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Does a tourist visa renew when re-entering Thailand after flying out?

May 21, 2025
2 days ago
Ariana **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Someone please refresh my memory. If I go to Thailand on a tourist visa and after 90 days I fly out, when I come back does my tourist visa renew or do I need to go somewhere to apply again? US passport
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TLDR : Answer Summary
When traveling to Thailand on a tourist visa stamped for 60 days or a visa-exempt entry upon arrival, you cannot simply renew the visa by re-entering the country. If you leave Thailand after your stay is up (90 days max for visa-exempt entries), you will need to apply for a new tourist visa in a neighboring country or wait outside Thailand before returning. Immigration officers have the discretion to grant or deny entry based on your travel history and intentions, especially if you have frequently used tourist visas. It is often advised to consider applying for a longer-term visa such as the Non-Immigrant O (NON-O) or a Digital Nomad Visa (DTV) for extended stays.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Darren ********
After a couple of times doing that it's at the discretion of immigration if your allowed into the kingdom again
Ariana **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I am simply speaking about a tourist visa on a US passport. If I extend to 90 days and then leave, do I need to apply for another tourist visa in another country before coming back to Thailand? My goal is to stay for 1 year at least
John **********
@Ariana *********
you will NOT be able to stay for one year or longer using tourist visas. The best you can hope to get from tourist visas is if you start with a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa which is good for 6 months giving you 60 days every entry, you can extend each entry by 30 days. This can get you close to 9 months in Thailand if used carefully
Tony **********
@Ariana *********
not sure if your age, but why not get the proper visa for your intentions. Seems like the non-o or DTV would be your best choice.
Ariana **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tony *********
Iโ€™m 34. I wanted to do DTV but with an agent the cost is too expensive for 3 people
Tony **********
@Ariana *********
no need to use an agent.... They are overrated.
Graham ******
@Ariana *********
You always apply for a Tourist Visa before entering Thailand but on a US [passport you get a 60 day Visa Exempt entry
Ulrik *************
No renew is the simple and correct answer
Greg ***********
@Ariana *********
Terminology is important.

***It is EITHER: if you applied for a 60-days single entry Tourist Visa in your home country and enter Thailand on this visa, You will get stamped in for a 60-days stay permit.

*** OR: you enter visa-exempt (without a visa) and will get stamped in for a 60-days stay permit (if you are a citizen of the 93 countries elegible for a visa-exempt entry)

*** in both cases, you do NOT get stamped any visa upon entry. You only receive a STAY PERMIT stamp!

*** in both cases, you can extend the 60 days with another 30-days stay permit extension on Immigration for 1900.- THB

*** you will have to exit Thailand before the 90 days are up!

*** you can EITHER apply for another 60-days single entry tourist visa by the E-Visa Online system of the Thai embassy in a neighbour country

OR

You spend a few days outside Thailand and re-enter visa-exempt.

*** Now thatโ€™s when the next steps become questionable:

It is upon the sole discretion of an Immigration officer at the border, if he grants you another touristic entry after you have just maxxed out your previous stay with 90 days

He/She can deny entry, or grant you another 60 days stamp but will warn you, that this was your last touristic entry for the next few months, and that you should use a proper visa for the true purpose of your stays. And he will tell you that you should not use touristic entries for a longstay in Thailand. And he can ask you for the FAMOUS three proofs: 20,000 THB in CASH or equivalent in CASH (!!) in another currency, an onward travel out of Thailand within 60 days, and a booked accomodation for the next few nights

While there is no rule and no law that says how often your can enter and how long you can stay inside Thailand on visa-exempt stamps, the crucial thing is that an Immigration officer might come to the conclusion that you have overused free touristic entries
Nigel **************
What passport you got? You will probably get a 60 day visa exempt stamp on arrival. Extend for 30. Leave country and come back 60 + 30 again if the IO is happy
Greg ***********
@Nigel *************
I love that: "IF the Immigration Officer is happy on this day" ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜Ž
Ariana **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Greg **********
US passport
Nigel **************
@Greg **********
well isn't that the truth? ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜…
Graham ******
@Nigel *************
No, he/she might happily deny you entry
Nigel **************
@Graham *****
*****
I meant happy with the travel history presented to him on his screen
Gardar ***************************
You can yes, but many reports at immigration hassle you to get a real visa since looking at you trying to live there on visa extempt / tourist visa entries.
Kenny *****
If itโ€™s visa exempt entry then youโ€™ll get 90 days when you re-enter. I think max stay in Thailand is 180days total. Not sure of that applies to your country.
Peter **********
@Kenny ****
Just about everything you wrote is wrong. Itโ€™s probably better to not comment if you are giving out wrong information.
Kenny *****
@Peter *********
some countries is 90 days
Henrik *****
Visa excempt is not 90 days, it is 60 + 30 days.

Ex. you need to show a ticket out of Thailand within both periods.

It is only for 1 entry, it ends, when leaving Thailand.
Graham ******
@Kenny ****
All wrong, Visa Exempt entry is 60 days and the 180 day rule is made up and does not appear in Thai law
Nongnuch ********
@Graham *****
that's what is to it. Correct
Greg ***********
@Kenny ****
there is no 180-days maximum stay rule. There actually is no law and no rule that says how long you can stay inside Thailand on touristic entries. You find some of this wording on Thai Embassy websites, but embassies have no say in what happens at the borders. What counts for the Immigration official at the border is your total stamp history of the previous 365 days. If he thinks you are maxxing out visa-exempt entries for a longstay in Thailand, he can already deny a second visa-exempt entry. Some officials are relaxed and allow another entry that follows closely to a previous one, but in many cases they will warn you that for your next stays you should get the proper visa
Kenny *****
@Greg **********
ahhh ok ๐Ÿ‘Œ
Tony **********
If your get a tourist visa, it is valid for 60 days. If you arrive without visa and you're from one off the 90 exempt countries you will get a 60 day entry stamp. Both can be extended by 30 days for เธฟ1900. Any time you exit the country without purchasing a reentry permit automatically cancels whatever visa your on
Steve *******
@Tony *********
Unless you have a valid multiple entry visa, in which case you don't need a re-entry permit
Greg ***********
@Tony *********
it's 93 countries. And when exiting Thailand without a re-entry permit, the STAY PERMIT will get cancelled, not the "visa". The 60-days tourist visa already expires and becomes invalid when entering Thailand. And afaik, you cannot buy a re-entry permit for a tourist visa stay permit or a visa-exempt stay permit
Andy ************
A tourist visa or a free entry stamp?
Ariana **********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy ***********
tourist visa
Andy ************
@Ariana *********
You're probably best advised to get the ME Tourist Visa - this can give you up to nine months with two border bounces
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