After three great years here, I've decided to relocate to Malaysia for work. I'm going to miss Thailand so much, but I'm hoping to still be able to pop back over for the weekend once a month, if possible. I just need to know what the present rules are regarding visa free entries. Will I be able to do this?( I'm a British citizen) As it will just be for two days each time, and I'll have the work visa and permit in Malaysia, will I be allowed in visa-free around twelve times a year, or should I expect a difficult time when crossing the border. I won't be flying in, I'll be travelling via land or rail and crossing at either Sadao or Padang Besar. Thanks. Mel

There are no published limits for the Thai/Malaysian border, and it is up to the IO's at the border how many times they will let you use the Visa Exempt Scheme. If you're only staying 2 days at a time, with large gaps between visits, you shouldn't have too much of a problem, but you should expect to get questioned, at anytime, about the frequent visits. Immigration used to be mainly concerned with illegal workers, but these days they also seem to be clamping down on those overusing the scheme.

 

The Sadao border doesn't have the best reputation so it might be worth using Pedang Besar as often as you can.

It's no problem. You work in Malaysia and have the papers. I have lived and worked in Laos for a long time with a valid work permit and if you have this they won't question it.

Edited November 10, 20169 yr by anotheruser

IMHO it is impossible to say how the immigration at the Malaysia land border points will react to the warning once you reach the threshold for increased scrutiny. At Poi Pet (Cambodian border), they would reject your entry out of hand claiming "the computer made them do it". From Laos, the indications are that you would be OK. Does anyone have actual experience of trying more than 6 visa exempt entries via, say,  Padang Besar? By air into Suvarnabhumi would be no problem, I think. They have proven to use commonsense with frequent obvious tourists. Don Muang would be less certain than Suvarnabhumi, but likely OK.