How To Stay 70 Days / 70 Days?

[tomdegerth6]

I hope someone could help me out here.

I am a Finnish national, not married, been living in TH now almost 7 years. I work as a seaman, 10 weeks away at work, then i come back here for a 10 week off. I used to get 30 days on arrival, then had to do 2 more visa runs before going back to work again.

If i stay in TH 70 days (30 on arr+2 runs), how long do i have to be away before returning, 70 or 90 days? Thing is i WANT to get back to Th after my 10 week away at work, should i go via Singapore and get a visa before returning? And how long visa could i get in Singapore?

Normally my total time per year in TH is less than 180 days due to traveltime, overlapping at work etc.

Could it be enough to be away 71 days after 70 days in TH?

Thanks for any input or help,

Tom

[naka]

You would need to stay away 90 days after 3 border hops.

Your best bet would be a night or two in Singapore or K.L. to obtain a proper

60 day tourist visa, and extend for another 30 days after the 60 days.

Naka.

[aussiestyle1983]

Remember, the 90 day limit is per 180 days. So you come in for 70 days, leave for 70 days ( so far you have 70 from 140 in Thailand ) next time you come in you will proably be given a stamp for only 20 days ( cause you have already been in for 70 out of the 90 days in the 180 day period ) So now you are allowed in untill you 20 day stamp expires, which will only take you up to day 160 out of 180 days ( so now you have to leave for 20 days untill you 180 day cycle has finished )

So you will most likely need to get a tourist vist every second trip here...............thats if you intend to stay for 70 days each time.

[Cyberstar]

I think a yet not much considered point has been touched here ...

How likely is it that they are going to introduce 20 day VOA-stamps, 17 day VOA stamps, arbitrary VOA stamp ?

Let, say you've stayed in Thailand 65 days during the last 140 days when you once again arrive at the border - Giving you a 30 day stamp, means allowing you to stay more than 90 days during a 180 day period ... How likely is it that they'll do that?

Maybe some are in for a surprice already before January?

[aussiestyle1983]

I dont know if you've ever noticed, but the actual entry stamp you get is usually blank, and then the date stamp is used to stamp the date.......................

So they can stamp any date they want onto you new entry stamp. If the see you have already been in for 86 days out of your 90 ( and you 180 day period is not up yet ) they will just change the date accordingly on the date stamp with the roll of a thumb and stamp you in untill however many days you would be entitled to, not exceeding your entitled days ( in this case 4 days )

Edited October 30, 2006 by aussiestyle1983

[Cyberstar]

Yes, but still: Those datestamps used to be changed only once a day - and used for all VOA'ers of that day ...

Edited October 30, 2006 by Cyberstar

[PeaceBlondie]

...I have a friend of mine (really!) with a similar problem, who can't post yet.

He is an unmarried American citizen with a 60 day tourist visa issued recently in Spain. He's got lots of old 30 day arrival stamps from dates prior to October 1, 2006. He's 43 years old, and not working, and lives in Thailand most of the time.

Can he get a 30 day extension of his 60 day tourist visa in Chiang Mai? For 1900 baht?

Then, he's willing to run to the border for Taco Bell...I mean Burma...to get 3 30-day stamps. After that, can he go to Vientiene, Penang, Kuala Lamphur, Rangoon, VietNam, etc. to get another 60 day tourist visa? In other words, can he continue this cycle indefinitely (60 day tourist visas and 30 day extension, plus various 30 day stamps)?

He has heard that he will have to leave Thailand for 90 days or more, at some point. Is this true?

He's not willing to marry a Thai woman, so never mind about that.

He thanks you for your wise advice.

[Noel]

Yes, but still: Those datestamps used to be changed only once a day - and used for all VOA'ers of that day ...

Are you saying that they had a bank of stamps preset to cover all possible permission to stay periods?

It may sound logical, but I am sure I am not the only one having witnessed an officer changing the date to suit my permission to stay entitlement...

[tomdegerth6]

Thanks ya'll. In fact, i stay less than 180 days per year in TH, more like 67 here, then 75 or so at work. So i guess i'll stop in Singapore then each time i go home. How long visa could i get? Is 60 days max?

But what happens to people who dont know about this, havent been away for enough time etc, will they be told at the immigration counter at airport to "leave to where u came from"?

Remember, the 90 day limit is per 180 days. So you come in for 70 days, leave for 70 days ( so far you have 70 from 140 in Thailand ) next time you come in you will proably be given a stamp for only 20 days ( cause you have already been in for 70 out of the 90 days in the 180 day period ) So now you are allowed in untill you 20 day stamp expires, which will only take you up to day 160 out of 180 days ( so now you have to leave for 20 days untill you 180 day cycle has finished )

So you will most likely need to get a tourist vist every second trip here...............thats if you intend to stay for 70 days each time.

[tropo]

I hope someone could help me out here.

I am a Finnish national, not married, been living in TH now almost 7 years. I work as a seaman, 10 weeks away at work, then i come back here for a 10 week off. I used to get 30 days on arrival, then had to do 2 more visa runs before going back to work again.

If i stay in TH 70 days (30 on arr+2 runs), how long do i have to be away before returning, 70 or 90 days? Thing is i WANT to get back to Th after my 10 week away at work, should i go via Singapore and get a visa before returning? And how long visa could i get in Singapore?

Normally my total time per year in TH is less than 180 days due to traveltime, overlapping at work etc.

Could it be enough to be away 71 days after 70 days in TH?

Thanks for any input or help,

Tom

Questions like yours show how complicated/messy this new rule is going to be in practice. It's just not going to be possible for the Immigration checkpoints to be able to make these computations in passports full of stamps from different countries. Just remember that in addition to finding the historical entry stamps, the Officer will need to see the exit stamps too in order to make a total stay calculation and all this with many people waiting.

I just can't see them doing it.