2 tourist entries or METV

[sureno]

Hello, I am about to book 3 months travel UK to Bangkok (leisure only) , where I will stay up to 30 days and then fly to Cambodia and work for around one month. I then hope to return to Thailand where I would stay for a further 30 days, again for leisure .

I'm wondering whether it would be fine to get two separate 30 day tourist entries or would it be an issue at the airport immigration on entering.

I will be booking the Cambodia flights before I arrive from the UK to Thailand so will have proof of onward travel within 30 days of arriving .

The alternative would be a METV I guess, but aside from the cost, the requirements in being asked for at the Thai consulate here in the UK. I'm not near London ask would be one of the Northern ones.

I'm assuming I wouldn't be able to extend a SETV as I'm leaving Thailand by air and spending weeks.

Thanks a lot for any help you can give

[BritTim]

Based on your post, visa exempt entries should be fine.

If you did not already have the Cambodia flight booked, a single entry tourist visa might be wise to avoid problems with the airline not wanting to check you in. This should be unnecessary in your case.

[elviajero]

• You should have no problem with two visa exempt entries (VEE) as long as you have onward flights booked within 30 days..

You certainly don't need a METV. One SETV and one VEE would be the alternative.

SETV and VEE entries can be extended by 30 days, but based on your itinerary wouldn't be necessary.

[sureno]

Thanks a lot for these answers. It really helps. I called the Consulate and they were not particularly helpful.

Would this work therefore

1. arrive BKK by VEE - stay 30days
2. fly to Cambodia 3/4 weeks
3. Reenter Thailand and use SETV
4. Extend visa for remaining days if required by crossing into Laos (I will be in Chiang Mai during my stay in Thailand)

So many questions!!!

To be on the safe side and get the SETV, I need to get that in the UK at the consulate in person. Presume I cannot get an extension to that SETV by flying to Cambodia for a few weeks? Is the extension where you go to Laos for 24 hours, and they extend it?

[elviajero]

Thanks a lot for these answers. It really helps. I called the Consulate and they were not particularly helpful.

Would this work therefore

1. arrive BKK by VEE - stay 30days
2. fly to Cambodia 3/4 weeks
3. Reenter Thailand and use SETV
4. Extend visa for remaining days if required by crossing into Laos (I will be in Chiang Mai during my stay in Thailand)

So many questions!!!

To be on the safe side and get the SETV, I need to get that in the UK at the consulate in person. Presume I cannot get an extension to that SETV by flying to Cambodia for a few weeks? Is the extension where you go to Laos for 24 hours, and they extend it?

Not quite right. I would recommend.

1. Arrive in BKK with a SETV or VEE. Your choice. As long as you have a flight booked out of Thailand within 30 days you will have no problem traveling/entering with VEE.
2. Go to Cambodia.
3. Re-enter Thailand with VEE. Again as long as you have an onward flight booked within 30 days you will have no problem with the airline. If the second Thailand stay is longer than 30 days you could get a SETV in Cambodia.
4. If you need to extend your stay (SETV or VEE) you do that (once per entry) at an immigration office within Thailand for 1,900 baht. No exit required.

Note. If you get a SETV from the UK you will have to use it on your first entry. The IO will not give you a VEE and let you save the SETV for the second entry.