Answered10 months ago
Is it reasonable and legal to plan for an extended stay in Thailand with a multiple entry visa after traveling to Vietnam?
We're a family of four, two kids aged one and five. We want an extended period here in Thailand before our oldest starts school in August 2026. Initially our holiday was 59 days with flight booked home. We'll have been here sixty days when we fly to Vietnam instead, where our plan is to apply for a six month multiple entry visa. We're more than happy to do some travel in other nearby countries during this six months to meet requirements. This should get us to July after which we plan to go home and not return to Thailand for several years.
Is this line of thinking reasonable and legal?
Is this line of thinking reasonable and legal?
Answer summary
A family plans to extend their stay in Thailand for an extended period before their oldest child starts school. They initially booked a 59-day holiday but will now fly to Vietnam to apply for a METV, allowing for a six-month stay with potential border runs. Users in the comments provided insights on visa regulations, advising on how to effectively utilize the METV and addresses concerns regarding eligibility for applications based on residency.
25 repliesnewest first
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Wannikea *********
METV can only be obtained in your home country, or a country you reside in with permanent resident status.
Jan ******************
You can’t apply for a METV in Vietnam unless you’ve got a permanent residency there. Only a SETV.
AuthenticR***********
OP@Jan *****************
oh. Right. Well that's good to know.Simon *******
Why don't you just get a METV from the start as its easy to get 8 months with a METV by arriving back in Thailand a day or so before the visa expires and you will get another 60 days. My advice would be don't bother with extensions unless you need to ,then if you want to extend your final 60 day stay for another 30 days giving you 9 months you should be ok.
There is also a rule a tourist can only stay in Thailand for a max of 180 days in a calendar year, your arrival day and leaving days are counted as well.
There is also a rule a tourist can only stay in Thailand for a max of 180 days in a calendar year, your arrival day and leaving days are counted as well.
AuthenticR***********
OP@Simon ******
We are already here though. Initially when coming here we had intended to go home but the plan changed bc we are loving it so much.Simon *******
AuthenticReindeer2210 That's what happens when you get Thailand in your blood.
Graham ******
Does the Thai Embassy sell a METV to non-Vietnam resisents?
Jan ******************
@Graham *****
✅ nopeGraham ******
@Jan *****************
I thought so, thanksJan ******************
AuthenticReindeer2210 If you’re already in Asia, I would recommend a safe entry service and pre-scan. Contact the owners of this group and discuss it further with them.
@THAI *****************************
.Jan ******************
AuthenticReindeer2210 Sorry, I may have misunderstood your original post slightly. Based on your situation and travel pattern, you are clearly in a position where you should apply for a visa for this stay. This is a typical METV travel pattern.
AuthenticR***********
OP@Jan *****************
So you think we'll be ok just to use exemptions?Our pattern of stay would be 60 days Thailand, 28 days in Vietnam, 60 + 30 in thailand, exit for several weeks, stay another 60 +30, then leave for good
Jan ******************
AuthenticReindeer2210 There is in practice little difference between the visa exemption system itself and a tourist visa in terms of right to enter and length of stay, a tourist visa mainly serves as a formal document and may give a slightly higher margin of comfort at entry if you have multiple visa exempt entries, but it is not a guarantee. What matters is the overall travel pattern within a rolling cycle and whether you still appear as genuine tourists rather than attempting long term stay without a long term visa, and based on what you describe this normally falls within ordinary tourism under the new formalised guidelines and the visa exemption system itself.
AuthenticR***********
OP@Graham *****
is there any advantage to applying for single entry visa? Or just rely on exemption?Bob **********
Yes if done right you can get close to 9 months stay three extensions and to border bounces
Bob **********
There are a couple in my building that have just come from Hanoi and there both on non-o visa gotten there so this I believe
Jan ******************
@Bob *********
Non O visas are generally not an issue anywhere as long as the foreign mission accepts applications from people on shorter stays, as most do. The question here was about the METV, and that is treated in the same way as a Non O-A visa, meaning you need permanent residence to apply. By all means, you’re free to stick with your own belief, but be careful about passing it on to others.Jan ******************
@Bob *********
Not from Vietnam.Bob **********
@Jan *****************
why not ?? A multi entry tourist visa is the same from any embassy or consulateJan ******************
@Bob *********
If you don’t believe me, maybe you believe Tod Daniels?Jan ******************
@Bob *********
FFS ChatGPT🙈Jan ******************
@Bob *********
Sorry, but you’re a bit off track again and should be a bit more careful with the advice you’re giving. This is very well known.Bob **********
@Jan *****************
this is not true you can apply for a non-o or a METV in Vietnam you can’t apply for a OA visaJan ******************
@Bob *********
Yes, but there is a general rule that both METV and Non O-A visas can only be applied for through the embassy or consulate of your passport country, or in another country if you have a registered permanent address there, meaning you have formally relocated to that country.Activity
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