Limit on visas and extensions

[Higuita]

I came back from Thailand 1 month ago after a stay of 3 months. I entered the country with no visa and got the 30 day stamp at the airport. After 1 month I extended it with another 30 days and when that was finished, I went to Laos for a couple of days and came back to get another 30 days. The immigration officer asked me a lot of questions when I came back from Laos, asking me if I had a return ticket (I didn't) and what my purpose of staying in Thailand was. I could see that the lady wasn't eager to give me the stamp, but the officer next to her (older man) seemed to be more relaxed and told her to give me the stamp anyway (I guess).

 

I'm planning to go back to Thailand next month (after a 2 months stay in my home country), and I'm just wondering if I should apply for a tourist visa this time (single entry), or just follow the same process (stamp on arrival and extension after 1 month) I did last time, except for maybe applying for a tourist visa in Laos this time if I feel like staying longer than 2 months.

 

My question is: is there a limit on how many visas and extensions you can get? I only have a few pages left in my passport and 3 used tourist visas for Thailand already.

 

Thank you for the help.

[dentonian]

Back to back Visa exempts will be scrutinised and could lead to a refusal.

Far safer to get a Tourist Visa, or at least alternate.

There are no limits on extensions.

 

[BritTim]

First, extensions are no problem. You can get those without any concerns whenever you wish and are qualified for one.

 

Trying to use visa exempts to stay in Thailand for an extended period is a bad idea. I strongly suggest that you get tourist visas instead.

[Higuita]

But what does a back to back visa extempt actually mean? I stayed 3 days in Laos but still the officer gave me a hard time. I assume that my 2 months stay in my home country would be sufficient?

[elviajero]

Based on your post you should have no problem entering using Visa Exempt again, however, it is always better to get a visa whenever you can.

 

I assume you entered by land from Laos. There is far more chance of questioning and refused entry at a land border than the airport.

[elviajero]

9 minutes ago, Higuita said:

But what does a back to back visa extempt actually mean? I stayed 3 days in Laos but still the officer gave me a hard time. I assume that my 2 months stay in my home country would be sufficient?

It means immediate re-entry, but these days they are also trying to stop it's overuse. Staying out a few days wouldn't make much difference. Staying out 2 months would be far more acceptable and shouldn't cause you any problems. That said, using visa exemption can lead to questioning at anytime.

[IMA_FARANG]

There is no set limit on how many visa exempt entries you can have.

However, as you are finding out  they will sart to question you as to what you are doing in Thailand, and exactly how you are paying your expenses here.

They suspect you of working illegally in Thailand without having a work permit.

After an unspecified number of visa free entries they will begin to ask quiestions about how you are paying your bills in Thailand.

The system is set to flag you after a few entries as you enter.

A tourist visa from a Thai consulate or embesssy will help, but even that will attract attention if overused.

I hate to burst your bubble, but simply staying out of Thailand for a short period will not solve your problem forever.

It may work for a short while, but is only a short term solution.

For a long term solution you need an answer that you will need an answer to the question asked by an immigration officer at a the airport who asks you, "What is your reason for staying in Thailand?"

Think about it, "What is your reason for staying in Thailand, or returning so often?"

 

 

[lee b]

I also had my tourist visa from HCMC Thai embassy rejected due to the amount of visa stamps and tourist visas I had. I previously got stopped at DM airport in BKK and rejected entry due to not having any visa and trying for a 30 day stamp on arrival.

 

If you want to spend long periods of time in Thailand, make sure you go the correct way about it and get the right visa, as it will catch up on you in future.

 

Good luck.

[bamukloy]

IMA FARANG: The question asked by an immigration officer at a the airport who asks you, "What is your reason for staying in Thailand?"Think about it, "What is your reason for staying in Thailand, or returning so often?"

 

 

I have come and gone more times than i can count and have never been asked that question. But yes, i do go back home occasionally and always have a proper visa when coming back.

 

As well as the points you mention, the officers (i think) could be suspicious, since there can be no screening process at an entry point, so i guess a lot of undesirables probably try to slip through the net.

You cant blame them really.

 

Besides, if you are that stingy that you intend to stay x months, but dont want to stump up the fee of the visa, its fairplay for them to scrutinse you IMO.

 

As far as MY answer to the above question (if should ever get asked) regarding why i come here using many visas in pp history:

I have steady gf here, i support her and rent appartment is in my name, so i want to spend time and  monitor them both...

(Under 40, cannot work due to pyhsical injury)

 

AFAICS there is no other visa i can qualify other than tourist.

 

The only thing officer can say is you need to get married,

 

but no thanks, and not my fault if Thailand make it near impossible to recognise defacto relatioship status as many countries will does

 

 

 

[byteHunter]

Usually the questions start after 2 to 3 exempt entries back to back.

 

There was a time last year when it was impossible to do it anymore but this time is over, thank God.

 

I successfully got my 4.th back to back exempt yesterday in Don Mueang airport from Malaysia. I just went there by plane in the morning and went back some hours later.

 

There immigration woman on counter asked me what I do here, I answered honestly (getting married but waiting 6 to 8 weeks for legalisation of documents the second time,since they told us wrong documents first time at my embassy) and she let me through. 

 

Last year when doing this, also the 4.th time in row) the woman said I have to explain to the supervisor, she cannot let me in but the officer let me in after showing him Western Union Bank statements, since my family send me money from my account in Germany through Western Union.

 

All in all I'm in Thailand since nearly 2 years (in March it will be 2 years) without a visa. But I went to Germany for 3 months in this period.

 

So you see it's possible but you have to have a reason ready when you get questioned by immigration

[Get Real]

Not to make myself unpopular again as I have managed to do so many time before, but there is a reason for the questions. A tourist visa is like the name says. You are here for a certain time and then you probably go back to your home country and work for a while, or do something elese.

Trying to use a tourist visa for a very long or permanent stay in Thailand is no more accepted in the long run. Like said before because the namne say tourist visa.

For everyone that want´s to stay longer there is business visa, non immigrant O visa and other visas for study or learning the language. Just saying that there are many ways of staying in Thailand with no problem, if you are a person that qualifies for it. According to the thai rules not everybody qualifies for a visa that let´s you stay long time with no questions. Unfortunately that´s the rules and regulations her at the moment.

With that said it is never impossible to stay here on a tourist visa, and you can surely make a lot of expemt entries, but sooner or later it will catch up and be a problem.
That´s just the fact.

[performance]

22 hours ago, Higuita said:

But what does a back to back visa extempt actually mean? I stayed 3 days in Laos but still the officer gave me a hard time. I assume that my 2 months stay in my home country would be sufficient?

THEY can play any game they wish mate. They are unpolished and unwilling to help tourism. it's normally the female staff. You are considered a border hopper cause the crossing was accessed by land. Get a single entry or multi entry visa. Then jump a border and etc another single entry. Then extend that at IMO.

[Suradit69]

9 hours ago, bamukloy said:

IMA FARANG: The question asked by an immigration officer at a the airport who asks you, "What is your reason for staying in Thailand?"Think about it, "What is your reason for staying in Thailand, or returning so often?"

 

 

I have come and gone more times than i can count and have never been asked that question. But yes, i do go back home occasionally and always have a proper visa when coming back.

 

As well as the points you mention, the officers (i think) could be suspicious, since there can be no screening process at an entry point, so i guess a lot of undesirables probably try to slip through the net.

You cant blame them really.

 

Besides, if you are that stingy that you intend to stay x months, but dont want to stump up the fee of the visa, its fairplay for them to scrutinse you IMO.

 

As far as MY answer to the above question (if should ever get asked) regarding why i come here using many visas in pp history:

I have steady gf here, i support her and rent appartment is in my name, so i want to spend time and  monitor them both...

(Under 40, cannot work due to pyhsical injury)

 

AFAICS there is no other visa i can qualify other than tourist.

 

The only thing officer can say is you need to get married,

 

but no thanks, and not my fault if Thailand make it near impossible to recognise defacto relatioship status as many countries will does

 

 

 

 

"but no thanks, and not my fault if Thailand make it near impossible to recognise defacto relatioship status as many countries will does"

 

You seem to think you are entitled to enter Thailand based on a relationship with a Thai, the legitimacy of which exists only in your imagination and which establishes no legal basis for a visa. There seems even to be a suggestion that because you rent an apatment and provide financial support Thailand should throw open the borders to you in gratitude as so many other countries would do.

I wonder if you could list the countries that would readily issue a visa to your gf based on the fact that you were paying rent for her and had a defacto relationship with her defined by you based on rent receipts and a need "to monitor" what she's getting up to.

 

If you don't qualify for a visa that enables you to spend so much time in Thailand and insist on using a visa exempt entry intended for short-term visits by tourists, then Thailand isn't obliged to fashion some special new class of visa for those who rent digs for their girl friends and harbor suspicions about said gf's fidelity. I'm sure we'd all like to learn about these "many countries will does."

 

 

[IMA_FARANG]

What I said  there was no official limit on visa exempt entries.

Futhermeore there is no official amount of or limit on tourist visas.

However, many Thai consulates or embassies have there own rules for isuing visas, including tourist visas.

You have to kow the embessies and their own limits.

Usually 3 rourist visas from a certain embessy is their limit.

Also, certain Thai consulates want or may require an out-of-country ticket to be shown before they will issue a visa, including a tourist visa.

Different embessies and consulates are stricter on their rules for inssuing visas.

Ho Chi Minh will , for example, insist on you showing an out-of-Thaland ticket before issuing a 60 day single entry tourist visa,

If you can show funds to support yourself while you stay in Thailand as a tourist, this can also make it easirt to get a visa.

But it is not a certainty.

Being able to open a bank account in Thailand  is also a plus.

The one certainty is the more visas you get, the more questions you will be asked.

And the more extensions you get to your visas (30 day extensions for 1900 Baht), the more likely you are to be questioned as to why you are enentering Thailand again on another visa.

One question sometimes asked is , "Why do you have so many 30 day extensions on your tourist visas""

And as I said not all Thai embessies or consulates are the same.

Some are stricter than others.

You need to know who wants what and what they insist on seeing.

And occassionaly the rules and requirements may change, and what may have been an easy friendly consulate may change because of new people in charge.

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2016 by IMA_FARANG
corect typos

[Olanor91]

Hello me and my girlfriend have booked 5weeks in Thailand(35) days. And i was planing to go to a immigration office in  Bangkok to get 7 more days, is there a chance that they won't let us in because we have booked a trip for 35 days or can i just tell them im planing on going to a immigration office?

[elviajero]

53 minutes ago, Olanor91 said:

Hello me and my girlfriend have booked 5weeks in Thailand(35) days. And i was planing to go to a immigration office in  Bangkok to get 7 more days, is there a chance that they won't let us in because we have booked a trip for 35 days or can i just tell them im planing on going to a immigration office?

I assume to are planning to enter using Visa Exemption and will receive permission to stay for 30 days. You can apply for an extension of stay at an immigration office and will get 30 days for 1,900 baht.

 

You won't have a problem entering Thailand, but you might have a problem being allowed to fly if you don't have an onward flight out of the country within 30 days.

 

It would be better to get a Tourist Visa before traveling. A visa will give you 60 days, you'll have no problem flying, and it's cheaper than entering for free and extending your stay.

Edited November 6, 2016 by elviajero

[Olanor91]

Cant i just tell them that we are going to spend like 4 days in cambodia if we get any struggle to fly? 

[elviajero]

6 minutes ago, Olanor91 said:

Cant i just tell them that we are going to spend like 4 days in cambodia if we get any struggle to fly? 

No. IF the airline want an onward fight (not all do) they will want to see a paid ticket out of the country to anywhere.

[Olanor91]

Ok thanks for your answer will have to call the airline tomorrow and check with them

[swampdonkey]

Cant i just tell them that we are going to spend like 4 days in cambodia if we get any struggle to fly? 

Why

Why can't you just get a tourist visa
And save yourselves all the hassle


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[BritTim]

7 hours ago, Olanor91 said:

Ok thanks for your answer will have to call the airline tomorrow and check with them

 

If you check with the airline, I will be very surprised if they do not confirm the need for an onward ticket when intending to enter Thailand visa exempt. They will simply quote the IATA rules that airlines follow. If you turn up at check in, they may or may not want to enforce the rule. Further, the airline supervisor might waive the rule if you are convincing in your assertion that you know immigration will be no problem, especially if you are willing to sign a form indemnifying them against financial damages they incur should you be denied entry.

 

As others have mentioned, all the uncertainty can be avoided by getting a tourist visa. If the logistics make this highly inconvenient, plan to arrive early for airline check in, and buy a cheap onward ticket out of Thailand online if you end up needing one before being allowed to fly. Research in advance which one you will buy (cost about 20-30 pounds).

[bamukloy]

12 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

 

"but no thanks, and not my fault if Thailand make it near impossible to recognise defacto relatioship status as many countries will does"

 

You seem to think you are entitled to enter Thailand based on a relationship with a Thai, the legitimacy of which exists only in your imagination and which establishes no legal basis for a visa. There seems even to be a suggestion that because you rent an apatment and provide financial support Thailand should throw open the borders to you in gratitude as so many other countries would do.

I wonder if you could list the countries that would readily issue a visa to your gf based on the fact that you were paying rent for her and had a defacto relationship with her defined by you based on rent receipts and a need "to monitor" what she's getting up to.

 

If you don't qualify for a visa that enables you to spend so much time in Thailand and insist on using a visa exempt entry intended for short-term visits by tourists, then Thailand isn't obliged to fashion some special new class of visa for those who rent digs for their girl friends and harbor suspicions about said gf's fidelity. I'm sure we'd all like to learn about these "many countries will does."

 

 

 

 

You are the one  ass-uming a lot of things that 'exist in your imagination'.

I enter with the mulitple entry I get  from my own country, which as far as Thailand concern i can do as many times as i like no problem.

 

I dont have to justify anything being a tourist or answer any questions and they never ask anyway.

 

If someone ask me what i do when here i tell them..simple.

 

When i go to Japan every year they dont have to ask anything either but if they do, i tell them SKI..simple.

 

A friend told me you can have a recognised relationship as defacto with Thai, but the things you must provide and proof are crazy. 

 

To be honest Im not even sure why he suggest it to me, or what the point of doing it is. There is no benefit i can see

 

 

 

 

 

 

[byteHunter]

Go with AirAsia or Malindo/Tiger Airlines. They don't want a ticket out of the country. At least they never asked me for one the times I did it (as mentioned, Saturday was the last time I did).

 

I wonder who ask this question if one does an online check-in or a self-check-in with the machine near counter on airport.

 

 

[martin gough]

I have just arrived in thailand and was issued a 30 day stamp at the airport. I have a flight booked out of the country 71 days after my initial arrival. I understand that I can extened for a further 30 days at the thai immiration office. Is there any way I can then extend again in order to catch my flight out of the country?

many thanks

Edited November 7, 2016 by martin gough

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, martin gough said:

I have just arrived in thailand and was issued a 30 day stamp at the airport. I have a flight booked out of the country 71 days after my initial arrival. I understand that I can extened for a further 30 days at the thai immiration office. Is there any way I can then extend again in order to catch my flight out of the country?

many thanks

After getting the 30 day extension you can only get 7 days to leave the country after paying 1900 baht for it.

You would have to leave and re-enter to get a another visa exempt entry to get more than 7 days.

[Olanor91]

the problem is we dont have time to get a visa before our trip. Cant i just write down that we are staying 5 weeks on the visa we get on the airplane and tell them that we are going to an immiration office to get more days?

[BritTim]

6 minutes ago, Olanor91 said:

the problem is we dont have time to get a visa before our trip. Cant i just write down that we are staying 5 weeks on the visa we get on the airplane and tell them that we are going to an immiration office to get more days?

 

Depending on where you live, getting a single entry tourist visa can take anything from 15 minutes up. I do not know where you live, so I cannot comment on your assertion that there was no time between deciding to make this trip and when you will be leaving to get a visa.

 

You can tell the airline what you like. Whether it will lead them to waive the rules they reference in the IATA database is the important question. It might. However, the airline supervisor who allows you to board in violation of the agreement IATA has with Thai immigration is taking a very real risk. In the unlikely event that Thai immigration refused you entry, and fined the airline for failing to follow agreed procedures, that airline supervisor has a serious black mark on his/her record.

 

If you decide to go visa exempt, I strongly recommend

• be prepared to sign an indemnity form that will reimburse the airline for all financial damages they incur (including fines) in the unlikely event you are refused entry (recognizing that it is optional whether the airline will allow you to sign such a form as a condition of travel); and
• arrive at the airport early having already decided which onward flight you are going to book online to meet IATA regulations for check in, should the airline insist on following the rules.

Enjoy your trip.

[JackThompson]

On 11/5/2016 at 11:30 PM, Higuita said:

But what does a back to back visa extempt actually mean? I stayed 3 days in Laos but still the officer gave me a hard time. I assume that my 2 months stay in my home country would be sufficient?

 

They may consider how many Visa Exempts (VEs) you have lifetime, how long you stayed on previous visits, and how long, cumulatively, you have stayed in Thailand - recently and forever.  I say "may" because there are no solid rules available for us to reference.  They make it up differently at each border-post, and per-officer.  There is significant variation by-airport, as well.

 

The lack of stated-rules for VEs means there is paranoia all around - no one - visitor or IO - knows if they are doing "the right thing" unless your visits here are some minimal combination of rare and/or short.

 

If questioned on entry, "helpfully" show you have 20K Baht equivalent in some currency, and a flight ticket out - before they ask for this.  That may prevent a denial based on "insufficent funds" (though they often do not ask for the funds, and many refused entry had the funds).

 

If you are refused entry for too many VEs at an airport, they usually allow you to remain in the exit-area, provided you pay a guard to watch you, and provided you can get a flight back where you came from on the same day.  Have a large bottle of water and snacks, in case they do not allow you to buy any (as reported by others who came back after months away, after a previous longer stay - and this without a previous warning, even). 

 

If no flight is available shortly, they have a detention area where you will be imprisoned until your return-flight is about to depart.

Edited November 7, 2016 by JackThompson

[Olanor91]

Just talked to they airline and they told me we won't have any trouble to board the plane

Edited November 7, 2016 by Olanor91

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

You can tell the airline what you like. Whether it will lead them to waive the rules they reference in the IATA database is the important question. It might. However, the airline supervisor who allows you to board in violation of the agreement IATA has with Thai immigration is taking a very real risk. In the unlikely event that Thai immigration refused you entry, and fined the airline for failing to follow agreed procedures, that airline supervisor has a serious black mark on his/her rec

What agreement does the IATA have with Thailand that the supervisor would be violating?