Are 60-day tourist visas still beneficial for entering Thailand compared to visa-exempt stamps?

If you sail into Thailand the captain still.has to get 60 day visa, but not his crew

Sam Moehrke . . At the moment it is TOTALLY unclear, how many times in a row you can make a border bounce and receive another 60-days visa-exempt stay permit.

Some say you can do it unlimited times, and others say that you can only stay in Thailand without a visa for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-days period. Time will show who is right.

So, as long as it has not been confirmed, you should use a safe option.

If you want to play 100% safe, apply for a 60-days single entry tourist visa in your home country, enter Thailand, get stamped in on this visa for 60 days. Extend on Immigration for 30 more days.

Before the stay permit expires, do a “border run”. Exit Thailand and re-enter visa-exempt. You will get stamped in for 60 days. And these 60 days stay permit can get extended for 30 more days. This is guaranteed, whilst we don't know for sure if two back-to-back 60-days visa-exempt entries are guaranteed

60+30 and 60+30 = 180 days theoretical stay permit

I'm inside the land since 2 months - had only a run this year and even if i feel like i can re-enter by air and get another 60 days - i want play safe - play the game the way its supposed to and a get a visa in Vientiane. Thats what i feel.

The impression I get from reading posts here is that if you are travelling visa exempt (and get 60 days) then any extension you get (the 1900 baht one) is from the day you APPLY for the extension. On the other hand, with a 60 day TV, the extension is ADDED to your 60 days. Is that correct?

If you regularly come on visa exempt they start asking why you don’t get a visa. The fact it’s now 60 instead of 30 days I doubt will stop them asking at immigration. I found getting a proper tourist visa every 2nd or 3rd trip stopped me getting pulled aside.

Definitely rendered obsolete for anyone from the 93 countries that get 60 days now

Tourist visas are still available. There are more countries who are still required to obtain a visa than countries who can enter visa exempt.

Also if you have an extensive travel history in Thailand you have better odds of being admitted if you have a tourist visa than if you arrive without one.