Should I apply for a 30-day extension or do a border run in Thailand?

I intend to revisit soon, hopefully next month. And will have accommodation booked,onward transportation,and of course the financial requirements.

My recent history entering Thailand: All on visa exemption. 13 days in February, 14 days in April, 2024; from June 2024 until February 2025, 30 days in June,obtained upon arrival. 60 days in July,60 days late August,60 days late October,and 60 days days late December. I never had any issues/ problems at all! I hold a full British passport.

Hence I would respectfully suggest,that nationality counts,as does appearance, demeanour, age, and politeness.

I have had issues the last few years coming back a second time to the country. Sometimes after coming here initially with an e-visa from the US, sometimes just the stamp, etc. I've done a lot of variations, NEVER coming back more than once in a year, so basically two entries. A couple of years ago it took me 20 minutes before the officer let me in. EVERY time in each of those three years, upon my second time coming in, they pretty much interrogated me extensively, and asked me for my flight back to the US.

So you've been here 2 months and still don't know what sort of visa you need?

As of July15th, 2024, the limit of two visa-exempt entries across a land border per calendar year, was removed.

As of now, there is no limit cited in any Immigration policy. There is no more rule in the writing that says how many times within a calendar year you can enter Thailand on a visa-exempt entry.

But that doesn't mean it's unlimited.

Every entry is at the discretion of the Immigration officer you are standing in front of, and if they feel you're not a tourist, or if they think you are abusing visa-free entries by trying to stay in Thailand long term, you'll be pulled aside, questioned and possibly denied entry, or being told to use a visa next time. Then you will be allowed in but your name is “flagged” in the central computer, so every other border official will see that you have been warned.

Right now, we see many reports of this happening to people after only one (!) single 60-days visa-exempt entry topped with a 30-days extension.

There aren’t any 2-times limits nor are there any 4-times limits, regardless if you enter by land, sea or air

You can take one 30-days extension on a 60-days visa exempt entry for 1900 Baht at the immigration office serving the area where you stay. But that shows that you are apparently maximizing every stay.

Keep in mind, after your first visa-exempt entry, across any land border you're going to run into problems trying to bounce by yourself out/back to get a new free 60-days entry stamp

and even by bouncing via an airport you could run into problems.

If you try to bounce by yourself, you should know that some crossings with Laos and Cambodia require you spend at least one night and sometimes 2 nights out of Thailand before you can come back.

You could post your question on a group related to where you stay in Thailand and ask for recommendations for an agent/service that bounces people out/back from there.

These “visa-run agencies” have it set up with the Thai side of border control, so you can benefit. They grease the palms so you can get out and back on the same day.

Flying isn't all that much better, because a short bounce out/back (a few days) isn't going to fool the Immigration officials at the passport control when you go to stamp back in. They'll know you're doing it just to get a new free 60-days entry stamp and you could be questioned about your entry.

These Immigration officers all have their own say in the matter. To be allowed consecutive visa-exempt entries is upon their sole discretion. If Mr. Officer Somchai has a bad day, he might not like your trousers and deny entry.

To answer your question about how many times you can do a visa-exempt entry into Thailand within a 365-days calendar year, the point is, any visa exempt entry, by air or across a land border or by sea, gets you 60 days now (since July 15th, 2024)

So, it doesn't matter where you enter - you will get 60 days stamped – if the border official comes to the conclusion you are a “real” tourist, he/she will let you back in

I am not trying to scaremonger at all, just letting you know this isn't the same Thailand it was back when they were giving 30-days admitted stays when you were doing yearlong consecutive visa-exempt entries.

But - since July 15th, 2024, when they went to 60 days for 93 countries, they got really, really hard on people trying to live in Thailand long term on visa-free stamps.

They look at it as you got 60 days, you could have extended that for 30 more giving you three months, and you have maximized your stay. This makes you a real tourist and not someone who tries to milk the visa-free system.

In case the officer at the passport control feels you should have either applied for a long-term visa, he might think that if you were a real tourist, you should be going back to where you came from after these three months

That's why I say look for a service to bounce by land, as they have the wheels greased so you get out/back without hassle, that's why they cost some money for what they do.

But you should expect problems if you try that too many times consecutively. A longer stay abroad between two visa-exempt entries makes you look better. It might work or might not work. We don’t know for sure.

Good luck with it, safe travels

Don’t do a border run company unless you want to be in a cramped van for 12 hours

You can easily just go to dmk and fly to KL Malaysia and back same day

What longer term visa are you trying to get?

The 30 day is no risk

Take the extension and get 30 days. Then if you need to border bounce use a border run company to do so. Highly unusual for 30 day extension to be refused

I would recommend a 30 day extension for ฿1,900 THB

Then border bounce for another 60 day visa exemption stamp then another 30 day extension for ฿1,900 THB

You will get 180 days math for haters 60+30+60+30=180 days ) as opposed to 60+90=150 days…maximize your time