A question about getting another SETV...

[lewisp91]

Hey guys,

I'm from the UK and I came to Thailand last year (Aug 2015) on a SETV (from home country) and extended 30 days.

Then I came again this year (Feb 2016) on a SETV (from home country) and extended for 30 days.

My time is almost up, but I was hoping to leave, get 1 more SETV, and return for a further 90 days.

So my question is...

Would I be able to go to any neighbouring country, apply for another SETV and return to Thailand the following day without issue? Or am I pushing my luck?

Thanks in advance,
Lewis.

P.S. I've been told I should have no issues in Vientiane, but I wasn't sure if that was my only option.

[johnatong]

Your best options are Savannakhet, Vientiane both in Laos or Penang, Malaysia.

[ubonjoe]

No problem to get another single entry tourist visa at the locations mentioned in the previous post.

[luke000]

Although you wouldnt be able to come back to Thailand , the very next day after you leave , because your passport is returned the day after you apply for a visa .

You could leave Thailand and come back immediately on a Visa Exempt stamp , which lasts for 30 days and can be extended for an additional 30 days (But you cannot do this at Maesai)

[ubonjoe]

Although you wouldnt be able to come back to Thailand , the very next day after you leave , because your passport is returned the day after you apply for a visa .

You could leave Thailand and come back immediately on a Visa Exempt stamp , which lasts for 30 days and can be extended for an additional 30 days (But you cannot do this at Maesai)

Actually it is possible to return the next afternoon/evening after arriving and doing the application the morning of the first day.

Easy to do at Vientiane. Take a early morning flight from Don Mueang to Udon Thani, van from airport to the bridge in Nong Khai and then straight to the consular section by 11:30. Pickup passport next afternoon at 2 pm and reverse the trip on an early evening flight from Udon.

[darrendsd]

Although you wouldnt be able to come back to Thailand , the very next day after you leave , because your passport is returned the day after you apply for a visa .

You could leave Thailand and come back immediately on a Visa Exempt stamp , which lasts for 30 days and can be extended for an additional 30 days (But you cannot do this at Maesai)

He would be able to return the next day, enter and apply the first day, pick up and return the next day

OP you will have no issues at all in getting a SETV at Vientiane, in fact you could get 2 or 3 from there if you wanted to extend your stay further

There are a couple of Visa run services that run from BKK if you don't want to do the trip on your own, I normally use this one, they are very efficient

http://www.thaivisaservice.com/

[lewisp91]

Thanks for the replies.

So in Vientiane, they don't care how many you've already had, only how many THEY have issued?

I was also told that if you leave a gap between visas (so it's not back to back), the limit "resets". Is that true?

[jacksam]

OP where are you staying currently? Being UK you you have visa exempt, unlike loas. Could fly to HCMC and obtain a setv or why not return visa exempt stamp. Chill in district 1 for night or 2

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for the replies.

So in Vientiane, they don't care how many you've already had, only how many THEY have issued?

I was also told that if you leave a gap between visas (so it's not back to back), the limit "resets". Is that true?

Vientiane only count visas you have gotten from them back to back. Getting a visa from another embassy or consulate will break the chain of them or not getting any visas for a period of time.

[darrendsd]

Thanks for the replies.

So in Vientiane, they don't care how many you've already had, only how many THEY have issued?

I was also told that if you leave a gap between visas (so it's not back to back), the limit "resets". Is that true?

Vientiane only count visas you have gotten from them back to back. Getting a visa from another embassy or consulate will break the chain of them or not getting any visas for a period of time.

UJ does having a visa exempt with a extension so 30 + 30 days class as breaking the chain?

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for the replies.

So in Vientiane, they don't care how many you've already had, only how many THEY have issued?

I was also told that if you leave a gap between visas (so it's not back to back), the limit "resets". Is that true?

Vientiane only count visas you have gotten from them back to back. Getting a visa from another embassy or consulate will break the chain of them or not getting any visas for a period of time.

UJ does having a visa exempt with a extension so 30 + 30 days class as breaking the chain?

Not sure that would break the chain. If you did a visa exempt and extension between each SETV that would give you almost 13 months with only 3 visas or 15 with another visa exempt and extension.

After all those you might need to go further afield for another visa. Making a trip home for another visa would look good. Perhaps for a METV.

[JackThompson]

My experience with repeat visas in Laos:
Enter VE (visa exempt) + Vientiene Single + Vientiene Double
- Out of Thailand for 3 Months -
Enter VE + Savanakhet Double
- Out of Thailand for 8 Months -
Vientiene Double + Vientiene Single**
** double refused and got a blue stamp and red stamp on the Visa page. Red Stamp - "The holder of this passport travels to Thailand under a tourist visa several times which may result in the refusal of a visa in the future." Blue Stamp - "Proofs of Residence in Thailand and financial income are required next time."

The proof of residence is easy (have to get this to extend a TV, anyway). But if anyone ever finds out what 'proof of income' is accepted, please advise. I can show Bangkok Bank passbooks going back years, with all funds originating overseas. How much income is enough?

After receiving the "blue/red stamp" from Vientiene, I obtained a new passport from my embassy, and had no trouble getting another TV (Tourist Visa) from Vientiene using the new passport, then another from Penang.

"Double" entries are no longer relevant, as they no longer exist. But the rule inferred from my experience is, you get two only TVs in a row from Laos if you have previous TVs from them in your current passport - even if those were prior to long breaks out-of-country. Perhaps you get 3 in a row, as some have reported, if those are your first 3 from them in your current passport. Maybe it is luck of the draw / mood of the officials as to how many.

My 'worst case' math works like this:
If we can get 2 visas from Penang, and at least 3 per passport from Laos. If all entries are extended at immigration for an additional 30 days, that means 15 months in-country before you need to go to your Embassy and get a new passport.

To further increase one's time in Thailand on TVs per-passport, one could take a "fresh" (no TVs or Edu-visas) passport to Hong Kong, then next to Phnom Penh, perhaps next to Myanmar, and then begin the 15-month cycle, above. That could allow one to get a full 2 years of TVs per passport.

Expenses (Travel, Hotel, Visa) are approximately 35,000 Baht per-year on the above scheme, including new passports every 18 months.

As to "breaking the chain" - I am currently testing to see how many TVs I can get before refusal by alternating Vientiene / Penang / Savanakhet / Penang / etc. It is my understanding Penang will balk at the 3rd visa from them in my current passport, but perhaps I might get 3 since I am not getting them from Penang back-to-back and/or perhaps with additional 'incentive' paid to the agent (as some have reported).

I am not using any VE entries - saving those for any occasion where I am refused a TV, given an accumulation of 6 of these, over an unknown period of time (perhaps total 'ever'), can result in questioning, upon entry to the Kingdom.

[IMA_FARANG]

No problem to get another single entry tourist visa at the locations mentioned in the previous post.

------------------------------

I agree.

But it will take at least two days....apply the first day in the morning.....pick up the visa in the afternoon of the 2nd day.

many of us have been there.

[PBR STREETGANG]

Is proof of residence required to extend a Tourist Visa? If so, what will suffice?

[Suradit69]

Is proof of residence required to extend a Tourist Visa? If so, what will suffice?

In the upper right corner of this page there's a space into which you can enter "proof of residence for tourist extension" to do a search. You'll find many, many threads on the subject. It depends in part on which immigration office you visit and what sort of accommodation you're staying in.