How can we extend our stay in Thailand beyond our current visa expiration?

@Todd ********

🧐 . . . . . I personally know people upon which the rule has been applied to. There is no rule without an exception, but there also are rules which can be enforced depending on circumstances you cannot foresee . . .due to the lack of a crystal ball

@Nongnuch *******

no you don't. It is never applied or enforced in any way.

@Sahnna **************

You have received some good advice here, but also some half-witted advice, you can do two visa-exempt entries by a land border per calendar year,

and officially claimed “unlimited” visa-exempt entries by air, which is NOT really true, as you can get pulled aside and questioned upon the third attempt – (you will need to show 20,000.- THB in THB or another major currency, proof of accommodation and proof of onward travel within 30 days)

You will be able to arrive visa-exempt, get 30 days stamped, you can extend them for 1900.-THB on Immigration for 30 more days (some immigrations will want to see your TM30 registration which will not be a problem since hotels register their guests per online TM30)

And you will be able to fly to Bali, enjoy a holiday, return to Thailand by air (you might get asked to show a proof of onward travel within the 30 days you will get stamped in visa-exempt, by the airline, though)

and get a second visa-exempt entry for 30 days.

And after this, just stick to what I advised, in case you wish to extend for further 30 days, keep alert and be prepared to have a "plan B" just in case the rule will be imposed and the extension rejected.

@Nongnuch *******

Agian your statements are not accurate last year I entered 8 times visa exempt. So I entered 8 times by air. And I stayed about 230 days. also have done this in other years as well. Never was I questioned about anything!

@Jo *********

" last year I entered 8 times visa exempt. " . . . . 😂 😂 😂 Come on, show us the stamps in your passport, otherwise I call it

@Nongnuch *******

yes I certainly did and in previous years the same. I am not alone. I work in Singapore and came here nearly every month. This is the truth. I have no reason to make this up. I would be happy to show my stamps but In February of this year I got a new passport. And now have the LTR visa.

@Jo *********

You NEVER entered Thailand 8 times visa-exempt during one calendar year! Only under some rare exceptions explained below. These exceptions don't apply to maybe 98% of all other travellers, so your experience has zero worth for them.

After three consecutive visa-exempt entries a normal tourist will be refused entry by the immigration officer and been told to get a proper visa.

You MIGHT get away with it, if you are an oil rigger and take holidays from the platforms on a regular base, and are able show relevant papers at the entry point, however even this is upon the discretion of the officer. Or in your case, work regular shifts in a nearby country and use "real" holidays out. You will need to show proof

Other than this, you cannot "misuse" visa-exempt entries for a longstay in Thailand.

Your advice is VERY DANGEROUS for all the readers here and useless, except they are oil riggers, pilots or flight attendants or "working in Singapore" 😅

Everyone else will run into problems if they listen to your advice!

And yes, everywhere in the groups there are people who will claim "it never happened to me" however they can NEVER 100% GUARANTEE such an experience for others

@Nongnuch *******

I am not giving advice I am stating a fact. 8 times in 2023, 4 times in 2022 due to Covid and 2020 to 2021 very few due to Covid. In 2019 7 times. I am sorry you don’t like this but it happened. I was not abusing the system I left for 7- 14 days each time as I work in Singapore and a frequent visitor to Thailand.

I never stayed in Thailand for more than 21 days (except during Covid) I never said anything other then what happened to me.

@Nongnuch *******

I know quite a few people who work in Singapore and visit Thailand regularly using visa exemption (5+ times p/y). So long as they can prove they are required to return to Singapore if asked some immigration officers will overlook it. It's not quite as cut and dry as you're making it out to be. Like everything in Thailand... It's very flexible if you get the right person.

The same analogy you've used of "just because you don't know someone" can be applied here. I will add though I find the 230 days on visa exemptions quite hard to believe.

@Declan *********

i know it’s quite a lot 230 days but I never abused the system and have my residency and work in Singapore and left Thailand between 7-14 days approximately. It’s back to back visa exempts with extensions which are the problem.

@Jo *********

agreed, it is mostly the back to back visa-exempt AND those that are depleted for the full 30 days period. . . . . . Let me tell you: They will refuse entry at the fourth attempt after you have been warned mutually on the third entry to stop misusing the visa-exempt and start to get a proper visa. Immigration even uses small secret marks (!!) on your stamp, so the officer at the fourth attempt can see that you have already been warned 😄 🙂

@Nongnuch *******

agree yes now I have a 10 year LTR based on remote working. People who do 60 days ( visa exempt + extension) and repeat this many times maybe in trouble if they repeat this 3 times or more consecutively. It’s the pattern not the number of entries.

@Declan *********

yes I am aware, however the threadstarters here are in 99% of all cases "normal" tourists, to whom multiple visa-exempt entries are strictly limited

@Todd ********

if you don't know anybody to whom the rule has been applied, it doesn't mean anything. I have never been asked for my driver's license in the past 35 years, but that doesn't mean I don't need one

@Todd ********

I said I personally know people this rule has been applied to. You apparently are not aware of it. The rule exists and might not be enforced in most visa-exempt extensions and visa-exempt entry limitations, but there CAN be exceptions. We all know that even the "ulimited by air" rule is NOT TRUE because actually by the third consecutive time you will get pulled aside. So

@Sahnna **************

just stick to what I emphatize, keep alert and be prepared to have a "plan B" just in case the rule will be imposed

@Nongnuch *******

your statements are not accurate last year I entered 8 times visa exempt. So I entered 8 times by air. And I stayed about 230 days. also have done this in other years as well

@Jo *********

you NEVER entered Thailand 8 times visa-exempt during one calendar year! After three consecutive visa-exempt entries you will be refused entry by the immigration officer and been told to get a proper visa. You MIGHT get away with it, if you are an oil rigger and take holidays from the platforms on a regular base, and are able show relevant papers at the entry point, however even this is upon the lone discretion of the officer. Other than this, you cannot "misuse" visa-exempt entries for a longstay in Thailand. Your advice is VERY DANGEROUS for all the readers here and useless, except they are oil riggers, pilots or flight attendants. Everyone else will run into problems if they listen to your silly advice! And yes, everywhere in the groups there are people who will claim "it never happened to me" however they can NEVER GUARANTEE such a lucky experience for others

@Nongnuch *******

she should feel very comfortable to ignore your 'advice' in this case. She will have no issues to exit and re-enter visa exempt or with a TV is she chooses.