 120 days on that visa