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What are the best options for a 6-month visa extension in Thailand?

Tourist Visa ExtensionMultiple Entry VisaRetirement VisaEducation VisaLand Border RunDTV VisaImmigration AdviceVisa Regulations
May 27, 2025
23 days ago
Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Currently under a Tourist visa that expires in one month:

I need to extend and find the best visa for 6 months until October (become 50 and can get RTM).

DTV prices seem very expensive for 6 months.

I have had ‘ challengers’ at airport from immigration due to previous stamps.

What’s the best advise for a 6 month visa ….

Thank you
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user is currently on a Tourist visa in Thailand and seeks to extend their stay for six months until they can apply for a Retirement visa. Several suggestions from the community include using a land border run for a multiple entry tourist visa, applying for an Education visa which is seen as a cost-effective option, or considering the DTV visa, all while highlighting the importance of having sufficient funds for certain visa types. The conversation emphasizes the need to manage immigration status carefully due to previous airport challenges.
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Robert ********
Best advice: stay away for a few months. Then a tourist entry without visa has better chances to be granted.

Alternative: get a DTV and pay the price

Question is: what makes you want to stay without a visa? The weather and people are nice in the Philippines or Malaysia too.
22 days ago
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Dany ********
land border run with an agency will do i guess until you are ready for the retirement visa… another ED is also an option but more expensive
22 days ago
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Brandon ************
If you need 6 months, just use a land border bounce agency to take you to a border and bounce you out and back in. Costs like 4-5k and they drive you there and back. You'll be home before dinner. Then you get your 60 days plus 30 day extension, repeat after 90 days, then ready for retirement visa.
23 days ago
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Bob **********
You’ll have to head home and apply for the METV no visa you can apply for in Thailand and if you were

On a dodgy ED visa you might not qualify for a non-o
23 days ago
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Jesper *******
A DTV is for 5yrs (180days per entry) apply outside of thailand needs to show 500k in foreign acct ....a retirement visa needs to have 800k sitting in a thaibank acct
23 days ago
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jesper ******
 I can do this - without issue
23 days ago
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Jesper *******
@Tony *****
 I think you should get a METV to last you for 6mths until u are 50 and above and then apply for 90days nonO in thailand...can ignored the DTV assuming u already have thai bank acct sorted
23 days ago
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Jesper *******
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Joe *****
If u are too broke to afford a visa here go back and earn more money and save up till u can come here properly and safely. Cambosia is far easier and so is Vjetnam and the Phillipines. THAILAND DOES NOT WANT ANY FARANG WHO DOES IS STRUGGLING WITG CASH AND THEY WILL PUNISH YOU WHEN U FXXK UP. .. Be safe and smart Tony..go to Cambodia. You can't afford Thailand right now.
23 days ago
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Joe ****
 my financial state is NOT an issue or the question I asked…

Do not assume to know…

So if you cannot answer the question i asked …

Keep your opinion to yourself and

Don’t answer… Your profile is a clear representation of your ‘ ability to contribute correctly.

Thank you …
23 days ago
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Tony ******
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Marianne ********
@Tony *****
 A DTV costs you 10-15 000 baht depending on country you apply from.

If you go Soft power you also need to pay for whatever activity, of course
23 days ago
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Ken *********
@Marianne *******
 plus you need 15k USD in the bank to apply for DTV visa.
23 days ago
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Marianne ********
@Ken ********
 Sure, but it doesn't COST that much.

It is simply a requirement to show that you have the funds to sustain yourself for a while.
23 days ago
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Robert ********
@Marianne *******
Exactly. If THAT is an issue he should stay home.
22 days ago
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Robert ********
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ken ********
 have. 👍
23 days ago
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Ken *********
@Tony *****
 DTV visa is a good option.
23 days ago
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Ken *********
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Jeremy ********
You could do an ed visa they are usually a good economic option in the ฿20k-฿45k range for a year…plus you can learn the language
23 days ago
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Michael ********
Why not get DTV and just use for five years ?

Or do you want retirement for bank account licenses etc
23 days ago
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Michael *******
 - a DTV is quoted at 100k … ???

= 20 a year yet a rtm is only 8-12 a year from my research.
23 days ago
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Michael ********
@Tony *****
 Thats very expensive for a DTV someone on early post said he paid
*****
for a muay thai course and then applied. Retirement should be 1900 baht a year if you have everything, if you going through agent and dont have funds its more than 8 to 12 k a year
23 days ago
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Mikkel *******
@Tony *****
 100K? Where did you get that from? The visa itself costs around 10-15K baht.. One time payment. Not yearly.
23 days ago
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Pete *******
@Mikkel ******
 100-150k for one stop shop DTV. All documentation and financials provided by agency. Just need passport and pay.
22 days ago
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Mikkel ******
 online advertisement of costing ….
23 days ago
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Aaron *******
@Tony *****
 That costs probably included the costs for Muay Thai classes or something. The only cost for DTV is $400 USD. But yes you will have additional costs for classes, if going that route.
23 days ago
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Aaron *******
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Pui *****
A 6 month multiple entry tourist visa would grant 60 day stays (each extendable once for 30 more days), so you'd have to extend once, leave and reenter, then extend once more, to get 6 months. You can even leave and reenter a second time near the end of the visa's expiration date and repeat the cycle, granting you 9 months worth of stays out of that visa. Of course, every entry, even with a valid visa, is always at the discretion of the immigration officer.
23 days ago
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pui ****
 - yes HOWEVER I am current in Thailand … so would need to exit apply and re entered without guarantee ..
23 days ago
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Pui *****
@Tony *****
 you would need to leave and re-enter even if you wanted to get a DTV.
23 days ago
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Pui *****
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pui ****
 thank you for the advise and reply ..
23 days ago
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Todd *********
@Tony *****
 simply use a border bounce agency to exit and return until your 50th and you can get the retirement visa/extensions.
23 days ago
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Patricia **********
@Todd ********
 I never heard about this bounce agency, how do they work?
23 days ago
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Todd *********
@Patricia *********
 they drive you to border and expedite your exit from Thailand and re-entry. There will be some of them in your location, just ask around. They will be near your nearest immigration office
22 days ago
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Todd *********
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pui ****
 thank you’ however I have exited and re entered on tourist visa’s and had ‘issues’ at immigration… due to stamps. I believe would NOT be permitted again … I have been warned.
23 days ago
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Chris ******
@Tony *****
 the issues you mentioned about with tourist visa, not sure what is it… perhaps you should not use the auto scanner when you leave Thai, queue for stamping on passport, specially if you are holding 2 passports.
23 days ago
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Tony ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pui ****
 visa on arrival - ‘not pre arranged’.

Test I was advised at the airport that I CANNOt keep entering’
23 days ago
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Pui *****
@Tony *****
 So that was the problem. You never had a visa. You entered via visa exempt entry, which is NOT a visa, but an exemption from having a visa. A tourist visa is where you apply for a visa using the online e-visa system or in-person from a Thai consulate/embassy and pay for either a single use 60 day tourist visa, or a 6 month multiple entry tourist visa, and are granted a visa in advance. It is far less likely to be turned away on a valid tourist visa than showing up and hoping immigration will grant you an exemption to enter without a visa repeatedly. Having said that, a tourist visa is still not a guarantee of entry, but is far less likely to cause an issue than repeated entries on visa exemptions. I suggest the multiple entry tourist visa to ensure that you aren't trying to get back-to-back single entry tourist visas from a consulate. By the way, "visa on arrival" is yet another separate thing where some nationalities that don't qualify for visa exemption must pay for a 15 day entry visa on arrival into Thailand, so you are using incorrect terms, so the first thing is to realise that you have not been entering with any visa or been granted any visa on arrival, if you are entering via visa exemptions.
23 days ago
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Pui *****
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Pui *****
@Tony *****
 for clarity, were you entering on an actual tourist visa/evisa that you bought from a consulate, or via visa exempt entry where you just show up without buying a visa first? Many people don't know the difference and use the wrong terminology.
23 days ago
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Pui *****
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