How can I maximize my stay using a 6-month multi-entry tourist visa in Thailand?

May 21, 2024
7 months ago
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
How do you get 9 months on 6 month multi entry visa?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
You can stay in Thailand for nearly 9 months with a 6-month multi-entry visa (METV) by strategically entering and exiting the country. Each entry grants you a 60-day stay, which can be extended for an additional 30 days, totaling 90 days per entry. To maximize your time, you can enter Thailand on a visa-exempt basis for 30 days while waiting for your METV. By timing your entries carefully and ensuring your last entry occurs on the day before your visa expires, you can reach almost 9 months of stay, despite the visa's initial 6-month limit.
Micheal ********
Where do these people come from
Rene ********
Can anyone serious imagine all this drama, trauma and hassle? In the heat?
Bart **************
You can not get at, but close to 9 months. You'll have to exit and re-enter a few times to fill your 6 months up, but if you then time your last entry on the last day of your visa validity, you get 60 days from that point (that's 59 beyond the validity date). You can then even extend that to 90 days. The theoretical maximum number of days doing this is 269, but as the count will start right when your visa is issued, you'll lose some of that time coming to Thailand. Also, 269 days falls a little short of 9 months out of itself.

One last detail: in the last 90 days of your stay, you need a re-entry permit if you go abroad to keep it active.
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Bob **********
Border bounce twice
Korn *******
3 month tourist and student visa. 6 month student visa. 1 year marriage,retire ,work permit and student visa.
Benny ***********
@Korn ******
Money, Money Money
Korn *******
Stephen ********
What you could do is apply for the METV, while you're waiting you could fly to Thailand and enter visa exempt and get 30 days. When your METV gets approved, you can exit thailand and activate the visa on reentry. Then follow what Brandon has said.
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks
Brandon ************
You cannot get 9 months, but you can get close to it.

A METV is valid for 6 months from the day it's issued. You are going to lose a couple weeks most likely since you need to apply early enough to be safe that it will be issued before you travel but not so early that you lose a lot of time on the visa.

Once the visa is issued, every single time you enter Thailand until the end date on the visa, you will be stamped into Thailand for 60 days. Each one of these entries can also be extended a single time for 30 days. That's 90 days in total for each entry.

So you enter Thailand and do 60+30.

Then you leave and return and do 60+30.

Just before the visa expires, even if it's the last day of the visa, you leave and return and do 60+30. That's almost 9 months.
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
on the last 60+30. Can I leave thailand for 30 days and come back and get 60+30?
Brandon ************
@Tracy ********
you can only enter Thailand while the visa is valid. So if the end date on the visa has already ended you cannot leave and return and get anything except a 30 day visa exempt since you won't have a visa.
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
got it! Now I understand. Mahalo!
Tracy *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Paul *************
@Tracy ********
yes you can return at any point that the visa is still valid.
Brown ********
@Brandon ***********
you shouldn't have to lose a couple of weeks surely. I've never applied for a metv but in Australia setv are done in 3 days. Youd be safe I thought to lose a few days at most
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