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What are my options to extend my 60-day tourist visa in Thailand under the new rules?

Nov 25, 2025
5 months ago
Paul ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I’m on a 60 day tourist visa. I had a visa in May, and extended it for 30 days. My question is can I get an extension on my current visa under the new rules, and what are my options if I want to stay in Thailand if I can’t extend the current tourist visa?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The individual currently holds a 60-day tourist visa and extended it for an additional 30 days. Guidance from community members indicates that extensions are limited; if already extended once in the calendar year, one may only qualify for an additional 7-day extension depending on the discretion of immigration officers. If unable to secure an extension, the main options to remain in Thailand include leaving the country to apply for a new tourist visa or ensuring that one’s history of visa-exempt entries is aligned with immigration expectations for future applications.
Deepak *******
They are primarily checking whether you are using visa-exempt entries to live in Thailand and possibly work illegally. There are telltale signs of prolonged stays in Thailand. Each entry is utilized to the fullest, i.e., stayed almost 60 days, extending each entry. Border runs to turn around and get another visa-exempt entry in the past and then use it to stay in Thailand to the fullest.
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Michael *******
@Deepak ******
correct ,,, people who go as tourists maybe 3 or 4 times a year for 3 or 4 weeks are shitting themselves all over Facebook,, they'll be fine, they not abusing the system trying to live in Thailand
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Michael *******
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Greg ***********
There are no new "visa rules" or a new law.

What has changed, mandated from above, is the strict scrutinizing of your number of visa-exempt entries and the thorough check on "visa runners" (actually they meant to say "back-to-back border runners").The new approach taken by border officials is intended to ensure that the option to do a "visa run" is not abused.

Now as far as regarding extensions on visa-exempt entries, it does appear that the Immigration offices are indeed only issuing 7-day extensions if you already got one previous 30-day extension on any visa exempt entry this calendar year (since January 1, 2025).

It is totally up to the discretion of the immigration officer you are in front of when you apply for the extension and they will tell you if you can get the 30-days extension, or if you're only going to get the 7-days extension.

The thing is right now it's totally subjective and up to the officer you are standing in front of when you go to stamp into the country for them to decide if you're a "real tourist" or if they think you're abusing the visa exempt entry program.

There's just no real concrete clear directive as far as what's what.

Some people with a 30-days extension already on a previous visa exempt entry reported getting another 30-days extension without any issue, however some have reported they only got a 7-days extension issued. So your experience might vary.

60 + 30 + 60 + 7 = a maximum of 157 days per year... and it seems this is regardless of whether you arrived by air or across a land border.

Visa-exempt entries themselves are not limited, even though some believe that unlimited visa-free entries are possible by air. This is simply not true.

Visa-exempt entries are not limited to two entries per calendar year. This is a misconception, and some agents spread this information to make profit from panicked people. Some agents are warning that you should not believe FAKE NEWS telling you that visa-exempt entries are limited to two per calendar year.

Under certain circumstances, but always at the individual discretion of the border official, multiple visa-exempt entries are possible, like four, five or even more, if you don’t abuse the system.

In this case, however, the entry history in your passport and on the immigration central computer must prove that your stays were short-term holidays like 2-4 weeks, and the total annual stay must not exceed 157 days (some will say not exceed 180 days)

And there should be several weeks or months between each stay. Your best proof of not abusing the system is when you can show that you returned to your home country between each visa-exempt stay or stayed abroad for a long time.

The intended aim of the new approach was to prohibit "visa runs," where you only entered briefly a neighboring country and then immediately re-entered.

You must be able to prove the planned short stay at the immigration counter—for example, with proof of onward travel or a return journey, such as a flight ticket.

It seems that a border official would consider you being a "genuine" tourist based on such short holiday trips within a year.

In this case, they expect to see on their central computer that you never extended the 60-days visa-exempt stay permit – i.e. maximized – any of these short trips.

The 7-day extension is a REAL extension. It's not the same as the stamp "application for extension denied, you have 7 days to leave the Kingdom", even if to some people it looks like a “grace period”. I have already seen the stamp of a 7-days extension, it takes up half of a passport page. The original “you have 7 days to leave” stamp is smaller, takes something like a quarter up to one-third of the page

What has become crystal clear, is that "per year" is defined as "per calendar year."

Those who want to be on the safe side should obtain a single-entry tourist visa in advance for stays of up to 60 days, with the option to extend for 30 more days.

Someone entering on single-entry tourist visas plus two extensions, with a few months interval between each stay, is good to go for a maximum of “touristic” 180 days "per a 1-year period" (not per calendar year – as this is calculated differently)
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Braulio *********
it might be time to go home
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Paul ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Braulio ********
for me, going back to USA is not an option as long as the current regime continues.
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Jesper *******
@Paul **********
you can travel around ...vietnam,Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia laos before coming back
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Jesper *******
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Stephen *********
Go to immigration and ask.
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Paul ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stephen ********
I posted thinking this was Thailand visa advice, not a low class comedy show!
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Stephen *********
@Paul **********
I wasn't joking. I mean go there and ask. It's the best answer for your question.
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Stephen *********
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Raymond *********
Finally somebody who's not intellectually lazy
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Raymond *********
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John **********
Have I missed where the OP has confirmed which type of entry he's using? The new guidelines issued to immigration are only for visa exempt
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Bob **********
There is no 90 day tourist visa there all 60 days upon entry if your on a visa exempt stamp and have already extended it by 30 days according to what is said you’ll only be eligible for a 7 day extension,then you have to leave and apply for a tourist visa online and no guarantee that will work
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Dennis *********
Based on what’s been published you’ll get a 7 day extension since you’ve already received a 30 day extension.
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Paul *******
There are no new rules. What are you talking about.
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Damo ***********
@Paul ******
🪿🪿🪿🪿
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Dennis *********
@Paul ******
no I’m just not going to debate semantics.
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Ian **********
@Paul ******
new guidelines, same thing as new rules
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Jan ******************
@Paul ******
There have in fact been changes. Border bounces are now limited to two, and you will only receive 30 days on your first extension and 7 days on your second, and Immigration is apparently counting from January this year when it comes to extensions. For general visa-exempt entry there is no change.
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Paul *******
@Jan *****************
Everything that you state is fully correct. But what you do not state is that the changes ar not related to new rules but are changes to how the old rules are being interpreted.
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Paul *******
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Dennis *********
@Paul ******
ok no new rules - everything is exactly the same.
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Paul *******
@Dennis ********
You, Dennis are a prize goose. Of course things have changed, but not the rules, only how they are being interpreted.
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Paul *******
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Dennis *********
@Paul ******
there are new rules - one 30 day extension and second extension is limited to 7 days
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Ralph *******
@Dennis ********
I think that’s only for visa exempt so it shouldn’t affect the author.
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Stephen *********
@Dennis ********
the second if you came in by land not air.
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Paul *******
@Dennis ********
I think that you run too fast for commonsense to catch you. These are not new rules. The rules have not changed only how the old rules are being interpreted.
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Callum ****************
@Paul ******
No, they’re definitely new rules lol
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Paul *******
@Callum ***************
Commonsense is chasing you but you need to slow down so it can catch up. New Immigraation rules would need to be enqacted by the Thai Parliament and pubished in the Government Gazette. There are no new Immigration rules. The rules have not changed, but the old (current) rules are being ienforced in a different way.
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Callum ****************
@Paul ******
You sound like a broken record, when a guideline is enforced guess what its called Paul…🤣
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Callum ****************
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Colin **********
IF your visa exempt, and dont have a long history of trips this year, you should be Ok they want tourists not people living here on visa exempt. Be prepared to chat with the immigration officer.
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John **********
Are you on an actual tourist visa or a visa exempt entry? You may only get 7 days if the latter. If you don't get the extension or you don't get a long enough extension you have to leave the country
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Paul ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
can I leave for a few weeks and then get another 60 tourist visa? I’m not understanding the new rules.
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John **********
@Paul **********
there are no new rules as such, only guidelines issued to immigration. And they affect visa exempt entries not entries with an actual visa
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Todd *********
@Paul **********
yes you can leave for a few days/weeks. Come back and get a new 60 days exemption
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Tony ************
@Paul **********
no, it’s up to 90 day a year unless you can prove you are a genuine tourist. Hotel bookings, return flights planed activities etc.
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Bjørge ********
@Tony ***********
No not 90days 157
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Shane ***********
@Bjørge *******
how do you get 157 with visa exemption?
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Tony ************
@Bjørge *******
I am just telling you what immigration told me. I’m happy for you to discuss it with them. I don’t make the rules. I travel to Thailand 12 times a year for a week at a time. They told me 90 days is a maximum without a Visa. They told me to apply for a type O non-immigrant Visa.
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Bjørge ********
@Tony ***********
They told me,when I come I get 60days and then 30days at imigration.So can I go to another country and when i come to Thailand i get New 60days,and then on imigration 7more days
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Dennis *********
It isn’t up to 90 days - technically it’s up to 157 days.
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Tony ************
@Dennis ********
60 on arrival, 30 day extension and 7 day more to leave the country. You will get another 60 days on arrival only if you can prove you are a  genuine tourist. I just hard this conversation with the immigration officer when leaving the country on Saturday.
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Tony ************
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Luc ************
@Paul **********
you dont have a visa. You're on visa exempt stamp, so only the IO can help you.
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Luc ************
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