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What are the best visa options for staying in Thailand for 4 to 5 months during winter?

Feb 4, 2026
3 months ago
Rob *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Wife and I want to go Thailand for 4to 5 months in the winter what's our best options for a visa ?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
To stay in Thailand for 4 to 5 months, the best options include using the visa exemption that allows a 60-day stay for UK passport holders, which can be extended for an additional 30 days at a local immigration office, and then exiting Thailand to re-enter for another 60 days with a new exemption. Alternatively, obtaining a multiple entry tourist visa allows for multiple 60-day stays with brief exits to nearby countries. It's important to also check the latest rules as immigration policies are subject to change.
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Linda ******
Last year we entered for 60 days, then left for Vietnam for 30 days and reentered for another 60 days and one 30 day extension then home. We had all airfares booked but never requested to see them.
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Lloyd *********
Best option leave her
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Greg ********
6 month multiple entry tourist visa
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Tyron **********
60 days free visa from uk, flight over to Vietnam and stay up to 45 days free visa then fly back to bangkok or home from vietnam like i'm doing.
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Rafael *******
Tourist visa
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Mary *****************
Depending on where you’re coming from, at least I know from the US you can only come for two months and then file for an extension in the second month for one month. No, 4 to 5 months anymore.
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Daniel *******
Take care, it's not so easy.

This year, immigration denied me a visa extension of 30 days : they only allowed 7 days, because i had a extension last year.

A friend of mine, after two months in Thailand, went to Laos for a month. Upon returning, he had a lot of difficulty getting back into Thailand and obtaining a 60-day exemption.

So, it's your own situation who will tell what you have to do.

Never come ? Ok

Or have some visa run or extension in passeport : make a visa retirement
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Bernard *******
Daniel Wxaze oui c est prevu dans la nouvelle reglementation la premiere extension 30 jours et la deuxieme 7 jours
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Daniel *******
Bernard Louis j'avais bien vu qu'il était prévu une seule extension de 30 jours, mais par année civile.

Mon extension précédente datait de février 2025, donc je pensais que janvier 2026 c'était bon.

Mais non. J'ai essayé de discuter, avec mon billet d'avion, mon compte bancaire thai largement positif, mais rien à faire.
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Daniel *******
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Louie ********
Can I get a 30 day extension with a Non O 90 day visa giving me 4 months in Thailand?
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Graham ******
Louie Manini No, a 30 day extension is for tourism entry stamps only. There is the usual 12 month extension which requires meeting the financial requirements (Thai bank account and seasoned funds or visa income affidavit) or, for some, the 60 day Visit Thai Family extension.
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Graham ******
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Juliet *******
We went to extend our stay by 30 days yesterday all set too change we were told even immigration people couldn’t tell us as they said they don’t know. So I’d hold fire
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Robert *********
Multiple entry tourist .

You can not be sure they will not change the visa exempt in the middle of your trip
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Fred ******
Robert Merrell No big deal. Just get a 60 tourist Visa if necessary.
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Fred ******
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David ********
MMMMMM Interesting. So i get a FREE 60-day visa in Thailand then skip to Laos and Cambodia for say 30 days. Then i can come back into Thailand for another FREE 60 day visa then get a PAID 30 day extension if need. As long as i don't spend more than 150 days in Thailand in a calendar year. CORRECT??
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Fred ******
David Gapper There is no magic number of days. Your plan is typical tourist pattern and should be fine except for adding an extension. I personally would not add an extension. If you want to spend another 30 days then visit some of the other amazing countries in the region.
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David ********
Fred Aker I've heard you can only visit Thailand for a total of 157 days each calendar year
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David ********
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Tom *******
I would try the Thai government website. 😛
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Violet ***********
how long can you stay in thailand without a visa?
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Angelo ***********
Violet Fullerton depending on country of origin: usually 60 days. And you can extend that at your local immigration office for another 30 days.
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Violet ***********
Angelo Schneider thanks x
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Violet ***********
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Leo ******
I used to alternate between Langkawi in Malaysia 90 days and catch the ferry to Koh Lipe and check into Thailand and get 60 days and travel round Thailand and then back to Langkawi for another 90 days visa
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Jet ********
Thailand is an amazing place just not a sex hub. I agree with a lot of people that are not everybody goes there to be a whore anyway you can go 60 days you an extension for another 30 while you’re still in the country and then you just leave the country and then you can get another 60 days stamp and then you can get another 30 days extension so technically you can stay there for six months with no paying extra Visa cost if you plan on staying more than six months then yeah you need to get a tourist visa which will grant you another 90 days for 200 and something dollars. I forget how much but you can technically stay a whole nine months without spending a lot of money and the paperwork minimal you just need to have at least I believe don’t quote me but I think 20 or ฿40,000 proof of income
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LychM*****
As of right now, on your UK passport you have visa exemption on arrival 60 days. Can be extended another 30 days. Go to Laos for a few weeks, then come back to Thailand for the same.

Did the same exact thing in 2025. 90 Days + 3+ weeks in Vientiane + 90 days, then went home.
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Benjamin *********
Metv
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Richard ******
Go visit vietnam
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David *********
Richard Deanthe only problem is the infrastructure sucks the hospital and health system way behind Thailand
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Richard ******
David Fulcher cheaper. Taxis are cheap getting more advanced.and its an interesting country.how could you not forget hanoi 🤯😀
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Richard ******
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Jon *******
Your taking your wife??
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Nick **********
Jon Smith "Honey, I'm out of shaving cream, going to 7-11, be back in an hour."
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Jimmy ******
Jon Smith Not all are looking for whores
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Robin *******
Jimmy Wang that’s not nice
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Nick **********
Jimmy Wang Don't need to look, they find you
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Nick **********
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Ricky ******
Jon Smith 🤣
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Elena *******
Jon Smith why wouldn’t he? I believe he said so in his post. 🤓
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James *******
Elena Lopez it's called having a sence of humour its a joke if your having trouble understanding the comment you know like hehe haha 🤣
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Elena *******
James Hoyes Nothing went over my head. It just wasn’t funny. I understood it perfectly! Humor just wasn’t present. I said, what I said!
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Sheen ************
James Hoyes problem is a joke should be funny not tedious
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Sheen ************
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Simon *******
6 month Multiple entry tourist visa but you can only stay 60 days at a time every time you enter Thailand.
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Philip ***********
Simon Adams 60 + extension of 30
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Peter *********
Philip Rossignol but would they let you do two extensions on the METV to get the full 180 days? My plan is to get the METV and leave Thailand for a week or so in two occasions (need to get the timing right) and that resets the visa back to 60 days each time. From what I read on the embassy website this should be allowed with the METV but I don’t know if they will do two 30 day extensions ie just before 60 days extend, leave at 90 days and go to a neighbouring country , re enter after a few days, extend just before 60 days and go home before or on expiry of the 6 months (the visa activates on date of issue not arrival date so we may not actually get the full six months). I’m hoping this works.
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Simon *******
Peter Tulloch They no longer do more than one 30 day extension the second one you apply for will only get you 7 days and this is only with air arrivals not land border crossings
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Philip ***********
Peter Tulloch with visa they will, especially if you stay a few days in another country
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Philip ***********
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Ruben ******
Philip Rossignol just curious, was it always like this? Or more recent? Just curious as in my early 20s in the 2000s, many of my peers talked about backpacking there for several months and these VISA issues didn't seem as big of a deal then. Though maybe they just hopped around enough to avoid the limit.
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Philip ***********
Ruben Kang since July 2024 it's 60 days for 93 countries Before was 30 Both can be extended for 30 days once a year
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Philip ***********
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Fred ******
No visa required. Two 60 day visa exempt entries are no problem at all. I would suggest spending 2-4 weeks visiting some of the many other amazing countries in the region as well. So 60 days Thailand, 15-30 days outside, 60 days Thailand.
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Tor *********
Probably just a tourist visa and do a reentry plus 1 extension if 5 months
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Sean **********
Mike Harrison not true. I am doing it now. NON O retirement . Then EOS. . Will be extending 45 days before my EOS expires. Get your Reentry permit when you leave. Come back and do it again. Remember to do your 90 day report when you come back.
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Doug *******
Sean Franjesh Do you mean you entered with a 90-day non O then extended for 12 months or is there another option to extend a non O?
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Graham ******
Doug Olson The only other extension that might be available is the 60 day Visit Thai Family extension
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Graham ******
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Alan **********
Sean Franjesh What is it in the OP that shouts to you they're able to get a NON-O for retirement ?
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Alan **********
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Tor *********
Mike Harrison that’s not true at all. I’m here on month 5 as we speak. And have done every year the past 5. They have been more strict now, but not about just 1 reentry and 1 extension. You dont know what you’re talking about bud. None of the new more strict rules apply until AFTER 150 days. After 1 reentry and 1 extension is when it’s possible to run into issues.
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Duane *************
Tor Carlson for me 144 days, since 2018. Never had a problem yet but it's always changing. If I do , I'll just go home.
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Duane *************
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