Multiple-Entry Tourist visa: Cost and extensions

[KevT]

I'm planning on getting a Multiple-Entry Tourist visa to stay around 6 months in Thailand. For this visa, it is:

 

Cost:  200 USD
Period of stay: not exceeding 60 days

Validity of a visa: The Validity of a visa is 6 months

- What happens after the 60 days? Do I have to do a visa run or do I have to present myself at a governmental building/other?

- What does the 6 months imply?

- What is the cost of the extensions? 

 

Also, how would getting a Single-Entry visa differ? At only $40, wouldn't doing visa runs turn out less expensive? Or it wouldn't be possible to do 6 months with the SETV?

[JackThompson]

After 60 days you can do a border-bounce anywhere (except the Poipet-crossing), and re-enter for a new 60-day stamp.  You could also choose to extend your entry by 30-days at an immigration office (1900 Baht), and then do the border-bounce.  

 

A "border bounce" differs from a "visa-run" by not having to stay out at least one night, while you receive a new visa.  At nearby consulates, you submit in the morning on the first day, then pick up the next afternoon.  With a "border-bounce" you can leave and come back immediately.

 

The 6 months is the "enter before" date stamped on the visa itself, which is 6 months from the Date Of Visa-Issuance at the Thai Consulate.  The visa provides 60-day stamps upon entry up until the "enter before" date. 

 

If you get the visa just before coming to Thailand, and do a border-bounce just before the "enter before" date, then extend that 60-day entry-stamp at immigration for 30 more days, you can get nearly 9 months of use out of this visa.

Edited June 16, 2017 by JackThompson

[ubonjoe]

A multiple entry tourist visa allows unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date it is issued.

Each 60 day entry can be extended for 30 days at an immigration office for a fee of 1900 baht. Many people have found that doing a new 60 day entry is more cost effective than getting the 30 day extension.

You must leave the country to get a new entry at the end of the 60 or the 30 day extension of it.

You can get almost 9 months of total stay from the visa by getting a new 60 day entry just before it expires (enter before date on the visa) and a 30 day extension of the entry.

The longest you can stay on single entry tourist visa is 60 day plus the 30 day extension. After that you you have to get a new visa.

[KevT]

18 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

[...]

 

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

[...]

Ahhh, understood. I've been trying to make sense of visas/visa runs for some time. Thanks for the clarification.

A few small questions:
- For the border bounce, anywhere at all will work? I was thinking of visiting Cambodia for maybe a month (Siem Reap or Battambang) and would get a stamp there as well. Would that be a good/bad idea?
- The 30-day extension is 1900฿, but the border stamps are completely free (excluding travel expenses)?
- To not get surprises, what are the chances of having a new 60-day stamp refused? Are border bounces frowned upon or are they perfectly fine?
 

18 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

[...]

Why is Poipet not a good place to do a border bounce?

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, KevT said:

A few small questions:
- For the border bounce, anywhere at all will work? I was thinking of visiting Cambodia for maybe a month (Siem Reap or Battambang) and would get a stamp there as well. Would that be a good/bad idea?
- The 30-day extension is 1900฿, but the border stamps are completely free (excluding travel expenses)?
- To not get surprises, what are the chances of having a new 60-day stamp refused? Are border bounces frowned upon or are they perfectly fine?

You will get a new 60 day entry every time you enter the country as long as you do it on or before the enter before date on the visa. Spending a month out of the country before doing an entry would certainly not be a problem.

All entries at border crossings are free. You do have the expense of getting to the border and the cost of a visa on arrival at Cambodia or Laos. To enter Myanmar a border pass is 500 baht. Malaysia is a free visa exempt entry.

Since you will have a valid visa for re-entry there is no problem doing border bounces.

[JackThompson]

32 minutes ago, KevT said:

Ahhh, understood. I've been trying to make sense of visas/visa runs for some time. Thanks for the clarification.

A few small questions:
- For the border bounce, anywhere at all will work? I was thinking of visiting Cambodia for maybe a month (Siem Reap or Battambang) and would get a stamp there as well. Would that be a good/bad idea?
- The 30-day extension is 1900฿, but the border stamps are completely free (excluding travel expenses)?
- To not get surprises, what are the chances of having a new 60-day stamp refused? Are border bounces frowned upon or are they perfectly fine?
 

Why is Poipet not a good place to do a border bounce?

UJ's advice above is all good. 

 

The only thing I would add, is you could be asked to show 20K Baht worth of cash or travelers checks upon entry into Thailand (same as other visa-entries).  You also need to provide a valid address where you will be staying.  I would also have something ready to answer about what your plans are for your (60-day) visit, and your source of funds.

 

You will likely have no questions or be asked to show cash at most crossings - but it it common on entry from the land-borders to Malaysia, and it has also happened to people holding Tourist Visas at airports - with denial of entry when one fellow did not have the cash to show.

 

32 minutes ago, KevT said:

Why is Poipet not a good place to do a border bounce?

Poipet might reject your re-entry at that crossing.   No other border-crossings have been reported as having done this.  They have told people they are "only allowed to return by air." 

 

It's not true - just a way to get you trapped at an airport if rejected-entry for "no cash" - a place where you can not simply turn-around and go to an ATM for cash.  Immigration at the airport won't let you go to an ATM - they make you buy a ticket out, instead (with the same plastic) - a sick-joke / power-trip, IMO.  So far, no reports of rejection of those with Valid Visas and the cash.  Note that most of the "rejected entries" you read about are Visa-Exempt entries - not the same as entering With A Visa, as you will have.

 

If I were going to Cambodia, I would return via Ban Laem or Ban Packard (take a shared-taxi from Battambang), then on to Chanthaburi, and continue from there.  If traveling to the south of Cambodia, you could also return via Koh Kong - though best not to leave via Koh Kong, as the Cambodian side tends to extort people for significant 'extra fees' to get their visa.  Have USD to pay for your Cambodian or Lao visas - or they scam you on the exchange rate.  Also same-day returns from Cambodia may incur a 300 Baht fine from the Cambodian-side - it's an actual law, not just a scam.

Edited June 16, 2017 by JackThompson

[BuckBee]

It not really cheaper to get the METV over SETV and if planning to travel to like of cambodia anyway you could pick up new tourist visa while in Phnom Penh or come back to thailand using visa exempt entry (30days) and that can be extended another 30days at thai immigration for 1,900baht .

METV is good if plan on exiting a lot, want stay like 8 to 9 months and don't want deal with getting new visas locally, is expensive though if not using it to full advantage .

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, KevT said:

Why is Poipet not a good place to do a border bounce?

In your case, returning after at least several days in Cambodia, I do not believe Poipet would be a problem. Poipet has sometimes (not consistently) been giving travelers problems who simply want to do a border bounce for a new entry without spending time in Cambodia. It is, therefore, prudent to avoid Poipet when that is your objective.

[KevT]

Thanks a lot for the help. It really clarified everything.

Edited June 17, 2017 by KevT

[rcoyote]

This is very helpful information. I am a US citizen. Am I right to assume that if I carry 20,000 baht between the borders of Myanmar and Thailand I will not need to show proof of a flight out (for both countries)? That would simplify some of my travel plans. And also, is there a better visa to get for a trip to Myanmar (1-3 week trip) if I need to return to Myanmar within 60 days? for example: Must I reapply for another eVisa into Myanmar? I will be traveling by air. or is there a way to avoid paying for the visa twice? Thanks.

 

extra information: I will be getting a TR visa in Myanmar for Thailand. My job contract will end so I will be changing to a TR visa in Myanmar. I am looking to live in either Myanmar in the future, but still have an apartment in Thailand. 

[JackThompson]

On 6/16/2017 at 7:16 PM, BritTim said:

In your case, returning after at least several days in Cambodia, I do not believe Poipet would be a problem. Poipet has sometimes (not consistently) been giving travelers problems who simply want to do a border bounce for a new entry without spending time in Cambodia. It is, therefore, prudent to avoid Poipet when that is your objective.

They told me not to come back through their checkpoint - in OR out - even after I made clear I was going to Phnom Penh for a week and would obtain a new Thai Tourist Visa there.  They said my plan was fine, but that I could "only fly in."  Granted, this may be because they could see I spend a lot of time in Thailand, so may not apply to the OP, depending on what their subjective-definition of "too much time in Thailand" is.  Note that I came back in with a new Tourist Visa through Koh Kong on that trip, without issue.

Edited June 21, 2017 by JackThompson

[JackThompson]

18 hours ago, rcoyote said:

This is very helpful information. I am a US citizen. Am I right to assume that if I carry 20,000 baht between the borders of Myanmar and Thailand I will not need to show proof of a flight out (for both countries)? That would simplify some of my travel plans. And also, is there a better visa to get for a trip to Myanmar (1-3 week trip) if I need to return to Myanmar within 60 days? for example: Must I reapply for another eVisa into Myanmar? I will be traveling by air. or is there a way to avoid paying for the visa twice? Thanks.

 

extra information: I will be getting a TR visa in Myanmar for Thailand. My job contract will end so I will be changing to a TR visa in Myanmar. I am looking to live in either Myanmar in the future, but still have an apartment in Thailand. 

I cannot speak to the Myanmar visa from experience, but I assume you need one for each visit unless you can qualify for a "longer stay" type of Myanmar visa (business, I assume exists). 

 

The 20K Baht rule is for entering any time into Thailand with a Visa.  For visa-exempt-entries, the rule is 10K.  Many have reported they were not asked to "show the cash" when entering Thailand from Myanmar, but I would carry it to be sure, as enforcement can change without notice. 

 

With regard to coming and going into Thailand, the METV would be helpful, but you can only get it in the USA (some older reports that Australia will do it for Americans and Brits, but nothing recent, so don't count on that).

[KevT]

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

[...] asked to "show the cash" when entering Thailand from Myanmar, but I would carry it to be sure, as enforcement can change without notice. 

You need to have the 20K / 10K baht in hard cash?

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

With regard to coming and going into Thailand, the METV would be helpful, but you can only get it in the USA (some older reports that Australia will do it for Americans and Brits, but nothing recent, so don't count on that).

Ah, you can only get a METV in your home country? What if you travel to England or Italy for 1 month, for example, can you get a new METV?

[JackThompson]

32 minutes ago, KevT said:

You need to have the 20K / 10K baht in hard cash?

Or travelers checks, yes.  People have been thrown out of the country (technically "rejected entry") for not having the cash at airports, though they were mere feet away from an ATM where they could have pulled the cash and shown it - AND to spite the airline-rules (IATA) which state plastic is OK.  But, they were allowed to use their plastic to purchase their overpriced, last-minute ticket out of the country.

 

Quote

Ah, you can only get a METV in your home country? What if you travel to England or Italy for 1 month, for example, can you get a new METV?

Only if you have permanent-residence there - this particular rule is being enforced across-the-board world-wide, with the possible (at one time, anyway) exception of Austrailia, whose rules state having a valid Aussie-visa is enough.  But since those very early reports from Australian-visitors (just after METV launch), I haven't seen new info of this being done - and now only the "official" (not honorary) consulates can issue ANY kind of ME-Visa, so choices are limited further.

Edited June 21, 2017 by JackThompson

[rcoyote]

Seems like the 10K cash rule is very convenient training for greasing the wheels when so desired. But - in reality an inch of prevention can prevent a mile of hassle. S

[rcoyote]

Yeah it may seem inconvenient to have to carry in my case 40,000 baht... In my experience, hassles are relative. I'd much rather have the hassle of preventing an issue than knowingly put myself and my gf in a powerless position where the cost can become exponential in a very short time. Any kind of forced separation could in my mind lead to the very least intense anxiety and a lot worse. No thanks. I'll take the sure route here.