How many times can I apply for a tourist visa in Thailand within a calendar year?

Whatever you do, do not ask immigration; you might actually get the right answer. Stick with FB.

Des posts et des questions qui interrogent.

Un visa touristique 2 mois ???

You have been here a lot so just use an agent to get in safely for 2-4k baht (safe entry).

Stop wasting money for a tourist visa which does not increase your odds of getting in with your recent history.

Sounds like you need to just move there as you’re spending more time in the country than out🤭

Yeah, it's annoying. The embassies and immigration do not cooperate what so ever and every immigration agent uses different interpretation of the rules. Heck, even with a visa you might be declined entry. Good luck.

Retirement visa !?

The obvious answer is you can APPLY as often as you like. 😁 Whether you're approved for your visa is another story. 😉 Has your visa been approved yet ?

The last-6-month kerfuffle, and the current reduction from 60-30 days, is related to VISA-EXEMPT entry.

And it's over the stated Thai goal of not allowing foreigners to "live" in Thailand without a proper visa . Foreigners might just come in without being vetted and (over)stay "forever".

If you have a visa, it's a different scenario. Unless Thai Immigration has some derogatory info on you, and some valid reason to deny you entry, the worst that would likely happen is you'll be told/warned about something by the Immigration Officer and allowed in.

You’ve done the right thing applying for a tourist visa. When it’s approved you will have no issues. Proceed with your plan.

I think Thailand make it up as they go along. Some people have got pass passport control without fully filling out the TDAC not putting a return flight down .but others have been stopped ? .

obviously you're not a tourist...

Just go to Spain in the summer for a couple of months, you’ve got the sun, the sea, the great good, a lot of Germans do that and just come to Thailand “once” a year ✌️✌️✌️

I have been here for 210 days since June 2025 with over 4 entries via visa exempt. That's not taking into consideration my entries prior to June 2025. I could enter tomorrow on via exempt with no drama. Don't listen to anyone saying "it's up to the immigration officer at the airport" and the "you're the type of person Thailand is trying to keep out as you're exploiting the system and should get a visa". I use a "Safe Entry" service. No visa. No drama. Treated like luxury all the time. Thailand is about money. If you pay you will be taken care of.

There's no problem WITH tourists visa. It's the free entry the problem. So you are good of you get your visa.

Where did you get the 150 day rule?

Your agent just wants money. I come every year, since 2018, times a year. Every tripn5 to 7 weeks. Never been asked a thing at immigration. But i never do extensions or border runs, that helps a lot.

Die Eingangsfrage kann ich Ihnen zwar nicht beantworten, aber wenn Sie so häufig in Thailand sind und die Voraussetzungen erfüllen wäre ein Non-O, z. B. retirement, mit anschließender Extension of Stay vermutlich wirklich die einfachste und billigste Lösung

Oh so f.....g complicated !

Just apply ED and stay 1 year no worries

Get the Non O Visa. Go to to a Visa professional. Do not play with this or be cheap.

ou apply online !!!!

"How many times can I apply for this visa within a calendar year?" . . . . . . . Immigration looks at your complete travel history of the recent one-year period. There is NO RESET, a new calendar year does NOT reset anything. Your total count includes this year PLUS your stay in September last year

Don't matter, for sure the rules will change a couple times between now and then.

What allowed 150 days ❓ .. There is no rule like that... It's down to the IO

Let us know what you're going to do, what you actually do, and if you're posting from Thailand, or your home country 😊

The term 'apply' implicates always the possibilities to be accepted or being rejected. Therefore, you can always apply as often you like and sometimes you might be rejected. But from my personal experience, I do not see an high probability that a immigration officer may reject you. A tourist visa for 60 days should be fine to support your stay in Thailand.

When they say the officer will decide they seem to be looking at multiple entry,s that don't fit with a typical tourist profile.

Visa-exempt entries and touristic entries:

What has changed by November 2025, mandated from above, was the beginning of stricter scrutinizing of your number of visa-exempt entries and the thorough check on "visa runners" (actually they meant to say "repeated border runners").

The new approach taken by border officials is intended to ensure that the option to do a border run is not misused, and the visa-exemption system shall not get “milked”.

There are no new visa rules or new law. There is no calendar-year reset of the number of touristic entries.

There is no limit of two visa-EXEMPTIONS within a 1-year period, and definitely not within a calendar year. This is simply not true.

Now as far as regarding the EXTENSIONS of visa-exempt entries, it does appear that the Immigration is only issuing 7-day extensions if you already got a previous 30-day extension on a previous visa exempt stay permit. The count is 60 + 30 + 60 + 7 = 157 days of a maximum stay permit within a 1-year period, regardless of whether you arrive by air or land.

The decision is made upon the discretion of the individual immigration officer, and your experience might vary from it, as it is not standardized.

There are some reports of touristic 30-days extensions on top of the visa-free 60-days being denied for those having arrived across a land border, while there have been some cases under the same circumstances where an extension was granted.

Fact is, entry is subjective and up to the decision of the officer you are standing in front of. They decide if you are a "real tourist" or if they think you are milking the visa-exempt entry program.

There is just no clear directive as far as what's what, there are no official rules, however after a few interviews with Immigration top officers, a few basic patterns have crystallized.

Some people report they have successfully received a 30-days touristic extension on top of second visa-exempt 60 days, but again, your experience might vary from that.

The 7-days extension is a REAL extension. It is not the same as the stamp "application to extension denied, you have seven days to leave the Kingdom". I have already seen the stamp of a 7-days extension, it takes up almost half of a passport page.

Visa-exempt entries are not limited to two entries per year. This is a misconception, and some agents and lawyers spread this information to make profit from panicked people.

Honest agents and Immigration Volunteers are warning you not to believe those alleged news telling you that visa-exempt entries are limited to two per year. It simply is not true.

In the past, visa-exempt entries were limited to two across a land border, however, this rule was discontinued on July 15, 2024.

On the paper, visa-exempt entries by air or across land and sea were “unlimited” after this date.

Attention: the wording “unlimited” is not a fixed rule of Immigration – again, the officer you stand in front of decides individually the moment when your “personal limit” is up.

On conditions, several visa-exempt entries within a one-year period are possible - like four, five or even more times, if it is apparent that you do not try to circumvent the system.

The entry history in your passport and your profile on Immigration’s Central Computer must prove that your stays were short-term holidays - like only 2-4 weeks.

Some Immigration officers will tell you that the total number of visa-exempt days should not exceed 157 days. It remains unclear – because there is no official rule.

The best proof that you are not milking the visa-exemption system is when you can show that you returned to your home country between each stay, or stayed abroad for a long time.

You should always be able to show an onward travel proof, a booked accommodation and – which is VERY important – you show carrying a minimum of 20,000 THB in cash (which can be the equivalent in another currency). With the emphasis on the word CASH (credit cards and bank statements on your phone are NOT a cash proof)

The new approach was to prohibit "visa runs," where you only entered a neighboring country briefly and then immediately re-entered.

A border official would rather consider you being a "genuine" tourist based on short holiday trips within a year. They expect that you never maximized (bought the 30-days extension) during any of these visa-exempt holidays.

Some people still claim a new calendar year resets the count, yet this is simply not true. The count is based on the recent one-year period, and can actually reach beyond that.

ATTENTION: obtaining a 60-days single entry tourist visa after you have already accumulated a few visa exempt stays, does not clean your touristic stamp history slate.

Touristic entries on a tourist visa will also be frowned upon once you start to maximize them. The use of a tourist visa directly after you have completed visa-exempt stays, does not free you from the obligations. The Immigration officer won’t be fooled.

Use a fast track service, usually around 2000-3000

It is not about a calendar year. They look at your past, even 2 years. If they suspect any miss-use of the visa exempt system, and declare you 'not a tourist any more', extension will be refused..

In 2024 I flew into Thailand 3 times (Januari, March and September), first on a payed tourist visa. Total of the 3 stays: 102 days. The last time, I left for home in November. I 'only' wanted to visit my GF. For me it is not about Thailand.

In 2025 I arrived September (so 10 months later) on visa exempt. 7 weeks later I applied for a 30 day extension, it was declined.

The advise at the Ayutthaya Immigration Office was: leave for a neighbouring country and come back.. So we did a short trip to Vietnam. When I returned, I got 60 days visa exempt 😁🤣

So, now I could stay even longer than with the extension...

All good :-)

(Mind you, when I applied for the extension, a few days before that, the Government declared that they wanted the Immigration Officers to be more strict. So, I guess my IO was afraid for his job).

It runs on a rolling period, not calendar year, but is always up to the Immigration Officer. 150 days in the last 12 months is pushing the limits of "tourist" though. Maybe look into multiple entry visa?

A genuine tourist coming to Thailand on a visa exempt entry, even extending that vacation from 60 to 90 days shouldn't have any problem, but you know full well that you are pushing the limits of actual tourism. This behavior is exactly what immigration is cracking down on. If you want to spend that much time in Thailand just get the proper visa for what it is you really want to do. And the rules are not contradictory, they're quite clear, some people just try to interpret them their own way to try and fit their individual wishes. If you want to avoid any problems take your agent's advise and get the proper visa.

My understanding is that, It's Always Up to the Immigration Officer discretion no matter what type of entry visa you have....

Since there is so much abuse of people trying to get into Thailand

Get a Multi Entry Tourist Visa from Thai embassy Online

It will give you 6 months + entry

60 day tourist visa is regarded the same as 60 day visa exempt.

I asked the embassy too. They told me just to use visa exemption. When immigration were giving me a hard time I told them what the embassy had said. Immigration just said “They don’t know your travel history”.

The Thai Embassy said its currently at the discretion of the Immigration Officer on the desk .. on the day..

They also said you're assured of entry if you wait 6 weeks to July.

Obviously...You're currently in a very dark area and nothing is assured... except July.

It's no good asking for advise here.

The Thai Embassy has already informed you properly... appropriately and legally I would advise....

Just do what I do and act confused. After a couple of minutes, they will wave ya through, especially if the place is packed! 😂