How can we synchronize our visa situation for a family trip to Thailand with staggered arrival dates?

Apr 15, 2024
9 months ago
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello, I’m just trying to get my head around something. We are a family heading to Thailand later this year but my partner is coming out a month ahead of my son and me. If he applies for a 60 day visa in advance, and then we do the same for a month later, it seems as though we will always be out of sync in terms of extending visas and doing visa runs- can anyone think of a way around this?

Also we want to stay until the end of Jan 2025. Partner will arrive around 25th August and son and I around 27th Sept. Does my partner have enough time allowed to be able to stay until the end of Jan?

Can anyone suggest the simplest way we could manage our situation please? 🙏🏻
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A family moving to Thailand has staggered arrival dates and is concerned about synchronizing their visa situation. The partner arrives a month earlier, leading to potential mismatches in visa extensions and travel. Suggestions from the community include obtaining a multi-entry visa for flexibility, utilizing border runs for visa extensions, and synchronizing entry and exit dates to maximize stay duration. Key strategies discussed include applying for the multi-entry visa in advance and taking advantage of extensions following each entry.
Michael ********
METV
Us *****
Why doesn't he get a multi entry visa that will give him 9 months. That would be until jan of 2025
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Us ****
would that be the best option for all of us? We do plan to travel around a bit with Thailand as a base so it sounds like that could work? How do we get one of those and when it says ‘multiple entry’ is there a limited or minimum number of times we can come and go?
Us *****
@Camilla ********
no it covers you in and out for 6 months. But make sure to reenter on 5 months and 29 days so they will give you another 60 days plis 30 day extension. Sorry for the runon sentence. But that it your best option.
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Us ****
I just looked this one up, it looks like you can only be in the country for up to 60 days at a time so would we still have to cross over into another country every 60 days? Which would be fine as part of our travel plans anyway.
Graham ******
@Camilla ********
Every 60 day entry stamp can get a 30 day extension for 1900B if required
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Graham *****
including the very first entry? Thanks so much so all this help!
Graham ******
@Camilla ********
yes, every entry
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Us ****
6 months would be enough actually. Thanks for this- do we apply in advance for these?
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stuart ********
@Graham *****
do either of you know about education visas? And if spouse and children can be added to these?
Graham ******
@Camilla ********
If your son is of school age and on an Education Visa then one parent can get a Guardian Visa but not both
Stuart *********
@Camilla ********
For formal education visas like studying at a university then dependant visas can be obtained. For studying informal courses like Thai language or Muay Thai then they can’t.
Graham ******
Easy to sync your dates by you not doing your Extension but doing a border bounce with him or you enter Visa Exempt and do your Extensions together
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Graham *****
and would that mean cutting down how long we could stay?
Graham ******
@Camilla ********
If you want to be in sync, yes, but no big deal if you start on Visa exempt which is a free 30 day entry
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Graham *****
that sounds like it could be simple if I understood what it would look like, would you mind taking me through the steps please? We’ve never done this before so total noobs!
Stuart *********
@Camilla ********
If he has a tourist visa he’d get 60 days on entry. If you are coming 30 days after him then if you come visa exempt you’d get 30 days. Now you’re “in sync”. After 60 days he needs an extension and so do you (or a bounce).

You are allowed 2 land border bounces in a calendar year. In theory there isn’t a limit by air but it’s up to the immigration officer to grant you entry. Successive back to back entries will raise red flags and possible questions or even denial of entry.
Camilla *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stuart ********
thank you- and what does coming in ‘visa exempt’ mean? Sorry!
Stuart *********
@Camilla ********
it means if you’re from a country that is allowed you enter with no visa at all. You’re given a 30 day visa exempt stamp.
Stuart *********
If you state your passport country we could confirm whether that’s allowed
Stuart *********
With a 60 day tourist visa and 30 day extension he’d get 3 months. Assuming you are from a country that can get visa exempt then he can border bounce and get a 30 day entry with a 30 day extension. That would be 5 months.
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