Hi guys,

It seams the more I read about visas, the more confused I get. I have a US passport and flying to Thailand from the US Jan 12th-March 15th (63 days.) I was planning on visiting Laos and Vietnam, within that time. What exactly do I do here regarding visas? I have 0 plans for once I land in Phuket till I leave in March other than finding somewhere nice and quiet to work from.

Would the easiest thing just to go travel to Laos/Vietnam for a month? If I leave Thailand and re enter, do I get another 30 day visa exemption?

Thanks so much for helping me out, I'm a bit stressed out here.

US citizens receive a visa exemption that allows 30 day stay upon arrival. Laos offers a visa on arrival however, Vietnam requires prior approval for a visa on arrival. Vietnam has a web site that provides the means to obtain a perapproval letter that is used to get a visa on arrival. Both Laos and Vietnam visas allow 30 day stays. Upon return to Thailand another visa exemption is possble.

"I have 0 plans for once I land in Phuket till I leave in March other than finding somewhere nice and quiet to work from."

​No visa allows quiet working !

If you wish to work a "B' visa, work permit and employment by a Thai company is required,

Travelling with a US passport, you get a visa-exempt permission to stay in Thailand for 30 days on every arrival in the country. The only potential problem is that the airline could not let you board in the USA unless you have a confirmed flight out of Thailand within 30 days from arrival.

Based on your planned itinerary, you should book a flight out of Thailand before checking in for the flight to Thailand. Then, before your 30 days in Thailand are up, you use that ticket to fly out of the country for your visit of Vietnam and Laos, which I assume will be for at least four days. Then travel back to Thailand, by air or land, and get another visa-exempt permission to stay for 30 days, which will be more than enough to cover the remaining period of the total of 63 days.

Travelling with a US passport, you get a visa-exempt permission to stay in Thailand on every arrival in the country. The only potential problem is that the airline could not let you board in the USA unless you have a confirmed flight out of Thailand within 30 days from arrival.

Based on your planned itinerary, you should book a flight out of Thailand before checking in for the flight to Thailand. Then, before your 30 days in Thailand are up, you use that ticket to fly out of the country for your visit of Vietnam and Laos, which I assume will be for at least four days. Then travel back to Thailand, by air or land, and get another visa-exempt permission to stay for 30 days, which will be more than enough to cover the remaining period of the total of 63 days.

Thank you so much! I'll book a flight out of the country before my first 30 days are up, and stay there for at least 4 days. I wasn't clear on if I could get another visa exemptions when I got back to Thailand. Thanks!!

Have a nice trip and enjoy your stay in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It looks like a perfect holiday.

As regards the post by another member about not being allowed to work on a tourist visa, he is right, of course. Therefore, avoid the use of the word "work" for anything you do during your stay in Thailand as a tourist but be aware that there is absolutely nothing wrong for a tourist to use a computer or portable devices to remain in touch with relatives, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc, to post on one's Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blog, etc account and otherwise take notes or write anything on one's computer.

"I have 0 plans for once I land in Phuket till I leave in March other than finding somewhere nice and quiet to work from."

​No visa allows quiet working !

If you wish to work a "B' visa, work permit and employment by a Thai company is required,

I have my own US businesses that i'll be working from my laptop

US citizens receive a visa exemption that allows 30 day stay upon arrival. Laos offers a visa on arrival however, Vietnam requires prior approval for a visa on arrival. Vietnam has a web site that provides the means to obtain a perapproval letter that is used to get a visa on arrival. Both Laos and Vietnam visas allow 30 day stays. Upon return to Thailand another visa exemption is possble.

Thanks!

Have a nice trip and enjoy your stay in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It looks like a perfect holiday.

As regards the post by another member about not being allowed to work on a tourist visa, he is right, of course. Therefore, avoid the use of the word "work" for anything you do during your stay in Thailand as a tourist but be aware that there is absolutely nothing wrong for a tourist to use a computer or portable devices to remain in touch with relatives, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc, to post on one's Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blog, etc account and otherwise take notes or write anything on one's computer.

Roger that, thank you!

• Your best option is to get a single entry tourist visa (SETV), With a visa you don't need any return or onward booked flights.
• You will receive a 60 day permit to stay on entry.
• If you want to leave Thailand during the 60 days you can either let the visa lapse and re-enter using visa exempt entry, or buy a re-entry permit (1,000 baht) which will keep the remainder of the 60 days. The decision will depend on if/when you travel to Laos/Vietnam.
• If necessary, either a tourist visa or visa exempt entry can be extended by 30 days when in Thailand at an immigration office for 1,900 baht.

Based on your rough plan I would enter with a tourist visa and time the side trip to return to Thailand within 30 days of your flight home. That way you can re-enter with visa exempt entry and there would be no need for re-entry permits or extensions of stay.

Edited December 21, 201510 yr by elviajero