I just arrived in Thailand and got a 30 days visa on arrival (I'm a Swede), I plan on extending the visa by 30 days. After the 60 days I'm planning on leaving Thailand to get a Multiple entry tourist visa in a neighbouring country so that I can stay in Thailand for another 3-6 months.

Is this possible? Will I get a Multiple entry tourist visa even though I have already stayed in Thailand for 2 months?

(If I remember correctly there used to be a rule which said that you can only stay in Thailand for X days (90?) for every 180 days period. I think it wasn't enforced in the past, but is there still a rule like that?)

Edited February 16, 201610 yr by Hansen88a

no limits.

Doubt you will get an METV from a neighboring country.

You will not get a METV from any country, they no longer exist, single TV entrys only

Australia is giving METVs to non-residents. Cheaper than a flight to the EU.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/887499-got-metv-in-australia-with-no-residency-employment-requirements/

no limits.

Doubt you will get an METV from a neighboring country.

Ok so no METV then. But if I apply for a normal tourist visa 60 days, will I most likely get it and there wont be any problems because I already stayed for 60 days?

You will not get a METV from any country, they no longer exist, single TV entrys only

I just came from Bangalore and I could apply for a METV there but didn't have enough time.

Ok so a single TV shouldn't be a problem then even though I already stayed for 60 days?

no limits.

Doubt you will get an METV from a neighboring country.

Ok so no METV then. But if I apply for a normal tourist visa 60 days, will I most likely get it and there wont be any problems because I already stayed for 60 days?

No problems whatsoever, before you have a few back to back visa exempts, combined with some back to back tourist visas. First then it may be a problem getting more visa exempts, but SETVs should still work if you apply at different places.

You may of course get the METV in your home country Sweden, if you meet the requirements. But Australia may also be an option for non-citizens, as it turns out.

The 180 days rule is long gone.

Edited February 16, 201610 yr by thaibreaker

You will not get a METV from any country, they no longer exist, single TV entrys only

Of course they exist. No reason to confuse the OP further.

But he must mainly apply for it in his own country.

You will not get a METV from any country, they no longer exist, single TV entrys only

"You will not get a METV from any country, they no longer exist ..."

They never existed until very recently. "Multi entry" implies that you can make as many entries as you like during the validity of the visa.

In the past you could get one, two or three entry tourist visas, but those only permitted exactly one, two or three entries using the visa ... more than that would require either a re-entry permit or resorting to visa exempt entries.

Now METV are available in your home country or country of legal residence. There have been some reports of countries such as Australia issuing them to non-legal residents, but countries neighboring Thailand seem to be only granting SETV to those making visa runs.

^ Obviously darrensd meant the double and triple entry tourist visas, they no longer exist.

Very important to get the semantics correct on Thaivisa though The METV isn't the same as the old doubles and triples even though it allows the same duration of stay, up to 9 months.

There have been some reports of countries such as Australia issuing them to non-legal residents

The Australian consulate websites don't mention any need to be legally resident there. It seems a concrete policy to issue METVs to anyone.

Edited February 16, 201610 yr by jspill

There have been some reports of countries such as Australia issuing them to non-legal residents

The Australian consulate websites don't mention any need to be legally resident there. It seems a concrete policy to issue METVs to anyone.

"Anyone" cannot gain easy legal entry to Australia !

Edited February 16, 201610 yr by sunnyjim5

There have been some reports of countries such as Australia issuing them to non-legal residents

The Australian consulate websites don't mention any need to be legally resident there. It seems a concrete policy to issue METVs to anyone.

"Anyone" cannot gain easy legal entry to Australia !

The eVisitor cerficate is very readily issued to just about anyone. Pretty much anyone reading this thread, i.e. with access to the Internet, will be able to go on a few days holiday to Australia, and that's all you need to do.

Looking through all the posts I don't see an answer the question in the topic title. No there is not a limit on the number of days you can stay here in 180 days or any amount of time.

There is a limit and it depends on whether you enter by land or air. I understood before that you could stay 180 days in a year and as I work on a rotational job this suited me perfectly as I am in the country 26 days then out for 30 each trip. My theory fell apart when I travelled to Cambodia and came back through Poipet to be told that I couldn't enter because at a land crossing you can only stay 90 days in one year. I thought this sounded crazy and had a long and very calm discussion with the border staff. It took some hard bargaining but I eventually got back in. Suffice to say, be careful of different rules at different entry points.

There is a limit and it depends on whether you enter by land or air. I understood before that you could stay 180 days in a year and as I work on a rotational job this suited me perfectly as I am in the country 26 days then out for 30 each trip. My theory fell apart when I travelled to Cambodia and came back through Poipet to be told that I couldn't enter because at a land crossing you can only stay 90 days in one year. I thought this sounded crazy and had a long and very calm discussion with the border staff. It took some hard bargaining but I eventually got back in. Suffice to say, be careful of different rules at different entry points.

There is no real limit. A person could have a total stay of almost 9 months from a multiple entry tourist visa and then another 3 months with a single entry visa without a problem and then repeat it or get another single entry visa.

You are writing about a possible limit if doing visa exempt entries where there is also no limit on the amount of time you can stay on them. A person could use them and get 30 day extensions of them and easily stay longer than a total of 180 days.

You were told no at a border crossing which was wrong. In reality there is not even a 90 day limit when entering by land.

Looking through all the posts I don't see an answer the question in the topic title. No there is not a limit on the number of days you can stay here in 180 days or any amount of time.

post #2 mentions no limits.

Looking through all the posts I don't see an answer the question in the topic title. No there is not a limit on the number of days you can stay here in 180 days or any amount of time.

post #2 mentions no limits.

I did not consider a 2 word reply an answer.

I have noticed that the TIMATIC system still lists the old 3 months in 6 months limit.

It makes you wonder whether the TIMATIC database is years out of date (would seem unlikely?) or whether this rule is still on the books though not regularly enforced, but ready to be pulled out of a hat by an IO.

I have noticed that the TIMATIC system still lists the old 3 months in 6 months limit.

TIMATIC.png

It makes you wonder whether the TIMATIC database is years out of date (would seem unlikely?) or whether this rule is still on the books though not regularly enforced, but ready to be pulled out of a hat by an IO.

It is an error and I suspect it is because Thailand never told them it had changed.

It was revoked in 2008 by this police order. policy778-2551_en.pdf

There is a limit and it depends on whether you enter by land or air. I understood before that you could stay 180 days in a year and as I work on a rotational job this suited me perfectly as I am in the country 26 days then out for 30 each trip. My theory fell apart when I travelled to Cambodia and came back through Poipet to be told that I couldn't enter because at a land crossing you can only stay 90 days in one year. I thought this sounded crazy and had a long and very calm discussion with the border staff. It took some hard bargaining but I eventually got back in. Suffice to say, be careful of different rules at different entry points.

There is no real limit. A person could have a total stay of almost 9 months from a multiple entry tourist visa and then another 3 months with a single entry visa without a problem and then repeat it or get another single entry visa.

You are writing about a possible limit if doing visa exempt entries where there is also no limit on the amount of time you can stay on them. A person could use them and get 30 day extensions of them and easily stay longer than a total of 180 days.

You were told no at a border crossing which was wrong. In reality there is not even a 90 day limit when entering by land.

I believe if you're using the 30 day visa on arrival then the days you can stay per year are still limited, hence the rule about 3 consecutive stays.

I have noticed that the TIMATIC system still lists the old 3 months in 6 months limit.

TIMATIC.png

It makes you wonder whether the TIMATIC database is years out of date (would seem unlikely?) or whether this rule is still on the books though not regularly enforced, but ready to be pulled out of a hat by an IO.

It is an error and I suspect it is because Thailand never told them it had changed.

It was revoked in 2008 by this police order.

OK thanks Ubonjoe.

It must confuse a few Airline check-in staff.

I have noticed that the TIMATIC system still lists the old 3 months in 6 months limit.

TIMATIC.png

It makes you wonder whether the TIMATIC database is years out of date (would seem unlikely?) or whether this rule is still on the books though not regularly enforced, but ready to be pulled out of a hat by an IO.

It is an error and I suspect it is because Thailand never told them it had changed.

It was revoked in 2008 by this police order.

OK thanks Ubonjoe.

It must confuse a few Airline check-in staff.

I don't think the airlines ever enforced by going through a passport to count up the days when it was in effect and certainly not now.

Even immigration at the airports did not always enforce it because they did not want to count up the days. That is one of the reasons it was done away with.