FAQ - Thailand - Visa

Quoting sushi_

Hi Hien, I've a good read and I'm a bit confused as well and I wonder if you would be able to help we're going to be entering Thailand at the beginning of September we will be spending a month or so traveling around Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, before returning to Thailand. At the beginning of February we were planning on going to Malaysia for a week before moving on to Indonesia and then Australia.

Obviously this itinerary would take us well over the 90 days per 6 month limit, and I don't particularly want to get stung for a huge fine when I leave Thailand, and more importantly I don't want to end up on some kind of blacklist as I'd like to go back to Thailand at some point in the future.

I suggest that you get a Tourist Visa from the Thai Embassy that allows multiple entry and a total stay of 60 days within a 3-month period. After that, you could cross over to a neighbouring country (e.g. Malaysia - 3 months visa on arrival for UK citizens) and then return to Thailand for a 30-day visa exemption.

Frankly, I really don't know how you're going to stay longer than the 90-day limit imposed without taking a risk of not only being fined by the customs, but also a possible chance of being sent to a lock-up if caught by police. It's been said that this had happened before.

But if you really want to stay longer than 90 days, contact the Thai immigration department when you're in Bangkok and ask for their advice on how you could do it legally.

Also on a lighter note we'll be in Malaysia for about a week and I was just wondering if you had any recommendations of things to do and see. we'll be checking out the Petronas towers and a few other things in Kuala Lumpar but was wondering what we should check out beyond KL?

Thanks

Sam

Yup, read the Kuala Lumpur thread, which I'm sure you already had.

Thanks for the advice Hien you're a star!

Yep I certainly don't want to end up in a Thai prison! But want to stay in Thailand for a while as one of my best mates is half Thai and lives out there now, I'll contact the embassy and see if theres a legitimate way to do it. I guess the days of people crossing the border to Laos on a visa run every month and staying in Thailand indefinitely are long gone.

Oh, this post was SO useful!!! I was only just planning a trip to Thailand next year and when I came on the Asia forum, this topic was at the top of the list, and when I opened it and read it...I was ECSTATIC!! I'm allowed to go into Thailand and stay there for as long as 90 days, this is awesome!! I even shrieked with excitement...at 2am...the neighbours mustn't be happy! Ahh...thanx so much, Hien! This post just made my day

Oh, this post was SO useful!!! I was only just planning a trip to Thailand next year and when I came on the Asia forum, this topic was at the top of the list, and when I opened it and read it...I was ECSTATIC!! I'm allowed to go into Thailand and stay there for as long as 90 days, this is awesome!! I even shrieked with excitement...at 2am...the neighbours mustn't be happy! Ahh...thanx so much, Hien! This post just made my day

Yes, you are allowed into Thailand for 90 days in a six month period, but the important thing to remember is that you have to leave the country every 30 days to get a new 30 day stamp.

Although the Immigration Officers seem to be doing whatever they feel like. I entered from Cambodia last month and the Immigration Officer insisted that I had already been in the country for 71 days over the last 90 days when in reality I had been in for 24 days. He wouldn't listen and I could only enter for 19 days...he also demanded an onward flight out of Thailand within the 19 days which of course I didn't have. I have heard that airports are even more strict an if you are entering Thailand for a 30 day period you need to show evidence of an onward flight, if you don't you aren't let into the country and put back on a plane to where you just came from (it happened to my friend in February).

I've contacted the Thai embassy and they said I can get two 60 day visas from them, that way we'll be able to stay for longer than the 90 days per 6 months. Apparently you have to get these visas in your own country before you leave.

Are you serious?? Jeez, that makes things tougher! I was planning to go for 4 weeks with this Real Gap Experience thing, and then stay 2 more weeks on my own, but I thought there'd be no problem with that, seeing as Im supposed to be allowed to stay there for 90 days...I guess I'll have to check with the Thai Embassy before I take off - the trip's probably one of the most expensive ones Ive done (especially the flights! Its all the way from Lima to Bangkok!), and I certainly wouldn't want them to just send me back Thanx for that though, good to know!!

me and my boyfriend are going to thailand in august. our whole trip is 6 weeks long but we are going to laos in the middle so won't ever be in thailand for longer than 30 days. so technically should be fine
BUT
we aren't flying to laos so we don't have proof we won't be in thailand longer than 30 days, do we need to get visas or will they only check on the way out by which time we'll have the appropriate passport stamps.

i'm so scared of getting to bangkok airport and having someone tell me i can't go into the country without a visa unless i have proof i'm leaving within 30 days.

also, do you think we would be able to buy malaria tablets in thailand. they would be loads cheaper than they are over here. we won't need them immediately so we can have our week of taking them before we go whilst we are there.

thank you!

Can someone please just clarify something small that i seem to be missing cos im confused, going on my own and a bit nervous!

Can someone enter Thailand, leave within 30days (i will have proof of flight out of thailand) and then come back 3months later only to leave again within the 30days?!
i.e. can you get two 30day holiday visas within a four month period???

Im flying into Bangkok , staying in Thailand for approx 18days, flying to Vietnam to volunteer for 3mths but will need to get back into Thailand to fly onto Australia after that.... help me please.... i will get the hang of all the visa things sooner or later

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months

Stupid questions but does this mean 6 months from the date of issue or the date of expiration?