What are the best visa options for my retired parents visiting Thailand for 4-5 months?

Question

My retired parents are looking to apply from Canada to leave in December.  Ideally would like to stay around 4-5 months.  What are the best options? SETV for 90 days and then extend for another 90?  METV for 6 months?  METV needs $15k in a bank account?

Ask Thailand · Answer

For your retired parents visiting Thailand for 4-5 months from Canada, there are several viable visa options. They can apply for a Single-Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) which is valid for 90 days, but they would need to extend it to stay longer. Alternatively, they could consider the Multi-Entry Tourist Visa (METV) which allows for multiple entries and a total stay of up to 9 months, given that they meet the necessary financial requirements (e.g., having $15k in a bank account). With the upcoming changes, from October 1st to March 31st, they could also enter with a visa exemption valid for 45 days, extendable for an additional 30 days, and then re-enter for another 45 days to maximize their stay. However, depending on their health, leaving the country for a border run might be necessary, which can be challenging. It's essential to evaluate the practicality of these options considering their situation.

John ******* · Answer

[mention redacted] will the new 45 day visa exempt from 1st Oct change the current 60 day maximum stay on a metv not including an extension. ?

Keven **** · Answer

Have no idea how the retirement visa works, but maybe that would be an option without having to leave the country, [mention redacted]?

Keven **** · Answer

Correction first: SETV (Single-Entry Tourist visa) is valid for 90 days, as in you can enter the country within those 90 days. You don't get 90 days and extend for another 90. You only get 60 days, and you can extend for another 30 days at immigration for 1,900฿.

Your parents could apply for the METV (Multi-Entry Tourist visa), which if timed right, could give them 9 months in total. Although, they would still need to meet the financial requirements.

(Keep in mind that, depending on your parent's health, no matter what visa they get, if they want to stay 4-5 months, they will still have to leave the country to do a border run, which can be physically demanding and complicated.)

A good solution would be to get a SETV in Canada, extend it in Thailand (3 months total), leave the country and come back in on a visa-exemption stamp and extend it (45+30 days). That gives them over 5 months.

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Tod ********* · Answer

The METV requirements are what they are and that is consulate specific SO if that's what it says in the online eVisa system that's what it is

Keep in mind that free entry on the visa exempt program which is normally 30 days will be increased to 45 days starting Oct 1st and running until Mar 31st. So if they're comin' in Dec they could come with no visa, get stamped in for 45 days, take a 30 day extension (giving them 75 days) then bounce out and back to get a NEW 45 day visa exempt entry (as long as they did it by Mar 31st) and then extend that for 30 more days so close to 150 days in country without buying ANY visa before they came

What are the best visa options for my retired parents visiting Thailand for 4-5 months?

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