Can I extend my stay in Thailand for 4 months using a tourist visa and a visa exempt entry?

@Tod ********

thanks good to know

you are incorrect :/ They changed the rule about visa exempt entries at a land crossing back on Dec 31st 2016, and now they are all for 30 days, and there is a limit of TWO in a calendar year

Yes. I couldnt be bothered to argue with jeremy miller but was hoping an admin would step in and correct him

Good for you.

I must be thinking of the retirement visa.

@Tony ********

I’m under 50 and on an 6 month METV...I’m a tourist

Its £125 in the uk bank statement onward ticket and be over 50.

Not all tourist are over 50.

But sure its a good one to have if your planing on staying that long.

@Tony ********

no you have misunderstood that requirement....all you have to do is pay $200, provide a Bank statement, onward travel ticket, and fill out their form....any age can get it and it’s a tourist visa as you can not work while on it

You've lost me I've not mentioned METV.

And i believe you have to be over 50 for that a lot of tourist are not 50.

@Tony ********

but you already stayed the 6 month METV is not a tourist visa...now you say it is...make up your mind

But she never had one

@Tony ********

now youre crawfishing

I never said it wasn't

That was the original question on this post

@Tony ********

so why is the 6 month METV not a tourist visa?

I have a single entry tourist visa which ends in early January. I intend to do a border crossing and come back into Thailand on a 30 day visa exempt entry-I am Australian. Towards the end of that 30 days can I then extend my stay in Thailand by a further 30 days by getting an extension at immigration. Thus staying in the country for 4 months?

@Tony ********

so the metv is not a tourist visa now? Amazing

We are talking about tourist staying here as long as possible on tourist visas.

Not living here on tourist visas .

@Tony ********

what about 3-4 SETV’s then a 6 month METV....your calculations have just been thrown a monkey wrench....please tell me more

The SETV keeps the cycle going thats it. 11 months is the maximum you can stay here for on tourist visas doing border runs and extensions. I hope thats understood.

You can fly out and back as many times as you like we know that.

Tourist come in on a SETV or a 30 day stamp and extend that by 30 days.

What a lot of tourist never knew was when you do a border run and get a 30 day stamp you can extend that for 30 days. And you can do that twice in one colander year.

Work it right you can start with a SETV and stay here for 11 months.

The SETV is a better deal because it gives you 60 days for 1,000 Baht. But if you fly in on a free 30 day stamp and you want to stay 60 days you need to pay 1,900 Baht to extend it giving you 60 days total. So you save 900 Baht by getting the SETV 🙂

@Tony ********

you have verified my claim...it’s all speculation at its best...the IO will do as they please...

Do it your way.

@Tony ********

please post the official link...why do I have to get a SETV when I can fly Out/In for eternity

They dont want people living here on tourist visas.

But there is a way round it as Marco worked out.

Call it a loop hole in the law if you like.

@Tony ********

post the link

You do it your way then and let us all know when you get the 7 day red stamp

@Tony ********

where is the official Thai government link in the Royal gazette saying you need an SETV to do this bit not Just a fly Out/In visa exception stamp....I will wait patiently for this link...

There it is all worked out by Marco.

Everyone understands it except you.

@Tony ********

that’s not an official Thai govt link....

@Tony ********

where is the link that says this is the way to go?

@Tod ********

I’m trying to prove a point here....everything everyone has told me is per a rule...but if you have lived in Thailand for more than 1 day you know that rules are open to interpretation on everything...nobody has put official links to anything but are quoting their version as the gospel...but in the end it’s up to IO to stamp or not stamp

You repeat the cycle starting with a SETV

@Jer***

, I think you're still not quite dialed in to just how many back-2-back 30 day visa exempt entries (plus extensions) a person can get without being grilled by the immigration officers when you enter the country.

While there in theory is NO limit, believe me in practice there is a definite limit to the number of them you're gonna get into the country on.

Some people skate thru and some get read the riot act by passport control comin' in on their 3rd or 4th 30 day visa exempt entry.

It's not quite as easy as you make it out to be :/

@Tony ********

why spend the money on the SETV when all you have to do is fly Out/In, after 30 days go to immigration pay ฿1,900 for 30 days....and repeat cycle for eternity...the SETV is a bad investment

Read what Marco corallo said again.

At the end it says april extension. Then i would leave Thailand for a month get a SETV come back in june and start again.

Thats how you can live in Thailand on tourist visas Technically.

You can't go to immigration in Thailand every 30 days and get a stamp for 30 days.

Jeremy Miller. Please try to understand. You can buy a 30 day extention of stay as many times as you want but only 1 per visa exempt entry into the country. You seem to be unable to grasp what everyone is telling you.

@Steve ******

now you’re on about 2 different things...I’m talking about the 30 day ฿1,900 extension at immigration and you’re talking about fly Out/In....and Tod states you can do The ฿1,900 extension at immigration for eternity and never leave the country....so please post the link to support your claim...

@To**

by land yes, by air there's no limit

Jeremy Miller It's first hand knowledge. It's already been explained to you by many people commenting here and by Tod who is an admin of this group and extremely knowlegable about visas/entering/requirements and staying in Thailand

And you can only do that twice in one calender year

@Steve ******

can you link it to the website that states this? Or is this all second hand knowledge...or was explained to me that you can live off of these for eternity and never have to leave the country....

Each 30 day visa 'exempt entry' can be extended by a further 30 days at an immigration office for 1900bt, then you have to leave the country and return to obtain another 30 day visa exemption, which can then be extended again

@Steve ******

show me

@Jeremy *******

. You're misunderstanding yet again

@Steve ******

nope not according to the new development you can you just get them back to back to back forever....show me where you can’t...

@Jeremy *******

. You can only live off them once per visa exempt entry, then you have to do a border run

@Dianne ****

you can always regain money...you can never regain time...to each their own

Now that we can agree on. Why would you. Great place :)

@Michael *******

I will never leave Thailand again for the rest of my life

Jeremy I wish you a wonderfull future full of 30 day exemption stamps and 30 day extensions. Many blessings my friend.

@Michael *******

so why do they have visa run services if all you have to do is live off of 30 day ฿1,900 stamps from the immigration office for ever and ever and ever...

Tod.....Thankyou so much. Finally he gets it. When all the online evidence tells you the rules clearly and everyone is telling you the same thing, it is pretty likely to be right....happy days for everyone.......it's time for a drink. Never had such a hard time trying to help some one..555 :)

Glad i thought about it and Marco confirmed it now

@Tod ********

to

@Jeremy *******

. It was great news yesterday but you refused to listen.

@Tod ********

this is great news...it’s cheaper than flying Out/In...I’m never leaving again

@Jer***

, since they started giving 30 day extensions on 30 day visa exempt entries I haven't heard of ANY that were denied a 30 day extension because they had an extension on a previous 30 day stamp. :/ not a single case.

Some countries can't get 30 day extensions period on their 30 day visa exempt stamps (like Russia) they can only get a 7 day stamp.

@Tod ********

ok so out of 100 people that go to the immigration to get a 2nd 3rd 4th etc 30 day stamp for ฿1,900 what is the percentage that will get it as opposed to the ones that will get the 7 day stamp....I’m guessing it’s low like 15-30% will get the follow on 30 day stamp...while the other 70-85% will get the 7 day stamp....what are your thoughts or analytics on this

@Jeremy *******

nope the new rules only allowed for 30 day visa exempt entry stamps to get a 30 day extension.

Before Aug 29, 2014 you could only get that 7 day 'extension denied" get out of thailand stamp on a visa exempt entry.

The only thing they did add on that rule which allows 30 day extensions on 30 day visa exempt entries was IF it's denied by the officer you CANNOT appeal and you get the 'extension denied" 7 days to get out stamp instead (for the same price).

All the other extension processes have an appeal process available to you if you're denied.

@Tod ********

I though they cleaned that up in 2014 with the new rules...

@Jer***

(y) winner, winner, chicken dinner :O That is correct. I know people who have been here YEARS on 30 day visa exempt entries and 30 day extensions. It is getting harder to "live here" that way but it can be done with a little planning an know how..

@Tod ********

so by what you writing you can stay forever and ever by departing via land then extend 30 days for ฿1,900 at Immigration, fly Out/In extend 30 days for ฿1,900...and do this process forever until the IO says no more?

@Jer***

, that rule only means you can extend EACH 30 day visa exempt entry ONCE ;) If you come in on a 30 day visa exempt entry you can extend it by 30 days, exit come back in on a 30 day visa exempt entry you can extend that one by 30 days too.

@Jer***

, that's NOT how it's written. Do not confuse the rule about TWO 30 day visa exempt entries in a calendar year with the rule about extending a 30 day visa exempt entry by another 30 days.

They are separate rules and have nothing to do with each other.

@Michael *******

you don’t understand ONE TIME....I have shown you way more evidence to support my claim than you have shown to disprove me....unfollowing you

Jeremy you have posted 3 times and none of the posts say anything about a limit to extending 30 day exemption by land stamps. Steve is quite right and you have misunderstood all of the posts. They say only 1 X 30 day extension is permitted for each exemption either by land or air....max of 2 entries by land. If you insist that you are correct and can find some solid evidence that states that the 2nd exemption stamp cannot be extended then all good. But you can't because there is none because the rule does not exist. You can extend 2 times....end of comments. Unfollowing this post as you don't seem to get it.

last clarification (I hope!)... at Mae Sai they won't ask for evidence (plane ticket) that I'll be leaving Thailand after the 30 day extension is up?

@Jessica *******

sounds right

Great. So if I plan to extend myself and the children's twice in Mae Sai at 500 baht each, and then fly to Vientaine to do my non-o visa (which the kids would come under) that would work??

@Jessica *******

you can do one ฿1,900 visa extension a calendar year, and 2 land visa crossings a calendar year....fly Out/In as much as you like, get an ed visa, work visa, Thai elite visa, etc to extend your stay...

is there any reason why one would choose immigration in Thailand over the Mae Sai run? We've only recently moved here so this is all new to us. thanks!

@Jessica *******

yes and yes and no

I was about to ask the very same question! I am Australian and my tourist visa runs out early Jan, looking at getting a non-O visa early March so need to do a couple of extensions. I just want to ask though, I heard the crossing at Mae Sai is only 500 baht, but to extend from immigration in Thailand is 1900 baht. Is this correct? or would Mae Sai be 1900 baht too? I have a tribe of children so not looking forward to paying 1900 baht each child.

@Christopher *************

@Steve ******

am I misunderstanding it...or are you misunderstanding it....

@Jeremy *******

. You're misunderstanding it. It's one time per entry.

@Steve ******

one time...read it again

@Jeremy *******

. The 'one extention' is per entry not per year

That’s the ฿1,900 visa extension

@Michael *******

/NewRegulation_en.png

This also does not support your claim.

@Michael *******

@Michael *******

yes different countries different agreements for citizens...this is normal

from your article.

The proof that it is possible is discussed in the article you posted. Because there is no Statement whatsoever that states otherwise. Your own information states that 2 x land entries are permittable and all 30 day exemptions can be extended by 30 days. There is no information anywhere that supports your claim because it is incorrect. BUT repeatedly crossing borders is never a good idea and you will eventually get pulled up by the imm police. Visa is best option for long stays...and rightly so if you are no longer a tourist.

@Michael *******

what did you provide to support your claim...I see nothing but speculation from you

@Michael *******

carpe diem....

So unless proven otherwise 2 exemptions can both be extended. Too many people make comments with zero proof and confuse people.

There is no rules that I am aware of, or have found, that say you cannot extend a 2nd 30 day exempt by land. There are no sources. That is my point. I am not sure on anything unless I see a source that proves you CAN'T. Which you did not provide and I can't provide either.

@Jeremy *******

. There's nothing in your link stating only 1 30 day extention per year for visa exempt entries by land

@Michael *******

show your sources since you are 1 billion percent sure

@Michael *******

it does

Read that already while researching. It does not support what you said.

@Michael *******

You can always apply for an SETV or go back to your country and get a 6 month METV, or get an ed visa

source.

The way it’s written you get 2 land border crossings a year and 1, ฿1,900 30 day extension at the immigration office...you can fly Out/In as many times as the IO allows it...

@Lopez ****

. Whoever told you '1 extention per year' is mistaken.

@Steve ******

yes i also gave this example about extending your 2 land border travels in September and November, but apparently people chimed in and said that you can extend the first border stamp, but not the second border stamp so you would need to plan a trip to come back on November 30, and then leave by December 30 and then come back in the new year January 1 for a new border stamp which is eligible for extension.

Don't know where you heard that Lopez. They are just normal 30 days. No reason they can't be extended for another 30, as Steve says.

@Lopez ****

. That's a new one. Each entry can be extended by 30 days, by air or the 2 land entries per calender year.

Steve Greir That's for Air travel. Border travel is limited to 1 extension per year?

That's a fair bit of work, but awesome :)

@Lopez ****

. You can extend each 30 day visa exempt entry by a further 30 days

you can only extend your border run one time. So if you use your 1st border run in September with extension you will leave again in November and come back in November with your 2nd border run and you can't extend that for 30 days so you will need to leave again in December. Unless you time it so you leave November 30 and then come back in January when it resets.