Answereda year ago
Should I apply for a visa before returning to Thailand after multiple stays on a visa-exempt basis?
Hi! Last December I arrived to Thailand and left for a 3 week long trip to Cambodia before exceeding the 60 days, around the early days of February. I came back to Bangkok at the end of February. Stayed until the end of April, then returned to Hungary, my home country.
I travelled back to Thailand at the end of September (so I spent 5 months outside of the country) and will fly to Vietnam this weekend. I have never exceeded the 60 days before leaving and never had a visa extension. I plan returning to Thailand in the middle of December. Should I worry about getting rejected and start thinking about applying for a visa instead of getting the usual stamp at arrival?
I travelled back to Thailand at the end of September (so I spent 5 months outside of the country) and will fly to Vietnam this weekend. I have never exceeded the 60 days before leaving and never had a visa extension. I plan returning to Thailand in the middle of December. Should I worry about getting rejected and start thinking about applying for a visa instead of getting the usual stamp at arrival?
Answer summary
The user is concerned about re-entering Thailand after multiple short stays and is unsure about the potential for immigration issues. They have spent significant time in Thailand visa-exempt and ask if they should apply for a visa instead of getting a stamp upon return. Comments range from reassurance about entering under current circumstances to warnings about possible rejection due to the frequency and length of their stays.
24 repliesnewest first
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Tony **********
Your pattern of travel matches that of a tourist. You'll be fine but YMMV.
Donald **********
@Tony *********
really!Jordan *****
@Tony *********
4 months this year already in Thailand….I have 25 years experience visiting Thailand with many types of visas, crossed through all land borders, met all kinds of people and I think that telling someone who has spent almost half a year in Thailand that they have nothing to worry about when returning without a visa is very bad advice.
Even if they send him back to Vietnam he will have to endure the humiliation of having his passport taken away and being placed in a fetid cell until they can put him back on a plane
Todd *********
@Jordan ****
you would think you would have learned more about the system with ‘25 years’ of experience. Which is a lie for dramatic effect.Todd *********
@Jordan ****
totally agree that it’s not worth putting yourself in a bad position at all. And the rules definitely evolve/change. It pays to stay on top of things as they changeJordan *****
@Todd ********
not a lie. I was playing tennis tournaments here in the early 2000’s. Their rules change so often that caution is your best option, especially if like me you have family here and can’t afford to get into trouble with immigration when visitingFaron *************
Get a 60 day tourist visa and remove all worries
Jordan *****
@Faron ************
what you are saying implies that you can stay 4 months visa exempt at least and extra 2-3 months on a tourist visa which removes any incentive to get a long term visa.I happened to travel with people who thought they were smart doing this. but the immigration officials are no fools and this cheap trick got them a big, fat, denied stamp.
If you have spent
***
months already this year in Thailand you have no business going back with anything less then a long term visa.Faron *************
@Jordan ****
probably too late for the person concerned to arrange a long term visa. If they cannot get a tourist visa it is better to be denied at an embassy rather than a port of entryTodd *********
You have nothing to worry about. Thailand still loves tourists. Some hilarious answers here though
Jordan *****
@Todd ********
if you already spent 4 months this year without a long term visa, you do have something to worry about. I would say *****
chances to be allowed to enter, but saying everything is fine, is bad advice if we consider the fact that in case of denial he will be put in a stinky cell at the airportTodd *********
@Jordan ****
no, you don’t have anything to ‘worry’ about. At all. This is a tourist pattern, and Thailand really likes tourism. Like most countries. There is no risk whatsoever in denial of entry based on 4 months spent earlier in the year. He also Spent 5 months in his home country this year. You are just giving naive, alarmist responses. His past history will not cause him to be denied entry. IF there is a conversation, he may be ‘warned’ to get a visa before next entryTodd *********
@Jordan ****
we know this answer. To attract the digital ‘nomad’ crowd with more freedom of movement and less hassles for IO’s. I didn’t say a thing about staying 5 months. You got lost there.
There is no ‘risk’ in being a tourist to Thailand. And that is precisely what visa exemptions and tourist visas are for.
Jordan *****
@Todd ********
why did they roll out DTV visa if you could just stay 6 months without a visa?I give this advise, because I know people less cautious than me who thought they were being smart doing this bs and they got denied. The fact thay you managed to stay 5 months means nothing. The risk is not worth it, unless of course some sgency could do that pre clearence thing and guarantee that they won’t bother him at immigration
Steve ********
Yes, you should worry. Because, when you return in December, you'll have already been here almost 6 of the last 12 months. They might stamp you through. They might ask questions. They might even refuse you entry.
Pascal ********
Non puisque tu est rentré chez toi, aucun soucis
Jordan *****
@Pascal *******
tell this to the guy who visited Thailand for 4 months, went back to Dublin, Ireland. flew back to Thailand and they sent him back home on his own expensePascal ********
@Jordan ****
Yes, that's normal because you can't stay in Thailand for more than 90 days; after that, you have to return to your country. So, staying for four months wasn't legal.Jordan *****
@Pascal *******
it was legal, because you could go to Laos and come back, which you can still do today. Once you stayed 4 months you can fly all the way to Mars and come back, it won’t do you any good, unless you are lucky.Not to mention that you can fly to Vietnam and Cambodia, get no stamp in the passport and they will never know you were not actually home
Braulio *********
yes, worry
J **************
Yes worry
Peter *******
You should not have a problem entering again, immigration are looking for people trying to stay long term in Thailand without the correct visa, you are not extending your 60 day stamp you will be ok.
Jordan *****
From what I understand you spent 4 months already visa exempt this year. Since you are already in Vietnam, if you really need to travel to Thailand you could do it, worst case scenario is they detain you and send you back to Vietnam. At this point you can only get a single entry tourist visa which is useless, since they are not impressed when people who stayed almost half a year visa exempt try to come back with tourist visas (looks like a cheap trick).
I am also in Vietnam now, stayed 4 months this year in Thailand, 58 days in winter, 58 days in summer. I plan on going back in March, because I think flying now is too risky with all these new rules
I am also in Vietnam now, stayed 4 months this year in Thailand, 58 days in winter, 58 days in summer. I plan on going back in March, because I think flying now is too risky with all these new rules
Bent *************
Don’t worry
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