Hello everybody!

Here is my situation:

Exchange semester from August 8th until Mid December

Arrival in Thailand: End of June

I already received all the necessary documents from the university to apply for a Non-Immigrant visa type 'ED'. Now the question is what the best solution would be for me. So far I have figured out 3 different ways to do it. Please correct me, if there are some mistakes with my thoughts:

1) Non-Immigrant ED Multiple Entry Visa: This would be the easiest but most expensive way. It costs 150€ + 30€ that I would have to spend on a train ride to get it in my home country. Total cost: 180€

2) Non-Immigrant ED Single Entry Visa: It only costs 60€ and no train-ride is needed. However, it is only valid until 90 days after issue, so I would have to extend it for 1,900 Baht and get a re-entry permit for 1,000 Baht everytime I want to leave the country. Total cost: ~158€ or more

3) Single Entry + 60 day tourist visa + Visa on Arrival: this would be the cheapest option but I will not be very flexible and need 2-3 visas in total. The idea is to stay in Thailand on a single entry ED visa until September 20th (if I get the visa on june 22nd), then go to Cambodia for a couple of days and apply for a 60 day single entry tourist visa for 35€ that permits me to stay in Thailand until November 19th. Then I can either extend this visa for another 30 days or leave the country and come back to get a visa on arrival that permits me to stay until the end of my exchange semester. Total cost: 95€

Now my main question: Do you think I would have any problems getting the 60 day tourist visa in Cambodia when I already have an education visa in my passport, respectively any problems with the visa run in december? The immigration officials will see in my passport that I have been in Thailand on 2 different visa types in the previous 4 months.

Additional question: Can anyone think of another way of staying in Thailand from end of June until end of December that is cheaper than a multiple entry visa?

If 180 Euro ( around 6,800 baht) is already too much for you, you better stay where you are.

It is not about being able to afford it but rather about the willingness to pay twice as much as I have to. It also has nothing to do with being cheap. I just don't see the point in paying 180€ if I can get it for 95€. And as far as I understood, even with the 180€ multiple entry visa I would have to leave the country every 90 days.

the multi entry non 'o' option will involve a border run to activate a second 90 day entry, you will lose 1 day at the border so the 2 entries will give you a total of 179 days in Thailand.

the single entry non 'o' will involve a trip to an embassy/consulate including an overnight stay, which will be more expensive than the multi entry border hop, you would also have to obtain an extension at a cost of 1,900 baht, (this will give you a total of 180 days in Thailand) a border run for a visa exempt entry will cost more.

don't forget when adding up your days in Thailand, the day of entry is day 1,

the multi entry non 'o' option will involve a border run to activate a second 90 day entry, you will lose 1 day at the border so the 2 entries will give you a total of 179 days in Thailand.

the single entry non 'o' will involve a trip to an embassy/consulate including an overnight stay, which will be more expensive than the multi entry border hop, you would also have to obtain an extension at a cost of 1,900 baht, (this will give you a total of 180 days in Thailand) a border run for a visa exempt entry will cost more.

don't forget when adding up your days in Thailand, the day of entry is day 1,

The overnight stay is not a problem. I am planning to travel a few days in Laos and Cambodia anyway.

How reliable are visa runs on a simple tourist visa? How high do you think is the chance that they will not give me a visa on arrival when I am doing the second visa run in November?