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Answereda year ago

Is it too risky to travel to Thailand again on a Tourist Visa before applying for a Marriage Visa?

Peter *******
asked Jun 30, 2025
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Hello,

I’ve been on a Tourist Visa for the last year and a half.

Spending 6 to 7 months in Phuket.

Previous to that I was on a retirement Visa when Covid happened in early 2022 so I could stay as I got a education visa at the beginning of covid.

I kept it for 2 years and went back to a Tourist visa.

I work in the UK as a tour leader, but this year is very quiet with lots of breaks between tours up to 17 days.

Normally I would work all year from late April and come back to Phuket in October.

This year in October I plan to get a marriage Visa.

However with the time off between tours and coming back to Phuket, I have been questioned by immigration in late may/early June the last time I was there.

I would really like to come back in August for two weeks as I have 17 days off.

But I worry immigration won’t let me in because I’ve been on a tourist Visa coming in and out of Thailand too much recently.

They questioned me at immigration last time asking what I was going to do when I left Thailand, and I told them I was coming back to work and the United Kingdom.

They were happy with that.

I was asked if I had a Thai wife and I said yes they asked me where she was, and I said Phuket.

I made sure that I had 20,000 Bart with me worth of British pounds.

I had a return flight and I booked separate accommodation to our home.

I was thinking if I had a letter from my employer of my work if this would help?

And maybe a letter from my wife explaining my situation in thai.

Or is coming back too risky until October when I would apply for a Marriage visa.

Thanks in Advance
Answer summary
The poster, currently on a Tourist Visa, expresses concerns about returning to Thailand due to frequent entries and immigration questioning. They plan to switch to a Marriage Visa in October and seek advice on whether returning briefly in August might affect their ability to return later for their Marriage Visa application. The comments suggest caution, recommending that the poster consider applying for a Non-O Visa sooner or use a VIP service upon arrival to ease potential immigration scrutiny.
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Chuck **********
Chuck **********
You’re not gonna get in now things changed!
Peter *******
Peter *******
OP
@Chuck *********
ok Defs have to apply for a marriage visa before I arrive at the London embassy

Thanks 🙏
Andrew *******
Andrew *******
One option maybe a airport VIP service, and I say this because even with a applied and approved tourist visa and IO can still say no, price of the VIP service is between 2-8k baht depending on your passport history, basically and IO would come and get you from one of the big doors close to the immigration ramp and walk you through and stamp you in no questions asked and then they go and get a nice cup of tea....also I would advise that the cash you have on you is in baht and not pounds because if you do get pulled aside to the questions area, your only hope would be to pass the IO your passport with the cash in it so they can take a photo of it and also show their supervisor it, as I understand it, while they look at it they may have a cup of tea and let you in, if you play nice that is, if they do say no then you would get taken to the inner guts of the airport and told very little until an airline rep turns up to say you need to book a flight back to UK asap, cannot pop to Vietnam and come back in a few days, and then you will get taken to the detention centre in the basement where you will stay until your flight and you have to pay 1070 baht a night, you do get food and water, but there is no paper or bum gun in the toilet, and then when your flight is happening they will collect you and walk you through the airport and they keep your passport for the whole thing, you only get it back from and IO at your destination and your first on the plane and last off and taken by ground crew to the IO where you get more questions, if it's UK you should be ok, but for me when I was denied it was DaNang airport and I did wonder what would happen if they said no, all this happening to me is why I choose to use the VIP option because like I say an IO can say no to any visa if they want, playing their game is a little scary but it works, anyway good luck with whatever you decide to do, but you may want to use VIP for Aug and Oct as they as close together.....oh and the reason given to me for my denied entry was returning for a third time within a 6 month window, it's true I was but I had no overstays or anything else dodgy, I have heard from many people they really are asking more questions and a few friends over 50 have been questioned as to why they don't have a retirement visa.....
Sylvia ********
Sylvia ********
Richie ****************
Richie ****************
You mentioned they denied entry because you entered 3 times in 6 months how long were you staying?
Andrew *******
Andrew *******
@Richie ***************
the full 90 days, so 90 boarder bounce and 90, it wasn't really a surprise it happened and it was not a nice experience but after 15 days in Vietnam I paid the VIP and went back and now I'm somewhere else.....
Andrew *******
Andrew *******
@Richie ***************
I agree with your reasoning, the situation at the time was not a good one, but it was my own actions that put me in it, I underestimated how hard it would be to find any kind of work in Thailand, either in country or online, lots of things had happened to get me to this point and I was not always thinking clearly, but I got the help I needed and go through it all (fyi my issues were not caused by drugs or alcohol, but by stress and worry causing mental health issues)
Richie ****************
Richie ****************
@Andrew ******
I understand it's not a nice experience but I understand why they denied entry and it's totally reasonable and it probably wouldn't be different in any other country.
Anna *********
Anna *********
You could just get a relevant visa😀
David ***********
David ***********
If they stop you in August then you will have a black mark on your Immigration file. Up to the individual IO but it could make coming back in October difficult. Better to be safe and get a proper visa. They are really cracking down on tourists. I was changing from OA to O and was questioned as I had to come in as a tourist just to get the O visa changeover
Graham ******
Graham ******
If you're worried get your Non-O before travelling in August then get a re-entry permit for your return in October to apply for your 12 month extension (take the 60 day Visit Thai Family extension if necessary)
Peter *******
Peter *******
OP
@Graham *****
that’s a great idea 💡

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