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What are the current experiences with re-entering Thailand under visa exemption?

Visa Exempt Entry Thailand Immigration Rules Visa Extensions Current Visa Policies Frequent Travelers Border Bounce

Nov 21, 2025

19 hours ago

Bill *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I entered Thailand yesterday for the fourth time since May under visa exempt. No questions asked. Stamped in.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The original poster has entered Thailand for the fourth time under visa-exempt status without facing questions during entry. Various comments discuss experiences with visa exemptions and highlight the unpredictability of border control, mentioning past warnings for frequent entries without proper visas. The discussion suggests a mix of opinions on the current immigration rules and the necessity for visa extensions.

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Peter *********

Wait till next time ! The rules were effective from 12th November.

18 hours ago

Martyn ***********

Have you been going back to your home country? If yes.. Not surprised. The new rules don't effect you.. Whatever read elsewhere, many people are commenting who have half the info at best...

19 hours ago

James ********

The majority of law abiding citizens can come and go as mentioned in this post. Be humble , be courteous be polite. The majority of the people going down the scare tactic road are the jealous ones ( read as do gooders ) who have 800 , 000 tied up while the average Joe just comes and goes about their business.

19 hours ago

THAI ******************************

@James *******

Actual denial of entry is happening but it has mostly to do with attempting to live long term in Thailand with exempt entries, and border bounces / visa runs.

16 hours ago

James ********

@THAI *****************************

Crackdown for a while , then back to normal business soon.

16 hours ago

Reply to

James ********

Martyn ***********

@James *******

wtf are you talking about? 'scare tactics', 'jealous'.. What's someone on retirement visa got to be jealous of? Your air miles?

James ********

Touch a nerve did I?

Martyn ***********

No..? Why.. Obviously it you who has problem with people on retirement visas. You need help..

16 hours ago

James ********

@Martyn **********

can't anyone debate without getting personal. Please.

13 hours ago

Martyn ***********

@James *******

what? You started it calling folk jealous and I made no personal statement about other than mentioning your obvious issues with retirement visa holders.

13 hours ago

Reply to

Martyn ***********

Luc ************

Of course not, why should they? Only extensions are being watched.

19 hours ago

Jim *******

@Luc ***********

When I applied for my Yellow Book (I own my condo in Bangkok), Samut Prakan City Council (Bangkok) had a preliminary questionaire.

One of the questions was: "How many extensions of stay you have had?".

Zero. The officers nodded.

Never stayed more than 2-4 weeks, within the visa exemption (that was until June 2024 30 days). Evidently, never tried to live in Thai with border runs. Been to Thai 110 times since year 2000.

Renting a car, went everywhere in Thai, 30,000 kms, whole family, hotels.

Even toured Isan (2,500 kms), up to Udon Thani, temples and attractions. Hua Hin, 20 times hotel stay.

That is tourism and I loved the travels.

Now, I am not a tourist any more (on Non-O 1 year extension). I want to live in Thai and I got the proper visa.

12 hours ago

Jan ******************

@Luc ***********

Extensions are also covered, but border bounces are being targeted just as before. This has now been formalised as a maximum of two in a row without returning to your home country.

17 hours ago

Reply to

Jan ******************

Michael ********

How long were your visits and did you ever get extension. My mates just arrived for about the 8th time this year but just weekend visits. You need add context to your post

19 hours ago

Jim *******

@Michael *******

I know of people who work in Penang (Malaysia) who come to Thai almost every second weekend, maybe 20 times a year, short stays, no any problems.

18 hours ago

Michael *******

They are tourists exactly what the exemption is designed for they are not attempting to live here long term, their pattern of travel will tell tj

14 hours ago

Marco *******

@Jim ******

the problems will come at a certain point even if u stay short time like weekends

17 hours ago

Jim *******

@Marco ******

What problems? Would Immigration offcer tell them "Get a proper visa next time"? What kind of visa could that be for frequent weekend visitors, as genuine as tourists can be?

17 hours ago

Marco *******

@Jim ******

tourist visa in case they are tourist METV in case they are frequent travelers as tourist. Or any other visa that qualify their status. Even if only for 1-2 days at a certain point the IO will recommend to get a visa.

16 hours ago

Jim *******

@Marco ******

That I know of several people from Penang going to Thai every second weekend is only a tip of the iceberg. The facility has 5,000 employees, they go to Thai on weekends in their hundreds.

There are coach companies, conwoys of 5-10 buses take them to Thai every weekend. Immigration officers would get into the bus and stamp their passports without them even standing up in their seats.

Those people flow through the company, new ones join, the last one I knew of personally retired this June 2025.

Since year 2000, nobody ever mentioned any visa to any of them.

15 hours ago

Tania **********

@Jim ******

My thoughts , how people keep saying get a visa get a visa… there are lots of cases that it does not exist a visa for !

16 hours ago

Reply to

Tania **********

Robert ******

What was the longest previous stay?

19 hours ago

Paul ******

Good question. I'm here already on a 30 day extension and was planning leaving 28th of November and returning in 2 weeks.

10 hours ago

Robert ******

@Paul *****

if you return to your home country between visits it seems to be ok, its the boarder runners they are cracking down on

4 hours ago

Reply to

Robert ******

Colin **********

If you came from your home country each time it seems ok, its a border bounce or quick return there wanting to limit.

19 hours ago

Matthew *********

@Colin *********

correct. There is no limit on entries. New update ONLY focuses on extension and border runs. I am sure many people probably hate his post because he proves to many people who think they know everything wrong.

18 hours ago

Colin **********

@Matthew ********

I saw Siam legal said its 6 trips on holiday, I doubt it will affect to many people.

16 hours ago

Matthew *********

@Colin *********

I would love to see the documents that scam has. First time in years I have ever heard this claim of times.

15 hours ago

Colin **********

It looks like opinion

Colin **********

Matthew *********

this might of been old because its not 30day entry anymore. Most country visa exempt are 60 days.

15 hours ago

Donald **********

@Matthew ********

Think it’s still 30 days by the rules but they’re currently giving 60 and could pull that whenever they like.

9 hours ago

Matthew *********

@Donald *********

true but they had said not long ago they wouldn't revisit it for atleast a year which we know thai words mean absolutely nothing

an hour ago

Reply to

Matthew *********

Umer **************

How long was each of your visits prior to yesterday?

19 hours ago

Stephen *********

Did you extend?

19 hours ago

Peter *******

I was doing that all year, in May I got a warning, get a proper visa over the next 2 visits.

Never had extensions, just FIFO 28 days in country each time.

Its luck of the draw at the moment.

19 hours ago

John **********

@Peter ******

I would say if all you are doing is FIFO for work you are to all intentents and purposes living in Thailand and are not a tourist. In my view immigration are correct to tell you to get a visa appropriate for that

15 hours ago

Peter *******

@John *********

im not in disagreement with that, however 8 yrs, no warnings.

No extensions, less than 145 days in any year.

This change isn't aimed at FIFO, it's catching a lot of folk that aren't doing any harm.

And yes, we all should get the correct visa.

15 hours ago

John **********

@Peter ******

sure the recent change is not aimed at FIFO but they have been cracking down on abuse of the visa exempt anyway before that change

15 hours ago

Reply to

John **********

Peter *******

@Fabiola *********

I got the warning in May, that was my second entry this year, I was told specifically get a visa, an entry was put on my file (IO's words not mine), I cannot specifically say that it was a heads up for these changes. When I spoke to Pathum Thani immigration in early June, the feeling I got was that they were targeting the criminal elements that abused the system. Genuine Travellers would be OK.

I basically got 4-6 months warning, again I've been doing 28 day entries for at least 3 yrs, 4 times per year, no extensions.

17 hours ago

Nongnuch ********

@Peter ******

not saying that you cannot enter visa-exempt only 2 times per calendar year. It is the total amount days of stays they count. Right now after the change, the limit seems to be 157 days, but I assume they still follow the 180-days rule of the thumb. I guess if you never maximize any visa-exempt stay by an extension, you are good to arrive for short holidays not totalling more than (157?) 180 days - now counted by "calendar year" (no more 365-days period)

16 hours ago

Peter *******

@Nongnuch *******

I've been doing this since 2017, initially 5 yrs visa exempts. 1 year NON-O retirement for 1 year, then back to FIFO for 3 yrs ( almost), the warning was after almost 8 yrs.

I got a sense of change in May, and specifically the Chinese problems of scam gangs and trafficking to Mayanmar, was mentioned in conversation at immigration.

This change has been a long time coming, with all the bad publicity.

15 hours ago

Reply to

Peter *******

Nongnuch ********

@Peter ******

so they counted back the rolling 365 days, NOT the calendar year, which was the usual practise before the November 16 changes on the "visa runs". So actually you received the warning when attempting a 4th or a 5th (only you know that) visa-exempt entry within a 365-days period . . if each stay out of 4 stays was 28 days, it sums up to, let's say, 112 days, so the new entry would have brought your complete stay amount to 112+60 = 172 days, plus a 30-days extension would have brought you to 202 days. 180 days within a one year period used to be the absolute limit for visa exempt stays. No wonder you got warned as the officer has to assume that you theoretically can get 90 days out of your visa-exempt stay

16 hours ago

Reply to

Nongnuch ********

Fabiola **********

@Peter ******

after how many visa exemption entries in the same year did you get the warning?

17 hours ago

Reply to

Fabiola **********

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