What are the best visa options for an expat traveling through Southeast Asia while staying in Thailand?

Question

Friend arrived Visa exempt Nov. 11.  That gives her until December 10th

December 8 or whenever she will be getting 30 day extension in Chiang Mai. Which gives her until January 9 approximately.

She wants to travel thru SE Asia until early May but would like to stay predominantly in Thailand at least thru start of smokey season.

What is her best options?

Border bounce and 60 day visa?

Or spend a week or two in other countries re enter on Visa exempt?

If she gets 60 day can she still come and go or is that inviting hassles at immigration.  We are talking predominantly air travel to SE Asia.

The big concern is ease of entry as she really just wants to travel through asean countries.

Ask Thailand · Answer

A friend arrived in Thailand on a visa exemption and wants to stay until early May, primarily in Thailand. They plan to get a 30-day extension, making it possible to stay until January 9. The options to extend her stay include a border bounce and obtaining a 60-day tourist visa or spending time in nearby countries to re-enter on a visa exempt basis. Comments suggest obtaining a Single Entry Tourist Visa, which allows a 60-day stay plus a potential 30-day extension. Concerns about entry frequency and immigration hassles are raised, but generally, many agree that a combination of entries should not raise flags at immigration. Suggestions include bouncing out of Thailand or going to Laos for a visa while traveling.

Ivan ************ · Answer

Consider bouncing at Mae Sai _before_ the end of 2018. That way it will not count against her two visa exempt land entries for 2019, which she may want, depending on her travel plans. A bounce on 30 Dec, extended, would bring her up to 27 Feb.

Tod ********* · Answer

Unless she's gonna be IN thailand for the 60 days she'd get on a tourist visa I can't see any reason her wasting the money and time to get them :O

There's nothing wrong with being a valid tourist, comin' here on a visa exempt entry touring <- what tourists do :P then leaving the country and going to another one for a bit, comin' back and touring thailand some more. I think she could wring the 6 months out of thailand using visa exempt entries and if needed the 30 day extensions allowed on those entries.

Barry ****** · Answer

Get a SETV from a nearby country while travelling South East Asia.

Takes maybe a day of your time out of your travels.

Laos is the best no documentation needed.

Other countries you might need to plan a little and prepare some docs, get a week of accomodation lined up (use agoda and find something with pay at property and have a cancellation period), book flights (ideally with a free cancellation period), and sometimes they might ask for a bank statement.

Tod ********* · Answer

It doesn't sound like she has an extensive history of living here on back-2-back visa exempt or tourist visa entries so she's unlikely to raise suspicion when she enters the country the next few entries at least.

Tod ********* · Answer

She could exist here on a combination of 30 day visa exempt entries (as long as she knows she still only gets TWO by land in a year) and/or single entry tourist visas.

It doesn't matter how long she spends outside of thailand if she's gonna be here on visa exempt entries. The system that flags people for too many entries doesn't take into account how long between entries you've been out of the country. She could bounce out and right back in or fly out and right back it won't matter.

I would say she should have her 3-proof-ofz with her when she's entering the country (anywhere but at Mae Sai or Nong Khai) just in case she'd be asked.

Robert ******* · Answer

Get the Single Entry tourist visa, gives 60 days and can be extended with another 30 days if wanted. No, idea when smokey season starts, I know today the dry season starts.

What are the best visa options for an expat traveling through Southeast Asia while staying in Thailand?

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