Hello all. I've applied and been approved for my COE to go to Thailand under a visa exemption (from the US).
I was thinking I may choose to apply for the STV and forego the visa exemption, as I want to stay in Thailand as long as possible (I'm getting a masters fully online and had planned to spend all of 2020-2022 bouncing around Asia while I completed it.), but I'm concerned I'll pay for a place to stay for 3 months and then get rejected and be out several thousand dollars. That, and I don't like the idea of not having any flexibility once I'm there, as I'd like to kinda explore a bit.
From reading through various posts here it looks I can stay 45 + 30 + 60 days under the visa exemption scheme, which would be a decent amount of time to explore and make me feel like the usd 2,200 for ASQ was well spent. Ideally, I'd like to stay longer though.
Do y'all think it would be better to go under the visa exemption, extend, and then apply for a longer term visa from Thailand, or go for the STV?
Really appreciate any input y'all might have.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is considering whether to apply for the STV or utilize the visa exemption after being approved for their COE to enter Thailand. They express concern about the potential costs of accommodation if the STV is rejected and also desire flexibility during their stay. Community comments clarify the duration of stay under the visa exemption, the implications of the STV's restrictions, and uncertainties surrounding current COVID-19 related extensions. They suggest that the STV provides more security for long stays but requires careful planning.
