So I arrived here in January and completed my 30 day visa and got an extension of another 30 days at Jontiem immigration.

My visa will expire soon and I was thinking to just fly in and out of Thailand and repeat the process of another 30 day extension at chaeng watana immigration.

This will give me another 60 days to get a job sorted etc.

Can anyone see any issues with this?

• As long as you don't have many other visa exempt entries you should be ok for second if flying in, and for getting another 30 day extension. But you might get questioned about your stay and lack of visa on the way in.

Make sure you have at least 10k in cash on you as that is a requirement for visa exempt entry.

Just a small but important point. You were not given visa when you arrived and you will not get one if you intend to leave and return seeking another 30 day stay.

You were provided with an extension of stay.

If you intend staying in Thailand for a extended period you should obtain an appropriate visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate.

so how many times can I get an extension if stay then?

so how many times can I get an extension if stay then?

You can extend every entry, but you can only extend each entry once.

So as long as I fly out and in again, Ill be OK?

I have savings in my bank to let me be on extended vacation.

Should I just get a METV? I just dont like the hassle. I'd rather just fly to Singapore and fly straight back.

So as long as I fly out and in again, Ill be OK?

I have savings in my bank to let me be on extended vacation.

Should I just get a METV? I just dont like the hassle. I'd rather just fly to Singapore and fly straight back.

• Yes you should be ok, but I wouldn't do anymore than two back to back visa exempt entries. They can deny entry to anyone considered a visa runner.
• You will have to go to your home country or country of (legal) residence to get a METV. The only tourist visa available from embassies/consulates local to Thailand is the SETV.

Just a small but important point. You were not given visa when you arrived and you will not get one if you intend to leave and return seeking another 30 day stay.

You were provided with an extension of stay.

If you intend staying in Thailand for a extended period you should obtain an appropriate visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate.

" You were provided with an extension of stay. "

Actually he would have initially been given a 30 day visa exempt permission to stay and later he would have obtained a 30 day extension of that permission to stay.

You can do it but be ready to explain your intentions if you have a lot of back to back entries.

I did this some times in the last year without much problems. But the last "border-fly" (December 2015) they took me to the immigration office boss at airport to explain why im in Thailand already 200 days with visa exempts. But he was friendl, i could explain that i will be getting married soo n and that i change to marry visa next time. Then i showed him Western Union money recieve statements to proove tham im not working in THailand and he was ok with it (he didnt want to see it, i showed him prior to be asked).

Edited February 22, 201610 yr by Saenchai

do it right get a visa before entry, a setv from a surrounding country will give you a 60 day permission to stay stamp, which could be extended at local immigration (1,900baht)

I have seen it on TV

Its even possible to do it on the same day. But i had to book with 2 different airlines. Bkk to KL with ThaiLionair and back with Airasia.

I'm interested in the same question about flying in and out instead of getting a tourist visa. So of course they haven't set a clear rule about this but from the postings it seems that already two back to back visa exempt entries might be a problem? Has this changed because before I remember friends doing this for years without problems? I have been questioned at the airport a couple of times when I had a yearly student visa so wouldn't be surprised.

Is it even more risky if you fly lets say to Saigon in the morning and return the same evening (a clear visa run of course). I was planning on doing that next but I guess that wouldn't work anymore. I have done consecutive tourist visas before but it's not much better as you get 60+30 instead of 30+30 and much more hassle. Also, how many tourist visas can you do in a row these days? By the way does it help if you have two passports (leave Thailand with one and return with another passport) or can they see it right away from the system?

I'm interested in the same question about flying in and out instead of getting a tourist visa. So of course they haven't set a clear rule about this but from the postings it seems that already two back to back visa exempt entries might be a problem? Has this changed because before I remember friends doing this for years without problems? I have been questioned at the airport a couple of times when I had a yearly student visa so wouldn't be surprised.

Is it even more risky if you fly lets say to Saigon in the morning and return the same evening (a clear visa run of course). I was planning on doing that next but I guess that wouldn't work anymore. I have done consecutive tourist visas before but it's not much better as you get 60+30 instead of 30+30 and much more hassle. Also, how many tourist visas can you do in a row these days? By the way does it help if you have two passports (leave Thailand with one and return with another passport) or can they see it right away from the system?

Using back to back "visa exempt" entries will at some point result in a challenge from immigration.

It is always better to obtain a visa if intending to stay longer than 30 days.

I'm interested in the same question about flying in and out instead of getting a tourist visa. So of course they haven't set a clear rule about this but from the postings it seems that already two back to back visa exempt entries might be a problem? Has this changed because before I remember friends doing this for years without problems? I have been questioned at the airport a couple of times when I had a yearly student visa so wouldn't be surprised.

Is it even more risky if you fly lets say to Saigon in the morning and return the same evening (a clear visa run of course). I was planning on doing that next but I guess that wouldn't work anymore. I have done consecutive tourist visas before but it's not much better as you get 60+30 instead of 30+30 and much more hassle. Also, how many tourist visas can you do in a row these days? By the way does it help if you have two passports (leave Thailand with one and return with another passport) or can they see it right away from the system?

Using back to back "visa exempt" entries will at some point result in a challenge from immigration.

It is always better to obtain a visa if intending to stay longer than 30 days.

Sure I agree that it would be best to get a visa but there are no visas available for many of living here long term. How long can you stay in the country with consecutive tourist visas, I guess nowadays they would give max 2-3 consecutive ones right (and that probably only in Vientiane)?

I'm interested in the same question about flying in and out instead of getting a tourist visa. So of course they haven't set a clear rule about this but from the postings it seems that already two back to back visa exempt entries might be a problem? Has this changed because before I remember friends doing this for years without problems? I have been questioned at the airport a couple of times when I had a yearly student visa so wouldn't be surprised.

Is it even more risky if you fly lets say to Saigon in the morning and return the same evening (a clear visa run of course). I was planning on doing that next but I guess that wouldn't work anymore. I have done consecutive tourist visas before but it's not much better as you get 60+30 instead of 30+30 and much more hassle. Also, how many tourist visas can you do in a row these days? By the way does it help if you have two passports (leave Thailand with one and return with another passport) or can they see it right away from the system?

Using back to back "visa exempt" entries will at some point result in a challenge from immigration.

It is always better to obtain a visa if intending to stay longer than 30 days.

Sure I agree that it would be best to get a visa but there are no visas available for many of living here long term. How long can you stay in the country with consecutive tourist visas, I guess nowadays they would give max 2-3 consecutive ones right (and that probably only in Vientiane)?

Your correct. Some consulates will only issue say 3 consecutive setv. However there are many alternatives. Mix and match. I have not read ONE report of someone being refused a setv based on too many conservative visas. Excluding ones from same consulate.

I'm interested in the same question about flying in and out instead of getting a tourist visa. So of course they haven't set a clear rule about this but from the postings it seems that already two back to back visa exempt entries might be a problem? Has this changed because before I remember friends doing this for years without problems? I have been questioned at the airport a couple of times when I had a yearly student visa so wouldn't be surprised.

Is it even more risky if you fly lets say to Saigon in the morning and return the same evening (a clear visa run of course). I was planning on doing that next but I guess that wouldn't work anymore. I have done consecutive tourist visas before but it's not much better as you get 60+30 instead of 30+30 and much more hassle. Also, how many tourist visas can you do in a row these days? By the way does it help if you have two passports (leave Thailand with one and return with another passport) or can they see it right away from the system?

Using back to back "visa exempt" entries will at some point result in a challenge from immigration.

It is always better to obtain a visa if intending to stay longer than 30 days.

Sure I agree that it would be best to get a visa but there are no visas available for many of living here long term. How long can you stay in the country with consecutive tourist visas, I guess nowadays they would give max 2-3 consecutive ones right (and that probably only in Vientiane)?

It is possible to obtain long stay extensions of stay based on marriage, work, education and retirement, etc

A person who does not qualify in any of those categories can only apply for tourist visas.

Attempting to stay long term on back to back visa exempt entries will fail.

I'm interested in the same question about flying in and out instead of getting a tourist visa. So of course they haven't set a clear rule about this but from the postings it seems that already two back to back visa exempt entries might be a problem? Has this changed because before I remember friends doing this for years without problems? I have been questioned at the airport a couple of times when I had a yearly student visa so wouldn't be surprised.

Is it even more risky if you fly lets say to Saigon in the morning and return the same evening (a clear visa run of course). I was planning on doing that next but I guess that wouldn't work anymore. I have done consecutive tourist visas before but it's not much better as you get 60+30 instead of 30+30 and much more hassle. Also, how many tourist visas can you do in a row these days? By the way does it help if you have two passports (leave Thailand with one and return with another passport) or can they see it right away from the system?

Using back to back "visa exempt" entries will at some point result in a challenge from immigration.

It is always better to obtain a visa if intending to stay longer than 30 days.

Sure I agree that it would be best to get a visa but there are no visas available for many of living here long term. How long can you stay in the country with consecutive tourist visas, I guess nowadays they would give max 2-3 consecutive ones right (and that probably only in Vientiane)?

It is possible to obtain long stay extensions of stay based on marriage, work, education and retirement, etc

A person who does not qualify in any of those categories can only apply for tourist visas.

Attempting to stay long term on back to back visa exempt entries will fail.

Yes I know I've lived here for 10 years and the only category of those that worked for me officially was "education". I guess I will stick to tourist visas at least for this year then. I've heard of some foreigners even studying English to obtain a long term visa, is that really possible the same way as studying Thai?