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What are the details of my multi-entry tourist visa validity and maximum stay in Thailand?

Thailand Visa Multi-Entry Tourist Visa METV Visa Duration Visa Calculation Immigration Rules Expat Advice

Oct 7, 2022

4 years ago

Arne ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hi All,

Just a quick question as I'm not really sure about it.

I've been just granted a tourist visa with multiple entries that has to be used before the 3rd of april. Does that mean that my maximum stay will be from the 2nd of april + 90 days (60+extention) = 2nd of July? 

Or will i be getting a visa when i arrive on the 14th of november?Cause I kind of calculated the 9months from that moment, which resulted in roughly the 10th of August...

Hoping that I didn't throw away about 5 weeks of my visa by applying early...

Thanks in advance

Arne!

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user is unsure about the validity and maximum stay duration of their multi-entry tourist visa (METV) issued for Thailand, which must be used by April 3rd. The discussion clarifies that the 90-day maximum stay (60 days plus an extension) begins upon entry into Thailand, and if the visa is not activated immediately, time can be wasted. The advice provided includes entering Thailand as soon as possible to maximize the duration of the visa and considering alternative visa types for future travel.

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Ellie *******

On that note, we are done.

Wish OP safe travel regardless of how long or how short

4 years ago

Arne ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks a lot everyone, I really appreciated it! Unfortunately I'll be loosing a couple of weeks, but that's a lot better than overstaying my visa haha! Thanks again 👌🏼

4 years ago

Keven ****

Read and re-read Tod's answer. That's how a METV works. To get the most out of the METV (almost a full 9 months), you have to enter the country as soon as you get the visa.

If you don't enter right away, you're wasting away your METV. Might as well have gotten a SETV and used two visa exempts stamps instead (8 months total).

4 years ago

Keven ****

@Arne *******

First, if you want to get 9 months out of your visa, you need to enter as soon as you get it. Do the calculations yourself:

- METV is valid for 6 months, need to enter and re-enter within those 6 months

- 60 days per entry with possibility to extend another 30 days

I'd say you probably won't be able to get 9 months out of your METV (you would be able to get two visa-exemption stamps per calendar year by land, though).

Second, if your girlfriend still hasn't gotten her visa, the time used up to get her visa is eating away at the time of your METV.

Third, if your girlfriend gets her visa a few weeks after yours, the timing of your border runs will be different. You will have to do your border runs separately, or one of you will have to lose a few weeks from the total time of their visa.

Fourth, another option is to get a SETV, which gives you 60 days, and the possibility to extend for another 30 days for 1,900฿ at immigration. You can wait before entering, because there are no re-entries. Then, you are allowed 2 visa-exemption stamps per calendar year by land, which since October 1st gives you 45 days, and the possibility to extend for another 30 days.

I've given you all the information you need, to do the math according to your travel plans.

4 years ago

Arne ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Keven ***

Thanks a lot Keven! We will go for another METV for her, this would make traveling together a lot easier and we can always try to get in on a visa exempt in july for another 2 months, else we'll come back another time 😉 Thanks for the answer!

4 years ago

Reply to

Arne ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Keven ***

I wasn't really sure about how often they'd let you back in the country... Didn't wanna run into the possibility of having a condo for 9 months and not being let in again cause I'm there on free visas... My girlfriend still needs to get hers, you reckon that'll be the easiest and cheapest way for her?

And would I be able to get a visa exempt in july after I've used this visa for another 2 months of staying there?

4 years ago

Ellie *******

@Arne *******

if you two want to stay for 9 months from November, METV for your gf is still a valid option. As long as you have METV, you can travel anytime, no need to wait for 60 days until the next travel. No problem travel around together.

After your METV expires, you may have to enter on a visa-exempt or tourist visa while she still can enter on her still-valid METV.

Travel on land for those entries during your 9 months holidays, border-bounce by land has far less trouble entering Thailand

4 years ago

Arne ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Ellie ******

Thanks for the information! We'll go for another METV as it makes traveling together a lot easier ;)

4 years ago

Reply to

Arne ********

Tod *********

@Arne *******

Okay here's how it works

-you enter on Nov 14th and get stamped in for 59 days until Jan 12th,

when that runs down

-you bounce out and back to get another 60 days, until about Mar 12,

when that runs down

-you bounce again to get another 60 days taking you to May 10,

BUT

-just before the VISA expires you bounce out and back one final time on April 3 to get the final 60 days taking you to june 1st

and

-you get a 30 day extension on that taking you to about July 1st

That's the LONGEST you can get out of that visa with a Nov 14th arrival and the visa running out on April 3 2023

you can either bounce every 60 days or take the 30 day extension on any of those entries, the important thing is that you bounce out and back one last time to get the final 60 day entry stamp on or just before the VISA expires on April 3 2023.

if you do that you can stay until about the 1st of July 2023 or right around 229 days NOT the 270 you could have gotten if you got here right after getting that visa issued

4 years ago

Ellie *******

If the “must be used by” date is 3 April, it’s the last day you can enter Thailand on that visa. So your stay from that visa can be until 1 July including a tourism extension.

4 years ago

Tod *********

This is a good question and two things are at play here

The multi-entry tourist visa is good from 6 months from the date it is ISSUED <- so if you get it too early you do indeed "throw away" the time you're not here on it. You can't figure 9 months from your arrival date, it's from the date the visa is issued for.

It's really unlikely you're gonna get 9 months of stay out of that visa because you are burning up the validity of the visa by not being here 😕

4 years ago

Ellie *******

@T**

, her plan seems to be arriving 14th November for the first time using METV (which was issued on around 4th October valid until 3rd April)

4 years ago

Reply to

Ellie *******

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