How many times can you enter Thailand in a year through airport entries?

One of the agents who reckons he has inside info says 2 60 days and 2 30 day extensions. He also said they will be cracking down on proof of funds.

The Thai Immigration Act is the respective law regulating entries into Thailand. I'll link an unofficial English translation enclosed. It mentions an exclusive list of all the valid reasons an immigration officer can deny you entry (Section 12).

None of it in there gives them a reason to deny you merely because you have come to often or stayed too much or on a "wrong" visa. What happens when it happens and people get denied entry, is that immigration officers almost always fall back to the reason of "insufficient funds" (Section 12 No. 2 of the Thai Immigration Act). That is irrespective of them asking you for the 10k or 20k baht in cash or not. They use it as a fallback for constructing that as a tourist, you cannot possibly have enough funds (12.2) or that you are working illegally (12.3) if you spend all your time being a tourist in Thailand. This of course is nonsense.

But once they denied you (and give you a denied stamp with that section / reason written next to the denied stamp), you are denied. Sure, you can file a complaint "against the competent officer" (Section 22) - there is a dedicated form for that (I always carry one) and that form (TM.11) needs to be stamped with a 500 baht fee. But it would not help you much in that moment. They would detain you at the airport and even if you followed through with submitting that complaint form, they have a week or so to get back to you from their superiors - someone from the ministry. Do you really want to be stuck in a detention cell for that long? It is bullshit - but it is what it is, because they forgot to put a hard limitation in the law.



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Eleventeen

I have entered for 30 days a few times a year but I spend more time outside Thailand than I actual do in Thailand. Typically 30 days in 90 days out 60 days in 90 days out. So far so good. Hope my luck keeps up. I actually prefer the certainty of the visas in Malaysia and Vietnam over the Thai policy.

Now it is unlimited again for border runs

Let me give a real experience answer. Right after Covid I entered 9 times in a calendar year. Before Covid 10-12 times a year never a problem or a single question. Yes people do have problems because they have done something dodgy

Also worth considering the hassle if you get denied entry…..a potentially expensive one way ticket to wherever takes your fancy, home perhaps ?

Until the computer says no

Up to THEM.

I have entered more than 8 times this year so far. But each time only for a few days (as tourists taking long weekend etc). I assume if you act as a tourist there is no issues. If you are staying to your maximum visa free days then it’s another story.

If you act like a tourist and visit other countries for 3 to 5 days minimum you can come and go as you please on visa exception. If you leave for an hour and fly back you may be questioned as your not allowed to live here year round on visa exception .

**** In theory, no limit. In practice, immigration officer will check your passport for abuse of the system and likely refuse entry at some point. After how many? Who knows, luck of the draw.

**** “How long can I stay in TH on visa-exempt entries?" is like asking "how long is a piece of string?"

NOW read it HERE - the classic reply of Tod Daniels to the neverending question “how often can I enter Thailand”:

“You can keep doing it until you can't.

After the first 1-2, it becomes a gamble. It all depends on which IO you're dealing with. Some people have been ok on just visa-exempt entries (and extensions of said stamps) for periods of over 6 months or even a year.

However, in the past year or so they've really been cracking down on people with back-to-back tourist visas & visa exempt entry stamps. Especially those with long ago Covid extensions.

We RARELY let posts prevail, where people ask if they're going to have a problem getting in get posted on this group and we get a LOT of people wanting to post questions like that.

It's not that we deny those posts because we don't want to answer/help you, the reason we don't let them on is because there are WAY too many variables in that answer and truth be told there is NO real correct answer.

Things that factor in to you entering Thailand successfully are

-previous entry / stay history

-what airport you fly into

-whether you were here over Covid

-whether you have an old ED or Volunteer visa in your passport

Unfortunately the real deciding factor is the officer you're standing in front of when you go to stamp in - and that is beyond your control.

There is NO rhyme or reason on why some people with extensive entry stay histories skate in and other people are pulled aside and grilled after one entry

There doesn't appear to be any specific nationality they're targeting, no number of days in Thailand, no previous number of entries, although ED and Volunteer visa. Especially those b/s back door ones people got during Covid and those Covid extension stamps are considered "stamps of death"

When flying in with extensive entry/stay history airport choice DOES seem to factor in to it. BOTH Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK) seem much harder on people than say Phuket or Chiang Mai (which has no reported denial of entries)

All you can really do is be prepared by having

*** proof of funds (20K baht or the equivalent in CASH)

*** proof of onward travel within the number of days you will get stamped in for - that means if you're comin' in free stamp for 30 days have onward travel IN 30 days (because that "I've got onward travel in 60 days because i going to get a 30 day entension" line doesn't always work

*** proof of lodging for the time you're here (at least for a week)

They (officers at passport control) CAN ask for any of those things, all of those things OR none of them. Please remember the fact you were never asked does NOT mean those are requirements to enter, nor does it mean no one is asked, it just means you weren't asked

Also remember the fact you have a tourist visa doesn't guarantee you get in (especially with an extensive entry/stay history) all having a tourist visa guarantees is IF you get in, they stamp you in for 60 days.

A new passport doesn't "wipe the slate", your entire entry/extension/stay history is available to every officer at every entry point to Thailand with a click of a button.. Now it can help for them just paging thru the passport but IF they wanna really see how much you've been coming here, a new passport isn't gonna help that much.

There are more than a few 'fast track' or 'safe entry' services out there (and I believe the company that owns this group even offers it)

Make sure whoever you contact about it, knows your WHOLE entry/stay history. Fudging your history to a company that's gonna help you get in is not a good idea. That's about people. Just wanted you to know why we don't let those "will I get in okay" posts on this group very often (if at all).

unlimited

Only one at a time.

Just make sure you come through the big airports as the small ones have to much time to look

You can enter until you can't. There isn't a number. If you have a long term visa you won't have any issues entering as often as necessary.

If you're using tourist entries (tourist visa, visa exempt) then the number of entries isn't as important as how much time you've spent in Thailand. Once you stop looking like a tourist and start looking like someone trying to live in Thailand without a long term visa, you'll encounter issues. Every entry is at the discretion of the immigration officer you're standing in front of and each will likely have their own standard they will apply to you.

Till the IO says no more