I went to Thailand for the first time from the US for 60 days on April 21. I had a visa exemption and I extended for another 30 days in the immigration office in Bangkok. I want to stay in Thailand for another 60 days as soon as I can.

 

Someone recommended that I get a tourist visa this time because of the risk that I might get turned back at customs in Bangkok, but the wait time is 2 weeks or more at the Thai consulate in LA and they want me to mail my passport and plane ticket. This sounds risky because I need to buy the plane ticket ahead of time and my passport might be lost in the mail. They might deny my application for some reason leaving me stuck with a plane ticket I can't use. I'm worried because they dont specify exactly what I need for the bank statement and plane ticket. Also If I go this route I don't know what date I should buy my plane ticket for.

 

How risky is it to just try to get a visa exemption again and extend it for 30 days in the Bangkok immigration office like last time? Also I'm worried that if I buy a round trip ticket for 60 days that they won't accept that for a 30 days visa exemption.

Edited September 16, 20169 yr by greg0001

You have nothing to worry about. You can easily get another visa exempt entry. Only those that have several of them are questioned on entry and very few are ever denied entry.

You don't have to have round trip ticket to show for a visa exempt entry  a one way ticket to any destination will be accepted.

You have a reasonable chance of getting a visa exempt entry, but you need to realise there is the possibility that the airline may not let you board wirhout a ticket out of country within 30 days of entry to Thailand.

This may not happen to you, but it is a possibility.

It is your choice.

Personally, if it was me, I would get the single entry visa and avoid the problem, but that is just my choice.

Having done it often, I do find it funny that someone can be willing to fly halfway around the world but worry about losing their pasport in the U.S. mail system.

You could get the single entry visa in less than 48 hours from application to recieving the visa  stamped in your passport by physically traveling to LA or San Francisco but that is just my choice.

If you intend to run rhe whole course, don't refuse to jimp the first hurdle.

Again, just my opinion.

 

 

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You have nothing to worry about. You can easily get another visa exempt entry. Only those that have several of them are questioned on entry and very few are ever denied entry.

You don't have to have round trip ticket to show for a visa exempt entry  a one way ticket to any destination will be accepted.

Some airlines from the US will not let you onboard if you have a return date longer then 30 days from departure. It have happened to me 2 times when I didn't have a visa so those times I had to change my return in Thailand. The Thai immigration may not ask for a return ticket. Don't know what you mean with a one way ticket to any destination? The destination for this fellow is Thailand.

5 minutes ago, Missing Troll said:

Some airlines from the US will not let you onboard if you have a return date longer then 30 days from departure. It have happened to me 2 times when I didn't have a visa so those times I had to change my return in Thailand. The Thai immigration may not ask for a return ticket. Don't know what you mean with a one way ticket to any destination? The destination for this fellow is Thailand.

There is no requirement for a return ticket. A onward ticket within 30 days of arrival is allowed. 

I was writing about a one way onward ticket to any detonation.

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no requirement for a return ticket. A onward ticket within 30 days of arrival is allowed. 

I was writing about a one way onward ticket to any detonation.

yes so then he have a ticket out of Thailand. I did not see in his question that he was traveling to more countries then Thailand. But if he is, the airline also accept that instead of return. You can not board for a Thai destination without visa without having a return or onward ticket leaving Thailand in 30 days from arrival date

 

 

 

Edited September 17, 20169 yr by Missing Troll
Misspell

19 minutes ago, Missing Troll said:

yes so then he have a ticket out of Thailand. I did not see in his question that he was traveling to more countries then Thailand. But if he is, the airline also accept that instead of return. You can not board for a Thai destination without visa without having a return or onward ticket leaving Thailand in 30 days from arrival date

 

The ticket would be a low cost one way ticket to a nearby country that is only meant to overcome the onward travel requirement. Buying it in advance it could be so cheap it could be trashed without loosing much money.

this is when websites like flyonward.com shine

few bucks for a "show" ticket that gets automatically cancelled