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Is it possible to re-enter Thailand with a visa exemption after a lengthy stay?

ThailandVisa ExemptionRe-EntryTourist VisaCOVID-19 Visa ExtensionsImmigration Experience
Dec 29, 2021
3 years ago
Steven ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
# Is It Too Soon for Me to Re-Enter Thailand?

I was just in Thailand for ~4 months (Aug 15th to Dec 8th), with a visa exemption + 30-day extension + 60-day COVID extension. I then returned to America for the holidays. But now I want to go back to Thailand in January.

Is there any realistic chance I'd be turned away from getting another visa exemption in January, because I just spent a bunch of time in Thailand? At what point would they deny you entry with a visa exemption?

Thanks so much!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses concerns about re-entering Thailand after a previous stay of approximately four months using a visa exemption, followed by a holiday in the U.S. The user is worried about the possibility of being turned away when applying for another visa exemption in January. Community responses indicate that there is a low chance of being denied entry due to prior visits, with many users encouraging the poster to proceed without worry. However, some users shared personal experiences of scrutiny from immigration after multiple visa exemptions, suggesting that obtaining a tourist visa might be a safer option for longer stays.
Chris ****
I thought the tourist visa resets by the calendar year?
3 years ago
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David *********
Why not just apply for a tourist visa in your home country before you come here
3 years ago
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Albert ********
Good luck.
3 years ago
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Mick *********
Go for it. As long as you get all your paperwork in order, they won’t stop you.
3 years ago
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Jeff *********
You'll be fine! Relax
3 years ago
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Steven ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I'm going to try it. If I have a bad experience and get rejected etc, then I'll report back here about it. Thanks everyone for the input!
3 years ago
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Bä ****
@Steven *****
 remember Thailand needs the tourist dollars especially during CV-19....If I had to guess, your chances are GOOD getting in....Nothing is guaranteed...Good Luck ☘️
3 years ago
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Bä ****
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Brandon ************
Doubt you'll have any problems entering.

Just know it's unlikely they'll be willing to give you additional Covid extensions once you're back if they continue that program though.

It's officially named "unable to travel due to Covid-19" and you've demonstrated that you are able to leave. If you plan to stay longer than 60 days you better find another option.
3 years ago
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Paul *******
From personal experience some reply’s not correct.

I had been coming for years as a tourist as that’s all I am.

Never stopping to long then I got stopped interviewed by 3 immigration officers and very close to being sent back to England at Chaing Mai.

I understand maybe I was unlucky but just trying to answer the question with my experience.

Best of luck
3 years ago
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Wayne ********
@Paul ******
 they are watching i have a friend who owns a villa here and only comes on occasions for
****
days but because he flies in about 4 times per year on tourist visa they Black Flagged him gave him warning he needs a longer stay visa in future which he now has another gets a 6 month visa in UK before coming sorry can’t tell u which visa type
3 years ago
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Rodney **********
@Paul ******
 why did you almost get sent back?
3 years ago
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Paul *******
@Rodney *********
 because I had been to many times on a visa exempt to be a tourist was what they told me.
3 years ago
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Paul *******
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Niclas ***********
I get a bit of grilling from immigration at times due to many stamps. I have been told to get visa before but never been denied. This time after checking for a free page to stamp they asked if I had an visa. I would think it depends on how many stamps you have and what reason you give. I said that I haven't been for 2 years so wasn't any follow up queries. To many exempts can cause issues in many destinations so saying it is not an problem I would disagree a bit because of my personal experiences. If you plan to stay long getting a visa is not an bad idea.
3 years ago
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Stephan ***********
Don't worry... :-)
3 years ago
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Steven ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stephan **********
 Thanks. I'd heard that an unlimited number of entries is allowed by air. I was just wondering if that changes depending on if you previously extended your visa exemption multiple times, like if it adds up to too many total days within a certain period or anything like that
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Steven *****
 There is no regulation limiting the number of entries by air, but there is a policy to prohibit more than three visa-exempt entries per rolling six-month period.
3 years ago
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Stephan ***********
@Steven *****
 Yes, but this is only for border runs. You'll be fine, no problem...
3 years ago
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Garrett ***********
@Ste***
 There is no limit to the number of days you can be in Thailand as a tourist or with a visa exempt entry. There used to be a 180 day per calendar year limit, but that dropped probably 15 years ago.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Garrett **********
 You rule you refer to as being a limit of 180 days per calendar year is always misquoted as such.

Actually, the rule was a maximum of 90 days per rolling six month period. That rule was revoked on November 25, 2008.
3 years ago
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Carsten ************
On Suvarnabhumi they are not that strict, but with more than 180 days they might tell you, you're on the wrong visa.
3 years ago
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Carsten ************
@Garrett **********
 nope, at DMK they are still checking the number of days you've been in Thailand within the last 12 month. I once had to return to Vientiane because of too many days, in 2019.
3 years ago
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Steven ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Alright, thanks so much for the quick info!!
@Garrett **********
@Stephan **********
3 years ago
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Steven ******
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Garrett ***********
"Is there any realistic chance I'd be turned away from getting another visa exemption in January"

There is 0 chance you'd be denied entry because you were previously in Thailand. Some people enter and exit Thailand 100 times a year for various reasons.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Garrett **********
 You definitely cannot be sure of being allowed to enter that often without a visa. Policy for some years now has been three visa-exempt entries per rolling six-month period. Oil-rig workers doing three-weeks-on / three-weeks-off shifts were being denied entry because of that. They hadn't spent a lot of days here ... they were just trying to enter every six weeks.
3 years ago
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Steve *******
@Daffyd **********
 Totally wrong. The only policy is 2 visa exempt entries per calender year via a land border crossing.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Steve ******
 The "2 visa exempt entries per calendar year via a land border crossing" thing is a regulation - not just a policy.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Steve ******
 I'm not totally wrong. That policy is mentioned on the Hull(UK) embassy site (for example), and several oil rig workers reported being refused entry for that reason (as they tried to enter once every six weeks, based on their work shift schedule.)

It is not a regulation set in stone; it is a policy interpretation of a regulation that allows them to bar entry for various ill-defined reasons .. most often applied at Bangkok airports.
3 years ago
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David ***********
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Glyn *********
@Garrett **********
 only joking.
3 years ago
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Glyn *********
@Garrett **********
 a 100 times a year,I bet you've been told 1,000,000 times don't exaggerate.
3 years ago
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Glyn *********
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Ray ***********
Get a 60 day visa, problem solved
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 No it's correct. If they want to deny him entry on visa exempt they can do the same thing on a visa.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 Yes that was after. So still no help to the question
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 Why aren't you complaining that the admin was both incorrect *and* irrelevant, whilst Ray was (allegedly) only irrelevant?
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 I didn't see anything unuseful the admin said
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 It was the comment that Ray responded to:

"If they were going to deny him entry on an exempt entry for some reason, they'd also deny him entry with a tourist visa."

That statement is both false and on the same topic of visa versus no visa.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 You should first read carefully before just typing. The OP is scared of immigration having a problem seeing to many entry stamps.

So a visa will not change a thing.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 But it does. In fact the IOs often advice the travelers with a lot of stamps to get (at least) a tourist visa.

(And, as Ray stated, it's not a guarantee.)

P.S. I have no reading comprehension problems at all, thank you. That is how I notice that you are contradicting yourself.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 lol you just got no point. All you want is argue
3 years ago
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Marc ********
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Steven ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ray **********
 Maybe I'll look at that, but I'm not familiar with the process yet, and it only gives me 15 extra days compared to the 45-day visa exemption currently, right? So if it's not necessary, I'd maybe rather not bother with that
3 years ago
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Ray ***********
@Steven *****
 45 day visa exempt is done. It's back to 30 days
3 years ago
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Steven ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ah ok!
3 years ago
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Steven ******
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Garrett ***********
@Ste***
 Visa exempt entry is back to 30 days from September 1st.
3 years ago
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Garrett ***********
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Garrett ***********
@R**
 If they were going to deny him entry on an exempt entry for some reason, they'd also deny him entry with a tourist visa.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Garrett **********
 That is not true. They have different regulations and different policies for visa exempt entry versus entry with a visa.
3 years ago
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Ray ***********
@Garrett **********
 they rarely deny entry if you have a visa though yes it can happen
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Ray **********
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 ...
@Ray **********
 is correct.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 He is not as it ain't got nothing to do with the question
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 His answer is 100% correct, and it's 100% relevant.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 Even if you have a visa they can still refuse to let you in. Period
3 years ago
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David ***********
And it is relevant because the OP needs to know whether he will be likely to be allowed in, and that likelihood is dependent on both his travel history and whether he has a visa or not (plus other factors).
3 years ago
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David ***********
Period.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 And that is exactly what
@Ray **********
 said.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 No he did not. He only said get a visa problem solved.

But in theory they can still deny entry. So totally pointless comment
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Marc *******
 Here is what he wrote, with your comment underneath.
3 years ago
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Garrett ***********
@Daf***
 That's not the comment.
3 years ago
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David ***********
@Garrett **********
 You are wrong. His reply was to a later comment ... not to that one. Look at the discussion tree....
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Daffyd **********
 No it's not. The answer is correct but not relevant to the question
3 years ago
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Reply to
Marc ********
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