Can I extend my stay in Thailand every 6 months for 5 years with the DTV?

Oct 31, 2024
2 months ago
Does anyone know if you can keep extending every 6 months for the 5 years or you can only do 6 months in a calendar year one time?? Would love some clarity on this issue ....
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the rules regarding extending a Thai visa, specifically the DTV and NON-O visas. It clarifies that typically, only one extension is allowed per entry, meaning after staying 360 days in Thailand, you would need to leave and re-enter to receive a new 180-day stamp, which can be extended for another 180 days. The conversation highlights differing opinions on the practicality of extensions versus simply leaving and re-entering Thailand to reset the stay duration. Some participants also mention potential unofficial practices, the varying costs of extensions, and the need for clearer guidelines from immigration authorities.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Deepak *******
Thai visas/exempt entries are one extension per entry. No, you cannot extend it forever. Non-Os can extend it for ever using yearly extensions.
Angelo ***********
You can extend every 6month stay by another 6month.

That means after 12month you have to leave and come back.
Deepak *******
If you cannot afford to leave the country, you should not be staying in Thailand.
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Deepak ******
i can afford to leave the country whenever I want if I don't feel like leaving that's up to me.
Luit *****************
Anonieme deelnemer If you only want to leave if you like, DTV is not the visa for you, it is not designed to live in Thailand, therefore are other visa like non-o and Thailand Elite.

DTV is just a longer tourist visa, on which you have to leave at least once a year.
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
6 months. Extension 1900 baht get another 6 months. After one year leave. And it retarts
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Luit ****************
it is designed to live in Thailand you can stay for a year period as many times as you want. 1900 baht extension after one year. Leave the country for a week and it retarts all over again
Luit *****************
Anonieme deelnemer When it really was designed to live in Thailand, why do you think you have to leave after a year mr. wiseguy?

And why should it be extended after 180 days when it was meant to live in Thailand?

DTV is a TOURIST visa, not a RESIDENT visa.

And you say leaving is up to you when you want, and that is simply not true.

After maximum 360 days you have to go.

And when you know evrything so well, why are you asking it in this group anonymous?
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Luit ****************
i leave and come back the next day the visa restarts until my 5 years is up it's the same as when you grumpy old men get a retirement visa. But much much better šŸ˜
Luit *****************
Anonieme deelnemer I have DTV because I am not retired yet and are only part of the year remote working in Thailand. I am glad you very happy with this visa too, even when you misuse it.

But to which grumpy old men are you talking? This group is about DTV, the visa meant for digital nomads.
Julian ***********
Pretty sure soon there will be services where only your passport leave the country
Alex *********
@Julian **********
never happens cuz who and how will take selfies in immigration web computer system on the border.
Luit *****************
@Julian **********
I never heard of it, if this is true, why is everybody doing borderruns then?

Besides giving away your passports in the hands from somebody doing this kind of stuff is also a certain risk
Max *****
Just out of curiosity: why such a simple question posted in anonymous status?

I mean i would understand if you write: i dont want to pay taxes. But this one? šŸ‘€
Ric ******
@Max ****
this entire group is set to "public", which is a pretty bad idea IMO, so anyone who decides to spy on you can see what you post. I totally understand the poster.
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ric *****
exactly.
Jared *********
You can enter Thailand as many times as you want and stay for up to 180 days each time without any additional fees during the duration of the visa. There is not a rule saying only 180 days per year. Go in and out as many times as you want with 180 day stamp each time.

If you wish to stay in the country and not leave within the 180 days then you can apply for an extension of an additional 180 days. No one has done this yet because 180 days hasn't passed since the inception of this visa. There is some debate on what this extension will cost due to some wording in the English and Thai language descriptions of the visa from the MFA. Many assume it will be the same 1900 baht fee while others suggest that it might be 10,000 baht. I personally believe it will be 1900 baht but no one is 100% sure at this time. The only reason the extension fee will matter is if you don't plan to leave the country within 180 days.

For me, the extensions are a bit irrelevant because I will travel out of the country occasionally and reset the 180 day count for free each time.
Angelo ***********
@Jared ********
All extensions cost 1900THB. And this one will be the same.
Jared *********
@Angelo **********
i agree but look up the official Thai version of the visa description. This is where the 10,000 baht opinion comes from.
Luit *****************
@Jared ********
Normally the people in the target group for this visa will not stay longer than 180 days and also will be out of the country for longer periods of time.

DTV is not meant as a visa to live in Thailand, as many seem to think here.
Urs ********
This video explains everything about the DTV and what you want to know.
*******************************************
David ***********
@Urs *******
šŸ‘ case closed šŸ˜”
Jimmy ******
@Urs *******
Chris is the man! Goes right to the manager...
Toni *******
Rent a car and cross the border, u-turn and come back saying you forgot your wife home. And yes, only 1 extension per entry
Deepak *******
@Toni ******
why one has to pretend. The visa is meant for multiple entries.
Luit *****************
@Toni ******
be careful renting car and cross border, that is not always allowed.
Toni *******
@Luit ****************
they actually tend to give you the permission on paper, because the car is not in your name
Toni *******
@Luit ****************
thank you for adding that, I sometimes forget the official rules, because always using people who know me for years
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Toni ******
so I could literally leave the country for a week come back and I get another 180 days and I can do that for up to 5 years?
Jared *********
Anonymous participant yes. Did you read my comment. I literally explained that you can do this
Toni *******
Anonymous participant when your passport expires and you get a new one, what i have read on this group is that you should carry the old one with you too. Some posts suggest you can update the passport number to the visa, but im not sure. Search in group for info
Toni *******
Anonymous participant yes
Christopher ***********
Depends what suits you. If no current desire to exit Thailand, you live in the centre of the country and it would cost $40 or $52 USD to enter Laos (for example), a 180 day extension for 1,900 baht from your local Immigration Office may be preferable.
Romain ****
I would personally forget the hassle of extending and spend a few days in a neighbor country every 6 months and reset the 6 months counter !!
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Romain ***
that's what I'm thinking
Paul ********
@Romain ***
It could be more than just hassle if Thai immigration offices can continue to have have different interpretations of what is required to extend for various long term Visa's like the DTV. For this reason alone I'll be avoiding that randomness by bouncing before 180 days. It's obviously more hassle but I think less risky IMO.
Wannikea *********
At this time extensions aren't recommended as there is no real world experience on the extension requirements, a border bounce for a new 180 day stamp is the preferred choice until reports of extension experiences have begun rolling in.
Aslam ******
@Wannikea ********
I think there might be some restrictions on border bounce as I was told, cannot exit and renter same day, will wait and see when people start returning
Wannikea *********
@Aslam *****
that's for free visa exempt stamps, totally irrelevant for visa holders
Aslam ******
@Wannikea ********
will wait and see
Angelo ***********
@Wannikea ********
That is nonsense. It is completely clear that you can extend a 6month stay to another 6month/180days.
Wannikea *********
@Angelo **********
you failed to comprehend my comment, which eluded to the fact that an in country extension may require a resubmission of documents or updated documents and other requirements to qualify for the extension, whereas a border bounce would simply entail handing over your passport for a stamp.
Angelo ***********
@Wannikea ********
unlikely. but lets see.
Wannikea *********
@Angelo **********
it's a multiple entry visa FFS, it's basically a free pass in and out.
Angelo ***********
Colin *******
@Wannikea ********
hm... If everyone takes this advice then I guess we will never know what happens when an extension is requested.
Wannikea *********
@Colin ******
good point, I can almost guarantee you from the high quality comprehension questions posted in this group that extension experience reports will be forthcoming before groundhog day. ~snicker~
Mar *****
Yeah only one extension per visit then have to leave country
Jim ********
@Mar ****
"Leave the country" can be for an hour at a decent Laos land border!
Mar *****
@J**
would that work as you'd have two stamps with same day on it ...?!?

I know you can pay agents to go Lao or Cambodia but with the DTV it'd mean you'd staying long than 180 consecutive days etc...?
Greg ********
@Mar ****
Some Cambodian border crossings charge 1000 Baht to leave and return same day. It was 500 Baht for the 30 day visa exempt but when it went to 60 days the fee doubled to 1000 THB. You pay this yourself or through the agent if going on organised bus.
Jim ********
@Mar ****
If you enter Laos, you're leaving Thailand, which means your 180 days has finished. A new 180 day period starts the moment you return, irrespective of which date
Mar *****
@J**
not sure the officials look at it the same way...?!?

If you re-enter on the same day...

As with other Tourist Visas...

Crossing at Sadao to Malaysia and return same day eyebrows get raised...

But I guess time will tell in few months we'll have many field reports from many people's paths & routes which suite them best etc
Luit *****************
@Mar ****
What do you mean with other Tourist Visas? I only know one the METV, and why should it not be allowed to have a single day trip to visit Malaysia with a multi entry tourist visa?
Jim ********
@Mar ****
I know the Laos borders at Chong Mek and Nong Khai are fine. Two of the best borders for bouncing.
Greg ********
@Jim *******
I thought they recently started insisting on an overnight on the Laos border runs now? This is from Chiang Mai group posts. The requirement came from the Thai side.
Jim ********
@Greg *******
Apparently there were two borders in the Chiang Mai area which were insisting on an overnight stay, I don't know if it's still the case. The two I'm referring are those which generally over the years have been the "friendliest" which is Nong Khai and Chong Mek. In the good old days of the pre-insurance OA visa I used Chong Mek to get the second "free" year, and a drinking buddy of mine from Bangkok used it two weeks ago to "try out" the DTV bounce and it worked no problem with same day bounce. I read a report in another group that someone had done the same at Nong Khai, which is why I mentioned those two. No doubt we'll learn more when many DTVs reach their 180 day limit
Luit *****************
@Mar ****
What do you mean with 2 stamps with same day?
Anonymous ******************
@Luit ****************
the exit and re-entry would have the same date, is what they mean
Mar *****
@Lu**
well I guess it'd be 3 stamps but it's the dates on the thats important...

Leaving Thailand

Entering another country

Re-entring Thailand

Let's say you'd leave today on
*****
/24 but your re-entery stamp have the same date on it
*****
/24 so if they check you haven't technically left the country for a whole day or minimum 24hrs etc...

šŸ¤·šŸ½ā€ā™‚ļø
Luit *****************
@Mar ****
Indeed at some border crossing this can be a problem, especially when on visa exempt.

When you want to minimize chance on problems, don't wait till day 180, but go before, then it looks more like a regular visit abroad and not a border bounce.
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Mar ****
so literally you could leave for a week come back and get another 180 day stamp?
Mar *****
Anonymous participant yeah just a day or 2 I guess
Luit *****************
Anonieme deelnemer Coming back after a week is certainly no problem
Greg ********
One extension in-country per entry. So you have to leave Thailand after 360 days. You then re-enter with 180 days which you can extend another 180 days on that entry.