Unanswereda month ago
Is my travel plan to Thailand this year feasible given the recent immigration tightening for U.S. citizens?
Waiting for funds to season for my DTV and planning an METV to bridge the gap. US citizen, visiting my girlfriend and friends, looking for a temperature check on my plan for the rest of the year:
* June 30–Sept 16: Thailand on visa exempt + extension (79 days)
* Home to the US for 2–3 weeks, apply for METV
* Oct 5–Nov 2: Thailand on METV (29 days, 108 total)
* Two weeks in Korea
* Nov 16–Jan 10: Thailand (56 days, 154 total for calendar 2026, 164 in last 365 days), then back to US to apply for DTV
For my entries I’d have outbound flights and accommodation details booked always. For travel history, last year I visited three times, none longer than a month.
If questioned on my October re-entry, I'm considering killing the longer stay idea and switching to shorter visits (2-3 weeks ea) with time outside Thailand (1-2 weeks ea) to try to ride things out. Also not sure if mentioning that I'm visiting my girlfriend/planning to apply for a DTV back home in January would help or sabotage my case on the final reentry if sent to secondary.
How cooked do ya'll think I am with the new tightened immigration? Any advice would be super appreciated.
* June 30–Sept 16: Thailand on visa exempt + extension (79 days)
* Home to the US for 2–3 weeks, apply for METV
* Oct 5–Nov 2: Thailand on METV (29 days, 108 total)
* Two weeks in Korea
* Nov 16–Jan 10: Thailand (56 days, 154 total for calendar 2026, 164 in last 365 days), then back to US to apply for DTV
For my entries I’d have outbound flights and accommodation details booked always. For travel history, last year I visited three times, none longer than a month.
If questioned on my October re-entry, I'm considering killing the longer stay idea and switching to shorter visits (2-3 weeks ea) with time outside Thailand (1-2 weeks ea) to try to ride things out. Also not sure if mentioning that I'm visiting my girlfriend/planning to apply for a DTV back home in January would help or sabotage my case on the final reentry if sent to secondary.
How cooked do ya'll think I am with the new tightened immigration? Any advice would be super appreciated.
Summary so far
The user is planning multiple trips to Thailand as a U.S. citizen, including a visa-exempt stay with an extension, a METV application, and a potential transition to a DTV application. They seek community feedback on the likelihood of being questioned or facing complications due to tightened immigration policies. Concerns include past re-entry behavior, possible warnings received, and the adequacy of processing times for the METV. Commenters express skepticism about the feasibility of the plan and advise caution regarding perceived residency versus tourism.
6 repliesnewest first
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John **********
The question is what is your history inside Thailand in the 12 prior to your entry in June?
Am I right in assuming you already had a warning in June which is what is prompting this?
Am I right in assuming you already had a warning in June which is what is prompting this?
Brian ****
OPNo warnings at all yet, just a bit scared from the recent crackdown/stories and just trying to plan preemptively to avoid getting warned or turned away
previous entries in thailand were: one 1 week entry in june 2025, a 1 month stay from mid june-mid july 2025, and a one week stay in november 2025. all visa exempt and no issues or questions for any of those last year
previous entries in thailand were: one 1 week entry in june 2025, a 1 month stay from mid june-mid july 2025, and a one week stay in november 2025. all visa exempt and no issues or questions for any of those last year
Optimist*********
Pretty cooked imo 😭. You kinda max out last year and then this year with extension and stuff . It shows you are or have been living in Thailand rather than visiting Thailand. Who knows 🤷♂️. Still worth a shot at DTV especially if you can more than meet their requirements.
สเปนเซอร์ **********
2-3 weeks for METV processing might be short. Currently been in processing 3 weeks out of NYC.
Jared **********
สเปนเซอร์ ริตเตอร์ METV are counting down as soon as they are approved, unlike a TR which has a 3 month window to be used.
They may be delaying the approval until closer to your departure date, NY is usually pretty good if you message them off fb
They may be delaying the approval until closer to your departure date, NY is usually pretty good if you message them off fb
Brian ****
OPสเปนเซอร์ ริตเตอร์ yikes. was hoping it'd be shorter than the listed 15 business days listed. fingers crossed LA is faster or they speed things up a bit for my currently booked return flight to Thailand.
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