Answered3 years ago
Can a Thai Tourist TR 60-day e-Visa be skipped in favor of visa exemption upon arrival?
Good morning. I have a case that I am not sure how to answer: Say someone from the EU had a Thai Tourist TR 60 day (single entry) e-Visa issued by the Thai consulate in their home country. Can this someone simply not present this visa on arrival at the Thai airport, get stamped in for 30 days on visa exemption, and then make use of the existing, unused TR 60 day visa later at a land border crossing? Or would the computer system show the immigration officer the isssued TR visa, and would said officer then use it, even though the paper printout would not be presented at that time? Thank you, experts.
Answer summary
A person holding a Thai Tourist TR 60-day e-Visa cannot simply avoid using it upon arrival in Thailand if the visa is already linked to their passport in the immigration system. Many users reported that immigration officers will insist that the visa be utilized, regardless of whether the physical printout is presented. It is generally advised to enter Thailand using the 60-day tourist visa, which can later be extended, rather than attempting to use visa exemption rules.
26 repliesnewest first
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Bob **********
They’ll pick it up ,it’s 2024
Nongnuch ********
when you show up at the Immigration desk at the airport, the officer, after having input your passport details into the system, will see on the computer screen that you have been issued a 60-days tourist visa. And he will INSIST that you use it. Thailand Immigration is no "Make-a-Wish" event
Tullio *******
What you want to do doesn’t really make sense as you can use the 60 days visa and extend it for 30 in country then exit and re-enter with the 30 + 30 days no visa required. There is absolutely no difference if you do it the other way, so why go through the hassle?
Nick ************
@Tullio ******
I am realy looking forward to an answer.Bart **************
You cannot 'not' use a visa. With a visa, you'll be stamped in for the duration the visa grants you.
Henrik *****
Better to get stamped in on the 60 day touristvisa, plus 30 days extention, than 30 days visa excempt + 30 days extension.
Then you have 30 days extra, before needing to cross a border.
Then you have 30 days extra, before needing to cross a border.
Bart **************
@Henrik ****
maybe he wants to do 30 + 30 first and then 60 + 30 later? Cause that's what he wrote 🤷
Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Henrik ****
Also: Always a good idea to avoid those extensions. Those stamps in the passport make the most trouble for future entries.
John ********
@Frank-Steven **********
now you’re just making things up.Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Henrik ****
Sure. Just the other way around would serve that persons itinerary better.Henrik *****
@Frank-Steven **********
Visas follow rules, that you can’t change.Itinerarys can easily be changed.
Just use the 60 days Touristvisa without extension, since it needs to be applyed for from your residentcountry.
Frank **********
Why not just say it is you instead of "someone"?
Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Frank *********
How do you know who I am asking for. And why would you care? Cheers.Brandon ************
They can try asking not to use the visa. But many reports of people being forced to use their TR visa, even if they didn't have it printed and show it to the officer. They were forced to use it as it's in the system already associated with that person and their passport.
Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Brandon ***********
Damn. That is the answer I was afraid about. Thank you, Brandon. The arriving airport being the more lenient CNX does not make a difference, I guess?
Sam ******
@Frank-Steven **********
I flew into Suvarnabhumi last September and politely asked the IO to stamp me in on a 30 day waiver rather than stamp me in on the single entry visa I had in the system. I explained that I had an onward flight out of Bangkok a few days after this first entry and didn’t want to start the clock on my single entry visa or to buy a re-entry permit. He obliged. I think it’s down to the IO’s discretion on the day. Good luck.Brandon ************
@Frank-Steven **********
I think the it's more about the officer than the airportBart **************
Good point by Kool. It could only work if you fly at least once, to switch your passport. You cannot switch passport crossing a land border.
Nick ************
@Kool ******
that is what I thought. It doesn't gain anything.
Kool *******
@Frank-Steven **********
you are missing one important detail that makes it meaningless. In order to activate the visa you must leave the country and return. You can not activate that visa inside Thailand, so it makes no difference. If you use it you get 60 day stamp, then leave, come back and get 30 days, or get 30 days when you enter, then you leave, use the visa, and leave and return for 30 days. It makes no difference on the number of days you get.Bart **************
@Frank-Steven **********
in theory you should be ok doing so. A visa is tied to a specific passport. Nice trick 👍In general it is however not a good idea to exploit opportunities like this. Immigrations is in the end not gonna like it. Even if the passports have different names and everything, they will be able to recognize it's the same person based on fingerprints and face recognition. Now this time you could use the said trick to 'not' use a visa, which would work, but if you use the same trick for different purposes (e.g. long stay on tourism-purposed visas, to name an example), then I'm afraid it'll be quite a few malus points on the officer's considerations.
Brandon ************
@Frank-Steven **********
no clue how the visa is associated, if it's by name or passport number or what.Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Brandon ***********
To make this case more complicated: Say that said someone had two passports (of the same country) - only one passport associated with said visa. Could / should this someone maybe use the other passport for the 30 day exempt, first, and then fly out, and return on the other passport with the Thai visa? Or would changing passports in between raise more red flags then it would benefit the case?Brandon ************
Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Brandon ***********
So I guess, just not present the eVisa and see what kind of stamp is issued. If 30 day exemption, that visa should still be valid. If 60 days, the IO used up the single entry visa.Frank-Steven ***********
OP@Brandon ***********
As it always is in the end 😉Activity
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