Tourist Visas Now Limited To 60 Days?

[jeebusjones]

I'm not trying to create a panic here. But I was just looking at the new immigration rules on the department of Immigration's website:

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/newpro.html

Under tourist visas, it says nationals from the forty listed countries (US, UK etc) may enter Thailand for a maximum stay of 60 days. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I could have sworn that used to say 90 days.

But there is really only one way to interpret such a statement. "A maximum stay of 60 days." This seems to confirm the stories of people being stamped for only 30 days even with valid tourist visas in their passports.

Anyone know anything about this?

I'm in Penang at the moment applying for a tourist visa... I'd be pretty disappointed if it was only good for a maximum of 60 days without any extension.

Thanks

[richard10365]

I think the visas are still issued for 90 days with a single re-entry. When they ask how long your going to stay, tell them 90 days.

The way the law works, you get issued a tourist visa that is valid for 90 days.

60 days after you enter Thailand with the tourist visa, you have to leave Thailand at one of the border check points.

You then get a visa to enter whatever country your going into, enter, then exit and return to Thailand.

You use the single entry on the tourist visa to get back into Thailand. Your visa is still valid for 30 more days. After which, you can go the the extension process if you like.

I believe what I have said is correct. If not, I'm sure others will help correct me to make sure your getting the best information from the ThaiVisa forum.

[Sophon]

I'm afraid you are both wrong.

Tourist visas have always been issued with a validity of 90 days (meaning you have to enter Thailand within 90 days f the visa being issued), and permitting you to stay in Thailand for only 60 days. You can get an extension for another 30 days at the immigration bureau (also not new).

After entering Thailand on a single entry tourist visa that visa is dead. Even if it's original expiration date has not yet been reached, you can not enter Thailand again on that visa and get another 30 days allowed stay. Depending where you are from you will probably get the 30 days, but not on the basis of your old tourist visa but rather as a visa exempt entry.

Lopburi will be able to explain it better.

Sophon

Edited November 20, 2006 by Sophon

[Maestro]

Sophon is right. So many people fail to make the distinction between validity of the visa on the one hand and the period of permission to stay on the other hand that the Immigration Bureau put this link to a corresponding explanation on its website.

I would have liked to copy here the short text of that explanation but after five minutes the Immigration website has still not yet loaded.

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

Maestro

[tropo]

Sophon is right. So many people fail to make the distinction between validity of the visa on the one hand and the period of permission to stay on the other hand that the Immigration Bureau put this link to a corresponding explanation on its website.

I would have liked to copy here the short text of that explanation but after five minutes the Immigration website has still not yet loaded.

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

Maestro

I'll copy it here Maestro:

What does the Visa Expiration Date Mean?

The visa expiration date is shown on the visa. Depending on the alien’s nationality, visas can be issued for any number of entries, from as little as one entry to as many as multiple (unlimited) entries, for the same purpose of travel.

This generally means the visa is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel for the same purpose, when the visa is issued for multiple entry.

This time period from the visa issuance date to visa expiration date as shown on the visa, is called visa validity. If you travel frequently as a tourist for example, with a multiple entry visa, you do not have to apply for a new visa each time you want to travel to Thailand.

The visa validity is the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port-of-entry in Thailand to request permission of the immigration officer to permit you to enter Thailand. The visa does not guarantee entry to Thailand.

The Expiration Date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand, given to you by the immigration officer at port-of-entry. The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand for any given visit.

Each time you arrive at the port-of-entry, an immigration officer decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter Thailand.

[visarunner]

For the 40nationalities nothing has changed it's still 60+30days.

Other nationalities still can use the SingleTourist Visa and get 30days +2 times extention for 30 days each .

Please also read the last comment , it is all up to the individual Officer to deceide on how long he permit you to stay.

Each time you arrive at the port-of-entry, an immigration officer decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter Thailand.

[lopburi3]

As said the maximum stay on a tourist visa has always been 60 days - but that can normally be extended for another 30 days. Official sites have always said 60 days in my memory but many unofficial people will just add 60+30 and say 90 days. Then there is the validity of the visa for entry into Thailand which indeed is 90 days.

But under new regulations some countries only receive a 30 day entry and can extend for another 30 days two times so it gets even a little more complex; especially when there does not seem to be any complete listing available on the internet.

[richard10365]

I use to live in Thailand with tourist visas. I would go to Vientiane, Laos and get a 90 day visa. After 60 days, I would leave Thailand by crossing over into Poi Pet, Cambodia. I would get a Cambodian visa there at the border and enter Cambodia, then exit and return to Thailand. I got back in because of the single entry at the top of the visa. At the Thai border, they stamped my passport for 30 more days. Before those 30 days were up, I would return to Vientiane, Laos and get a new visa at the Thai embassy there.

[Rajah]

Sophon is right. So many people fail to make the distinction between validity of the visa on the one hand and the period of permission to stay on the other hand

Happened to a guy in front of me during a border run. He overstayed more than 20 days with his tourist visa...

[thaihome]

I think the confusion is countries handle the visa validity and entry permission differently. China for instance does not use an entry stamp that says how long you can stay. It says what day you entered and you have to read the visa to see how long you can stay.

TH

[astral]

I think the confusion is countries handle the visa validity and entry permission differently. China for instance does not use an entry stamp that says how long you can stay. It says what day you entered and you have to read the visa to see how long you can stay.

TH

India is the same.

My visa is valid for 6 months, if I arrive on the first day I can stay 6 months,

if I arrive one day before it expires, I can only stay 1 day.

[jeebusjones]

As said the maximum stay on a tourist visa has always been 60 days - but that can normally be extended for another 30 days. Official sites have always said 60 days in my memory but many unofficial people will just add 60+30 and say 90 days. Then there is the validity of the visa for entry into Thailand which indeed is 90 days.

Thanks Lopburi. A great response as usual. That's what I was asking about and I hope you're right!