Are land border visa runs allowed for tourists and DTV holders in Thailand?

If you entered on a visa exempt 60 day entry, then took the 30 day extension, immigration essentially no longer considers you a tourist, and instead someone trying to stay here long term on 60 day tourist entries, and extensions. That is what they are cracking down on, heavily. Most of the last 7 months have been warning, and refusing entry to those trying to live here long term on visa exempt entries, and always taking the 30 day extension. In months past on the second entry they were pulling people aside, questioning them, and warning them before they let them in, or in about 20% of the cases refused entry until they got the correct visa. This is just more tightening down and going after the border run agencies, that had paid off immigration agents. That is all that is going on concerning the current crackdown.

Rule of thumb: if it's your first time in Thailand this year, and you leave by land for a whole week then come back by land (let's say you can show the officer that you already have a return ticket to your home country within the next 60 days) you will likely not have a problem and be stamped in again.

The problem will arise if you've got multiple visa exemption stamps in your passport and you've already entered Thailand more then two times this year already...

They are cracking down on people that have abused the visa exemption and extension of stay by staying in Thailand for a long time without a proper long term visa...

For people who don't try to "live" in Thailand and just come for travel and tourism on a trip to SE-Asia then it's not going to be a problem.

I'm not sure which category you fall into but hopefully you understand the difference

New rules do not affect DTV holders

And if I apply online for a tourist visa and get 60 days straight? Can I then extend it for 30 more days? Or is this also only allowed two times a year? 🙈

Official announcement - Visa Exemptions are the target of the restrictions

In accordance with the policy of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, Pol.Gen. Kittharath Punpetch, to declare war on cybercrime, today (November 12, 2025), Commissioner of Immigration Bureau, Pol.Lt.Gen. Panumas Boonyalug, convened a meeting with the Deputy Commissioners and Commanders under his jurisdiction to discuss and establish relevant measures, which are divided into 4 key actions:

1. Elevate and intensify the screening of individuals frequently using the visa-exempt scheme (free visa) for entry and exit (in-out) in the manner of a visa run without returning to their country of domicile. If any individual uses the visa run privilege more than 2 times without a justifiable reason, Immigration Bureau will consider denying entry to prevent the use of this opportunity to pose as a tourist to conduct various transactions, instead of applying for the correct visa category as intended.

2. Emphasize the interception of foreign nationals who have a history recorded in the watch-list system in border areas of neighboring countries that are sources of scammers, such as Mae Sot, Tak Province, as they are a high-risk group for participating in illegal activities or becoming victims. This also applies to the group of foreign nationals who have been pushed back/deported from Thailand in the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border area and whose data has been logged in the system; they will also be denied entry without exception.

3. Instruct all Provincial Immigration Offices responsible for inner areas to increase the strictness in granting temporary stay extensions for foreigners who have a history of in-out Visa Run behavior and subsequently apply for an extension. If any foreigner is found with such data or behavior, the visa will not be extended, or the visa will be revoked after authorization and the individual will be deported outside the Kingdom.

4. Instruct all Immigration Bureau Divisions to launch a mass sweep to crack down on foreigners who have overstayed their visas, aiming for tangible operational results.

These measures may affect the speed of passport checks for foreign nationals, Immigration Bureau asserts that they will not affect the tourism sector in any way. On the contrary, they serve to select quality international tourists that will generate revenue for the country with greater confidence.

1) Currently METV and DTV can do a same day border run from Chiang Mai to Laos - posted today.

2) Visa Waiver (VE) only 2 entries per year by land or air. Any more and you need a very good reasin and a return to country of domicile between trip. The first VE entry can be extended 30 day. The 2nd for 7 days only (Some say 2nd by land cannot even get 7)

It’s the extension at immigration that will not be allowed for people entering through land borders. That’s the main thing to zero in on…. Also the 150 or so days in country for a year with visa exempts.

The new rules only affect people using visa exempt/ visa exempt with extensions.

People who use visa exempt for its intended purpose eg. 4 x 2 week holidays a year won’t be affected

There will be no official announcement that border runs are not allowed because it is all under table immagration officers allow it because you pay them for the privilege

What type of visa are you on?