How does the 6-month multi-entry visa for Thailand work regarding entry and exit requirements?

Consider a couple of years under a Multi Entry Tourist Visa (6 months using a series of 60 days stays and 30 day extensions - the 6 months can be stretched to 9 with proper management

Tourist visas are good for a 60 day entry stamp on entry.

THEN you either exit/the country and re-enter getting another 60 day entry stamp

OR

you get a30 day extension and after that you exit/re-enter the country to get another 60 day entry stamp

So you HAVE to bounce out and back in to use a multi-entry tourist visa. You can't come here and just stay in the country 6 months.

The way people get 9 months out of it is

-enter get stamped in for 60 days

when that is running out

-bounce out&back in to get stamped in for another 60 days

when that is running out

-bounce out&back in to get stamped in for another 60 days

**just BEFORE the expiration date on the VISA

-bounce out&back in to get stamped in for another 60 days <-taking you to almost 8 months

-extend that last entry by 30 days at the immigration office for 1900baht taking you to 9 months. ;)

I’m not seeing where anyone’s answered this guy’s OP question, which was about the need to enter/exit vs. report...

Okay, I hope we now all understand the visa doesn't "activate on arrival" :O The visa is VALID for 6 months from the date it's issued and you start losing time off it the second you get it. That's why

@Lance ******

said to get it as close to the time you're going to come here as you can. That way you don't burn the validity of the visa down not being here ;)

You get unlimited 60 day entries to thailand on the visa for it's validity and most people can wring close to 9 months of stay out of it (in 60 day increments and by extending the last entry by 30 days).

You get 9 months out of that visa. Exit every 60 days just before enter before date exit and reenter and extend that. 2x Land crossing is visa exempt entry only.

Without Extention - leave in 60 days (border bounce) With Extension of 30 days - leave after total of 90 days (border bounce)

As far as I’m aware, you have 60 days from entry date (the day you enter Thailand), then before the 60 days are up you have to go to immigration and get a 30 day extension. Before these 30 days are up you need to exit Thailand and return at some stage ( before the expiry date of your visa) then you get another 60 days plus a possible other 30 days.

The above is my understanding, sorry if totally wrong 😳