My son is here on a 6 month multiple re-entry visa (the new type as of November or so). I've heard that with proper timing, it can be extended to 9 months as described below. I wondered if this is just "theoretical" speculation or does it actually work this way. Since this visa type is less than 6 months old, there aren't any field reports yet whether it works this way **in practice**. -- thanks in advance.

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6 Month Validity

This actually means up to 9 months if you time it right. Get the new visa 2 weeks before you leave for Thailand, then come and go as you please making sure you fly back into Thailand a day or two before your 6 months run out. That way, you get a full 60 days from that day, plus the option to extend it for another 30 days without leaving the country, giving you up to 9 Months in Total!

Example: If your 6 month visa is valid from January 1st to June 1st you can come and go as much as you like during that time for up to 60-90 days at a time, then just make sure you re-enter Thailand before May 31st, and you'll get 60 days from that day + an option to extend it for another 30 days, giving you close to 9 months in total.

http://www.johnnyfd.com/2015/10/thailands-6-month-multiple-entry.html

Based upon how other multiple entry visas are done I see no reason why it cannot be stretched to almost 9 months of total stay.

Even 3 entry tourist visas could be stretched to 9 months of total stay by doing the last entry on or before the enter before date on the visa and then extending the last 60 days by 30 days.

May be true.....but as you say it is so new we don't really know how it works in practice.

Based upon how other multiple entry visas are done I see no reason why it cannot be stretched to almost 9 months of total stay.

Even 3 entry tourist visas could be stretched to 9 months of total stay by doing the last entry on or before the enter before date on the visa and then extending the last 60 days by 30 days.

Could you also apply for a single entry visa in Lao just before the METV expires ?That way you could 90 days added to your stay.Correct me if I'm wrong .Could you also get another 30 days by doing a boarder visa exempt entry. So all in all it would be 180(metv)+ 90(SE)+30(visa exempt)

Based upon how other multiple entry visas are done I see no reason why it cannot be stretched to almost 9 months of total stay.

Even 3 entry tourist visas could be stretched to 9 months of total stay by doing the last entry on or before the enter before date on the visa and then extending the last 60 days by 30 days.

Could you also apply for a single entry visa in Lao just before the METV expires ?That way you could 90 days added to your stay.Correct me if I'm wrong .Could you also get another 30 days by doing a boarder visa exempt entry. So all in all it would be 180(metv)+ 90(SE)+30(visa exempt)

You could get a single entry visa just before the METV expires if you wanted to. But I think most people would try to get the 60 day entry just before it expires. Then get a single entry visa.

You could add another 60 days by getting visa exempt entry and then extending it for 30 days. I have suggested doing that after a single entry visa.

Based upon how other multiple entry visas are done I see no reason why it cannot be stretched to almost 9 months of total stay.

Even 3 entry tourist visas could be stretched to 9 months of total stay by doing the last entry on or before the enter before date on the visa and then extending the last 60 days by 30 days.

Could you also apply for a single entry visa in Lao just before the METV expires ?That way you could 90 days added to your stay.Correct me if I'm wrong .Could you also get another 30 days by doing a boarder visa exempt entry. So all in all it would be 180(metv)+ 90(SE)+30(visa exempt)

You could get a single entry visa just before the METV expires if you wanted to. But I think most people would try to get the 60 day entry just before it expires. Then get a single entry visa.

You could add another 60 days by getting visa exempt entry and then extending it for 30 days. I have suggested doing that after a single entry visa.

So it sounds like your saying metv =180 +60 and then single entry 60 + a 30 day extenstion= 330

Edited January 26, 201610 yr by riclag

the way to use a metv for the maximum time, is to get it as close to entry as possible, then just before expiry do a border run and then extend that by 30 days, giving you = 180+60+30 about 270 days, with another tourist visa 60 + a 30 day extension would give a total of 360 days, or the 270 days + a 30 day visa exempt + a 30 day extension would give 330 days

Thanks all. I'll give the METV approach a try, and fall back on a Laos visa if that fails.