Can you extend a METV in Thailand after 60 days, or do you need to leave the country?

METV visa extension Thailand immigration border run 60-day stamp visa rules expat help

Jul 27, 2022

2 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hi group, a question about a METV; can you extend it after 60 days or do you have to leave the country. I do not i tend to stay longer than 6 months in total, but it would be much more convenient to do 1 borderrun and two extensions instead of 2 borderruns. 

I’m applying in the Netherlands. Information on the Embassy website is not clear.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) allows for unlimited entries for 6 months. Upon entry, you receive a 60-day stamp, which can be extended by 30 days at an immigration office for 1900 baht. Once the 60 days expires, you must either extend your stay at the immigration office or exit to a neighboring country and re-enter to receive a new 60-day stamp. To maximize your stay, you would need to perform at least two border runs as part of your visa strategy, potentially allowing for up to 9 months in Thailand.

Greg ***********

Mir Te, if you intend to stay no longer than 6 months with the METV, it can be done with one entry, one extension, followed by just ONE border run, another entry and another extension. If you wait out to the very last days of each admitted stay, this will give you close to 6 months of stay.

2 years ago

Robert *******

@Greg **********

And if you leave just and enter again just before or on the last day of validity of the visa you still get 60 days of stay and can be extended once with another 30 days which makes it possible to stay almost 9 months.

2 years ago

Greg ***********

@Robert ******

yes, but that was not what she asked for. She wrote that she does not intend to stay any longer than 6 months, and that she wants to avoid a second border run

2 years ago

Mirte *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Greg **********

That’s correct. I could go on a single entry, extend once, do a visatrip and extend again, but my experience is that Embassy’s and Immigration really ruin my mood.

Since we have a wedding near Laos near our first 60 days, we decided to do two borderruns/little holiday’s and avoid most bureaucracy.

2 years ago

Reply to

Mirte *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks for the info. Very helpful

2 years ago

Tod *********

Let's go over how a 6 month METV works

You get the visa (which is valid for unlimited entries for 6 months from the date it's issued)

you enter get stamped in for 60 days

when that 60 days runs out you either go to an immigration office and get a 30 day extension for 1900baht, when that stamp runs out you HAVE to exit/re-enter the country to get a NEW 60 day stamp (which you can also extend for 30 more days too)

OR when your first 60 day stamp runs out you go to the border, stamp out of thailand, stamp in and out of another country and right back into thailand to get a NEW 60 day stamp, when that runs out you bounce out and back to get a new 60 day stamp and you do it ONE time more just before the VISA itself runs out so you can get a final 60 days, giving you about 240 days in country (in 60 day increments) and take the final 30 day extension on that last entry giving you almost 9 months

Sadly for you, that it more convenient doesn't factor into the plan to maximize the time you can stay on that visa, you have to bounce a MINIMUM of TWO TIMES out and back

2 years ago

Keven ****

@Tod ********

Then should get someone to create a FAQ of your best and most asked for scratch writings haha. And name it like that.

2 years ago

Keven ****

@Tod ********

This comment should be stickied in a FAQ and be obligatory reading before posting about METV.

And I hope you pasted that from a text file and didn't re-type it all out.

2 years ago

Tod *********

@Keven ***

it's actually easier for me to scratch write this stuff than to look around for a saved cut and paste 😛

2 years ago

Andy *******

@Tod ********

hey bud, where can we get these multiple entry visas these days? I got one in Australia 5 years ago. Currently in Saigon. Thank you!

2 years ago

Ellie *******

@Andy ******

from your home country or the country you have legal residence. There is no country around South East Asia that issues METV to foreigners.